First Large Community Meeting

So the water pipe broke, and the source of the water is beginning to be spoiled, and not everyone has been paying their water fees. Which is 100 vt ( $1.00 US) but keep in mind that's a LOT of money here. So for 6 months the fee is 600 vt. This fee goes to maintain the pipes and since that hasn't been paid by everyone, the pipe hasn't been fixed yet.  Right now the water runs because it's a taped up job but it won't hold for long.  Part of this is also due to the community not meeting together. So today my counterpart called a huge community meeting.  This meeting was emotional for me because the people here are soft spoken most of the time and since the mamas are in a separate place, it makes it even harder to hear. Also people spoke in both language and bislama. I only know basic bislama so there were times I was completely lost.   Since this has so much to do with work Peace Corps has done and it's vital to my project (water seal toilets), I really wanted to understand.  

I only spoke up once and that was when the mamas opinions were asked and I shared what I heard and what I felt. But I said over and over it's not my opinion that counts, it's the community. There was a lot of discussion and a few cross words BUT in the end a plan was put into place and the fees hopefully will be enough to properly repair the pipe. 

It was interesting to see how things were handled.  After the meeting I had my counterpart give me a summary to make sure I understood the important things. 
It will be an interesting two years here, that is for sure :-)

Until next time

JumpInTheJungle

Rainy Saturday

So I woke up to rain Saturday, which meant the ground was muddy outside, which then means I stay close to home as I just haven't learned to walk on muddy mountains yet. So after breakfast (boiled ripe bananas with coconut milk and avocado) my sister and I then split open Nanaimbe (a nut), cleaned them, and then after setting the sweet aside to soak, we boiled them. Then one of the guys from the village came over and he and Papa made my solar box.  (A box to hold up the solar.)  While they did that I finished unpacking the last pile of things and now everything more or less has a spot in my house. I also put up a world map and photos.  I realized a few important people are missing so please send photos.  The kids loved looking at them, it made me smile. 

After the box was done and Mom and I flattened out the mats, it was time to go to the garden. (I bought seeds to plant salad and since it was raining they wanted to plant them) but me and my sister already had plans to make coconut oil before we knew about the garden so we stayed and it was a blast. We fought over me scratching the coconuts, she didn't want to let me do any of it, so we came up with a 2 by 2 rule where she scratched 2 then I scratched 2. After making the oil, which takes some time, we rested a little. I practiced knots and then got really bored and started to read.  Shortly after, my sister walked by and I talked her into trying Uno. We played 8 rounds and then decide 7 luck would be better. We played that for 2 hours and some other kids joined in and left along the way, some came and looked at the photos and map. It was fun. We finished up around half past five.

Papa was the first one back from the garden and he shared all he had planted and where. I'm excited to see how they grow. Then Mama came back and we started dinner. My sister and I tied island cabbage while Mom cleaned yam. I then milked a coconut over the cabbage and we put them on the fire to boil.  Then I went to swim (wash via a bucket) and came back and played silly games with my brother and one of his friends until dinner.

After dinner we showed everyone the coconut oil we made today and I headed to my place to get ready for bed.

I brushed my teeth, flossed, then washed my feet off again before I headed to bed. I then wrote this post and it's only 7:44pm and I'm fighting to keep my eyes open!

Wow how my life had changed and I say for the better!

Until next time
JumpInTheJungle

BEST Laplap Ever.

So for breakfast Mom made a yam laplap inside of bamboo. There was no coconut milk in it. It was just scratched yam roasted inside green bamboo, but man did it taste AMAZING! I think it's gonna become a staple over the next 2 years. I might make a video and show it to you next time.  Sooooooo yummy! 

