Summer in Vanuatu!

After 15 months in the Peace Corps, 3 months of training and 1 year of work at my site, I left December 16 for my well-earned annual leave. Josh, who had been traveling and working on a farm since arriving in NZ the end of October, met me in Auckland where we enjoyed a few days with my NZ volunteer friend. Then off we went in our rental car, actually a small van, beginning what would be a month of traveling together. We camped at the top of the Coromandel Peninsula which we reached by driving 25 miles on a gravel road; I was reminded of Highway 1 in Northern California as we hung very precariously over the sea! After almost a week of exploring, we headed to our last stop on the North Island, Wellington, where we thoroughly enjoyed spending the Christmas holidays with friends that I had made in Vanuatu. They served as great tour guides in their beautiful city then pointed us in the direction of the InterIslander Ferry which, after a three hour crossing, landed us on the South Island. We drove immediately 3 hours south to start the Kaikoura Coastal Walk, 40km in three days with nightly stops on sheep farms along the way. This was meant to be my “practice run” for our later hike as we walked on private land and had our bags and cooler full of food transported by the trip organizers. What an experience, walking 13km a day through beautiful farms, along creeks, over fences, up ridges, and three hours one day along the shore where we met up with a sea lion sunning himself on the beach. Our next stop was Nelson for New Years’ Eve in a wonderful hostel, or “backpacker” as they are known in NZ,  then on to Golden Bay and the Abel Tasman National Park and our only night of camping in the rain. We next headed down the west coast, stopping at Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers before heading over the Haast Pass to what turned out to be one of our favorite towns, Wanaka, where we met Rachel and her friend, Rachel, who landed in near-by Queenstown. We retraced a few of my steps from my Active New Zealand trip a few years back, horseback riding in the Dart Valley where some of Lord of the Rings was filmed and, later, kayaking in the beautiful Milford Sound. Then we continued on to the southernmost tip of NZ, Bluff, where we caught a ferry to Stewart Island; many  New Zealanders do not even get to this beautiful island known for its bird sanctuary and rare Kiwi bird spottings. It was here that we did our most challenging tramp, the Rakikura Track, on the list of NZ’s Ten Great Walks. It was another 40km trip with two overnights in huts along the way; I found it a bit challenging with a great deal of up and down and lots mud but managed not to hold the group up…and it helped that I was allowed a little less to carry in my backpack!! The worst part for me were the swing bridges which, for someone not liking heights, were  more than a little terrifying!! But what an incredible experience to share with my kids; it was truly an incredible month which ended with the girls coming back with me to Vanuatu for 10 days. Needless to say, I was a bit sad and lonely when everyone left as my visits had begun with Josh arriving in late September and then I was with either him or Rachel, or both, off and on for 4 months!! This time together a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share such adventures with two of my adult children; I am very happy that they wanted to be with me…and hope that Amy is able to also visit!!

 

I arrived back the end of January to the news that the opening of school had been delayed for three weeks!! I couldn’t even explain to you exactly why except that “island time” is what we go by here and it loosely means that everything runs late! We have five new teachers which is exactly how we started off last year; the education ministry transfers teachers regularly and often for no apparent reason other than they have been at a school for a few years…and they are often sent to totally different islands and without much notice, meaning the uprooting of whole families., The week before school was starting, we got the horrible news that our headmaster was suddenly being transferred; luckily the community protested and somehow got the decision reversed…and three days later the 2010 school year began then two days after that the headmaster’s wife had their first child!! These last two months, February and March, have continued to be just as crazy and just as busy, and that is my excuse for such a long time between blogs!! My work continues in the library; I have a total of six hour-long sessions a week, one with each of our Anglophone classes and have started checking out books to the Francophone students though we have a very small selection of books for them to choose from…hint, hint, any sources, any French children’s book for ages 5-12 would be more than appreciated! I also am continuing to teach eight students in Grade 6 every morning for an hour, trying hard to help them learn to read which just didn’t happen for them in the earlier grades. Speaking of reading and books, it is impossible to tell you how the library is being loved and used thanks to so many book donations from so many of you; our collection has grown to very respectable numbers and with a great selection of titles and genre. I have the library open before school, during morning break, during lunch and after school and the kids flock in, not just to exchanges books but also just to sit and read, share books and just “hang out.” Sometimes I will put out a jigsaw puzzle, sometimes drawing paper and markers, sometimes reading games. The library has truly become a very important place at the school and I am very pleased with how the children love to be there! Oh, over the weekend  I was very surprised to discover another being who likes to be the; our school cat, one I used to feed before moving off campus, decided that in one of my boxes in the library was a good place to give birth so we now have mama and her two week-old babies temporarily living inside! Everyone is welcome!!

 

The biggest news of all is that the Peace Corps Partnership Grant that I have been mentioning since summer and that has had so many delays is now FINISHED!! It was sent off Friday to the PC Headquarters in Washington D.C. to be finally approved and posted on their website. This was a major accomplishment for me as I do not consider myself a grant-writer, do not enjoy any sort of paper work and especially don’t do well with getting bids and writing budgets. So, many of you have asked about further book donations and my request is you wait “smol” as they say in Bislama; it would be wonderful if instead of more books or care packages, you save your money and donate to the grant which will fund the renovation of the library space. It will pay for ten new louvered windows, a tile floor, paint, 2 ceiling fans, light fixtures, a door and cement to make an entry. If the grant is funded, the library will finally be free of the rain and dampness that comes in through our broken windows and leaky floors, it will be be able to be kept clean with real floors, a functioning door, and a new entry where muddy shoes will be left upon coming inside. Finally, the library will be well-lit and cooler with new lighting and ceiling fans and will become an even more inviting place with fresh and colorful paint and murals on the walls. So, you are asking yourself, “How can I help with this project?” As soon as I find out that the grant information has been posted on the PC site, I will send an email explaining just how to find it and then you can read how to make tax-deductable donations online. Some of you might be hearing directly from the PC directly as I sent some referrels but don’t know how that works. So, many thanks ahead of time for your support and, as we move into fall here, happy spring to you all in the Northern Hemisphere!!  Love and hugs to all!! Julie  P.S. Next on my list is new photographs! I promise!!