Hey mom!! You are awesome and I love you!!
Sounds like you had a pretty good week!! I still haven't got your package yet, but I have got letters!! Thank you for that it was awesome to read!! I don't get that many letters now especially because I am in town and can write emails and I am just faster at doing that! So I will try and respond to the letters too! Its difficult! But challenge accepted :) Thats good that you got to go out to eat with the whole family! [We all went out to The Tavern and then went to Rainbow Yogurt - it was really fun!] I can't really remember the last time we all got to eat with literally everyone.... years ago.... and years to come!! But it will happen someday :) and we will probably fight and make you mad like we usually do and you will love every second of it!! I know it!
This week was good. The languge is flowing. I can't believe how much I am learning and being able to understand. I feel like I understand about 80 percent of everyone right now and some people 100%. And in lessons, no question, I know what's going on just because I'm forced to. It's nice not being am to rely on anyone. I have to do it myself and I love it. I'm gonna be one of the better speakers soon. I really try and mimic what people say and really try and speak with their accent. It's difficult to not sound like a silly white kid but I try my best. Its harder because its not a white person language.... czech and swedish are white person languages.... so yeah they are difficult, but you can mimic pretty well. Elder Duiriba is the man!! He is a little quiet but I just make him talk and laugh and we have a good time!! Its cool to see him grow and learn new words and stuff! Fijian elders I swear learn this language the fastest!! And they are islanders so they can just have really good accents and its sweet!! We both love volleyball. He bought a v-ball so we play a bit and pass and work on technique. He is sooo good and I'm the best too so its fun to play together!! and its fun to school some kids during the day :) [Humble, huh? :)]
Questions from Grandma this week:
1. What kind of jobs do they have out there? What do people do for a living? Most people work as fisherman or coconut oil manufactering. And the other 80% of the people do other things. But there are stores and shops that many people work at, a few restaurants and some government jobs that people do too. I swear every place here in the Marshall Islands has security.... why? I have no idea... there is nothing to steal and there is nothing to keep secure.... like if you steal car.... where could you possibly go? haha Marshallese people...
2. Do many women have jobs? Many women make crafts and stuff like that and they sell them to companies that sell them to tourists. Many women work s small little shops. Just depends.. And if you want good paying job, just know English... hha thats the trick
3. Do the kids go to school like us? Do they go to college, want to go? Yes all kids go to school. They all attend elementry through high school. Mostly everyone knows some basic English and can understand, but will never speak it and never let you know that they know it haha but I just speak to them in Marshallese. Its easier.. I haven't forgot my native language... but it does feel weird trying to start conversations up with people in English.... like really weird... talking to white people is weird and seeing groups of them is just mind blowing.... going home to white people will be weird.... especially in the middle of winter when you all look like ghosts..... haha and yes people go to college. I live on the College of the Marshall Islands campus actually!! And I am emailing you from their campus library! haha pretty neat! Its about the equialvent of a community college there...
4. Do they have banks? Yes they have two banks. They don't work alot of the time,but they are aided by the states so they aren't too bad. Alot of the time the atm's dont have money in them.... haha thats annoying.... but they work and help little bit... debit cards and credit cards can only be used at like 2-3 places on the island.
5. Do they have grocery stores or markets/ clothing stores like us? They have ALOT of American groceries I was very surprised! Because I didn't know that for my first 5 months I was here! They have two American grocery stores and I love it haha you can pretty much get anything you want there its just expensive... America helps the Marshall Islands quite a bit becuase they are protectors and in free association... and they kinda have American clothing but not really anyone wears it except for the white people here....
6. How far away is the hospital? It's about a mile away from us.
7. How did the house turn out that you helped build? Was it the garage or the house? It was pretty decent. I would have done it a little differently but they were the ones in charge. It was an extension of the house. It was about 15 feet by 15 feet.... I had to build they roof too.... what the heck..... I know nothing about that stuff, but it turned out pretty well. I have pics of it that I will send home soon!! Fun experience!
8. Were they happy with how you did it? It was ebwe... or decent as you white people would say it... haha I definitely am not made out for carpentry but I like helping out and doing that stuff!!
2. Do many women have jobs? Many women make crafts and stuff like that and they sell them to companies that sell them to tourists. Many women work s small little shops. Just depends.. And if you want good paying job, just know English... hha thats the trick
3. Do the kids go to school like us? Do they go to college, want to go? Yes all kids go to school. They all attend elementry through high school. Mostly everyone knows some basic English and can understand, but will never speak it and never let you know that they know it haha but I just speak to them in Marshallese. Its easier.. I haven't forgot my native language... but it does feel weird trying to start conversations up with people in English.... like really weird... talking to white people is weird and seeing groups of them is just mind blowing.... going home to white people will be weird.... especially in the middle of winter when you all look like ghosts..... haha and yes people go to college. I live on the College of the Marshall Islands campus actually!! And I am emailing you from their campus library! haha pretty neat! Its about the equialvent of a community college there...
4. Do they have banks? Yes they have two banks. They don't work alot of the time,but they are aided by the states so they aren't too bad. Alot of the time the atm's dont have money in them.... haha thats annoying.... but they work and help little bit... debit cards and credit cards can only be used at like 2-3 places on the island.
5. Do they have grocery stores or markets/ clothing stores like us? They have ALOT of American groceries I was very surprised! Because I didn't know that for my first 5 months I was here! They have two American grocery stores and I love it haha you can pretty much get anything you want there its just expensive... America helps the Marshall Islands quite a bit becuase they are protectors and in free association... and they kinda have American clothing but not really anyone wears it except for the white people here....
6. How far away is the hospital? It's about a mile away from us.
7. How did the house turn out that you helped build? Was it the garage or the house? It was pretty decent. I would have done it a little differently but they were the ones in charge. It was an extension of the house. It was about 15 feet by 15 feet.... I had to build they roof too.... what the heck..... I know nothing about that stuff, but it turned out pretty well. I have pics of it that I will send home soon!! Fun experience!
8. Were they happy with how you did it? It was ebwe... or decent as you white people would say it... haha I definitely am not made out for carpentry but I like helping out and doing that stuff!!
9. Are there very many rich people out there? The lords of the island, or the kings are the rich people. They get money from the states because of the bombings from Bikini Atoll and ww2 stuff. They are the ones with the 300c's and the Mercedes and the Denalis. I actually study with one of the family members of the iroijs (kings) and they know perfect English! I got to get a tour of his yacht! Boy that was legit.... 53 feet and a couple million dollars... what the heckk... and 99% of the people here make about $5,000 a year for their family.... so no. not much money.... minimum wage here is $2 an hour
10. Who loves Grandma? MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
So... hope you enjoyed the question and answer session with Elder Ingalls :) Tell Conner he better be taking care of my longboard or he is going to have to buy me a new one!! and they are expensive little boy! haha hope everyone is doing well. days are turning into weeks for me.... you know what the next thing is... weeks turning into months... I'm scared for when that happens.... but its good. I love it here. I miss home a bit, but I got soma good people here taking care of me. I know this is where I need to be right now. I'll be home soon. I just gotta quit counting and start working :) love you guys
and to my friends - some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are determined too. How determined are you guys? Do like Dallin.
Love you mom!
Love you fam!
Love you friends!
But I mostly I love my mom!
Elder Ingalls the 4th (but probably the greatest)
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