Aelan Laef!

A few days ago I was sitting in a classroom, making a plan for teaching basic science next term with my new co-teacher Mr. Tete. As we were working, all of a sudden we could hear an uncommon sound from the neighborhood. It was the sound of people crying, moaning and sobbing. "There's been a death", said Mr. Tete instantly. I had heard that sound before. A few weeks ago there was an accident on the Banban road.  Some folks from the Mango neighborhood had packed a truck with people (mostly kids) and driven somewhere for a swim. On their way back, something happened and the driver lost control of the vehicle. They hit a tree. Two people died and 19 got injured. The lady who was sitting at the front was holding her 1-year-old grandchild in her arms. They were the ones who were killed instantly. They were also close relatives of two of our staff members. One of our staff members had her 5 children injured in the accident. Two of them go to our school. W...

Vanuatu has been said to be the happiest place on the planet. I don't know how you measure happiness or compare it. But, this truly IS a land of joy and laughter. One thing I've realized about humor here, is that it's in some ways a very pure form of humor. Not once have I detected spitefulness, not even sarcasm. And I absolutely love it. People laugh because their heart rejoices. If they find something funny, they won't hold back with their laughter. But then, what's funny to them might not be considered funny elsewhere. Say, if somebody tumbles and falls flat on their face (that's me y'all, that day I learned never ever to underestimate the power of the smallest of puddles to flip me over), they'll find it extremely funny. They will laugh and it would be easy to think it extremely rude to react that way. But… it is not so. For some reason, it's just funny for them. And in Vanuatu, people never laugh AT you, they laugh with you. You...

I'm learning heaps about communication.  It's said that there are no such things as stupid questions. But, through cumulated personal experience, I beg to differ. I seem to ask them on a regular basis. Thank goodness I'm surrounded by beautiful people who are very patient with me and forgive me my ignorance. It doesn't happen too often, but every once in a while I do manage to ask the most irrelevant of questions. One example being: "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?" If travel has never, not in your wildest dreams, been a realistic opportunity for you, you don't really think about such things, do you?  The good thing is, I'm quick to realize my tumbles and sense when I've crossed the line - I'm a sensitive person with big feelers and have good intuition. Now I just need to train my feelers to work better BEFORE asking the irrelevant and puzzling stuff. It's a bit embarrassing.  This has ...