3 Great Misconceptions

1. I am Australian. Or Kiwi. Or French.

2. My little neighbor, aged 8, asked me why I vomit out of my window every morning. (That would be toothpaste.

3. The time I arranged an Easter egg hunt for the school kids. 94 children thought it was fun and liked the candy, and 1 little girl started to cry. When I asked her what was wrong, I found out that she thought the smarties in her egg were deworming medicine. (The most tragic!)

School Time Table

As a volunteer, I spend a lot of time looking at my school and thinking about what should be done better. A lot of what I view as areas needing improvement have to do with a lack of resources, and some of the rest has to do with cultural things, like little parental involvement. My teachers don’t have access to resource books, copiers, and all of the other things that make running interactive activities easier in the States. And the parents at my school aren’t like the parents I remember from being in primary school. I still remember being in first grade, having Dad read about Mama Mama Hucklebuck and Papa Papa Hucklebuck and Pony Pony Hucklebuck. I remember all of the class parties my Mom did. And I remember other parents – the Mothers’ desk at St. John’s; parents volunteering to read and help with field trips and even do the Art sessions in Class 6. Here, no gat. The parents have to work in the gardens.

But one thing I want to say: my school starts on time. I wish my teachers used their curriculum books less, but they're responsible and professional. The kids on Tongariki get all of the contact hours that they're supposed to have. And the kids show up to school, too. They don't take random holidays just because they don't want to go to school.

I’m saying this because I was just at a school that isn't like this. And, talking to a few other volunteers, my situation—of a school that runs when it’s supposed to—is not really that common throughout Vanuatu. You know, we’re all just fish who can’t see the water we’re swimming in. I focus a lot on the things that need improvement at my school, but compared to this other school I visited, Tongariki is doing a lot of great things. This other school, the kids weren’t starting their English periods until 8:30 or 8:45 in the morning, and several of the teachers just … weren’t at school.

My time is winding down on Tongariki. I’ve done a lot of good stuff and there’s always stuff to do. But I think it’s time to start looking at the positive things about my service and not obsessing over the fact I'm the only one excited about reading corners. 

Class 6 doing kastom

One of Class 6's units is about kastom. They read stories about kastoms from other islands and they're encouraged to explore their own kastom.

I would say that Tongariki is not a kastom island but that people still practice their kastom. We do do some kastom dancing and there's still kastom for weddings, deads, new babies, and so on, but without some of the other taboos that are common in different parts of Vanuatu. (Woman Atong drinks kava and can cook while she's on her period, for example. Also while it's respectful to call everyone Mami, Uncle, Tawi, you can use their names. In some places, certain relationships have taboos, such that instead of talking about Auntie Lewi or Mama Dora, you talk about Auntie Santo and Mami Pis Kops.) 

At my school, I would say they do a good job of teaching the kids their kastom. They do a kastom show every year and they practice doing cultural activities about one afternoon a month, more around the time of the show. The kids on Tongariki know how to make mats, how to do basic carvings, and they know their dances.

This dance is not actually a girls' dance--it's really for the boys--but they performed the first half of it. The dance is done to the sound of a stick hitting a tamtam (kind of like a stand up drum shaped a little like a canoe on its side) and it's about young men learning to become warriors. So they carry the sticks and there's all these other bits about learning how to fight. In this particular dance, you don't sing -- it's only the sound of the drum. 

[Rinnie and Ryana]

Obviously, this isn't normal kastom wear ... but on Tongariki, from what I've seen, this part is pretty legitimate. Last year during Independence, everyone who was dancing put bunches of leaves around themselves and we were painting ourselves with chalk and ashes from the fire. I think it's more just to make style, really--because like I said, we're not kastom like that so in a sense, it is like putting on a costume.

Kiddos in Class 2 pose for library photos

Here are my class 2 kiddos in the library (which I set up! me!!! all mine!!!! hahaha) at my school. I teach them English every morning. They are sweet and chattier than a barrel of monkeys. I adore them.

It starts like so. The little girls wanted me to take photos of them reading from the fiction section of the library. From the left, we have Lineth, Wilma, Carolanie, Jodie, Lemako, Jaylyne, and Marineth. 

Then Kalo Bell and Mark want a photo, Kalo's doing strong face, Mark's actually giving it a shot.

Kids start styling ... Kalo Bell, Lemako, Carolannie, Jordie.

And then here are all of the boys. Henry, Daniel, Serge, Hanson, Ben, Kalo B, and Lemako in the front.

We sometimes get good photos ... But mostly, just fooling around. I do love though how the kids are posing with the books while they style. 

A helicopter came to Tongariki ...

I don't particularly like this photo of myself, but here are a bunch of the kids at my school!

The Ministry of Health sent some bureaucrats out to come talk to our nurse and village health worker at the dispensary. Naturally, we all tried to take as many photos of ourselves with the chopper as possible. Recess!

Tongariki boys doing kastom dance from Pentecost

Here are some boys from Class 3 doing a kastom dance from Pentecost, which is the long, skinny island up north where they do land diving. I am terrible (I know, I know) and I don't have everyone's name perfect yet. On the left is Kalron, my neighbor, who comes from the generally most attractive family on the island; in the middle is my kid brother Morris, looking like a rock star, as per usual, and on the far right is a kid whose name I have temporarily forgotten as I'm away from the island. (I'm writing this on 5/20 in town--I've been away for a bit.)

This dance was great. So the boys used brooms made of coconut leaves to sword play, essentially. They're wearing modern variations on kastom wear--skirts made out of pandanas, yep, but shorts on underneath. Hey, kastom continues, but life moves on ...

Kastom Dancing on Tongariki

Here's a picture of some of my students doing a kastom dance fom Tongariki. These boys are all great--one of them is pretending to be a girl while Kiki, my counterparts son, is dancing at him like 'hey, you come here!' In the middle is Tom McLenie, who's probably the best dancer in the school.

Two Cute Things c/o Class 1/2

1. Listening to Ni Van kiddos sing 'Zippedy Doo Dah' is the most magical thing ever. They over pronounce all of the vowels (especially the 'doo dah' part) and generally it just makes me want to take them all home with me and keep them.

2. The book 'Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?' is an absolute classic. Nothing better than listening to them mimic my attempt to trumpet like an elephant.

That is all.