First days in training village

10.1.07

Sunday afternoon around 3 a van picked us up and we road for about 30 minutes to the village of Mangalilui. Awaiting us was the rest of our training group. First house we see is pink. It is my new home. I’m the gate guard. Big joke. We lineup to walk into village. A man in custom dress blows a conch shell and suddenly we are attacked by seven or eight villagers in custom dress. The attack is with screams and laughter. They are dressed in leaves and painted and carry clubs. We march into villager to a very big mango tree. It is the community center. There is a reception line of mamas in calico dresses with leis for each of us. They shake each of our hands and say “halo” There is lean-to with long benches and table, out front more benches. The new trainees go under the lean and sit on the bench. The mamas and children (pikinini) sit on the other benchs under the tree. There is a string band playing. There is a ceremony where the exchange of mats by our director Kevin George and the village chief Roi Mata. Then a big man with a bullhorn begins introductions. There are prayers and then each host family is introduced to their respective new pikinini (we are their new children). Eddie the current PCV living here takes a picture of each of the new papa, mama and pikinini. Much laughter and applause. The big man with the bullhorn is my new papa, Kalfou and his wife Winnie is my mama. Papa is my size and there is big laughter when we embrace. Two bigfalas. Then we are offered kava. I drink with my new papa. The PCTs are given something to eat. Mostly pancakes, a laplap (pudding made from manioc/casaba) and popo (papaya). Simple and sweet foods. The music starts again and I can’t help but start to move. I have a new dance partner. My papa. Apparently I am a perfect reflection of him. He is the village funny man and the chairman of the Peace Corps committee. The village enjoys our dancing and laughs big time.
Papa takes my big bag and we walk to my hut. It is 12 feet across and 16 feet deep. The side is of corrugated tin, painted Pepto-Bismol pink, with a purple door. Inside the walls are covered with different calico cloth. The floor is covered with grass mats. There is a raised bed (small twin size) with a pillow and a blanket. There is a window at the back of the house with a prop open shutter and a curtain. It is quite lovely in it simplicity. I also I have a small table and chair.
I am just now greeted by the children coming back from school. Its 7:30 am and they are very happy and excited. We exchange “halos”. The children go to the village school which is French speaking just outside the village. Maybe two minutes walk. I visited it this morning on a wokabout with my brother Ricky (pronounced ree kae). I have two brothers, Ricky 27 has a wife and two small girls. Ricky is very talkative and is my new escort. Later he comes to visit me and we will tok tok tumas. My other brother is Willie. He hasn’t said much yet.
Again last evening, after a brief settling in to my house I go to the front porch of my family. I share pictures on my computer of family, acting and my glass work. I then show papa how to type and enter on the laptop. He types the whole family’s names. I show him I have saved them and then enlarge and bold them. I am invited to coffee/dinner. It’s instant coffee and fried banana chucks rolled in flour. I eat a few as a courtesy. Then Mama and papa and Ricky talk with me. They give papa’s name as my kastom name (Kalfou). Tomorrow I’ll be asked it by my trainers. I say good night and go to sit in my doorway. Ricky comes over a little later. I have Rimsky Korsakov’s Scherezade playing. I explain the story of a thousand and one Arabian nights. I then invite him in and we talk for more than an hour. He has many questions and I tell him stories. I draw some pictures. To explain big eighteen wheel trucks to go the great distances of America. I also draw a map of the US and point out major cities and the distances. There doesn’t seem to be a total understanding of the expanse. When I go to Vila on Wednesday I’ll get on the net and copy pictures and maps for explanation. We say good night and I retire to bed under my mosquito net. It is an absolute requirement, although with weekly medication and Deet (bug repellent). I am reading a story history of Vanuatu. It makes for more understanding of this wondrous and quiet country. I look to slow down to island time.
I biggest challenge is to speak the language Bislama. It is fairly easy to read and understand (unless spoke very quick time). The language is a Pidgin English. But the order of the words is confusing for me to speak. Everyone here wants to help and they will do everything they can to get me to where I need to be.
It was difficult to get to sleep. I should not have had the coffee. I could hear the wind in the trees and against the house. Morning came early. Well before 6am. Roosters crowing. Other birds as well. I finally get out of bed a few minutes before 6 and went outside to the smol haos (bathroom). When I came out mama was at the wash table outside. I asked her if I could walk through the village on the road. She said yes but went inside to have Ricky escort me. He is a superb young man and an excellent guide and teacher. He showed me everyone’s house and told me their relationships. We walked to the salt water (ocean). Pointed out Hat Island and told me of the War Heritage of Chief Roi Mata, the fifty wives and his burial with fifty circular pig’s tusks on his arms. I learned the kastom language greeting for good morning. Malbong. So to everyone I said it. We returned for my breakfast. Bread, peanut butter, jelly and coffee. Papa comes in and informs me my kastom language name has been changed. It is now Kalowia. It means “wan gudfala man”. I am pleased with it.
Our day started with our trainers at the Mango tree community’s center. I assisted papa in taking a big table from outside into the long house. It is the church now and late it will be a school. The new church is started but has been delayed in process because of another project somewhere in Lelepa (the original home of this clan across the water at a different point. We are given the week’s schedule by Christina. Then we head off for Bislama sessions. Four of us are with Judy. She is a very patient teacher. We work outside under a roof on our mats which we bring from our mamas. It comes slow to me. We then go to the Mango tree for a lunch prepared by all the mamas. Many delicious dished. I have a few bites of several. Some meat, some beans, some rice and a fruit salad. Each of our mamas has brought our plates, glasses and a fork. They again take such wonderful care of us. We eat and then can rest. Some go for a nap. I go down to the water and wade in. I remove my shirt. I smell a bit. I soak the shirt, wipe my torso off and then put the wet shirt back on. It feels so good to be cool and not have flies landing on you. Later that proves to be a wise move as we then have a couple of sessions under the roof and I am no longer bothered by the flies. After Eddie the local PCV gives a joint talk with the chief’s wife our training ends for the day. Several of us will go snorkeling with Eddie and some of the young boys. The reef is beautiful. Many types of coral. It’s in fairly good shape once we get away from the shore. Black sea cucumbers with big bumps, large sea clams perhaps a foot across, hermit crabs, many fish of many colors. I have seen much of this both diving. But it is always wonderment below the water.
I return home. As I walk past the Peace Corps office I see papa and several other men building out back. I stop by and say Halo. Our trainers Solomon and Richard ask me about my swim in bislama. I make efforts to tell them who was with and what I saw. I say Ale and ahead to home. Mama tells me to put my dirty clothes in the bucket in my room and she will wash them. Wonderful. I head to the smol haos for a shower and to rinse my dive gear. It feels good to be clean. When I come out mama is at the back outdoor cook shed. I visit her and she is shaving coconut. I tell I have had a lesson in it. There are six small puppies lying around. I tell her of my mother’s and our family’s kinship to dogs and cats. There are no cats here. Perhaps few on the island. She is cooking coconut crab. I’m excited.
I am sitting in my doorway. Mama offers a chair but I like sitting on the stoop. I relax. I’m tired now. I try lighting my storm lantern. Mama comes over to help but it is out of kerosene. She fills it up and lights it. Now I go in to eat the crab, rice and bananas with coconut cream on them. It is very good and I enjoy it. I am just washing my hands when papa comes in with a bath towel wrapped around him. Earlier I had asked why women and children eat dinner separately from the men. He confirms “its kava time”. We leave together and he shows me to always be careful exiting my house as the corrugated tin protrudes for the wood. They all are so helpful. Its only 7:30 but I’m going to close now and read. Mi hadem wan bigfala gud dei.
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