Random Thoughts From the Past 11 months.

Some random thoughts from my in a journal...

• During the first few months of my working with my counterpart at site i found myself having a conversation with him about evolution and how interesting it is to find similarities between cultures/people of different countries. For example, the custom culture of Vanuatu and its rituals are similar to those that my family have practiced and our foods and dishes are also similar. So while in discussion I mentioned that some scientists theorize that back in the day our continents were all one massive land mass not separated by oceans and that why some similarities between people exists. When I said this he looked at me like I just told him I was from Mars. Apparently, he's never heard of such a theory and it ludicrous. I found it funny how quickly he was to disbelieve instead of considering the idea. I even when on to say that if you look at a world map continents look like they would fit perfectly together like a jigsaw puzzle. My explanations were in vain. However, this is the same person who is ok with believing that a man dying in the middle of his garden from a heart attack really died from black magic. Awo!
• Happiness is riding int he back of a pick-up truck with the wind and rain in your face. Unless the truck driver speeds up in which case happiness is ducking your ass behind the back window cause rain pelleting at your face hurts like hell.
• Happiness is seeing my little sister at a community event wearing the Peace Corps T-shirt I gave her for xmas with such pride.
• Sitting in a staff meeting listening to a colleague speak while she "digs for gold"in her nose is really distracting.
• Was speaking with a student and he began walking away from me as I was speaking because he was embarrassed that he was the center of attention. Initial reaction was anger. Afta I laughed at what a dummy he was.
• It's interesting to find out that countries like Australia, New Zealand and China give $$ to the people of Vanuatu to develop projects, but yet they don't teach them how to manage it. No skill in financial management = no forward movement as a country.
• Happiness is spending 4 hours in the back of a mango truck with a good friend and several Ni-Van Mamas selling the mangos allow several villages. It was longest time/distance from my site to town, but well worth it.
• During Term 1 I realized that the student roster of names had spelling errors for many students. Then I realized they are not really typos its that both students and parents choose to change the spelling of their name regularly. Kranki!
• Only in Vanuatu would I teach a class while my dog, Spanky, sits at my feet along with his buddies Rusty and Boss.

Kranki "Only in Vanuatu" Observations/Stories

My friend and PCV colleague, Jessica Wilkinson (she has an awesome blog www.jessinthepeacecorps.blogspot.com), wrote a small column in our Van-American Newsletter during our first few months in Vanuatu that's I've kept and read every once in a while for a good chuckle. I thought you'd enjoying reading it along with my first draft of "Sh** Yu Wud Not Believe Happens in Vanuatu" a column that I expect will come out in the October issue. It's a collaborative piece between myself, PCV Kalli and PCV Alexi.

Only in Vanuatu.....

by Jessica Wilkinson

Some observations from my first few months. These are some of the "kranki" (crazy) realities in Vanuatu which may make us smile, laugh or gag...

Only in Vanuatu:

• Do people use baby car-seats as swings
• Do people wear plaid, floral, polka dot and striped patterns in the same outfit
• Do families decorate their kitchens with banners made of shredded garbage
• Do children carry bush knives (aka machetes) to school (as early at 5 year old)
• Is sleeping until 6:30a considered sleeping late
• Are leaves used as tupperware, plastic bags, etc.
• Do people wear t-shirts with obscene sayings but don't know what it means
• Men carry satchels with Japanese Animation on them
• Are leaft bug and crickets eaten for dinner
• Do people eat dgo because the meat can cure sore joints
• Do people but baby powder on everyone to show they attended a celebration
• Are old school assignments and exams used as toilet paper
• Does everything start 2-3 hours later than expected
• Are ringtones used as the radio
• Is 70 degrees considered cold and requires hat and/or gloves
• Are ears and hair used to hold money
• Do men rub their bellies and chest while talking to anyone and everyone

And I must add....

• Do people pick their nose while holding a conversation with you
• Do students/teachers lie about a death in the family just to get an excused absences (seriously how many grandmas/pas does one person have)
• Do people run a marathon either barefoot or in socks
• Do people attend church because there's nothing else to do
• Do bicyclists apologize "sori sista" after stoning your dog because he chased them down the road

And here's the first draft of my collaborative column....

