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Blogs from Vanuatu, Oceania - page 7
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June 4th 2010
So, coming home and seeing people, i realize how beyond comprehension the logistics of this experience are. How does Peace Corps work? where are you? who do you live with? how do you live? what do you do for money? how do you have internet? how many volunteers do you live with? I figure id write a blog just explaining how this whole thing works. So, Vanuatu is a country of 85+ inhabited islands. there are 79 peace corps volunteers. we are spread out over about 50 islands. many of us are on islands by ourselves (me on Aneityum; matt was there for a bit) and others live on islands with another volunteer or two (me on santo with 2 other volunteers). Vanuatu has 2 “cities”; they are very small, as in they take about 20 ... read more
May 31st 2010
For those of you with inklings to send us mail in the future: Please do not send packages any later than July. Letters tend to get here quicker, but cut those off around August. We always love to hear from you but don't want your valuable news and goodies lost in limbo during our transition back to the States! Thanks, Sheridan & Justin... read more
May 29th 2010
hello readers. the next few blogs are ones sher has saved on here for me to post-- watch the dates as so not to get to confused. i hope you are having a fabulous summer. i'm still holding down the fort in pitt, working, and enjoying a little sunshine when i can. take care - b 27 March 2010 After our mini vacation with Jamie, we found out that two members of Peace Corps staff would be coming to do some site development on Maewo. Peace Corps Vanuatu is already prepping sites for the next round of volunteers slated to arrive in Vanuatu this September. Maewo, as part of the PENAMA Province (also including Pentecost and Ambae) is targeted as an area for increasing the number of health volunteers. One of the sites to be developed ... read more
May 29th 2010
hey there- hope you all had a wonderful father's day weekend. and i hope you enjoy this blog! coconuts are a super versatile product as you'll soon learn. pretty sweet stuff! take care - b 8 April 2010 While many of my readers easily associate the silhouette of a coconut palm with island vacations and scenic postcards, few may know that the tree has a multitude of practical uses for the residents of the islands in the South Pacific. Before moving to Vanuatu, I was right there with you; thinking the most ideal use for the coconut tree was to string up a hammock, for the nut to have a cute umbrella and straw poking out the hole with a tropical drink inside. In fact, utilizing this useful tree’s palms, nuts, and flowers has become a ... read more
May 29th 2010
whats up readers. i'm officially in the summer spirit. finished up my geo class this morning, just got dq with my parents, and leave for colorado tomorrow morning. it's girls just wanna have fun time and i hope durango is ready for us. and i hope you're enjoying the little things/feelings that only summer can give you. this may be the last blog for awhile, but we'll see. enjoy, take care - b 22 April 2010 Island Justice Update The situation involving the killing of the two men still remains fairly unresolved, though nowhere near as intense as it was about a month ago. The chiefs and leaders of Maewo have been busy making peace in their own village, on Ambae, and even to the chief’s council in Vila. Justin has been counting the number of ... read more
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May 26th 2010
4 May 2010 We’re all jazzed up about our recent trip to visit Sandy and Justine in central Maewo. The four of us also joined with six volunteers from other islands, a grand total of ten volunteers. It was a good thing there were so many of us as we were helping Sandy and Justine put on a four day Kamp GLOW & BILD for the youth in their area. These camps address issues like leadership, communication, reproductive health, healthy relationships, and domestic violence. For those loyal to this blog, you’ll remember we went to a training on Ambae last August for the same program. Peace Corps Volunteers all over the world are hosting these camps in their countries of service. Sandy had everything about the camp planned to a tee. Food, beds, classrooms, supplies, ... read more
May 22nd 2010
For me, the best part about living abroad for a substantial amount time is being able to experience the raw culture and unique customs of an exotic land. Being a tourist for 2 weeks is great; You're experience is often handpicked for the most amazing, beautiful, and intriguing things the land has to offer. However, you don't get to see the culture, the people, and the life as it is in reality. Living in a place like this, in a village, with only locals, living as they do, for 27 months--this unlike any tourist experience out there. So, seeing as how one of my highest motivations for joining the Peace Corps was to experience a new culture in this very local and raw way, i jumped at the chance to see a truly custom landdiving ceremony. ... read more
May 22nd 2010
Back in Efate again - at least this time it is not raining - WOW it looks so much nicer. As usual we had nothing booked on arriving at airport, after trying one place (too expensive) we ened up at the Nirvana. Great place but empty - as usual we were the only guests. This place had a coral beach, although the same issue of only being able to swim at high tide. We worked out the last day would be great as the tide would be high around 10am, it was really not warm enough to swim prior to that. On our way to this resort we went past a Surf shop - and yes they DO surf. I had never heard of surfing in Vanuatu - but then I had not heard anything much ... read more
May 16th 2010
finally a blog. =) it's officially summer for this little gorilla. i'm hanging at my new house in pitt and will be settled in the next few weeks. i plan to work and take a geography class and relax. getting ready to head to frontenac to run the trails. take care - b 23 March 2010 My good friend from college, Jamie, came to play tourist and visit Justin and I in this past week. We now have been blessed with two rounds of visitors during our Peace Corps service and are grateful, especially given how far away from our homeland we are. Having visitors puts a new perspective on our life here; what we no longer regard as different or foreign (removing our shoes before entering any building, including stores and churches), what annoyances we ... read more
May 16th 2010
Hello to Sher’s loyal readers! I wanted to add a short note to her blog, hoping you’ll appreciate an “outsider’s perspective” on life in Vanuatu. As I write this, I’ve happily digested all my malaria pills, and can hardly believe it’s been more than six weeks since I saw Sher and Justin. My first impression of Vanuatu was hot, humid, hot, hot, hot. I flew to Port Vila via Sydney from Hobart, Tasmania, where my ship arrived after spending two months in Antarctica. My poor body was acclimated to temperatures below freezing, so Vanuatu’s heat and humidity was an extreme shock to my system. As Sher mentioned, I’ve traveled extensively, including a summer in rural Mexico. I lived with no plumbing and very limited electricity, teaching English at the local schools. Throughout my week in Vanuatu, ... read more
