(24) Monday
So far been a slow day. I tried making a printer work on the network but the heads are dirty and it get stuck inside. Also every time I try to add it to the network and they restart it it loses it connection.
I gave up on it for a bit had a lunch with Rich and Kate and Bryan. Nice LUNCH.
Last week of hanging out with my Rich so Frisbee tonight. It is so hot out... oh well. Time for a nap.
Ended up playing some ultimate Frisbee yesterday one of the last games with Rich. Hunter showed up.
(25) Tuesday
Went into town had some french fires and a pastry at Attar. Nice lunch.
Not sure what else to do to consume the day until we have spaghetti at Bryan and Kate's tonight.
No news about my site from Keith.
I fixed a printer and now I am tempted to take a play a video game and kill time.
So I hear what is probably going to happen now.
1) I am moving from my site at college de luganville.
2) Might move to Staffords site. Not sure yet. His house is 1/3 as nice as mine... kind of a rough move in that sense.
Little depressed with this but that is what I am dealing with.
(26) Wednesday
I love this article on this : http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/french/2014-11-24/vanuatu-la-peine-de-mort-pour-les-sorciers-pourquoi-pas/1392587
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Vanuatu: the death penalty for wizards, why not
Updated 24 November 2014, 5:08 p.m. AEDT
Caroline Lafargue
Willie Jimmy, the former finance minister, called for a law to punish the practice of black magic.
Sorcery
(Credit: AFP)
Willie Jimmy spoke from torture and hanging of two men on the island of Akam in mid-November. Songi Samuel and Simion Bahvaus were suspected of killing villagers practicing black magic. The public execution was conducted by Presbyterian ministers and chiefs of the island. In all, forty people participated in the torture. They were placed in custody after the crime, but we do not yet know who was indicted.
According to Willie Jimmy, witchcraft is a scourge that the current legal system does not fight. :
"I am even ready to support a bill that would provide for the death penalty for criminals who use black magic. »
In Vanuatu, the legal system is based on the British and French system. To convict someone, you have tangible evidence.
"The problem we have, we who believe in black magic is that the legal system inspired by the West needed to provide concrete evidence, yet it is very difficult to prove a case of black magic. »
Perhaps that is why no law punishing witchcraft has never been adopted in the country, while the debate resurfaces almost systematically with each new news story which alleged witches are the victims. On the other hand, the international community would not see a good eye restoring the death penalty for extremely hard to prove crimes. Willie Jimmy:
"The international community does not have the same traditions as we do. Our Constitution states that Vanuatu is based above all on traditional Melanesian values before Christian principles. So our Melanesian values are alive and well, good and bad. »
Punitive raids against suspected witches are quite common in Vanuatu. Earlier this year, police rescued in extremis a man suspected of practicing black magic in a village in eastern Efate. The villagers were about to drown.
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Yeah I mean it sucks that this country can't pass a law to trial people for witchcraft and execute them based on very weak evidence... that would be a really great thing if they could just start murdering the people (that probably agitate the status quo) and put them in a phoney court trial for charges of casting spells.
My friend Amanda will land in Santo today about 7pm. Last visitor I will likely be having as I am not sure where I will be living in the next few months.
Tonight we have ultimate frisbee and a going away thing for Rich and Hunter.
(27) Thursday
My couch surfer showed up last night very late. I figured she was lost or missed her plane. The gift she got me she lost so I am sad about that. Oh well. This country in general is consistent on a few things, one is constant disappointment.
Today is thanksgiving with the widdips... (not sure how to spell their name) that should be fun. I suggested that Amanda go into town and talk with a dive place to arrange going for the next few days while we send off Rich in style.
Now that I am forced to deal with considering my service in this country and decide if I want to try moving to a new site I am wondering if there will be any point to it. This place has proven a great many things to me, one of the biggest is that the locals are mostly hell bent on not doing anything when they can get away with it. I came here to help, not to do it all, if there is nothing resembling a true counterpart then who am I helping to learn something, is there any point to helping here at all or am I just basically free labor that is unwelcomed, unthanked and mostly I should stop caring about their causes. I am not sure yet.
