Randomly Thinking

Recent Pics..

2006-05-11T14:58:00.000+09:00

..some of these are old, but since I haven't posted lately or put up any pictures really, here are some recent ones.

The top picture is of "Honeymoon Road" in the state of Ngiwal, where I spent my first six weeks in Palau. Possibly one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
The next picture is of my senior English class on their last day, right before they took their final. If you look hard enough, you can see they're all telling me I'm number 1!!
The third picture down is of me, my friend, who is a JICA volunteer (Japanese Peace Corps), his wife who was visiting, and the chef of a local Japanese Resteraunt. In front of us is the first of three bottles of sake which we drank that night. Easily the drunkest I have been in Palau.
The second to last picture is of the Palau 72's. Which means we are the 72nd group of Peace Corps volunteers to come to Palau. It was the going away party for our good friend Jeanne, who had decided to leave the Peace Corps to go home (to Jersey!!) and be with her family.
The final picture is of me and Keichi's (my Japanese friend) wife. I added this just so maybe you could see how REALLY, REALLY drunk I was. Needless to say, I learned my lesson. Sake is not for excessive consumption.

Reviewing my Experience

2006-04-03T14:29:00.000+09:00

Recently, I have made an effort to reach out to friends from home who I haven't spoken with in the last eight months, and I have found that many are curious to hear what my life has been like since I left my home for the warm weather and relaxed atmosphere of island life. It has been surprising, yet understandable, that many really have little idea as to what my life has been like. On April 11th, it will be my sixth month as a Peace Corps volunteer in Palau. The first two months were spent in training which I cannot consider because training is completely different than the actual volunteer service. I am going to attempt to summarize many of my experiences for my friends and family, as well as for any prospective volunteer who may come across this site. I also have to heavily emphasize that this is one man's perspective, and that your experience can change drastically depending on where you end up and who you are. This is in no way a criticism of Peace Corps or of the Republic of Palau, it is just a reflection of my feelings and thoughts through the first six months of MY experience.

First, I have analyzed my reasons for ever joining the Peace Corps, and I have surprised myself with the simplicity of the decision. When I first told friends of my decision to sacrifice two years of my life, they all were initially surprised but said they understood why I did it. Many people lauded me as a humanitarian, giving up part of my life in the service of others. I remember well when people made these comments because I felt guilty at their praises. While my concern for the people of Palau is significant, at the time, my reasons were completely selfish. I didn't feel like I was sacrificing any part of my life, although now I realize I gave up a great deal. I believed I was going out to chase life, to track it down and harness the emotions, experiences, and ideals that make up what I consider important in life. Now, I look at my reasons for joining and they are two very simple reasons; 1) I was bored, and 2) I didn't like the direction of my life at the time. In reality, #1 is the main reason. It is so simple that it makes me laugh but it is 100% true. When my brother joined the Peace Corps, I was shocked at his decision. At that time in my life, I believed that I was going to graduate college, get a job, make money, and get married. I had everything planned out, because that was what I always believed the course of life was. Eventually, when I graduated college and found myself in a series of office jobs, fighting for money even though it was completely against my nature, and forcing love on myself, I realized that I was completely bored and unsatisfied with the direction of my life. It's funny to me to see how my life goals changed that quickly, but it happens.

In retrospect, training was kind of a joke. Peace Corps tries to prepare you the best they can for your volunteer experience, but it is impossible to do that. Here in Palau, we live with host families, and you cannot prepare someone for living two years with a family not their own, even if you put them with a family (or two) for the nine weeks of training. It is different only in the fact that two years is a lot longer in both the minds of the volunteers, and those of the families. They bring in guest speakers and have other PCV (Peace Corps Volunteers) who are currently serving come in and talk to you about their experiences. This is irrelevant if only because each experience differs depending on the person you speak with. While I completely understand the reasoning, there is just no way to teach experience, it can only come through action and reaction.

There is a belief in Peace Corps that the first three months of your actual service is the hardest that you will experience. I cannot agree more. The first three months were for all of us here on Palau extremely difficult. Perhaps it is the adjustment of the family, or of your job, or of the culture itself, or perhaps it is simply the loneliness of being so far from home, I could not say. What I can say is that after that initial three months, you begin to hit a rhythm or stride in your daily life, and things can become easier. Also, you begin to become better friends with people you either work with, or with other PCV's, depending on you location. You begin to develop a social life which is extremely important in gaining a level of comfort in your surroundings.

