First blog in country! Sorry I’ll have to make it fast because the Internet isn’t the best right now but I just wanted to check in and say we arrived safely and the first few days have been great, but exhausting!
Alison and me straight after touchdown in Vila town
Welcome sign at the airport
We’ve been in training all day everyday learning about things from malaria prevention and personal security to how to drink kava appropriately and proper swimming attire.
Kava is the national drink of Vanuatu and really, everyone (minus females on many islands) drinks kava socially. Some say it’s a combination of alcohol and marijuana. We had a training session on kava last night where current volunteers came to show us the ropes as well as answer many of our questions about our specific sites. I didn’t feel many effects, mostly just a slight numbing of my tongue and throat. It didn’t taste as bad as it looks like it would but I wouldn’t say it’s pleasant. It looks like muddy water and tastes a little like garlicky cucumber.
Today is our last day in the capital, Port Vila. Tomorrow we will leave for the first of our two training villages. For the next four weeks I’ll be on a small island of Moso learning Bislama as well as cultural traditions such as catching, killing and dressing a chicken! After four weeks we will head to our future sites so I’ll be going to Malakula and spending the week of my birthday there! After that I’ll be heading to Epau for for more weeks for training then finally off to our sites for the next two years! Many exciting things to come, I’ll update as much as I can. Sending lots of love back to everyone!
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