Cha-cha-cha-cha changes

After two whistle-stop tours of New Zealand its back to Vanuatu and island time. The trips to NZ were great, for two fantastic weddings (hopefully get some pics loaded at some stage). Great to catch up with friends and family, with a lot of time on both occasions spent driving or in shops trying to fill the shopping list from Ni-Van friends back here. Biggest something: a bush cutter. Unfortunately when I bowled up at the airport I was informed that you can’t take them as accompanied baggage, so am still hopeful that it will get safely in the hands of my friends!

Arriving back at Vila was interesting. While away, man Tanna mo man Ambrym had a bit of a riot/fight in Vila, near the airport, resulting in 3 men dead and plenty of injured. From what I understand, it was black magic from man Ambrym: they killed a man, gutted him, hid him, used black magic to change into his form for 5 days until the entrails were discovered. Interesting. A state of emergency was declared, with plenty of police hanging round, although it seemed pretty stable during my short time there. One of the men killed lived in Santo and was good friends with Rocky, but there hasn’t been any retaliation in Santo.


March seems to be the season of change. The weather is starting to cool a lil’bit… the fan isn’t on full blast all night anymore. Avocado’s are still in the market (why did I forget the corn chips!!!!) and am even thinking of going for a bike ride in the near future.

Change is also happening in the expat/volunteer community. Jen, one of the “3 misis” has now finished her assignment and is winging her way home. Ian and Reinhart, two builders at Surunda Bay who we catch up with intermittently, are heading back to Aussie and SA respectively. Also, under a cloud of suspicion, the co-owner of the Aquamarine Dive Shop has been forced out of the country. Rumours are rife: the best one being that there is a major drug network amongst the expats here that she’s been involved with. Ahhh… how the rumour-mill turns! Having had little to do with her I have no idea, but it’s definitely the scandal about town.

So as with all farewells there have been plenty of events: dinners at local restaurants, lunches at the market, laplap galore. We even managed to throw a party at Decostop for Jen, with sunset drinks and general hilarity well into the night.

Work, in all facets, is starting to settle down. We’re off to Malo next week for a workshop (which has been postponed at least 4 times so I won’t be surprised if it doesn’t happen). A few environmental impact assessments and the preliminary stages of a major roading project that I’ll be involved in (de ja vue?) will hopefully keep me out of trouble. Its like working at Opus and NRC backagan… except you can do all the different jobs as its island time : )

I’m also pinning down my work at Kamewa School, the biggest primary school in Santo. I’ll be going in twice a week for a couple of hours, doing reading assessments and associated activities. Later this year I’m also doing a module on NZ for my friend Rocky’s year 6 Francophone (French speaking) class. My aim is to do it in French, but it will probably be a bit of a French/bislama combo I imagine.

And of course, football is bubbling away in the background.

Anywho, its good to be settled again, back to routines of French lessons, storianing witem ol friend blong me, smol spel etc. Off to a birthday laplap for a friends 1 year old pikinini on Sunday. Hopefully I wont have too big a hangover from St Paddies day!

Lukem yufula : )