I survived wokabaot

So I just got back from Ambae. I am so darn out there.

It's a lot of hills and a lot of laplap (the national dish of vanuatu which consists of mushed up root crop). The people are all really nice. I was there for a week. I live somewhat near the water. To get to my village you fly to the island, walk 30 minutes, take a boat for 2 hours, and then walk 30 minutes up hill to my house.

The boat: on the way there we went super slow because something was wrong with the engine. On the way back, we went really fast. When i asked why, they told me it was because there was a whole in the boat. But at least the boat didn't break and they had to use flipflops to paddle to shore (not that that's happened before).

There is a generator in my village at the headmaster's house. The 4 schools I will be working at are all very far apart and I'll be walking 2+ hours to get to some of them.

The people all speak a local language that I do not know, but we can communicate through Bislama, sort of.

I don't have any pictures now because I forgot my camera cord in the training village.

I'm sure there's a lot more things I should be saying, but really I am just on overload. Once the pictures come in a couple weeks, I'll explain them.

Also, I may not have internet again until December (end of training), so send emails to volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov. and put my name on the subject line.

And if you send me any more letters, start sending them to my new address at:

my name
Vanue Marama School
PO Box 30
Lolowai, North Ambae
Vanuatu, South Pacific

And write Air Mail (it costs 90 cents).

Thanks. More later if I have time and more mental clarity. I think I'm going to go get some real food now.