Palau itself is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Although my experience is limited to the places I've been, there is no doubt in my mind about this. Many people that I've spoken with believe that I spend my days in a grass skirt speaking in another language to primitive people. While that may be true in other places in Micronesia, it is certainly not true here. I work at the only public high school in the country and it is located in the biggest "city" in Micronesia (other than Guam), Koror. The population here is about 14,000, whereas the total population of Palau is roughly 20,000, depending on who you talk to. Koror is a tourist town, there are numerous restaurants and bars, as well as a small shopping center and a grocery store to rival many in the states. It's easy to think that this would make living here easier than many of the more rural sites, and I don't believe that to be true. While it is nice to have these distractions, it can effect your experience in many negative ways. There is a large ex-patriot community here, and it can be difficult not to fall in with that crowd, which will hurt both your wallet, and your relationship with locals. Another major issue for me is that Peace Corps has been here in Palau since its creation in the 60's. Many in the country expect PCV's to be just like the PCV's that came before, and many times, you aren't even referred to by you name, just simply, "Hey Peace Corps!" This can be frustrating because you know that unless you do something utterly country changing, most people will forget about you within a year after you leave.

Another myth I had when joining was that I truly believed I was going to change the world, and that if the system was broke, I would fix it. In training, a volunteer came in and told us that we could never change the system, our goal should be getting through to individuals. There were several of us that completely lost it after she said this. There we were, several crusading pups in our mid-twenties believing that we could change the world, not realizing the politics, bureaucracies, and well set institutions that would cut you off the minute you raise your voice. What many have to face is the fact that you are entering a country that has been in existence much longer than you, and that you cannot change the way people think, only help make them understand a different way of thinking. I look back on what that volunteer said and she was absolutely correct, especially as a teacher.

I work at Palau High School, which as I said is the only public high school in all of Palau. It is a work in progress, and I have realized the difficulties in maintaining a school that large in a country where everyone is related and knows everything about everyone else. I became known on campus within a day, and everything I do is under the watchful eyes of students, and many of the faculty. To give you a brief idea of the situation, of the five core subjects; English, Math, Palauan Studies, Social Studies, and Science; in each of the four grades (so of 20 possible categories), there is only one average grade above passing (for example, freshman English, freshman math, freshman science......etc). Many kids don't particularly care about getting an education, so many fail classes and end up being freshman until they're 18 years old. It can get frustrating when you care more about the students getting an education than they do. I should add that since I started teaching English, I have seen a steady improvement in the grades of the freshman (although not their behavior) and my senior class alone makes this all worth while. I have begun to introduce them to Shakespeare which I never would have believed possible three months ago.

My living situation is fantastic. The house I live in is certainly nicer than any I have ever previously lived in the States. I have air conditioning and hot water, whereas many other PCV's do not. I mean, look at my room!!

My relationship with my family is a good one. It is difficult living in a house of teenagers after being independent for the last ten years, but that is nothing compared to what many other volunteers have to deal with.

There is however, one social dynamic that has been.......odd to deal with. Many people in Palau employ domestic helpers, or dh's. Usually these people are Filipino or Bangladesh. It was initially surprising to me because although members of the household are unemployed, they still have one or two domestic helpers. In many cases, although not for me, volunteers have more of a relationship with their family's domestic helper than they do with the family, which is easy to understand, both have left their homes for other skies. This is why English is usually spoken more than Palauan (I have to add that the most frustrating thing in the world is that people have talked about me while I am sitting with them in Palauan, knowing that I cannot understand everything they say and then not explaining).

If I have a last thing to add to this post it is another simple statement. The one major thing that this experience has taught me is that people are all generally the same. It doesn't matter what language you speak, what culture you live in, people will always have the same goal of desired happiness. Even though peoples' ideas of happiness can differ and the goals of acquiring it are different, that's all any of us are ever looking for. I mentioned earlier that I didn't realize what I was sacrificing until now, so to emphasize that, by the time I get home, I will more than likely have a nephew whom I have never met, and at least four of my closest friends will have had weddings which I will not have attended. It may not sound like a very big deal, but to experience it is devastating.

