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[21 Nov 2006|09:37am] |
Yesterday I left my beautiful island paradise.
Yesterday I said goodbye to Lozza.
Yesterday was shit.
Today I went shopping.
Today I got pampered at a resort.
Today was good.
Tomorrow will be better .... because I'm coming home!
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| From Vila Via |
[22 Oct 2006|05:56pm] |
Back in the world of technology! I’m having a bit of a holiday in Santo with Bec as she meets her friend Ainslie here … I fly back on Tuesday. (Also, if you emailed me I’m sorry – my account randomly deleted all my emails. It’s been a long two months without access to the internet, and lots of things have happened since my last entry. We left Santo on the Brisk (a cargo barge) at 11.30pm on Tuesday for the trip to Pentecost. It was a horrible boat ride – it started raining at midnight and we stood freezing together in the wind for two hours until some of the crew took pity on us and invited us into the crew area. Bec, Rosie and I slept for three gorgeous hours curled up on the tiny kitchen floor, only waking to find I spent the night in a rubbish bin. It was sunny in the morning though, so we watched the sun come up and sunbaked on deck. The trip took 18 hours all up! We stayed at Ranwadi with the other GAPs, but because there were lots of us, I had to sleep on the concrete floor with my sarong balled up as a pillow. Pentecost is a beautiful island though, but very very hilly. We hiked up to a beautiful waterfall, and we swam in the pool at the bottom, and we could swim behind the waterfall and look out. It was very cool, except we found out it was their water catchment….after we peed in it. Oh, and I killed a cat! We found a cat stumbling around, it could barely walk – it was a very pitiful sight. So Andy Grey and I took it outside and broke its neck with a bushknife. I felt horrible, but it needed to be put out of its misery. Poor thing. We caught the MV Halice on Monday afternoon (after waiting up for it since Saturday night!) to go back to Ambae. We got to North Pentecost at about 8.30pm, and 60 women bound for some religious conference on Ambae spent the next 3 hours singing songs of the ‘I love you Jeebus’ variety, while some old lady hurled loudly on the floor. We were mildly worried about that, as we were actually sleeping on the floor, but it didn’t roll so it was all good. Lol! When we got to Lolowi they told us the boat didn’t sail throught the night, so we had to spend the night on the boat. 26 hours after we finally got to Londua, and it was amusing how relieved we were to get home. And to get my mail! I got three letters and two big parcels, it was excellent – my first letters since arriving in Vanuatu. Mail is pretty much the highlight of the week for us. We didn’t have school for the first week because there weren’t enough students, so we pretty much just bummed around and went out for kava. After school went back, life pretty much went back to normal, with one or two exceptions … - The girls caught a turtle and cooked it, so we got to taste it. It tasted like really salty cow.
- Rosie and I got swamped by huge waves and thought we were going to die.
- We had another earthquake tremor (right as Rosie was telling us about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and we all almost shat ourselves.
- We made our own religion – the Church of Ronald.
- We went to a funeral feast for the Chief’s dead wife, and watched them kill two pigs. And got heaps and heaps of food.
- We stole a kitten and named it Harry, knowing full well it’s a girl. And it shits in Josef’s room.
- The school ran out of drinking water, so we were drinking dirty well water. The students had no water, they had to drink coconut milk. But then it rained, so we had clean water for a while. But now we’re back to dirty well water.
- Bec had a runaway crab in her room (our house is crab- and rat-infested), so she had to make a daring run to our room (and safety).
- Bec, Rosie and I hosted a dinner party for Jo and Ali – we made invitations, got dressed up in our island dresses and made a mountain of food … and made very very strong vodka punch. And after dinner we played Kings and got drunk and lay on the floor while Josef chucked. Then during the night, Chow got attacked by Bec’s runaway crab while she was sleeping and woke us all up screaming. Then she screamed again because she thought a huge rat was coming toward her – but it was just Harry.
- Bec and I (but not Rosie - she thinks she does, but she doesn’t) walk at least 2 hours a day … some days we walk 3 because we’re bored! And we found a store near the airport that sells cold lemonade, it was the best day of my life. I miss my fridge.
- We climbed a volcano. It took 5 ½ hours just to get to the edge of the crater at the top, and 4 ½ hours to get back down. All up, we were walking for almost 13 hours, pretty much nonstop. It was HELL. But it was worth it, just to say I climbed an active volcano!
