The Solomon Blog: 1st Quarter
A travel blog around my 93 days in the Solomons
What a month it has been…. I am officially 25% of the way done with my service here in Tenaru, Solomon Islands.
You’re all probably wondering “Gee, what the hell is Kiran doing on the other side of the world?” Well hopefully this blog (and Facebook posts) will help paint the picture.
Over the course of 93 days, I am teaching English, Methodology, and Computer Science to 14 1st-year seminarians at the Holy Name of Mary Seminary in Tenaru, Solomon Islands. I have a background in Social Work from Sacred Heart, so teaching has certainly been a experience in itself. It’s made me appreciate all of the teachers and professors who have helped shape me into who I am today. (Shoutout to SHU & Kellenberg)
The Solomon Islands are the farthest I‘ve been from home; It is the antipode of Long Island. This goes without saying, but it is unlike any place I have been in the world.
Language
I am teaching English as a 4th language to my seminarians. Their first and second languages are family and local dialects. Pijin English is their third language, and is commonly spoken in the Solomons. Pijin became known in the Solomons from plantation life. The islanders would write down what they heard from the colonizers, and BAM: Pijin English. I’ve started picking up Pijin to help speak with the locals in town. For some small examples: “Me name belong me him Kiran” or “Me go lo Central Market half-past noon and takem lo bus.”
Location
Honiara is the capital of the Solomons & is located on Guadalcanal Island. It’s very small for a capital city and rather dense. Honiara was described as “developed as it gets in the Solomons” in my pre-departure meetings. There’s a ton of truth to that statement because the surrounding areas are third world. This includes not only on Guadalcanal, but especially the other islands and provinces.
Many of my seminarians come from Malaita, a neighboring island that is about 6 hours away via ship. Some mentioned that their families still practice Paganism, and that they still perform religious ceremonies that include sacrifices to ancestors. The diet is more like fresh produce which can be found at local stands on the main road.
Society & Culture
The culture here is communal, everyone shares everything. It’s a norm here in the “Wontok System.” (derived from “One talk.” AKA, you speak a similar language to me) If you go to a random family’s home, the Wontok system demands that you feed and care for them without complaint. Very much different than the United States.
Despite the Solomon Islands having a parliament, it’s almost as if they utilize the social qualities of communism. The standard of living for most islanders is below the “poverty line.” Yet, there is an extremely low rate of homelessness. There also is not a clear schism between socioeconomic classes, however, the politicians make up most of the upper-class. Most politicians in the Solomons profit by the means of donations from multinational companies.
Something that is very different in the Solomons is the compensation system. This means that you must provide an value exchange for a particular act. For example: In marriage, the bride’s family is allowed to demand any amount (typically in the form of cattle and money) from the grooms family for their daughter. Similar to a dowry, its more of a gift rather than a bill. Another example of the compensation would be a family demanding a teenage boy $5,000 Solomon Dollars (about $3,888 USD) for walking their teenage daughter home, and entering the home unsupervised. This particular instance actually happened.
The justice system in the Solomons is very different than the United States. In the States, stigma is attached with the incarcerated. Going to prison in the Solomons isn’t as vilifying as in America. In Honiara there are two prisons: one for long term prisoners and a farm for lesser offenders. In addition to a sentence, a family can also demand compensation from the prisoner because of the shame it may have inflicted INCLUDING the sentence.
WWII History
Every single day, I am walking on the ground where the United States fought the Japanese in the Battle of Guadalcanal. Just down the road at the seminary is Red Beach. It’s called Red Beach because the sand and water were literally red from the bloodshed between the two sides. It was the initial landing spot for the United States in their campaign for Guadalcanal.
This past weekend, I had the privilege of spending time at Visale with the Dominican sisters. I stayed at Kalupa Beach, which was the last stronghold of the Japanese during the battle. The folks I stayed with often snorkel and collect debris from the two nations during the war. Some notable items included a hand grenade, U.S. helmet, and the dog tag of George W. Drago USMC. We also drove 1 kilometer into the jungle to see a destroyed U.S. tank from the 147th Infantry, where 67 were wounded and 2 were killed.
It’s hard to fathom how much history I’m able to absorb while I’m here. Not only was this a landmark event for the Solomons, it was pivotal in our fight against Japan. It was the turning point in the Pacific.
This experience has been unlike any other experience I’ve had. I’m eager to see what the remainder has in store for me, but the past month has been nothing short of amazing. I have three quarters left in my Solomon excursion and I’ll make three more posts about it! Stay tuned (and woke) y’all.
