It's the little things

While taking a piss, a student (didn't know who) who was in an adjacent stall asked me when I would be leaving Vanuatu. I told her Dec 6, she asked when I'm leaving Erakor, I said Nov 30. She then made a disappointed "aww" sound, and said she was happy to have had the chance to go to my class. I embarrassingly said "thank you" (I get embarrassed with such straightforward compliments...especially while taking a piss lol).

Feels good to hear things like this...If nothing else, I know I made a difference to at least one person...and that makes all this worthwhile 

Checklist before I leave (short)

November 1st! Four more weeks at site, Five more in-country! Gettin down to the wire, still got a ton of things to do...time to put it into OVERDRIVE.

Getting Close to the Finish Line...25 months down, 2 more to go!

It's been over 2 weeks since our Close of Service Conference. For those who don't know, the COS Conference is when Peace Corps brings in all of the Peace Corps Volunteers from all over the country to one location, where we go over various topics we will need to know for when we return to the United States, ie Employment, Medical benefits, etc. The conference is usually held at a posh location, in our case the Holiday Inn Resort in Port Vila. We're talking three days of air conditioning, fancy-ass bed, breafkast and lunch buffets, tea breaks, pool, Internet, and some touchy-feely holding hands in a circle and talk about our experiences. And hash browns....the best hash browns I've ever tasted.  And they give us our certificate of appreciation!

Me & Keith Honda, Country Director of Peace Corps Vanuatu

My Cert! Woohoo!

  

On the night of the third and final day we check out and they put us all on a boat where we party, dance, and sign each other's "Yearbooks". Still haven't read mine, I'll save it for the plane ride home :-)

So as our service winds down, what are my feelings? Well here goes...

First of all, I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. This may sound strange to say, given how much I love my work, the people, and the culture here. But lately I've also been feeling pangs of longing for home. I've noticed I've been saying things like "I'm so tired of xyz" or "I'm so sick of abc" more frequently lately, and I can see the writing on the wall. It's time to go home.

Maybe all I need is a break, but I've been longing for familiar surroundings lately, to be back with loved ones...to have an INCOME again. I miss Hawai'i: the climate, the people, the culture, the pidgin, the FOOD. I miss my apartment. I miss driving. I miss the semblance of quality control when it comes to buying things. I miss not having to pay an arm and a leg for electronics. I miss amazon.com.

I'm not being pushed away, I'm being pulled back.

Having said all that, I am also feeling anxious about going back. Coming to Vanuatu, I kind of knew what I was getting into...I knew the Peace Corps had my service laid out for me, I knew I would be in training, I knew where I would be and what I'd be doing, I knew I'd be taken care of. Now, for the first time in a couple of years, I don't know what's in store for me. Once the initial euphoria of being back home wears off, how will I cope with being an "American" again? The hustle and bustle, the "First World Problems", the whining about little things that don't matter, the media, the materialism, the shallowness. Even Hawaii's Aloha Spirit may not be enough for me to soften through the cultural withdrawal that I'm expecting. So ya, fear of the unknown.

'Murricaaaaaaa!!!

Encountering the now almost-one-year-old Group 26 has also contributed to the anxiety I feel about going back. Let me preface this by saying that the majority of those in the group have been amazing, dedicated, and very professional volunteers that Vanuatu is lucky to have. Having said that, I have found the attitudes of some in the group a bit concerning, as far as readjusting goes: The obsessive concern about illnesses, the comparatively strict adherence to formality and political correctness, and the subtle arrogance a couple have expressed regarding the perceived superiority of their skills, maturity and experience vs. those of G25 volunteers. One person had even expressed that they can't wait for our group to leave so they can make changes. Ouch. If the couple of negative encounters I've had is a sampling of Americana that I have to look forward to back home...it makes me wonder, were we like that when we first got here? Admittedly I remember similar traits in us when we first arrived, and even thinking similar thoughts about how we were better than G24 in some respects...G26 will probably encounter the same from G27. It's the circle of life. I guess it's like how teenagers feel about their parents, and how their kids will feel the same about them in time. That might possibly be the case, as prolonged service in this country changes you, which may make readjusting to home even more of a challenge.

