Saturday, December 3, 2011
Project Video
The video below shows the building project we have been working on the past several months in the village. It was a really big project that involved the entire community working together to expand our community hall and repair the woman's house. Thank you to all the supporters who donated to the Peace Corps Partnership Program which funded the project, everyone here is very, very appreciative!
Friday, September 23, 2011
New Photos
Click on the link below to see photos from the islands of Futuna, Aneityum, Tanna and Efate
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Trouble in Paradise
After completing my holiday tour in the south of Vanuatu, I returned to my village where the locals were in the midst of our latest community scandal. Apparently a young man had been "stealing" another man's wife many times over the past year. To make matters worse, the young philanderer has impregnated the woman he was having an affair with.
The young philanderer has a girlfriend of his own that he has lived with for years- and the couple have a 3 year old child. So it was a shock to the community that this young man was caught cheating on his long-term girlfriend. A boy actually discovered the young man with the other woman in the act somewhere in the dark outskirts of the village.
The young man is from the island of Malekula but lived in my village after he began seeing his local girlfriend years ago. We played on the same football team. The woman he was "stealing" is from our village as well, but her husband is from the island of Tanna, an island that is perhaps unjustly reknowned for fighting as a means of settling disputes.
The man from Tanna was devastated after hearing the news. Especially since his family had adopted the young man from Malekula and provided him with food and shelter, he felt as if his trust had been violated. He along with his brothers marched straight for the boy from Malekula, who had been hiding in another family's kitchen ever since his affair had been exposed the previous night. They dragged him onto the main village road and began beating him.
The man from Tanna and his brothers took turns beating the young man from Malekula. They gave him black eyes and split his lips, blood flowed freely from the young man's nose, ears and around his eyes. Some village boys stopped the fight quickly after it started but found it hard to restrain the man from Tanna who vowed that he wanted to kill the young man.
Later in the afternoon, the head chief of the village held an emergency meeting about the scandal. The young philanderer was fined a cow, kava and mats and around $500 to be paid to the chief's, his girlfriend's family and the man from Tanna whose wife he "stole". The man from Tanna and his brothers were charged $300 each for fighting inside of the community. The "stolen" woman was fined also for being involved in an affair. Finally the chiefs ruled that the young man from Malekula must leave the village with his girlfriend, he would no longer be allowed to live in our community.
I returned to the village the night before the young philanderer's departure. The community threw a large goodbye party for the young man and his girlfriend. It felt strange eating cake and drinking kava in honor of such unusual and uncommendale actions. But then again I am always looking for an excuse to eat cake and drink kava.
The young philanderer has a girlfriend of his own that he has lived with for years- and the couple have a 3 year old child. So it was a shock to the community that this young man was caught cheating on his long-term girlfriend. A boy actually discovered the young man with the other woman in the act somewhere in the dark outskirts of the village.
The young man is from the island of Malekula but lived in my village after he began seeing his local girlfriend years ago. We played on the same football team. The woman he was "stealing" is from our village as well, but her husband is from the island of Tanna, an island that is perhaps unjustly reknowned for fighting as a means of settling disputes.
The man from Tanna was devastated after hearing the news. Especially since his family had adopted the young man from Malekula and provided him with food and shelter, he felt as if his trust had been violated. He along with his brothers marched straight for the boy from Malekula, who had been hiding in another family's kitchen ever since his affair had been exposed the previous night. They dragged him onto the main village road and began beating him.
The man from Tanna and his brothers took turns beating the young man from Malekula. They gave him black eyes and split his lips, blood flowed freely from the young man's nose, ears and around his eyes. Some village boys stopped the fight quickly after it started but found it hard to restrain the man from Tanna who vowed that he wanted to kill the young man.
Later in the afternoon, the head chief of the village held an emergency meeting about the scandal. The young philanderer was fined a cow, kava and mats and around $500 to be paid to the chief's, his girlfriend's family and the man from Tanna whose wife he "stole". The man from Tanna and his brothers were charged $300 each for fighting inside of the community. The "stolen" woman was fined also for being involved in an affair. Finally the chiefs ruled that the young man from Malekula must leave the village with his girlfriend, he would no longer be allowed to live in our community.