PCVs in Vanuatu are blessed to live in a country that’s the closest thing to Paradise or is it the Garden of Eden? Whichever; however, that’s not to say there are not some days that we find ourselves in situations aka sh** that you have to see or live through to believe. We wanted to share some one of our most recent experiences with you and hope you get a good laugh and sometimes while sitting together enjoying some wine we flashback and LOL remembering when…..

….Sh** Yu Wud Not Believe Happens in Vanuatu - Story #1

Alexia, Kalli and I were poolside at Sebel aka The Grand Hotel enjoying Happy Hour cocktails when a random man (we’ll call him Random Man aka Man Tanna in this story) walks over to us and hands Kalli a napkin-shaped rose and walks away. Aww! Romantic, no?! It gets better keep reading. Kalli thanks him; he walks away, we giggle and keep storian. Afta, Kalli leaves to watch the Friday night movie at Nambawan Cafe and Alexia and I continue to chat with drinks in hand. 20 minutes later Random Man walks up to us again and ask for Kalli. Persistent little bugger! When we explain that’s she's gone he says, “Really, that was my best work" meaning the napkin rose was his best work…artistically? Pick-up maneuver wise? Mi no save stret.

Despite the love his life (Kalli) running off to watch a movie and not sitting around in awe over his napkin-shaped rose, Random Man sticks around to chat with Alexi and I. Turns out he's a bigfala somebody. He has an “air of importance” about him. We didn’t see how important he was passed his bloodshot eyes and aggressive demeanor (not scary aggressive, but full of himself aggressive) but he insisted that he did in fact have “an air of importance”. Apparently, he missed the memo on people who are important don't walk around telling others that they are important. Random Man needs a a shot of Humble with his Jim Bean and Coke. Needless to say, he is doing some good work in Vanuatu working with and helping to develop the youth of this country and it was interesting to hear him talk about his plans.

Fast forward 45 minutes later (where he mostly spoke about himself), 2 free drinks and a plate of free h'ordeuvres and guess who shows up!? If you guessed, the WIFEY, you just won a basket of nada (congrats!). As he’s chatting about himself, explaining he’s Man Tanna (meaning he's original from the island of Tanna), been in Vila for 5 years blah, blah, blah out comes a fatfat woman with an air of anger about her. She steps up to Man Tanna and starts asking him “Where have you been?” and continues to share with all of us at the table that she left him at this very hotel “last night at 2 in the morning” and he was “suppose to be home by 3 am”, but had “not been home all day.” Nor did he go to work and she’d been “running around town looking” for him. In the middle of her interrogation she looks at Alexia and I and says “This is my husband!” with a look of “don’t get it twisted” in her eyes. She goes on to express that Man Tanna should be at a fundraiser that he organized and everyone including his parents were waiting for him.

Now, at this point any man with some degree dignity and self-respect would (a) be embarrassed smol and (b) attempt to defuse the situation by walking away with his wife to talk in private. But no! Not Man Tanna! This fool continues to sit with us nonchalantly (we believe he was trying to look flas (cool) in front of us) and begins to tell his wife, who looks like she’s not slept and is using every ounce of energy to maintain her composure, to “come sit down, babe, have a drink, join us.” I gotta give it to the wife she was calm and collected despite steam coming out of her ears. Not once did she raise her voice and thankfully nor did she verbally attack Alexia and I for finding us having drinks with her hubby. We were innocent bystanders! By this point Alexia turns to me and mouths “We should go.” I agreed without hesitation. We walked up the stairs to the hotel lobby. On our way up the hotel security guard asks “Evri sumting I oreat?” Obviously, this man sensed the negative energy spewing from Wifey at the bottom of the stairs. Alexia managed to quickly whisper to him “No, hemi wife blong hem! Hemi no bin lo hoas blong hem!” (No! That's his wife. He's not been home yet.) The security guards facial expression said it all and he immediately walked downstairs to “secure” the area. Once in the hotel lobby Alexia chugged her remaining gin and tonic while the wave of shock and disbelief at what just happened dissipated.

