Cash Power

August 18, 2009

“Cash power” as it is called, is a technology I had not seen before I came to the island.
Cash power can be described as the cross breeding of a parking meter with your utility meter.

To sum it up succinctly, cash power is a pay-in-advance system of purchasing electricity. One goes down to the utility company, tell them your name or account number, and hands over some money. In return, you walk away with a receipt that has a number code on it. When you go home, you enter the code into your keypad and the system adds the newly purchased kilowatt hours to the remaining balance.

The box in the picture sits on the wall of our kitchen. It has a display screen that shows how many kilowatt hours we have remaining. Every time one watt is used, a red light blinks. For the very curious or eco-concerned, the flashing red light provides an easy method to see how the usage changes when you plug in an appliance or turn on the stove. The cash power box also has a light that will display either in green, yellow, or red depending on the available kilowatt balance.

Our electrical usage has gone up in stages. When it was just me in the house with only a refrigerator, stove, fan, laptop, and a few light bulbs I used 2 or 3 kilowatts a day. Our shipment of household goods introduced a washing machine, a tv/dvd combo, radio/cd player, and other odds and ends to the electrical outlets scattered throughout the house. A dehumidifier purchased in Guam and a larger (and frost free) refrigerator to replace the small one I started with added a little more usage and we are now using around 5 kilowatts a day.

I spent many an Arizona summer and a few Oregon winters wondering how much a few extra degrees of comfort was costing me. Cash power takes the guesswork away. We are now able to track our usage as it occurs and there are no surprises when the bill comes at the end of the month. The kWH display screen works just as well for those on a carbon budget as it does for those on a monetary budget.

I’m sure the meter readers’ union doesn’t appreciate cash power as much as I do, but think of the business benefits. The utility company gets is money before it provides a service, doesn’t have to worry about late or non-payments, and doesn’t have the expense of reading meters and sending out bills.

On the macro-level, the island produces its electricity through the use of generators that convert diesel fuel into electricity. The residential rate is around 30 cents a kWH. I don't know if the utility corp has or is experimenting with bio-diesel or coconut oil as an alternative to straight diesel fuel.

The European Union has been funding projects to bring solar power to the small outer islands and atolls but I haven’t seen or heard of any large scale solar projects on the main island yet.

The lagoon

We have a nice view from the back balcony! It comes in handy.

As the season shifted from spring to summer the temperature didn't really change but the trade winds died off and now moisture stays in the air. We've gotten in the habit of hanging our towels outside under the covered area (naas its called locally)of the balcony. So each morning I walk outside to get a towel, come inside to shower, and then go back outside to hang it on the line.

While this sounds tedious, the view helps. The lagoon, protected by the reef, has no waves and the water sits tranquilly beneath the sky. The lagoon view keeps me company as I hang my towel and its a pleasant way to spend a few minutes each morning.

The concrete house absorbs heat during the day if it doesn't rain much. By the time we get home from work or exercise class it can be quite hot and stuffy inside. On those days, we drag the camping chairs out to the balcony and watch the sun set while we allow some fresh air to flow through the house, cooling it by a degree or so.

Lifers and Wanderers

August 10, 2009
A coyote howls in the distance. Its cry bounces off the desert canyon walls and fills the dark, empty night. Somewhere, farther south, the howl is answered by a second coyote. A third then a fourth join in and the chorus replaces the stillness of the crisp autumn night. I peak my head out of the tent and ten thousand twinkling stars greet me from above and it feels right.

This hasn’t happened to me lately.

The road curves and climbs and curves and climbs some more. The snow gets deeper and soon two walls of white sit on the shoulder of the road blocking the forest. We pull into the parking lot and all around us the clean white snow blankets the Spruce and Fir trees. The sky is blue except where the bright yellow sun sits high in the Oregon sky. The thermometer tells us that it’s a cold January day but we are warm as the sunlight beams down and reflects off the snow. We strap on our skis and glide into the forest and all it feels right.

This hasn’t happened to me lately either nor will it for the remainder of my time in Micronesia. There are no deserts, no coyotes, there isn’t even autumn here. No evergreen forests and no winter wonderland scenery.


