So last weekend I invited myself to come and stay at Ali's place in Mangaliliu village. Ali is a volunteer working with the communities who have customary ownership over the UNESCO World Heritage listed 'Chief Roi Mata Domain' - the place we visited a couple of months back. Ali is helping them to create a sustainable tourism industry that respects the covenants of the world heritage listing - and she is doing a mighty fine job.
Mangaliliu village is a great spot - only 25 minutes drive from down-town Port Vila, but its own world entirely. The people living there are lovey and quite accustomed to strangers traipsing about because Survivor Vanuatu was filmed in their backyard, making it a bit of a stop off on the tourist trail. This is great because when kids in the village see a new white person, rather than screaming and running in terror or hiding in their mum's skirt, they run right up and clamber all over you.
Ali has really been welcomed into the community. In fact, the village chief - Chief Momo - has adopted her into his own family.
Here is a picture of Ali and her 'papa'. Close family....!
And this is Ali's little hut. The small bit at the front is the kitchen area and in the other space she has room for a bed and a table and metres and metres of bright blue tropical-print fabric, covering just about everything in a very spectacular fashion. She also has a big fat rack of 'island dresses', a vanuatu fashion item which will be the subject of a future blog. The roof has a few holes, hence the black plastic, but rather than just fixing the holes, the villagers are going to build Ali an entire new home. Apparently it only takes a small team about a day to put one up, once the walls have been woven and the thatching created for the roof. Houses are only meant to last 5-6 years, and this little hut has been around for nearly 7.
Another reason I really wanted to go to Mangaliliu was because one of the guys from my volunteer group on Pentecost Island is now living back in Mangaliliu. His name is Matthew Kalotiti and since I saw him last he has settled down with a lovely lady called Lucian and they have had a little pikinini called Tonovan. Cute!
We hadn't seen each other for four years so we had a good old storian (chat). Matthew is Chief Momo's nephew and his dad is Chief Momo's twin brother. So Ali is Matthew's sister or 'tawian', a term which seems to encompass pretty much anyone who is vaguely related to you, but can be a helpful connection to draw on when talking your way out of tricky situations, or talking your way into opportunities: "Hang on a tic, are you William's son? My oldest sister's husband is William's cousin by marriage. That makes us tawians! How about we forget that fine officer, we are family afterall!" (not quite sure it goes like that, but that's how I imagine it).
This pig doesn't want to get tied up in any messy family politics, he just wants some paw paw!
Two adorable Mangaliliuan girls. But I think the title of village cutie goes to Sala!
Gorgeous even with a snotty nose!
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