tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12867176690665679412024-03-06T20:15:12.241+11:00goLongSoloA few adventures from Steve, Kel, Rob & Lara
volunteering in Auki, Solomon IslandsSteve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-37599426272395904922009-05-20T08:44:00.005+11:002009-05-21T08:17:51.059+11:00Signing Out!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2EzwaIhHbeOo-N1S0VV8fLFuvQww2qMZrKfRBAv9iXPZMa7dCixcyrt1XgPr4clxF0TA2-34sJU4CCR21xbqraH1DQ9yfI-5bSXVENFK620hdawMNWZB12JMKtU9njxK-zjdUGW5dv3g/s1600-h/Workshop.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338018274800711554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2EzwaIhHbeOo-N1S0VV8fLFuvQww2qMZrKfRBAv9iXPZMa7dCixcyrt1XgPr4clxF0TA2-34sJU4CCR21xbqraH1DQ9yfI-5bSXVENFK620hdawMNWZB12JMKtU9njxK-zjdUGW5dv3g/s200/Workshop.jpg" /></a> Yes, this will be our last blog on this site as we are due to leave Auki at the end of the week. Just wanted to thank you all for sharing our adventures with us. As you can see the workshop is 99% completed! We leave it in the hands of the Maintenance team who will continue to outfit the interior as funding and time permits them. <div><br /><div>Rob and I will be continuing on with our next adventure based in Honiara (Solomon Islands) so if you are passing through pop in and say hello, we'd love to see you.</div><br /><div>All the best</div><br /><div>Lara & Rob<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337656559571733650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53EweqVfMg6kOCwZ-CX3F4j0h5tzzKdmQMbewGGDhgj4czq2IoeVOK20o248D_plIbVCdvcri_2jqhPUQT3apf8_qGvp5PwSHadqJCV971wJlOYqwq5JxEWT32ckIQesiLSBM87uaYizR/s200/waterfall+photo.jpg" /></div></div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-12881562653167670622009-04-25T13:57:00.001+11:002009-05-26T20:44:57.318+11:00The Biggest News of AllIf you know anything about malaria, the question may have entered your mind at some stage - why was Kelly so sick, why the evacuation and the ban on returning to Solomon Islands? Yes, I <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> sicker than most people, and no, you <span style="font-style: italic;">wouldn't</span> normally get evacuated to be treated for malaria. The reason was that I wasn't the only one with malaria. We found out, about a week before I got sick, that we were having a baby. We guessed it was pretty early days, and so he/she was nicknamed "Ziggy" (the zygote - google it if you haven't done biology!).<br /><br />As I have learned, pregnancy depresses your immune system, meaning that illnesses are more severe than they otherwise would be. Malaria carries extra risks for the fetus as well: an increased risk of miscarriage, problems with the placenta, risk of poor growth and premature delivery. I have done enough work with infants to know that having a fever while pregnant is not a good thing for the baby. And boy did I have a fever....<br /><br />I don't normally talk about God in these posts, because I suppose people have so many wrong ideas about Him that I don't want to word something clumsily and put them off more. But I can't leave Him out of this, because I believe with everything that He is responsible for getting us and Ziggy this far. So sorry if you're offended by the following talk of supernatural things, but our lives have not taken these turns so far because of "the natural order of things". So it is with this part. As we know, a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing: I have seen a lot of neurologically messed-up babies and kids through my work, and know that it is important to be healthy during pregnancy. So as I was getting sicker, and was convinced that something really was very wrong, naturally I was extremely concerned for whatever might be happening to this little guy, whose life had barely begun. My own inclination is to worry myself silly, and to think of all the catastrophic implications that this illness would be sure to have: miscarriage, severe disability, a lifetime of grief, struggle and hospital admissions, the works. But oddly enough, even in the midst of a pretty scary time, I had complete reassurance that this baby would be okay, and I didn't have to worry. That, of course, goes against everything my head knows, yet it is something I've learned to trust.