July 23.

Today was kindy day and our presentation day...finally. We went to church in Amelatin in the morning, and it was a beautiful experience. Afterwards we had the kids parade down from the church to the kindy, where we had some speeches organized and the kids modestly presented their song. The whole community ate together at the kindy, and everyone got to look (and play) with the new toys.

Kindy isn't just for kids...

Joseph Lingi leads the parade to the kindy.

The kindy class performs their song - "Mi likem kindy from..."

After lunch we were slated to do our small teams project presentations as well as our report on the main project. We started almost two hours late, as per island time. I was really happy with the way everything went - Becs and I did our reports in Bislama, and I was really proud of both of us. I think the community appreciates our effort, even if we're not so good, and ask people to shit on the fire instead of sit around the fire...they appreciate us so much in general, and I'm not used to being appreciated quite this much. They think they are the lucky ones. Tonight they prepared a giant dinner and dance in our honor (Jess and I had nothing but popcorn - BUTTERED - and cake for dinner, and loved every minute of it) and gave more speeches, and presented us with beautiful gifts. I danced with Morsen and John (scandalous, I know) and we partied late into the night.

Yesterday was our last official day with our host families*, who had also prepared a huge wonderful meal all together and presented us with gifts and kind words. Joanna told us that they never expected to have whites as part of their families, but I never ever expected them to take us in the way they have. There were many tears, and I'm guessing there will be many more.

Wan bigfalla Vanuatu family.

**This was two weeks before we ACTUALLY left Lambubu. We said our goodbyes at least five times.

July 18.

Today: More sickness. Wanting to go home. Please please please someone empty the mucus from my head and make me stop coughing up green crap. I don't think I'm cut out for this.

Yesterday:

-Met EU guy Andy from Australia, who Liesa and Tara seem to have fallen in love with.
-The one and only poisonous Vanuatu bug tried to take a chunk out of Jess. We'll call this: THE MILLIPEDE INCIDENT. We have several on our premises. Once again, I am horrified. I can kill a spider with my bare hands, but these things scare grown men, and thus cause me to execute elaborate nightly bug checks of my bug net before settling in to bed only to lie awake thinking about the giant millipedes that must be crawling around me. I bet you even the rats won't go near those things.
-I made 2 new friends: Dame and John, both of whom think it's hilarious that I don't have children, and even funnier that I'm not married. Not only did I get laughed at, I got the point and laugh.

I think maybe I do want children. Maybe just Bruno. I wonder what his mom would think if I brought him home with me.

July 16 - 2 weeks left in Lambubu...

Today, Jess and I didn't go to our host families, because we're both feeling quite ill and didn't think we could hack the trek up and down what is now dubbed Jessica Hill.*

Jess and I climbing up the notorious hill, clad in island dresses, baskets of fruit in hand. It's harder than it looks.

Yesterday we did go to Larevet, and saw the man eating caves. (The caves don't eat the men. Men eat (ate) other men, in the caves. Never women. Way to go us.) We are apparently the first white people to have ever visited these caves. Jess' brother Tom and Dave's dad Peter gave us a guided tour. In one of the caves there were fresh footprints that looked like they were leftover from a crazy dance party in the jungle. Peter told us that they see these footprints sometimes, but no one knows who dances there. He also told us a myth of people who used to believe that if they left bananas out here in the caves, they would be replaced with gold, or something like that...again, the language barrier makes it sometimes hard to really get the jist of the stories we're told. My bislama is much better, but not A grade just yet. Just give me a little bit more time...

Inside the caves.

We went down to the "beach", a.k.a. the cluster of sharp, jagged rocks which drop off into the ocean. You could easily lose a foot here, which I didn't, but I did get attacked by some thorny vines on the way back which stuck bloody prickly things under my skin on my ears and on my hands. Tara say that in Australia these are called "waitawhiles", because you have to wait a while before you can get unstuck from them. This is quite true. After lunch, we got to see a kastom bride price ceremony, which was quite interesting, except for the part where a live pig on a stick was dropped right at mine and Jess' feet.

Dave at the beach.

The blushing bride.

Pig on a stick. (That's my mom!)

My brain is clogged with snot. My host mom came to visit me this afternoon while I wallowed in self-pity. When I was sleeping, I dreamed that my mom, my real mom, my Canada mom, was here, and then I woke up, and my host mom was here. I straight up threw myself into her arms and cried, "Take care of me mommy!", but I don't think she knew what I was saying. She gave me some oranges and a pineapples and smiled.

My island crush is married. With pikininis. I am heartbroken.

*We decided we would name this hill after the first person who fell down it. Hence, Jessica Hill.