ok ok ok photos

The occasion for this most recent four-day weekend is/are the "Kosrae games." It is like the Olympics, but way more important. Each village on the island competes at canoe racing, volleyball, baseball, basketball, and track & field. Wednesday night was the basketball final at the (only) gym, and at least half the island's population was in attendance. I couldn't tell if I was at a game or a concert; instead of (in addition to?) cheering by yelling and screaming, the fans cheer by singing, and everybody knows the songs, and everybody sings them very loudly, and it is so cool.

So here are some photos of the canoe races.

The Lelu team (my village!) against the backdrop of the Sleeping Lady (head on the right, sleeping on her back). The mountain silhouette gives the island its nickname.






















The girl who sat on my lap for about an hour. At the track meet yesterday, one of my students was walking around holding a baby. I was really impressed at how naturally and intimately he was holding it (this is a music student who spends most of class time wielding his ukulele like a machete); the baby half asleep on his shoulder, the student gently rocking it back and forth. "Who's that?" I asked him. "I don't know, just some baby who was looking at me like he wanted me to pick him up," he responded and then walked off.
That's pretty much how babies work around here.








A glamor shot and also a typical hairstyle.


















More children.





























My student who looks like Butchie!!


















And that is all for now.