- For a while there we were having very bad food days. Our worst: one day I had half a grapefruit for breakfast, and a bowl of plain rice for lunch and dinner. I have never wanted McDonalds more in my life! But it’s ok now, cos Mum sent some awesome food parcels and Kirst sent chocolate … 8 blocks! (Such a legend!)
- We had a birthday part for Lusian and invited her and Lozza for a fancy dinner (and by fancy I mean we wore our island dresses and cleaned the table) and we played the Chocolate Game. When we sung her Happy Birthday she had tears in her eyes, it was adorable.
- Bec, Rosie, Chow and I had a food fight in the middle of school grounds – throwing rice and each other and laughing our heads off before we realized all of the students were watching.
- Bec and I had a beat down on Rosie in the middle of Ndui Ndui as a group of villagers looked on confused.
I miss home, but the time here is going by so fast. It’s scary to think we’ll never come back to this place, and we’ll never see all the girls again. I’ll be crying when we have to say goodbye! We’ve made so many friends, let me tell you about them. There’s Sam at the local store and his little grandson Willy (so named because he’s never wearing pants) who yells “hello” about 10 times as we walk past. Harry’s mum owns the store across the creek (and once owned a kitten) and her kids with their huge flyaway afros. Pink-pants-man – the old blind man who sits under the same tree everyday wearing fluoro pink pants. Madeline the breadmaker, who’s about 65 and still climbs trees, and Aneth, who talks to us while we wait. The “council workers” who do nothing all day but listen to string band music next to their trucks. Greens-shorts-man who is constantly tending his pineapple plants along the road at Ndui Ndui. The crazy market ladies who hold impromptu preaching sessions in between selling us vegetables. Jimmy the postman, who carries our heavy parcels and apologises profusely when we have no mail. Tom the health care assistant who looks after us when we’re ill (and has a major crush on Rosie), and Jacinta the Vanair lady with lots of random chin curls. Pig the runaway pup that’s owned by half the town, and who lives with us every few days. Gilberto the crazt Arab-looking string band member who chases us for photos. Then back at school there’s Graham, our crazy kava-drinking principal who looks like Shrek and asks us for vodka, and Remis the scary Jerry Springer-style black mama who lives with him. Lozza (Lorineth) our little sister who is my absolute favourite, and Lusian our second sister who has an hysterically expressive face. Reggie (Regina) the little rebel, Devni the shy one, Liana (C 1) the bully and Sarah (C 2) her manipulative friend, and Tina and Alice the crazy smelling Bible-bashing sisters. The Stevens family – Mr Steven who always laughs, his daughter Dazza (Davina) who looks like a boy, his other kids Shazza (Sharon) and Efanessa and his wife Big Sharon (Sarah) who gives us watermelons. Renata the cool kid, Cliff the closet gay, Brent the Year 8 catchboy, Charlie our coconut tree climber, Jackson the sleaze, Silas the horny 12 year old and Clinton, the hottest Ni-Van ever. Chief Cook, who has a real name but never uses it, and Saline the bursar who spends half an hour in our drop toilet. Ja Rule, a boy from Pentecost who’s in love with me and rings me. Harry the cat we stole from Harry’s mum and then gave to the principal after he shat in Josef’s room. Then there’s the girls I live with: Rosie the crazy humping girl I am forced to share a room with (and whose pubes I’ve seen more times than I would like), Chow the retard we’ve voted out of the house more than 20 times but has damn good taste in music, Bec the token fat loud chick (and my oldest friend) and Ali aka Trace the bushwoman (don’t mess with Trace, she’s got blue Explorers!). These are the nutty people you’d meet if you lived in Vanuatu like I do. But you don’t. I miss you guys heaps, but I’m having an absolute ball here. I’ll be home in 7 weeks (!) so I hope you are all counting down the days! The time will go by so fast, I’ll be seeing you before you know it!
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| And you thought I was leaving ... |
[08 Aug 2006|04:43pm] |
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OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
You know that earthquake I told you about? Apparently it was 6.5 on the Richter Scale. It was 80km away in the middle of the ocean, and we were told to watch for tsunamis. A TSUNAMI!!
