aftaaaa

2 May 2015

As I said, a lot has happened since returning for the whirlwind adventure that was cyclone Pam. While all of the houses in Matanvat still stood after Pam, there were other impacts to report. There were many coconut trees down, however the majority had been cut down in preparation and did not fall down due to high winds. There were many other trees that did fall down because of the winds but luckily most were out of range to damage houses, kitchens and other village infrastructure. The most damaging aspect of Pam was what she did to the gardens.

Ni-Vanuatu rely on their gardens to give them the majority of their food. With the exceptions of rice, tinned meats and ramen noodles, most of the food we eat comes from the ground in the bush and Pam had done a number on the bush. Nearly all of the banana trees fell down but luckily most of them were able to be replanted. Others were stripped of their fruits and discarded. Pretty much all of our island cabbage was damaged and still can’t be harvested. Much of the avocado and mandarin fruits that had grown before the cyclone had been thrown from the branches and it would be awhile until we could harvest, if at all, before the season ended. Luckily the yam gardens weren’t too badly damaged and soon we should be able to harvest the yams that have been growing for almost a year. Yams are just the best – waelu, wild yam, African yam, all the yams! Life has been different food wise but not as terrible as predicted. We’ve been eating more rice and boiled bananas but there has been food. Soon enough we should be harvesting island cabbage regularly and back on the simboro train once again.

I’m so glad that I didn’t spend any more time in Vila after getting back from Sydney because on the Monday after I returned we got to welcome a new baby into the family. Tawi Trisha (married to my brother Riki) gave birth to a small girl on 30 March. My Dadi saw this birth of a new baby girl as a sign that God was replacing Mami with a new girl so naturally this baby was named Noyline after Mami. A week after small Noyline was born Tawi Trisha’s family came to Matanvat so we could celebrate her birth. Tawi Trisha’s family come from the Big Nambas tribe and apparently they have a special kastom game they play during times of celebration—they instigate a water fight with the other family. Before I realized that I was in the middle of a kastom water fight I was drenched by one of Tawi Trisha’s brothers. As a lover of water balloon fights I couldn’t just sit around while everyone else played so I grabbed a bucket and began chasing after the one who had soaked me.

Water fights are fun because it just water. However, this water fight soon escalated and became something I wanted no part in. Soon after I joined the fight one of my Tawi’s brothers and one of her sisters approached me and dumped water on me then grabbed my head and rubbed flour mixed with water into my hair and clothing. This was so aggressively done that my earring was ripped out of my ear. I was glad to find the earring but done with this game that was going in a direction I didn’t really want a part of. I had lost my bucket to the other team and retreated to my sister Lisa’s house to ride out the fight with her. On my way I saw my brother grab a rotten papaya and smash it in a bucket of water so he could throw it on the other team. Shortly after, while safely hiding with Lisa, we heard reports of both teams going down to the ocean to mix sand with salt water to use as ammunition. We were both relieved we weren’t a part of the fight and focused on trying to end the game so we could eat the 5 sorsors that had been prepared for the occasion.

As darkness approached the game finally came to a truce and we prayed, sang and ate in celebration of baby Noline. I climbed into bed that night, full of good food, exhausted and annoyed to still be finding flour stuck in my hair but also happy for what I had just taken part in. Now I’m in the downhill coast of my service. I have less than a year left so I need to make sure I enjoy and learn what I can while I’m here.

The next morning I realized that all the water had been emptied out of the two basins I use to wash my dishes. Clearly the fighters had been short on ammunition and grabbed the dirty water I use to clean food off of my dishes…I didn’t mind so much but felt bad for the guy who had the water thrown on him. Not only was there food particles, a spoon and dead flies in the water, there was bleach too.