Touchdown - Vanuatu

Hello Hello all! As my dad would say - I’m still alive. Currently I’m writing this on Tuesday 10/11 where my laptop says its 6:30 AM but it’s really 9:20 PM here which is pretty late to be up but let me back track a bit.

The last thing I posted I believe was that I was leaving for NZ well a lot has happened since then so let me give you the run down. The day we left we had staging all day which was basically a bunch of meetings and ice breakers and I got to meet Group 24. We consist of 28 people from all over the US and I’ve got to say they’re absolutely a fantastic group of people! Everyone just is so interesting, has their own story but the hardest part was trying to remember everyone’s name originally but I think we’ve got that down pat. We went to the airport really early to get to the plane to NZ from LA which was a great time for everyone to unwind and have some final beers and burgers with the Peace Corps allowance we got for the two days before we got to Vanuatu.

First of all I just have to say that I realize I brought WAY too much stuff, they even warned us not to bring too much because we probably don’t need it but of course I packed my entire my room for the next two years. Carrying around my two large suitcases and 2 heavy carry-ons was a bit excessive to say the least when some other people only brought one bag. The Peace Corps provides soo much equipment it’s almost ridiculous but I’ll get to that later.

The plane we took to get to NZ was by far the largest I’ve ever been in – here’s the row break down, 3 seats on one side, 4 seats in the middle, and 3 seats on the other side. I of course was directly in the middle row in one of the 2 middle seats.

 Also the dude next to me I guess had to use up all his room and then some – meaning leaning his arm over my side which was annoying to say the least. It was a night flight so I watched a movie (quite a collection they had) and then tried to go to bed. Of course there was also a screaming child but it’s cool I slept for a few hours (it’s a total of a 13 hour flight) and then got up to stretch my legs. Luckily I met up with another volunteer on the plane and we hung out for a while and found a spot we could stand and just chat. What we also found was the champagne bottle which we helped ourselves to, complete with OJ so we had some mimosas about 3:00 AM, it was a good time and probably the highlight of the flight.

Oh I also have to mention that I was randomly searched and prodded at every security check which wasn’t fun but oh well. We made it to NZ safe and sound and then hopped on our connecting flight to NZ. Our one plane was really late and the plane to Vanuatu had to wait for us because our group made up half the plane. It was only a quick 3:30 hour flight to Vanuatu and we finally made it!!

We all stepped off the plane and were in awe, it was no Newark. Trees, luscious green everywhere it was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I’m no Hemingway but it was beautiful to say the least.  

 (This picture doesn’t even do it justice)

All of the customs paperwork we had to fill out was a little scary (are you carrying this, are you carrying that? If so you’ll be in jail forever.) I brought a lot of food and didn’t want to have to throw it out but luckily the guy was just like “just go” so I got to save all my bars and snacks. Grabbed my bags and finally made it to the final stretch of the airport and the whole time we kept hearing large cheering and clapping. Everyone was moving individually waiting for their bag and going outside separately and it wasn’t until my turn after I got my bags that when I walked outside that a very long row of Peace Corps staff and current volunteers were all outside cheering each of us as we walked out the doors, it was so surreal and the most awesome welcome ever. We each went down the line and met everyone, shook hands and received a coconut with a straw and also a lavalava (this wrap around my waist you’ll see in pictures, they name a lot of things “twice” such as lavalava, laplap, etc..). It was so crazy and we were all having a great time and then all of us fit into 3 vans and got a quick tour of the island. I took so many pictures and videos so they’ll be on here when I get a chance as well.

We arrived at this place called IDS in Port Vila it’s like this camp site where we spend our first week together and go through intense day long sessions of all sorts of training. I’ve got to say this place is pretty amazing. It’s got tap water we can drink but I’m using this Brita water filter my neighbor Marion got me (thanks again it’s really useful! Tell Comet and the baby I said hi!) They have showers (only cold) but that’s OK because it’s reaaally humid down here. It’s really not as bad as I thought it would be but we’re entering summer now so it’ll get a lot worse as time goes by. I can’t stress enough the fact this place is so incredible and we all can’t believe that this is our job. Did I mention the beach is right by our camp site? Yeah, we can hear the waves in our bunks and the beach is soooo gorgeous. I’ve been swimming everyday (right now it’s only the second day but I’m writing this to post later when I can get net access again.)

I’m writing this whole post in sections because I only have a limited time on the laptop because we’re training so hard! So right now it’s Saturday October 14 and we got here last Sunday. We’re here at IDS in Pango Village for a week which is on the island of Efate where the capital Port Vila is. Every day we learn more and more Bislama and have a bunch of other classes as well. Bislama is a pigeon English and it’s kind of easy but it’s also kind of really confusing as well. Mi go stop long sand bis (I go to the beach) just for an example. Today is our last full day here at this camp site and all together as a group. Tomorrow we’re going to our host villages for the first time. Our group of 29 is split into two different groups VITEL and CH. VITEL is what I’m in which is education (me specifically IT) and CH is community health. I’m going to be living in the village of Tannilou (pretty sure I spelled that wrong) and each person gets an individual host family. All I know about mine is that there’s a man and his wife and a little pikinini (child). Everyone is really excited to meet the host families and we hear that they’re just as excited to meet us and have been preparing for their ‘Amerikan waet man’!  I’ll post more about that later when I get to the village but it’s still considered PST (pre service training) and right now we are all PCT’s (Peace Corps Trainees) We are officially sworn in as volunteers in about 2-3 months after we live with the host families. They mostly only speak Bislama so that will definitely be a great way to learn it but I think I’m doing pretty well in learning it anyway.

