April: Cultural Day and Island Living
Hello! In just a few days I’m hopping on one of the three east-bound flights per week from Kosrae to Hawaii, and then on to the continental US. I’m in for the Kaya music festival in California that Green Banana Paper is exhibiting at before a final hop and a skip over land to Massachusetts. CULTURAL DAY was earlier this month. Here are some photos from the festivities and parade: coconuts, bananas, breadfruit, and taro: the four key local foods bananas! refreshments One of the many things I’ve learned while living in Micronesia is that while these islands are tiny specs of land in a remote part of the world, the area is highly valued and sought over for its geopolitical importance. There are various plane and shipwrecks from WWII around the region. With the Compact Agreement of Free Association, essentially 70-80% of the economy in Kosrae is funded from US aid. The Compact has influenced ac