Also, we were supposed to fly out today ... but the planes were grounded because of a "mini-cyclone". That is the exact words the airport traffic control dude said to me. We've been here since Tuesday, and we've been trying to leave this ghetto town since Wednesday. I HATE THIS TOWN! No one knows exactly when we're going to be able to fly out, maybe if the weather is better tomorrow we might fly out late afternoon. Maybe. But because this is Vanuatu, we just have to sorta rock up and hope for the best. SO ANNOYING. An annoyance that only large amounts of alcohol can cure.
But even if the weather does clear, everyone is on alert because the island I'm going to (Ambae) has a large volcano on it. A volcano that last erupted ... in April! So now that this earthquake hit, they're worried that the volcano might erupt because there is only a thin layer of earth between the lava and the crater lake.
LOL THIS PLACE IS RIDICULOUS. COMPLETE AND UTTER NONSENSE.
Did I tell you that there was an earthquake? And a cyclone? And a volcano? And that it's been raining for a week straight in dry season, supposedly because "someone has done a rain dance"? Yep, that's Vanuatu for you!
Oh, and I lied in my last entry. There are NINE active volcanos ... 7 on land, and 2 under water. Does that make you feel better about my general well being here in Vanuatu?
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[08 Aug 2006|09:22am] |
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Omg, there was just an earthquake. There has been three so far that I've felt. They're only little ones ... this one was a bit stronger though, and went for longer. It felt like I was on a boat, like that seasick feeling you get. It's because Vanuatu is on the edge of a tectonic plate ... also why there are so many volcanos here. I think there are 7 - 5 on land, and 2 under the water, but don't quote me on it.
Blair, I've only just clicked to the fact I won't see you for an entire year. That is seriously disgusting. Why would you do that to me?
So as I said, we're flying to Ambae tomorrow. I'm so glad to be getting out of this horrible black ghetto town, I detest it. I loved Vila (the capital), but this place is just horrid. If you wish to write to me, send stuff C/O Londua Technical College, PO Box 15, Ndui Ndui, West Ambae, Vanuatu.
Oh, one last thing ... I'm tired today. Do you want to know why? It's because I went to bed last night at 10. How ridiculous is that?! There is nothign to do at night here, and in the villages there isn't much light, so people go to bed basically straight after dark. On Saturday, we went to bed at 7.30. On a Saturday night! I disgust me.
Soccer girls: good luck, I hope you're doing well ... please email me/comment and tell me how you're going!
Love you all, and miss everyone horribly! Don't ever leave me again.
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| Blueness |
[07 Aug 2006|03:51pm] |
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We went to Champagne Beach today, which was gorgeous. The sand is pure, and feels very soft and fine. We were the only ones there! We had this whole gorgeous beach to ourselves. It looks just like a postcard, gorgeous white sand meeting crystal clear blue water. I've got lots of photos, I can't wait to show all of you, you'll be so jealous!! After that we went to the Blue Hole, which is this deep blue colour (something to do with volcanic rock) and just absolutely beautiful.
We're flying out to Ambae tomorrow, and I'm not sure I'll have internet access, I'll have to check when I get there. Bet none of the rest of you are having such a good time in such a beautiful place ... but then again, you also have access to a McDonalds, so I don't know which of us wins.
P.S Tell Amelia I hate her.
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| Stranded |
[03 Aug 2006|04:22pm] |
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The sound of my extreme anger |
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Oh my fucking God. Sit down, for you will believe this shit that we have been through.
Ooh, did I mention that Luganville (the place we're in at the moment) has a civil war going on? And we're not allowed out at night by ourselves? Yeah, good times. And Luganville looks like a black ghetto town from the 1960s.
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| It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to! |
[29 Jul 2006|04:40pm] |
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Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles |
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Tis my birthday today! I never quite realised that I’d be spending my 18th away from everyone, in another country, but here I am!
We actually held my birthday yesterday because 5 of the Gappers were leaving this morning very early to fly to their placements. Anyway, we were getting ready, and Ali decided she was going to do my makeup for me, because as you all know I can’t do it myself. After a while we went back to the rooms, and I opened the door and they had a cake, and candles and balloons and streamers, and it was so cute. I admit, I had a little cry, because I just didn’t expect it at all. I was so touched.
I’ll try to get pictures on here on Monday, but I’m not promising anything cos the internet speed has been very dodgy today, so I’m not sure. I miss all of you guys heaps, and I'll hopefully still have internet on Santo occasionally to hear from you.
