Day 2: And what a day!!

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Well where to start.. maybe waking up at 4:30am? My own fault really, going to sleep at 7pm. I can never sleep long these days for some reason, shows i'm ageing I suppose! I snacked out on a few things on waking up and went back to bed, I then had a really deep sleep and awoke to my alarm at 6. I wanted to make a good impression being right on the dot for work for when the geohazard office opens, which is 7am. I loathed around for a bit and then went to the office at 6:55am, the office is literally a block away from where I am staying so no need to leave too early. I got there for 7.. which I was expecting it to be open as usually you do get those managers that prefer to be in work before the rest of their employees to feel good about themselves. But nope, not to be.. I waited around for a good 10-15 mins until the first person who arrived, who happened to be the cleaner! We joked a little to the furthest I could understand her. She let me in and I waited on a couch for a further 10 minutes till people started arriving. So basically.. i'm definitely not arriving early again tomorrow! They're pretty chilled out, not like the rushy rushy nature of the UK, which is good ofcourse, but maybe they are TOO chilled out!

I'm dragging on so i'll get to the points.

So I basically had a little meeting with Esline (head of geo hazard dpt), got a plan going. I'm going to try and book my flights to and from Tanna tomorrow flying with Air Vanuatu. She is going to ring a fair few people so i get free unlimited access to the volcano (woo!) that saves me a whole lotta money as i imagine if i went up the volcano over 3 times, i would probably be skint!
She gave me some good advice on the questionnaires I have made to ask tourists and tour operators, new questions and so fourth which will aid my study. Also discovered that the tour operator questionnaire will have to be translated to the local language (Bislama).
Now it is 18:43 and I got an email from Esline around 6 with the translated version, wasn't expecting it back so quick to be honest! It's so funny to read through it, you just automatically start reading what sounds like Jamaican English, really chilled pronunciations.

So I went and made changes to my questionnaires after receiving the advice from Esline and editing the questionnaire further making sure it was going to be easily understood.
After doing that I went around the department a little, they have many posters up with stacks of information on, really interesting to read. Such as geology maps of Vanuatu, the volcanoes structures and so on. Esline gave me a massive article of Vanuatu Volcanism, I skipped the other volcanoes and am about a third of the way through analysing the content. (Mount Yasur probably has the most content there is of all the volcanoes due to its accessibility and popularity) I went without lunch just going through all this content and making a good few pages of notes on Yasur's activity.

I noticed how when everyone came into work they went straight to clock in and they were keen to go for lunch and when 4:30 comes they're all off. Maybe that's just standard, i suppose i'd probably do the same, but probably not in a job i enjoy. Anyway I just wanted to say how they go for a lunch break from 12-1pm and their day is from 7-16:30..

After working a FULL day, hah... I went straight to the supermarket (which is as big as any other UK middle sized supermarket) it had everything from food, home ware, to clothes. Most of the stuff is imported from NZ/AUS .. I noiticed how their tinned goods isles take up half the store haha. I bought some fresh bread, two chorizo sausages, some ham, a lot of goodies such as tim tam choco biscuits (i recognised them from last being in NZ and couldn't resist), 3 apples, and also a tub of warm spaghetti bolognese that filled me up nicely once getting back to the hotel.

And here I find myself now sippin on some local Vanuatu Bitter, good stuff it is too. I'm sitting in this outside porch place under a massive thatched roof. On the other side of the area is a french man who has been playing in his soduko book for the past hour, he was doing the same thing last night.. must be addictive stuff I guess...

I'll take a whole load of pictures tomorrow and hope to upload them to my next blog. I just didn't get the chance today as I've been working that hard!
Also before I forget.. I remember on my day of arrival here I saw 'the World' cruise ship. It was amazing haha, down to the fact that the last time I had seen it, it was in Falmouth harbour! on the other side of the world, it sure has come a long way. Sadly I didn't manage to get a picture of it in Vila harbour.. when I was sitting here last night typing my blog I heard the usual ships horns go as i'm so used to hearing in Falmouth dock.. and i guessed it was going to be the world, ah well, until next time world!

Now if you don't mind I have two beers to drink! alléz

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Comments

[Kelvin Houston]

What a coincidence!
I am really enjoying reading your blog, Jules! What a coincidence that "The World" was in port.. and that you should spot it again so soon after your seeing it in Falmouth! Pleased to see that you are making good progress with the questionnaire and that Mrs Bule has been able to arrange for its translation into Bislama so quickly. Sounds like you have got yourself organised and up to speed already what with Vanuatu Bitter on the go too!! Hope tomorrow goes as well as today. D