Afta, we walked to the Mama’s Market while remarking on what an a**hole Man Tanna was. Unfortunately, he lives up to the negative stereo-types all Man Tanna have (womanizers) and it’s a damn shame. In the end, although I felt sorry for the wife, this was the first time we experienced this type of situation and we had a good laugh at the expense of Man Tanna who most likely got his butt whup by his wife once we left. Or atleast I hope he did.

Peace Corps Volunteers Make Good Friends

As I've grown older I've come to believe that good friends....lasting friends, that don't judge or hold grudges and who compliment my personality and as my Goddess Sister, Tomiko, would safe "uplift" me are hard to find. I've been blessed to have found my best friend, Michelle, several years ago and I've always had my sister, Jocelyn, whom I'm lucky to also call my best friend. However, after being in Vanuatu for 11 months I can honestly say that Peace Corps Volunteers are some of the greatest people I've encountered. For most of us our only commonality is that we joined Peace Corps and have been assigned to the same country. Beyond that we all come from different states, background, ethnicities, etc., but we all found that when you've relocated to a foreign country we are all more willing to take the risk of opening ourselves up maybe a bit more than we would if we were in the comforts of our home in America to allow a complete stranger to share our deepest thoughts, fears and successes and most of all laughter.

Not every PCVolunteer is a close friend, but many have a special quality about them that I enjoy. Some have left a greater impression on me than others and because of that I know I will continue to stay in touch with them long after my service is over. So, I thought it important to highlight those who are helping to change my life for the better by simply being there for me when I've needed them; either by simply sitting in Coconut Palms Hotel watching music videos or just being present when I facilitated a workshop for the first time on my own. These are the messengers in my life that the Universe placed in my path on the other side of the world to teach me "wan sumting" that I did not even realize I needed to learn.

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Laura is the determined, fearless runner, which is how she handles life with seemingly no fear. Her energy has kept me focused on what matters most. Not to mention she was a great running partner during our Pre-Service Training in Paunangisu.

Kerry is the dancer of Group 22 and her bubbly nature is contagious. When shit hits the fan I think of her living in the Banks (the northern-most island in Vanuatu and one of the most remote) on her own and yet managing to do so much at her site; including organizing a dance troupe with her students.

Brianna & Bob are now in the States and are absolute sweethearts. Bri's fierce personality gets things done while Bob has a comedic response to almost everything. There is endless laughter when they're around. Brianna is a tough cookie...she broke her leg playing soccer...her leg fell in a coconut crab hole, but rarely did she complain or cry about hobbling around town for 6 weeks in a cast. Yu Yes!

Zoe and Hali are energetic and strong women. They know how to have fun and don't allow the stress of being a woman (esp. Hali who's in Tanna..manly man island) bring them down. In a fight Hali would absolutely throw down right beside me. Hali (again in the green shirt) looking angelic....so not (j/k), but thought the picture was cute.

Arthur is a doll. At first glance when I met him I thought "what the f#$* is that?" (at the time he has a long beard, long hair, no t-shirt and no shoes), but after a few conversations he turned out to be one of the sweetest individuals. He re-taught me not to judge a book by its cover.

Dan (not a PCV, but a Kiwi... we don't hold it against him) and I have a love/hate relationship. More love than hate, but don't tell him that. He's always up for some laughs and beers and has never shy-ed away from a good verbal ass whupping courtesy of me. I'd say he too can whup my butt verbally but 90% of the time I don't understand the words coming out of his mouth. ha!

Hilary (now back in the States) can trash talk as much as I can....that's how we bonded.

Erica (blue shirt) & Lauren (last one on the right) 2 of the girls from Pentacost are peas in a pod. They shared their home with me when I went to visit and always have great stories when they come into town. Erica's laughter is contagious!

Oh Travis (now in the States)! I had to post this picture of him cause it says it all. At first glance you think he's the quiet type but "waet smol" and he will let loose. He has a witty personality that comes out when you least expect it. I thought I'd pee my pants many times from his sillyness. But he's also a gentleman he's the one what will wait with you at a bus stop at night or walk you home to ensure you're safe.

Bridgett (yellow shirt; now in the States) and Sandy are another pair of strong women that I would definitely want on my side in a debate or a fight. They look out for their own and have no fear of sharing their opinion with others. Love them!

