Sirow for the long delay in between
posts. Things have been quite busy on
the island. A super quick update on
things: I spent my 3 ½ weeks between
summer session and the regular school year coaching some volleyball clinics at
the Yap Community Center 4 times a week.
The YCHS Boys and Girls teams both went on to take home the Championship
Title in the end of the summer Junior League tournament. It was a hectic weekend of coaching, driving
a pick-up truck without mirrors, and reffing – but it was an unforgettable
experience with my kids.
School has been phenomenal this
year. I adore my classes. I can’t believe how much love and laughter my
students bring into my life. I could not
be in a better place right now. I am
even beginning to feel like a real math teacher and actually feel like I know
what I am talking about. Oddly – I also
am getting way too comfortable teaching chemistry and surprise myself with the
random tidbits of knowledge that have stuck with me over the years.
And finally- for the blog-inducing
event of my adventures – the birthday of my indescribably perfect Yapese
mother. Mary Guchol has been my rock
since I have come to Yap. Honestly, I do not think I could have survived
without her and all of the love and support she has given me. She welcomed me without hesitation into her
Yap family, and I could not be more proud to call her my “Nina.” Tonight, we celebrated her 67th
birthday over at Stan and Sheryl’s place (the amazing Australian couple who
lives right across from us) in typical island fashion with heaps of delicious
food. I meant to make the famous Mrs.
Behe’s BBQ, but due to a ground beef shortage on island, I settled with making
my mother’s even more famous chocolate chip cookies (they weren’t quite as good
as hers – but they still made the impression they needed to.) Mary’s one daughter traveled all the way from
Guam to surprise her for the week, and it was a fantastic dinner party with
close friends from the village.
This blog post is dedicated to you,
Nina. Gu ba’adagem – I love you. Thank-you for being my mother on Yap so that
my mother back in Pennsylvania knows I am in good hands. You are an angel.
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| Martin modeling some zucchini bread all the way from the states |
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| Nina birthday celebrations! |
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| Nina cutting her birthday cake |
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| Summer passing out after all of the festivities |