Love you all!
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| VANUATU! |
[22 Jul 2006|02:23pm] |
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Weird Vanuatu reggae |
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| Goodbye |
[16 Jul 2006|10:40pm] |
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I'm leaving in a little less than a week, and I think that calls for some sort of goodbye. So this is my requisite 'So sorry I'm leaving you all, hurts to say goodbye, but need to tell you how i feel in case i die overseas' post. I'll be gone for 5 months, which in the scheme of things isn't that long, but at times i know I'll miss you all more than I would have thought possible. So here are all my feelings laid out for everyone to know.
Meels, you're like the sister I never wanted, and now can't get rid of. You're so far into my head it's creepy, and when we have the same train of thought, I'm always pretty sure we're actually the same person. I love that you know all my bad points, and still like me. There's not much I can say to you that you don't already know, but I know you'll be here when I get back, just as you'll be be there for me always.
Tiff, we sorta lost contact there for a while, but I still loved you just as much as I ever did. I know we'll keep in touch no matter what happens, cos we're friends of the heart, and you can never lose that! Thank you for everything.
Gracie, I know we haven't known each other for that long, but I already think you're a legend. You're never boring, and we always find something stupid to do (like climb walls in a mini skirt ...). Also, you love soccer as much as I do, so it's a match made in heaven. P.S You're going to fit in so well into the team, cos you're awesome. When I come back, we're finally going for ice cream.
Blair, for all your paranoia and insecurity, you're still one of the coolest people I know. Don't change for anybody, and remember, I love you for who you are! I hate that I'll have to wait so long to see you again, but I know that you'll bring me back lots of cool souvenirs, so I can forgive you for leaving me.
To the soccer team:
Seriously, you guys are family. I don't know what I would have done without you, most all of you have helped me in ways you wouldn't even know. Megan and Billy, thanks for lending me your house, and being such awesome mates (thanks for teaching me how to play pool Billy, even if I'm not such a good student). Amynae, more than anyone else, I owe you for holding me together in high school, for loving me even when I didn't deserve it. Kirstie, you already know you're my big sister, and nothing can change that. Thanks for all the advice, and the trust, and the sleepovers. Vick, thanks for being you, you'll always be my commander! Cara, I hope you remain injury free for the rest of the season, I hate to see you hurting babe. Cass, you're awesome, you better be here when I get back, or I'll hunt you down and drag you back into the team. To the rest of you, you guys are all seriously awesome. All my love, and I hope all goes well for the rest of the season.
To all the Maccas crew:
All of you are absolutely 100% crazy, and that makes a pretty sweet place to work. Thanks for accepting me (and getting me drunk at your parties lol). Keep on rocking!
To all my school friends:
Good luck for uni and work for all of you, you're all strong enough to do whatever you want with your life. I know we've drifted apart since school finished, but some of my best memories involve you all, and for that I shan't forget you.
To everyone else in my life, I love you all dearly, and I shall see you all when I get back. Have a good 5 months, and remember ... if you can't be good, be good at it! Stay safe guys.
If you want to write to me (I'd love handwritten letters!), just address it to me at Matantas Village, Big Bay, North Santo, Vanuatu.
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| Vanuatu |
[13 Jul 2006|06:49pm] |
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The Cactus That Found The Beat - Missy Higgins |
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Ok, for you all you who have just found this, this is my LiveJournal! Welcome. I shall update here as often as possible while I'm away, so both my RL and online friends can see what I'm up to. And you better comment, or I shan't talk to any of you ever again.
Love!
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| I'm trying hard just to calm down |
[08 Jul 2006|09:43pm] |
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It Is You - Shrek |
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Bored. And very apathetic.
Top 6 TV shows
1. SVU
2. Cold Case
3. NCIS
4. The Simpsons
5. Futurama
6. JAG
1. Who is your favourite character from #2?
Clearly it's gotta be Lil. She's so deliciously troubled.
2. Who is your least favourite character from #4?
Marge. Always full of goodness *shudder*
3. What would a crossover between #1 and #5 include?
Someone being raped, and Fry doing something stupid.
4. Who is your favourite ship from #6?
Obviously Harm and Mac.
5.If you were to set one person from #3 and one person from #6 on a blind date, who would they be?
Chegwidden and Gibbs. It'd just be funny.
