Introducing...The Lovely Salapwuk

For weeks I tried to imagine what my new home would be like, to no avail. The minute I saw it, I knew it was beyond my imagination.

But first, my swearing in: it was a big ceremony with all of our host families, old and new, a representative from the Department of Education, and the Peace Corps staff in Pohnpei. Speeches were given to thank the volunteers-to-be in advance for their service. I got to give a speech on behalf of the volunteers, thanking our host families and training staff- in Pohnpeien!
We took our oath of service, everyone wanted to shake our hands, and then we finished up the festivities by presenting a local dance- complete with sticks and grass skirts. Don't worry, it was caught on video!

And before I knew it I was whisked away by my new host family up into the mountains of Kitti Municipality. The paved road gave way to gravel, the gravel to dirt, the dirk to thick mud and I found myself in the most remote and beautiful of jungles I had ever been to. We passed the school where I will teach, the schoolyard has an ocean view! Near the school we reached a point where the car could go no further. We unloaded my bags and my host father went to get his caribou. The rest of my first day in the village of Salapwuk was surreal: seeing my host father perched atop the cart (with no wheels) made of sticks, bumping along behind the caribou, riding down the muddy, deeply rutted path to my new home, arriving at my new home surrounded by so much beauty: green everywhere, jungle flowers, tall coconut trees, the blue sky above and the ocean beyond. Pretty idyllic. And so quiet. There are just four of us living here: my host parents, my host father's brother and myself. It is so entirely different from busy urban life. But I think I will be very happy here!

Read more about it here.
Actually, the school building itself is new since this picture was taken. But thanks, Lindsay for posting it! I will send a new picture soon!

A picture with my first host family (front) and my new host parents (back), taken on the day of my swearing-in.


My new host family and their water buffalo mud sledge (for heavy loads, such as my suitcase and boxes of books!)


The nahs in my new house