I returned to the village the night before the young philanderer's departure. The community threw a large goodbye party for the young man and his girlfriend. It felt strange eating cake and drinking kava in honor of such unusual and uncommendale actions. But then again I am always looking for an excuse to eat cake and drink kava.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Holiday Part II - Futuna
The island of Futuna does not receive many visitors or tourists. There is no phone service for much of the year, a cargo ship carrying supplies arrives once a year if fortunate and many locals do not speak the national pidgin language of Vanuatu. Instead of warm greetings when arriving in a village, many locals would shuffle off the road at the site of me and small children would cry thinking that they had spotted a "white devil".
The island itself is not typical of Vanuatu. It is an extinct volcano whose steep 600 meter climb juts violently out of the South Pacific. Commuting from one village to the next involves climbing up and down sheer cliff faces of several hundred meters. Going to the garden is very dangerous for locals, should they slip while carrying their heavy bag of manioc, death or serious injury is a possibility.
A project to improve the island's footpaths funded by the goverment has been ongoing since 2004. Railing has been installed shielding pedestrian from trecherous falls, ladders have been bolted in the sides of mountain walls and cement walkways have made access in rounding Futuna much easier. I marveled to see the amount of work involved in upgrading the footpaths on Futuna. Tons and tons of cement has been carried manually up and down mountain sides, as trucks or even horses would be incapable of moving far on this island.
I stayed with the family of my former next door neighbor from Aneityum. After my hosts warmed to me, their shyness gradually faded. The people of Futuna are kind, but complain about the diffulties they face on their island. Kava is sent by plane twice a week to the island and local men fight to have a shell or two. Within 10 minutes of my arrival, old men were inquiring to my young host as whether or not I had tobacco with which to share with them. After informing them that I was not a smoker, they exchanged irritated faces and hobbled offwards, presumably having no more use for me.
Futuna is blessed with very rich aquatic resources. There is not much of a coral reef, rather the ocean drops off to drastic depth close by the island. But selling fish and lobster to the community fisheries project is the main source of income. I ate fish every day on Futuna and left the island with one of the largest lobsters I have ever seen.
It was an interesting 4 night stay. Many good photos from climbing to the very top of the dormant volcano and from the half-day trek around the island. The muscles in my legs definitely ached from the constant climbing, jokingly I referred to the locals as wild "nanny-goats" as people from Futuna share a similar lifestyle to those mountainous animals.
The island itself is not typical of Vanuatu. It is an extinct volcano whose steep 600 meter climb juts violently out of the South Pacific. Commuting from one village to the next involves climbing up and down sheer cliff faces of several hundred meters. Going to the garden is very dangerous for locals, should they slip while carrying their heavy bag of manioc, death or serious injury is a possibility.
A project to improve the island's footpaths funded by the goverment has been ongoing since 2004. Railing has been installed shielding pedestrian from trecherous falls, ladders have been bolted in the sides of mountain walls and cement walkways have made access in rounding Futuna much easier. I marveled to see the amount of work involved in upgrading the footpaths on Futuna. Tons and tons of cement has been carried manually up and down mountain sides, as trucks or even horses would be incapable of moving far on this island.
I stayed with the family of my former next door neighbor from Aneityum. After my hosts warmed to me, their shyness gradually faded. The people of Futuna are kind, but complain about the diffulties they face on their island. Kava is sent by plane twice a week to the island and local men fight to have a shell or two. Within 10 minutes of my arrival, old men were inquiring to my young host as whether or not I had tobacco with which to share with them. After informing them that I was not a smoker, they exchanged irritated faces and hobbled offwards, presumably having no more use for me.
Futuna is blessed with very rich aquatic resources. There is not much of a coral reef, rather the ocean drops off to drastic depth close by the island. But selling fish and lobster to the community fisheries project is the main source of income. I ate fish every day on Futuna and left the island with one of the largest lobsters I have ever seen.
