I'm Here/Safe/Alive

Hello all, sorry that I haven’t been able to dedicate much time to my blog until now. The last few weeks have flown by.

All of the volunteers are living with host families in a rural community outside of the capitol. It isn’t until just now that I’ve had a chance to get back into the city, get internet connection and update my blog.

I’m currently living with a host family. I’ve got a 15 year old brother (Don) and a 14 year old sister (Darleen or Doi). My mom’s name is Lynn and my dad is Bumio, although we call him by his title, Nahlem. They are taking great care of me while I’m in Pohnpei.

I’ve had a chance to explore this community a little and have seen the ruins of Nan Madol- some call it the Venice of Micronesia. It is what is left of an ancient city that was built on the water. My brother acted as a tour guide and was able to share what he knew about it. Also, I got a chance to see one of the island’s waterfalls. It was beautiful. Have a look at the pictures below and see!

The end of this week, I will be leaving Pohnpei and the Federated States of Micronesia. I have been assigned a permanent site in an outer island of the Republic of Palau. It is a small island with only 150-200 people. I will be working at a school that only has 30 or so students. But, before I get to go there, I have another six or seven weeks of training (in Palau, but not at my site) where I’ll learn more teaching strategies and learn the local language.

Should you want to drop me a note, feel free to email or send some snail mail my way:

Robert Steffens
C/O Peace Corps
P.O. Box 158
Koror, Palau, 96940

(Palau, like the FSM, is part of the US Postal system. So a regular stamp will work)

Enjoy the pictures, and I hope to get some more updates soon.

The Palau Group- Six New Volunteers.

The whole M76 Group

Jumping into the ocean.

Me and my brother in Nan Madol

The Waterfall

My brother and sister bored at the waterfall

My host mom and dad

The view from our training site.

I'm Off...

It’s here, the experience I’ve been waiting nearly a year for. In a few short hours I’ll be on a plane to Los Angles to begin my Peace Corps journey. What was excitement and anticipation a few days ago has changed into anxiety and apprehension. The “good-byes” from the last few weeks are really starting to set in. Luckily, the Peace Corps literature says that this is normal. I’m certain that once I set foot on the airplane things will be different. By then all the “good-byes” will have been said and I will start doing just the opposite, meeting new people.

I do believe that I owe everyone a big thank you- I really couldn’t do this without the love and support from my family and friends. These last few weeks really reaffirmed how lucky I am to have you all in my life. From the baked goods to the help shopping/packing- thank you, thank you, and thank you.

Not knowing exactly what the near future holds for me, I don’t know when the next time I’ll be able to update my blog will be. I will do my best to update as soon as I can.

MN State Fair, How I Will Miss You…

Being a Minnesota native, I have never missed attending our “Great Minnesota Get-Together”. I have many good memories of going to the fair with friends and family. This year, I’ve done something I’ve never done before- I went three times in three days.

In those three days I saw the birthing of a cow, discovered my blood type (A+), won my sister an oversized stuffed animal, listed to a Frank Sinatra impersonator, and ate. “Just how much did you eat?” you might ask. Well, here’s a list of all the foods I tried:

BBQ Pork Sandwich
Big Fat Bacon
Cheese Curds
Chocolate Covered Bacon
Chocolate Covered Salted Nut Roll
Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
Corn on the Cob
Cotton Candy
Cream Cheese Wontons
Deep Fried Veggies on a Stick
Egg rolls
Foot-Long Hot Dog
French Fries
Gyro
Hamburgers
Ice Cream
Kettle Corn
Krumkake
Mini Donuts
Perfect Pickle (w/ ranch dressing)
Pickle Wraps
Pizza
Potato Chips
Potato Lefsa
Pronto Pup
Salt Water Taffy
SPAM bites
Sweet Martha's Cookies
Vietnamese Iced Coffee

So here I lie in bed the morning after my last excursion, reflecting on my recent three day fair binge. I have mixed feelings. One the one hand, I had a great time- on the other hand is the unsavory gut rot. Overall, I’m satisfied- I’m pretty sure (although not certain) that these fair foods will not be available while in Micronesia.

