Halo! I am currently in my second week of technical training. We have been focusing on a program called the ELU (English Language Unit) which I will be helping to implement in my school. The program was developed by a past Peace Corps teacher trainer as a way to supplement the English curriculum in Vanuatu. ELU is taught at every school for 2 hours and the program that I will be helping to implement just structures the two hours for the teacher. The program is full of ideas for centers, activities, and games that liven up the curriculum and help the teacher to fill the two hours with meaningful materials. My main concerns at my school is just finding materials to read. We have a small library, but many of the books are outdated or at too high of a level. We need lower level primary books. So I am hoping to start some book drives with some organizations back at home. If anyone is interested, please let me know.
The big news in Lelapa this week is the wedding that is on Friday. My uncle is getting married and weddings are a big deal in Vanuatu. The family has been preparing for many months. Making gifts, having meetings, deciding the menu, fundraising….This week has been crazy! Since I am part of the grooms family, I have been able to watch some of the fun first hand. If you have a weak stomach don’t read this part…they are bringing in a couple bullocks and pigs to kakae (eat) at the wedding. Yesterday we watched them drag a dead bullock off a boat and then chop it up into quarters on the beach. Then we ate it later that night while various parts of the bullock were hanging about 15 feet away from us. Definetely an interesting experience. The meat was delicious, but it was a culture shock to watch the process.
I wanted to thank all of you who have sent me letters and packages. I’ve appreciated all of them! Many of you have asked what types of things I need, so I have been making a little list…games – i have a lot of down time and the pikkinis love games so anything like yahtzee or various small card games would be fun. Children’s books, chocolate or fun snack foods, toilet paper (they use custom leaves on my island), hand sanitizer, watercolor paints, teacher resources (any materials that I can use to teach the teachers - we are trying to develop a phonics program, so any phonics materials or worksheets or ideas to teach english to ESL learners would be sooo helpful – I didn’t bring any of my books from college and I wish I had), anything else that you think could fill up my time.
I love you all and hope all is well.

I don’t move to Gaua until the second week in December but I wanted to let you all know…

My new address if your package or letter is under 1 pound is…

Valerie Selden
Peace Corps Volunteer
Aver Village, Gaua Island
Vanuatu
Republic of the South Pacific

The mail getrs sent to my airport which is aout 20 minutes away and will get to me eventually…

If it is more than 1 pound than send it to the peace corps address I already gave you.