Wenonoa came home from the college the other day amazed, having met a few American instructors who have made Pohnpei their permanent home. Life on the island can gently seduce a person. No nightly news reminds you of all that is wrong with the world. Stress and pressure are minimal. As Bob Dylan once sang, “Come in, she said, I’ll give you shelter from the storm.” As one instructor put, "I teach what I want, when I want, and I have plenty of free time to pursue my research interests." Put that way, I can see why he stays.

I don’t mind giving up camping, coyotes, and cross country skiing for two years but I couldn’t imagine foregoing it on a permanent basis. Six months into my contract, I don’t see myself becoming a “lifer” here. I couldn’t be content spending a life here while knowing all that exists past the vast expanse of the Pacific. I’m a wanderer who enjoys change.


The ‘sameness’ here would eventually drive me insane. As I think I’ve mentioned earlier, excitement here is when the supply ship arrives and there is produce and ice cream in the grocery stores. Not even the weather changes. This is the first place I’ve ever lived where the annual temperature graph is represented by a horizontal line extending from January through December. In fairness, I should mention that the daily temperature does fluctuate. The daily highs are around 86 and the lows can drop as far down as 72 degrees.

Some of you might think that this weather is perfect. True, it is nice... OK, it’s downright pleasant, especially when a wind blows the moisture out of air. Arriving from the damp cold of an Oregon winter it was quite enticing. Still, variety is the spice of life and even Phoenix, with temperatures that ranged from hot to hotter, offered the I-10 escape to the high country of Flagstaff two hours to the north.

The four seasons beckon me. Living in Arizona I had forgotten how enjoyable the change of seasons is. Living in Oregon reminded me. I don’t know where we’ll end up next but I’m pretty confident we’ll end up leaving at the end of my contract.

Local Foods and Crafts

August 11

As you may recall from my early posts, I came to Pohnpei very interested in learning about and experiencing the local lifestyle. Except for an early fishing trip (as detailed in my March entry Fishing, which may be the funniest entry to date), it really hasn't happened.

Part of the reason is that I never really integrated into any local families and part of the reason is that much of the traditional ways have gone by the wayside. Its easier to buy a paper plate than to make a plate. As an American friend who learned how to make coconut milk remarked, "it was fun to do but very labor intensive. I'll probably go back to buying cans in the store and only make my own on special occasions."

Many ex-pats are interested in learning about the traditional ways of doing things and last month an enterprising Micronesian woman put together a Saturday afternoon class to teach us a few things. We learned how to make mar-mars which are a cross between a Hawaiin lei and a headband, weave plates out of palm froms, shuck and open a coconut, and cook breadfruit (a local starch) and whole fish on an open fire.

Wenonoa described the afternoon. Here is what she had to say:

Praise & Melian – two local Pohnpeian women – hosted a Pohnpei Day intended to teach Men Wei (White Men) how to live and eat like locals.

We were greeted with a freshly macheted coconut with a straw. Fresh coconut milk straight from the coconut is delightfully refreshing. After finishing our milk, we were shown how to crack the coconut by hitting the middle with the dull side of a machete. We really have to buy a machete – they are good for so many things. We then scooped out the coconut with our thumbs and happily ate it.

Next we were charged with making marmars. These are traditional flower head wreaths given to newcomers, guests, and those leaving the island. You begin with a circular, slender piece of plastic and, proceeding cautiously, wrap local flowers and greenery around the plastic using twine to hold it in place as you proceed around the circle. You can use any combination of flowers and greenery. Most of us Men Wei made some very bushy marmars – not bad, we were told, for our first time.

Then we cooked breadfruit. This is a large green “fruit” that comes from a tree. It tastes like a potato and is often prepared with grated coconut to sweeten it. As it tastes like a potato, one of my favorite veggies, I am very happy to eat it plain. You score the breadfruit – slightly opening the skin – making four longitudinal cuts and place the breadfruit directly onto the hot coals of an open fire. After about 30 minutes, the skin is blackened and the breadfruit is ready to eat. You then peel all of the blackened skin off and eat as is. I have been told that you can use this local fruit as a substitute for potatoes. It is supposed to be chock full of vitamins.

