(17) Monday
Went up the coast trying to get to Port Orly. That failed but we made it to Champaign beach and camped at this Nivan owned resort called Towoc Bungalows run by this lady Jannet Toto. She is pretty great. And here are some photos of it.
It was a unexpected ordeal to get to the site we stayed at... I knew it could be as much as 5000 to get from town to port orly but there is a bus that brings people into town and then back home. The bus in from Port Orly is starts at 6am and costs 500vt and the bus back to Orly from luganville is around 3pm same price. We missed the first bus so then there are some trucks that go there and we tried to get a ride with one but he wanted 1000vt. Val hates it when she feels that she is being cheated or given an unfair price so we passed on that and instead looked for a vehicle that would go to Champagne Beach for 500vt. It took a while but we eventually found one. It was pretty funny the ride in this bus. We waited for about 30 minutes for some mama's to make their way back to the bus stop (if you want to call it that) which was at a gas station, Pacific Gas Station, but buses don't leave without out I guess or maybe they are such regular riders that to leave without them would hurt his business since each bus acts as an independant business. Anyway once they finally came back we made five maybe six pit stops to pick up more produce and fuel and so on... (I was waiting for a chicken to appear in the bus to make it have that whole developing world feel to it but it didn't) then we finally go toward our destination. I was worried a bit because first off we never fully booked our stay, it was getting late and there would be a chance it was full or not available for us to stay at. I was glad I bought bug spray a lighter and my head lamp in case we had to spend a night out on the beach.
We finally get there after about an hour driving... and the resort was nearly abandoned only one newly wed couple was staying there in a bungalow. They set up our tent on the beach we walked around the point to the beach and then returned to the resort's dining house, ate a little bit of food and then pretty much crashed. Semi anti-climatic but happily so. I would have been unhappy being eaten alive by mosquitos on the beach.
(18) Tuesday
It was fun day but a shitty night because of the rainstorm that soaked the tent I was sleeping in. Oh well. Not that big a deal.
I took a bunch of photos so I will post them up now and let that work for a few hours and then backfill some stories about this trip
(19) Wednesday
I just got back home and I was a little stressed but things are ok. The internet problem was all TVL's fault and my counterpart was able to resolve it... WOOHOO... that was a good thing because it means he is learning some stuff from me.
I sat and watched a little of the football game but ran home to get my soaking wet clothing washed and then check on my fam back home... today is my Niece's birthday. She turned 11. Happy birthday Mila.
Oh this photo I took as well and had to post it too:
(20) Thursday
My couch surfer has headed off to her final dive today and I wish her the best on her journey's... she was fun.
So today is Hunters going away kava thing. I offered hosting a BBQ for him in the afternoon via Stafford but have not heard if he wants to do that or not. If he does cool if not whatever. So we will go to his place near his house and that is cool nokemal.
Might be working out with Rich in a bit at about 9am it is 8:17 now.
And I am curious how this whole talk with my principal will go down with Peace Corps admins. He (my Head Master) does not want to allow me to work on secondary sites.
1:00pm
After a workout with rich I went up to get money from the accountant at the school so I could pick up the power supply and fix a PC... then my principal asked to talk with me... the conversation was a bit confusing. What I understood from it was in bits and pieces... He Barthélémy (my principal) is of these beliefs
1) There will be a meeting to discuss my working at Malo (Isabelle, Peace Corps and Barthélémy )
2) I might move to a different site early next year after I finish work at College de Luganville
3) My Principal said I need to ask permission for doing secondary project work
4) My principal said Antoine agreed with him that I need to say I am sorry.
So few more conversations I corrected these statements with Peace Corps informing them that:
1) I have had meetings with Isabelle and my principal about work on malo / no sneaking off business
2) I have only gone there 4-5 times and only once have I not informed him of going there
3) I have only done evaluation "work" not actual construction and these were half days
4) Work at Malo has not interfered with work at the college
5) My Peace Corps admin Antoine should help defend me and not fold like a dead fish.
6) I ask the school to help me perform some sustainable work 10 or 20 times at the school and they FAIL to engage in any work... so I sit and wait for them to come and look for me. I am losing faith they will ever be willing to do the work.
7) Peace Corps encourages secondary projects. I should NOT have to ask permission to work on them... it should only be a courtesy that I inform them of my whereabouts for safety reasons...
8) As long as secondary projects do not interfere with my work at the school there should be no problem. BUT my principal does not want to allow me to do any work outside his location even if there is no impact to work at his school.
These all lead me to thinking that this site is not really an ideal location for a Peace Corps Volunteer.
And my Country Director Agrees. So next we will try and give them one last chance to get their act together or I will move sites.
6:00pm
It was one of the last big kava gathering of peace corps in Santo everyone but Jes who is already back home or going home... Sam, Mike and Mike, Bryan & Kate, Hunter (an hour late), Maureen was there, Rich, myself. It was an interesting time hearing about how Mike Hawkins is no longer extending because he was denied his extension... I was looking forward to hanging out with him next year. He put it this sort this way... "you know you feel after being in a unhealthy relationship and then getting dumped... you see how bad it was and the magical cloud that was around you is gone and you see it for what it was worth... it feels like Vanuatu dumped me."
So mike is out. Then My shit.
It was an interesting kava.
(21) Friday
Well today is the earliest date possible to get our pay in the bank I have seen it deposited on the 21st before and as late as the 27th. Let's hope it shows up today because I am broke again.
Hope nothing ugly goes down today but I know the CD (country director Keith Honda) is talking to my school and trying to resolve the problems I am having there.
Painfully slow day. Tried to get a old school printer onto the network but the touch screen interface is not working... and locked up on the password screen. I wish they did not have that stupid password screen. I mean the printer is in the office... why do you need a password.
(22) Saturday
Today was one of the better days I have had in a while... started off slow just made some breakfast and then I hung out with Daria and we went to beach front. It was really nice.
After that I met up with Rich and Kate and Bryan... and we headed off to Ban Ban... to meet with with his host family and eat a little food. It was supposed to be a marriage celebration and to check on if they guy would buy his bike... turns out no. But after we went to the coolidge dive site to look at the bioluminescent algae and it was scary being in the water at night but we found them and they were amazing. Cool stuff.
(23) Sunday
Just spoke with my parents about the condo back home and things are looking good.
Then Rich came over and I made him a wheat pancake and scrambled egg with pork, tomatoes, onion and a bit of curry and potatoes... and that was a hit. I like to put a bit of strawberry on top with syrup and butter. Almost made him pass out from being so stuffed. I wonder where MIke Hawkins is.
This afternoon we are having a small BBQ and watch some movies.
6:42pm
It was a nice day... weather was great a little hot but sunny and beautiful sunset... we started grilling some steaks potatoes pineapples. Bryan surprised us with some kool aid, grape flavor.
After that Dari showed up and went to Beachfront, Rich Kate, Bryan Daria and myself. Then we returned to my place and watched a really weird movie called the Rover. Not sure I would recommend it. Slow moving. Kind of pointless. Rich feel asleep but he had a dog sleeping next to him so I think it was better he slept than watch the movie.
