Squatting Ain't My Cup O' Tea

First time back in Vila since the first week and now I am closing in on four weeks in Vanuatu. I’ve got lots of things to update everyone on and photos to upload, but, of course, I forgot my journal and my camera. So much for that, I will have to wing it.

Since my last update I have moved into my training village for community-based training (CBT). This involves moving in with a family and, at least in Vanuatu, becoming part of that family. So, from now on I will always be my Mama and Papa’s first born son (who happens to be a white man from America). In the same vein, I am treated as part of the family and also as part of the larger family within the village. This is great because everyone is super nice and accepting. I totally feel like a rock star most of the time. This is besides the fact that I now have beach front property in Takara, my training village. Now when I say beach front, I literally mean my “veranda” is 30 feet from the saltwater. This is really great because I get constant “Air Conditioning” from the strong winds off the coast. This is highly desired by me because anywhere else in Vanuatu I sweat like I am wearing a garbage bag in a sauna (maybe I will get used to this at some point). Anyways, village life! My house is made mostly of copper/tin sheets, it looks like a shack, but it’s actually really cool. It’s very colorful inside and nicely adorned. Next time I update everything you will have photos to accompany my dialogue (assuming I don’t leave my camera in Takara). I am also provided a ridiculous amount of food and it varies greatly. The typical island food consists of various root crops (taro, manniock, kumala), lots of fruit (papaya, soursop, white/red grapefruit, bananas), rice, noodles (basically Top Ramen), canned tuna/meat, and various other things. I’ve grown accustomed to putting noodles on top of my rice and eating a bunch of potatoes on the side (gotta love the starch!). My family is really cool and the village all looks out for us. I can understand the language a lot easier now and can communicate fairly well, so that’s helps. I also feel a huge sense of achievement whenever I make a joke in Bislama. I also realized that I cannot squat. Squatting has to be the most uncomfortable position I have ever been in. It turns a normally pleasant time into torture. Whatever happens this next two years, I know this: I am building myself a toilet.

Sorry to jump around so much, I should type this blog ahead of time and next time I will, but I have been super busy lately and haven’t found the time. I promise the blog will improve in quality over the next two years, but considering I will only have internet every three months or so, I don’t think I will have many opportunities to update the blog anyways. This brings me to my next point. Vanuatu is surprisingly isolated. Most volunteers have no internet access at all and only get it once every 3-4 months, maybe.

I don’t have much time left to ramble on because I have to go buy a gift for my host volunteer visit next weekend. I am going to Epi to visit a current volunteer. But I would like to touch on kava before I sign off. Kava is a plant found in Vanuatu and after the preparation process it is sold at nakamals (similar to a bar) in coconut shell sizes of 50, 100, 150, and 200 Vatu. I can only describe the feeling you get from kava as walking on clouds. It’s pretty trippy and a lot of fun, so if you ever come and visit me in the South Pacific, we will share some shells of Kava. That’s all I have time for today, Ale!