Next, having nothing to eat off of, we had to make plates. Using a local variety of palm frond, we wove a basket to use as a plate. We covered the woven plate with an additional layer of palm fronds.

Next we chose a fresh fish to cook over the open fire – we placed it directly on the coals. There were several varieties to choose from. One that I had was called bluefish but it wasn’t. A variety that Eric had wasn’t called bluefish but it actually was this beautiful iridescent teal color. After about 10 minutes, one side was done and we flipped the fish with local, long wooden tongs to blacken the other side.

We were ready to eat! Gathering our plates, we chose our fish, some breadfruit and some tapioca sweetened with green banana. Melian offered forks to us as she told us that locals wouldn’t use a fork. Feeling like locals, we declined the forks and dug in with our hands. All of the weaving and cooking had worked up an appetite.

I feel like I would be somewhat prepared if I was ever stranded on a deserted island.

Throughout the day, as we were learning native cooking and weaving, a local fellow was making secaw. This is the local drink which is said to have marijuana-like effects. I haven’t tried it. It is considered rude to refuse it if offered to you in ceremony; however, it is okay to pretend to drink it or ask someone to drink it on your behalf as an honor to that person.

Desert was fresh watermelon; according to Melian, fresh fruit is desert here. Locals don’t really have cakes, cookies, pies, etc. that they eat for desert.

As they afternoon waned and tiki torches were lit all around, a group of local women performed local, traditional dances for us. What a great day to be on Pohnpei!

Guam

It’s August 3rd. Time flies. I’m back in Pohnpei having spent the last 9 days at a training conference in Guam. If you’re thinking 9 days is a long time to be at a conference since most conferences run Monday to Friday, your right.

Let me explain – To be on Guam Monday morning, a traveler from Pohnpei has two options. He/she can take a plane that leave Pohnpei Sunday night/Monday morning at 1:30 AM and get to Guam around 4:00 AM. While that does leave the traveler time to check in to a hotel, shower, and eat breakfast, it’s a tough way to start the week. The other option means leaving Saturday afternoon, which I did. Getting back to Pohnpei isn’t much different. There is no Friday evening flight nor is there a Saturday flight. 7:30 Sunday evening we boarded the plane and arrived back in Pohnpei around 1:00 AM.

Guam was an experience. I didn’t know much about the place other than that there are a couple of US military bases there. Thus, I expected to find bars, strip clubs, but not much else. They had much else! Guam, which is a U.S. territory, is just a 4 hour flight from Japan.

Guam developed itself into a Japanese tourist destination, complete with resorts, restaurants, and high end shopping. Rolex, Cartier, Coach, and other high end stores lined the main resort boulevard next to places like the Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood. For us local Micronesians, our money was deposited at KMart,Ross, and the local grocery store which all supplied items we can't get at home.

The first couple of days, as I looked aroud a little voice in my head kept saying, “Toto I don’t think we are in Micronesia anymore.” The second morning I actually woke up confused thinking that I was still doing freelance work stateside and had just dreamt the whole Micronesian thing. But Guam is part of the region known as Micronesia (the Federates States of Micronesia includes just a few of the islands in the Micronesian region), it just has more in common with the U.S.

Guam has about as much in common with the FSM as a bird has with a dinosaur. Both Guam and FSM were wrestled from Japan and put under American control after WWII and both Guam and the FSM states are small Pacific islands but the comparison ends there.

I’ve heard it said that success comes from equal parts talent, opportunity, and hard work. Guam by virtue of its closer proximity to Japan and the US military presence had the opportunity to develop its economy, and it has. I don’t know the history of its economic development but when I asked a local about it, he explained that Guam allows foreign investors to own property and the FSM doesn’t. That may explain why Guam has a robust tourist economy complete with 40-story beachside resorts and the FSM doesn't.

I did find myself missing the greenness of Pohnpei. Some places are built around nature and other places replace nature with buildings and roads. Guam's tourist area was more concrete and less greenery. I sat in traffic, changed lanes, and waited for the light to turn green, all things I don't do in Pohnpei.

So which island do I prefer? I guess I'm like Goldilocks, this one isn't developed enough and that one is too developed. I hope to see Palau some day.