While away on the island of Udot for the Junior Class' Christian Community Service Project, we helped the villagers celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. As I have previously talked about in other blog posts, the Chuukese, as well as most Micronesians celebrate with food, singing, and dancing. The people of the village had an enormous feast ready for us, and because we were outsiders we were treated as special guests for the celebration.
Besides the taro, rice, breadfruit, tapioca, and other common Micro dishes, the village served us coconut crab. A rarity not only in Chuuk, but around the world. As one of the students from Yap explained, the coconut crab takes almost 60 years to become a big enough size to eat. He explained that this was most likely the only time, not only here in the FSM, but probably in my lifetime that I will be eating this dish.
As I sat but trying to process what he had said as well as where I was, a thought came to mind. Not only is eating the coconut crab a rare moment in my life, but my presence here is also a rarity. I remember at orientation past JVC'ers told us that there would be many moments in our 2 year experience where we would sit back and think "What in the World?" I think at that moment sitting in a school building sharing the coconut crab with my fellow volunteers I had one of those "moments."
I will only be here for two years. I will never, EVER, get another experience anything like this. I mean I was, and I still am on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a quarter the size of my hometown. I am teaching and working with the future leaders of Micronesia, maybe even a future president (since many have graduated from this school---it is the best school in Micro/Pacific Islands). I have the privileged of experiencing not only one culture, but Mallshallese, Yapese, Ponpheian, Paluan, and Chuukese cultures. I am working with people from Burma, the Phillipeans, Indonesia, Japan, the US, and Australia. I am living my life for two years in ways I have never and will never live again, and it is rare, but I am grateful for every moment of it.
I read in the "In The Field" newsletter, (a newsletter international JV's submit entries to, and are sent out every other month) about our experiences abroad and I would have to agree 100% with one of the articles. It talked about culture and either settling in to it or leaving it, and how no matter what we are just visitors. Though we wear the clothing, try and speak the language, and become culturally sensitive to the environment around us, we still are only visitors. People came here before us and people will be here after us. We are visitors. This is not our home, we have our home, our families, and our way of life to be lived some where else. This is temporary, and it will not last forever, if we are lucky, it will last two years.
There are many struggles day in and day out that are on our plates here at Xavier. The most important thing for me, is that everyday I need to embrace it, for it will not last forever. I need to really take advantage of the here and now, and continue to recognize it as a rare moment. I might not ever have coconut crab again, but at that moment, I know I enjoyed and savored every bite. I can only pray and hope that I can look back at every experience and every moment here and know that I enjoyed it, savored it, and took nothing for granted.
Kinemwae (Peace),
Em
On a side note, please keep all of the staff, students, and benefactors in your prayers. We are really struggling this week financially and with other events that have happened on campus. Kirneso! (Thanks!)
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