Nius blong Mitufala

Mobility...

There is a new addition to the Gates-Derousseau household.  Simon and I were buying some wine for a dinner one evening at a shop next to the local motorcycle shop.  I just happened to pass in front of the display window and I just happened to notice that there was a 50cc scooter for sale at only USD250.  I just couldn't resist.  It's provided savings in gas, been a huge hit with Simon and most importantly, whoopee it's so fun to ride!!!!

She was a second-hand scooter which had been part of the store's original rental fleet.  She's definitely seen some action, but runs just fine.  I've had a lot of fun going to work on it during sunny days, and it's fun to weave and dodge between potholes.   I bought Simon a little helmet and we go at a snail's pace around our block with him standing at the front, holding on to the inside of the handle bars.  He's in heaven. 

In other news, Fred and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary this past week.  It was a public holiday here in Vanuatu, so we organised for Josephine to stay with Simon for the day and we headed to the north of the island to a four-star resort that doesn't allow kids.  We had a few glasses of wine and a lovely lunch.  It was a perfect day sandwiched in between rainy stretches - an omen of good things to come.  It was nice to spend a full day just focussing on ourselves.

The weather in Vanuatu has been changing - one of the things that I've always loved about this country.  Despite being relatively close to the Equator, there are two clear seasons.  April generally brings cooling rains that have us putting sweaters on in the evening and turning down the fans.  This year has been no exception, with wild winds whipping the island.  We've been lucky once again to miss being hit by a major cyclone and our gardens have survived in tact.  The following photo was taken at The Summit, a new-ish garden/restaurant in the heights behind Mele village that has a wonderful view of the town.

Both Fred and I have been uber-busy at work lately - so much so that it's about all either of us can do to spend some quality time with Simon.  Speaking of Simon, he has hit his verbal stride and repeats everything we say in every language.  Both French and English seem to be on a par with each other now and developing at an equal rate.  He's been a lot of fun, but we can definitely see the terrible twos coming on with his sudden  behavioural swings and penchant for hitting.  A big breakthrough from this weekend is that he's suddenly started telling us when he needs to use the potty and uses it about once out of every three times.  Slowly slowy, but we definitely see a light at the end of the diaper tunnel!

We're looking forward to a vist from Fred's sister, Charlotte, towards the middle of this month!  We can't wait for Simon to spend some time with ChaCha (and we're looking forward to it too!).

In lieu of a proper post...

Things have been very busy here for the past month - between work, travel and social engagements, there hasn't been much time for... well, anything really.  So, I thought I'd share a few photos from the last couple of weeks to show that we're still alive and aside from some stomach troubles (Kendra) and colds (Simon), we're alive and very well.

 

 Greek Easter at Tamanu.  So much fun even though the photo isn't fabulous.  It's hard to get Simon's fingers out of his nose when he has a cold.  I had also had a recent haircut which  made me look rather butch, if I do say so myself.

 Simon laughing it up with Mila.

The following set of photos were taken over Easter on Epi.  I still need to get the full-sized versions from Christelle, but they were too cute not to share right away!

Easter on Epi - a sneak preview

I am working on a longer post for publication this weekend about our adventures on the island of Epi during the long Easter weekend.  Suffice it to say that it was lovely though wet, sticky and we got stranded for an extra day and finally had to call (and pay!) for an airtaxi to pick us up.  Simon lived out his fantasies of flying in planes, taking boat trips and riding in large trucks almost everyday! 

Boat Boy

The Eye of the Fisherman

A Photographic Update

Before the storm:

A night out with the ladies... and a long recovery the day after.

 

A cool cucumber

 

Coffee with friends

After the storm:

 

 

Photos of downtown Port Vila 14/2/12

Scenes from the Windy City

 Vanuatu has been unusually cool lately, mostly due to the gusty conditions that La Nina has been provoking.  This past weekend, all the yachts abandoned Vila Harbour as the west winds picked up (cue theme for Wicked Witch from Wizard of Oz...) and the waves started whipping around.  A couple of days later, we now see why: 

Cyclone Jasmine coming to get us

The Australian High Commission is giving us the afternoon off to go home and secure everything.  As the proud daughter of an insurance broker, I went out yesterday afternoon and procured drinking water, matches, candles, a full tank of gas, credit for my mobile phone and 5 bottle of wine (once the danger has passed but you still have to stay inside due to flying objects, it can get a bit boring...).

If you'd like to stay up to date on whether or not we get hit, check out this link:  Vanuatu Cyclone Track Map.  Jasmine still might pass to the south and hit New Caledonia instead of us...

 

Blown About in Mele

Fred, Simon and I went out to Mele beach to look at the waves and get blown about by the gales a bit.  It was so windy that Simon could hardly stand unassisted!  After the third consecutive rainy weekend, however, we were desperate to get out of the house!!!

