Sokehs Mountain

Sokeh Mountain (and ridge) from a distance

Yesterday Lin and I took a hike up Sokehs Mountain.  Sometimes called Pohndollap, this is a long ridge running the length of Sohehs Island with a knoll in the middle that is 906’ above sea level.  Given that we are right next to the sea, this is a pretty significant rise in elevation.  The ridge forms one side of the Kolonia harbor, so it is within walking distance of our apartment.  I had hiked over part of the ridge a couple of months ago, but this time we wandered over the entire area.  Of most interest is the fact that the ridge was a key location of the Japanese fortifications during World War II, and there remain the remnants of several buildings, bunkers, and artillery pieces.  At the summit of Dollap is a Japanese searchlight platform that now supports a cellular phone tower.

The hike up is along a steep overgrown jeep trail.  Once on the ridge, there are several information stands that point out trails to the various locations of two anti-aircraft guns and a coastal defense artillery weapon.  The latter still remains in a bunker that looks out over Palikir Pass, a barrier reef passage to the island.  We also wandered around the site of the Japanese command post, most of which has been reduced by time and American bombing runs in 1944 to low foundations and bomb craters.  We did climb atop a large circular structure that was probably 12 feet high and 20 feet across with a steel rung ladder leading down inside.  Not sure what it was used for.  From what we read, the fortifications were not particularly successful in defending the island.  Although the two anti-aircraft and coastal defense guns remain, the American aircraft bombing runs in 1944 leveled Kolonia and knocked out its defenses, reducing the island’s effectiveness as a Japanese outpost.  There is only one American aircraft that was known to have been shot down during these raids.

While I was fascinated by the war remnants, Lin focused on the flora and the views.  Her impressions:

Yes, while the Japanese fortifications were interesting, I found the natural surroundings more appealing.  As we followed the trails to the various ruins, the jungle was an immediate presence. Towering above us were huge trees (most of which I cannot identify), and on ground level was vegetation so much larger and bolder than anything we have at home.  My favorite was the flowers.  Since Roger was manning the camera, he willingly took pictures of the colorful blooms.  I am awaiting the arrival of my new tropical plant identification book so that I can put names to the photos.

This was my first hike in Pohnpei, my first in a very hot and humid climate.  I had my reservations.  But, despite the fact that we walked over seven miles, and I produced more sweat than ever before, it was well worth it.  The views from the cell phone tower on top were amazing. Pohnpei is an island but you can forget that when you are in Kolonia—few water views, no beaches, etc.  So getting up on top of Sokehs Mountain stoked our desire to get out away from the island itself and explore surrounding islands, the coral reef, and most of all, the water.  Since I technically I can’t go out on the water until I have my Peace Corps water training, I am glad that is happening next week.

The coastal battery looking out through a narrow slit.  Below, the bunker behind the gun.

Anti-aircraft guns

Mysterious round tower with ladder leading down inside

A section of the trail 

Pohnpei Airport Landing Strip

Just when you think you can't get any further away from technology, a guy with a drone shows up!  He was attempting to view the gun placements from above, but got caught up in the trees.

I'm Here!

After holding down the fort in Rainbow Lake for a few months, I have joined Roger in Pohnpei.  It was hard to leave family, friends, and Digger, but I know they will all do just fine without me.  Being apart for three and a half months….that I would not recommend.  Together is better!

I was greeted on my arrival by Roger and Bernie (a Peace Corps Response staff person).  I got a big hug and kiss from Roger and a mwaramwar (local native headdress made from flowers and leaves) from Bernie.  Since I came two weeks early, there were no other Response Volunteers arriving with me.  A new group will arrive here on August 2, and I will join them for our five days of “training.”  I spent the rest of my first week meeting Peace Corps Response Volunteers and PC Staff.  The PCVRs are working with the new two-year recruits, helping them to prepare for their teaching assignment by sitting in on Model School classes taught by the recruits and their Pohnpeian cooperating teachers.  The recruits seem young (because they are) and enthusiastic (because they are young), and it was fun watching them interact with the teachers and students in the classroom.  There will be much more to tell about my work here, once I really get started and know exactly what I will be doing.   

Aside from meeting new people and anticipating what my work will be, the most amazing part of my first days here is the environment—vegetation on steroids, heat, humidity, and rain.  This is a tropical island in all respects.  It is hot, but I am trying not to complain too much….I just mop the sweat off my brow and continue along.  The vegetation, especially the flowers and other plants/trees are other-worldly, and I am looking forward to learning as much as I can about them.  I have already sent to Amazon for a tropical plant identification book.  There will be more about this as time goes on.