<br /><br />Maybe it is the wrong time to be telling this story, maybe I should have waited ten years until we had this child I could hold up and show you was completely healthy, completely normal. But everything we have heard and seen along the way has supported this seemingly irrational knowledge that this baby is okay: the early scan in Brisbane showed that everything looked well, we made it past the crucial 12 weeks without any hint of a problem, the obstetrician said I was sick too early on for the malaria to have affected the placenta and thus Ziggy's growth, the baby has been kicking like a pro-footballer since 16-and-a-bit weeks, the 20 week scan was beautiful and showed appropriate growth....<br /><br />I can't tell you exactly what the future holds for Steve and Ziggy and me, but we're excited to be safely home together, all three of us, and the size of my 24-and-a-bit-week belly says things are growing well. After such a rough start to our little bubby's life, it is good to be excited about the future, and to be feeling well as we prepare for his (or her) arrival in mid-September.<br /><br />Kel<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBjA9_ijpwnve9-McHvO0brI1w9qV4FW1d4HQM5Bu1Vfu6YxpbXP4b_T1r3160m8S1h6DllEuThMp48vq9p9ag4LZeI_6IkZgY191ni8Kz7dltDrxQA5hu-MWvHcZsq3SYFVtubNTEqIp/s1600-h/cropped.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 74px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBjA9_ijpwnve9-McHvO0brI1w9qV4FW1d4HQM5Bu1Vfu6YxpbXP4b_T1r3160m8S1h6DllEuThMp48vq9p9ag4LZeI_6IkZgY191ni8Kz7dltDrxQA5hu-MWvHcZsq3SYFVtubNTEqIp/s200/cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338858615918887746" border="0" /></a>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-75825280170018305492009-04-20T11:17:00.007+11:002009-05-26T20:53:11.761+11:00Easter Flooding<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM96xyS5R0GZXlymp65WrwHiSzhq5X-TsDdIwf0jca3lqiIrCj2Kcx4p60kh99fNFuC4Vrv_-d9QDUGQjHgxa3I7jlTNg-wdwsgODY4ditcWvRBIf4rMIgLGb3AoK2tcVB4bnpr7kf_u-/s1600-h/pre+flooding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 278px; display: block; height: 78px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337653253247099858" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnM96xyS5R0GZXlymp65WrwHiSzhq5X-TsDdIwf0jca3lqiIrCj2Kcx4p60kh99fNFuC4Vrv_-d9QDUGQjHgxa3I7jlTNg-wdwsgODY4ditcWvRBIf4rMIgLGb3AoK2tcVB4bnpr7kf_u-/s200/pre+flooding.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div>Hope you all had a wonderful Easter. We had a great one with plenty of visitors to brighten our days. Just wanted to share one of the events which was the Easter floodings. Pictures will describe better than words so I'll leave you with the following. Just to say the change only took an afternoon of torrential rain!