Application for Yap to Host the 2010 Micronesian Games
The main reason I have not posted much lately? Yes, the slipped disc at the base of my spine makes it painful to sit and type. But I've been doing plenty of that. I got corraled onto the Governor's committee , with all the sport leaders of the State, to attend a series of meetings about whether Yap should submit a proposal bid to host the 2010 Micro Games. Geographic lesson: the region of Micronesia is a huge crescent swath of small volcanic islands and coral atolls stretching along the Equator from the Philippines more than halfway across the Pacific (which itself covers about half the planet) to and area South of Hawaii. The places in Micronesia are: Palau, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Kiribati (pronounced Kiribaas), the Marshall Islands, Nauru and the four several states of the Federated States of Micronesia, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. Back when the US included these nations in her empire, the USA intended for them to form their own nation. But this covers a huge area of fairly diverse peoples within Micronesia, so only the 4 stayed on as a core Federation. And that federation may split apart some day.
Ahhh, but this committee, we (by using "we," I mean "I") prepared a report to the convened leadership and asked for the decision of the people of Yap whether we sould make a formal proposal. I shouldn't say I did it alone, because there is a Senator from Rumung who is instrumental in pushing this forward, and he prepared four pages of talking points that I added to my 7 pages of discussion to make our report. But I like this Senator, and respect him a lot, so I was in for the program. In summary, I sat through 3 3-hour-long meetings, absorbing the basic arguments for why and why not Yap should try to host this event. And I really had no opinion at all. But after talking about it with Danka, she encouraged me to give it a go, as we might be here quite a while longer and she likes it.
So during my convalescence in bed, the convened leadership of the State gave a lukewarm approval. So it's only a few leaders like the current administration leaders and the one enthusiastic Senator pushing forward. And the Governor asked me to draft the proposal in a format he provided me from American Samoa. I spent all weekend thinking and, drafting and refining the draft proposal. Some 20 single-spaced pages, and I put a nice cover photo of Danka's. When I distributed the draft, I was unaware that our chosen cover photo was the Governor's granddaughter. Lovely girl. I killed myself on it all weekend -- the proposal is due Friday. Heh. When we met Monday afternoon, the Visitors Bureau Chief offered me some photos to incorporate into the final document, and I just had to refuse. I started the meeting telling all these leaders of Yap that I had taken this project as far as I could, and someone who knows how to do photo layout, contents tables, charts and graphics needs to take it over, and that person is not me. They thanked me, but there was noone stepping forward. So the Visitors Bureau got stuck with it, and I insisted to the YVB Manager that he does not turn it back in to me for finalization. I've done all I can. Except I'll still proofread and final-edit the document. It's in my nature.
And so I had another 3-hour meeting in a hard wooden chair MOnday. My back started screaming again, and the legs sent pangs of chorus support. The Director of our Hospital is leaving tomorrow. Dr. Durand, from Eastern Tennessee, an accomplished fiddle player and bluegrass fan, is leaving us tomorrow to be back with his family and two teenage daughters. He imparted the following wisdom to me about America: "I have to be there with my daughters for the teenage years. We don't do teenagers very well as a society (in the USA). It's one of our major faults." I agree. He filled my prescriptions of painkillers and told me more about possible surgical operations for my clearly-herniated disc at the base of my spine. He even (rather non-Western, in my experience) expressed the opinion that chiropractic treatment would not hurt and might provide immediate pain relief. I like chiropractic treatment.
My boss chided me for doing too many extrinsic things -- things that are not part of my job. That was one of my selling points when asking for money. But he is so right . . . .
Ahhh, but this committee, we (by using "we," I mean "I") prepared a report to the convened leadership and asked for the decision of the people of Yap whether we sould make a formal proposal. I shouldn't say I did it alone, because there is a Senator from Rumung who is instrumental in pushing this forward, and he prepared four pages of talking points that I added to my 7 pages of discussion to make our report. But I like this Senator, and respect him a lot, so I was in for the program. In summary, I sat through 3 3-hour-long meetings, absorbing the basic arguments for why and why not Yap should try to host this event. And I really had no opinion at all. But after talking about it with Danka, she encouraged me to give it a go, as we might be here quite a while longer and she likes it.
So during my convalescence in bed, the convened leadership of the State gave a lukewarm approval. So it's only a few leaders like the current administration leaders and the one enthusiastic Senator pushing forward. And the Governor asked me to draft the proposal in a format he provided me from American Samoa. I spent all weekend thinking and, drafting and refining the draft proposal. Some 20 single-spaced pages, and I put a nice cover photo of Danka's. When I distributed the draft, I was unaware that our chosen cover photo was the Governor's granddaughter. Lovely girl. I killed myself on it all weekend -- the proposal is due Friday. Heh. When we met Monday afternoon, the Visitors Bureau Chief offered me some photos to incorporate into the final document, and I just had to refuse. I started the meeting telling all these leaders of Yap that I had taken this project as far as I could, and someone who knows how to do photo layout, contents tables, charts and graphics needs to take it over, and that person is not me. They thanked me, but there was noone stepping forward. So the Visitors Bureau got stuck with it, and I insisted to the YVB Manager that he does not turn it back in to me for finalization. I've done all I can. Except I'll still proofread and final-edit the document. It's in my nature.
And so I had another 3-hour meeting in a hard wooden chair MOnday. My back started screaming again, and the legs sent pangs of chorus support. The Director of our Hospital is leaving tomorrow. Dr. Durand, from Eastern Tennessee, an accomplished fiddle player and bluegrass fan, is leaving us tomorrow to be back with his family and two teenage daughters. He imparted the following wisdom to me about America: "I have to be there with my daughters for the teenage years. We don't do teenagers very well as a society (in the USA). It's one of our major faults." I agree. He filled my prescriptions of painkillers and told me more about possible surgical operations for my clearly-herniated disc at the base of my spine. He even (rather non-Western, in my experience) expressed the opinion that chiropractic treatment would not hurt and might provide immediate pain relief. I like chiropractic treatment.
My boss chided me for doing too many extrinsic things -- things that are not part of my job. That was one of my selling points when asking for money. But he is so right . . . .