from 15 June 2007

Hello, Everybody!Well, technical training is over, and there is one week left of official training. We're in Vila today to do a session on Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluating (as fun as it sounds)... and also to sneak away from our families to buy thank you gifts for them. I'm going to print both of these pictures that I'm attaching, but put the one that I'm not in in a frame, wrap it in calico, and present it to my family as a thank you gift. I'm sure some of you could put names to the faces of my family, but I'll tell you who they are, anyway. In the first picture, from left to right, is Leisei, Armstrong, my papa (Kenneth), in front of him is Liline, next is my mama (Anita) in the back, who has Edmon in front of her and Bianca in front of him, next is my abu woman (Bislama for Grandma; I just realized I don't actually know her first name), and our neighbor Joanna, who happened to be in the kitchen and everyone made sure she was in the photo. They look like a serious bunch - I made sure to say "smile!" before I took the picture, yet no one is actually, really smiling. I love all of them very much, and will miss them when I move away in a week.Everything that I've learned (which, I'm surprised to realize, is actually a lot) is finally going to be useful very soon when I find myself on a plane by myself to live in Epi for two years. It sounds scary when I put it like that, but I'm trying not to let that intimidate me. Elaine (my predecessor) will be there with me for the first two weeks or so to help me settle in (and luckily, since she's leaving, she pretty much already has everything I need so I don't need to rush around buying things and shipping tons of stuff like everybody else, I can buy most of it from her when I get out there), so I think the hardest part might be after Elaine leaves and I'm suddenly the only American in a three hour walk radius. I'm sure I'll get through it, though.Thursday, the 21 of June, is the day that we all swear in. It's a pretty official ceremony and we all say the Peace Corps oath. Right now, the community is working on building a pretty intense stage for us to do the ceremony on that goes out on the solwota. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm told it's quite amazing. I'll be sure to get a few pictures next week so you can see how ingenious the Emua community is, and also how proud they are of all of us. I'm sure they wouldn't bother to build something so intense (just like camping! in tents, get it?) if they didn't like us. Our community really is pretty awesome. And then, we leave them and move out the 22. The week after that until Saturday the 30 something ish or around there I'll be in Vila (where there's stores and internet) to get ready to move. So much to do...Okay, now here comes the shameless plug for mail: I really like it! We all were assigned mail boxes, and it was really humourous today when I got a letter from Tabbi (btw, Tabbi, I read through the first half thinking that your first letter was lost in the mail) and a random letter from a man who goes to my family's church who works with my dad (Don Westhof, because I know you're wondering, Mom). For the rest of my service, you can send emails to this address or send them to volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov if you know I won't be coming near the internet soon, and they will be mailed out from the Peace Corps Office with any mail that was sent there. That address isStephanie Oegema/Peace Corps VolunteerPMB 9097Port VilaVanuatuSOUTH PACIFIC OCEANbut a more direct address that might be quicker and won't have to have extra postage paid by myself (things sent to the office have to be mailed, and I help with that postage) is my address on EpiStephanie Oegema/Peace Corps Volunteer (or Volunteer blong Pis Kops, if you want to write it in Bislama)Malvasi Villagec/o Rovo Bay Post OfficeEpi IslandVanuatuSOUTH PACIFIC OCEANwell, my time is out on the computer, I hope everyone is well!Steph