Until next time

JumpInTheJungle

Shrimp....no, Craw Fish

So when we went down to the river, my brother and sister joined shortly behind. After they got there my little brother went on a hunt for crawfish. About 15 minutes later he came back empty handed.  My mom decided to try.  And over who knows how long, she tossed two big ones and one small one up on the rock by me.  My job was to keep them from going back into the river, which took more effort then I thought it would, but I managed. We went home with three crawfish which later my sister cooked for me in banana laplap. I wish I knew how to get them to stop giving me the best they have.  I'm honored, it but I don't want them not to enjoy things just because I'm around.  It's complicated some times. I tried to eat one and offer the other, but they wouldn't eat them. Finally, my mom ate the heads (which I don't like at all). But maybe a year from now I'll be the one catching them and cooking the

Until next time

JumpInTheJungle

River

So in the name of "exercise" (I plan on doing a lot of things under that reasoning) we walked down to the small river. And by down I do mean DOWN, like slight drop offs down. It took a bit of courage as downs are very hard on my knees and I'm still not 100% from my oral surgery BUT I did it even after falling down. We made it and it was a small running stream.  Mama was explaining to me how the mamas would have to do the walk in the soft mud during rainy season to get water to cook, to bathe, and to clean clothing and dishes. She said how grateful she was for the last Peace Corps and how much the water taps changed their lives. She told me about mamas who got injured, how people just wouldn't wash after a long day because of the hike. I honestly wish I could have recorded her standing in the stream talking about how, because of a Peace Corps volunteer, their lives were forever changed and the mamas were safer now. Jasmine, the previous volunteer here, truly changed this village and the lives of the people in it.  And, to be honest, mine! There is no way I could make that hike multiple times a day, as I know she did, and I'm so grateful she did. I'm also grateful for her hard work and determination.  

The walk to the river put a lot of things into perspective.  As now, the water system is starting to need repairs and fees are hard to collect in rainy season because no one comes to buy coco, or coconut flesh (copra), so no money is made.  But the day I arrived my counter part (the person I work directly with in the village) came to me and said, "Sunday we are having a water meeting, repairs need to be discussed!"  I was so happy and proud that I get to help sustain the work that Jasmine put in. Yay for second generation sites!!! Here's to seeing what I can do. 

Until next time

JumpInTheJungle

It's my birthday!!

So since it's my birthday I thought I would do 30 things I have learned turning 30 in the Peace Corps!!

1. I have learned I can do hard things.
2. I have learned I am only as old as I act! (Some day's I'm 2 some 40!!)
3. I have learned to laugh through the tears.
4. I have learned being present is worth so much more then just being there!
5. I have learned we need each other.
6. I have learned nothing happens when you try and do it all on your own.
7. I have learned life is NOT about me, it's about US, WE, & THEM.
8. I have learned hanging on to a rope isn't as fun as letting go some times.
9. I have learned dancing randomly is necessary for sanity.
10. I have learned falling is a part of getting places.
11. I have learned mud covered legs are OK it means you made the journey.
12. I have learned that I take myself to serious, no one else expects me to get it right the 1st time. .
13. I have learned physical letters are like hugs.
14. I have learned the world is much smaller then I ever thought.
15. I have learned we all want to know the WHY behind what we are asked to do.
16. I have learned the successes aren't always as important as the growth of failures.
17. I have learned what is said isn't as important as HOW it's said.
18. I have learned anger changes NOTHING!
19. I have learned I don't need things I need people.
20. I have learned people really just want to know you care.
21. I have learned dancing in the rain can cleans the soul.
22. I have learned if you really want it bad enough you will figure out a way to make it happen.
23. I have learned the sun is always there even if right now you can't see or feel it..
24. I have learned sometimes the heat from a dying fire is more effective then flames.
25. I have learned everyone has knowledge, slow down you never know what they might teach you.
26. I have learned there is always more then ONE answer to a problem!
27. I have learned the size of my waist has NOTHING to do with what I am capable of.
28. I have learned time is only how we judge moments of life!
29. I have learned that others opinions only matter if you let them.
30. I have learned that I still have so very much left to learn!

Food!

I've talked a lot about island cabbage, I thought I'd show you what it looks like.

