No Cuts, No Butts, But PLENTY of Coconuts!

And now, for a long overdue treatise on undoubtedly the coolest nut on Earth: the coconut. Get this coconuts, or ni, as they are called in Marshallese, not only produce numerous types of foods for the Marshallese people, which are always present at events, put can be used as a source of income as well. The real kicker is that as a result of natural selection, coconut trees have notches on them that basically ask you to climb up the tree to get to the nut! If you needed proof of a higher power, look no further! It's funny to me how coconuts have been exoticized in the states. While we frequently see shaved coconut in our grocery stores, there is a lot more to the nut than meets the eye in those plastic bags.

One of the first things to note about the coconut is its incredible growth. An average coconut tree grows 50 to 90 coconuts a year. It makes it a perfect resource for a country of people who survived for years on subsistent living. A fact that I didn't know before coming here is that if you stop a coconut at any time in its growth, you will get a different edible product. The Marshallese have a myriad of names for the coconut in its various forms. I have done my best to accrue the major phases/names for you in my brief description of the wondrous coconut.

When the coconut is near ripe or fully ripe, it will either naturally fall out of the tree or will be picked by an expert climber/rock thrower (I have still yet to figure out how they can tell that the coconut is ripe when it is far away from keen eyesight and can also not be ripe and have a brown outer shell--it think it is some kind of 6th island sense). At this point in time, the shell of the coconut is just generating, turning from green to its hard brown exterior. Inside, the coconut contains mede. This is when the white fleshy material is soft, slightly gooey, and is at the height of its deliciousness. The coconut water, called ni, is also at its most delicious. For those of you who do not know, the coconut milk is actually coconut water that has acquired some of the sweetness of the coconut itself. Coconut milk is created from the coconut meat of the plant (coconut water occurs naturally; coconut milk is made). One truth I can tell you about the coconut is that there is always way more coconut water in it than you assume. You can drink you fill and there will still be tons more inside. Good to note if you are planning on opening it and drinking it!

After passing the point of being freshly ripe, the coconut contains waini. This is the phase when the coconut meat (the white fleshy material inside of the shell) has hardened. This stuff is what makes it into our shaving bags in the U.S. of A. While it is edible, it is not as tasty as when the nut is ripe. This is also the case with the ni inside.

After hitting the ground and passing through the waini phase, the coconut starts to germinate. If you are lucky enough to catch the coconut right when it begins to grow, you will be treated to my favorite thing that I have ingested while in the RMI--iu (pronounced "you"). It is a spongy, sweet, moist, flaky yellowish/white substance that fills the interior of the coconut right as it starts to grow. It can be eaten straight out of the coconut or it can be cooked on top of hot rocks and under palm leaves. I have not had the latter (to my knowledge; who knows what you are given at Marshallese events when food is practically thrown at you in generous heaps) but the former is incredible.

All of these forms of the coconut can be cooked in different ways. I was able to get a list of the few with which I was most familiar with with the help of the vice principal at my school:

1) Rice Balls--Just as it sounds, these are combination of large balls of rice and shaved coconut. Sounds simple? Well it is. And its delicious and filling!

2) Coconuts Mixed with Pandanas--The VP could not remember the specific name for the treat, but as for the consistency, this treat is very gooey. It usually comes in sugar sprinkled ball form.

3) Ni and Fish--Ni is an ingredient frequently used as a bath for fish. Since many fish are eaten raw here, the ni-soak adds and extra sweet flavor. When cooked, the meat is even more tender and delectable.

4) Lukor (pronounced "Lick-core," like "Liquor" but with a "k")-- This is the form that I have the most exposure to, though I have never tried it myself. Everyday, one of the teachers sells this frozen substance to a plethora of students. It is yew mixed with water or milk and sugar and then frozen. The kids LOVE it and I usually have to tell them to throw it away so I can start class (nearly) on time.

As I mentioned a few times before, one of the most important facets of coconuts in the Marshall Islands is its ability to be used as a cash crop Since I am not on an outer island, the knowledge of the process of making copra is not as well known to me as it is to other volunteers who see family members or island friends toiling everyday to make the product, but the basic process is something like this:

1. Coconuts are collected in their ripe/post-ripe/pre-germination, "brown shell" phase.

2. The are laid out and sun-dried for a few days. This process can be helped through mass smoking of the coconuts.

3. The contents of the sun-dried coconut are easily removed and the shells are beaten down and packed in sacks which are sent off to the copra factor called Tobler (pronounced "toe-bo-lair").

4. There, a process of oil extraction is used to remove the majority of the substance of the dried nut. This oil can be used as a cooking oil, or in products such as soap and cosmetics. The rest is a dense dietary fiber that can be used to feed some livestock. It can also be used as fuel.

The process of opening a coconut is one of the first "native" things that the volunteers learned here. On our first excursion to Enemanit, we were taught by some Marshallese people there to find a coconut that was read and strip it of its leafy coverings by using a stake in the ground, jamming the stringy outer, leafy layers, and twisting. To open the coconut to drink, the process is very similar to opening a CapriSun. There are two or three holes at the top of the coconut. They are areas that are not as thick. I am not sure as to their biological purpose, but a key or a small finger can find these holes and poke through them quickly. But, as with a CapriSun, one must always be careful of being squirted! The pressure inside is high (someone once informed me that during WWII, coconuts were used for blood transfusions since their insides were one of the only sterile things that could be readily found around the Pacific. I have yet to find proof this (though it is hinted at on Wikipedia) but it sounds possible)! After this, a few strategic and steady cracks around the shell and the coconut is open and ready to eat.

