Eclipse in the Pacific

This week marked a rare total eclipse of the sun for parts of the Eastern Hemisphere. The path of totality took the moon’s shadow through parts of China and India, and then out into the Pacific, where the path arced to the south. Totality didn’t extend to Yap, unfortunately, but the moon’s shadow still obscured about half of the sun in these parts. We came home at lunch to see what we could see. Without specialized equipment such as welder’s glasses, a pinhole camera is the best way to indirectly observe an eclipse.

Here’s Matt in action, reflecting the sunlight shining through our pinhole camera onto the wall of our house.

And a closeup view of the eclipse’s reflection at its maximum.

We would have loved to have been in the path of totality, but that’s a pretty rare occurrence. After all, the earth won’t see another total eclipse of this duration for more than a century.

Sunday was KC’s birthday (29! Again!), and we celebrated with a trip to a beach owned by Matt’s colleague, Jonathan. Jonathan is a bit shy of the camera. Here he is with KC.

Jonathan’s beach is beautiful, and we took a tour on a sea kayak at low tide. Pockets of coral are numerous and shallow enough that you have to be careful of where you put your paddle. From out in the lagoon, the shoreline all looks the same, so when we were finished paddling we accidentally took a tour of some of the neighboring beaches before finally finding our way home in a gentle rain shower. Although the showers got us wet, they also brought us this beautiful rainbow.

We wrapped up the day by feasting on grilled fresh tuna, while having the local mosquito population feast on any skin that we had left exposed. All in all, a nice birthday here in paradise.

Law Day in Chuuk

KC went to Chuuk last week for two reasons: to assist the FSM Supreme Court with appellate oral arguments, and to sit as a judge for FSM Law Day. Law Day is an American invention, observed on May 1 in the States. Founded in the depths of the Cold War by President Eisenhower, Law Day's goal reflects Eisenhower's observation that "the world no longer has a choice between force and law. If civilization is to survive it must choose the rule of law.” Legal communities also utilize Law Day as an outreach opportunity, teaching youth about the law and liberty. (Ambulance-chasing lessons are not a standard part of the curriculum. This is particularly true in Chuuk where, as we have seen, ambulances and any lawyer chase vehicles both run a severe risk of being swallowed by potholes.)

FSM’s Law Day is a Supreme Court sponsored program in which high school students from each of the four states debate issues that are determined to be of national significance. It's a big deal here; the arguments were broadcast live on the radio nationwide, and the winning teams received scholarship funds for college.

KC found the students’ arguments to be well researched and organized. Most of the students were confident and delivered their points with authority. However, after stepping down from the podium the students were -- as culture might dictate -- soft spoken, reserved and respectful. KC enjoyed sitting down to discuss the students' arguments and share a coconut.

The dignitaries were just as extraordinary. They were swept away with pride and encouragement for all of participants. The Chief Justice in particular -- who has only an eleventh grade education -- was engaging, related to the students through humor and stressed upon them that they are the future leaders of FSM. Throughout the week KC continued to be moved by the Chief Justice, who is also quiet and reserved, but smart, intuitive and hysterically funny. She feels blessed to be a part of such a historical event for FSM.

KC Keeps on Trukin'

KC spent the last week in Chuuk, the FSM state adjacent to Yap. Of course, “adjacent” is a relative term in the endless Pacific. Chuuk is 500 miles away on the map, and as far as the culture is concerned may as well be on a different planet. Cultural differences notwithstanding, Chuuk has the advantage of a stunning location and fascinating history.

The Japanese had a major base here during the Second World War; most of the Japanese Second Fleet resides at the bottom of the lagoon, victim of a 1944 bombing raid second in scope only to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

KC didn’t go for the diving, though. She was there for oral arguments and to sit as a judge for FSM Law Day, where high school students from each of the FSM’s four states debated a (hypothetical) proposal to ban the importation of unhealthful (but popular) foods such as turkey tail, Spam, and canned corned beef. Ramen noodles also made the list, much to the chagrin of college students worldwide.

The Lonely Planet describes Chuuk as “rough around the edges,” and having experienced the island, KC agrees wholeheartedly. Despite the beautiful setting, Chuuk has problems with overpopulation, poverty, corruption, and widespread unemployment. We thought the roads here were bad, but it may have been that we just didn’t have anything worse to compare them to. Well, no more. Here’s one of the better sections of the main road, replete with puddles big enough to have their own tides. Navigating this stretch on several occasions taught KC to avoid this particular pothole, which drops most of the way to China at its deepest point (and yes, we realize that we are already halfway to China, but thank you for noticing).

Chuuk’s grittiness does have its drawbacks, but it also makes for an interesting cultural experience. Government and commerce is centered on the island of Weno, an arrangement that gives commuting a different flavor.

There are more outdoor markets than in Yap, and the shopping is better in general.

Over the weekend, KC went kayaking and snorkeling. The water was warm and, in parts, wonderfully clear.

The snorkeling was great, too, but we’ll have to wait awhile for pictures since they were taken with a (gasp!) film camera.

Law Day was a surprisingly big deal, attended by the FSM legislative speaker, the FSM Chief Justice, and an assortment of other dignitaries. KC was impressed by the students’ arguments. Kosrae’s all-female team took the prize, convincing KC that she should never cook deep-fried turkey tail again. We'll post additional photos as they are developed. Thanks for reading.

Stay Tuned...

This week KC is in Chuuk, one of the FSM's other states, for work and to act as a judge for law day on Monday, July 13.

Matt spent most of this past week staring longingly into the refrigerator and the oven, wondering why they seem to have stopped producing tasty food in such prodigious quantities.

KC will be back on Tuesday night with lots of pictures and stories, so please visit again soon for a rare mid-week installment!

Independence Day

We celebrated July 4 at the beach this year with a barbeque and a dip in the big blue pool.