I am pretty close to hating this place but I am not used to feeling anger like this. Perhaps there is this sincere annoying desire that I get, that some people here try to pretend that everything here is fine and magical and that the culture is valid and does not suck shit but sadly that feels vapid to pretend such things. I find that there are so many negatives about being here I have a hard time finding any positives. They have nice beaches. I don't really like beach. They have turtles. OK true. The people are nice if you don't really need anything and want to pretend they care about you. Vanuatu is an abusive relationship I am just curious how it will backhand me today.
(28) Friday
So it is five am and my principal decided that it was a good time to play childrens pan flute music the same song over and over and over and over and over and over and over... because he is a thoughtless.
The sunrise was nice but I love this guy so much. Good morning Vanuatu!
9:00am
It was my school's graduation ceremony and I was asked to wear their shirt that fit poorly and was extremely itchy and hot so I could walk around and take photos of my principal and all the people at my school I never got to know and that never made me feel welcome. So I took a 190 photos in the first 30 minutes of the graduation thing and then left. Which felt pretty great not being there and yet doing some work to make them happy.
1:00pm
After being freed from the bondage of my school I hung out with my friends, and we met up at deco stop and swam in the pool.
6:00pm
Amanda was tired from her diving but I went ahead and met up with the other Peace Corps at end blo coltar. I spell it wrong for sure, because it is a stupid bislama word meaning end of the cold tar road but whatever... we sat around drinking the kava drink. I went mostly to say goodbye to the friends that are leaving.
They went to beachfront after but I went home and made pasta with Amanda. Best to save money versus blowing twenty dollars on a mediocre pizza and five dollar shity beers.
(29) Saturday
Soon I can get out of here and head up north and enjoy a stay at this resort called Towoc... near champaign beach. Getting as far away from my school is the best thing possible.
I hate my site I am assigned but I should try and not be so hostile towards this place.. they are not all mean like my principal. So... sorry I went off the other day and bashed everything as much as possible. And even though I hate kava does mean I should call it crap.
5:45am
The sunrise was really beautiful this morning. And No stupid music from my cruel principal.
Double win.
7:45am
I woke from one of my strangest dreams in as long as I can remember. Maybe the hope that this whole nightmare is coming to an end is allowing me to remember my dreams again. I was in a Vanuatu wasteland of buildings some decaying and others were new ones being made. I was attacked and chased by dogs, lured into strange seductive cavernous mazes and bizarre dragon like creature again attacked me but I survived and in the end I woke up feeling like I ran the gauntlet of horrors and made it out alive.
11:30am
We had one last big group that went to Aore Island and we goofed off at the pool for hour and hours.
On the Boat with Rich and Hunter and Mike, the three returning volunteers from Santo.
This photo is me with Daria and her animal Filo... It was super sunny and I used my iphone to take this shot, so this photo got a bit blurry too bad it is blurry she's very beautiful and her dog is cute.
6:00pm
So Bryan, Kate, Amanda, this Kiwi volunteer, Rich and I hung out at my house and watched a great movie called Brazil. I can't believe they have never seen this movie before. The sound was shit on it I think my copy of the movie was with a bad sound track.
(30) Sunday
Today... I woke up and made some breakfast and now just sitting and thinking about what today might entail. One option is to go with Rich and find a place way upstream on the Saracata River and jump from cliffs into the water. I thought today we were BBQ'ing and I already invited the baby docs... but they is ok if we don't they might not show up anyway.
9:30am
Amanda my house guest is going to go Aore Island again, she forgot her special suntan lotion there and hopes to find it. I doubt it will be there.
3:30pm
Just returned from the last river plunge with Rich on the Saracata. I took some photos... here they are:
5:30pm
Going away grill party photos taken:
My friend Amanda will land in Santo today about 7pm. Last visitor I will likely be having as I am not sure where I will be living in the next few months.
Tonight we have ultimate frisbee and a going away thing for Rich and Hunter.
(27) Thursday
My couch surfer showed up last night very late. I figured she was lost or missed her plane. The gift she got me she lost so I am sad about that. Oh well. This country in general is consistent on a few things, one is constant disappointment.
Today is thanksgiving with the widdips... (not sure how to spell their name) that should be fun. I suggested that Amanda go into town and talk with a dive place to arrange going for the next few days while we send off Rich in style.