March Madness

2006-03-14T14:47:00.000+09:00

Being a sports fan in Palau can be tough. There are basketball and baseball leagues here, but watching them live is obviously not enough for someone who is used to watching consistent professional sports in the States. That is why this week has given me some fantastic moments. Every few years Palau has the Belau Games, which are kind of like a mini Olympics where each of the 16 states compete against each other in different events ranging from basketball to table tennis. This past weekend I managed to catch the wrestling events and several basketball games, both men and women. The atmosphere has been fantastic, reminding me of some classic high school games where the stands are packed with screaming fans. I say high school because there aren't a lot of stands or people. It has also been fun because I know many of the participants, some students, some fellow teachers, and even family.

Another major surprise for me this week is the emergence of an incredibly competitive tournament for pride. The surprise is that normally I would be talking about the beginning of the NCAA tournament, however I am really talking about the WBC, World Baseball Championships. Because of the Belau Games I haven't had classes this week and have been able to watch many of these games since they are on in the middle of the day. I have been amazed by the epic battles that some of these teams have waged. Here are several reasons why this tournament is well worth paying attention to.....

1) World Cup atmosphere. I have been a fan of World Cup soccer for the past 10 years or so, and can honestly say that this is the premier world sporting event. Of course there is the Super Bowl, and the World Series, and the NBA Championship, but these are all American games, whereas the World Cup is an international phenomenon. Even if you don't like soccer, you can't help but root for your country as a matter of national pride. Watching the WBC games I have gotten the impression that this atmosphere is being replicated, albeit on a smaller level.

2) The fans. If you have seen the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico play a game yet you'll know what I'm talking about. It's a party every time the Dominican's take the field, and they're playing in the States and in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico on the other hand is playing most of their games in San Juan, to a sold out stadium filled with raving mad fans starved for this type of competitive baseball. Even in the States people seem to be catching an early baseball fever.

3) The Underdog. The ultimate in sports for a fan. People love the underdog, from Rocky Balboa to the Jamaican bobsled team, fans will always root for the team or player that nobody gave a chance to. The first round was supposed to be a cake walk for the U.S. and Japan, but both found themselves losing unexpectedly. The U.S. almost was eliminated by Canada, and Japan surprisingly lost to a now undefeated Korea team (who, while I am writing this, are beating the U.S. 7-1).

4) Balance. Right now in Group 2, all four teams are tied at 1-1. This means that the last and final games of the group tomorrow will both be elimination games. It doesn't get any more high stakes than that. If you have the opportunity, I suggest you tune in to either Dominican Republic vs Venezuela and/or Cuba vs Puerto Rico.

5) Cuba. The Communist country was suspected of not even being involved in these games. All of the other final 8 teams are loaded with MLB talent, except Cuba, and they are the ones surprising baseball experts everywhere. This team has more young talent than any MLB ballclub, and I'm curious to see how many players decide to defect after this shot in the international spotlight.

6) You cannot measure pride. Last week I watched a software salesman from Australia strike out homerun champ Bobby Abreu, Magglio Ordonez, and Miguel Cabrera. This is an achievement that this man can tell his kids about in 20 years and that no one can ever take away from him. Two days late, an unknown pitching staff from The Netherlands almost threw a no-hitter. Well known superstar Ichiro Suzuki said before the tournament that he wanted to make a statement to the other Asian teams that Japan will be the dominant baseball power in the region for the next 30 years. Korea and Japan played in a meaningless final game in their bracket, because both already clinched a spot in the next round, and it turned out to be a classic. An 8th inning two run bomb gave Korea the lead and they ended up winning the game. Guess who popped up to end the game.......Ichiro Suzuki. These players are fighting for something unknown and rarely seen in sports, international pride.

7) Opportunity to see outstanding international talent. Seung Yeop Lee has hit five homeruns so far in two rounds, against big league pitching. Cuban third baseman Michel Enriquez has shown that he has big league talent and could be a perennial all-star in the bigs.

Honestly, I hope that they set this up similar to the World Cup, every four years. I remember when the X games came out and everyone loved it. Then ESPN started having an X games every year and now people could care less. I am afraid that the same thing could happen to the WBC, especially with Major Leaguers involved. Eventually, some of these guys might decide that it isn't worth it and it could lose some of that competitive fire that has made it successful thus far.

Finally, I would like to take a chance to say goodbye to John Chaney. Although there are times I hated his guts, no coach has done more for college basketball in Philadelphia then John Chaney and he will be missed a great deal.

