Well...I'm Back

Well...I'm back. (Any true Tolkien lovers will understand this line and the meaning behind it):)

But more than just being one of Sam Gamgee's best lines, I mean it in that I also am coming back to write my part of the tale. I have actually had my internet problems fixed for over a week, but I haven't felt like blogging even when people have asked me to. I think part of the reason is that the newness of Saipan was beginning to wear off. I wasn't as eager to tell about every delicious meal and every trip to a beach. But despite this, I really do feel the need to keep in contact with family and friends from home. And not just for my own sake, but because I do understand that my life is not just about me, but that there are others out there who do care about how I am doing here on this paradise of an island. Wow...now that that is out of the way I guess I have a bit of catching up to do. I certainly won't tell about everything; I'll just mention the main high points.

Last weekend there was a large fundraiser on the island for the American Red Cross. It is an annual fundraiser at $200 a ticket and thousands of people come. The theme was The Mad Hatters, so there were thousands of people sitting around in crazy hats. It was held at the Hyatt resort with dozens of huge tents and lights set up right on the beach. There was free food and about 40 very large prize packages generally giving away free flights, hotel stays, messages, and cash. I was actually given a free ticket by some people who had never intended to go in the first place. It was very fun, and I promise I will be posting some pictures of it shortly. The best part of this event however, was what it showed me about these people. Many of them do not have very much money, and $200 a person is very significant, but many of the locals still go every year. They are very generous people and they give everything they have to support someone in need. It is so neat for me to see this, as it is not nearly as normal to see stateside.

I think I should tell you all a little about my school as well. After all, my teaching is the main reason why I am on the island in the first place. I teach at Marianas High School which is in the village of Susupe (pronounced as Soosoopee). We are the Home of the Dolphins and the largest high school on the island. There is also Kagman High school and Southern High, but MHS is of course the best. The MHS campus is made of about 40 different buildings with open walkways and should comfortably house about 700 students. However, there are almost 1300 students attending at the moment, so the class sizes are fairly large to say the least.

My classroom is in the gym conference room and it has its challenges as the students are really crammed in there in 5 different tables. Tests and quizzes are my biggest challenge as the students are already practically sitting on top of one another, so cheating is rampant. I need to figure out if I can somehow take them outside my classroom into a corner of the gym to spread out.

I have two classes, both of which are Language Arts 10th grade. I have 27 students in one class and 17 in the other. 4th period is much nicer simply for the reason that that there are fewer students. It is a nice way to end my day. I really enjoy my students. I had some behavioral issues last week, but I think I am beginning to understand this group of students a little better, so things went much better this week. Part of it too is that I am new, white, and don't completely understand the culture. So the students were really testing me to see how much they could get away with. But I have set up some clear boundaries, and I think they are beginning to see that I will do what I say. I am truly realizing that consistency is probably the biggest key to classroom management along with proper instruction.

Today was actually Halloween Fest at the school. Classes were shortened to 50 minutes and the last two hours were spent doing dances, fashion shows, and booths. Because I am new and don't have a homeroom, I was asked to judge the performances along with 3 other people. Some of them were very good. My favorite dance was by the Chamorro Club and they did the traditional dances in traditional costume. I took my camera, but unfortunately was having some trouble with it, and was only able to get a couple pictures. I will have to see if I can clean them up and get them on here, because it was quite neat.

Tomorrow night, for Halloween, I and a bunch of people are going on an ocean cruise. There was a package deal from the Palms Resort. $88 for an ocean view room, cruise, dinner, and breakfast. The whole group of us going are doing the caveman theme. I just spent 3 hours making my costume, and honestly, I think it looks pretty awesome!

Well, I am going to wrap this up, but it felt cathartic to get this all out. Please drop me a line to let me know how you are all doing. I miss you all and hope that life is going wonderfully for you.

P.S. the snorkeling is amazing!! I have seen so many fish exactly like what you see in Finding Nemo. And many more. I certainly have seen Dory and Gill a lot, but no little Nemos. I'll have to go see if I can find him!