6. If you could meet one person from #3 and spend a day with them, who would it be, and what would you do?
Tony or Ziva. Play pool?
7. If you could change one thing about #2's plot line, what would you change?
More happiness between Scotty and Lil.
8. Explain a relationship between two people (not necessarily romantic) from show #5, and explain why you like the relationship between them.
Bender and Fry. It's such an amusing friendship.
9. If the lead title characters (first name in the credits) from #1 and #3 were both drowning, and you could only save one, who would it be?
I think that'd be Elliot and Gibbs. I'd save Elliot.
10. If you could change the title characters' order in the credits for show #4, what order would you choose?
It's a cartoon.
11. If you could add a new character, any kind of character you wanted, to the storyline for #6, what would the character be like and what would their role be?
I don't know ... I like it the way it is.
12. What happens in your favourite episode of #2?
Every episode is good ... one of the first I saw, when Lil cries with 'Heaven' playing in the background.
13. If you could kill off one of the characters from #1, who would it be and how would you do it?
Fin. Sometimes I swear I can't even understand him.
14. If you could visit the set for either show #3 or show #5, which one would you choose?
NCIS. Since it actually would be a set, not just a little back room with lots of nerds.
15. So, I saved the best question for last. If you could date anyone from any of these shows, which show and which person?
Elliot. Even though he's like 40. If I was 40, I'd so date him. Or Harm. He's also 40.
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| With a rebel yell ... |
[05 Jul 2006|05:52pm] |
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It Ain't Wrong - Cold Chisel |
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Random people keep beeping outside my house, and it's annoying the shit out of me. What else annoys me? Italy beating Germany. Little pussies, always diving and faking injuries. I hate them. It annoys me ... when I go to get a dvd out from the video store, and someone else has it out (Mulan, for your information). Wait, I'll make a list.
Things that annoy me:
- Having to work so hard for money (lol)
- Feeling guilty for things that aren't neccessarily my fault
- Being scared
- Cleaning my room
- Authors taking so goddamn long to write and release a book when i wish to read them
- Girls wearing huge sunglasses INSIDE. Honestly!
- People telling me soccer is a stupid sport
- My brother winning random things when I can never win even a stupid raffle
- People I dislike thinking I care about them and/or their feelings. I don't.
I'm running out of things. Here's a quiz I stole from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) kaaaaathryn
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| Never Had A Friend Like Me |
[02 Jul 2006|10:07pm] |
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Colours Of The Wind - Pocahontas |
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Only 18 days to go before I fly out. Betcha gonna miss me! I hope you will anyway ...
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[14 Jun 2006|06:49pm] |
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End Of The Line - Travelling Wilburys |
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How old were you when you...
Fell in love - I haven't falled in love.
Lost your virginity - It hasn't happened yet!
Lost someone close to you - 12
Drank alcohol - 14
Smoked weed - Younger than I can remember.
Got kissed - 12
Got your heart broken - Once again, hasn't happened yet.
Got arrested - Never
Smoked a cigarette - 11
Broken a bone - Never
Got cheated on - Never
Rode the city bus - 15
Went to a concert - 16. Living End!
Met someone famous - 16. He's an ex football star that now hosts a tv program.
Dyed your hair - Never.
Got your first cell phone - 12.
Got A MySpace - 17.
Snuck out of the house - 7.
Got your own digital camera - I just use the family's one as my own lol.
First time u got drunk - 16.
Read Harry Potter - 11 or 12?
Traveled across the ocean - Never
Wore a toga - Lol never.
Traveled out of state - 3.
Shopped at Abercrombie - I don't even know what that is.
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| OLE OLE OLE OLE |
[13 Jun 2006|01:24am] |
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AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE! OI OI OI! Anyone else scream hysterically when Tim Cahill and John Aloisi scored? I know for sure there were others, cos I could hear them in my street. THAT WAS THE BEST GAME I HAVE EVER WATCHED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
Also, meet the new love of my life:
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| The Plague is Coming ... |
[03 Jun 2006|10:43am] |
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I'm dying. I have the plague and I'm dying. I'm pretty sure xkyrie_eleisonx gave me her disease via LJ. Damn Sarah. No seriously, I really am dying. I had to ref today, but couldn't even complete one game without stopping and gagging because my heart is trying to leap out my throat, and is therefore blocking important things, LIKE MY AIRWAY.
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