Just can't let go of that wristwatch

I also don't want to change back. I like who I've become, the lessons I've learned, the shifts in values I've made. Does going back mean I'm going to revert to the "American" way of thinking again? Are the changes I have undergone simply temporary adaptations in order to cope with the culture here, or is it a permanent growth in my character?

I guess only time will tell.

And finally, the warm and fuzzy. My fellow G25 volunteers...the weirdest, craziest, most ecclectic motley crew of volunteers ever assembled...and they were my family for the past coupla years. When we first arrived in-country, we had to rely on each other for emotional (and other *wink wink*) support to get through the difficult first few months. That and the various "team-building" activities that Daryl (one of the volunteers who ET'd) had us do when we first got here, created a bond that seemed unbreakable. I mean, a group of people who would otherwise never have met or have even become friends were crammed together to create this hodgepodge family. Of course as time went on and we got comfortable in our roles and at our sites, we found our little niches, and grew closer to some more than others; naturally we drifted apart somewhat. But like any family, when the shit hits the fan we're there for each other (for the most part lol). Even as I type this I can't help tearing up.

Dammit. I'm gonna miss these fuckers.

On a fun-ner note and as a shameless plug, we made a video based on Pharrell Williams' "Happy", where Peace Corps Volunteers were filmed dancing all around the "Happiest Country in the World".. After seeing a couple of Youtube videos of people dancing to the song, I thought "Hey, we could do that!". After talking about it with a fellow volunteer during a phone chat I subsequently sent out a blastogram text message to the other vols and asked those who were interested to send in their clips; also visited a couple of islands and filmed them myself. I later found out Peace Corps Morrocco did one of their own (you can find theirs on Youtube as well). After many obsessive nights editing the hundreds of clips from various PCVs it to get it done in time for the COS Conference, I think it came out well...I consider it a gift from all of, to all of us, and for our loved ones back home.

Aaand so endeth my post-COS Conference / Pre-COS blog post! I still have alot of work to finish up before leaving this country, but I also know it's time. Looking back on my experiences and the friends and connections I've made from PCVs and others from around the world...this experience has taught me alot about myself, about others, about human beings in general and what we are all capable of. I have become a stronger and better person as a result. It's an experience I wouldn't trade in for the world.

One Year in Vanuatu - Lessons, Changes, and Observations

As of October 6, 2013, one year had passed since I landed in Vanuatu...as of December 6, 2013, it's been one year at my site. The new group arrived in-country as of January 2014, and we are in the process of training them for their service. Time stops for no man. One year spent living in this country, working at this school, working with children, getting to know the people and the culture, getting to know my fellow volunteers, and most of all getting to know myself.

To mark this milestone, here are some of the lessons I've learned about myself, about others, and about people in general.

-THE BAD-
First, let;'s get this out of the way.

LESSON #1 - NOT ALL PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS ARE CREATED EQUAL

I'm glad to say that most Peace Corps volunteers I have met have been good, caring and hard-working people who want to do good, to make a difference in a positive way for the community they're in. But one of the realities I had to face up to early on is that people join the Peace Corps for different, and sometimes selfish reasons. Some are lazy. Some are racist. Some are downright mean.

Coming into this you think you will find kindred spirits; that everyone volunteering do so for the same reasons: to make the world a better place, to help the less fortunate, etc. But I found out that's not necessarily so; some join for not-so-altruistic reasons, some with very selfish motivations, and some for reasons that make you scratch your head. Some join because they can't (or don't want to) find work back home, and it's an alternative to joining the military. Some see it as a way to visit another country on the government's dime. Some see it as a way to get high in a country that may not be as stringent as the US about such things. And (this is something a volunteer actually told me to my face) some join because they hear that the Peace Corps is where you can get laid easily because girls (i.e. other volunteers) are alot more willing to "give it up".

Really? THAT'S why you're here? I suppose it was a bit naive of me to think we all share the same goals here...It's similar to those who join the military; not everyone signs up to "protect our freedoms" some do it for selfish or with less-than honorable motivations. It takes all kinds.

