Monday, September 13, 2010

Stay Edgy All You Hipsters.

Welcome from Vanuatu! It’s been a crazy few days since I left the states. Staging in LA was quick and to the point and next thing you know, you’re on an overnight flight to New Zealand via a time machine. You get off the plane and you’re two days in the future and it’s still dark out (just in the morning now). On a side note, Air New Zealand is an amazing airline. Crazy good food, awesome media devices in the back of the seats, Peace Corps flies in style! Finally you land in Vanuatu at 9 in the morning and realize you’re gonna sweat out multiple pounds for the next two years. Once you get out of the airport (through customs and immigration) you’re greeted by a mass of cheering people with sarongs and leis and coconuts that look like the oranges from a Tropicana commercial (the straw and all). Then you jump into a bunch of small vans and get to drive through Port Vila to the training site, all the while relishing the sweet, sweet breeze from the open windows.

Now the training camp is almost like a bunch of decommissioned army barracks/old missionary school, but this camp is on ocean front property and the view is captivating. One of the biggest changes at first (besides the humidity and moisture in the air) is definitely the early to bed (9 or 10 PM) and the early rise (about 5 AM). This definitely helps with running, before the heat hits in the morning, and is inevitable since the generator that powers the lights goes off at 9:30 PM. Training and orientation has been a rush so far, with lots of information and starting to learn the local language (Bislama). All the while, there are amazing sites to see right outside the door. I wish I could remember everything I’ve thought about the past days, but they seem to be slipping. I can tell you testing yourself for malaria is one thing I am bad at (I am horrible at stabbing myself to draw blood). I can also tell you the island of Tanna has the most active volcano in the Pacific and you can get all the way onto the rim to see the molten lava! I need to get there at some point (maybe I will be placed there?). I still do not know anything about what I am doing or what my site will be, you do not learn these things until after training and a lot depends on site. So far the food is delicious and I can’t wait to get to the training village this Friday to taste some “more traditional” island food (as the current PCVs phrase it). The food includes typical meat and rice dishes (almost like curries), lots of local fruits and vegetables (taro, a local yam, mango, island grapefruit, coconut, and a bunch of other things I don’t know the name for). Definitely some exciting times and I am stoked to learn Bislama.

Surprisingly enough, maybe most surprising, is that I will have better access to cell coverage than internet, since I now have a Peace Corps issued cell phone. I will have internet access every 2-3 months probably, but I have phone access all the time practically. My phone number is 678-569-0420; to call me I am under the understanding that you dial 011-678-569-0420. The 678 is the country code and the 011 is for international calls. I can also call you and text you, but obviously international rates apply. These are less expensive for me, but I am also poor. If I call you, you are not charged and vice versa. It costs me approximately $5.00 USD for 13 minutes during peak hours. I am also 18 hours ahead. It is currently 5 PM in Vanuatu on the 14th, while it is 11 PM on the 13th in Oregon. I currently have a 500vatu phone card, which is roughly equal to $5.00 USD, plus an additional 200vatu that came with the phone. Texts are approximately 13vatu each and only charged to the sender.

In regards to running, it’s hot and humid and the weather will probably eat me alive. Also, I’ve met quite a few runners in the Peace Corps here and have already committed to an island relay a little under a year from now. Apparently word about me as a runner got around before my arrival (that was not meant to sound as arrogant as it did… Well, maybe it did…). I think running will go pretty well over here once I acclimate and the area is a beautiful place to tour. I think that is all for now. I will try to keep this, and my photos, updated as much as possible, but I think the updates might be spread out (depending on my site, of course). Mi klad tumas blong raetem you. Ale, lukim yu bekeken!

PS
Please ignore any typos, spelling, and grammar errors. I did not take the time to check with detail, let alone at all. Stay Edgy.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

What's the name of that one Madonna song???... I'M A VIRGIN!!

With less than 10 days to go, it's crunch time. I didn't think packing could be made more complicated by an instruction list, but I was horribly wrong. I realize that all the information I have ahead of time will save me tons when I get to Vanuatu, but right now it's driving me crazy. Trying to plan for preventing the death of all my electronics while in-country is probably the greatest blessing/biggest frustration. While it's wonderful to know that the moisture/humidity in Vanuatu kills technology and what I can do to "possibly" prevent this cataclysmic is helpful, I still do not really know how to plan for this kind of problem. Ah well, you can't prevent everything, life is a series of calculated risks (or perhaps miscalculated). On top of this I've been tidying up all the paperwork for student loans and the Peace Corps (in case I die, who gets my debt?). Also loading up my External HD with all the 90's music and TV shows I can (have to be realistic about surviving out there!)

It's still crazy to think I will be going international for the first time in 9 days and for 2 years at that! I'm going to have to learn how to blog properly also. I also set-up a Skype account, so if you are reading this and use Skype and I haven't thought to add you, please add me (that didn't sound desperate did it?). My Skype name is "nik.karr". It seems I am doing a lot of things for the first time recently. Lets hope I stay sane through the craziness.