Being a Father in Majuro

Daily life here in the Republic of Marshall Islands is a challenge for some of us, but for others  it’s as easy as buttering up a slice of Wonder Bread. As an RMI citizen, I find it hard being a father. As I observe one man’s life, I see lot of difficulties that he has to go through. For example, he has to set aside everything and think first about his family. He has to think about what he has to do to feed his family such as getting up early in the morning and doing lots of work around the house, and getting the kids ready for school.

The difficulties that I see being a father is that he has to work hard to support his family due to the fact that he has a poor job or he doesn’t have a job at all. In this case he has to go out and find other jobs that are better and pay a decent amount of money just to feed his family. Or he has to go out to the lagoon or the ocean side and fish just to feed his family. Aside from working hard, they have to maintain the household by cleaning up the house and taking care of the things around the household. Another thing they have to do is to pay bills. The men who don’t have jobs wind up taking care of the house and the kids while the mother is at work. Here in the RMI it happens that most fathers that don’t have jobs usually  end up being a taxi driver.

Being a father is a lot more difficult than you think. Before you make the decision of becoming a father, think about the consequences. My advice: go to school, finish college and get a good job before you think about having a family of your own and becoming a father.

Everyday Life in the Marshall Islands

Every morning I wake and walk to school.

It’s around 7 in the morning and traffic seems to be on the roll.

People seem to be in a hurry either to school or work.

I can hear taxis sounding their horns to people who wave at them to stop.

They probably mean they’re full, or they’re not yet in service.

I can see old men having coffee and telling stories.

I think they’re friends by the way they laugh and look.

I can see people walking with backpacks on.

They’re probably going to school just by the speed they’re walking at.

I believe they can’t afford taxi fare and that’s why they’re walking.

Now it’s around 9ish to 10ish.

Traffic is slow and taxis are mostly occupying the road.

The sun shining really brightly that I’m sweating really hard.

Around 12ish to 1ish, traffic is back on the roll.

Workers and students are now on their lunch break.

Everyone seems to be in a hurry either because they’re lunch time is limited or they have so much work to do.

Taxis are full of passengers and it frustrates other people because they’re in a hurry too, but there aren’t enough taxis on island.

Then traffic seems to get slow around 2ish.

Everyone is back to work.

Taxis are barely full.

Then around 3ish, traffic is on the roll again.

Parents are rushing over to school to pick up kids.

Kids are walking either because they live near or they can’t afford taxi fare.

Around 4ish and traffic is slow again.

I can see kids now without their uniforms on.

Now it’s 5ish and traffics strikes again.

Workers are rushing home to their families.

They’re stopping at stores to buy dinner.

Taxis are full again.

7ish and people are still up.

Kids are being sent to the store to buy dinner.

They usually buy hotdogs which only cost 25 cents.

Now it’s 9ish, and I can barely see kids.

Now I see adults walking around.

It’s 10 now and I can barely see any cars.

That’s a typical day in the Marshall Islands.

Anti Muller

Anti Muller, one of the best examples for the younger and older people all across the world, has no education. She had lot of responsibilities that had to be carried throughout her life.  She couldn’t just worry about herself, she also had to worry about her family. She is a 52 year old mother of 7 kids: 3 girls and 4 boys, and 2 grandchildren. She dropped out of school when she was very young. She finally got to a point where she decided to go back to school. While she was working at the College of the Marshall Islands as a janitor, she thought she couldn’t work like this for the rest of her life, so she decided to join a GED program to earn her high school diploma. In the program she started off at level 1, then slowly moved up to level 5 to earn her high school diploma. After she got her diploma she enrolled at the College of the Marshall Islands as a student and a part-time worker as a security guard. She never backed down from anything. With nothing to look back on, she kept on moving forward. She is planning to keep on going with school to earn her master’s degree. Anti Muller says, “there’s no age limit to your future”.