It was a shocking revelation, but honestly it only motivates me to try harder to be the best volunteer I can to offset the bad ones.


-THE GOOD- aaight, now for the good stuff!

LESSON #2 - STUDENTS CAN MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS

It's an irony that as Peace Corps volunteers we come into this country to teach others; to teach them such topics as basic healthcare, English, and in my case, IT. But in the process of doing so, I have found that *I* have been learning many lessons myself.

The message from Peace Corps is about people who are different from us getting along with each other.  It is learning another's language, stepping into their shoes, playing and working together, talking not screaming, inviting not aliening, drawing out the best in people not finding fault, people just being friends. I think that's a lesson that Vanuatu doesn't need to learn, but rather should be teaching.

My smiling counterpart...love this guy!!

And Ni-Vans make the best teachers. I have never met a people so willing to accept, to learn, so motivated to bond with others. They are genuinely inquisitive as to who you are, where you are from, what you are doing here, and are so willing to accept you into their home and family. The people of this country know what it means to be human, to show generosity to those who we would otherwise ignore as irrelevant back in the West.







LESSON #3 - CONFIDENCE

Confidence is something you gain through experience... In the first month and a half here they trained us to integrate, to learn the language, kinds of food here, how people sustain themselves, etc. But no amount of training can prepare someone for the specific things they'll be doing and the difficulties they'll be facing at their assigned sites. When I first came here, my first task was to integrate...which is harder than it sounds. I was thrown into an unknown environment with people who, albeit very nice, were completely alien to me. Culture shock, homesickness, isolation, the climate, and yes even the food all contributed to that feeling of anxiety.

Then the work. We received some general road maps from other volunteers and staff, but I had to come up with my own curriculum, lesson plans, and lessons/activities that would work for my class the way I envisioned it.


Sure it was scary at first, but slowly as I met and socialized with the people here, ate with them, chatted with them, and yes, even (gag) drank kava with them, the anxiety subsided. And as I met the kids here, talked to them, taught them...when I saw that my students were actuaslly LEARNING something, that "a-ha" look on their faces...something that *I* did was helping them succeed...that's when I felt the greatest pride I had ever felt in my life. That's when I finally knew, I CAN DO THIS...I *AM* DOING IT.

The key was when I decided to change how I thought about the challenges and decided to treat it like a game...that I have total freedom to make my own lessons, to make it as fun and exciting as I want, to make it as goofy as I want, etc. Because I'm a volunteer and not an employee, I have that freedom to do it the way I wanted to do it. So I told myself, "let's have fun with this!" and got creative.

I realized I had a strength inside of me that I myself didn't know about...that I CAN immerse in another culture on my own, that I CAN adapt and integrate and help to make things better for those who need it, that I CAN make it in a country so hot, humid and filled with mosquitoes lol.

Yes, the highs are very high, and the lows are very low...but pain is a part of life; it's a feeling, and it's important, but it's not much more than that...every feeling will pass if you give it time. And if you learn to deal with your feelings, they'll pass by faster each time.  So don't rush to cover them up, deal with the setbacks, the disappointments, the hurt and struggle, otherwise you will never learn and just continue to tread water in the same spot forever.

There was no way that I could have known this until I had put myself in this situation where I HAD TO do these things. Sure I've stumbled and made mistakes along the way, we all do. But we learn by doing...and as cliche as it is, it's true that you never know what you can do until you try.


LESSON #4 - THE POWER OF POSITIVE MOTIVATION

It's actually quite liberating when you change the way you approach things, and not just with your work. In order to start ANYTHING, you must have a "can-do" attitude, that whatever you do can and WILL succeed. That's the nature of being a Peace Corps Volunteer, there are so many obstacles that I have to think of them not as obstacles to overcome, but as opportunities to achieve. I can't let anxiety and doubt enter my brain; if I do, then I won't get anything done and I might as well pack up and go home. We are our own worst enemies, it's not outside forces that often stop us, it's our own doubts, fears and insecurities. There are two ways to be motivated to action: POSITIVE and NEGATIVE. POSITIVE means you go in knowing what you want and doing it to achieve and succeed. NEGATIVE motivation is when you do (or not do) something out of fear, uncertainty and doubt. POSITIVE thinking is long-term; it will keep you motivated and keep moving until you get it right, even when you fail at first...negative thinking will only get you so far until your first blunder, after which you will run out of steam real fast.


