Liberation Day Games
Pohnpeians celebrate their Liberation Day (from the Japanese) on September 11. So that Thursday, we trekked down into town to spend the day at a track and field competition between the three high schools. We arrived at the track in Kolonia and walking around, I thought the whole event had the feel of a sort of "county fair" kind of atmosphere with food booths and lots of people.
MHS might be something of the underdogs of Pohnpei's high schools (in sports and academics), so unfortunately our runners didn't have uniforms but the students attending and participating did have spirit. We ended up third at the end of the day but did come in second in a number of events and won the last and final relay race. I realize that in my own home (i.e. when I was in high school in Steilacoom) these kinds of events are exactly the things that I really didn't have an interest in, but as a guest of another country, I feel like its partly a respect to attend and participate (which it is), but also fun and interesting. Just strikes me as interesting the way the context of something can really change your perspective, although I am still just not really a sports person. I might get involved with the ping pong team though if it takes off this year, that is one game I love to play.
The day was pretty hot and really sunny, and a number of students were taken away because of heat exhaustion, so you can imagine that for my white skin, the sun was kind of brutal and I ended up with a sunburn, although not a terrible one. My skin did peel like a reptile molting for few days though. Here are some pictures of some of my students and myself at the games.
Three of my students (on right)
The student body president of MHS
The event lasted the whole day and I was tired by the end. Thankfully we had Friday off of school, so I stayed in town for a long weekend with the other WorldTeach volunteers. As a side note, Matt bought himself a vespa-like scooter and ended up being "pulled over" by three police. He managed to allude being taken into the police station along with his bike (what would have happened is anybody's guest, but as one crazy ex-pat put it, he probably would have been hung up on the cross as an example), by some fancy and clever footwork on his part. His crime...not wearing a helmet, not having the correct license type, and not having the bike registered. Thank god they don't have three-strikes your out laws here. I think thus far, he has gotten a helmet, but still no registration and extra license to ride.
Pohnpeians celebrate their Liberation Day (from the Japanese) on September 11. So that Thursday, we trekked down into town to spend the day at a track and field competition between the three high schools. We arrived at the track in Kolonia and walking around, I thought the whole event had the feel of a sort of "county fair" kind of atmosphere with food booths and lots of people.
MHS might be something of the underdogs of Pohnpei's high schools (in sports and academics), so unfortunately our runners didn't have uniforms but the students attending and participating did have spirit. We ended up third at the end of the day but did come in second in a number of events and won the last and final relay race. I realize that in my own home (i.e. when I was in high school in Steilacoom) these kinds of events are exactly the things that I really didn't have an interest in, but as a guest of another country, I feel like its partly a respect to attend and participate (which it is), but also fun and interesting. Just strikes me as interesting the way the context of something can really change your perspective, although I am still just not really a sports person. I might get involved with the ping pong team though if it takes off this year, that is one game I love to play.
The day was pretty hot and really sunny, and a number of students were taken away because of heat exhaustion, so you can imagine that for my white skin, the sun was kind of brutal and I ended up with a sunburn, although not a terrible one. My skin did peel like a reptile molting for few days though. Here are some pictures of some of my students and myself at the games.
Three of my students (on right)
The student body president of MHS
The student I first danced with
Warm Ups
Me at the games
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