Now that I am forced to deal with considering my service in this country and decide if I want to try moving to a new site I am wondering if there will be any point to it. This place has proven a great many things to me, one of the biggest is that the locals are mostly hell bent on not doing anything when they can get away with it. I came here to help, not to do it all, if there is nothing resembling a true counterpart then who am I helping to learn something, is there any point to helping here at all or am I just basically free labor that is unwelcomed, unthanked and mostly I should stop caring about their causes. I am not sure yet.
I am pretty close to hating this place but I am not used to feeling anger like this. Perhaps there is this sincere annoying desire that I get, that some people here try to pretend that everything here is fine and magical and that the culture is valid and does not suck shit but sadly that feels vapid to pretend such things. I find that there are so many negatives about being here I have a hard time finding any positives. They have nice beaches. I don't really like beach. They have turtles. OK true. The people are nice if you don't really need anything and want to pretend they care about you. Vanuatu is an abusive relationship I am just curious how it will backhand me today.
(28) Friday
So it is five am and my principal decided that it was a good time to play childrens pan flute music the same song over and over and over and over and over and over and over... because he is a thoughtless.
The sunrise was nice but I love this guy so much. Good morning Vanuatu!
9:00am
It was my school's graduation ceremony and I was asked to wear their shirt that fit poorly and was extremely itchy and hot so I could walk around and take photos of my principal and all the people at my school I never got to know and that never made me feel welcome. So I took a 190 photos in the first 30 minutes of the graduation thing and then left. Which felt pretty great not being there and yet doing some work to make them happy.
1:00pm
After being freed from the bondage of my school I hung out with my friends, and we met up at deco stop and swam in the pool.
6:00pm
Amanda was tired from her diving but I went ahead and met up with the other Peace Corps at end blo coltar. I spell it wrong for sure, because it is a stupid bislama word meaning end of the cold tar road but whatever... we sat around drinking the kava drink. I went mostly to say goodbye to the friends that are leaving.
They went to beachfront after but I went home and made pasta with Amanda. Best to save money versus blowing twenty dollars on a mediocre pizza and five dollar shity beers.
(29) Saturday
Soon I can get out of here and head up north and enjoy a stay at this resort called Towoc... near champaign beach. Getting as far away from my school is the best thing possible.
I hate my site I am assigned but I should try and not be so hostile towards this place.. they are not all mean like my principal. So... sorry I went off the other day and bashed everything as much as possible. And even though I hate kava does mean I should call it crap.
5:45am
The sunrise was really beautiful this morning. And No stupid music from my cruel principal.
Double win.
7:45am
I woke from one of my strangest dreams in as long as I can remember. Maybe the hope that this whole nightmare is coming to an end is allowing me to remember my dreams again. I was in a Vanuatu wasteland of buildings some decaying and others were new ones being made. I was attacked and chased by dogs, lured into strange seductive cavernous mazes and bizarre dragon like creature again attacked me but I survived and in the end I woke up feeling like I ran the gauntlet of horrors and made it out alive.
11:30am
We had one last big group that went to Aore Island and we goofed off at the pool for hour and hours.
This photo is me with Daria and her animal Filo... It was super sunny and I used my iphone to take this shot, so this photo got a bit blurry too bad it is blurry she's very beautiful and her dog is cute.
6:00pm
So Bryan, Kate, Amanda, this Kiwi volunteer, Rich and I hung out at my house and watched a great movie called Brazil. I can't believe they have never seen this movie before. The sound was shit on it I think my copy of the movie was with a bad sound track.
(30) Sunday
Today... I woke up and made some breakfast and now just sitting and thinking about what today might entail. One option is to go with Rich and find a place way upstream on the Saracata River and jump from cliffs into the water. I thought today we were BBQ'ing and I already invited the baby docs... but they is ok if we don't they might not show up anyway.
9:30am
Amanda my house guest is going to go Aore Island again, she forgot her special suntan lotion there and hopes to find it. I doubt it will be there.
3:30pm
Just returned from the last river plunge with Rich on the Saracata. I took some photos... here they are:
5:30pm
Going away grill party photos taken:
