Friday, 25 April 2014

CONTACT: Our First Visitors


It is a hard act to follow when my husband speaks of sarongs and Island culture so eloquently.  But my job is quite different.  Today, I am the recorder of events and happenings.

 
Sue, Joe and Sammy
 



We had an amazing visit from our dear friends Sue and Joe and their 7 year old son Sammy.  They arrived April 1 and spent 2 weeks with us.  Although we visited so many different sights, we managed to maintain a fairly relaxed agenda that usually included a walk into the town of Lenakel for a daily ice cream cone (OK…maybe that happened more than once a day but that was a little atypical).  Our first adventure was to Blue hole # 2 which, in my humble opinion, is much better than Blue Hole #1.  Blue Hole #2 is a deep bowl that is encircled by the inner reef.  What makes it really special is the wide variety of reef fish that remain  in the bowl as the tide goes out.  As a result, there is a high concentration of fish in a rather small area and the clarity is much better than on the reef itself.  The highlight was when Anna spotted a green turtle that was resting at the bottom of the pool which you could dive down to see it much closer.  It was great to see and all the kids got the opportunity to see the turtle up close. 

The next day, we hired a boat to take us to the Blue Cave which is located on the Northwest coast.  One might not know the blue cave exists unless someone pointed it out to you because the opening is under the high tide mark.  When the captain anchored the boat and was describing where we should go, we all knotted obediently but we were all thinking “huh?”. It wasn’t until you got very close that you could see a small sliver of an opening as the waves receded. It was really amazing once you dove under the lip of the cave and found yourself in this cave that resembled a cathedral dome.  There was an opening at the top that allowed sunlight to be funnelled into the cave, creating beautiful beams that lit up the back of the cave.  The colour of the ocean inside the cave was vibrant blue due to the sandy bottom.  It was quite something, especially watching all the kids swimming in and out of the cave by diving deep under the cave entrance. 

 

Next was our trip to the volcano.  We left mid-afternoon to ensure we would be at the top prior to sunset.  Watching Sue and Sammy in the back of the truck with the wind blowing in their faces, and Sammy smiling a mile wide was just great.  We were very lucky to view the volcano when it was erupting at level 2.  This indicated the intensity and the frequency of the explosions. The volcano did not disappoint!  Huge rumbling eruptions and lava being propelled into the sky every 1-2 minutes was pretty thrilling.  Sean sealed the deal when he presented each adult with a cold Tusker Beer at the top.  What a thoughtful man!

 

A highlight for all of us came a few days later when we visited the traditional  village of Yakal about 1 hour south of Lenakel.   The local people continue to live the way they used to, prior to external influences.  Tours operate from the resorts bringing tourists to Yakal and  one would contemplate whether the locals put on a  show  for the tourists, but from what I saw, I certainly didn’t get that feeling.  We were not part of a tour,  but rather had the chance to offer medical advice to the people.  We also went there to visit  new friends that have been living with the Yakal people for 4 months.   This Australian  family (Ben, Janita, River and Atlas Dean) have immersed themselves in the culture completely.  They are living in a traditional hut, eating all local food, and spent the first 2 months gathering local stories and experiences.  They then wrote a screenplay and are currently filming the story using local “actors”.  It was quite a privilege to be able to spend the day with them and experience the kindness and generosity of the Yakal people. 

 

Certainly the attire differentiated us and them.  The local men wear the traditional namba. This is the penis sheath that Sammy and my children couldn’t wait to see (OK….maybe the parents too).  Although I could imagine Sean and or Joe giving this a try, I would prefer not to.  It consists of a waistband and a woven grass sheath that resides over the male’s genitalia.  We spent quite a bit of time trying to ascertain whether the sheath also contained the testes.  Despite our best effort, and respecting the boundaries of others, our question remains unanswered.  When I say “our”, I am really referring to Sue’s and mine as it would slightly inappropriate to show such interest in front of both our husbands and our children.

 

Anna has such a wonderful way with the children.  She engages with them so easily and they respond in kind.  She subsequently provides the opportunity for Sasha and Sammy to also get involved.  She is really something to watch as she approaches the kids in a kind and respectful manner,  and reaches out with irresistible warmth. She will have 2 or 3 children hanging off of her within minutes.  She was given a beautiful shell necklace by one of the girls that was really very special for her.

 
 


 A traditional dance was performed for us.  The men and boys danced in circles, stamping the ground with their feet in rhythm.  The women sang on the periphery and were quite amazing to listen to.  There was one  woman in particularly that never closed her mouth as she sang perpetually.  Everyone really looked like they were enjoying themselves.  Once the dance was finished, we all walked down the dirt pathway to the bottom of the ravine.  You could hear the waterfall from several hundred meters away that fell into a small swimming hole.  The kids were the first ones in and we all followed.  The water was so cold but it really didn’t matter.  The kids were all jumping off the cliff walls into this small, and not so deep, pool.  I started reviewing my old lifeguarding emergency  procedures like cervical neck stabilization, but thankfully did not have to apply this.  It was really one of those life moments as we all played in this tropical pool with a cascading waterfall nearby.  It was quite something to share this day with our friends who have travelled all the way from Canada to visit us.
Young dancers of Yakal

 

Although we did other excursions, the time spent just hanging out and experiencing the life on Tanna was equally as fun.  Sue and Joe and Sammy fit right in and embraced the island life.  Joe, in particular, took on the much appreciated role of cook extraordinaire.  He remained highly motivated to create unique dishes that incorporated the local food.  He even took on the courageous job of making cava from scratch.  One blender down and a sore forearm from grinding the root, we had ourselves a homemade cup of kava that tasted a heck of a lot cleaner than usual. 

