I've just arrived home from a weekend living in Lelepa Village, an island just off the coast. What an experience! I forgot my mossie repellant (possibly the stupidest thing ever) so i got absolutely mauled by mossies. But great trip. The boat ride over was in the dark - amazing night, had stars and wildfire, and the guys had a cool morse code signalling system with the torch as we came into land. Once we arrived they showed us the track through the village and sent me and another lady on our way, with vague instructions on how to get to our house (does this sound dodgy...???? Remember its dark, in a village we dont know...) So finally found our house and were warmly welcomed by a LOVELY family, who had been waiting for me for a few hours so they could have their tea. I didnt know this so when they offered me tea, i said sure and dug in. Once I had finished, they dished theirs up and sat down to eat. Felt really wierd but it was the same at every meal, i eat first, then they get theirs.
Saturday had a day of speaking bislama and hanging out with the kids, eating local food. Then sunday I helped make Laplap, the local food. The photo is one stage of preparation (soooo much work goes into this!) This was laplap manioc so its grated manioc on the banana leaves and they have grated cocnut flesh and are crushing it to make coconut milk which goes on top. Then starch from the manioc is poured over. Then you wrap up the leaves, and put on the fire. I thought id put soe different pics on my memory stick, but only these ones so ill show you the kitchen another time. But we made the fire the usual way, then put rocks on top. Once these were hot we shovelled them off and put the laplap on, put thye rocks on top, covered it woth more banana leaves, more shrubs, then iron to keep the heat in and then off to church! the whole process took a good few hours, but its a real community thing. Very cool to sit under the mango tree with the mamas and talk in bislama about stuff!
The kitchen was a tin shed just off the side of the house with a few fires smoking away, and the bathroom was another shed, with a side for toilet (a longdrop with a toilet seat) and one side for washing. Inside was a table and we all just sat on the floor. Everyone sleeps on the floor too! I got to watch my mama weaving a mat - she was doing the edging and it looked hardcore! Complicated, but otherwise similar to flax weaving. Very cool though.
And the photo of the kids wasnt the one i was expecting either, but they are my host sisters sonia, and serema (said sedema, the small one) very cute girls. Much more to tell but have to go do some proper work!
Very cool place, and have assured them ill return sometime to visit. They loaded me up with pawpaw and bananas to take back to Vila, which really felt like the return to the big city! Quite a peaceful village really though, very nice just being able to wander round, and enjoy the laid back life. But no water there, so during the dry dseason, its several canoe trips to the main land to get water each day!
Missed the washing machine for the first time last night - NO clean clothes for work, and too tired to go handwash!
Will write more soon!
Miri
