Archive for April, 2006

Today we leave for our training village – Lelepa. A little island off the island where the capital is. We will actually be living just a twenty minute boat ride across from the island where Survivor was filmed (it was filmed on the same island that houses the capital – Efate). It might not seem that filming a show like that on the same island where the capital is is that remote, but here if you want a policeman you have to pay for the gas for them to come help you out and sometimes there is just not a cop available and they are the only service on the island. It’s a different world here and so far so good.
This past week has been a blur of training and exploring the capital city of Port Vila. One of our first nights a couple of us went down to the ‘Mama Market’ for dinner. At the Mama Market you can buy more fruits, vegtables, and roots than you have ever dreamed of, and in the corner some of the Mamas cook lunch and dinner. So we decided to give our Bislama a go and see what happened. We found a Mama who would cook a vegetarian meal, so for 2.50 US we got a heaping plate of rice and vegtables. It was delicous – at one point a rat scurried under the table, but I sucked it up and finished my plate without even flinching. Then yesterday we got a lesson on Aelan (island) nutrition and how to prepare the food that we will have available to us for the next two years. I learned how to get to the Green Coconut milk – which is not at easy task and plant my own pineapple bushes. For dinner we cooked vegtables and tubars covered with coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves in an earth oven with volocano rocks.
Also in exciting news I purchased my own personal bush knife yesterday, aka machete. It reminds me a lot of my toli sticks, but just slightly shorter with about a two foot blade. I think I will enjoy it, I only hope I come home with 10 fingers and toes.
Well the computer is a hot commodity so I must run. I miss you all!!!

YOU can write me letters via e-mail and the peace corps will print them out and send them to me.
*** name in subject line ** and body to volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov

Here’s my mailing address

Katie Thomson
Peace Corps Vanuatu – PCT
PMB 9097
Port Vila, Vanuatu
South Pacific

Peace Corps has begun. So far the trip has been surreal.
Our group is 23 people – 15 boys and 8 girls — probobly the first thing I’ve been a part of with more boys than girls. It’s a fun group and I am definately excited to be a part of it. We are all a part of the REACH project — Resource management, Enterprise generation, Agriculture, and Community Health — that’s not the exact wording, but you get the idea.
When we arrived in Vanuatu the first thing we noticed was the heat. They were not kidding when they said hot, but it is enjoyable in a way because it makes everyone spend a lot of time outside together. We were greeted at the airport by some current volunteers and Vanuatu Peace Corps staff. They gave us lays, lava lavas (sarongs), and a coconut with a straw. It really did seem like we were entering a tropical paradise. After that we took a tour of the capital by car. There are no homeless, no hungry, the water is clear and blue, and you can drink the water pretty much anywhere.
That night we went to our first kava bar. Kava is the local drink. It is made from mashing a root by chewing traditionally but here through other mashing means, and diluting it with some water. In more traditional areas kava is tabu (not appropriate) for women, but being in the capital we were able to take part. There is a very specific way to take your kava. You go get your coconut – either a half for five cents US or a whole shell for ten cents US. You find a wall to face so no one can see the face you make when you drink it (it tastes very earthy – not a sipping drink). You spit, drink the entire thing, and then spit or garggle a bit with the communal water bottle. It is known for it’s valium like properties, so after drinking you all sit and talk. All in all it was a good experience, but not one I will be taking part in too much during my time here.
Now training has begun. Sunday we move on to our training village on the island of Lelepa. This is when the real adventure begins. The island has no running water, no electricity, and we will be fully immersed in the culture and language, Bislama.
More soon…. I miss you all!