Michelle (black shirt; back in the States) and Alexia (turquoise jacket) are a riot in their own right; put them in the same room together and they will have everyone on the floor dying of laughter without even trying to be funny.

Kalli is a smart cookie. She never ceases to impress me with her knowledge on nutrition. She can break down a carbohydrate like nobodies business. The best part is despite her "save" she's never one to boast nor she is full of herself, which is why I enjoy her company. Intelligent women rule!

DARCIE!!! She is one of my girls! Any bright or not-so-bright idea I may have she's willing to take part in. Before relocating to the island of Erromango she opened her door to me countless times without hesitation whenever i came into Vila. Not to mention its always cool to have a friend who can dive her butt off. In case of open waters I'll have her attached to my hip.

Jessica (shown here with her friend the Dead Saloon Kangaroo) is another intelligent woman i would call if I only had one life-line left on Who Want's to be a Millionaire. She is so meant to be a teacher. Her skills at mediating hostile situations (our PST group was very emotional while in Paunangisu) were priceless.

My brother from another mother, Norman, straight from Puerto Rico he is a professional Peace Corps Volunteers as he's served in 3 different countries including Vanuatu. This man can survive anywhere. if lost in the middle of the woods i would smoke signal his butt to save me. I absolutely adore his crazy hippy self.

And here we have Eugene the IT genius...or at least he knows his computers and what i love most is that he is not condescending to those of us "IT volunteers" who may not know it all and he loves to share his knowledge. A man that is OK with treating women as their equal when it comes to computer science has my vote!

Sara is a Southern girl through and through. She is sweetheart! Sometimes I just want to "noogey" her like a little sister, but don't get it twisted she can hang with the best of us. Give her some bat, turtle or dog and she has no shame eating it. LOL.

Then there's Yegor...(reading a book in the distance) the GQ Spartan who is also my cooking buddy when we're in town together. He's the one that built his own gym on his island and makes me miss 24-hour fitness. Great motivator when it comes to staying in shape!

Courtney will probably kill me when she sees this picture up but I had to do it. This chick can turn any object into a microphone and karaoke her butt off no matter where she is. She is also known as Madame Esperanza for her ability to tell the future...well, she does a good job acting as a fortuneteller. I love this girl. We sit in the Peace Corps office and can't help but make each other laugh. Her Southern twang alone has me howling esp. when she's "mad" and curses. Georgia Peaches never sound angry... it's a trip!

Another PuertoPecanRican from NYC my girl Desiree...she may be 5'nothing, but when in a club she serves as my bodyguard and my Jimney Cricket. I will definitely be hanging with her when we return to the East Coast.

Here we have Nicky (far left), Alex (middle) and Alvetta... with Desiree (above) we were the United Nations in Paunangisu...fabulous multi-ethnic women who have a great knack for listening to me vent when i just needed to spew my frustrations. No way I could've made it this far without these ladies to support me and lift my spirits.

Well, in a nutshell these are the PCVolunteers that have found a place in my heart just for being themselves. Everyone should be blessed with these type of people in their lives.

Vanuatu - Images From Various Islands and Villages in Efate

Vanuatu consists of 82 islands and each one is distinct. I live in North Efate the mainland with gorgeous coastal regions, friendly villagers, our first tar-sealed Ring Road (main road around the entire island) and endless gardens with fruits and vegetables. Capturing the beauty of Efate is not difficult to do because, with the exception of the capital of Efate Port Vila, the rest of the country is relatively untainted by tourism or the Westernization that we see in most foreign countries. The images below are just a few of the places I've been bless to see with my own eyes. Enjoy a Touch of Vanuatu!

First up NGUNA Island. An island North of Efate. The photos below were taken on the top of a dormant volcano that is now used to hike and grow gardens. The view from on top is breathless on a clear day.



Next up, the island of EFATE. My home until November 2011.


Afta we have PENTACOST....


Than we have MALAKULA the first island I visited after Efate for my "wokaboat" aka walk-about visiting mid-service volunteers. And where I discovered the first blender! Fresh mango margaritas here we come!