Home sweet home

Well, it’s the start of my second week at work! Once my camera arrives, hopefully I’ll be able to send pics of my life here on Santo.

I have a great house located in the “fresh wind” area of Luganville, overlooking Segond Channel and Aore Island. I’m hoping the name is reflective of the climatic conditions, especially as it gets hotter! I’m even closer to work than I was in Tauranga! Only about 100m up the road at the Sanma Provincial Council buildings.

The first week of work was the classic orientation, consisting off a lot of reading! The reading continues…. There are two other volunteers from Aussie here: Jess and Jen, as well as Marie (Ni-Van from Santo). Am still to find out what I’m actually going to be doing, but hopefully that will fall into place! Have arranged a site visit with one of the guys from the water and wastewater division, so at least will be able to get out into the field!

Last week’s death of Steve Irwin (the crocodile hunter) was particularly relevant to Wantok Environment Centre: Apparently Steve had done some work here, there’s pics of him on the wall (at first I thought there was some sort of memorabilia to remind the girls of home!). There’s also a “Steve Irwin’s International Crocodile Recue” poster which is classic. For those interested in Bislama it has the following:

- No swimswim witem ol crocodile
- No kiven kaekae long ol crocodile
- No ko long solwota o riva long naet
- No spolem crocodile o mekem hem I kros
- No ko klosap long haus blong mama long crocodile.

*kaekae means food

If we had a flag it would have been at half mast.