Hey everyone! this is Sarita serving as Gita's personal blog secretary!
So much has happened in the last 5 days that it is hard to believe life is real. The boat ride here was insane! There was tons of rain day and night and waves crashing over the front of the boat and onto our stuff. Luckily nothing important got really wet. The boat rocked in every direction which made me a bit nauseous but not enough for me to toss my cookies. Every night was a battle to stay dry, to get comfortable on the hard wood, and to keep from getting squished or slept on by a sweaty man or squirmy child. I think I experienced a little bit of what it was like to stay in steerage on a ship back in the day. I just imagined living on a boat for weeks with no bathroom and animals everywhere contributing to the chaos. Luckily there were no animals on our boat, just a bunch of coconuts to drink.
Every time the ship stopped at an island people would come bringing coconuts and other food for the passengers staying on board. It gave a sense of community among these people even when they have an ocean between them.
Needless to say, I made it! Woleai is absolutely beautiful. I feel very lucky to have such a beautiful home for the next 2 years. The water is unbelievably clear and blue and I just want to swim in it all day long! The people here are all so friendly too. I have been greeted with big welcoming smiles by every one that I have met. My family seems pretty great too! My mothers name is Bibianna and my fathers name is Simion. I have two sisters, Gwen who is 17 and Dortha Leen (pronounced torta-leen) who is 7. Dortha is a very happy girl who laughs at absolutely everything! I have a lot of fun playing with her in the ocean. I also have a brother, but he is attending elementary school on nearby island called Euripic. There is also Sylvia and her son Calvert who is 8. I am not sure how they are related but weather you are actually related or not you are still considered family.
I have a thatched hut just like I thought I would! It is pretty big too. I feel kind of bad having it all to myself because there is room for about seven to sleep. I’m sure I’ll get over that though and I will be very grateful for my own space. I have locks on all of my doors. That just means I put a nail into a hole to keep the door from being opened from the outside. This will hopefully keep out unwanted visitors at night (aka “ninjas” or “snipers”) who want to woo me by creeping into my house. Dating is very secret and strange here and I do not think I will get used to that.
wow nice to know your staying with my relatives there...i was just passing through ...hey iam frm woleai too and i live in PA.hehehehehe...i didnt know we have ninjas and snipers there?????i thought i was the last one b4 i left....lol...jks
ReplyDeleteHi Gita
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you still check this blog but hopefully so.
I hope your two years on Woleai were awesome.
I have lived on Kosrae for the past 12 years, and have many friends who have served there in the Peace Corps and World Teach. I was originally a volunteer teacher on the island, but now own Kosrae Surf Tours, and live/surf on Kosrae each year from October-March. Additionally, I also run a non-profit drug prevention surf program for the local kids.
I have been interested in visiting Woleai for a few years now. I'd like to check the island out both to experience the culture and to try to surf the reef passes on the W side of the atoll. My college roommate John Schroer was there last summer distributing water filtration systems and said he loved the place. Anyhow, my problem is that it isn't really feasible for me to go there by boat and stay for a month...we need to fly in a few days before a swell and then stay for a week or so. PMA has told me that they are no longer flying to Woleai because the airstrip is damaged, but I have heard this isn't necessarily true. I was hoping you could clue me in to any info you might have about the airstrip, flights coming into the atoll while you were there, families I might be able to do a home stay with if/when i get there, people who have boats and who we could hire to take us out to the passes on the W side, and any other info you might have that would be helpful, including anything you know about the surf potential there.
I appreciate your time, and hope to hear from you soon!
Thanks
matt
kosraesurftours@gmail.com
How nice of you staying on my island and I don't. Love your blog. Btw I like your picture on this blog, shows my little cousin Wolton.
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