The terrible tide, boat rides, and daily life on Ejit

I have been told that you’re not really a member of they 21st century until you have a blog. Not sure I’d go that far, but I figure it’s more efficient (and less annoying for my friends and their inboxes) than writing mass emails. So here goes. At least my dad can check in and hear how I’m doing, and if anyone else reads it then it’s a bonus!

I think it’s fitting to start off with a general insight into a point of frustration and pleasure (depending on timing) in my daily life—the tide. Mother nature has never controlled my life to the degree it does here on Ejit. If I want to go to the Rita neighborhood of the “main island” of Majuro (a necessity if I want to see the doctor or friends, or buy anything other than candy or soda) I have to either wait until low tide, or wait for a boat. Waiting is not something I’ve ever been very good at, but thanks to necessity I am getting better. A few times now I’ve been stranded by the tide, which can be so incredibly frustrating because Ejit is so close that I could probably even swim there if it wasn’t for the strong current, caused by my friend the changing tide. At first, the novelty made the tide seem kind of romantic, and I almost liked having to plan my life according to its wishes. After several weeks, I find it more annoying than romantic, but I’m getting used to it at least :)

I’m definitely settling in more to life in the RMI. I’m getting a little better at the ukulele, though I’m rarely able to sing the songs I’m learning because I lose my voice every week at school. I do ok though. I’m starting to really feel at home on Ejit, though I am surprised by the amount of alone I need. I’ve never loved reading as much as I do now. I’m getting better at teaching (slowly…) and finding that after a brief period of hating a couple of my classes (2 out of 3 to be exact), I’m starting to truly love all the kids—even if some, or many, are terrible little monsters in class.

I both love and hate going by boat from Ejit to Rita—the breeze is nice, I stay dry, and it is much easier than walking across the reef—I’ve had a few slips and spills there... The best and worst part of taking a boat, though, is that there are always at least a couple kids at the dock when I leave, asking, “Why do you go to Rita?” and “When will you come back?”, and screaming, “See you later alligator!”, or “BYE!!”. The sad side of it all is that every time I take off in the boat, looking back at Ejit—the kids waving and the adults going about their business as usual, I think of what it will feel like when I take off this way for the last time, weighed down almost to water level with Paul’s and my luggage like the day we came. I try to push the sad thoughts away, but for some reason, the event of leaving by boat always serves as a reminder that I’ll only be here for so long, and someday—really quite soon—I’ll take off in a little boat and wave goodbye without the comfort of knowing that I’ll be back. I find the sadness about leaving quite disconcerting, especially because I’ve only been on Ejit about 6 weeks. I’m not looking forward to boat rides in May or June.

Other tidbits:
• The single best investment one could make for happiness in the RMI: a hammock. And I have one! (Thank you Mary!)
• Just about every kid on Ejit shares great-grandparents with everyone else. And, our principal is almost every student’s grandmother or great-aunt. She’s so cute, but the students are all petrified.
• My favorite weather on Ejit: rain.
• Wednesday: baking day. Erin made cookies and lemon bars when she was here, and now Paul and I have put to use my mom’s old recipes for cookies and banana bread. Yay for Wednesdays!
• Good books I have read or am currently reading: The Alchemist (I read it in Spanish class but found it much more interesting in English—apparently my command of the Spanish language is not so good) Devils Teeth (it’s about Sharks and the Farralon Islands near SF, so cool!), and the Biography of Ernesto “Che” Guevara (self-explanatory, but awesome—and don’t worry, I’m not planning any commie revolutions in the RMI).
• Lesson Planning: the bane of my existence, and a major part of my job.
• Songs I can sort of play on my ukulele: “You say it best when you say nothing at all” by Alison Krauss, “Almost Heaven, Ejit Island” (a.k.a. “Country Road”), “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, and a few other Marshallese diddies, which I have no idea how to spell...)
• “Welcome to Ejit, go back home!”: phrase that was just yelled in my window because I wouldn’t let the kids come in to color. Zing!

Also just wanted to add that my new email address will be annie.p.daher@gmail.com because I can’t check my Dartmouth email from the RMI anymore. Thanks!