Archive for the 'Vanuatu' Category

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Some Remarks on Vanuatu

Thursday, October 6th, 2005

There is yet another aspect to Ni-Vanuatuian culture, which I did not write about while I was there (I am now back in Sydney).
Officially, the last victim of cannibalizm went into the ground-oven in the island of Malecula in 1969. It is common knowledge, however, that ceremonial eating of human flesh from dead relatives was widespread in Vanuatu at least throughout the 1970s. As black magic is still very central in the culture, and the society system is tribal and based on chieftancy, and sorcerers are very appreciated and feared, I hold it possible that I did talk with some old retired(?)-cannibals while staying in the more remote rural areas of Vanuatu, though while in there I investigated this subject with none. You really don’t want to accidentally break any tabu in the presence of cannibals, even if retired ones.

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Provincial Festival

Tuesday, October 4th, 2005

I should not have been surprised to find out, that the most expensive shop that sells tourists memoriabilia in Port-Vila is owned by Israelies. Amazing how we get to every place.

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Back To The Sea

Monday, October 3rd, 2005

(Copied from notes I took on 2/10/05)

The boat was due to six o’clock in the evening. I made a phone call in the early afternoon in order to find out, and by that time it had already left Pentecost on its way to Ambrym. I sat on the beach to wait for it (no, there is no port here, neither a warf of any sort; simply a fixed point to which the boats arrive), accompanied by my hosts. We sat there waiting throughout the evening, than through most of the night. Finaly, at 02:00am, the boat appeared, a dark shadow against the sky. Thus I broke my record from the far gone army days, of longest continuous stay on a guardpost.

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Abraham Has Many Sons

Monday, October 3rd, 2005

(Copied from notes I took on 29/9/05)

Picture the following scene: the parade consists six persons. Leading is a small child, carrying a bamboo stick in one hand. He is followed by a young man, around 20, who is playing a guitar and singing at the same time. Closing are two girls - last is a small girl, and just before her a young woman is walking. In the middle are two: a 10-years-old boy, totally excited, constantly talking; and a 30 years old man, tired, unshaved, dirty, and possessing white skin (unlike the rest of the party), trying to be nice while cursing himself for forgetting rule number one: always carry your camera, at this pleasent occasion, as he is finally going to take a shower.

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Into The Dragon Cove

Monday, October 3rd, 2005

(Copied from notes I took on 28/9/05)

Half walking, half rolling, half falling, half conscious - I don’t know how I got down from mount Benhow, where I’ve seen Wallahalla.

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No Cococrabs

Tuesday, September 27th, 2005

No, despite what you might have been lured to believe, waking up at 05:30am by the call of a rooster less than a meter from your ear is not a romantic way to begin your day. However, it is a very common one - at least in rural Vanuatu.

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Lap-Lap

Monday, September 26th, 2005

(copied from notes I took on 25/9/05)

After waking up yesterday, I went with Willie to wash on the river. On the way I learnt a bit more about the lifestyle here: the family cell is very big, and “father” refers not only to one’s biological father, but also to all his brothers (an uncle is only the brother of one’s mother). By corollary, a “mother” is not only the biological mother, but all her sisters as well. You must obey all your parents, even if they’re actually smaller than you:
respecting the parents, and actually all elders, is very fundamental here.

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No Fences

Monday, September 26th, 2005

(Copied from notes I took on 24/9/05)

Willie, my host in the Natawa village (the name means “springwater”, although there are no springs around - it is a reminder of the family’s original location), is the same guy I met in the street in Luganville yesterday. It turns out that he’s from the family of the chief, and already started to take steps to acquire a social status: last month, in a special ceremony, he marked a pig which he intends to kill next year. The chief system here is extremely complex: the higher you get in the hierarchy, the less material assets you’re allowed to have; but in order to advance from one stage to the other you have to perform very expensive ceremonies - usually it involves killing pigs, in an amount that rises the higher you get in the hierarchy. There are also some inheritance elements involved, but I still don’t know exactly how it works.

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Change Swords Into Dive-Sites

Friday, September 23rd, 2005

In spite of his good atitude, I decided to bet on Charles, the dive “chariot” guy, for the next part of my journey. I talked with him today, and indeed he was very helpful - talking with some locals and helping me arrange my plans for the next few days. In return, I invited him for kava and paid his cab back home - he was very grateful, and I’m still under the influence of the kava, so I write this post while feeling very happy and a bit dizzy.

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Culinary Challenge

Friday, September 23rd, 2005

(Copied from notes taken on 22/9/05)

I usually consider myself a fairly good cook. I mean, I never studied it professionally and I’m not a chef or anything, but in the amateur level I’m certainly top-end, and I’m proud of it. Yesterday, when I arrived at Santo Island, it even proved useful.

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