LESSON #5 - PAS-PAS WE PAS-PAS

This is a phrase my Headmaster at my school taught me...basically it means when troubles passes in front of you, you just let it pass you by. I've always played it safe back home, always having a contingency plan, or trying things only when I know I can get away unscathed. Little things would stress me out: lateness, plans that don't work out, trying to get things juuuust right. But being in this country, where almost nothing goes according to plan or in the way or time-frame that you expect, doing that will make you go insane. In Hawai'i we have the "just hang loose" mentality, Vanuatu is that to the nth degree! Here I've learned early on that if you don't take things in stride and just let things happen in their OWN time, and stop trying to control everything, you will lead a very unhappy and frustrated life.

I would watch people here who would spend the day just sitting on the beach, chatting with friends and neighbors, occasionally getting up to go to the bathroom and eat something...then go right back to sitting in the same spot on the beach. All day. Every day. There was no stress, no worry, and whatever that needs to be done, will get done in its own time. After a while  I realized there is a value in that...in seeing things in the "big picture" instead of being bogged down in the little minutia of daily inequities and inconveniences. We're not machines, we're not robots, not everything needs to be a big issue that occupies so much of our time and mental/emotional energy...eventually whatever we do will fade away with the passage of time, so why not focus on what's important...friends, family, love...the simple pleasures in life...the things that make us happy.

Related to that, I've also learned to stop putting up with shit unnecessarily. As I said, you should not let the small stuff bog you down, and that includes putting up with "toxic" people, things and situations that contribute to negativity in your life. If something bothers you, get RID of it, whether it be the thing that causes your stress or how you deal with it.  Don't let it occupy your time any more than it needs to. Life on Earth is finite; it should be filled with the people and things that make you happy, make you relax, make you smile...so sweep away the "toxic" elements so you can go back to just sitting on the beach. :)


LESSON #6 - THE VALUE OF SACRIFICE

Main tum logon ko bohot miss karta hoon!!

I have learned what it means to sacrifice something for a greater purpose. All those things I hold dear...my family, my friends, my home, the people I love, creature comforts, a high-paying job, money...I left it all behind to do this. For everyone who does overseas volunteer work for any length of time, it's a sacrifice. Every one of us here has either quit their jobs, left school, left their family, friends, a way of life to go to a country they never heard of and to do work they didn't know when we applied. In the last year we've missed birthdays, engagements, weddings, births, deaths, graduations...we've missed seeing kids grow up, we've missed family gatherings.

Life will always keep moving on...No matter what you may be doing in your life, no matter what happens, life goes on for everyone else; it doesn't stop for you, or me, or anyone. When something big happens in my life, the man down the street doesn't know it, as far as he's concerned it's just another day. If I die tomorrow, 99% of the world won't mourn for me, they will just keep living their lives, plugging away as they always do.

That sounds a bit depressing, I know, but it really isn't...It doesn't mean my life is in any way insignificant; on the contrary, it means my life and what I do with it means MORE now than ever! It means every moment must be treasured, that the value of my life is not dependent on how others see it, but rather how I do...that I must enjoy and live my life doing what I love, doing what makes me happy, what makes life enjoyable and worth living for me. Life is a gift, it shouldn't be a chore; it is a waste to fill it with stress and worry about inconsequential things.

No matter what you do, you are sacrificing SOMETHING either way; if not sacrifice something I have, I'd be sacrificing something I *could have* had. If I had stayed home, living the life I was, I would have sacrificed my life here. I would never have come to one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with some of the most beautiful people in the world. I would never have made such wonderful friends, had such amazing experiences, and never would have grown, changed, or learned the lessons I have. I can't imagine NOT having come here...and I feel that at this point in my life I was meant to be here, because I needed to. In effect, I didn't choose this country, this country chose me :)


LESSON #7 - FEAR IS GOOD

At Mt Yasur volcano...careful, that first step's a doozie!

