Happy (late) Thanksgiving Everyone!

Thanksgiving is celebrated here in Palau. Although I didn’t have turkey, I did have grilled chicken- which is close and welcome substitute. No stuffing, no cranberries, no mashed potatoes, no gravy- but plenty of good food and people to share it with.

I’ve been in my site now for a month, and I cannot believe how fast the time is actually going. Every week has gone faster than the last. Nothing too notable has happened, so I’ll just share a few random thoughts:

1. I love fish now. For 23 years I’ve not eaten fish. I’ve refused, avoided, and even lied about possible allergic reactions to get away from eating it. Now I eat it every day. My parents marinate it with fresh lemon from our lemon tree and pepper and then pan fry it to perfection. Also, I’m learning to eat Sashimi (raw fish). Usually, it is caught only a few hours earlier, expertly cut, and chilled. Dip that in some lemon juice and soy sauce- and you’re set. The fish I eat is also sometimes in soups- that is my least favorite, but that’s only because, in my opinion, it’s way to hot here to eat soup.

2. Last weekend I took the 6-8 mile walk (I’m not really sure how long it was) around my island. Although I might be a little biased, I think it is awesome. There are multiple war memorials, remnants of battles, abandoned mines, and even a coast guard base that’s been aboandoned since the 1950’s. Nature is slowly reclaiming everything left behind- it is truly amazing to see. My island also has numerous beaches and rocky cliff-like shorelines that make for some amazing views- especially during sunrises and sunsets.

3. I’ve got two toothbrushes in my bathroom. One I use for brushing, the other was used to clean. There is no storage area in my bathroom except for the medicine cabinet, and every time I brush my teeth, I tell myself, “You should really move that toothbrush, you’re going to use the gross one next time”. I then get distracted and never move it. Well, Wednesday morning, it happened. While brushing I noticed the texture of the bristles were different, and was slow to realize what was actually going on. I was brushing my teeth with a toothbrush that has been on every surface in the bathroom (including toilets and drains) and was now in my mouth. Immediately, I rinsed with mouthwash and brushed again with the correct toothbrush. You would think that I’ve learned my lesson, but to this day the cleaning toothbrush is still in the medicine cabinet, only inches from the correct toothbrush.