I AM FROM POEM

I AM FROM SIX-NINE-TWO

WHERE WE CAN’T STAND DOING NOTHING

FROM WANTING TO SUCCESS

WHICH IS OUR COMMON ISSUE

I AM FROM PLAYING BASKETBALL

WHERE I CAN’T STAND BEING UNHEALTHY

FROM READING AND WRITING POEMS

WHERE I LEARN NEW THINGS

I AM FROM TAKING CARE OF MY LITTLE LOVE ONES

WHICH IS ALWAYS MY HOME ROUTINE

FROM CHATTING A LOT PHYSICALLY

GROUPS OF WORDS THAT YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE

I AM FROM JEPTA

WHERE MARSHALLESE DANCES ARE TAUGHT EVERY DAY

FROM LEARNING TO CARE, LOVE, AND RESPECT

THE THREE THAT I MOSTLY KEEP

I AM FROM WALKING TO SCHOOL EVERYDAY

WHERE I CAN’T STAND LOSING A LOT OF MONEY

FROM HANGING OUT WITH MY FRIENDS

WHERE I EARN MORE SWAGGERS

I AM FROM FACEBOOK

WHICH IS FUN TO DO EVERYNIGHT

FROM ENJOYING TEXT MESSAGING

WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE NOWADAYS

I AM FROM RICE

WHICH IS FOOD I USED TO COOK EVERYDAY

FROM WATCHING MY OWN CLOTHES

ROUTINE THAT YOU MIGHT NOT BELIEVE

I AM FROM FISHING

WHICH IS FUN TO DO EVERY SATURDAY

FROM GOING TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY

WHERE I ALWAYS REGRET MY SINS BEFORE

I AM FROM PLAYING VIDEO GAMES

AND FROM LISTENING TO MUSICS

WHICH ARE MY TOP PRIORITIES DURING MY LEISURES

I AM FROM COCA COLA

FAVORITE DRINK THAT IS DRUNK EVERYDAY

FROM SLEEPING AT 3 IN THE MORNING

WHERE PEOPLE CONSIDER ME A VAMPIRE

By: Dialson Gideon

Before and After

Before

MI’s water was as blue and clear

It was as clear as crystal

You could see it through like you could see yourself in the mirror

The Fish were so alive and healthy

They swim like they live in a free world

Nobody could ever disturb them

The sun, the moon, and the stars smile down

For they feel happy about MI’s blue water

Happy faces fills the beautiful Islands of MI

Because the way we protect the water

The canoes sailed from one side to the other

No logs (trash) could ever come and disturb them

The beautiful water was never been litter

MI’s water was always been clear.

After

The water was once bright as the sun

Pure as gold and silver

But it started to fade away

People don’t care

People pollute everyday

And that doesn’t help us in any way

There is a solution, let’s stop the pollution

Work together and do what we can

This will be the best for sure

Don’t pollute water again

For one day there will be no MI again.

Everyday Life as an Islander

I love living in my island PLACE,

We got no traffic jam, we move in mellow PACE

It takes a minute just to settle DOWN, I’ve got to jump into sea just to wash off the TOWN

You’ll never find me when I go back HOME because I’ll be deep in the ZONE and don’t answer my PHONE

I’m with my family on dusty ROAD because the burden of the city is a heavy LOAD

Every afternoon we see the sun SETTING telling stories of so very long ago, we not FORGETTING

We all together two or three GENERATION  and we really never care about your job or OCCUPATION

We going fishing or start up a FIRE, mother nature provides what we DESIRE

Everybody knows that since I was a BABY that living in my island home is what really made ME

I’m an island boy just visiting your TOWN, I’m just passing through I don’t plan to hang AROUND

I’m an island boy bare feet up on the GROUND, it’s natural living hearing natural SOUNDS

I’m an island boy I love my civil LIFE, I grow my own fruits in my PARADISE

I really love my island VIBE and I could relate to people who SIMPLIZE

But when I’m in the city walking the STREETS, I dream I was far away from all of this CONCRETE

With no more shirt and no more shoes on my FEET, I want to go back to my RETREAT

I love to chill by the ocean and feel the wind BLOW or put a seed in ground and watch my garden GROW

It’s air-condition when the trade wind BLOWS

Good time to fish in the sea BELOW

City life is always MOVING and MOVING

But island life is always CRUSING and CRUSING

City life is always RACING and RACING

But island life is always slow steady PACING

It’s supper time we hearing mama CALL

The less we have the more we have it ALL

We’re at the beach and not the shopping MALL

We giving praises when the rain will FALL

Before we eat we all say our GRACE

We love the way that mama’s cooking TASTE

And there’s no left all are gone to WASTE

I’m loving life in my island PLACE

If I was far away and I was DYING, I would die TRYING

To get back to my island home MARSHALL  ISLANDS

Island boy for LIFE

Living my civil LIFE

By: Clary Makroro, Jr

Transfering to a new school



I live in Majuro, Marshall Islands. When I was a kid, my parents wanted me to go to school at Assumption. So when I was old enough to go to school, my parents took me there. When I graduated from the 8^th grade, my parents wanted me to go to school at Marshall Islands High School, I did not want to. I told them that all my friends since I was a kid were at Assumption, and the teachers were very friendly and kind to their students. I also told them that I would promise to do my best until I graduated. Because I had a lot of reasons, my parents decided to let me stay at Assumption. My freshmen year was great. I passed all my class and was able to go to grade ten. I went to grade ten and was doing great. My parents were very proud of me but, they were still struggling with the tuition. The cost of tuition was $90.00 including the lunch fee. I continued to study hard in my sophomore year and passed all my classes. It was summer and I was getting ready for my junior year.