This may see counter to what I've said before about positive motivation, but this isn't about using fear as motivation, it's about OVERCOMING your fear. It's when you do something you want to do but was afraid to for fear of failure, of looking foolish, or of what others may think of you. The problem is, if you don't do the things that scare you, how can you overcome it?

We grow by doing the things that is new to us, that we are unaccustomed to, and by learning from those experiences, we grow. And I speak from experience ;)

LESSON #8 - FROM RELIGION TO SPIRITUALITY

* Let me apologize ahead of time if this offends any of you; this applies to me and only me, and has no bearing on the validity of anyone else's beliefs :)

I guess you could say I am an atheist. I believe religion is man's way of trying to make sense of the universe the best way they can. After being here, I have found "God" is not an anthropomorphic being living in the clouds watching everything that we do, but rather that *we* are our own gods...that the value in human beings doesn't come in the form of reverence to an almighty being, but rather from our own actions and in how we treat each other and ourselves. If we would only worship EACH OTHER as much as we do the various deities and religious leaders we have in the world, this planet would have so much less pain and suffering to endure.

Back home I did the whole "religious search" thing, reading various texts and philosophies to fortify myself
against doubts, fears and uncertainties. I used it as a crutch and as a way to try and mend any sense of cultural disconnect I may have had. I would buy into the words written out by saints, prophets and leaders of the past, eventually blending them with the various superstitions and mythologies that went along with them. I would practice ceremonies religiously (pun intended), fearing that should I neglect them, I would be punished by some higher, supernatural force. I would also use religion and their rules to bring structure in my life, for fear that, without them, I would just stumble and fail without their guidance.

It is ironic that it took living in a country that takes religion so seriously to facilitate my moving away from it. As I learned to do things my own way and having been given the freedom to make my own rules, I had time to meditate on myself, my life, and my role in the world. I increasingly felt smothered by the rules and preaching afforded to me by these texts. Why am I placing so much validity in supernatural beings written about but I have never seen? Why am I practicing all of these customs and ceremonies that do nothing to better myself but rather serve to interfere in my life and freedoms, that only adds to my anxiety? Why must I stop eating this, stop saying that, stop thinking this...too many restrictions, restrictions that hold little relevance today, handed down by people who have been dead for centuries if they ever existed at all. I know what is best for me, what I should do, and how to live my life to be the best human being I can.

Serving in a conservative Christian country has made me see how much religion and religious thinking holds back the very progress the people here desire...they prioritize religion over education, social development, etc. and encourages the "God will save us" mentality which encourages people here to sit and wait for things to get better instead of doing things for themselves...and things often don't get better, after which they make excuses that it was God's will. It's also created a low sense of self-worth for them as a people, that "Jesus" was what saved them from their "uncivilized" past. It has also encouraged social discrimination against gays, and explains away natural disasters and personal misfortunes as being God's way of punishing sinners or the work of the Devil. And I haven't seen anything here that has shown me God is doing anything to help the people here; it just becomes a convenient excuse to explain away things that (they think) are out of their control.

Being a PC volunteer has also given me time to think without distractions, about my own personal beliefs and thoughts about religion and spirituality. I wasn't raised religious, but growing up in the US you often just accept religion as a given part of your life. Being outside of that allowed me to reevaluate things for myself. Also there are alot of atheists in the PC, and so it made me more comfortable and open with the idea, and with expressing that publicly (at least among other PC vols). As I said being here has allowed me to be more confident, and thus the confidence to make that leap to atheism.

Just to clarify, I am not saying people who are religious are bad, wrong or misguided. I know the power it has; it can bring so much meaning to people's lives, and can fill us with love and hope as it did for me. It provides moral guidance, a solid foundation and a clear path to live your life...should you need it. I just don't need it...not anymore. I've realized that being religious is not a requirement to be a good person, nor is the absence of religion a factor in being a bad one.

The only thing that is sacred in this world is *us*...People. Life. Love.  I have seen so much "spirit" here...in the smiling faces of the stranger on the street, the friendly hello from the people in my village, the frequent "storian-ing" I do with the bus drivers and random people on their walkabouts, and in the smiling faces of joy I see in the children. There is genuine love and kindness here, which some could attribute to the work of the churches. But I see it as an adherence to the universal ideas that are inherent in all of us; of love, of kindness, and wanting to treat others well, not because we may be rewarded for it by a higher power, but because we have an innate desire to do so.