Awards Time

2006-03-05T11:56:00.000+09:00

Well, after two solid weeks of watching way too many movies, I am as prepared as I can be to make my not so bold predictions of whom I think will win the 2006 Academy Awards. After searching high and low all over Palau, I wasn't able to see two of the films nominated; one, Junebug, had newcomer Amy Adams nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and the other, The Squid and the Whale, is nominated for Best Original Screenplay. I broke down each category by who I think will win, who I think should win, and the dark horse nomination, who I just think should be mentioned.

Best Picture
Considering that this was financially a down year for movies, I was surprised to see that all of the films nominated for Best Picture could probably win in previous years. Each film had it's own particular charm, but one or two stood out above the rest.

Will win: Brokeback Mountain. I don't think that anything could slow down the runaway media train known as Brokeback Mountain. Everywhere I look on television now I see something on this movie that tackles the issues of homosexuality in America, specifically the idea of cowboys being gay. Each of the three major news channels that I get here, CNN, BBC, and Fox news have all done a "special" report on this movie. Granted, it was an excellent movie, with a fantastic cast, but I think the hype on this one might be a little bigger than the movie itself.

Should win: Munich. Same issues as with Brokeback, only the issues of the Middle East aren't as popular as the issues of homosexuality. Munich is an original if not controversial idea regarding a subject that has been downplayed in the twenty-five years since it's occurrence. Steven Spielberg showed once again why he is one of the best directors in Hollywood today, even though he has been severely attacked by Israel for a historically inaccurate portrayal of the events surrounding the 1972 massacre of Jewish athletes.

Dark Horse: Crash. This was my favorite movie that I saw this year. Thanks mostly to a superb cast, Crash was the kind of movie that leaves you feeling emotionally drained when you walk out. Even though it seemed to me to be a little bit overdone, the themes attached to this movie resonate within all of our daily lives and deepest stereotypes.

Best Actor

Will Win: Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Capote. I have been a big fan of Hoffman in every P.T. Anderson movie that he has done, but outside of those three movies, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch Drunk Love, I think that he is under-utilized as an actor and had yet to show his abilities. That was before Capote, where he was masterful playing the "tiny terror", Truman Capote.

Should Win: Hoffman, Capote.

Dark Horse: Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain. Although not much of a dark horse, I think the Best Actor Academy Award is a two dog race. Ledger also put on what was probably a career saving performance as a gay cowboy in the 70's trying to raise a family and lead a normal life. Towards the end of the movie, his character becomes a tragic, tortured man who seems to have just given up on life in general.

Best Actress

Will win: Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line. Great biopic about Johnny Cash's life, focusing on his relationship with June Carter, played brilliantly by Witherspoon. My only gripe with her receiving this award is that she just isn't the Best Actress this year.

Should Win: Felicity Huffman, Transamerica. Any time a mildly attractive woman can gross me out by convincing me she is really a man, she deserves to win the Best Actress award. Huffman did such an amazing job at being a transexual, that I will forever have a hard time believing she is not a man, and this is the same woman who is considered one of the "Desperate Housewives".

Dark Horse: Keira Knightley, Pride and Prejudice. Seriously......Great actress. The fact that I enjoyed a movie based on a Jane Austin book simply because of one woman's performance says everything. I say this will all seriousness, Knightley is not only an incredibly beautiful woman, but it turns out she's a pretty good actress too. Who would have thought?

Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain. While he did do a good job, I just feel that he was overshadowed by Ledger, and that there are other actors nominated that, to me, gave a better performance.

Should Win: Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man. How this movie did so poorly I will never know. A moving and thrilling biopic (another one) about boxer Jim Braddock, went from pretty good to great due to Giamatti's performance as Braddock best friend and promoter Joe Gould. Plus, he got robbed last year.

Dark Horse: William Hurt, A History of Violence. Hurt is only in the movie for about five minutes, and those are the best five minutes in the movie. Playing the sleazy crime boss brother of Viggo Mortensen, he makes the most of his time on the screen.

Best Supporting Actress

Will Win: Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain. Once again, I think that Brokeback will claim this award strictly due to the hype. Williams is good as Ledger's wife who discovers his little secret, but she is not Oscar worthy. Unlike Hurt, she doesn't make that much of an impact with her screen time.

Should Win: Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener. A star turning performance for Weisz. At the beginning of the film, you despise her character but by the end you are enthralled. Fantastic job.