This is a photo of the food I brought back from the two markets on my whirlwind of trips out to site and back. You'll notice some HUGE cucumbers, they were 200 vt. (The easiest is to see the number and move the . over 2 to make it dollars 200vt = $2.00.  It's not direct BUT very close). The oranges were 30 vt.  The pomplemouse?  (Which is a big grapefruit and comes in red and white) it cost 30vt.  The island cabbage, which are the big bundles, are a standard 100 vt but the bundles change in size. Next you have bundles of freshly pulled peanuts still attached for 100vt. So basically everything on that table cost $10.00 total. Talk about an awesome day at the market.

Awkward Moment

So there was an area meeting today and all the men meet with all the chiefs.  After the meeting ALL, and I do mean ALL, of the young men from Gallaley (a village on the other side of the bush) came to shake hands and story. They have a new Peace Corps volunteer as well, so we swapped stories. It will be interesting to hear what they go back and share. But after about 5 minutes of talking I was looking at a line of 13+ men who I had very little to say to. Thank goodness my papa was coming back from the garden so I could make dinner, or else we might have sat and looked at each other for an endless amount of time. But as awkward as it was, it was also kinda cool to stop and meet a whole group of guys from a village that's a three hour walk away! It'll make it easier when I go do co-teaching over there and vise versa. I'm sure this is the first of many awkward moments ahead in my life. 

Until next time

JumpInTheJungle

Seven Luck

Seven luck is a card game that you play with face cards BUT it is more like uno. 4 is reverse one turn, 2 is draw 2, 8 is skip, J is how you change the suit or #, Joker is a wild card that you lay a card on top of it and it changes the top playing card. The major difference is that the 7 of Hearts ends the game at any time and the person with the highest points has to shuffle. I recently learned the cards are called different things among the different islands. For example in Efate the queen is Misses, here in Womul it's called 16 ( the number of points it cost).  Here there is also Pig, I'm still not sure which card that is. 

Any way, the other day I was sitting under a fruit tree playing with my host family and before long half the village kids were over and a few adults. Card games seem to be a universal get-together activity which I plan on using. Now if I can only teach them spades....in due time I'm bound to win.  Lol 

Until next time

JumpInTheJungle

Laplap

Today there was a big meeting so Mom and I made laplap. I swear there is something relaxing about scratching starch down to a liquid/solid state. I went into the kitchen and took over so Mom could finish the clothes before the rain came. I must have scratched about 20 green bananas; my hands were covered.  But it was so relaxing. My little sister scratched the coconuts,  I don't like those as much.  Mainly they make my wrist hurt after 2.  But we just sat in the kitchen and made laplap and made small talk.  My sister is still shy around me, I think that will change in time but I still love making her laugh,  Which I do rarely and normally by splashing water on her.  But none the less it's fun! Cooking takes a lot of time here but it is something you're rarely in a rush to do.  And I'll be honest right now, I enjoy making laplap more than I enjoy eating it.  But that too I'm sure will change with time. 

Until next time

JumpInTheJungle

Power of the Web

One of the projects I'm working on is toilets at site. My site is full of soft mud, so it makes the pit toilets a bit harder due to the flooding.  I have been in Vila for some medical stuff so I had the internet.  I downloaded TED talks. If you aren't aware of TED, PLEASE go check it out! www.ted.com 

Anyway, I was listening to toilet talks and one of the presenters happens to be a professor at my graduate school. I sent him an email, honestly not expecting a reply (because I know how busy teachers are), BUT I got a reply and we were able to connect via Skype.  I now have more information about toilets and UDDT (Urine Diverting Dry Toilets) then I could ever have found on my own. I'm so excited.  Yes, I said I'm excited to read about toilets!  Oh Peace Corps, what are you doing to me?  lol. Any way I diverge.  I think it's just amazing what the Internet can do! The possibilities are endless for changing the world and yet I still spend a large amount of time on Facebook when I'm in town.... think this might change as I have less and less access to the world wide web (www). I'll let you know what I learn from all the info I got.

Until next time

JumpInTheJungle