I set the novel in two countries I once called home: the Philippines and Vanuatu, island nations that have little else in common besides their islands and the Pacific Ocean. It’s the contrast between them that is at the heart of the novel.
The Philippines, with a population of 108 million, is an archipelago composed of more than 7,600 islands. Vanuatu, with a population of 300,000, is made up of only 83 islands.
The Philippines is a SE Asian country in the Northern Hemisphere. Vanuatu lies south of the equator, east of Australia and west of Fiji.
In both cases, the action of When in Vanuatu happens in the capital cities, Manila and Port Vila. Once again, that’s where the similarity ends. Manila is home to 12 million people (15 million during the day). It’s a city of skyscrapers, department stores, and theaters, as well as air pollution, and traffic jams. Port Vila, which has a population of only 40,000, lacks even a single traffic light.
Manila
My husband Eugene and I and our three daughters moved to Manila in 1971, just months before the Declaration of Martial Law and the full flowering of the Marcos dictatorship. Suddenly we had a curfew; military men with assault rifles stood on the streets at strategic points. For us, though, that time in Manila was basically a happy time of exploring a new place and meeting new friends. One-man rule lasted for the next fourteen years, ending in 1986 with the People Power Revolution and Marcos’ exile.
When in Vanuatu takes place in 1989-90 during a less well known period in Philippine history. After Marcos, during the presidency of Cory Aquino, there were nine coup d’etat attempts and plots. One of the most serious was in December of 1989.
Life for a family, though, is about more than politics. There are trips to the market and beach, dinner parties and children’s birthday parties and school, jeepneys and maids, tennis and painting classes.
Port Vila, Vanuatu
First of all, if you’re old enough, you may know Vanuatu by another name: the New Hebrides. It’s the name given to it in 1774 by Captain James Cook, a name that lasted for more than 200 years, up until Vanuatu declared independence in 1980.
The Land
Vanuatu’s land is young and very active. Its islands sit atop the Pacific Ring of Fire. During the three years we lived there, we experienced two significant earthquakes and visited one of its nine volcanoes, Mt. Yasur, which is the most accessible, constantly active volcano in the world. The country suffers from occasional, sometimes devastating cyclones (a.k.a. typhoons, a.k.a. hurricanes.)
When the earth isn’t shaking or exploding (which is most of the time), Vanuatu is extremely pleasant and peaceful. The air is clean; the water, crystal clear; and the warm weather is cooled by the south-east trade winds.
The People
The people are known, not as Vanuatuans but as ni-Vanuatu. At one time, I expected them to be Polynesian. They’re not. They’re Melanesian—although they do have some genetic links with Polynesians (also with Papuans and Australian Aborigines). Melanesian is a word from the Greek which means black and island. Most Melanesians in Vanuatu are of medium height and weight. They appear to be strong and fit. They have dark skin and black curly hair, although sometimes their hair is reddish.
In the cities, there are many long-time European and Australian residents as well as some Chinese and Vietnamese, many of whom are descendants of people who were brought to the islands to work on the copra plantations or to be shopkeepers.
Tourists and Expats
Vanuatu has a well-earned reputation as a tourist destination for its beaches, snorkeling, scuba diving, golf, cruises, good food, and hotels and resorts. It’s especially popular with Australians. It’s also popular with NGOs and government agencies working in the area. Finally, it’s a center for offshore financial services.
History
Vanuatu’s history is too complex to discuss here, but I would like to mention a couple of things that are good background for reading the novel.
Bislama
Bislama, the official national language of Vanuatu, has an intriguing origin story. Before the arrival of western sailing ships in the South Pacific, most of the inhabitants of the islands that became Vanuatu lived in isolated villages, each small area speaking their own language. Even today, the country is home to more than 130 indigenous languages.
Beginning around 1863, labor recruiting (“blackbirding”) of the islanders became a major activity of European traders. The traders signed men up (often against their will) to work in the sugar cane fields of Fiji and Queensland in NE Australia, the nickel mines of New Caledonia and the coconut plantations of Western Samoa. Not being able to communicate with other workers in their own language, the recruited or captured men turned to pidjin, a simple form of English that was used by sailors throughout the Pacific beginning early in the century. Years later, when the workers returned home (often being returned to the wrong island) they continued speaking pidjin English, which by then had begun to evolve into its own language, a creole they called Bislama.
The Condominium
Another interesting quirk of Vanuatu’s history was the condominium. In the age of colonization, everyone wanted Vanuatu and no one did. Both the British and French settled there. They traded sandalwood and grew cotton. They raised cattle and diversified into coconuts, maize, vanilla, and bananas. But Britain and France were reluctant to take responsibility for the islands, fearing that it would be an unprofitable venture for them.
Finally in 1906 they created a joint government, the Anglo-French Condominium of the New Hebrides. The Condominium had two police forces, two health services, two education systems, two currencies, and two prison systems. To this day, the aftereffects are still clear to see. Children in the cities attend either English-speaking schools or French-speaking schools; politicians join either the Anglophone party or the Francophone party; churchgoers who speak English generally attend Protestant churches; French speakers are Catholics. The cities have great fish & chips and beer also numerous French restaurants, imported wine, and fresh-baked French bread.
Philippines:
Scorching our Feet on Taal Volcano
Waking to a “National Emergency” and a Declaration
Remembering Typhoons in Manila and Port Vila
“Everyone” Has a Maid (or Two or Three)
In the Days of the Dressmakers
Vanuatu:
Vanuatu, a Country with no COVID-19
Vanuatu before Cyclone Pam, Part 2
Surprises and a Custom Village on the Island of Tanna