Lost at Pohnpei

Some news affects others more than you and there are some that were meant to be ignored.

The alarm went off. The pacific woke up early because of the news of an impending tsunami.

I got a phone call from a concerned friend about a tsunami in the Pacific. It was the product of the chain reaction from the earthquake at Chile. I heard before that there were no tsunamis at Pohnpei because of the natural protection from the coral reefs that surrounded the island. That was this island’s difference from the neighboring Pacific islands.

Continue reading

There are things that you know about yourself, but you will find out more about yourself from others.

Such was the realization that I got when I woke up this morning with my roommate telling me that I talk in my sleep. It was gibberish of course, but I rationalized that it was just because I was tired and slept late last night.

I am thankful for two things, the fact that the words were gibberish and now I know better than to sleep really late and tired. That was something that I never knew I did, on second thought, my mom did tell me that I used to sing in my sleep when I was in preschool. We didn’t have a voice recorder back then, so my mom doesn’t have any evidence that it took place.

Continue reading

It was my first night in Pohnpei, known as the garden island, when I heard them. At first, I thought that I was just jet lagged and my brain played tricks on me. It was in the middle of the night in my new home for the next couple of years when I heard a knock from my window.

No kidding, I did hear a knock and not just any ordinary knock, it was a succession of knocks, then a pause.

I opened my eyes and it was still dark. So, I checked the time and it was around two in the morning. I heard a scratching noise from the wall outside the air conditioning unit. I asked myself, “Could it be?”

Continue reading

Here in Pohnpei, the people use automated washing machines for their laundry. I am used to laundry shops in the Philippines, where you leave your clothes then come back to pick them up neatly folded and pressed in a plastic bag. So using a machine like this is new to me.

There are two advantages in using these washing machines. First of all, they are easy to use and second, you could make use of your time doing other things while waiting for the machines to finish.

Continue reading

The scent, taste, and feel of home can be wrapped in a box.

Everyone waited for this day. There was a silent announcement and it eventually came. The long wait was over and the container filled with boxes from home finally reached the shores of Pohnpei and the gates of Genesis Hospital.

I knew at least two people personally who waited for this: my new roommate Jordan and our good friend Jane.

A pair of shoes and a new set of speakers for Jordan not to mention his original Windows installer are just some of the few items in his box. Jane on the other hand had a lot of things to sort out because of the assorted pieces of the comforts of home.

Continue reading