On the Hill

Miko started his freshman year at Xavier High School, fondly dubbed "The Hill" by the students. It's a co-ed school, but a boarding school for the boys only. As a freshman, the boys have a probationary period where they are required to stay on The Hill every night for the first two months of school. After that, if their grades make the cut and they've been on good behavior, they are allowed to stay with their families or sponsors on weekends. As school had started only a month ago, Miko hadn't been seen off the hill since his first night there. So it was up to us to go see him.

The drive is a challenge, especially if you don't have four-wheeled drive. It's not dubbed "The Hill" because of gently rolling mounds. It's an aggressive climb through water cut ravines, slippery rock, and silty mud. Okay, okay, so there aren't ravines. But if you had a sedan they might as well be crevasses!

I remember being in high school. The last thing I wanted was my parents, my aunts, and little cousins around me when I was trying to make a "cool" impression on my new friends.

Not so with Miko. I'd like to think that he enjoyed having his fan base visit him every week. We brought ice cream, rice, and bacon. And this time, his mama finally brought him a cell phone! You'd think he'd be gushing all over the adults for all the presents. No; he sought out his cousin MJ...

Afterall, they'd been close since MJ first came to Truk. Hot dog! It's amazing how time flies.

They used to fight over Legos and Tonka trucks, then they had some serious boy talks about being boys, and now, who knows what they discuss. Adults are no longer privy to their private conversations. They'll acknowledge you only when you yell, and yell, and yell at them to look at you for the shot.

We got to meet Miko's extended "cousins". This handsome young man is Tujay. Tujay calls PaB "Uncle B", and MaK "Auntie K", therefore he and Miko are cousins.

This is Tujay's younger brother. What's his name? Oh my, the name escapes me. What is his name! At any rate, this is "Cousin" What's His Name, who also calls PaB "Uncle B", and MaK "Auntie K".

And Miko's new dog. Well, he's the school's dog. Her name is Amairu, which means "to surprise" or "startle" in Trukese.

At the end of our visit Miko walks off to his dormitory. We watch him walk away, thinking "my oh my, the little boy is becoming a young man. He lends his shirts to his boarding mates, he rallies with them when they work on chores, and he shares the water with them from the same cup. But one thing his mother told him never, ever do is to share his toothbrush. "NEH-VUR, EH-VUR share your toothbrush!" she reiterates.

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September Labor Day Birthday Party

I know several people whose birthdays are in September. Recently I've decided that September is a good birth month for several reasons:

1. It's a good excuse for a party to end the summer. 
2. It's still warm enough (if you live in the Pacific Northwest) to have a summer party. 
3. If it falls around Labor Day weekend, then you have an extra day to celebrate. Or recover, depending on how you party. Now, now! I don't mean from a hangover; I meant from the post-party clean up, what with all the barbecuing and all... Oh, what's the difference between "cleaning up" and a hangover! Fine! 
4. The dress code would be very comfortable shorts and tank tops.

 I know one woman who throws a very entertaining and  interactive party, and if you're not related to this woman, you might think her choice of party props to be a tad "out of season". This woman happens to be married to a kind and loving man who offered his abode for a September Labor Day birthday party.

Easter candles in September. As I said, "out of season."

Those Guamanians sure know how to throw a September Labor Day birthday party!


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