Dark Horse: Frances McDormand, North Country. I really don't have a dark horse in this category, but I'll give it to McDormand because of her admirable job in a decent movie about women in the 80's struggling against sexism in a predominately man's job.

Best Director

Will win: Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain. Lee once again dazzles with the story that he tells and the epic scenery of Wyoming masterfully brought to the screen. Probably deserves this award, but......

Should win: Paul Haggis, Crash. There were several scenes in the movie where your adrenaline is pumping and you're absolutely glued to the screen. While Matt Dillon's character is attempting to pull Thandie Newton out of a burning car and she realizes that he is the same man who molested her the night before, and Michael Pena's daughter running out to protect him from getting shot are two of the most exhilarating scenes which I have seen in quite some time.

Dark Horse: George Clooney, Good Night and Good Luck. Clooney's stylish black and white film about Edward Murrow and his confrontation with Joseph McCarthy during the 50's when McCarthy was "hunting" communists is more than deserving for 5-6 awards. I believe Clooney deserves most of the credit for this one being that he wrote, directed, and co-stared.

Now, I don't have too much time to write, so I'll just give two more of my personal picks without giving favorites or dark horses.

Best Original Screenplay

Match Point. I have already wrote my high opinion of this movie and the originality of the story as well as it's links to Crime and Punishment.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Constant Gardener. underrated movie that will be overshadowed by Brokeback Mountain which will most definitely take this award.

I wish that I could write about the rest of the categories and movies, but I think I've already done quite a bit, so maybe next year.

Woody and Dostoyevsky

2006-02-24T10:20:00.000+09:00

First, I'm sure that everyone has seen on the news about "The Biggest Robbery in the History of Great Britain" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4742972.stm. My question is, how long do you think until either Guy Ritchie or Michael Mann makes a movie about this? Over or under five years?

I have been fortunate enough to be able to still watch movies here in Palau, albeit they are bootlegs, they are all still only 2$ to rent. I have also seen the majority of the movies nominated for some award or another this year, but I can say that one of my favorites was not only the biggest surprise, but also one that has received very little acclaim. My good friend and fellow blogger (www.wecanmakeithappen.blogspot.com) recommended this film to me and at first I scoffed, because quite simply, I have never seen a Woody Allen movie which I like, although I have not seen his early, "classic" films. I rented Match Point with the expectation that I would have going into see Hollywood Ending or Small Time Crooks. Instead, I ended up watching an extremely unfunny, psychological story revolving around love, obsession, greed and an uncanny resemblance to Fyodor Dostoyevsky classic novel "Crime and Punishment". I know that it is extremely unoriginal to say this, but "Crime and Punishment" is one of my favorite novels, and the fact that everyone says that is a testament to the book's greatness. If you have never read it, you should. Match Point stars the Jude Law-esque John Rhys Meyers and the voluptuous Scarlett Johansson (is it possible for her to get hotter with every movie she is in?). Johansson has had an impact on Hollywood since her eye catching introduction in the opening scene of Lost in Translation and has continued to amaze. During the first three quarters of this film, I couldn't figure out what the point was, it just didn't seem to be going anywhere. When it did finally go somewhere, it was directly out of several pages in "Crime and Punishment" (which Rhys Meyers is reading at the beginning of the film) and left me guessing that it would end in the same manner as the book. That was when Woody Allen put his stamp on this film, and leaves the audience fuming in shock and surprise. If I could recommend one film, purely based on cast and original story, it would be Match Point, although I know many people will hate it, I just truly believe that it hits it's mark perfectly.

As I previously mentioned, I have watched A TON of movies and this may be the first year where I have seen almost every film that has been nominated in the major categories of this years Academy Awards, with a few exceptions. I would like to think that I am a tolerant man and not in any way shape or form prejudice against any people. After saying that I have to admit that I am not particularly keen on watching Brokeback Mountain, not because I'm a homophobe, I just don't want to see two men have sex. I realize the contradiction of that statement, but give me a break, I'm working on it. I am also excited to make my own picks on who I think should win the 6 major awards; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, so I am going to ignore my pride and prejudice (no pun intended) and watch ALL movies nominated. Keep reading.....

One Man's Terrorist....

