The highlight recently has been our mail. We have really appreciated the parcels that have arrived over the last couple of weeks. Books, chocolate, spices, magazines – just amazing! Perhaps our excitement over our mail means that we have largely got over the stress of settling into what is a completely different lifestyle. Hard to believe that we are now completely relaxed about waiting two hours for a ceremony to start or that it’s no hardship to stand in the queue at the Post Office for 20 minutes to post letters that have already got the stamps on them.
Maryann has been working at the Education Office getting ready for some workshops that will take place in June. The people here are so keen to get to these workshops – they are eager to learn, especially learning stuff that might be useful for teaching their children. Maryann is off to Port Vila next Friday to attend a workshop on the kindy curriculum for Vanuatu. It will be a nice break and she’ll be able to meet up with some of the other volunteers from NZ who are based in Vila.
I have been working part time on a Manual for Schools for the Principal Education Officer. It is like a “How to run a School” document that includes a School Manifesto, Financial Requirements, Performance Management, Behaviour Code, Maintenance Plans etc If it’s accepted then there will be workshops for Headmasters on Leadership, Performance Management and Counseling. Probably keep me busy for up to a year.
Last Wednesday we went to the launch of a Tourism DVD for the Malampa Province. It was supposed to start at 3pm but was held up until 5.30 because the plane with the dvd was late. We have bought a copy of the dvd and there are certainly some great attractions in this province. Unfortunately I don’t think that the infrastructure is quite ready – maybe that has to develop as the tourists come because I don’t think the money is there to build the infrastructure ahead of the tourists. There are two NZ VSA volunteers coming to Lakatoro in August to work with the Provincial Tourism Office. I think we are lucky to be here now as I think it will be quite different in just a few years.
We are still finding the people here incredibly generous. This week alone we have been given 8 pawpaws, 2 fish, 2 bunches of bananas, laplap, bananas cooked in coconut, 4 pomplemouse and a bowl of plum type fruit. This from people who have much less than us – very humbling!
Our house is now pretty much furnished. A massive wardrobe arrived this week and we have turned the two bunks into four beds. Curtains are up, local mats are on the floor and we have got stuff up on the walls – feels like home. The insects are one of the annoying things for us. We have to be so careful about food because within a short time there are hordes of ants trying to carry any crumbs off. At night these little centipede things appear and start marching across the floor. Two nights ago I picked up 28 of these things and threw them outside – harmless apparently but a nuisance. Mosquitos haven’t been a problem but we do hear about people catching malaria in this area so we will keep taking the pills.
We have applied to TVL for a landline so we can get email even if only on dialup. To do this I have to dig a ditch from our house to the road – about 150 metres – and this needs the permission from the local chief. I will toktok with the Chief this afternoon and hopefully will get the go ahead. Then probably a week of digging the ditch!