Marshall Islands High School



Then one day, I went out to hang out with my classmates. When I got back home, my parents were shouting at each other and the next thing I knew my dad was gone, but before he left he came and we had a little talk. He told me to study hard and not to worry. He said that he will come see me every day after school. Then he left. I was old enough to understand what had just happened. What I did not understand was the reason why. I went inside and I asked mom what happened and she told me to sit down while she wiped her tears away. I sat down and she told me everything. I did not know what to do but just cried out loud. Then I looked up and asked my mom, “am I the reason why, or is it my tuition?” She looked at me and said, “no it is not your fault; things like this happen when people are just stressed out and don’t know what to do.” So it was just me and my mom all summer. Summer ended and I decided to go to school at Marshall Islands High School. I learned that my parents were really struggling because they could not afford the tuition. My mom wanted me stay at Assumption but I was too selfish to know the reason why they wanted me to go to school at Marshall Islands High School in the first place.  I could not think of a better way to help my parents pay for my tuition but to transfer to a non-private school.

On my first day at Marshall Islands High School I was 15 minutes late.  When students are late, they are punished. The punishments are picking up trash on the campus in the morning or staying after school to clean the classroom. I was late not just on my first day but every day. I had two friends and they were so kind to me. They bought me lunch. There students had to pay for their own lunches. So before I went to school, I needed to have at least $2.50 every day. But what I hated the most was asking money from my mom. I can still see that she was struggling from having to pay my tuition at Assumption. Sometimes I asked for only one dollar and I used it for a taxi in the morning, and after school I would walk home. I promised myself that no matter how hard things turned out, I have to graduate from high school. I had a lot of obstacles on my path at Marshall Islands High School, but I was able to endure them all and graduate.

Garbage Island

We were once known for our beautiful Island, but that all came down to a shameful name, “The Garbage Island.” What a dreadful sound that is. Although some are struggling and putting more effort on keeping the Island clean, others lack the knowledge of the consequences littering might bring. Littering can lead to more shameful names, sickness, and destroy nature’s beauty. And the beauty of the Island lies within, that is the people. But I do think people should do more about keeping the island clean. We could once again gain back our beautiful Islands. It’s not that the people don’t want to clean up after themselves, but they would rather litter than to find the trash bins. And it is so sad every now and then, people do litter. Litter, litter, litter it has become so bitter. The beauty of our Islands has faded away. If we work together, we can gain back our name. One nation, one heart. Working together will build a better and bright future for our Island.

Lojele

A long time ago, there was a boy named Lojele. He grew up with his grandfather on Wodmej island in the Wotje Atoll. He was the first man who discovered how to make a canoe. During that time, he was eighteen years old and all the people of Wodmej were scared of him. One day, he went to the ocean side and sat near a coconut tree. He spent a long time observing the ocean and the lagoon. Lojele’s grandpa told him, “What are you doing? You need

to help the people work. What are you thinking of?” He ignored his grandfather and went to bed. When he slept,

he saw something that he had never seen before – how to make a canoe. He saw it all. He was sure he could do it.

The next day, he thought about what he needed to build his canoe. He brought every thing he needed. After he got everything, he gathered them together. Every day, he worked on his canoe. People didn’t know his plan. No one helped him. His grandpa laughed at him, but he never gave up.

Two months later, the canoe was finished. And now it was ready. All the people of the Island came to see what Lojele had done. His grandpa cried because he had always made fun of his grandson. They made lots of food to celebrate the canoe that Lojele had made. The people of Wodmej started to get to know him. People from all over the Wotje Atoll came to Wodmej to see the canoe and what it looked like.

Finally, Lojele sailed on his canoe around the Wotje Atoll, returning all the people who came from other islands to see his canoe. They had never seen a canoe before and they were excited on their trip home. From Lojele, people of Wotje Atoll never had to walk between the islands at low tide ever again. Now, they call their island “Wodmej uses canoe.”

