The Kids of Ailuk

The kids of Ailuk were different than other places we had been in that they were. not. shy. at. all. From the first time we stepped on shore we were mobbed by kids of all ages wanting our attention. They wanted to say hi, give us high fives, touch us, follow us. At first, we thought it was really special how they were treating us, but then the first time we went to shore with another cruising couple who had spent several seasons cruising RMI we realized what was going on. Every time they went to shore, they took candy and balloons for the kids. So, the kids weren’t mobbing us because they were friendly or curious, they were mobbing us because they had been conditioned to want and expect stuff from us. This made me so sad.

We had decided a long time ago that that isn’t the way we want to interact with local children, so the next day Tim and the boys didn’t waste any time taking skim boards ashore to play. No candy, no balloons, just a whole lot of fun together. No need for words here, check out the video that Tim put together.

Skimboarding with the boys at Ailuk

Skimboarding video: https://youtu.be/VwYY3UOCdCg

We also spent a few afternoons on shore playing games at the basketball courts. Leave it to Tim to teach the kids dodgeball!

More fun and games with the kids

One afternoon I went to shore on my own to visit some women from whom I had previously purchased some handicrafts, and I was immediately mobbed with requests for candy. I told them no, I don’t have any candy, plus candy is bad for your teeth. As you might imagine this didn’t exactly make me the most popular pulagi to ever visit the village, especially since on my own without Tim and the boys it wasn’t exactly obvious that I could make up for it with fun and games. Initially they scattered away from me, but one by one they found their way back to me and they helped me find my way around. They asked me questions, taught me some new words in the Marshallese language and laughed with me whenever I couldn’t say something correct the first time. We even sang some songs together. I know that they wanted candy, and I have no idea what they actually thought of me, but hopefully they saw me as more of a person just like them than a one-dimensional palagi who brings them stuff. Who knows, they were just kids after all.