2006-02-14T15:00:00.000+09:00

What's the difference between a terrorist and a revolutionary? A freedom fighter and a murderer? Is it a fine line or an obvious detail? I am currently reading John Lee Anderson's fantastic biography "Che", about the life and times of the charismatic communist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Recently, the movie "The Motorcycle Diaries" has brought about a renewed interest regarding one of the most romanticized men of the last fifty years, enough so that a new film staring Benicio Del Toro and directed by Steven Soderbergh is now in production based on his life. His face is also plastered on t-shirts all over the world, even here in Palau. My question is why has this man become such an icon to generations of people, especially Americans? Everything that he believed in was caked in hatred for the American way of life and he spent most of his life trying to destroy the capitalism and democracy that has become the staple for American society. So why are teenagers all over the country wearing t-shirts with his face on them? Do they even know what the man stood for, or is it simply as a rebellious act against parents and "the man". Do you think, knowing his ideas, that he would have approved of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers and on the Pentagon? During the Cuban missile crisis, Che was quoted as admitting that if it were up to him, he would have fired missiles directly at the United States. Do you think he would approve of suicide bombings? Now tell me, do you believe Osama Bin Laden to be a revolutionary? Do you believe him to be a freedom fighter? What makes them different? One was fighting for political freedom and the other for religious, and both fought the common enemy they believed to be the imperialist empire of the United States of America. Yet one is an icon and the other is the most hated man on the planet. Am I missing something?
I recently watched the Steven Spielberg movie "Munich", which is a fictional (supposedly based on facts) story involving the secret service of Israel launching a series of assassinations against the people they believe were responsible for the murder of athletes during the Olympics in Munich 1972. It was a good movie and I would like to think that Spielberg's main goal was showing that vengeance can often come at the expense of one's own morality, and that sometimes it creates a cycle of death that only gets bigger as time goes on. In the closing shot of the film, Eric Bana and Geoffrey Rush meet in a Brooklyn park to discuss the morally frazzled Bana's return to Israel as he demands the reasoning for contributing to so much death. The background for this scene is the World Trade Centers.
I hate to use this site as a soapbox for my own beliefs so I have chosen not to voice them in particular, just to simply ask the questions that I think everyone (especially Americans) need to ask. Have we, as a country, become an imperialist nation? Do we continue to help create more terrorists/revolutionaries every day? What is the cornerstone for our own policies, idealism or economic gain? Or neither? What makes us so right and everyone else so wrong? Howard Zinn is very famous for stating the FACT that history is written by the winners, I wonder what they will say about my lifetime. I wonder who will win, if anyone. Violence begets violence and blood begets more blood, to what end? I watch the news everyday about the Iranian nuclear "crisis", the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the continuation of more executive power for an administration that either has too much or not enough. All of these things make me afraid for the future, and even more afraid to see children grow up in it.

Kayangel

2006-02-13T14:52:00.001+09:00

Ngirkungiil sleeping by the beach(below)
Saying goodbye to Kemesong (above)
The view from my hammock(below)

Welcome to Kayangel State(left)

This weekend, myself and two other volunteers traveled by boat to the Northern Palauan island of Kayangel to visit the PCV living up there, Kemesong. There was a party on Saturday night and none of us could pass up a delicious Palauan feast. After spending the day lounging in hammocks near Kemesong's house, we spent the evening eating and dancing. Well actually, they danced, I drank and ate since I'm not much of a dancer. It was my first time visiting this island and I cannot wait to return to a more traditional way of Palauan life, isolated as it may be.

Kayangel

2006-02-13T14:52:00.000+09:00

Hate to Love 'em

2006-01-27T15:06:00.000+09:00

This is my 3rd Period English Class taking their Friday quiz on adverbs. Since my classroom was burnt down last week I'm forced to use the home ec. class, which is why there is an oven in the background.

The Super Bowl and Kobe's 81

2006-01-24T15:25:00.000+09:00

To start, you know things are bad when Canada goes Conservative; http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/international/americas/24canada.html?hp&ex=1138165200&en=01040e32f782a592&ei=5094&partner=homepage

But the Canadian people don't seem to think it will make a difference; http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4622030.stm

