Typing Class

One of my typing classes, in action

Standing over him, I could see his hands shaking as they hovered over the keys.

“Mek sua se ol finga blo yu oli tachem ol stret ki blem. Spos no, bae yu lusum stret ples blem.”

Mared blo Godwin

The three couples, getting ready to say their vows. The groom we came with, Godwin, is in the middle.

Setting off down the road, I was excited. I was on my way to my first Vanuatu mared (wedding)! Sitting in the back of the Provincial truck, holding on to the sides, with the groom (the handyman at my work, Godwin) sitting next to me, there was a definite air of excitement. It was a beautiful morning, the sun was out, Maewo and Pentecost clear and gorgeous on the horizon…it was going to be a good day.

Running Faol and Shooting Pijins

Walking up to my family’s bush kitchen, I heard the familiar question: “Yu sik smol?” One thing my host family and I are still working on is learning that I like having time to myself in my house: to read, watch movies, listen to music…and it doesn’t mean that I’m sick or don’t want to spend time with them. Alone time is not much of a concept here, but it’s something I insist on doing, for the sake of my sanity. “No, mi jas bin rid smol lo haos blo mi” (No, I was just reading in my house).

The World Cup

When reading books or watching TV, I often find myself transported to another world, another idea, another reality. Watching the finals of the Womens World Cup today, I forgot for a little while, that I was in Vanuatu. But then I’d look out the concrete door frame and see my family’s bush kitchen, the extra tin propped up against the side to keep out the wind; see the chickens pecking away, unfettered, in the grass; hear the laughter and conversations of the women by the fire. And back to the TV, back to my nostalgia of a game not played in far too long. But then I’d listen to the announcers on TV, commenting on the game in French, and after a disorienting moment, I’d be thinking in French. Thinking of my classes at Carleton; thinking of watching Tim Rake act out a scene for us; thinking of our 8^th grade trip to France, and my host family there. And back to the TV, back to the newfound sense of patriotism I feel now that I live so far away. But then Tony would say “Be Japan bae i win! US emi no tuf. Japan emi nambawan.” And my head would spin for a second, attempting to reorient myself to Bislama, before uttering some underwhelming retort. The constant spinning, jarring, reorientation to my surroundings. The forgetting, the remembering, the thoughts of home, the thoughts of friends and places I wouldn’t see for so long, and the reminders of the place that is my home for this time…for me, the World Cup today was more than just a soccer game. It really was a world-wide experience.

We were on top of the world, and it was…foggy

Look! It's the lovely view of the two lakes on top of Manaro

The Story of Stuff

    This is a story all about how my stuff got flipped, turned upside down...but for real, it's been an adventure getting everything to Ambae!

A birthday to remember

Turns out my birthday is on Chief's Day in Vanuatu; a national holiday. That means that while I normally would have headed in to Vila with my fellow ICT volunteers, we went in a day early and had Thursday free.

We started the day with a walk to the conservation area on Nguna, and spent the rest of the morning snorkeling around. I even got to see a sea turtle! The picture I got of it is reminiscent of the pictures of the Loch Ness monster in it's quality, but I swear it's there!

We headed back to our host village at around lunch time, and proceeded to hang out on the beach for the rest of the afternoon. Colton and I made a bunch of new frisbee friends; Laura and I played with a kite until we gave it to my host brother who proceeded to run away with it down the beach; we helped make a volcano sand castle on the beach; I played with the adorable puppy at my site; and I spent some time reading on the beach.

At about 4:00, the rest of the VITEL vols staying in Taloa came back from training up the mountain in Mere, and we headed to a Nakamal (kava bar) for cake and celebrations. Sean Corrigan, a fellow VITEL volunteer who also happens to be working on Ambae with me shares my birthday, and some of the other volunteers had organized cakes for us. As I was on my way out the door of my house my host mama called me back and insisted I put on an island dress (pictured below) before I could leave.

After cake, we hung out on the beach storyan (bislama for talking/hanging out) and drinking kava for a while.

A couple of us headed back to my house to make crepes over the wood fire, only to head back to the beach to watch a beautiful sunset and enjoy some warm nutella crepes.

All in all it was a pretty phenomenal birthday, and one I will not soon forget.