I'll be boil-free for Christmas.. you can count on me..

You read that title right - for the first time since the end of September, I am boil-free! I am neither recovering from a boil, nor watching a new one grow, nor wondering if it's time to start antibiotics. I'm also recovered from the sinus infection I had for the past two weeks. I'm aware that I may have just placed a terrible curse on myself, and will wake up tomorrow morning on my death bed, but, hey - it's the holidays, and it's a time to celebrate. My right leg is a sight (where all six boils were). My fellow teacher, Russell, jokes that I'm creating a map of Micronesia with my boil scars.. we're still waiting for Palau to form.

So much has happened since I last wrote, I'm not sure where to begin. I'll say one thing about the last five weeks - Pohnpeians know how to do holidays. Let me start with the end of our first semester at OLM.

Classes wrapped up in a whirlwind, accented for me by daily dance practice with the sophomore girls in preparation for our Christmas program. When I first agreed to learn the dance with them and they squealed with delight, I thought for sure I'd be learning a beautiful hula-inspired, traditional Pohnpeian dance, complete with grass skirts and mwarmwars.

Laughing and sweating trying to learn the steps.

Turns out, it was more of a hip-hop step dance to some sort of strange country song. Either way, we had a blast running into one another, and the girls had fun yelling directions in Pohnpeian, then realizing the American teacher didn't understand, and switching to English.

Trying to keep up with the girls. Note the tongue sticking out in concentration!

I love the relationship I'm forming with all of my students, but especially my sophomore girls, who I have for homeroom, two classes, and after school cleaning duty. Even those who wanted little to nothing to do with me at first, I have figured out how to work a smile out of. The language barrier is our biggest struggle, no doubt. I know some of the students really struggle. But we're working on it... every day.

Showing off our style.

Our Christmas program was highlighted by a number of great performances by the students and my debut as Sam-ta Claus. I was decked out in full Santa attire - suit, belt, hat, and beard - and was officially the hottest I have ever been in Pohnpei. I may have actually suffered heat stroke. After the program, the teachers, staff, principal, and friends gathered for our Christmas lunch feast, which was wonderful. All of the tensions of the past semester eased for the afternoon, and we simply laughed, enjoyed one another's company, and stuffed ourselves with delicious local and non-local foods.

With our Christmas vacation officially begun, the four of us at the JV house discussed how it didn't really feel like Christmas - with the tropical weather, lack of powdery white stuff on the ground, being away from home, not having a Christmas tree. And then, as though she heard us, the island produced a number of factors that put a little Christmas cheer in our hearts. One of the roadside drive-up stores (called 'containers') that sell beer, Ramen, Spam, and soda, somehow got their hands on a bunch of Santa hats and sold them for 25 cents. Before we could buy any, they were sold out, and people began sporting them everywhere - even on 90 degree days! There's nothing that screams 'Christmas in Pohnpei' than a pick-up truck rolling by you blasting an island version of a Christmas tune, the back filled with a handful of shirtless men wearing Santa hats and yelling 'Merry Christmas, serepein (girl)!'

On the main road (there's only one), many of the businesses gradually put up Christmas lights, and some of them really didn't look half-bad. Our landlord even surprised us that week with blue icicle lights on our front gate. And every once in a while, between Chris Brown, the Mamma Mia soundtrack, and the Dixie Chicks, our Chuukese neighbors put on a Christmas CD that blasts through our windows beginning around 7:00 in the morning.

And alas, in an act of sheer boredom when I was home alone on Friday afternoon, I made a Christmas tree out of wire hangers, electrical tape, and green construction paper. It doesn't look half bad! I found everything else in our house that is Christmas-themed (much of it sent out by one Allyson Holsinger), or just red for that matter, placed it strategically under and around the tree, and taped all of our Christmas cards on the wall, constructing a bit of a Christmas shrine next to our bookshelf. When Philip got home, we made a star and placed it on top. My community mates were a little disturbed at how much time I put into the whole undertaking, but I like to think they're also delighted. With all that - who needs snow?

On Christmas morning, we made a big breakfast of eggs, briefly caroled over to our landlords' to exchange gifts, and had our own gift exchange at our house in our pajamas. We got dressed, and headed to church for a beautiful Christmas Day Mass, the church adorned with palm leaves and flowers, and every pew packed with familiar faces. After church, we headed off the Joab home, where we were invited to celebrate the day with a fellow teacher, Aurelia, and her family. An interesting part of the day was the gender division that occurred - although, I suppose it wasn't that unlike my own family. The women were in the kitchen and the nahs at the back of the house preparing the taro, fruits, and salads for the meal, and the men... well, the men were busy slaughtering six pigs. I guess that part is somewhat unlike my own family; I've never seen my uncles and cousins kill six pigs, remove their organs, and cook them on an uhmw, or local outdoor oven. Though I shielded my eyes from actually seeing any of the slaughtering, the noise made by the pigs was enough to send me running to the bathroom. Not surprisingly, I was a vegetarian for the rest of the day. The men also had the role of pounding sakau on two separate stones. I could sit around and watch men pound sakau forever, I decided. I wish I could adequately describe the process and atmosphere, but it's honestly an experience that is beyond words.

Though being away from my family this holiday season was difficult for many reasons, I feel truly blessed to have been able to experience Christmas en Pohnpei.