The other totally new experience is the food.  Roger’s diet of Pringles, Rice-a-Roni, and Oreo cookies was a non-starter for me. The first day here we went to Simon’s Market and saw the most amazing display of bananas, pineapple, papaya, coconut, and more.  The bananas are the most impressive (see the pictures below).  We talked with the young man working there to find out about different varieties.  Some are for eating, some are for cooking (I can attest that I am not yet a fan of the cooking bananas….I tried one for lunch at the PC training site—dense, starchy, hard, and tasteless).  At the market there were probably a dozen varieties for sale, and I understand that there are more than thirty grown on the island.  Our favorite so far is a small eating banana that has a sweet flavor and does not get soft and mushy (yuck!) like the ones at home.  Yesterday we returned to the market and bought several other varieties we are anxious to try.

Equally appealing at the market was a room filled with coolers of fish.  The catch-of-the-day determines what is for sale. Yesterday there was blue parrot fish, tuna, red snapper and more.  We decided on the snapper and the fishmonger filleted it for us….the two and a half pound whole fish netted two very nice fillets.  We had already bought a small charcoal grill so our dinner was the grilled snapper (with a delicious spice rub), local pineapple, local cucumber, and rice.  How can you beat that!

So, first impressions have been positive.  Stay tuned for more to come.

Update on My Job

It is time I updated all my education friends on what I am experiencing in my role as a School Improvement Facilitator. Two months into my placement on the island, I was reassigned exclusively to the Pacific Island Central School (PICS), given the much larger size of this high school and the significantly greater challenges it faces relative to the other two schools I had been assigned.  PICS has 1,400 students, 73 teachers, four guidance counselors, a librarian, a secretary, and three administrators.  By any standard we might apply in the United States, PICS has serious issues.  A few examples:

• After three years of a new acting principal each year, leadership has been a serious concern.  The current principal was appointed at the beginning of this past year, but had very limited administrative experience to bring to bear on overwhelming problems in all areas of school administration.
• Teacher attendance has been a major problem.  There is no valid method in place to track teacher attendance, nor have consequences been administered to those teachers who are frequently absent, who arrive late, or leave early.  The impact is dramatic.  On any given day or period one can walk by classrooms with students gathered around the doorway or sitting under the trees on campus because their teachers are absent.
• Certainly by U.S. standards, PICS budget is inadequate.  Of equal concern, there have been no budgeting procedures in place to ensure that what limited funds are available are well spent to support PICS educational mission.
• My numerous teacher observations to date suggest the need for extensive teacher training.  Lessons are dominated by teacher lecture and/or uninspired use of textbooks, with little student engagement.
• Teaching materials and equipment are inadequate.  There is no working computer lab for student use.  There are no operating science labs; thus science has been taught from a textbook.  There are only enough textbooks to provide classroom sets, and many of these are out-dated or ill-advised given content or language limitations.
• There is a battery of standardized tests administered to students in core subject areas.  Results are dismal, with a large majority of students falling in the “below” or “well below” minimum competency levels.  This, however, is due in large measure to the lack of alignment between test and lesson content.
• The condition of PICS classrooms and campus is seriously deficient.  Despite its 25 buildings, PICS has no permanently assigned maintenance or custodial staff.  Some classrooms are unusable because of insect infestation.  Two buildings have been without electricity for months, water damage is evident in most buildings, and classrooms suffer from worn out chalkboards, student furniture in disrepair, and insufficient lighting.  Bathrooms at minimum are unpleasant, in many cases, a health hazard.  The grounds have been neglected, as have the exterior of the buildings where graffiti and vandalism are widespread.

While the picture I paint is pretty bleak, I would also point to some fairly significant changes underway which suggest we have begun to turn the corner.  Again, some examples:

• Perhaps most importantly, my sense is that I entered this picture at a “rock bottom” point where most stakeholders pretty much agreed that the current state of affairs was unacceptable.  It is certainly easier to bring about change when there is a critical mass of people who have accepted the need.  Chief among those are the building administrators.  They have been willing to listen and have been receptive to suggested changes in processes and procedures.  We now have an Administrative Council meeting weekly that includes an established agenda and minutes detailing accountability for actions taken.  We have established an action plan for the issues that must be addressed this summer prior to the start of school.  While agonizingly slow, such focus has resulted in some modest change.  As an example, we developed an action plan for our guidance office staff which will result in their move to more adequate facilities and more focused expectations for their work.   We are also in the process of buying the equipment and establishing the procedures necessary to accurately record and monitor teacher attendance.  Getting the electricity restored, establishing more productive leadership from department chairs, and addressing maintenance issues are other priorities getting some attention.
• Equally important to changes at PICS is the appointment of a new Director of Education for Pohnpei.  He has read my detailed report with regard to PICS and has made our school one of his priorities going forward.  Given his position and determination to address the issues, I am seeing renewed vigor.  Modest maintenance issues are currently being addressed, as is the condition of the campus.  There are two thrusts—what can we do immediately before school starts to prepare for a new year, and equally important, what long-range changes must be made in the governing structure and budgeting that will allow for sustained change over time.
• With the help of a local Congressman, we have received a grant for a classroom set of computers.  We are in the process of retrofitting a classroom to become a new computer lab.
• Three of our buildings have been identified for extensive maintenance and repair by the State Department responsible for such work.  Scheduling of this work is still a bit uncertain, but the good news is that it is expected to begin soon.

