almost vacation…

Not too much going on around here because it’s almost Christmas. Everything shuts down around Christmas. Partly for the holiday, and partly because of the heat. Plus Sola turns into a ghost town. No one is actually FROM Sola. Sola has only existed for about ten years to accommodate provincial government, and everyone is from somewhere else – “the other side” (West Vanualava), Motalava, Mota, Ureparapara, even some from Santo. Everyone goes home for Christmas. And pretty much everyone is already gone.

The police sergeant took me out for kava on Friday night, which was really nice, except I think he expected me to match him shell for shell. Unlike him, I am not a 300lb Ni-Van male. I think I did pretty well though… it was just pretty difficult getting home. But really, where else can you spend a Friday night drinking narcotics with your local law enforcement?

There was a minor spat in church this morning. Some guy stood up during community announcements time and said something to the effect of, “I’m sad to see that there has been no preparation for Christmas. Christmas is only seven days away and no one has done anything to prepare for it. I propose that early Christmas morning, some of you from the church and you from the choir come to church very early to prepare for celebration.”

My papa’s brother, a relatively high-up chief and a member of the church committee and choir, stood up and was like, “Christmas HAS been prepared. Everyone who is involved in setting up the celebration knows already and is expecting it. There will be a celebration. There will be a kakae. But you also know that most of you in the congregation are not going to be here because you’ll be going home for Christmas.” Whoops.

I got tons of packages this week! It was awesome. I got all my Christmas presents from Mom, which were individually wrapped of course. I tried opening one per day, but my will-power gave out and I finished opening them this morning. Unity came over to bring me some food and John was tagging along and saw all the new unwrapped DVDs, and says, “You should come over tonight and we’ll watch them!!”

Unity was like, “John! Maybe she’s busy!… But… we are kind of sick of the same movies over and over… so if you’re not doing anything…” So I have a movie date with a six-year-old tonight.

My vacation starts Wednesday and I’m super pumped! Wednesday I fly to Santo, go straight to Natangura Cafe with Gene and eat a cheeseburger. Yessssssss. I’m staying the night at Gene’s, then flying to Ambae on Thursday to Christmas with Melissa (in Bislama, Christmas is a verb). I’m excited to see Ambae because I’ve never been there! Headed back to Santo on the 28th to hang out and New Year (also a verb) with Michael aka Prince Charming and whoever else is there. Maybe I’ll get to meet a couple of the new PCVs… I know there’s at least one on Ambae and 3 on Santo.

Michael is coming back to Sola with me on Jan 4 because he wants to see the Banks. I plan to take him to Mosina and the Silver River, but I don’t know what else… it depends on who all is in Sola. I’m worried about going to see another island because it’s easy to get stranded. But we’ll see.

So. Everyone who reads this: Meri Krismas mo Hapi Niu Yia 2012!!