Sue and I will have long-lasting memories of the cava at the nakamel on the beach.  In case either of us forget, the video footage will serve as a constant reminder of our experience.  Too funny!!!

They left on April 14th, and as sad as it was to see them go, we all felt a great satisfaction in being able to share our unique Tanna experience.  A huge thank you out to them for coming!!!

 

Andrea

Sunday, 20 April 2014

Photo Essay #2





 


Guess which one is Sasha


 

Step into my office


 







 






 






 







 





 

Sasha's favourite place



 

You can never have too many volcano photos


 

The ash cloud after an eruption


 

Our hospital team plays the inter-island football championships


 






 






 

Our favourite local beach. Sunsets are hard to go without once you get in the habit.




 









Lukem you,

Sean



P.S. Sahsa has some great photos of our trip to a coastal sea cave on her blog: Vanuatugr2.blogspot.com

Wednesday, 16 April 2014

Say Yes to the Dress


Today was a day I never saw coming. While I have envisioned many experiences that I want to share with my children, today’s activity was not one of them. All right, I’ll just come right out and say it. Today Anna and I went skirt shopping and she helped me pick one out…for myself. What can I say? I needed a backup one.

 
Ah, the humble sarong, an item that has become as dear to me, and evokes as much sentiment as one of my trusty pairs of hiking boots. I’ve seen it called by many names here: the sarong, the sulu, the lavalava, the pettigoat, and the pereo.  Anna had given me one for my birthday in March, knowing I had been intrigued by them for weeks. Now I wanted a second one in case something happened to the first while travelling on vacation.

 
It’s an exceedingly simple item, in essence just a big thin light drape. Often they are brightly, even effeminately coloured, with lots of floral prints. Men here commonly wear them wrapped around their waist like we westerners might secure a bath towel, or tied in some manner around each leg, the overall effect being akin to a short pant for a genie. I have not as of yet been able to unravel (or rather ravel) the latter method. My first attempt resulted in my lying restrained and incapacitated on the floor until my family returned home to release me. Men and boys wear them commonly as every day wear or often as swimwear. The local Presbyterian college even uses it as part of their mandatory uniform for boys. When I first encountered a large group of them, all dressed alike in their sarongs and carrying bush knives, I could feel my mind working overtime to process the opposing forces in the image; boys in skirts, religious children brandishing knives, people rushing towards me with weapons but laughing and smiling, what the hell…?
 

The most common mistake for those men new to the sarong is sitting in an, “un-ladylike”, manner and unwittingly making one’s privates, not so private. Hardly second nature for us western fellows; it does require some getting used to, not to mention ample amounts of forgiveness from one’s children. Whether or not there are any nuances of fashion attached to the length of the hemline, I cannot yet say. Around knee length or just past seems to be about right.

 
While it does take a bit for a North American guy to get over the whole “skirt” thing, once you do it’s a revelation. They are terribly light, cool and comfortable to wear in a tropical locale. Always easy to pack along and have available for after a swim, you can also use them to cover your head when too hot or to shield your arms or legs from mosquitoes at dusk. A sarong is probably not strong enough to use as a tow rope if your truck gets stuck in a Tanna ditch, but I’ll bet you it’s been tried. I’ve been so impressed that I’m considering adding the sarong to my list of all-time beloved items. This is a list of things for which I feel an undue admiration due to their simplicity of design, functionality, reliability and versatility. In short, they share the capacity to open up a world of possibilities.  Among others, I count the humble climbing carabineer, the stainless steel surgical clamp, the elegantly forged mountaineer’s ice axe, the classic bandana and the venerable mountaineering boot. It's embarrassing to admit how much I want to add Captain America's shield and the X-Men mutant Wolverine's adamantium claws to this list, but there you go. It’s too soon to say just yet if the sarong will make the final cut. Potential candidates need a little longer track record, but I like its chances, and it just may carry its cousin, the ubiquitous Vanuatu bush knife, into the Hall of Fame with it.

 
Finally, I would be remiss today if I didn’t applaud the adaptability of my eldest daughter Anna as well. It is not every pre-teen girl that would feel comfortable skirt shopping with their father, for their father. Of course I’m sure it helps that we are in a different hemisphere from anyone she might encounter at home. At her request though, I’ll try not to make a habit of it.

 


Sean


 
 






 

Saturday, 12 April 2014

"You know me?" Ohh.....You mean tsuNAMi !

Early today a 7.6 magnitude earthquake occurred off the Solomon islands which is near Vanuatu. An urgent tsunami advisory was issued for the island of Efate, Vanuatu where we are currently staying for a few days, in transit to the islands of New Caledonia for 2 weeks vacation. I immediately had the girls change into their bathing suits in order to prepare. You know me, always thinking.

We have just learned that the warning has now been lifted after minimal wave activity. Still, the period of uncertainty was long enough for us to have the experience the feelings of a possible impending natural disaster. So far I can count cyclone, tsunami and volcanic eruptions, as well as dengue fever plague among the possible experiences that I have chosen to expose my children to in order to broaden their horizons. If you let me count the small skin sores that seem to take forever to heal as a "pox", then things are starting to sound very Old Testament. Perhaps we'll have to contend with locusts next.

At any rate, I just wanted to let people back home know that all is well with us, in case they might have heard about the earthquake. We leave for New Caledonia on Monday which is French ruled and very modern, to enjoy some good coffee, pastries and wine for 2 weeks before heading back to Tanna.


Lukem you,

Sean