My role as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer has also allowed me to pursue a couple of other educational leadership initiatives.

• I developed a proposal for a Principals’ Academy, the first phase of which was a three-day retreat for 20 principals, which took place earlier in July.  It focused on the essential qualities of effective building leaders, classroom observation skills, and developing goals to address management issues.  All in all, the event was well received, and I hope to extend it to the remaining principals on the island.  I also hope to extend it to include on-going leadership training throughout my stay.
• I have coordinated an effort on behalf of all the Peace Corps School Improvement Volunteers on the island to develop a dialogue with all the significant players in FSM education.  Our various reports have all pointed to some systemic issues that go beyond what can be addressed at the individual school level.  We have drafted some recommendations and hope to bring together the State and National FSM Departments of Education, the Joint Economic Management Committee which oversees most of the school funding, the College of Micronesia, the U.S. Embassy, and the Peace Corps.  Interest has been expressed by some key players which we hope will translate into some ongoing dialogue.

So, how does all this affect me personally?  To be truthful, it has been a humbling experience.  I can bring to bear my own years of experience in school leadership, but I have come to recognize that such experience was in a totally different context and is not always transferable.  During the last four months I have not only been in the business of trying to expand the thinking of others; those others have (gently) helped me broaden my own perspective.  I have learned to accept different ways of looking at and responding to problems.  In short, the gain has been mutual.  Such is the Peace Corps experience. 

The bell system--an empty propane tank and a hammer..

Above and below-- couple of favorite teachers!

Above and below--evidence of work to be done.

On another even more important note!  Lin will be arriving in three days.  Obviously, I can’t wait!  For this blog, it will mean the addition of another perspective.  We will all benefit from that.  Stay tuned!

July 4th and Peace Corps FSM and Palau 50th Anniversary

Every 4^th of July the U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Peace Corps on Pohnpei celebrate the holiday with a big gathering at the Spanish Wall Softball Field, located across the street from the Peace Corps headquarters here in Kolonia.   Aside from the heat and humidity, you could believe you had been transported back to Hometown, U.S.A. with all the red, white, and blue bunting, balloons, flags, lemonade, hot dogs, speeches, face painting, and crowds you remember from years past.

There were some differences, however, most notably the heavy presence of both the U.S. Embassy folks, including the Ambassador, and the Peace Corps crowd, including employees and volunteers.  This year was also a bit special given that this is the 50^th anniversary of the Peace Corps presence in FSM Micronesia.  There were a number of speeches from local officials, all of whom praised the presence of the Peace Corps over these many years.  It is a fairly small island and the number of volunteers pretty substantial, so there are few families here who have not been touched by the Peace Corps in some capacity.  Many have hosted Peace Corps volunteers in their homes; even more have been taught be a Peace Corps volunteer teacher.  There were also some speeches given by returned Peace Corps volunteers who spoke of how their lives were changed by the experience.  All in all, a moving tribute to the value of the cultural exchange that the Peace Corps was designed to bring about.  

Another difference was the presence of students from the College of Micronesia who performed traditional dances.   First came male dancers from the island of Chuuk; second was a mixed group of male and female dancers from Yap.  It was entertaining, although I wish there had been an explanation given as to the significance of each of the dances.  The former seemed more aggressive—war-like; while the second was a bamboo dance that perhaps falls under the heading of “make love, not war”—but I am only guessing.

On my way to help set up for the festivities this morning a woman stopped and offered me a ride—happens a lot here, there are not that many white folks around, and I think people assume (rightfully) that if we are walking we could probably use a ride.  Anyway, I ended up having breakfast with the young woman who picked me up.  She is a Ph.D. anthropology student at NYU who has finished all of her coursework and will be pursuing her dissertation on the topic of how the Micronesians are maintaining their cultural traditions in a changing westernized world.  She is a former Peace Corp volunteer who served one tour in Romania and a second tour here on Pohnpei.  She just returned from Guam where she attended a region-wide Festival of Pacific Arts.  In a couple of weeks she will return to Brooklyn where she is now living.  But, given her dissertation topic, she anticipates spending a good deal of time here over the next several years—perhaps a modern-day Margaret Mead!  Anyway, a great conversation to start my day.

Doria Rosen, U.S. Ambassador to the FSM

These girls first sang the FSM National Anthem and then the U.S. National Anthem

Who knew the President would make an appearance

Face painting by new Peace Corps two-year volunteers

What is more American than hot dogs and lemonade?

The campaign made it to far-off Pohnpei

"The Spanish Wall" Fortifications built by the Spanish prior to the Germans, prior to the Japanese, prior to the Americans