MICRONESIA
Continued from Page 1
I became more patient and didn't net so
upset when things didn't work out."
In addition to living with strnngn
insects. Marie, who helped her counter
part create a system of storing historical
artifacts on the island of Palau, said she
hod to overcome local residents' hostili
ty toward outsiders and completely new
living and working conditions
Though she had road everything she
could find about Palau. Mario said she
was surprised by the loco) residents'
coolness toward outsiders.
"People wouldn't smile or say hollo tn
the store." Marie said. "It was an awak
ening for me. They wore used to people
passing through their culture like rude
tourists, taking away and not giving
back."
Time and patience helped her over
come local hostility, but some local
habits, such as officials sitting on the
floor and picking their toenails during
meetings, were hard to get used to. Mario
said.
Most of the people also chew betel nut.
a slightly narcotic fruit gathered from
palm trees. Marie said.
“They're spitting this red juice all the
time, and the older people have dark red.
almost black teeth from the betel juice,"
Marie said. "You get used to all this, and
it just becomes part of your life."
Marie also had to adjust to paper rot
ting awnv in the tropical climate and tak
ing showers with water collected off the
roof of her house.
"My roof had catchments that collect
ed the water during rainstorms," Marie
said. "The water would run through u
fine net to filter out the bigger bugs, and
we'd use it for washing ”
Another intern worked to solve prob
lems on the dark side of paradise.
Jeanne Block, who designed a drug
and alcohol abuse education program for
the island of Yap. said many Microne
sians have alcohol or other drug prob
lems.
"In the outer islands people sniff paint
or gas, but on Yap the drug of choice is
beer,” Block said.
When the ship bringing the island's
supply of beer is late, many people fran
tically call stores or their frionds, search
ing for beer to drink. Block said.
Block said she believes many of Yap's
problems with drugs and alcohol are
rooted in the United States' introduction
of Western culture on the island, which
disrupted traditional island culture.
"We couldn't be preachy because
many of these children's parents use
alcohol or drugs," Block said. "We just
wanted to educate them on the physical
and social consequences of substance
abuse."
Block, who is a registered nurse, said
Yap's medical system has no freezers for
blood storage, but the people have solved
the problem of providing blood for
patients undergoing surgery — they
bring their own blood — on the hoof.
"The first surgery I attended was held
up for three hours because the patient's
blood donors were late, but they eventu
ally showed up. and the surgery was per
formed." Block said.
All of the interns said the Micronesia
Program helped them become aware of
other culture's traditions and perspec
tives. Marie said her experience changed
the way she looks at the United States
"When I first got to Palau. I made a list
of ail the things I missed from America."
Marie said. "I was counting the days
until I could go back home, but now I'm
not the same person I was before, and
leaving the island felt like leaving
home."
Though she doesn’t miss the insects.
Marie said she would happily deal with
them to return to Palau
"After my friends there. 1 miss the
rainstorms the most." she said. "They
are so intense and beautiful."
Puerto try ftyten CouA«f
Ga<*. fft# University's Micronesia Program director, said the Interns need matu
rity and patience to adjust to Micronesia's many Island cultures and climates.
Photo by D«n*rt McI*mo
Language Instructor Jett Mag o to guides foreign lan
guage students through an English tutorial computer
program.
YAMADA
Continued from Page 1
and converse with other students via headphone Using
the LCD panel and its buttons, students can quiz them
selves on grammar and vocabulary while a speaker asks
questions over the headphone.
In addition to using the lab on his own time, Mali's
Chinese It class spends two hours a week in the lab.
Instructor and graduate teaching fellow Wei Deng sits
before a large computer console. She wears headphones
similar to her students'.
By touching a button on the computer, Deng can lis
ten in on individual students. She can play a recorded
quiz for students and print out the results for each stu
dent and the class os a whole.
Deng said the computer makes it possible to spread her
time among many students In addition, the computer
also allows ikmg to pair students up with one another for
conversation practice.
Brenda Tunnock. managing director of the center, said
many students am unawam the center installed a satellite
dish in tho fall. This moans students t an drop in during
the day to watch foreign news programs or check out
video copies of the broadcasts to wati.lt in tlieir homes.
"The Chinese broadcasts am pretty hot." Tunnock said.
"Chinese students come in pretty regularly to watch
news from home."
Tunnock said the center tapes satellite broadcasts
almost continuously from H to a in. to <1 p in and plans
to start taping through the night.
A large portion of students using the Yamada t enter am
exchange students who learn English as a second lan
guage. said Jeff Magoto. an instructor at the center.
Magoto leads students through English-tutorial pro
grams once a week via Macintosh computers.
"From our experience, students are more motivated,"
Magoto said. "The computer's feedback is immediate,
whereas a workbook is not as dynamic.
"Our purpose is to make students independent, in
terms of language and survival skills at the University,
namely computer skills." he said.
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