Vanuatu at last!

Today is Monday, probably Sunday still for you as we crossed the International Dateline on our trip here Friday and suddenly it was Saturday!! We first landed in Auckland after flying 13 hours; after a short layover, we left on our 3 hour flight to Vanuatu. Landing was incredibly beautiful; we fly over many of the 60+ island making up this country. We were first met by the airport ukelales (sp?) playing island music and then, as we cleared customs, at least 25 Peace Corps folks...both staff and present volunteers. They greeted us with loud cheers and then leis and beautiful island wraps. We had a tour of Port Vila and then settled in our motel home for the next week. Yesterday, Sunday, the Country Director has us to his home overlooking a lagoon for tea; later many of us joined some volunteers (we are known as trainees) for an outdoor movie, pizza and beer at a waterfront cafe. Today was our first "real" day...the training has begun. We met the staff of 20 at the office and began hearing about procedures, expectations, and a little of the culture. We had shots, the number depending on what shots we had already had; I only needed three, my second hepatitis, meningicocal, and yellow fever. Wednesday we begin taking our absolutely-required malaria medication. Sunday we will move into our training village which is about 45 minutes away; we will live with host families for the remaining 9 weeks of our training. Wow!! Such a lot to absorb as everything is so new...which is why this is such an incredibly exciting adventure!! My new home in Portland, finally is official...Amy and Rachel finished the moving in and say it feels and looks wonderful!! Let me hear from you this week...I have unlimited email access until Sunday afternoon, my time!