First Coconut Tree

    Here is the First Coconut tree in the Marshall Islands. This can be really important to all people in the world. This story was told by Laman who lived ion Majuro Atoll. Laman wrote about one man and his mother. These two people lived on an island which has no trees and everything accept sand bar. At night, he saw a human being who took a ripe coconut and told him to plant it. He woke up and told his mother about his dream. His mother told him to do what his dream told him to do. he follow his mother's words. Here, he plant the coconut on the sand bar, and it was gettig bigger and bigger. His mother told him not to touch it until it getting ready to taste it. The coconut tree was getting bigger. It is now have many coconuts in it. He and his mother were trying to see whether is good or bad. It was good and delicious water they ever drink. From that moment this coconut tree made many coconut on the sand bar. Now, this sand bar turned into an Island. As i read this story, it make me sad because today many Isands are less coconut than houses and everything. I see many Marshallese people don't care about our resources. This is one of the important tree in the Marshall Islands. Its can help people especially young people, so that they would learn the importance of coconut tree to the Island s geology and soil, and to their economy and life----indeed for our survival.

Unforgettable Jimma (Grandpa)

I have always looked up to the ones that are older than me because they know best. One of the people that I admire the most is my grandpa. He is my motivation, inspiration, my ”ride-or-die” pops. Grandpa was a hardworking man. Every day when I come home from school, he’d be doing something; he would write songs or read the bible and make sermons. He would go from houses to houses and teaches other Marshallese people about the culture, and why is it important for us; teaches other respect our “iroij” chiefs when they come to their homes. And he loves to tell legendary stories. He was a teacher in a Ebeye Christian School as a music and a bible teacher. I would say he accomplished everything he had done during his time. Today his songs are sung by Christians at churches, his students honored him for his teachings, and people from his home town missed him. He was a man anybody would want to become; a talented man. As to compare him to all the jimmas' here in Majuro there is no difference, grandpa are always loving and caring hardworking men; family is their first priority.

The First Coconut Tree

Isn’t it amazing that a human being could turn into real coconut trees? This legend is about a first coconut tree that existed in the Marshall Islands. This person was named Tobolar, who born as a coconut. On the coconut fruit, there are eyes, mouth, and nose like a human being, and a shell that is brown, which the Marshallese has always used for cooking material. Tobolar had a brother named Lakom who hated him very much. Sometimes he teased his mother because of Tobolar. One day Tobolar turned himself into a coconut tree and produced many coconut trees, so on the Marshall Islands we have many coconut trees today. From the coconut, the people of the Marshall Islands can live a simple life by eating and drinking coconut fruit. We also use coconuts to create local medicines. It’s good to have coconut trees in the Marshall Islands today because of Tobolar. You can read more about this legend here: http://marshall.csu.edu.au/Marshalls/html/legends/le-1-7.html

I am the Good Fairy (Na Noniep)

Because there are many problems in the Marshall Islands, people started to create films based on their reaction to their culture and modern way of life. These movies are called, “Microwave films.” They were produced by Niedenthal and Suzanne Chutaro. However, in NA NONIEP, the opening scene of the whole movie means a lot to me and for every Marshallese also. I watched this scene three to four years ago and it was very interesting and meaningful.

First, it begins with modern way of life. It is when people play tricks that we called Black Magic. For Marshallese, Black Magic is when we use satanic rituals or using magic against each other to destroy each other’s life. As a result, this scene convinces people a lot. At first, it shows how people played the evil tricks to each other. After that, it shows how people react and felt about what just happened and what caused a terrible incident to be happened that way. For example in one scene, the old devilish woman name Lijimu who played the evil woman in that movie used Black Magic to destroy other people’s life. When people started to notice what she has been doing every single day, they started to spread rumors and talked behind her back. Soon, she started to realize that what she had been doing every day was bad. She felt regret and learned from her mistake and quit what she was spending most of her time with. Now the full effect of this part of this scene is that it stopped people from doing bad things and we can see that it is happening. Also, we are no longer hearing gossip about Black Magic anymore.

Second, the most common problem in the RMI is all about money. One scene showed how people react toward money. It shows how money influences many different roles. For example, a poor person can’t have a family with a rich person. Also, because that person is poor, people will treat him or her badly. What exactly the part of this scene is trying to say is that we should have equality and respect one another. Second, it shows why people had to leave their own country and that is also because of money. Another scene showed that people want their own life to be perfect. However, they cannot do that because they don’t have much money. Why? The best answer is because they weren’t able to finish their education and they can’t have a job with a good salary. The big question in this part of this film is, “What if the American government told every Micronesian who lives in the United States to come back, where would they live?” This really convinced me and especially those who live in the States. Now, what I am hoping for is the return of every Marshallese from the States. I know that one day this will happen.

Finally the film ends with this question: “Where is our culture?” Nowadays, the culture and lifestyle of every Marshallese has been changed. It is really different from our traditional lifestyle. People started to follow other country’s customs and way of life. They wear clothes differently. They eat different foods and act differently. They act like they are not really Marshallese. This question has given every single Marshallese a chance to answer it on their own.

