mi missum yufela tumas, be mi likem vanuatu! (lukluk mi save toktok smal bislama!)
I thought i should get in a long group email in on my last day in Vila, i'm not too sure when i'll next be able to read or send any emails and updating my site is far too much effort (i've really got into the laid back ni-vanuatu way of life...it is too hot to do anything quickly!)
i am having an amazing time. i may have only been here for just over a week, but it feels like ages, so much has happened and ive visited some spectacular places.
Pat: a cross between mr.bean/the gay one from gimmegimmegimme/ finch from american pie. famed for his 'rhetorical answers', attemps at DIY and fear of all creepycrawleys. Whilst in Nguana, he thought some bats that were kept in a cage were chickens. he then proceeded to stand underneath them. ''flying fox pisspiss long hair blong pat''
Martin: loved up geologist/frodo look a like, who bought 50 pounds worth of stamps to write to his gf everyday. he hasn't started yet.
Barry: Blind and unfortunately clumbsy. Paranoid about everything and the only one of the group to have suffered from diarrhoea and had part of his toe chopped off at the local clinic. (he had a blister)
Rich: All round good guy. sensitive <he crys> rugby player with extensive beard growth and a tatooed bum.
Kate: giggler. Only girl who managed to hack 'bigfela kava'. whilst playing playstation said that she could see why people wanted to shoot people after playing computer games.
Franki : Nicest person you'd ever want to meet..most of the time. touchy about the spelling of her name. comphrensive knowledge of disney songs.
Jane: (going to the same school as I) Far from plain jane. smiling mother figure with a naughty streak. prepared for anything.< hopefully >
Zoe: (" ") lipstick loving <vine> swinger, who has fallen for a boy in every town. once worked for an escort agency!
26th-28th August
The longest plane journeys of my life. finally arrived in Port Vila, 2 days later, after 22 hours flying and many more hours sat in airport terminals. i was dying for a breath of fresh air having lived off air conditioning only. we walked off the plane in Vanuatu and were sung through immigration by a string band in the airport. we arrived at the guesthouse in which we were staying in early evening. we were presented with flower garlands, a talk from the local chief thanking us all for coming to help his country and a kastom dance. we got to try some local food <very good after 6 plane meals> and try the local narcotic drink 'kava' (illegal elsewhere in the world other than the south pacific) which makes you very sensitive to light and noise and numbs your whole body. it looks like dirty puddle water and tastes equally disgusting.
29th August
A local lady who is half english/half ni-vanuatu and a past gapper showed us around the 'city' which comprises of one street, several touristy shops and restaurants and a big market place. we were taken to a supposedly shark free beach that afternoon to go swimming. the sea was turqouise blue and the beach was white as anything. it was a truly postcard perfect beach.
30th -1st
Going to Nguana was an unforgettable experience. Nguana is a little island north of Efate (the capital island) we took a tiny speed boat across quite rough waters to arrive on this desert island where the only truck of the island took us up a mud track to the village. it looked like we were driving through jurassic park. all of the village had come out to greet us, we once again recieved flower garlands and watched (and joined in) with a kastom dance. We were then introduced to our adopted families, our parents who we were to call mama and papa. i had 3 brothers and 3 sisters. we all lived together for 3 days in a small mud hut. i slept on the floor with the girls in a room. i wrapped myself in my mosquito net at night to keep myself safe from the rats- (no joke, i woke up in the night to see them knawing on my bag!!) the shower was a separate hut with a bucket, and the toilet a <smelly> hole in the floor. there was no electricity. BUT the people were the friendliest and the happiest you have ever met. the village work as a community, everynight coming together to the 'club house' to singsing and dance. the little children were fascinated by our skin and hair and followed us everywhere. one of the days we were there we climbed up the volcano on the island, and 50 little kids all followed us, and whilst we fell over every other step they jumped and ran around us. on our last night we were given gifts of thanks from our families. the girls were given island dresses (big mama stylee) and the boys island shirts. our nominated chief rich was given a big wooden spear. None of us wanted to leave (though the prospect of running water back the guesthouse won some people over) and once again the whole village came out to wave us off. they made us all promise to come back and see them if we're ever in Vanuatu. it was a real eye opener to see rural vanuatu, out in some of the more remote islands its even less developed...which is definately going to be interesting :)
Back in Vila, found an internet cafe which will give us a volunteer discount, especially if you try and talk bislama to them! got my hair braided. i now look like a white rastafarian!! won't have to wash my hair for a few months though :) Had high tea with the British High Commisioner. gorged ourselves on cake and biscuits (we're all trying to save money..i can only afford one meal a day) and were patronised by mr.micheal hill and his wife who tried to warn us all to behave etc. they lived in their own little english bubble in a nice villa at the posh end of town and had several maids and cooks and drivers! and the biggest satelite dish you have ever seen.
3rd September (today)
not up to much today, might go swimming at the beach. catching our plane out to the schools tomorrow morning. we're all very excited because we're finally going to be going out to do what we came here to do.
i miss you all loads! i love looking through my photo album, it makes me smile a lot.
love you lots,
joelle xxxxxxx