December 31, 2009
Day 1:
We arrived in Majuro today. After 33 hours of traveling, beginning when I left Gramma’s house in Hazelwood, I’ve finally arrived here in the Marshall Islands. When we began our descent I was watching Paranormal Activity on my iTunes. I stopped about midway through to look out of my window seat and get my first glimpse of a world that I could only imagine. I snapped some photos of smaller islands and as much of the Majuro atoll as I could. Before we even exited the plane our nostrils were filled with the smell of salt water and fish. Being from Cincinnati, I hadn’t often smelled such a smell. Not quite a stench but just a different smell. It reminded me of walking into Findlay Market.
We were met at the airport by the Field Director of our project, Anne Zalinsky. Anne is a Dartmouth ’06 who has lived in the Marshalls for four years. She stands about 5’4” with long, blonde, dreadlocks. The ten of us that had just landed packed all of our bags into the back of Anne’s pickup truck and then made room for ourselves amidst them. Five people sat in the cab of the truck and the other seven of us laid on top of the luggage in the back of Anne’s truck. I was the only one with my legs hanging out of the truck. I was seated above the passenger back wheel on the rail along the hub of the truck with my feet dangling over the wheel. As we rode along the one road in Majuro we took pictures of the scenery. We discussed how hard it was for each of us to believe that we were literally surrounded by water. At most points on the island we could look to our left and see the lagoon and look to our right and see the ocean. Some kids waved at us and a few people recognized Professor Garrod from his previous trips to the islands.
We put our bags in a room at an apartment where we’d be staying for a couple days. We then packed back into Anne’s truck, albeit without the luggage, and headed to the Marshall Islands Resort for lunch. Anne informed us of a deal with gym memberships where if one person pays $30 a month, two others can use the gym for free. Derek, Ben and I found the office and signed up. Next we went to the grocery store to equip our apartment with the food and necessities that we would need. We spent quite a while there. Eric led the troops throughout the grocery store aisles, being the culinary expert on this trip. We spent $350. Everyone minus myself, Peter, David and Professor Garrod, caught a cab and returned all of the groceries to our apartment. We walked toward Uliga for a place to fill up our water tanks. We had two three-gallon tanks that had to be filled at Pacific Pure Water and a couple of us had to buy pillows and sheets to sleep on. We stopped at Tide Table, an upper-class, “Ribele” hangout spot. Professor Garrod bought us all drinks; I had a Bud Light, Prof. Garrod had a XXXX, Derek had a Diet Coke and Peter a tea with lemon. We talked sports for a while as ESPN was on a flat screen behind the bar. Derek and I discussed the upcoming Sugar Bowl match-up between our teams, Florida and Cincinnati, respectively. Peter admitted that he wasn’t too into sports and felt left out of most of our conversation. Professor Garrod checked his emails at a nearby computer for about 15 minutes. Once he finished Derek, Peter and I left to find Pacific Pure Water. We then looked several places for sheets and pillows; all of which directed us to the other locations. Peter and I, each having a three-gallon tank of water decided to take a cab back to the apartment and let Derek and Prof. Garrod pick up a pillow and sheets for me.
Peter and I found a cab which happened to be going away from the place we wanted to go but he picked us up anyway. He ended up taking us all the way back past Tide Table where we had just come from. He then drove into a vacant lot and parked perpendicular to an abandoned moving truck. The driver then got out of the car and left after he asked us to wait about five minutes. I began to get on edge. We were clearly tourists and I’ve heard all too much about the stories of cab drivers taking advantage of tourists. He came back in about five minutes and drove us back towards our apartment. Right before we got to the bridge on the island known as High Peak (the highest point on the island at 15 ft above sea level). He was speaking Marshallese to the guy in the passenger seat and so I couldn’t tell what he was saying. He said something to another man who was pulling a weed eater and lawn mower across the lawn. They all three spoke to each other in Marshallese and occasionally the man outside the car glanced back into the backseat at me and Peter. I knew they were saying something about me, but I couldn’t tell what they were saying. I was prepared for just about anything. The driver eventually pulled out of the residential lot and drove us to our apartment. He pulled away before I had a chance to grab my backpack and ended up driving over my foot. Now I’ve got tire tracks ALL on the toe of my Jordan’s. It’s okay though. What better way to be initiated into Marshallese culture? A culture full of relaxation and free of stress. Time is an optional obligation. Here I am back at the apartment relaxing with the other students. Peter’s been traveling for something like four days; his journey began in Slovakia. Eric and Derek are preparing dinner and Professor Garrod and I are seated on the couch enjoying a Miller Lite. I’m happy to be here. I was nervous before I left and even while in Houston I began to get cold feet. Now that I am here, I am excited for what lies ahead. I’m excited to get in the classroom and immerse myself into the Marshallese culture. I’m also excited to get this experience underway so that I can get home to those I love. One day Down. 73 to go!