Also this scene is very interesting because it gives us clues about what is happening in the Marshall Islands. They show that money, people’s attitudes, and culture are the main issues or common problems in the RMI. The film makers are trying to change everything from something bad into something good. To convince is the word that I would use about why these people started to create films this way. I HOPE… I HOPE… I HOPE…

Beginning of LOVE

You must be really eager to know the difference about how we Marshallese handle our relationships. It’s the 21^st century and everyone has the right to choose between culture and the modern world. In our Marshallese modern world, the word DATING is a game. Well! In the Marshall Islands, the youngest age you could see dating is nine.  We call it “the new generation”. Marshallese Kids nowadays are more mature as they are adapting into the modern world. The best thing about Marshallese dates is it doesn’t cost a lot of money. Most importantly, you don’t need your parent’s permission to go on a date.  Marshallese parents usually don’t allow their children to be in relationships. It’s always a secret. This is how it works: the guy is usually the one asking a girl out. Girls are not allowed to ask a guy out, it’s an embarrassment! Important Marshallese dating spots are on the beach, under a tree, or somewhere you don’t have to spend any money. There’s nothing picky about Marshallese dates. What’s important is a romantic place to talk and that’s called a date.

The Lizard on Kili Island

                There is a legend about the lizard of Kili Island who one day goes to Ebon Atoll in Moneak Island and steals the half of the chief’s nuts. This legend is really important to me because it’s the only legend that my grandfather was always telling me about. It is also important for you to learn and understand it especially for those whom never know about it. According to the legend, the reason why there are so many lizards on the coconut trees these days is because of the people on Moneak Island. They struck the lizard with stones, spears, and cut him up in many pieces. They cut the lizard into very small pieces, and each of the pieces turned into a small lizard. I do really like this legend because…You can read the legend for yourself here: http://alelemuseum.tripod.com/Legends.html

Home is where the heart is

They say home is where the heart is

I say home is where the love was, is and will

Always be.

Home for me lies within the Pacific Ocean,

It is called the Republic of the Marshall Islands

It has been the place chosen just for me.

The comfort I find in it

Brings forth the lasting confidence I have

Never had.

It is in it that I find the wisdom, which I seldom find anywhere else.

It glows in the dawn and glitters when the sun rises above the

Horizon.                                                                              

The ocean reflects the beauty of the sunlight

Which shines sparkly bright and lazily above it.

Must I depart it, may my

Heart continue to be drawn closer to it.

Oh how blessed am I to have a home in

The heart of the ocean, which I can

Always go back to.

Because it was,

It is and will forever be my home.

Home Forever.

Ebeje Legend

Handel Dribo is a well known land owner and a leader for the people on Ebeye in the Marshall Islands. He was a land owner who owned both Kwajalein and Ebeye. Yes he did own both Kwajalein and Ebeye. Ebeye is part of the Marshall Islands. Ebeye is near Kwajalein. During the 1950s Handel and his people were ordered by the American Navy to move from Kwajalein to Ebeye. The Americans told Handel that they were going to use Kwajalein. The Marshallese was told if they would go to Ebeye, they would provide them with food, electricity and housing. The Americans would use Kwajalein as a Missile site. That’s how the Americans came up with the Land Use Agreement (LUA). The LUA allows the American’s to stay on Kwajalein just by helping the people on Ebeye with money, food and shelter. According to Handel the Americans only paid minimum payment to the people on Ebeye. The tools and utilities used for the Ronald Reagan test site cost more than a million dollars. www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/469465/Home-on-the-Range/

Kwajalein Missile Test Site

During the years from 1950 to 1980 Handel and his people had problems with the Americans. Handel felt that the Americans were not fair. The American’s refused to sign the new lease which provided the people on Ebeye with more money and more supplies. Handel decided to take his people and go protest against the Americans decision. Handel and his people moved to Kwajalein. While Handel and his people were occupying Kwajalein, the Americans forced Handel and his people to get on a boat to go back to Ebeye. Handel never gave up. Each day Handel would gather his men to sneak on a boat to Kwajalein. During this time Ronald Reagan was president. Ronald Reagan heard what was happening to the people on Ebeye, so he decided to make the Americans sign a new lease and apologize to the people on Ebeye. Handel has inspired me in many ways. He is truly a legend. Handel’s help was a success to the people on Ebeye. Without Handel’s help the LUA would not exist. Handel has taught us not to give up on something that matters to you the most. When there are problems, you have to do everything to be a successful person.