I would say that I am spiritual. I do believe in a "flow" to the universe, balance between this vs that, a connection to everything.  I believe these things because I feel it, just as those who believe in God do so because they "feel" him/her. I suppose it all depends on your definition of "God", whether it's a supernatural being, a mystical force controlling everything, or the neighbor in the house next door. I choose the neighbor :)


TO SUM IT UP

I have never been happier than when I am working as a volunteer. I can without any doubt say this has to be the best decision I have EVER made in my life...Coming here, experiencing what I've experienced, the stresses and frustrations, knowing what I can do, that I can make a difference, doing good work in a country with good people...I've learned new things and my perspectives and priorities have changed. I've learned to appreciate the simple things in life while not sweating the small stuff. I've learned to enjoy what I already have. My confidence in myself has grown exponentially, and has opened up a whole new world of possibilities. I now know I can do this, that I am doing something worthwhile that I can be proud of.

I like to think I've grown a bit (and not just in the waistline harhar)...gotten wiser, become stronger, but also become a better human being. My priorities have shifted...When I visited Japan for vacation I realized that I no longer saw the day-to-day problems and troubles of life as things to stress over (well losing my passport was a BIG problem to stress over lol); my focus has moved away from only doing what it takes to be successful financially, to doing what makes me happy...To live my life doing what I love, what excites me, what scares me, and what enriches me. And I am doing that now.

And of all the lessons I've learned, the biggest is this:  I have learned how I truly feel about the people in my life. To you whom I have left behind (and you know who you are) and who have been my greatest support back home...seriously and from the heart: I cherish and adore you.

One year to go, so I'd better make it a good one! A hui hou kakou, and aloooooha! :)

My 15 minutes of fame

So as I climbed up the stairway to heaven to get out of my school campus, a bus passes me by, stops, then backs up. The driver then yells, "Hey! I recognize you!" I didn't think much of it since I figured it was one of the 100s of Nivans who recognize me but I don't remember them. He said "hey, you're a volunteer, right? Yeah, you're from Hawaii, your father is from India," blah blah... Apparently they broadcasted the pictures of all the volunteers on Efate as well as our backgrounds on local TV.

Welp there goes the last of what little anonymity I had left in this country lol

English < Bislama

The longer I speak Bislama exclusively, the harder it is to formulate sentences when speaking English. It's fine when I'm writing/typing, since I can spend 10 minutes trying to figure out how to say a single word, but the spontaneity of speech makes it really hard to think of the right thing to say and not sound like a dufus. It's like my brain keeps sputtering and overheating.

I so need a vacation.

Things I wish I knew before I got here

Just a list of things that I think would be good to know for incoming PC Volunteers based on my own observations, or stuff I wish I knew ahead of time. Mind you these are just *my* opinions, I'm generalizing of course, YMMV.  :)


Generally Speaking

• Vanuatu is still a young country, trying to figure itself out, reconciling their traditional "village" mentality with the realities of a rapidly moving and developing world. It's a s-l-o-w process, but the people and the government are very receptive to input and are (for the most part) willing to learn.
• Generally speaking people in Vanuatu are very friendly and welcoming. They don't call this place the "Happiest Place on Earth" for nothing (Disney be damned).  They will randomly wave their hands and greet you, people will just give you stuff (usually something to eat) randomly. However keep in mind that you are still a foreigner here, and as a "Waet Man" you will be stared at and bombarded with rather intrusive (by our standards) questions about your life, your marital status, family, religion, financial situation, etc. Come prepared with canned answers, and tell them you're poor. lol

Weather

• Weather in the Summer is HOT & HUMID! You will sweat buckets so don't bother bringing thick cotton clothing; stick to thin cotton or Polyester, or Cotton-Polyester blend. Anything else will stick to your skin and will take forever to dry after washing.
• BUT it also gets surprisingly COLD here some nights, and in the Winter it's downright freezing (believe me your body will acclimate to Vanuatu temps and low 70s will give you shivers). Bring at least one sweater or hoodie (or buy one in town), jeans or leggings. It also rains ALOT when it does rain, but you can get cheap umbrellas and such here when you get access to town.

