First Days at Site

November 16, 2012

My first few days at site have been great! The minute I got to site I dropped off my stuff and went to meet the faifekau (reverend) for a quick kava ceremony (where the shells were extra big, yum!). After the kava with the reverend I went to the classroom next door where there was a whole feast set out for me with students and PTA members and the 3 other teachers in attendance. The feast had everything- roast pig, lobster, Tongan chicken and of course root crop…

Yesterday I went to play volleyball at the Mormon church after a Peace Corps workshop with or principals and counterparts. A guy who was playing turned to me after a bit and asked me in perfect English, “so you went to Cal?” (I was wearing a Berkeley shirt). Apparently he is here on his mission and almost played football for Cal in 2010. Such a small world…

I am really enjoying my house except for the cockroach infestation… Every night I am forced to stay in the seclusion of my bedroom because after the sunsets it is the cockroaches’ house. Yesterday I went crazy with this intense bug spray called Mortien and this morning I spent 20 minutes cleaning up dead roaches…They may have won the battle but it is I who got the last laugh; tonight shall be round 2.

The bug spray also brought out the molokau. I have now killed 5 molokau in a verity of ways including the use of a hammar, a shoe, a broom, and a wooden spear that i am using to learn a traditional Tongan war dance with my school.

my room

shower

main living area- the boy on the ground is Suliasi. He is my 13 year-old next door neighbor and has been made to come over and keep me company. He comes over everyday after school and we eva together and watch movies. He has become obsessed with Pokemon on the gameboy (thank you Jake, probably the best PC game).

weird breakfast nook?

Kitchen