Vanuatu

Four of us are in the boat.  The driver is taking us from Moso island, across the channel to Efate, But first we make a stop elsewhere on Moso to pickup someone else. A woman who I do not know is in the boat, but she is not from Moso.  A small boy is with us. The two are related somehow, like people here are.  By that I mean that there are no "distant relatives" here like there are in the U.S.  Family is family here. The driver ties off the boat, and goes to get the other passenger.  The woman, the boy and I are waiting in the boat.  The boy has infinite energy, and can't stop climbing over everything. I am next to the woman, who is trying very hard not to be sitting next to me.  She won't look my way, instead keeping her head turned to the right, peering under the dock.  She is leaning toward it too, as though she is about to step out underneath it.  There isn't anything under the dock, only large dry rocks. I try making conversation while she tri

The purpose of this post is to help out other volunteers who have a bad day.  Not a terrible day, just a bad one.  It is good to accent the positives, and important not to dwell on things, but sometimes things suck.  It is nice to read how something sucks for someone else, and their thoughts on it. So here you go. A couple weeks ago the school headmaster (Paul) tells me about a fundraising walkathon for the North Efate Principals Association (NEPA).  I say I'm happy to participate--I like walks.  He has me make copies of the fundraising signup sheets. Then Sunday night at about 8:00pm, I learn through my host father that the walkathon is the next day.  He's going because Paul told him about, and it sounded like good exercise.  Not knowing I plan on going, he asks me if I want to go too.  Our conversation goes something like this. Me: What?!  It's tomorrow? Terry: Yes, didn't Paul tell you? Me: Yes but not the date.  What time is it? Terry: We have to

Here are my photos and notes from my medevac trip to Bangkok.  I've given up posting photos to Blogger.  It just sucks. Keep reading this post for more details about my medevac experience.  But all photos are at the link above. __________________________________________________________ I didn't leave Bangkok because I had to go to the hospital every day for one reason or another  But I did get out and see a fair amount of Bangkok.  Easily the big highlight for me was the food.  The highlight was a bicycle tour of the city. Here's what medevac looks like. Once the PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer, or doctor) orders one, the PC office makes flight arrangements, a hotel reservation, and handles everything.  The volunteer just needs to collect any paperwork, listen to the rules, sign some stuff, collect a per diem, and show up for the plane. I had only come to Port Vila with the clothes I was wearing (shorts, underwear, polo shirt, flip-flops), my laptop, phone a