May 2006

The second kitchen (with cooking fire) on the right and the path specially mown for us to our toilet. Due to the many other people around it has been used by others so they have put up a sign that reads: "Toilet ia blong tufala waetman nomo. Tanku tumas" This toilet is for the two white people only. Thank you.



My new shadow, the principal's granddaughter, Josephine. She has become somewhat of a shadow, following us everywhere and often visits to see what we're doing, climb on our laps, play with my hair and share (our) food with us! She's a little "stronghead" and (to put her in context for the van den Bronk family) she reminds us a great deal of Igochi when she was small, she has the same way of strutting around. She looks a bit shy in this photo, the camera doesn't always tell the truth!!!



The front of our house with the newly erected verandah for us to sit under (we just learnt it is not water proof but it is a good bit of shade!)



I have only just come back to Nikaura as the principal went off to a teaching workshop on literacy for a week and after being there for a day she sent for me. The message got to me as we were walking through town and a woman just stopped me as she was going into the shower to ask if I was the volunteer at the school (there are a couple of other white people around with the youth conference so it would be hard for them to know why we're here at this point). She told me that the "headmistress" had sent a message that I should join her so I got to go to the workshop where I met up with Priscilla, who was one of the facilitators (the teacher who was Em's counterpart at Fres Wota school last year) and Claire who is Em's replacement!

We're able to put up this blog because Nic is going into Vila to do a tour of the Roi Mata sites which is a tourism project that a couple of other Australian & an American volunteer have been working on so he can kill two birds with one stone and will put this up when he gets there.

We were just visited by a young woman from the village who came to give us a pawpaw for no apparent reason other than to welcome us. The children in the village still stare when we walk past and giggle after they say hello.... everyone has been lovely, it's great to be on the island!

Miss you all!
Lukum yu nekis taem!

(that hopefully translates as "The first time we go to Epi")
How did I go, Em?
We arrived in Epi after a really slow boat ride, due to the rough conditions, at 2:30am (we were 'scheduled' to arrive at about 11pm to midnight) Needless to say we were pretty happy to get onto dry land, the highlight as we got into the wharf was seeing jumping fish in the spotlights being shone by the boats crew.
Our arrival happened to coincide with the National Youth Conference which is being hosted by Nikaura this year. So we have turned up to a much inflated population (there are about 500 youth delegates here for the conference - Nic thinks only 350 but I'm not sure!) And there's plenty going on.
We were also welcomed to the island by the volcano, Lopevi, quietly bubbling away. It was in fact, our first view of the island as we arrived in pitch darkness and could see the lava in the distance. Lopevi is only about 10km away from us in Nikaura and we have replaced watching TV with sitting out on the beach watching a volcano erupt!
Here are a few quick happy snaps from our new place.
Our bedroom resplendent in blue mozzie netting: