The entire network for Saratamata was down, so I headed up to Public Works to check out what was up. They were running a training on how to use some new machines to improve the roads, and I definitely almost asked to try driving one.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Monday, February 22, 2016
Ode to Mosquitos
Oh mosquitos, you tiny wretched scourge,
your tinny whining in my ear,
as I lay my head upon my pillow,
and cannot sleep.
Oh mosquitos, your proboscis pricks
my arm as I sit and drink,
a shell of kava,
under the clear, starry sky.
Oh mosquitos, the swelling starts
as my blood reacts to the saliva
that you've injected in my arm
as you drink my blood.
Oh mosquitos, I wish I could ignore
the itching, scratching, anger
that arises within my soul
and on my skin.
Oh mosquitos, *SPLAT*
while that small spurt of blood
means it's too late for me
at least I've saved others
from your blood-sucking bite.
*To my English- and poetry-inclined, I apologize for this atrocity that I'm pretending is an ode. I did some research, and decided that odes, Horatian, Pindaric, or otherwise, were hard and I was lazy.*
your tinny whining in my ear,
and cannot sleep.
Oh mosquitos, your proboscis pricks
my arm as I sit and drink,
a shell of kava,
under the clear, starry sky.
Oh mosquitos, the swelling starts
as my blood reacts to the saliva
that you've injected in my arm
as you drink my blood.
Oh mosquitos, I wish I could ignore
the itching, scratching, anger
that arises within my soul
and on my skin.
Oh mosquitos, *SPLAT*
while that small spurt of blood
means it's too late for me
at least I've saved others
from your blood-sucking bite.
*To my English- and poetry-inclined, I apologize for this atrocity that I'm pretending is an ode. I did some research, and decided that odes, Horatian, Pindaric, or otherwise, were hard and I was lazy.*
Monday, February 15, 2016
PAD Part 24
Bamboo is a pretty common sight here, and is used for everything from preparing food to building materials for houses and benches
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
One Year In
Warning: This post contains lots of sappiness and self-reflection. If you're not into that kind of stuff, check this out instead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dD0xv5NOf4
It's been just over a year since I first arrived in Vanuatu, and with my time here being roughly half over (crazy, right?) it seemed like the right time for a reflection post. This year has been so much more than I could have expected. Incredible, moving, funny, weird, terrible, lonely, overwhelming, comforting...these and so many other words have each had their place in my life. It's been challenging adapting to a new culture, a new way of life, and a new language. But that has also led to some of the coolest experiences: kustom weddings, spear fishing with my brothers, grabbing food for dinner from the garden. Who would have thought it would all seem normal now?
On the one-year anniversary of arriving in country, Kathleen and I were on Maewo, staying in Ngota with our good friends Johanna and Aaron. We stayed up late talking about the last year, the next year, the new group that just arrived...it was a lovely night. We began the conversation by talking about our best/worst/most embarrassing moments so far at site, and I thought I'd share those stories with all of you. (Mostly because I know myself and know that if I don't have some kind of structure this post will very quickly degenerate into a long weird rant)
On the one-year anniversary of arriving in country, Kathleen and I were on Maewo, staying in Ngota with our good friends Johanna and Aaron. We stayed up late talking about the last year, the next year, the new group that just arrived...it was a lovely night. We began the conversation by talking about our best/worst/most embarrassing moments so far at site, and I thought I'd share those stories with all of you. (Mostly because I know myself and know that if I don't have some kind of structure this post will very quickly degenerate into a long weird rant)
Monday, February 1, 2016
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