Two Weeks Later!!

Wow! That’s all I can say!! The two weeks since I last wrote have gone by so fast…I wasn’t sure how long it would before getting back into Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila to have internet access. What a treat that we got to come today…we are only about 30 minutes away but are not allowed to come in on our own and have no time anyway as our days are packed. We arrived here in our training village, Mangalilui, ten days ago to an incredible welcome. I think that the whole village of 264 people came out to greet us! We were given leis as we were greeted by each of the “mamas,” as all the women are called, and then we were called up one at a time to meet our host parents (who of course are way younger than I am even though I am to call them Mama and Papa!!). Then we moved into our homes…my family lives at the top of the village with nothing behind our house but the rain forest so my “sistas” Rositta, 18, Laurel, 9, and Meriam, 7, and my “brotha” John, 12, and several neighbor children helped push and pull ny huge duffle bag up the hill.

My house has a cement foundation and metal sides and roof. The kitchen, with an open fire for cooking,, is a thatched hut outside; the “swim haos” which is the shower, and the “smal haos,” which is the outhouse, are other little structures. The house itself has a main room with only a cupboard, a table and a bench but with beautiful hand-woven mats covering the floor, which is used for sitting. There are four small bedrooms….my room, as required by the Peace Corps, has a bed covered with a mosquito net and small table and stool; I also have a kerosene lantern as we have no electricity. We have a water faucet outside; water comes to the whole village from a nearby stream and from rain. Mama heats water for my bucket shower every morning; then I have tea or some kind of coffee drink? and bread with either butter or peanut butter on it. After that, I am off down the little hill, a 5 minute walk to where we gather at 8am every morning .


We begin our long day of classes under a huge mango tree that drops mangos all day long!! We start with 2 hours of Bislama, the national language (even though school here is taught in either English or French, a result of a joint English/French government from 1900 until 1980 when Vanuatu became independent). Bislama is basically Pidgin English and not difficult to learn…though somehow my French keeps creeping out! Our days are packed; we have had hours and hours of both medical and safety/security training, in preparation for being on our own when we go in early December to our sites which may very well be in the bush! Today we learned all about the natural disasters that we may experience, like cyclones, earthquakes, and volcanos…yes, volcanos! There are several active ones on several of the inhabited islands.. We will be VERY prepared to handle most anything!! A few other things we have been doing in our classes: making mango and coconut jams, leaning to make fires for and killing a chicken to cook on it (we all didn’t participate in the latter!) learning about all the local trees and plants and how to cook with them, and learning about education in Vanuatu, the area in which most of us will be working. We have a lunch break…all the Mamas are involved as each are assigned a local dish to make and bring each day. All the food is laid out, potluck style…which we dive into after we are handed a plate, fork, and cup by our own Mama! More classes in the afternoon then, by about 4:30, we are free to swim or snorkel in the “solwata” or play volleyball or sit and read.


We eat with our families and are usually in bed by 8:30; I try to read a little by headlamp but, as the day usually starts, thanks to the roosters, by about 5am, I am often asleep by 9:00. Our group started with 21 but we have already lost two, one for medical issues and one, a fifty year old, decided it was too rough for her. So we are 19; a few in their 30;s, most in 20’s, and then Karen 62, and me! She is from PA and was a counselor before she recently retired. We have been meeting every morning at 5:45 to walk to a near-by beach and back for about 45 minutes to try to help with maintaining our weight…this is a very carb-heavy diet. So, I must wind this up and say “good-bye” for another 2 weeks when we have another field trip to Port Vila and another few hours of free time for phoning,, internet and shopping. You can’t imagine how wonderful it has been getting your emails printed out and delivered to us from the Peace Corps office in the capital…it is like Christmas and we all wait to see who gets mail or emails or care packages!! Don’t forget, volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov and make sure that Julie Romberg in the subject spot. I miss you all...this isn't always easy but it IS always incredible!!!