VSA in Vanuatu Six months ago I was offered a volunteer service aboard assignment working for 2 years with the NGO 'Wan Smolbag' in Port Vila. In five days time I will be there!

HOUS BLONG ME LONG BIHAEN LONG FLAMINGO APARTMENTS LONG BOSHINSKI ROAD KLOSAP NABANGA TREE (translated: my house behind Flamingo apartments along Boshinski Road close to a Nabanga Tree). I have discovered in the Islands you don't have an absolute reference to your location - not in western terms that is of an allocated number on a street. I have become a master of drawing maps illustrating where I live. This has been for organising water, power and phone to be connected to the flat. Locations are very much about what surrounds them (context sensitive) rather than being reduced to a numeric reference. The flat I am living in is located about 150 metres above the main wharf at Port Vila. There are two houses on the high fenced section; one 2 storied place and a single storied house. These are nestled on a large undulating area of lawn amongst exotics plants and fruit trees including mango, pawpaw, avocado and grapefruit - it hasn't been a good season for mango - but tonight as I strolled around the section at dusk I picked up a small shrivelled mango off the ground and it was surprisingly fleshy and tasty. The houses look to the North over Port Vila and Mele bay. The flat above me is currently occupied by the land lady's two daughters - one from Sydney, the other Bermuda - their mother, Tessa Fowler, is from UK - immigrated here 40 years ago - she was an economist working for the English Government. Two more VSA volunteers - a couple - will be moving in upstairs late in March. The other house is occupied by a couple of Irish doctors who work for Australian Aid at the public hospital. Apart from these people who live around me I also share my house with a variety of species of ants, cockroaches and strange dry worms that hang out in corners of the rooms. More soon.... tata!