The world lost a sweet, innocent soul last week. I heard the news through a series of Facebook messages sent to me by my host family and Undra's father, Willy (this is the only way we communicate, now). Baby Undra had gotten sick last week and tragically succumbed to her illness on January 7th, 2020 … Continue reading Grieving from afar
Hi everyone! Before I left Emae, I filmed a video tour of my Peace Corps house. My brother says that my house was nicer than he had imagined it to be. What do you think?
Hi Everyone, Here is a video I took of the Marae cemetery. I found the history and politics behind the cemetery quite interesting. Enjoy!
Today is my last full day in Vanuatu. I can't believe it! Imran and I have been busy receiving medical clearances, closing out bank accounts, shipping stuff home, and planning our trip to South East Asia. It's been a busy week, and we're ready for the next adventure. This will also be my last Foto … Continue reading Foto Friday: “Farewell TamTam Ceremony”
*Sorry for the late Foto Friday, yet again! This past week has been a crazy, emotional, and stressful rollercoaster ride of packing up my house, saying farewell to my home and the people I've called family for the past two years, and trying to get myself and Brownie off of Emae and into Port Vila … Continue reading Foto Friday: “Point Stone Snorkeling”
This is the third installment of Tok Fani, in which I share some of the funny conversations or situations I’ve had while figuring out life here in Vanuatu. In Bislama, “tok fani” roughly translates to "joke," so this is my attempt at translating/sharing some of the awkward, funny, unbelievable, or downright outrageous conversations or encounters … Continue reading Tok Fani #3: Conversations worth remembering
As Vanuatu's national dish, laplap plays a large role in the culture and traditions practiced in communities throughout this island nation. Although labor-intensive, laplap is made for many special occasions and is often the main dish served at large gatherings. Some communities throughout Vanuatu eat laplap several times a week, but in my community, most … Continue reading The national dish of Vanuatu: Making laplap
Something I love about Vanuatu is the generosity shown by locals. They share everything, and I know that if I ask for something, they'll do their best to help me out. This week, I found myself - as I often do - hungry with nothing to eat. Usually, I'd wander around and "stick a popo" … Continue reading Foto Friday: “Personal Popo Picker”
Joining the Peace Corps is hard. It's a lot harder than most of us could ever have imagined, and even harder to explain how hard it is to people who aren't actually living and breathing the experience with you. Peace Corps is hard for the obvious. You're away from your loved ones for over 2 … Continue reading How letting go of expectations led to a more fulfilling Peace corps experience
A while back I posted a Foto Friday called "Island Toys," featuring a local "truck" made of wood and water buoys. Today's post features a couple more island toys that kids use to entertain themselves. Recently, the boys have been playing "sniper." The gist of the game is simple. Run around the village with your … Continue reading Foto Friday: “Island Toys Part 2”
Peace Corps In Paradise 