One of my mantras here is to have "no expectations"...schedule a meeting and wait. Could be a couple hours or it could be noone shows up. Thank God for books.
People in my village often ask me if life is better in America...we have nice houses, cars, TVs, computers so of course we do, or not? I always tell them it's not better, but different, although I could argue that in many ways it is better here in Vanuatu. There are no homeless people, no starving children, no war. If you get a chance to watch Meet the Natives (I've only seen the UK episodes), it shows 5 men from Tanna, Vanuatu experiencing life in England and there's a particular scene that I like...they are in a big city and they see people sleeping on the streets and ask their hosts, why do they sleep on the street, where are their families, mama and papa, uncles, aunties and why don't they build them a house? How simple...why not build them a house?
Not only are there no homeless Ni Vanuatu but they have amazing land that grows almost anything. Kumala (sweet potato), yam, taro, manioc (casava, my fav), peanuts, cucumber, tomato, pineapple, pomplemousse (like grapefruit but sweeter), cabbage...I eat so well here and I love laplap despite those gagging right now (alex). When my Mama makes it with heavy coconut milk, coming right off the heated stones, my mouthwaters...yum.
Since subsistence farming is the way of life here, the Ni Vanuatu are lucky to be able to live off the land which in turn makes education seem less important in order to get a job to earn money to feed their family. Money is mainly needed for school fees and household items but students often don't find education important which can be a challenge here.
Youth here do not "date". Boys and girls unless they are related do not socialize much together so it's either you don't associate or are friending and having sex, bare a child and then marry...weddings are expensive so it often happens in this order. Arranged marriages happen often as well.
With no electricity, no lights in my village, I have come to appreciate the moon to light the way at night. I've never seen the stars so bright and been so drawn to the energy of the moon.
Many ask if I feel I am making a difference here, whether I am "saving the world"but I don't want to make any claims that I am making their lives better...I can certainly list the projects I've worked on but ultimately, I feel it's the relationships, the friendships that I've formed that I know make an impact. Not only am I a part of a family and community but I've found a second family here and they've shown me love and generosity that I will forever cherish.
