Christmas and New Years Second Time Around

Amazing! The second Christmas and New Years here. last year was a decidedly ex-pat/baby doc affair. This year I was keen to do a more Ni-Van holiday, and I guess that reflects that most of my close friends are Ni-Van here.

As with all things in Vanuatu, plans are likely to change. Plan A (sounds familiar) was to go to Malekula with Rocky and his family, but following an aborted Sanma Mini Arts Festival (Chief Calab Sur who was a formative member of the organising committee, passed away on the second day of the festival following a custom ceremony the night before. Due to custom the festival was then cancelled) they were unable to get enough money to go.

Having lived in Vanuatu long enough to know that a Plan B-F is probably useful, Bridget and I decided to Christmas at Side Riva with Isabelle, Bong and Isabelle's family and friends. After finding our "secret friend" for Christmas presents, and making some classic Christmas treats to bring with us, we headed to Side Riva on Christmas Eve, enjoying a swim with the pikinini, helping prepare for the party and storianing.

Donning our island dresses, Isabelle, Bridget and I headed to midnight mass at Sainte Therese, joining Warren and Christine (new First National Real Estate owners) outside to listen to the mass. Then it was back to Side Riva for the presentation of gifts (with plenty of powder and perfume sprayed around) and then a sumptuous feast including a suckling pig. The music started, the whisky flowed and pretty soon an all night soulee was in progress. As I spend a lot of time at Side Riva, I tend not to get too much hassles from the boys (ie "Misses, me luvem yu"). However, it was Bridgets first time there, so like a new toy at Christmas, she had to contend with three 15 year old boys, one 60ish old man and a guy from Air Vanuatu. Ah woo, especially when the three boys are hanging off her at once! At about 4 o'clock in the morning, we called it quits and retired to the safety of Isabelle's mums house.

Christmas day is more about the pikinini, so lots of swimming, kakae and spel smol.

In between christmas and new years Bridget and I were invited to a wedding at Reef Motel, so we donned the Mother Hubbards again and went with Malvina to her cousins wedding. A lot of the family from Malekula was there so it was great to catch up with everyone from Lavalsal. The ceremony in true island style started 2 hours late and was very western. Later that afternoon we went to a house at Pumpstation for the custom presentation of gifts and speeches. While I've been to a wedding here before, this was the first time that I saw how the women of the bride openly grieved for the loss of the girl to another island (even though they had a 7 year old daughter and were living in Vila). Some of the women seemed inconsolable, although the display of such raw emotions at weddings, funerals etc is expected in the appropriate circumstance).

I returned to Side Riva for New Years which begun with a First Shave Ceremony for a neighbours firstborn son, Rex. The first shave is done by uncles of the boy and the ceremony is to welcome him to the beginning of adulthood (although it was definitely stressed in the toktok that it was the beginning, and there was a long road to go before he was a man). Plenty of powder again (everyone loves shaking baby powder on you at events), kakae and drinks. Then a smol soulee at Isabelles house followed by another kakae at around 10pm at her brother's house. Just before 12 we jumped into Bong's taxi and headed for the streets. At midnight all the trucks and taxis in town drive from one end to the other, beep-beeping, while people stand beside the roads singing aot, throwing water bombs etc. Lots of fun! Back home, more kakae, dancing, although an earlier night for me and in bed by 2am. Phew! The beginning of 2008!