10/31/09

Happy Halloween! Oh wait nobody is celebrating that here. And I’ve been so busy finishing up training I don’t even have time to organize anything. I might have time to make macaroons though. That’s be nice. They use coconuts for everything here but nobodies thought of macaroons!

So this is my last day in Emua, the training village. The huge highlight of the week which blocks out all other memories of the past week is the site announcements. I found out where I’m going to be stationed for the next two years! I’m going to Lamap, Malekula a small town on the South East tip pf the island. It has an airport, a wharf and two stores. Wooh. This is actually a god site from what I understand. I’m actually replacing 2 volunteers. The one who left 6 months ago was working on a marine conservation project and the other who is leaving now was working at an Rural Training Center (RTC). My assignment is to work with the area secretary but my job title is RTC advisor so I think I’ll be pretty busy trying on different hats. But really I’m trying not to set any expectations because it will be undoubtedly different than I could ever imagine.

So now we are leaving the training village to head into Vila and buy everything we’ll need for the next 3 months. I should explain that although Lamap has two stores, these stores would not be nearly as equipped as your average American gas station. So if I want anything other than rice and tinned tuna for the next 3 months. I have to buy it in Vila. So it’s gunna be a busy week. Wooh shopping spree!

Earlier this week we had a really funny activity. A creeping simulation. Creeping is the culturally appropriate way to ask someone out. Because public displays of affection and public dating are frowned upon, the only option for people who want to date is to go to their lover’s house late at night and ask to come in. So if someone likes you they come to your house at night and persistently ask to come in. So they did a simulation of this at the training village because most women volunteers do have a creeping at least once in their 2 years and they want us to be ready. So basically the trainers got a bunch of young men in the village together and told them to go creep us. It was ridiculous. We didn’t know it was gunna happen and it was late at night and I was actually writing a letter. I wish I’d been asleep but no it was the one night I stayed up. Some guy came to my window and was whispering my name and asking to come in. Creepy for sure. I kept telling him to go away in Bislama and I even started yelling. Then after 10 minutes of this I told him I was just going to go to sleep and I tried to ignore him. But he wouldn’t stop and he started shining his light in the room and reaching in through a hole in the screen. That was all I could take so I went into my parents room. And then they kept calling my cellphone all night. The boys from the village apparently had so much fun with it and I knew it was a simulation but still I was freaked out. Yuck.

Last night we had our last Kakae with the host families it was really sweet. All the mamas made food and brought it at 5 pm which in aelan taem is 6ish. The program was supposed to start at 6 is 7ish. Lots of speeches and prayers. There was an opening prayer for the opening prayer, thank you papa god. We all got tons of gifts from our host families. Fist we all got matching aelan dresses. I got two baskets, a mat, a plate, a cup, a necklace, a bracelet, and earrings. It was like xmas! We gave them our presents of a huge sign with the name of their town and all its tourist attractions which was received with what looked like mixed reviews from the crowd. I hope they follow through and put it on the road.

After we could no longer hear all the speeches over our stomachs grumbling and he kids playing. Finally we had closing prayer and got to eat the food that had been staring at us frm the table for 3 hours. And dance the night away until it is no longer appropriate to play loud music in Emua which is 10 oclock.

I will miss Emua especially my host family because they have been amazingly supportive and understanding. But I seriously can’t wait to get to the next place. A hotel in Vila with my own shower, privacy, etc. Emua is like suburbia for Port Vila. I’m so glad my site is not here because its boring like a suburb and they’re spoiled with humanitarian aid here as compared to some of the outer islands. Plus there is no adventure to be had. Malekula on the other hand will be full of surprises.