To fan or not to fan-

-should never be a question in Kosrae. It is neither the howling puppy, nor the howling karaoke that commences upstairs. The single greatest complaint from the visitors who frequent our apartment is that our place is a human oven. That is true. Mackenzie’s and my place rivals a furnace.

Recently, Mack finally got on the ball and bought a fan. Sure, we had to duck tape it to keep it intact, but that’s normal in Kosrae, and a fan is a fan. I on the other hand, have been (irresponsibly) avoiding the logistical complexities of transporting a fan on a bike. We’ve rehearsed it, but the one handed lopsided bike ride sounds, and looks, so un-fun.

But like the grasshopper that played all summer, here I am, sans fan in the early A.M heat wave; while the roommate is sleeping with a light breeze. Normally, the heat is bearable; a winter when compared to a Cambodian summer. Cambodia however, did not have a puppy or karaoke within the vicinity of my living quarters. When heat is combined with howling coming from either source (in tonight’s case, karaoke to Clapton), it makes for a sleepless night. I think it’s another night on the (slightly cooler)couch for me. Tomorrow, booking it to Ace to buy the last fan there.

At this point, life in Kosrae has in a way, transitioned to level two. We’ve secured the fort: mental energy is no longer needed to grasp the basics of survival on this island. We know which rain catchments are safe for drinking, we’ve learned some practical easy high energy foods (like peanut butter and rice), become familiarized with the 2 or 3 stores and 2 or 3 restaurants, started some semblance of a teaching schedule, and relearned (very quickly) the merits of sun block and mosquito repellent. The question now is: what next? Some volunteers have begun to divert their attention elsewhere, like taking time to learning the fishing ways of the locals and successfully beginning to catch their own seafood. Some have taken up diving courses, while others (myself included) have grown fond of the ukulele, a popular instrument played here.

I can’t speak for others, but my days in Kosrae have been filled with activities that have been very restful. Even teaching is restful and therapeutic in a strange way. Ironically, all this restfulness is making me restless. Now that the fort has been secured, the question of what next? What next?- has been growing. For the first time, I am actually craving a math problem or two.