Let me talk a little more about the culture I’ve seen so far. I’ve changed my sleeping habits by living here so far by waking up at about 5:30AM and being totally beat and in bed by 8:00 or 9:00PM which took some getting used to. This next section is specifically for you Dani…picture in you’re mind the biggest wolf spider we’ve seen in Jersey. Now multiply that by about 5 or 6. That’s how big ‘Little Richard’ is in the boys bathroom by our barracks. I stepped inside and immediately ran out freaking out which is how that creature’s name came to be. Unfortunately the spiders here are monstrously huge. People keep saying it’s totally fine because they’re not poisonous but nobody (Ni-Vanuatu people) seem to really be worried about them even through their gigantic. The worst part is I don’t even see them in the wild – they like to reside in the bathroom so showering has not been much of an option for me as of lately. Just kidding ..sort of, luckily some people here are very kind and stand guard outside as I shower haha. What’s really cool about Vanuatu is that the people are by far the happiest in the world and so friendly. When I go on my 5:30/6:00AM run I always see people walking and I say ‘gud moning!’ to everyone and everyone reciprocates. It’s amazing because back home that would practically be unheard of. Some even like to stop and engage in conversation:

Me: Halo, gud moning!

Ni-Van: Gud moning, olsem wanem?

Me: I strat, be yu?

Ni-Van: I oreat, wanem name blong yu?

Me: Name blong me Richard, be yu?

Ni-Van: wei yu kam stap? ..etc etc

It’s really cool and also the pikinini love to high 5 even though they’re very shy at first but if you’re equipped with a big smile and shout out ‘GUD MONING ALL PIKININI’ they practically climb on top of each other to give a high 5 as you run by.

Also everyone else has a cell phone but unfortunately  on the first day I got mine I went into the water and have to buy another one but seeing as how everyone runs on ‘island time’ so I’ve yet to get a replacement. I’ve tried to give my sister my number but apparently they can’t seem to call because of cablevision so what my suggestion is this: use Skype or Google Voice. If you use your normal phones you’ll rack up some serious international charges. Both Skype and Google Voice (which you have to use on the computer) is only about 56 cents per minute where it’s probably a lot more through you’re phone company. I’ll let you guys know when I get my cell phone. (Update – I just got a new phone and here’s my number: 5955175 any receiving calls I get are totally free so you won’t cost me anything so feel free to call or text and say hello! I think to call from US to VAN you have to type 0016785955175 but I’m not entirely sure I would just try Skype international.)

So at this point I don’t even remember what I left out but what I do know is that I have wayyyy too much luggage! Some people only came with one piece of luggage but I came with two very large suitcases over 50lbs each and then a backpack, little carry and now it’s only grown over the days. The PC gave us two med kits full of stuff and then a laundry basket, mattress, mosquito net, soap, pillow + case, etc… So I really have no idea how I’m going to move all this stuff by myself so hopefully when someone comes and visits me they can take a suitcase home for me because I have way too much.

Sorry that this update took so long coming but you’ve gotta understand – I really don’t have much Internet access nowadays so I thought I ‘d give the most detailed explanation of everything up to this point. I hope you all enjoy the stories and know what’s going on with me, I really want to know what’s going on with all of you but right now it’s all training so my days are pretty busy but once I get to my site I should have a lot more free time for contacting people. So ale, ta ta lukim yu!

P.S. – Three small but significant enough things to post happened to me since I last wrote (can you tell that I’ve been writing this whole post over a period of a few different days?)  First off is I saw a Ni-Vanuatu man with a swastika on his forehead but I’m pretty sure he has no idea what neo-nazism even is so yeah. Second – and the coolest is that me and another volunteer actually got to go to this fish trap where fish swim into this trap which is about a 15 foot wide circle and we were then handed a mask and a ‘spear’ and by spear I mean a long stick with a sharp end and we had to then spear them and put them in a bag because they sell them. It was the first time I’ve ever killed anything larger than a bug so it was a little strange but I did kill four but I didn’t like a second of it. The other guy got about 26 but after the 4^th I felt bad and was really just trying to prod them to swim to the top and jump over the little fence – I actually got one to jump over Free Willy style it was awesome.  Lastly when our group was together one of the trainers made a little announcement that 13 high risk convicts escaped from the jail but we’re then assured that it’s normal and happens quite frequently but to be careful and don’t travel alone. When you hear things like that, really the only thing you can do is laugh and trust me I’ve been doing plenty of that.

Good night Vanuatu.