Last Few Days in Majuro

I leave for Arno tomorrow morning! I can’t believe it is really happening – almost like I couldn’t believe I was really leaving for the Marshall Islands one month ago tomorrow!

Nothing much has been happening this past week. We ended our orientation sessions on Wednesday and ended language sessions on Friday. I was MORE than ready to end orientation and it was such a relief to have time to ourselves and actually start figuring out what we were going to do.

Thursday night Danielle Liza and I hitched into town to get the internet and some real food because we were definitely not feeling corned beef from a can night. Hitching in the Marshall Islands is a completely unique experience and is often quite funny. We walked for a solid 25 minutes before someone picked us up and drove us towards town until they arrived at where they were going. Then we caught another ride the rest of the way and eventually made our way to RRE. When you hitch here almost anyone will stop for you – provided their car isn’t already over flowing with toddlers standing all over the backseat or on laps hanging out the window – and bring you as far as they planned on going. Sometimes you will find a nice man or family that will drive you all the way to town, but they generally don’t seeing how the price of gas is over $7.00 right now. At RRE we were very stage one in the cultural adjustment stages and sat there eating burgers while using the internet. It was an outstanding and much needed break from Ajeltaki though – that is for sure.

Friday was the day we planned to move into town, but because it is the Marshall Islands, and nothing ever happens like it is supposed to – that didn’t happen. Half of the people moved out and the rest of us just had the afternoon to go around town and get school supplies and wonderful Marshallese attire. I’ll tell you one thing, I definitely don’t have a hard time still spending a lot of money in a 3rd world country. I really need to realize that as cute as I may think some of these mumu’s and guams are – understanding that my standards of cute are drastically different at this point in time – I will not be wearing them in the states and it is not necessary to accumulate an entire wardrobe. But, I just keep finding ones that are cuter than the last one I bought and feel that I need to buy that one too. Bad idea. So basically, you can all expect cute guams and mumu’s for Christmas because I have way too many! Haha,  I did get a lot of useful things too though and although I still don’t feel entirely ready, I feel more ready than I was before. I got two large buckets of supplies that should hold me over until I get the boxes that I have in the mail! (Which are taking forever btw)

After shopping in town all day we all headed over to the Long Island Hotel to have our end of orientation dinner and talent show; it was a blast! Dinner was –well – Marshallese food – and the talent show was hilarious. It was basically just a bash on orientation and impersonations of different people but was really, really funny. I got called out a few times for being extra stage one at times and I also had a song dedicated to me that was written about my “favorite” dog. After the ‘talent’ show we started a little dance party, and it was practically like I was at PDC… without the mirrors.

This is where I've slept for the past month. But, Saturday morning we actually got to move into town! We got up early to pack and clean and were in town by mid morning. It couldn’t have been a more enjoyable next 24 hours. Danielle, Stacey, Liza and I rented a bungalow at the RRE hotel, and words can’t even describe how amazing a HOT SHOWER, with RUNNING WATER, in an AIR CONDITIONED room that also had a BED in it, was like. Amazing is just one of about 1000 words I could use to describe it. I almost didn’t even know what to do, and my bed felt even a little too comfortable.

It was Danielle and Liza’s birthdays today though so Stacey an I spent the day around town getting little things for them and then baked a few cakes. We made pineapple upside down and triple chocolate cakes at Darren’s apartment and they turned out woooonderfully! We met a bunch of people for dinner at the hotel and celebrated with cake and funny post orientation flashback comments after. Being with so many people that you have never met before, and being forced to be with them all the time really lets you get close fast – and it is really fun in a way. We managed to have an extremely cohesive group of people for the most part, and hanging out with them is really fun. Lines are definitely crossed alllll the time – but that is part of what makes it so fun and hilarious.

Now I am sitting in the Bungalow for the last night and really starting to get nervous about leaving. Not the kind of nervous that makes me not want to go or question what I am doing – but more of an excited nervous. This past month, although I have been in the Marshall Islands – it has been a little bit unrealistic and a little bit like cheating. I have had access to the internet a considerable amount – have been talking on cell phones – and have been talking in English to people that understand where I am from and what Americans are all about all the time. Tomorrow, however, I will be starting the real thing. No internet, limited cell service, and only Marshallese from here on out. I am beyond excited to really start this experience but am also nervous as well. I want to make a good impression, develop meaningful and fun relationships. I want to speak Marshallese and be sure to be a ‘unrebelleish’ as possible. (Although I didn’t help my cause by buying non essentials to decorate my room with today just so it would be homier - hah woops) I realize that a lot of this next month is probably going to be really hard – but it can’t be that hard forever. Once I establish my routine and find my way around, Arno should feel just like home. Coming to Majuro with no expectations really helped me, I think, and I am trying to go to Arno with that same mindset.

Time for bed now, so I can get up nice and early and catch my boat. It is scheduled to leave at 7 but in Marshallese time that means anywhere from 6 until probably about 6 at night – or just not at all.

Hope everyone is doing well and I miss home so much right now! I will be getting a cell phone soon, so I will be sure to post that number and anyone can call whenever. It is free for me, but it may cost you a little penny or two.

Miss and love everyone lots.

P.S....I learned how to husk a coconut! And I am clearly really good at it as you can see! hahah
Taylor