AFC Championship
I was lucky enough to catch the AFC Championship replayed last night and was pleasantly surprised with the ascension of Ben Roethlisberger. However, he is still extremely overhyped. I am impressed at the maturity and decision making skills which he possess' at the ripe old age of 23. Also, the last time I watched him play was in January of last year where he looked every bit his age and it verified to me my initial suspicion that perhaps Big Ben was overrated. Last night, and apparently all season, Roethlisberger has proved me very wrong. Unfortunately, before the game was televised I checked the internet and read the heaps of praise thrown at the Steelers and particularly Roethlisberger whom respected sportswriters like Len Pasquarelli and Jon Clayton wrote was the second coming of Joe Montana. By the time the game came on, I was expecting the Steelers to steamroll the poor unsuspecting Broncos. Obviously, I was pleasantly surprised when Denver made a little run in the fourth quarter but ultimately were one Jake Plummer turnover away from heading to Detroit for Super Bowl 40. I have to say that this game was much closer than many people led me to believe. For one thing, Big Ben threw three balls that should have been picked off, two on the first drive of the game, and the last was the touchdown in the back of the endzone by Hines Ward. Although the Steelers played a great game, the credit should go to the coaches and their phenomenal offensive and defensive playcalling. Offensively, Pittsburgh looked more like a passing team then the power running team of the last decade. Defensively, they managed to force Plummer into throwing two picks and fumbling twice. Granted, one of those picks was one of the worst decisions I have ever seen in a championship game, he was forced into it by a stellar defense who just wanted it that much more. The collection of blitzs and coverages forced one of the best running teams to turn into a passing team, and as good as Plummer is, let's not forget that he was an Arizona Cardinal. Now we have two weeks of media overexposure, gossip and trash talk. We can only hope that Super Bowl 40 will live up to the expectations sure to be put on it.

Kobe's 81 points
Let me just state right off the bat, I despise Kobe Bryant as a teammate, player and human being. Now that I've said that, I have to agree that his 81 points is the most incredible scoring performance of my lifetime. I was not around to see Wilt, so I have no idea what he was like scoring 100, but he was also a head above the rest, literally. Kobe had 81 points and more amazingly, shot over 60%, went 7-13 from beyond and 18-20 from the line. How could the Raptors not eventually stop covering everyone else on the Lakers? Kobe took 46 shots, the rest of the Lakers only took 42. Now, I cannot overstate enough that I am truly amazed and impressed by this performance, but I also savor the chance to voice my opinion. Kobe Bryant is an amazing scorer, but he is a horrendous teammate. Keep in mind they were playing the RAPTORS! Have you seen the Lakers play this year? It seems to me that not a single one of Kobe's teammates want to be on the court when he is. I'm sure they're all happy when they win, but does this make the Lakers contender? Absolutely not. The difference between a great scorer and a great player is that the great player makes all of the players around him better. Does Kobe make Lamar Odom a better player? Lamar has the skill to be a consistent triple-double threat. While Kobe was scoring 81 Lamar shot the ball 7 times, had 10 boards and 7 assists. Worse is that he just doesn't look like he wants to be there and openly dislikes playing with Kobe (although he retracts that now, it's obvious). If I were a betting man, I would put good money that Kobe Bryant will NEVER win another championship, every time he takes the floor it's five-on-one. He can score as much as he wants, but eventually someone else will have to too.

Some Pics...

2006-01-23T15:55:00.000+09:00

Palau High School
State Boat to Angaur
My Classroom
Belau National Museum
November 11th at our swear in ceremony

A slight disclaimer about the picture of my classroom, last night someone set fire to the Palauan Studies Department main office which is directly below my office and classroom. Because of the fire we didn't have class today which is why I have so much time to post.

"Musa" and "The Matador"

2006-01-23T14:56:00.000+09:00

I managed to watch a few different movies this week, and both left a lasting impression so thought I would give my meager opinion.

"The Matador"
First of all I would like to state the fact that I am not a fan of Greg Kinnear. For some reason the man just irritates me. I'm not saying that his movies are bad, I just don't particularly care for his brand of acting. Pierce Brosnan on the other hand, is consistently typecast as a repeat version of Remington Steele. Whether it's Remington Steele, James Bond, or Thomas Crowne, Brosnan is smooth, slick and charming. In "The Matador", Brosnan is a slimy, degenerate hitman who enjoys flirting with teenagers. It is unlike any previous Brosnan incarnations and is a character which you must hate to love. Brosnan's character "Julian Noble", is a middle-aged hitman who finishes a job in Mexico City when he runs into Kinnear's down on his luck businessman. The two immediately forge a bizarre friendship based completely on Noble's realization that he is completely alone. Fast forward a few years and Noble is having a nervous breakdown and needs the help of his old friend. This is certainly an original tale and unlike many movies which I personally have seen, and is worth seeing if only for Brosnan's off kilter Julian Noble. On sheer entertainment value, it is worthwhile to watch. It's not going to win any awards and I would rank it as slightly above average. Online reviews: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0365485/; http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10004925-matador/

