A Merman in Pohnpei

Sunday, July 26, 2015

69: The Legendary Peace Corps Volunteer

Sam did his 2 years of Peace Corps on Pakin + 1 year extension, and he is a legend. Every time people comment on my Mortlockese abilities, they mention that Sam’s Mortlockese was flawless. He actually studied linguistics, did his dissertation on Mortlockese and is still in contact with them.

So he came up again during a dinner conversation with me and Nohno (her last meal before she leaves for Chuuk). And now brace yourselves:

Nohno: “… but there’s one thing I don’t like about him. He likes those guys.”

Me: “Those guys?”

Nohno: “Maybe he also likes those girls, but he likes those guys to come and stay with him.”

So at this point I’m familiar enough with Pohnpeian culture to gather that Sam is gay, (or potentially bisexual, as Nohno points out). Two reactions:

A) How does Nohno know that? Is she the only one that knows? Did Sam come out? Who are those “other guys” she mentioned? I suspect that Sam might be the best source on homophobia in Pohnpei culture I could interview. I’ve been meaning to reach out to him for a while (to meet the Legend), and now I decided I definitely will.

B) Ouch, Nohno! It hurts, because I’ve grown very fond of her. Time to crawl into my room and listen to Sam Tsui.

FYI: Sam Tsui just became the impromptu inspiration for calling the legendary Peace Corps volunteer Sam. I decided not to use his real name to protect his privacy (because we all know this blog is going to go viral once I become the world’s most famous merman)

68: History Gossip

Last Night we went to the local sakau bar, because Nohno threw a “fundraiser” for her trip to Chuuk (she’s leaving tonight and coming back on the day of my departure, because her maternal uncle living in California passed away and his body will pass through Chuuk on the way to his home island Namoluk in the Mortlocks, where he will be buried. Long story).

The sakau was pretty strong, so I got a little beschnasselt.

Anyways, I ended up getting a really juicy history lesson about Pakin. Turns out the people of Pakin haven’t been living there as long as I thought they did. It all began with the casual piece of information that the Namwarki (translates to paramount chief / king. If the chief of Pakin is a dictator, the Namwarki is a sacred emperor. It’s crazy.) anyway, that the Namwarki lived on Pakin and gave very strict and effective conservation decrees. So I wondered: if the people of Pakin came from the Mortlocks in 1907, how could one of them as a non-Pohnpeian gain the highest traditional rank in Pohnpeian culture, given that this rank is usually passed down a bloodline? That’s where the juicy history unraveled:

Turns out Namwarki Kalio was elected, and didn’t inherit the title.
That’s because during the Sokehs rebellion, the German colonial government killed almost all Pohnpeians in Sokehs, including the Namwarki. That’s what “made room” for the immigrants from the Mortlocks. After that, there was no Namwarki in Sokehs for a long time.
Until the Japanese decided to re-instate a Namwarki. And they chose a non-Pohnpeian from the Mortlocks: Kalio. Why? Apparently Kalio was a political genius – he was also chief magister (highest government official in Sokehs). No one challenged Kalio, because if you did, the Japanese would kill you.
Of course, after the Japanese were defeated, Kalio’s reign was challenged during the early period of US occupation by the true heir to the Namwarki, a Pohnpeian. The US court decided to put it up to a vote, and because the Mortlockese immigrants outnumbered the Pohnpeians, Kalio won.
Kalio decided Pakin would be a cute place to live, so he moved there, since it was empty.
Why was Pakin empty? Because the Japanese kicked all the Pohnpeians off Pakin when they occupied it.
Did the Pohnpeian people of Pakin try to return? Yup, but Kalio was very influential at that point and was like “nope, too late, bitches” and that’s the last anyone has heard of those Pohnpeians.
Kalio eventually died, lost at sea between Pohnpei and Pakin. The US coast guard from Guam searched for 2 weeks, very dramatic, but without success.
After Kalio, the original Pohnpeian lineage reclaimed the title of the Namwarki.
Apparently, according to old-sakau-chugging-guy Paulino who told me all of this (he was a young boy when Kalio reigned), the current Namwarki sucks. O.O

There were also lots of other juicy details about older brothers, family and clan drama etc. that I left out. Point of the story: A) the current people of Pakin have plenty local knowledge. But they haven’t been the cliché “stewards of their land for generations upon generations” as one might imagine. B) when you ask the question “but who lived there before?” be prepared for a messy/juicy answer.

67: Pakin Again!

Turns out this was not my last trip to Pakin, I’ll go again on Tuesday, spending almost all of my last week here on Pakin!

