Ambae Bound

April 8, 2016

Twelve new volunteers waited around at the Port Vila airport,  ready to head to sites on Ambae and Maewo. We were prepared to eat aelen kakae, take bucket baths, and not have electricity. All that got pushed back a few days when our flights got canceled, as we are learning they are apt to do. Instead we got put up in a nice hotel and lived the high life for two nights with food vouchers, a pool, and AC. It was not at all how any of us were expecting to spend our time, but it was a nice little surprise vacation before we all got to finally head off to our sites.

With much doubt, we lugged our things back to the airport two days later, but this time the flights actually ran and off we went. After a plane change we landed on East Ambae, the final destination for some of us. I got met at the airport by my host brother,  and we got on the back of a truck filled with people headed to the village.

There had been a small cyclone/ tropical storm a few days before and some damage was evident. Around my house was a mess, so immediately after arriving my host brother and I started cleaning debris so that there would be a good path to my door. After about 30 minutes in the village,  dirty and sweaty and my shirt torn from a wire on the truck ride, my mama came to get me. Apparently the village had been holding some workshops and I had arrived on the last day of one. She led me to a room full of people, some of whom I had met before but many who were from other places in the province and are in charge of curriculum in the schools. I met many of them, got welcomed back from some people in the community, all embarrassingly still in my torn shirt and with dirty hands.

Later,  when I finally got a moment to myself in my house,  I went to hang my mosquito net. I love sleeping in one because it makes me feel protected from the big spiders, rats, and all other gross things. Anyways, by the time I went to hang it up it was almost dark. Because the ceiling is so high, hanging it involved a table and chair and lots of sweat,  and resulted in a hung net but also a broken bed slat and some bruises added to my body.

Now comes figuring out what the heck I'm actually supposed to be doing here.

Swear-in

On April 1st, after 10 weeks of the ups and downs of training, the 28th group of Peace Corps in Vanuatu finally swore in to become volunteers! Today and tomorrow the 36 of us are headed to our sites for the next two years, overloaded with stuff, and ready to start meeting people and getting things done. Here's to the next two years!

Second half of Peace Corps training

3/23/16

It's almost time to swear in and finally become an actual Peace Corps Volunteer! Training has been long and has had its ups and downs, and I am ready for it to be over. It will be weird though to finally go to my site and be the only volunteer, since during most of training I've been with a core group of 9. I'm looking forward to it though!

All matching our last night in the first training village.

The first half of training, which I've written about already, consisted of living with a host family while having classes all day during the week. It culminated in wokabaot week, where I spent a week at what will be my permanent site. The second half has been similar,  although now I know more Bislama and feel more comfortable in general, so that's nice.

After wokabaot week I moved to a different training village on an island off the coast of Efate. Adjusting to a new host family was easier than I thought it would be, I think in part because this village has already hosted Peace Corps training. During this time, the education group (16 of us) worked on 2 projects- 1 made a library at the primary school on the island, and 1 made an activity guide for a book of kustom stories. I worked entirely on the library. It had its fair share of delays and mishaps, but with everything the final outcome was more than I was expecting. Once I get to site working on the library there will be one of my projects, so it was good to see how much work goes into it and what needs to be done for it to be successful.

Even though we had a lot to work on during the second half of training, it often felt like vacation because this island is so beautiful!  I've gotten to go snorkeling in crystal clear water, and see giant clams, big blue starfish, coral, lots of cool fish, dolphins, and a dugong. I've ridden on small boats almost every day. This island has a beach with a beautiful view that I went to multiple times. I've seen red sunrises and sunsets of pink clouds. Even though I've been here two months, I still can't believe I'm in the South Pacific.

530 am bathroom wake up isn't so bad when this is the view!

Lizards Everywhere

Reason to check the toilet paper before using it- It may have a lizard on it.

 (These little guys are everywhere! )

An Array of Emotions

 Time I wonder what the heck I am doing here: when I'm sitting in my room, reading the Bislama I'm supposed to say at the community meeting the next day, and a cockroach crawls on me.

Time I know why I'm here: when I have a good storian (chat) with my host family.

 Time I'm frustrated about life here: when schedules change or are non existent and I don't know what's going on.

Time I realize a childhood dream come true: when I'm organizing books to go into a new library.

Time I'm sad I'm here: when I miss life events of people from home.

Time I laugh at the absurdity of the situation: when a group of us takes a boat ride back to our training village in a complete downpour, gets drenched as if we'd just gone swimming,  but the rain lets up as soon as we reach land. 

Time I'm happy I'm here: swimming in the ocean with my 4 year old host sister, her latching onto me and  making up stories about who knows what, looking at the beautiful surroundings and remembering how lucky I am to be here.

Women's Day

3/8/16

Happy International Women's Day! 3 years ago on this date I was in Kazbegi, Georgia, hiking in the snow. Today I am on Moso Island in Vanuatu, halfway around the world,   sweating in the heat. I had never known this day was a holiday before Georgia, but apparently it is celebrated in many countries around the world.

Photos: March 2013 vs March 2016

Flying on a 5 Seater Plane

Going to Ambae, I flew on a 5 seater plane which was awesome!  The views were gorgeous as we flew by many islands. The plane flew lower than a regular plane so views were clear.

Photos: the plane, view from the back seat, view of Ambae from the air