It was an interesting 4 night stay. Many good photos from climbing to the very top of the dormant volcano and from the half-day trek around the island. The muscles in my legs definitely ached from the constant climbing, jokingly I referred to the locals as wild "nanny-goats" as people from Futuna share a similar lifestyle to those mountainous animals.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Holiday Part I - Aneityum
After spending 9 months straight on the island of Efate, I was beginning to become a bit stir crazy. One work project after another left your favorite under-appreciated volunteer craving some rest and relaxation. So to escape from the stresses of work- I decided to take a trip south, to visit Futuna for the first time and to be reunited with old friends on the islands of Aneityum and Tanna.
I travelled to Aneityum first, my previous home for 2 and half years. It felt good to see some familar faces once again, but unfortunately my trip coincided with a time of grieving on the island. A local politician who I knew very well and who was extremely supportive of my work on Aneityum, passed away 2 days before my arrival. This councilor was around 50 years old but had a certain heart condition that left him under strict doctor's orders not to drink alcohol/kava, smoke or eat certain foods. Sadly, over the Independence Day celebration he ignored the doctor's warnings and drank, which many believe caused his stroke. My first few evenings on Aneityum were spent sitting with his relatives in the nakamal, where we shared kava and dinner in rememberance of the late Area Councilor.
A week after the Councilor's passing, 2 other locals died. One mentally challenged ten year old girl whose dress caught on fire in the kitchen and badly burned her and a woman who died during child birth in Port Vila. Needless to say it was a sad time for the island and all the families gathered together again to eat together and mourn for several more days.
Tourism has really increased on the island since my departure. Aneityum was recently cleared as a Port of Entry for yachts entering the country. So 4 or 5 different multi-million dollar yachts were anchored in the main harbor each day. My host father Kolin has undergone training to become a Custom's Officer. Being a genuinely warm person he was often the recipient of a new pair of sunglasses or a hat that generous yachties would give to him.
On the three cruise ship visits that I witnessed during my vacation, a massive P&O cruise liner would dump several thousand tourists on Mystery Island for a few hours. On these days, Kolin would board the ships to give a departure clearance before the cruise liner was permitted to go to the next destination. His visit to the ship allowed him to join the tourists having lunch at the buffet and he would report back to me on what new and interesting "white man" dishes he had sampled that day. I highly recommended he try "pizza" when the next cruise ship visits and he sincerely took note of my sage advice, asking me to repeat the name "pizza" a dozen times until he had the name properly memorized.
It was interesting to observe the cash flow of Australian and New Zealand dollars into the community. 5 years olds would flaunt fresh 20 dollar bills around the village, their share of the earning after a few hours of singing church songs. My friend John's 6 year old son followed me to the store where I was shocked to watch him pull out ten dollars and buy the cookies and lollipops of his choosing.
I ate lots and lots of fresh, delicious fish. Went trolling in a small boat where I spotted the first humpback whales I have ever seen in the wild where and we caught a large wahoo provided us with lunch, dinner and breakfast the following day. Went fishing with a light weight tackle rod my sister and brother-in-saw mailed me and caught 4 large "trevally", a tasty "mustache fish" and a 3 and half foot long, skinny, mysterious looking fish that was also delicious when fried. I ate lobster and turtle and sat down at many a meal that old friends had prepared especially for me.
We walked around the island sleeping in the more remote Port Patrick for several days. Local chiefs had recently lifted a ban on fishing in certain areas of the reef. The fish in these areas were not afraid of people as they are in other places. John was able to use his casting net to walk right up to large schools of blue fish. Within a half hour on the reef we collected a basket full of fish and giant clams that difficult to carry back to the familes that were hosting us.
In the village of Umej I was reunited with my old dog Superman, who looked relatively healthy and happy with the exception of having only one eye now. A boy who was angry with Superman's new owner stabbed my former dog in the eye with his knife. Thankfully, Superman's new family took issue with this abuse and the boy was heavily fined by the chief.
Mobile phones have been introduced since my departure from the island as well. It felt odd watching locals use them in a place that had previously been serene and devoid of noisy ring tones. Now most teenagers stare at phones and text incessantly as they strut around the village.
Anyhow it was a good trip and 2 weeks went by too quickly. Will write about my short trip to Futuna for my next entry. Currently, I am on an island called Tanna which has a small shopping district that could perhaps technically qualify for a town. Will be heading into Middle Bush for a few days to see some old friends but will post again on my return.