Dolla Dolla Bill Y'all

Just found this information this morning- according to recovery.gov (the site that tracks all the stimulus spending) the Federal States of Micronesia and Palau are each getting a nice little chunk of cash for their respective departments of education.

FSM: $3,619,000
Palau: $931,000

I’ve got no idea of what this will mean (if anything) to the work I’ll be doing in the area- it will be interesting to see what comes of this.

Click here to see the spending in your area.

On another note, I’ve got just under two weeks before I leave and need to start packing!

Adiós!

I just got home from my last day of teaching at the Adult Basic Education center. Although I only started working here earlier this year, I have quickly grown to look forward to my Monday nights with this group. My role has not been too demanding, I lead a conversation class and really enjoy getting the chance to talk with people from all over the world. Enjoy the picture I was able to sneak (these are usually camera-shy folks).


Also, the staff was kind enough to get me some going-away cookies. Thanks again!

FAQ's

So, I was reading some other blogs of people who are going to be going on the same journey as me and came across a FAQ section. I'm totally stealing his idea- so thanks Dan!


Where again are you going?
I'm going to be headed to the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) for two months or so of training and then will either be stationed in FSM or Palau.

When are you going?
I'll be leaving on or around September 3, 2009

How long will you be gone?
The Peace Corp is a two year commitment. Add in the training- and I'll be away for 27 months.

Wont you miss us?
Of course I will. I cannot believe you even have to ask.

Where will you be staying?
I will be staying with a host family the entire time.

What will you be doing there?
Teaching English and being a Community Development worker.

What will you eat there?
From what I've read, a lot of fish, rice, and spam. I'll have more information on that once I'm actually there.

What's the weather like?
Lots of rain. The temperature is pretty stable year-round- with highs in the upper 80's and lows in the mid 70's.

Won't you get sunburn?
Yes, I will. Probably very badly too. Peace Corp provides sun block, so I think that I'm going to be OK.

Will you have reliable internet access?
I don’t know. I do know that there is internet access on some of the islands- but as I don't know exactly where I'm going to be stationed, we'll have to wait and see.

Can you at least call?
From what I've read, the international phone service to and from FSM and Palau is very good relative to that in other developing countries. Phone cards are available for purchase, and even though my host family may not have a phone, I should be able to find one to use should the need arise.

What if there is an emergency? How do I get a hold of you?
The Peace Corps' Office of Special Services provides assistance in handling emergencies affecting trainees and Volunteers or their families. My folks will have all the information necessary- so hit them up if there is an emergency.

What do you get to bring with you?
I wont bore you all with the recommended packing list, but I will say that it seems the list is very long and I might find some difficulty fitting it all in two suitcases.

Can you take a vacation while serving?
Each volunteer accrues two vacation days per month of service- so yes; I can take vacation.

Can we come visit?
Family and friends are welcome to visit, so long as it does not interfere with my work. The Peace Corp is not able to provide any travel assistance to my visitors- and I need to be mindful that visitors may cause a stressed situation with my host family. So if you do come, just be polite.

What is the religion there?
Mom and Dad can rest easy here- half the population in FSM is Roman Catholic and the other half belong to a variety of Protestant denominations.

What if you get sick or hurt?
I will be provided with a medical kit that I can use to self-treat most minor injuries/ailments. The Peace Corps also maintains its own health unit with a physician's assistant and a full-time nurse. If I'm stationed too far from that health unit, healthcare will be provided by professionals in the capital center. Should I become seriously ill and local resources prove to be inadequate, I'll be transported to a medical facility in Guam, Hawaii, or Washington DC.

Can I send you a letter or package?
Yes, you can- while in training the first few months feel free to send to:

Robert Steffens, Peace Corp Trainee
Peace Corps Micronesia
PO Box 9
Kolonia, Pohnpei, FM 96941

You didn't answer my question. Where do I go for more information?
Well, you can ask me- comment here, facebook, email, or call. Otherwise you can check out this link- as that's where I got most of this information anyways.

MMM.... I can't wait.

If you were going, you'd be excited too.