Yesterday (Tuesday, November 25th) was the school's annual Thanksgiving program. Every year large tents and picnic tables are set up outside in front of the school. On the sidewalk in front of the classrooms there is a long row of tables set up for all the food that everyone brings. The program begins with the CDC (Child Development Center) classes. Even the toddlers, ages 18 months to 2 years old participate. I loved watching the younger classes get up and recite poems and sing. They did so with such enthusiasm as their parents looked on. The smiles were contagious. The older grades did a nice job too. It's good for them to have these opportunities to get up in front of large groups. Next year the eighth graders will be attending the only high school on the island where their classes will be three to four times the size they are here.
After every class had shared their songs, poems, skits, etc, it was time to eat. I can honestly say I have never seen so much food in my life as I have when our school hosts a potluck. Eight long tables literally packed with trays, dishes, bowls and platters of every kind of food imaginable. Everything from sushi and pad thai to turkey and mashed potatoes.
Saipan is a culturally diverse island. Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Chamorro, Carolinian, (and even a bit of Russian culture) is very present here. In the couple of months I have lived here I have learned a bit about each of these ethnic groups. For instance, I learned from the Korean girls I tutor that in Korea they celebrate Chuseok, a "thanksgiving dinner" in honor of the harvest. This island is a regular ol' American melting pot. We celebrate the differences, and the similarities.
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