How is this even possible?

[Deactivated Account]

Nemo, just a lucky observation / turn of phrase on my part. Too much Bronislaw Malinowski in college, for me I guess? Never even been to those places. From your photos and comments, seems you have better understanding than most so called experts.

Easy for me mate... only a 2.30 h flight to vanuatu at $460 return. I still remember my first trip there & I was way up the back blocks of town & it was getting dark. I had maybe $10k worth of camera gear on me in a bag.

Towards me came a mob of youths 15-20 years old carrying machetes with bandettas. Things looked very grim. I kept walking & as they approached they embarrassing looked at the ground & all muttered hello & smiled. I stood & thought where else in the world can this happen. The machete is a tool to them, not a weapon. The well has not yet been poisoned. Every single person that passes you will smile & say hello.

 

[kavadude]

Reminds me of this quote from an article I read.

While living in Vanuatu, Mr Shackley was once stranded for three weeks on one of its most remote islands with his 10-year-old son, due to an airline dispute. With no shops and nowhere to stay, they were looked after by local people. One day he came across a young local man who had just returned to the island after studying at Nottingham University.

"I asked him what he was going to do with his life now and he just pointed at his fishing rod and said 'this'.

 

[Deactivated Account]

Reminds me of this quote from an article I read.

Its really odd for people from more developed countries, particularly when here we live so close to Papua New Guinea & you most certainly do not go there for fun believe me. Vanuatu people (nivans) are just so laid back. No ones hungry, always 5 or 6 sitting around watching one tv. They will share any food with you, many times ive been sitting in a nakamal by myself & they will always come & sit with you & each one will have some food like an orange or a bit of pineapple & they will always share it with you.

 

[Deactivated Account]

I guess what is so striking to outsiders is the sharing goes on with everything unconditionally. In the nakamals they don't even see you as white but an equal & that's what makes it so nice.

I always take a few small $5 pocket knives & baseball type caps with me. They really value those sort of things where as I just enjoy there company.

 

[The Kap'n]

That is so awesome.

 

[Vekta]

Sounds like a place I wouldn't mind living. I'm tired of making sure I always have a working firearm within arms reach. (don't even get me started on that)

 

[Deactivated Account]

Just a web page i read…thought it may interest some here.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/two-dog-raven/australia.html

 

[Doobie Doo]

How long have local authorities been messing around with Ab cultures and trying to turn it one way or the other in the name of some political goal? We only get bits and pieces of the story (and the odd romantic character in a movie) in the states, but wish there was just a way to let these people work these social issues out in their own way and time.

 

[Deactivated Account]

Theres so many things in any native culture that would take a life time to understand…general western culture to me seem to have this preconceived idea that everyone would like to become like them when honestly they are living within their own culture & means quite ok. To me i see this is why crime is so low in vanuatu, they are generally happy with their lot. Its not until they have had intervention & welfare merged into their societies that the wheel falls off.

 

[krunkedout]

There is this one Bible verse that goes something like this, "give strong drink to the poor man so he can forget about his troubles for a little while" I don't bring this to the table to bring religion, but just to show that this is what has been happening in the world since day one. I don't believe that any drug is automatically bad, like kava for example; the kava isn't what is doing this, it's the pains of life which is doing it. It saddens me to see the media taking a story like this and using it as propaganda against a substance that is essentially harmless.