Lukim yu...
I travelled to Aneityum first, my previous home for 2 and half years. It felt good to see some familar faces once again, but unfortunately my trip coincided with a time of grieving on the island. A local politician who I knew very well and who was extremely supportive of my work on Aneityum, passed away 2 days before my arrival. This councilor was around 50 years old but had a certain heart condition that left him under strict doctor's orders not to drink alcohol/kava, smoke or eat certain foods. Sadly, over the Independence Day celebration he ignored the doctor's warnings and drank, which many believe caused his stroke. My first few evenings on Aneityum were spent sitting with his relatives in the nakamal, where we shared kava and dinner in rememberance of the late Area Councilor.
A week after the Councilor's passing, 2 other locals died. One mentally challenged ten year old girl whose dress caught on fire in the kitchen and badly burned her and a woman who died during child birth in Port Vila. Needless to say it was a sad time for the island and all the families gathered together again to eat together and mourn for several more days.
Tourism has really increased on the island since my departure. Aneityum was recently cleared as a Port of Entry for yachts entering the country. So 4 or 5 different multi-million dollar yachts were anchored in the main harbor each day. My host father Kolin has undergone training to become a Custom's Officer. Being a genuinely warm person he was often the recipient of a new pair of sunglasses or a hat that generous yachties would give to him.
On the three cruise ship visits that I witnessed during my vacation, a massive P&O cruise liner would dump several thousand tourists on Mystery Island for a few hours. On these days, Kolin would board the ships to give a departure clearance before the cruise liner was permitted to go to the next destination. His visit to the ship allowed him to join the tourists having lunch at the buffet and he would report back to me on what new and interesting "white man" dishes he had sampled that day. I highly recommended he try "pizza" when the next cruise ship visits and he sincerely took note of my sage advice, asking me to repeat the name "pizza" a dozen times until he had the name properly memorized.
It was interesting to observe the cash flow of Australian and New Zealand dollars into the community. 5 years olds would flaunt fresh 20 dollar bills around the village, their share of the earning after a few hours of singing church songs. My friend John's 6 year old son followed me to the store where I was shocked to watch him pull out ten dollars and buy the cookies and lollipops of his choosing.
I ate lots and lots of fresh, delicious fish. Went trolling in a small boat where I spotted the first humpback whales I have ever seen in the wild where and we caught a large wahoo provided us with lunch, dinner and breakfast the following day. Went fishing with a light weight tackle rod my sister and brother-in-saw mailed me and caught 4 large "trevally", a tasty "mustache fish" and a 3 and half foot long, skinny, mysterious looking fish that was also delicious when fried. I ate lobster and turtle and sat down at many a meal that old friends had prepared especially for me.
We walked around the island sleeping in the more remote Port Patrick for several days. Local chiefs had recently lifted a ban on fishing in certain areas of the reef. The fish in these areas were not afraid of people as they are in other places. John was able to use his casting net to walk right up to large schools of blue fish. Within a half hour on the reef we collected a basket full of fish and giant clams that difficult to carry back to the familes that were hosting us.
In the village of Umej I was reunited with my old dog Superman, who looked relatively healthy and happy with the exception of having only one eye now. A boy who was angry with Superman's new owner stabbed my former dog in the eye with his knife. Thankfully, Superman's new family took issue with this abuse and the boy was heavily fined by the chief.
Mobile phones have been introduced since my departure from the island as well. It felt odd watching locals use them in a place that had previously been serene and devoid of noisy ring tones. Now most teenagers stare at phones and text incessantly as they strut around the village.
Anyhow it was a good trip and 2 weeks went by too quickly. Will write about my short trip to Futuna for my next entry. Currently, I am on an island called Tanna which has a small shopping district that could perhaps technically qualify for a town. Will be heading into Middle Bush for a few days to see some old friends but will post again on my return.
Lukim yu...
Thursday, July 14, 2011
50th Anniversary DVD
In early February of this year, I was asked to join a committee of volunteers and staff that would be organizing the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Peace Corps. Every Peace Corps country around the world received around $5000 each, to spend in a manner of their own choosing to commemorate the big anniversary. So being a part our Peace Corps Vanuatu committee, I proposed we make a DVD using local artists to promote the work of volunteers within the country.