The cast: Kirino, Kesdy, 2 interns (June and Meagan), and pictured: Selino and Manta Julie. Julie does super awesome work on manta rays (I would venture to say she is the world’s leading manta scientist, based on Guam, but she comes to Pohnpei a lot). Manta rays (unlike stingrays) don’t have a sting, are huge (up to 9 meters “wing” span), feed on plankton, and are really smart and curious. Julie is an amazing scientist, and a really thoughtful and interesting person. She is also the only scientist I’ve met here so far, who takes the time, patience, and sensitivity to engage with communities and has earned their respect. Also, she brought a whole box full of chips, woooo!

Sunset over the atoll while we’re gathering hibiscus for sakau

Nikahlap (main islet of Pakin), you are beautiful, and your beaches are even cleaner than last time (which was right after the storm).

Superdooper calm weather, and Pohnpei in the background

Osetik islet, where I stayed last time. I dropped by and said hi to Paulino, Lukein and Kaneki and asked them if I could spend a night or two next time I come.

When I said calm weather, I meant it. Those islets in the background are uninhabited “picnic” islets.

This is Pakin’s western tip – beyond the reef lies the open ocean!

#TeamKate for life, because it’s thanks to her that I am here!

Coconuts galore, and red bananas! I did not know red bananas existed! Delicious, of course. No, they’re not red on the inside.

Chief Sonirek was on the island this time (he usually works on Pohnpei as a teacher). When I arrived, he was just in the process of getting his hair braided in a french-braid. He said he loves his people, because they obey him, comparing his power to that of Hitler and Musolini (making me cringe, but I know what he meant). Super cheerful and relaxed guy. Here’s a conversation snapshot:

Sonirek: [about people in Germany] “The people there are friendly?”

Me: [taking a breath and trying to figure out how (northern) Germans friendliness works, given that in comparison we initially come across as cold and reserved]

Sonirek: “Not like before?”

Me: [realizes he’s talking about WWII and the brutal German occupation of Pohnpei] “Yeah, very friendly, not like before.”

Also, this buffet was super awesome. They spice the breadfruit with muckmuck, a root that adds a flowery and well rounded flavor. Yum!

Kesdy and me during the community consultation. Right before the meeting, I found out that the last climate change awareness meeting went into a lot more detail than I thought, covering all kinds of climate science like El Niño effects etc. So we were able to dive into the actual typhoon preparedness details right away.

And I successfully delivered my carefully rehearsed introduction and beginning of my presentation in Mortlockese. Now they think I’m way better than I am, expecting me to understand everything they say. Gah!

The interns: June (short for Junior) goes to an international private high school in Chuuk and is here over the summer. Meagan is in her first year of college studying marine science. There’s also an army of more summer interns who stayed at the office. CSP takes great care of their interns, and almost all of the current staff used to be volunteer interns at some point.

On our last day, Kesdy, June, Meagan and I toured around Nikahlap Islet so I could see the bad shape of the tarot patches (tarot is the only crop that can survive a typhoon and provide food security in the aftermath). Turns out the free roaming pigs like to eat tarot and are very good at breaking through fences.

POHNPEI TIAHK (POHNPEI CULTURE)