"Musa"
This Korean film was recommended to me by a friend who has just returned from Bali, Indonesia. He bought about 50 DVD's from one of the local stores where pirated movies are sold for one dollar a film. My buddy saw "Musa" and that it was staring Ziyi Zhang of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero", read the back, and concluded that it was worth one dollar to purchase. After watching it, he heaped such praise that I was extremely wary. Although it comes in around 2 and 1/2 hours, this epic film has some of the most exciting battle scenes which I have seen since "Gladiator" or "Braveheart". For mainstream movie goers, it might seem a little too foreign and the subtitles can be frustrating, but by the end of the movie you will be satisfied. The story revolves around a group of Korean envoys who are exiled from China by the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century. After accidentally being freed by a group of Mongolians at war with the Mings, the Koreans rescue a kidnapped Ming princess from the Mongolians and desperately race to give her to the Mings and return to their homeland of Kyoto (Korea). Fans of epic movies and action films will love this film and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to escape for a few hours. If your looking for another opinion check imdb; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0275083/.

It's been raining for three days....

2006-01-23T11:37:00.000+09:00

Life in Palau can get monotonous at times, but only when it's not frustrating. Living with a family and having an almost non-existent income can restrict your leisure time immensely. Being that it is the end of the month and it has been raining for a few days straight, I have been getting restless and felt the urge to break the tedium. Myself and two friends decided that we should call a cab and head down to a bar which we frequent. I hadn't been down there since before New Years and was eager to drink and socialize. Luckily, there was plenty to drink, unluckily, we were the only people there. I have been in Palau now for four months and I have never seen it rain that hard for an extended period of time, it was morale crushing. After a few local brews, it was decided by the Filipino bartender that we should play cards. To give a quick background of the bartender, she is married to the owner, speaks very broken English, and has a new found fetish for playing poker poorly. Since there were only five of us, we pulled out a deck of cards and some poker chips, ordered a round of Jack Daniels shots and got started. Dealer picked the game, which ranged from Omaha to Mexican Sweat (a new one for me). The bartender, whom shall remain nameless, brought the bottle of Jack for casual shots, which of course I assumed she was paying for since it was always her idea. After about an hour, I was up a few dollars and getting pretty drunk. Drunk enough that my patience was wearing thin and I started betting bigger. The bartender had now busted twice and perpetually asked questions on how to play while pouring shot after shot. The next thing I knew it was 3:30 in the morning, I lost all my cash on poker to the bartender, had a $70 bar tab, and could barely stand. While I certainly regret losing all my money, and I will NEVER trust that woman again, I can honestly say with a sigh......man, I needed that.
I thought I should end the post with this appropriate gem of a quote:

"When you know him as well as I do, you can call him John."
-Al Pacino, Scent of a Woman, referring to Jack Daniels

Selfish Nature

2006-01-20T15:16:00.000+09:00

First of all, I have to emphasize immediately to anyone who would read this blog that it is entirely selfish. I created this for my own amusement and to give me a way to express my thoughts, feelings and ideas, as well as casually throw in a picture for my family and friends back in the states who might be curious as to what exactly I do here. Also, I have always loved to write but never really took it seriously enough to put a significant amount of time into it and now I have a great deal of time, although not much of it is actually a significant amount. I plan to post when things that peak my interest come to my attention, for example; movie and book reviews, comments on sports, particularly my favorite Philly sports teams, political views and whatever else strikes my fancy. I certainly hope that some things might appeal to other people, but that is not my main goal. I am currently living in the Republic of Palau and teaching at their only public high school. Palau is located within Micronesia and became an independent nation on October 1st 1994. I have been in this country since October 1st of 2005. For some more information check these two sites http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/2693697.stm; http://www.palaunet.com/History.asp; http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ps.html. For those who watch a decent amount of television, Palau's Rock Islands were the home to CBS "Survivor" a few years back. I currently work at the Belau National Museum and teach english at Palau High School, which is the only public high school in Palau.