Week 6: Wokabaot

Hi everybody!I just got back from Epi, a 40 minute plane ride over other islandsand the Pacific Ocean from Efate. I got to spend the week with thewonderful Elaine (she's sitting behind me as I write this...)following her around, getting introduced to other villagers inMalvasi, where I'll be living, and the surrounding areas. It was goodto see where I'll be living after Elaine leaves (just because I knowyou're wondering, it's a woven bamboo house with a thatched roof, aseparate swim haos and a separate smol haos, and the floor is made ofcrushed coral covered in mats) and to get a better visual idea of thesort of things I'll be doing. Which I'm not really sure of yet, butit's good to know more than I did before.This week was really good because Elaine was with me. Elaine is thecurrent volunteer in Malvasi, my future site, and has been there foralmost two years. She knows just about everybody, so she introducedme to everybody we met and told me something about them. Because wewere together, we could walk to other villages to see people there andexplain to them that after Elaine goes back to the US, I'll be livingin Malvasi, trying to do the same thing she did. We also went toElaine's garden and did a little weeding so it'll be a little moreready when I want to use it (I know nothing about gardening - tips arewelcome!), and talked tons about what village life is like, the sortof toktoks Elaine has done, and just overall good things to know.Later on today, I go back to Emua Village to finish training. Thenext two weeks are technical training in which I will learn about theMinistry of Health here in Vanuatu (from what I've learned so far, atleast they have a name to start with...) and health issues that we asvolunteers can address. After technical training, there's a week wherewe learn simple things that aren't so simple, like banking, mailingthings, and communication, and then I swear in! By the end of June,beginning of July, I'll be heading out to Epi for good.Check out the Flickr website (www.flickr.com/photos/peacecorps20a) forsome pictures of me scratching a coconut (img_1229, 1330, and 1331)and wearing my Mother Hubbard (img_1352, 1363). When I come back toVila and can get faster internet at the internet cafe, I'll sendpictures of my future home.I hope everyone is well!StephStephanie OegemaPeace Corps/VanuatuPMB 9097Port VilaVanuatuSOUTH PACIFIC OCEANor email: volunteer@vu.peacecorps.gov