Peace Corps Post

• Peace Corps is VERY well respected here, close to celebrity status.
• There are 2 main groups of vols here, English/IT Instructors (Vanuatu Information Technology and English Literacy project) and Community Health.
• Port Vila is where the Peace Corps Office is. It's a VERY small town (may seem overwhelming the first time you visit though), but has most of the modern conveniences: 24x7 power, hotels, bars, restaurants, etc. Mind you this town is built primarily for Aus/NZ tourists, so you'll see alot of signs and tour operators scattered about. When you tire of eating island food and want some alcohol this place is an oasis.
• The Peace Corps Resource Center, which is basically an office adjacent to the staff office, is where PCVs come to unwind when in town. It's where you can find books, computers, a kitchen, (slow but usable) Wifi, an overstuffed fridge, couches to chill on, and is also where the mailboxes are. You can store important documents like passports at the office. It's the hub of PCV activity, and if you sit there long enough you will see everyone.  You also hear the weirdest conversations ever. We *occasionally* work there too ;)
• Letters/packages from the States take about a month or so to reach here via standard rates. If you have care packages mailed to you, confirm Customs here won't confiscate them (things like beef jerky, etc.).

Gender Issues

• The role of women here is still one of subservience to men; albeit those roles seem to be changing as a result of women entering the workforce and exposure to Western ideas, many such attitudeds persist, especially in the more "bush" areas.  Women may be subject to certain behavioral expectations by members of your village. This being a conservative Christian country will also mean women in villages will be expected to follow certain standards of modesty (no showing skin above the knee, etc.). However as a PCV, you are placed in a unique situation in that they will look to you for guidance by the women AND men in your village, even when they would not do so otherwise.
• For the women: alot of guys here got no game; i.e. they will be direct when expressing interest in you sexually. As anywhere be careful around groups of younger men (teens and up), as many do not work and just lounge around all day, and may see you as "fair game". Just as anywhere, you may be exposed to men propositioning you, and catcalls and groping incidents *do* happen so you need to keep your wits about you, especially in areas where alcohol is consumed. This is all stuff you will learn about in training.

Assignment

• Vanuatu has some of the most isolated PC sites in the world, and as such your experiences will vary widely depending on where, what island, what village, etc. you are eventually assigned to.  As such the level of your access to "civilization" will vary as well. Health vols are comparatively more likely to go where there is no (or not as much) electricity, except via solar or generator (again depending on where you go).
• You will be issued a cell phone (at least my group was, if not you can get them in town); I've been able to text/call *some* people in the States and coverage can be spotty depending on where you go. I brought a smartphone and it died the first week I was here. If you do bring one bring one that allows for a SIM card. They have this weird system where your account will expire if you don't "top up" (ie pay for more minutes) on your phone. Oh, and don't let Ni-Vans, even your host fam "borrow" your phone, even to look at it; they want to USE it to call someone, and YOU will end up paying for the minutes used.

What to Bring

• Bring only what you NEED, as other things you can find here, albeit at substandard quality. The town here is littered with Chinese-owned shops that sell Walmart-bargain-bin-quality products. You can find toiletries, cheap electronics (that break quickly), etc. so no need to bring those, and the Medical Office will supply you with a med kit. **HOWEVER** you will probably be sequestered at a training site/village for the first 1.5 months so get the "little things" to tide you over initially...and believe me, after the initial novelty wears off, it helps to have tastes/smells/sounds of home to stave off homesickness. There are certain stores in town that will sell some of the things that we get in the States, but they will be very expensive, even in USD.
  
  - Spices. People here don't eat alot of strongly-flavored food; they like their stuff bland, so you may wanna bring stuff like hot sauce (they sell them here but they're pricey and in not as much variety). Costco is your friend. And remember spices must be SEALED otherwise they can be confiscated at the airport.
  
