what I wrote on july 21st

Me and my sisters.

I thought I was coming to vila at the end of july so i wrote this blog before i left the island. Then i didn't come:





So I'm back in Vila and thought I'd do a nice update on my blog. Actually I'm writing this in a notebook while sitting in my hosue on Ambae, but when I type it I will be in Vila.





I can't really remember what I wrote last time, but I'll just start with what I've been doing since I came back to Ambae in May. Honestly, the first week or two back were hard. It was quite the adjustment going from a five star resort surrounded by all the Americans and Ameican food I could want to being back in my village where I'm teh only American and I'm eating roots. Life in my village is not "hard" in terms of everyday living. I have everything that I need. Sometimes it is hjust hard to read for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and not really talk to anyone about how you're feeling.





After a couple weeks things started improving for me. I feel like I've finally made friends who I can be myself around. I'm not always by myself or with my family, but now I can laugh and joke around with people my age. Before I joined Peace Corps I remember reading how your first year is cultural adjustment and you'll actually do work your second year. I didn't really fully understand that until now. Slowoly people are getting to know me and not seeing me just as the white girl. As much as I'm adjusting to being here, they are adjusting to having me. So maybe next year I won't have 10 kjids staring in my window to watch me read.





In terms of "work" I;ve done some. I have given small workshops for teachers and done some observatyions. I'm also often the substitute teacher when one is out. We've all been wokring on fundraising a lot too. I'm normally designated salesgirl at fundraisers.





At the end of June I got a boat to West Ambae to go see another PCV. I arrived late at night and unfortunately the only telephone within walking distance of me was broken all of June (and still is) so I hadn't gotten a chance to call her first. She was quite surprised and proceeded to tell me that she already had plans to walk to my village the next day with another volunteer and the postman.





So the next day we all set off on the treacherous walk. All the locals say how there is this huge cliff that makes teh walk incredibly difficult. Another PCV had done it and said he had to crawl along using his hands and one wrong step would mean falling down the cliff. Well after 7 or 8 horus we made it. It was quite the hike, but not as death defying as they all made it out to be. Needless to say, the next day we were all fairly sore.





After a couple days of rest in my village, we decided it would be a great idea to climb the volcano. Someone told us we could go up and down before lunch if we left early. We left at 7 am and after 6 hosru of continous rain and mud, we reached the "top" or so we were told. The top of the volcano has 3 crater lakes however all we saw were dead trees and a big cloud. We shoved food in our mouths and started the trek back "down". You'd think it would be quikcker going down, but no, come 7 pm we finally got down. I was cold, wet, my feet were completely cut up, but at least I can say I've climbed the volcano. After that excursion, we took a truck to the luxury provincial center where there is electricity (sometimes), running water (cold only), and a store that sells ice cream. What more could one want?





For July 4th a bunch of us got together at someone else's village for a nice "cross-cultural exchange". We showed them the Shrek 3 movie to exemplify American culture. That and qwe waved around a US flag beach towel. To share their culture, they gave us custom tattoos. I was very indecisive about whether I was going to get one and where, but I knew I'd regret it if I didn't. So for 30 minutes i let some guy stick a thorn from an orange tree, dipped in the juice of a flower mixed with ash, into my foot. The result: I now have 2 parallel lines on the instep of my foot symbolizing "the road to Manaro". Manaro is the volcano, and I figured I might as well mark myself that I did that 12 horu hike to see a cloud, as if I didn't have enough scars from the actual hike.





So since then I have just been hanging out in my village. I got the cutest kitten who currently seems to be off exploring. I hope she comes back soon. Some people have expressed interest in eating her, so i hope she's okay. I have just been reading and playing guitar and doing lots of crosswords and other word puzzles. It's been cold here lately, and it still rains a lot, but not as much as the other season. I couldn't imagine doing Peace Corps in an actually cold country. I don't know the temperature here but sometimes I wear pants and a jacket and I doubt it drops below 70 degrees!





Okay that's the end of my happy little July blog.





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