Finally, and most important to me personally, is the use of coconut leaves to create handicrafts. There are tons of different types of handicrafts in the country from baskets, floor mats, hats, fans, hair flowers, and Christmas tree ornaments that are all made from coconuts. I definitely plan on bringing a bunch back for my family and friends.

Well, there is my much deserved but wholly inadequate talk on coconuts. Do some research yourself and I promise that you too will be amazed!

30 Days to Go!

Bar Lo Kom,

Andrew

Imagination and Reality

This week presented interesting ideas and challenges to my experience in the RMI. In my reading classes, Bill inspired me to do a unit on imagination. On Monday, we discussed what imagination was and I instructed my students to draw a picture of a fish with legs, feet, and fur, who is singing while making a pizza. The point was to teach the students that the same picture formed in their minds from my instructions are the same kinds of pictures they should have in their minds as they read. I also showed my students the video clip of "Pure Imagination" from the original Willy Wonka film. They had never seen it before and were mesmerized by it (one of them asked if it was real in fact!). The next day, I read from a wonderful children's book called What If... by Regina Williams. The book is a collection of beautiful illustrations of "what if" situations a little boy is dreaming up before going to bed. Some of these scenarios included gardens made of candy, dogs growing on dogwood trees, and clouds becoming what they look like and putting on a show in the sky. The assignment was for the students to make up their own "what if" situations. My two favorites were "what if I flew a plane into a rainbow and broke it," and "what if it snowed in the Marshall Islands." On Wednesday, I read from one of my favorite books from elementary school, The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, which I had been reading to the students before. I then had them draw pictures of what they saw in their minds from the chapters I read. On Thursday, final day of the unit, I showed the students a book that Mandy has used in all of her classrooms previously called Flotsam by David Wiesner. The book has no words but tells the story of a boy at the beach who discovers an underwater camera that has fantastical pictures on it such as huge starfish with islands on their backs, schools of robotic fish, and tiny aliens riding on sea horses. It was a delight to see the faces of the students change from wonderment to shock as each page turned. The students were then asked to write the story themselves. I think that the unit was well received.

At the same time, each night Mandy and I watched movies that were about or involved imagination. On Monday, we watched Hook (the word "bangarang" is thankfully back in my vocabulary as a result), Tuesday we watched Finding Neverland (about the creation of the story of Peter Pan; an absolutely amazing film if you have not seen it). Wednesday we watched Howl's Moving Castle, (in an effort to lighten the mood after watching such a sad film the day before). Thursday we watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I think that watching these movies in juxtaposition to doing a unit on imagination really reawakened my inner child (well, that and working with children everyday). I concluded that as a result of this week, when I come back for the summer I want to work at a summer camp, because I myself never went to one (and also because after seeing Hook I have an irrepressible urge to be in a food fight).

On Friday, I took my two winning teams on a field trip to WAM (Waan Aolen in Majol) to go on traditional Marshallese canoe rides and to have ice cream. The students really enjoyed the trip and it was nice to play with them outside of the context of school (pictured above).

This weekend, I moved quickly from a week full of childlike wonderment to the reality of the world around me. On Thursday evening, after dinner at Yvonne's house, I learned more about the culture and politics of the Marshall Islands. I realized that this is the first country I have ever visited that I knew literally nothing about before coming (besides the little information I gleaned from Wikipedia). Politics and culture are very ingrained in the everyday life of the Marshallese. I believe this is because of the scarcity of land and familiarity that everyone has with one another. It is a testament to the Marshallese that while the Marshall Islands is heavily influenced by outside countries--especially the United States--the people have successfully held on to their roots. In addition to having a president and a republic, the Marshall Islands also have iroojs, who are highly respected community leaders and landowners. The Marshallese concepts of land, power, and money are very different from the American concepts as a result. I think this is why it is difficult sometimes for volunteers to come and attempt to help with various aspects of Marshallese life. We just do not know enough about the culture, and, in many ways, we never will since we come from such a different context. The Marshall Islands are a small group of islands and atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They have followed their customs for many years and no word view could or necessarily should change that. There are so many ways that I want to help here, but I learned this weekend that the help has to come out of the Marshallese context and perspective, not an American one. What is progress? What is advancement? What is beauty? These words mean different things to different people. When I look out at the lagoon, I still have a hard time believing that what I am seeing is real. When the Marshallese look out, they see the same water that they have seen for hundreds of years. They see a life force and a source of food, commerce, and transportation. I was shocked to find out that many of my students do not even like to swim! I need to first see things with Marshallese eyes before I can try to work for change. It will take a lot more time and patience on my part to learn what I need to know to help outside of the classroom and I worry that a year is not enough time. There is still much to learn. I feel fortunate to be in a place where I am required to listen more than speak so that I can in fact learn as much as possible. I hope that in my time here I will be able to make a difference inside and outside of the classroom by working with the Marshallese and their culture.

More shockers from the island:

23) The realization of how Americanized the RMI is yet how different it is from the places I am familiar with was striking to me, especially after having been here for two months.

24) Despite the idea that the pacific islands are isolated and paradisical, the islands (including the RMI) have had major influence from outside parties. They are not as disconnected from the rest of the world as one might think.

That's all for now!

Bar lo kom,

Andrew