June 21...maybe...

Monday....

Only 4 showed up for ultimate tonight.  A low turnout was expected, but only 4?  Then someone reminded me the Indonesian guys that have the ship in the harbor are playin soccer at the High School soccer field tonight with whatever Kwaj could throw at them.  I was going to go watch, but we were chuckin the Frisbee back and forth so much for so long I kind of gave up on it.  Their match started at 5:30 and we were done shortly after, but I was still heading back to "man camp".  Then I ran across a couple of the Indonesians, one was jogging and the other on a bicycle.  I asked them why they weren't playing soccer and they said they were heading to the game.  Someone wasn't up to speed on the location of the game, and that someone gave these two bad directions, they were heading to the downtown soccer field and not the High School soccer field, so I told them I would show them.  The one guy jogging didn't really say much. He was kind of busy jogging.  The guy on the nice road bike "Trek", with nice road tires and frame spoke great English.  I mentioned to them how they would probably kill the Kwaj team because they have been on that boat so long and are needing to run.  They replied "no we are fasting for the month".  I didn't know it was Ramadan.  They were in their early twenties, I'm fairly certain they were afraid of our overqualified (not) soccer team and offering excuses early on.  Short, lean, young,  tanned skin, more Asian in looks than the Marshallese and slightly lighter skinned.  When we arrived at the high school soccer field I asked them if they wanted some water.  I didn't know their fast included liquids.  So these guys got thru the day since sun up in 88 degree humid heat without water or food and headed off to play soccer.  Great guys....it showed in their sportsmanship.  Muslims.  People (Amerkan) are just plain ignorant(and yes the word ignorant was chosen above stupid, because its lack of knowledge and experience not lack of intelligence that drives the....hmm ignorance. 

After seeing these guys, I wonder if the Marshallese didn't get up and sail both east and west.  You can see the Marshallese in the Indonesians and in the Hawaiin's ....it doesn't look like they made it to California though.

June 17, 2016....

So........never having lived outside of the county I grew up in stepping out of a plane into the hot humid air on Kwajalein was a unique experience.  There were people in Honolulu at the airport that I remembered their faces later after I knew their roles on the island.  Our project manager from San Juan Construction was coming back from "R and R", but he was just a face on the plane that I remembered later.  There were a few like that.  You see them a few weeks later on the island doing whatever, and remember their faces on the plane.  A few you kind of bond with because it's all so new.  There was one guy, tall, a bit older, quiet, but he had a hard hat attached to his back pack on the plane.  I assumed he was here for the same construction project I was.  I had no clue what exactly his role was when I saw him in the huge cafeteria.  He looked too smart to be just another construction worker, he was obviously leader of some steel workers deal I thought.  We stayed in the "Kwaj Lodge" for the first few or three months out here until the man camp deal got finished.  I passed Gary in the stairs a few times and saw him alone in the cafeteria always reading a book by himself while eating.  I could tell he was smart.  He was one of the first ones to show up to Frisbee after I got the people in power to advertise it on the "Roller".  Its one of the local TV stations that puts up local events for the island.  Gary always thru the Frisbee well.  He was the only one who used the "Dad" throw.  He kind of looked like a guy who might throw it old school.  He threw it well that way.  That part wasn't so impressive.  What was impressive about that guy, and I talk about him like he died, but he's only just leaving the island for better things, the impressive thing about Gary was that he had all the traits I aimed for in myself.  Sportsmanship is the main one.  I learned later and dealt with him a bit at work because he was our clients' Project Manager, that he carried himself the same calm unwaveringly solid way he did at Frisbee in spite of the ridiculousness of moments presented.  Thanks for the hug before you left Gary...you are a great guy!

June 15th, 2016

Wednesday....

I get  approached by people on island who have read this.  Most are very complimentary.  For the record, it was just a way to "remember this" experience.  I've not lived anywhere else but Ohio.  To go from that to a tiny island in the middle of the south pacific seemed like a huge deal to me at the time I started this.  It was a big deal.  It still is a big deal.  I'm completely addicted to the water and sunshine here.  Even though I've had the best life, coming out here has left me thinking how things would be if it happened sooner.  Maybe I should have thought or looked at what was possible earlier.  This little island is just a taste of what is possible.  Of course all that thinking back is wasted time, because, changing the past is impossible.  Who could know too, the beautiful life I've lived before this place, the great friends and family and other places visited would not be the great memories they are.  No regrets here, just some wondering thoughts. 

This was intended as a journal for me, a diary deal.  Even though "google" is a verb for me too, picturing it leading people here didn't really cross my mind but the possibility kept the writing in check.  It was also a way for my sisters to keep up with things down here, even though one of them looked at it like some sort of "invasion of privacy" with words like "you'll share it with the world before sharing it with me".   She's stubborn, she always will be, and I'll always love her regardless.  I love both of them, and it will always be returned.  I got lucky.

Here are some pictures ....cause ...well just cause..