Wokabaot Week

2/24/16

Vanuatu is unique among other Peace Corps countries in that we found out our site placements before we arrived in Vanuatu. This allowed us to have a week at our permanent site during training, which is where I'm writing this from now (In anticipation of internet usage this weekend as I'm going to the capital for the first time). I'll set the scene as I'm writing this: sitting on the porch of what will be my house for the next 2 years, looking at the ocean, the school, and birds flying,  listening to chicks chirp, flies buzz, and leaves rustle. 

I flew to Ambae with a few others on a 5 seater plane, landed on an unpaved runway and was greeted by some current volunteers at the tiny airport. We hung out for a while all together, then me and a current volunteer got on the back of a truck with the headmaster of the school I'll be at and went to the village I'll be at for the next 2 years. I got taken to my house which is really nice! It's cement with a tin roof. It has a porch from which I can see so much greenery, the ocean, and 2 islands. It's on a hill behind the school and overlooking the village. I have a separate building with my toilet (I have a real toilet which I feel very lucky about! ) and place to shower (bucket bath). Next to my bathroom I have a tap with running water so I don't have to carry water far! The school has a rain tank for drinking water which is convenient. There's a separate building for a kitchen, where I could build a fire, but I think I'll splurge and buy a small gas stovetop. There's no electricity but I have a solar light.

I'm spending my days during this week hanging out with my host family, meeting the community, and  seeing the school. The school is a small primary school, almost entirely boys. A few days after I arrived I was welcomed into the village. The students sang some songs and I got given a lot of fabric,  which I've been told is given often. It was a little overwhelming,  but everyone seems friendly. The village is very small, although there are apparently a bunch of villages surrounding it. I think I'll be doing a lot of walking here!I have a couple more days here and then I will finish training with everyone else during the month of March,  and I'll return to this village as an actual volunteer early April. I'm sure I'll write a lot more about this village once I actually am living here!

Things that are driving me crazy so far: flies and mosquito bites.