Happy Thanksgiving

11-25-11

     Finally, PST is almost over. We have one more week to go in out host community and then one more week at a hotel in Port Vila. This week has pretty much gone just like every other, but we went snorkeling in Mangalelu on Wednesday which was super cool. They have these clams here that are the size of my torso- really, really big.
     But, this week was also Thanksgiving too, how could anyone forget-even here. Well, the holiday seemed like it was just going to be another day, but I have the best host family in the world. So, on Tuesday I had a smol storian with my mama about Thanksgiving. I told her all about the Pilgrims and Indians, the Macy day Parade, bigfala kakae with fulap turkey, salads, and pies- including pumpkin. Anyway, I wasn't sure how much she comprehended my explanation or even if she was interested beyond my excitement, but I woke up Thursday morning with our kitchen area decorated with streamers, balloons, and hand turkeys, which I had showed them the day before. hahaha. Needless to say, I was both shocked and overwhelmed. I came back from taking a swim and my mama was sitting at the table all ready to give me the schedule for the day. First, we had Bislama class but after I was to come back and help/learn how to make bananna pie, pumpkin pie (Vanuatu style- not sweet), pumpkin scones, pumpkin cake, and bananna bread. Cooking with a bunch of mama's is a lot of fun-side note.
     Afta, everyone had a community lunch togeta and we all did a history presentation in front of the community. My topic was about the Neflak System (I've attached my presentation in Bislama at the bottom)
But finally after everything, everyone came to my house, just as my family/mama wanted and ate fulap kakae with all the yummy desserts! For Thanksgiving in Vanuatu and my first one away from home- I gotta say it was really great. Much better then I thought it was going to be, and I am so thankful for my host family for being the only family in the community who did anything, and I think everyone really liked having something-even though it was small.

11-26-11
    
     Today (Saturday) everyone is learning how to fish. so, we are going to the island "Hat island" where an old Chief Roy Matta is buried-who was in my presentation. So, we went and saw his grave site; that's a whole nother story. Anyway, fishing was fin and we learned how to use a spear gun, net, and line/hook fihsing (Tom Sawyer Style). Afta, we had a bigfala rus (roast) with all the fish.
       -Let me just finish by telling you how cool I am. Although i didn't catch any of the fish, I did, however, de-scale, cut open, gut, and roast my own fish; actually 3 to be exact. Just another day in Vanuatu. TIV