1/16/08

We have a new government. The new President made a visit to Ebeye last week. I am already skeptical, however, because one of my students was giving me a report (informally) on his speech, and he promised there would be 3 planes and 2 new boats by the end of the month, and that the “American money will pour down like rain on Ebeye.” Those are hard, if not impossible promises to keep. Oh yeah, and he said he’s really excited and happy to be President… great.
A friend of mine, an Australian who works at the Marshallese EPA in Majuro, came out to Gugeegue yesterday. He’s in town because there is a boat that is half sunk that is blocking the port at Ebeye, and the Matson stevedore company has refused to deliver some things because of it. He’s going to do a dive and recommend strategies for removing it. He is also presenting a proposal for fisheries protection, since our reef fish have been utterly depleted in this atoll by individual spearfishing – I don’t feel too guilty though, I’ve only caught about 10 fish since I’ve been here. He was telling me how the fecal chloroform levels in the ocean and lagoon around Ebeye are off the charts – basically, there’s poop in the water everywhere, and it’s not safe. I asked if while he was out here he might do the same tests at Gugeegue.
Alex and Connor will most likely be moving back in with us at Gugeegue. They discovered over Christmas break that the Ministry of Education had never paid their landlord for their apartment once over the last 3 months. They are a little dismayed with the whole situation, including WorldTeach’s lack of oversight to ensure something like this didn’t happen. Alex has already moved back in and is sleeping on our couch because he had an allergic reaction to the toxic mold that is growing there.