Aelan Laef!

Every once in awhile I get these Vanuatu-moments. They are moments when all of a sudden I become really aware of the fact that I'm in a rather random corner of the Earth, on a tiny little island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, suuuuuuuuper far away from everything I'm used to (or well, now it's more like "used to be used to"). In those moments I'm usually filled with awe and amazement. It's a bit like in TV when all of a sudden the camera zooms out out out, very rapidly and in stead of looking at, say, two people talking, you've now zoomed so far out that you're looking at the globe, chilling in space with all its  planet pals. Yes, it's a bit like that, images flashing in my mind and many realizations happening all at once. These moments are always linked with extreme happiness and gratefulness.  A couple of days ago I had one while I was standing inside of a 40ft container that just recently shipped its way here from China. It...

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...