What a First Week in the Peace Corps!

It is amazing that only a week has passed since we arrived in Vanuatu. It has been a very, very busy time, with classes all day every day; we have had about 10 hours of health training so far with our wonderful medical officer. We all started on our required malaria medication which we take once a week: mefloquine. We have learned how to test ourselves for the disease, including pricking our fingers and making a slide to send in to the PC office for testing. We have learned how to handle most everything for ourselves, including drinking green coconut milk for many digestive problems. We have been lectured and lectured on how to avoid assault. We have been given 2 packed medical kits...in other words, we are being very well-prepared for eventually being out on our own...whereever that might be, something we will find out about in about 6 or 7 weeks. Meanwhile, we leave tomorrow (my computer date is a day behind still...it is Saturday morning here) for our training village, Mangalilui, where we will live with host families for 9 weeks. About 200+ people live there; we will continue having classes all day; our language trainig will be a major part and then, of course, we are expected to return to our families for dinner and speak Bislama!! We are all very nervous about that part!! One more thing about the village, though I hate to even mention it...apparently Survivor was filmed there, which brought some nice extra income to the people there...so you can see Mangalilui up close if you Google those episodes!! I am enjoying the pace, all the information, our group...but certainly have had many moments of "What am I doing here?" "Where are my friends and family when I need them?" But I know that this is an adventure of a lifetime...so on I go to the next step tomorrow, away from email and the phone at the cybercafe, away from electricity and running water and indoor plumbing!! Please don't forget...real mail would be absolutely wonderful and care packages, books, music, Hot Tamales, spices, anything but especially just newsy letters....and also don't forget that email will be printed out and delivered to us if sent to: volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov and be sure my name is included in the subject line. Bye for now...we are off to our medical officer's house for cooking lessons and later out on a catamaran for our water safety lessons and some swimming and snorkeling...well-deserved fun after a tiring week!! Lukim yu! Later...probably not for many weeks!!