  - HEADLAMP!! A *must*. And get a GOOD one, don't get a cheap one just to save a couple of bucks.
  
  - Rechargeable batteries for your electronics. They have batteries here but they die quick.
  
  - MP3 player / iPod. Believe me you will be dying to hear music from back home when you get here!
  
  - THIN cotton, polyester, or cotton-polyester blend clothing. Women will be expected to wear skirts and such. Bring flipflops. They may tell you to wear "dress clothes" to Staging, but that's just a one-time thing, trust me you won't be wearing those again anytime soon.
  
  - A sweater for the cold season.
  
  - Quick-drying towel.
  
  - Water bottle.  You can get one in town, but good to have for the initial period.
  
  - Bring a folding fan, since you will arrive when it's HOT, and it'll be a relief until you get acclimated.
  
  - Camera, waterproof is preferable.
  
  - A Kindle (or some kind of e-book reader) if you plan on doing alot of reading. There are books in the office you can borrow but it's a pain to carry if you read alot.
  
  - Computer. Many people brought laptops or netbooks, which may seem stupid if you get assigned to a site without reliable power, but they will be extremely useful when you are in town; good for blogging, watching movies, watching TV shows from the States (bring those too, we can trade!), Skyping fam & friends back home; it's a HUGE boost to your morale during those times when you need to talk to someone back home or watch something familiar. Peace Corps' Volunteer Report Forms and Annual Volunteer Survey are electronic, so you will need a computer for those too. The office has computers but they are slow as molasses, and no Skype. But keep in mind humidity is killer to computers, so keep them (and electronics in general) in dry bags or ziplocks with silica gel packets if you take it around outside.  Your trackpad/keyboard/USB ports are usually the first to crap out; my laptop keyboard died after a month so I use a USB keyboard now.  You can store your computer at the Office while you're at site since it's air-conditioned, but if you do take a laptop to site, be careful as the locals will come to you constantly to watch/copy movies and play games, so try not to flash it around if that bothers you.
  
  - Flash Drive. Even if you chose not to bring a computer, have one handy just in case. Be careful if you decide to buy it locally, I've found many are infected or die quickly. Some people have said they wished they brought an external hard drive (one of those portable ones that runs off the USB) to store their fave TV shows/movies.
  
  - Pocket knife/multi-tool (pref. with a bottle-opener if you're a beer drinker). But don't cut fish with it, it'll rust. True story.
  
  - Soap & shampoo. Bring one bar or a tiny bottle for the first week at least.  When we arrived they forgot to supply us so had to wash sans soap the first few days.
  
  - Juuuust thought I'd mention that porn, adult material and paraphernalia are illegal here...officially.  That's not to say people don't bring them, just sayin ;)
  
  

• PACK LIGHT! I know it's not so easy when you think that you're gonna be here 2 years, but there are a coupla things I brought that I wish I didn't, and some things broke within the first months I was here. Don't try to plan for ALL contingencies, if there is something you wish you brought after you get here, you can have them shipped to you.

Closing Thoughts

• If you're having problems, something is bothering you or you are unhappy, DON'T KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. The worst thing you can do is swallow it or try to plow through it alone.  The people who have had the worst service are the ones who decided to just "grin and bear it".  Remember, we're all in this together, and whatever anxiety, nervousness and insecurity you may feel from time to time (and you will), your fellow PCVs feel it too, though they may not show it or they joke about it. Look to your fellow PCVs for comfort and advice. Reach out when you need someone to talk to who can relate to what you are going through, because folks back home mean well but only other PCVs can truly *understand* what you are going through. If you are having problems with your site or wanna talk to a professional, talk to PC Support Staff, that's why they are there. You are willing to invest 2+ years of your life in a foreign country to help people and that's a HUGE commitment and sacrifice, and we get through it by leaning on each other from time to time.
• And finally: Remember, you're a volunteer...don't stress over little things or take on too much all at once. 27 months will go by fast, and by the time the first year is over, you will be like, "oh shit, I only have a year left, where did the time go??"  Live the experience, absorb your surroundings, and learn from the pitfalls.  You will be living where people back home would have to spend thousands to vacation to, so enjoy it! :)