Anyhow, we will be posting the entire video on YouTube throughout the next few weeks. Here are the links for the first four segments for your viewing pleasure...
Monday, June 6, 2011
Whale Vomit
Ambergris or "whale vomit" is highly sought after here in Vanuatu and some businessmen offer large sums of money to locals who luckily stumble upon the substance in coastal areas. It is hard to recognize as "whale vomit" is undistinguishable from stones to the untrained eye. The first time I saw a notice on the island offering cash payment for "whale vomit", I was highly amused to say the least, assuming that it had to be some sort of practical joke.
The following content below comes from Wikipedia:
Ambergris occurs as the secretion of the intestines of the sperm whale and can be found floating upon the sea, or in the sand near the coast. It is also sometimes found in the abdomens of whales. Because the beaks of giant squids have been found embedded within lumps of ambergris, scientists have theorised that the substance is produced by the whale's gastrointestinal tract to ease the passage of hard, sharp objects that the whale might have eaten.
Ambergris is usually passed in the fecal matter. Ambergris that forms a mass too large to be passed through the intestines is expelled via the mouth, leading to the reputation of ambergris as primarily coming from whale vomit. Ambergris can be found in the Atlantic Ocean and on the coasts of Brazil, Madagascar, the East Indies, the Maldives, China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand and the Molucca islands. Most commercially collected ambergris comes from the Bahamas in the Caribbean, particularly New Providence
Ambergris has been mostly known for its use in creating perfume and fragrance much like musk. While perfumes can still be found with ambergris around the world, American perfumers usually avoid it because of legal ambiguities. It was banned from use in many countries in the 1970s, including the United States, because its precursor originates from the sperm whale, which is an endangered species. However, it has been legal since 2005 because of strict monitoring of distributors who ensure that only ambergris that has been naturally washed to shore is sold.
Ancient Egyptians burned ambergris as incense, while in modern Egypt ambergris is used for scenting cigarettes. The ancient Chinese called the substance "dragon's spittle fragrance". During the Black Death in Europe, people believed that carrying a ball of ambergris could help prevent them from getting the plague. This was because the fragrance covered the smell of the air which was believed to be the cause of plague. This substance has also been used historically as a flavouring for food, and some people consider it an aphrodisiac. During the Middle Ages, Europeans used ambergris as a medication for headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other ailments.
The following content below comes from Wikipedia:
Ambergris occurs as the secretion of the intestines of the sperm whale and can be found floating upon the sea, or in the sand near the coast. It is also sometimes found in the abdomens of whales. Because the beaks of giant squids have been found embedded within lumps of ambergris, scientists have theorised that the substance is produced by the whale's gastrointestinal tract to ease the passage of hard, sharp objects that the whale might have eaten.
Ambergris is usually passed in the fecal matter. Ambergris that forms a mass too large to be passed through the intestines is expelled via the mouth, leading to the reputation of ambergris as primarily coming from whale vomit. Ambergris can be found in the Atlantic Ocean and on the coasts of Brazil, Madagascar, the East Indies, the Maldives, China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand and the Molucca islands. Most commercially collected ambergris comes from the Bahamas in the Caribbean, particularly New Providence
Ambergris has been mostly known for its use in creating perfume and fragrance much like musk. While perfumes can still be found with ambergris around the world, American perfumers usually avoid it because of legal ambiguities. It was banned from use in many countries in the 1970s, including the United States, because its precursor originates from the sperm whale, which is an endangered species. However, it has been legal since 2005 because of strict monitoring of distributors who ensure that only ambergris that has been naturally washed to shore is sold.
Ancient Egyptians burned ambergris as incense, while in modern Egypt ambergris is used for scenting cigarettes. The ancient Chinese called the substance "dragon's spittle fragrance". During the Black Death in Europe, people believed that carrying a ball of ambergris could help prevent them from getting the plague. This was because the fragrance covered the smell of the air which was believed to be the cause of plague. This substance has also been used historically as a flavouring for food, and some people consider it an aphrodisiac. During the Middle Ages, Europeans used ambergris as a medication for headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other ailments.
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