30 Rice: The rice shortage on the island right now (bad weather = no cargo ship) has led to many rice-conversations. Apparently rice is more important for Pohnpeians than bread is for Germans, perhaps even more important than meat. No, that has not historically been the case, and no, it does not grow here.
29 Driving: Pohnpeians drive so well! Appropriately slow (read: pot holes), always use their turn signals, yield to pedestrians, etc.
28 Rain: I have never experienced rain like this. The rain (and subsequent waterfall-like stream that formed next to our hose) was so loud last night and today, I could not hear my alarm in the morning, nor the sizzling of the pan that signals Julius-get-your-ass-out-of-bed-it’s-breakfast time. And our roof isn’t tin, it’s concrete. Still. Raindrops on banana leaves, people, it’s SO soothing.
27 Buddhism: Somehow with my host dad’s accent, this word sounds exactly like “pollution.” That was a tiny bit confusing, in addition to the fact that it turns out he actually meant Muslims, not Buddhists, but that’s another story.
26 Suicide Rate: I just learned yesterday from Tony that FSM, and Chuuk state in particular has had an astronomically high suicide rate since the 70s. To put it in perspective, Japan’s suicide rate is 20-30 per 100,000 (depending on what statistic). The country FSM is 27, Chuuk state (neighboring Pohnpei state) is 40, and Chuuk males 15-25 years old is 250 per 100,000 (and there are only about 50,000 people living in Chuuk).
25 Mortlockese Vowels: Lots of them actually sound like the German ö, ä, ü – score!
24 Pohnpeian Alphabet: Has 16 letters and four digraphs in the following order: a, e, i, o, u, oa, k, l, m, mw, n, ng, p, pw, r, s, t, d, w. H is only used to make vowels long, g is only used in combination (ng), and t is actually pronounced like the english “ch”
23 Sounds that do not exist in Pohnpeian: F, J (as in German), H, V, B, T.
22 Voice Level: almost everyone usually talks with low voices. However, exceptions include: when my host family talks to Jayheart, my host sister Tarla most of the time, and telecommunication. That means yelling to your neighbors, either straight from your porch of out of your car as you pass by. That doesn’t always work flawlessly, so often Pahpa responds with a loud “AAAAAA?” which cracks me up.
21 Mold: don’t use something for about a week, and mold will start to grow on it (bags, clothes, books). Lesson learned.
20 Arwen: Pronunciation Fun Part II – So for the longest time I thought his name was Arwen (pronounced elvish like Elrond says it), but now I’m pretty sure it’s Marwin. I proceeded to have a dream about Arwen killing the Mouth of Sauron in a never-seen-before extended scene. I wish. Eowyn was also in my dream. *sigh*
19 Moisturizer: Why did I bring it? Perhaps the most unnecessary thing in my suitcase followed by my old flip phone that only takes AT&T sim cards (I forgot about that).
18 Power Outage: happens a lot, probably ever 4-5 days or so. Our CSP wifi router has a backup battery though. Score.
17 Donuts: Pohnpeian pronunciation: donas. Often without any sugar/glazing, so it’s just a little sweet, but freshly made very delicious.
16 Sashimi: pronounced more like sesame here. I’m gathering they call everything raw sashimi. When I asked a lady at the market if these were cooking bananas or good for eating just like that, she said “yeah, you can eat these sashimi.” I love it.
15 Spam: (@ my German friends: it’s a type of processed canned meat). I saw Spam pretending to be a piece of nigiri sushi at the market yesterday. Take a rectangular chunk of rice, put Spam on it, wrap a seaweed leaf around it. Voila.
14 hairdos: especially for men, they’re extremely creative! Lots of interesting patterns shaved/buzzed on the backs of peoples heads, or long but thin braided strands of hair (pretty much exactly like a jedi padawan), also dying it blonde…
13 Taro: if seasoned well, absolutely delicious! Cleaning it off your hands however, is about as difficult as removing rye sourdough when I make bread.
12 Spitting and driving: people open their car doors mid-drive to spit bettle nut.
11 Gender: Kesdy says men rule and women make the decisions. I talked to two very influential Pohnpeian women at a workshop today and had built up enough of a relationship to gently ask some gender questions, and as expected, gender politics are much more nuanced than just patriarchy. That being said, I am clearly benefiting from male privilege here.
10 Spitting: Everyone does it, all the time. Spiting out bettle nut juice, or after taking a sip of sakau, or just because. And they’re really good/precise at it. I am not, so I’m not going to try.
09 Mosquitoes: There are a lot fewer of them then I’d expect. That being said, a Mosquito SWAT team somehow found its way into my room last night. Through the closed window? Sneaky little hobbitses, but I’ll get you my pretties, and your little dogs, too.
08 Island Time: Nobody is punctual, but everyone still manages to be on time. Example: Kesdy said he’d pick me up between 11 and 12. He picked me up at 4. Willy said we’d come at just the right time.
07 U: The municipality with the shortest name in the world. Apparently Willy’s father shortened it from Uh so it would get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Success.
06 Mirrors: Pahpa does not like mirrors, so there are no mirrors in the house (also not the office). Trimming my beard? Postponed indefinitely.
05 Driving on the Right Side: Almost all of the cars are Japanese/for the Japanese market, so the steering wheel is on the right hand side. But they drive on the right side of the road. That should be weird, but considering everything that’s different here, I barely notice it.
04 Seat Belts: Kesdy says it’s not appropriate to wear seat belts on the island.
03 Nahs: The name for the community gathering house (though more of a roof with very open walls). Mother’s Day celebration, sakau ceremony, community meetings, everything takes place in a nahs. Lots of houses have them on their property, or they’re next to stores, attached to sakau bars etc.
02 Meninrahn: the only poisonous animal on Pohnpei. Yay! It’s a very large centipede with a very nasty stinging bite O.O not lethal though, according to my co-worker Kesdy.
01 Bettlenut: Most of my coworkers chew it with lime powder (lime as in limestone) – think chewing tobacco, except it looks like an acorn and grows on a palm tree. Selimo says his dentist hates him.