 Bato, Bato, Bato

And some cute photos from last week to end before I run home to batten down the hatches...

 Simon, wanna take a bath?!  

 Simon and Ennio swimming in the rain

 

2012 in thoughts

Simon helped Fred and I ring in the New Year with style.  We spend New Year's Eve at my Peace Corps Veteran and good friend Carla's house.  She had invited a handful of families and everyone came with at least one, but more like two, children.  It was the type of wonderful melee and noisy joy that would have made childless-Fred-and-Kendra cringe.  But Simon's parents loved it and dove into the scrum with vigor.  There was Wii dancing, spaghetti bolonaise throwing, statues-playing, truck races, ball-throwing and kava drinking all mixed up with occaisonal firework displays.  It was a sight to be seen.  Simon conked out at about 8pm but woke up raring and ready to go at 9.  He danced the New Year in with all of us as evidenced by his prominent place in the dance circle below:

 Simon Breaks It Down

The early days of 2012 have been filled with sun, friends and much thought by Fred and I.  We came home from our USA/France trip wondering just how long we would stay in Vanuatu.  We haven't stopped talking about it since.  The dilemma is that while we want to be closers to our friends and family, we have some pretty good friends here, stable employment, a great house and fabulous care for Simon.  Not to mention the kava.  In short, life is pretty darn good right here.  We're busy hatching contingency plans, though, but at this point it looks like at least two more years here.  AusAID, my place of work, will reimburse any studies I undertake related to my current job and I'm EXTREMELY interested in taking advantage of this opportunity before Fred and I start getting clucky for another baby.

 Simon and Ellie love Sesame Street

Having Simon in our lives has pushed Fred and I to try new activities and get out of the house on the weekends (which is doubly hard now that we have a kick-ass internet connection!).  The newest restaurant crze here is the Wahoo Bar which is located about a 30 minute drive outside of town.  The newly paved road around the island has opened up tourism and development opportunities on the northern side of the island ... and provided us with a sunny afternoon of good food and entertainment as we watched Simon walk his "baby." 

 Simon pushed his stroller

    Simon and Moma eat fish and chips at the Wahoo

The weather lately has been very strange, alternately sweaty-hot and get-the-blanket-out-chilly.  During one of the hot days, we gave Simon his first ice cream bar.   Needless to say, he has a tendency for dairy-love coming from both sides of his family.

  Do I have some ice-cream on my chin?

Simon has been developing in leaps and bounds... literally.  He knows how to jump now and isn't afraid to launch himself unaided into a swimming pool.  (This can be heart-stopping if you aren't paying close attention.)  He's also become aware of "boo-boos" that he both gets and gives.  He still has a bit of biting problem, but this seems to be limited to me and when he's tired.  He can use a fork and a spoon, make lots of different animal noises and name most body parts.  He's obsessed with my breasts right now in a way that he never was when he was breast-feeding.  Is this where men's obsession with mammaries begins?!  We're trying to teach him words for bodily functions in preparation for potty-training.  Today, he said pee-pee and then did it (in his diaper).  Great start!  He loves to give kisses full on the mouth and growls when he gives you a bear hug.  Did I tell you that we love him to bits?!

 Simon - 18 Months

 

Haka a Vila

la communauté néozelandaise de Vila était venue défier les français quelques jours avant la finale en faisant un haka en face de l'ambassade de France... Heureusement Georges, le directerur de l'Alliance Francaise a pu leur donner leur rendre l'appareil façon frenchies ! Allez voir sur:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIlF3BGq2FU

As seen in the Newspaper this past weekend

 
(click on image for full size )

Central Market

While Fred and I are battling our way out from behind all the snot in our respective heads (Simon was spared the worst of it, thank goodness) and I struggle to catch up with four days of backlog at work from being home sick, I thought I would entertain the blogosphere with some photos that a friend recently took at the Port Vila Central Market. 

 
I love this photo.  It demonstrates the unflagging joy with which many ni-Vanuatu approach life.  These women are sorting 'Chinese Cabbage' or bok-choy into bundles to sell.

 The Central Market also hosts stalls for small business women/men to sell lunch and tea.  In this photo (taken Tuesday last week), I am lunching at the market with two colleagues.

 
This is Esther who, for many years, was nanny for our good friends.  When they left Vanuatu, she decided to take up cooking (and boy is she good!) instead of finding work with another family.  She is the sole bread-earner in her family and supports a handful of people on her earnings.

I'll post newer photos of Simon soon...  :)

Mi Harem se

Radio cocotier nous transmet l’information suivante : Le 3^ème plus grand voilier au monde est dans la baie de Port Vila. Il fait plus de 100 m de long et je vous laisse compter le nombre de voie. Le propriétaire, le numéro 2 d’une grosse boite US, est arrivée cette semaine en avion privé pour profiter de son jouet. Souhaitons lui du beau temps car les dernières semaines n ont pas été terribles.