Micronesia

TSA agents know everything! I wasn’t sure I could take the log of vegetarian chicken on the flight to NorCal, so I pulled it out of the grocery bag to show the TSA agent before it went through the scanner. “Is it frozen?” he asked. (How did he know that it usually comes frozen?!?) I answered yes and he said, “They'll need to test it, but you will get through.” The woman who was watching the scanner pulled it aside, glanced in the bag, and put it back on the belt with no additional check. Apparently, Worthington chicken is more widely known than I realized.

I don’t usually carry large vegetarian items on flights, but it’s not available near my parents, and it was needed for a meatless version of the following Micronesian recipe. I’m glad I brought it; it came out so well! The pineapple juice soaks into the chicken, the coconut adds great flavor and texture, and the ginger is the perfect savor to top it off: https://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-micronesia-455517

Besides eating great vegetarian chicken, I traveled to Micronesia last week with my parents (while staying at home) by watching my mom’s Yap video with her twice. She had gone with Paul, my nephew and her grandson, when he was in high school. She baked the bread, someone else made the soup, and thirty-five high school kids plus two contractors built an elementary school. The video showed the construction, the singing, the eating, the football games, and the beach trip. The fact that my mom’s nursing skills were also needed in Yap isn’t a surprise. When I was a child, I saw my mother perform CPR at Busch Gardens in Florida and on the beach by Monterey Bay. Hearing her stories from Yap brought back those memories.

The Federated States of Micronesia (often simply called Micronesia) is a subset of the region of Micronesia. The Federated States of Micronesia includes the major areas of Yap, Pohnpei, Chuuk, and Kosrae. The larger region of Micronesia also includes Palau, Kiribati, the Mariana Islands, Guam, Nauru, and the Marshall Islands.

If you want to get serious about Micronesian literature, order the anthology of Indigenous Literatures from Micronesia published in 2019. One of the editors is Emelihter Kihleng, a Micronesia poet. Here is an example of her work: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/89743/the-smell

Another work by an authentic Micronesian is The Book of Luelen, which records an oral history of Micronesia: https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/114853/2/b19142742_v.1.pdf

If you aren’t quite so serious, in fact maybe a little lighthearted and looking for a mystery or two, here are books by non-indigenous authors that are set in Micronesia. They both completely captured my attention:

· I had initial doubts about Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore. It is absurdist (yes, that is a literary word) and reminds me of magical realism. After the first few chapters, I let my reservations go and enjoyed the story. I felt better after I learned that Christopher Moore has spent time in Micronesia.

· I was more comfortable with The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara because of her Pacific Islander credentials. Again, there are magical realism elements and I love her use of the unreliable narrator.

I also enjoyed The Navigators: Pathfinders of the Pacific, a documentary about navigator Mau Piailug and others from Satawal, an outer island of Yap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxgUjyqN7FU

There is a series of 45 videos on YouTube showing traditional dance and music from Yap. This one is the first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DQZ-QzVcvo&list=PLnOSH5j1sQh-doq61vEBs4i1I2f2JAiZj

Just in case you have the mistaken impression that music from Micronesia is all traditional, check out the Mountain Boyz from Chuuk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlM_hHR64gA

I also picked up information about art and architecture:

· Wooden sculptures: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/pacific-apah/micronesia-apah/a/nukuoro-micronesia

· Nan Madol (there is a gallery of pictures at the bottom of the article): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/nan-madol-the-city-built-on-coral-reefs-147288758/

If you want to see the beautiful setting of Micronesia as a backdrop for the scheming and starving Survivor contestants, the season filmed in Micronesia is Fans vs. Favorites. Yes, I watched it the first time around and it is one of the most memorable seasons. You can find it on Netflix.

Here in California, I’ll be watching for the return of the Pacific Islander Festivals in Huntington Beach and San Diego in September. If you actually make it to Micronesia, here are some things to do: https://www.inspirock.com/things-to-do-in-federated-states-of-micronesia

I would love to go. I’m looking forward to that time when we can travel broadly again. In the meantime, I’m hoping we all survive, thrive, recognize our mutual humanity, learn to deal with our conflicts, and allow peace, health, and safety to flourish in Micronesia and throughout the world.

Photo credit: Wayne Batzer https://www.flickr.com/photos/8889583@N04/2066424461/