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bT54OVwyPwdmfU4DvCSKzXJcJyBWou3HsKlXO_Vx3h13F2T8Ibceuzis1qVF9gQzMOoXX2HyAzXYz2p_9mEXcno_qNkV_Kipu4XyRqQRsok7JH4M4m7Jv7MVifk70Tu_lTcAgZt8jNJ-/s1600-h/flooding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bT54OVwyPwdmfU4DvCSKzXJcJyBWou3HsKlXO_Vx3h13F2T8Ibceuzis1qVF9gQzMOoXX2HyAzXYz2p_9mEXcno_qNkV_Kipu4XyRqQRsok7JH4M4m7Jv7MVifk70Tu_lTcAgZt8jNJ-/s320/flooding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340067997725891282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIJQAb6Hj-UGjAvBVWMC_Qn6piEtnC5BE-8QZRwM8-ioXJ05QDDceUeTCw7s4itBnfrMVBiDBZ0ZAJGqRDfsWSmoT-EEdQY5GHkSnxrCjhT35L0gSx21NTdVSUuG74tqoqcAMNH_G_p6u/s1600-h/flooding+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIJQAb6Hj-UGjAvBVWMC_Qn6piEtnC5BE-8QZRwM8-ioXJ05QDDceUeTCw7s4itBnfrMVBiDBZ0ZAJGqRDfsWSmoT-EEdQY5GHkSnxrCjhT35L0gSx21NTdVSUuG74tqoqcAMNH_G_p6u/s320/flooding+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340068005281111538" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div></div></div></div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-54226771933331735352009-04-16T20:53:00.008+11:002009-05-26T22:49:30.596+11:00Steve's been voted off the island!I'm just writing to let everyone know that I've safely made it out of Malaita, and am in NZ waiting for Kel to arrive. I've been without her now since the start of Feb, and it hasn't been the easiest of times - but I can't wait to pick her up at the all familiar Akld airport, as she flies in from Melb...<br /><br />To be honest, I've been pretty exhausted the last couple of weeks. There's been so much to do on top of our physically demanding construction work at Kilu'ufi (hospital), and I wouldn't have made it this far if it weren't for some good mates who came to help in Kel's absence.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4HQfz52NIfHFfPuZDmE9V8B1YyN_15zy17M1mESP6fybGdr9VA670iPgYoSWzfFMVsq_pcDJMYrndZDx-MZQDtMBdsCA-nez_qrGHWfNxf5rmLXo4P4LHJ33a1E2LkTGLtWe08nY-S3d/s1600-h/DSC08259.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX4HQfz52NIfHFfPuZDmE9V8B1YyN_15zy17M1mESP6fybGdr9VA670iPgYoSWzfFMVsq_pcDJMYrndZDx-MZQDtMBdsCA-nez_qrGHWfNxf5rmLXo4P4LHJ33a1E2LkTGLtWe08nY-S3d/s200/DSC08259.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340096617956277986" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Karl & I</span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Rob & Lara, of course, kept the construction going. And Karl (Kel's dad), David, Libby & Jennifer (mates from St Matt's who were in Auki earlier in the year) really rallied around me over the last few weeks to get me over the line (and help at the hospital and Dukwasi village). The team helped me with all the cooking (we ate exceptionally well despite my culinary shortcomings), and getting the house packed.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUV-R39UdJZniRIFB30yNetyBBqV2ME3AtY0_KB_QXENFbESTSiaPUwpYdR6j22mV2fOklHDNvOfkGm_-62GBWEN28opPignB84Y-uWgqGb43_ntrcPwnfQ2BNpRugda9olE6sMmtEa6U/s1600-h/DSC08255.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUV-R39UdJZniRIFB30yNetyBBqV2ME3AtY0_KB_QXENFbESTSiaPUwpYdR6j22mV2fOklHDNvOfkGm_-62GBWEN28opPignB84Y-uWgqGb43_ntrcPwnfQ2BNpRugda9olE6sMmtEa6U/s200/DSC08255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340096603965853730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >David, Karl, Jennifer, Libby & Me!!</span><br /></div><br />We managed to give a whole lot of stuff away, and with all the extra luggage allowance between the five of us, ended up sending only 9 boxes home - a good effort I thought...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL4zLgKURogJYjF3gEIQ7EHTh1q_mAQOndqsFqAZl0i7-4ESvaRI10PBV9MS_rR4rXJr7ocmaVbsIA5C6Rhx9ssnwm6MYmMPJwxqmxKuoGsGKhdRVtGaMMLVmA0EmxiaHRugOKH8cV7EA/s1600-h/DSC08254.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL4zLgKURogJYjF3gEIQ7EHTh1q_mAQOndqsFqAZl0i7-4ESvaRI10PBV9MS_rR4rXJr7ocmaVbsIA5C6Rhx9ssnwm6MYmMPJwxqmxKuoGsGKhdRVtGaMMLVmA0EmxiaHRugOKH8cV7EA/s200/DSC08254.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340096606433846754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Some of our friends at the party!</span><br /></div><br />The hardest thing about all the goodbyes was that Kel couldn't be part of it...<br />We had a big party (with lots of Aussie party food!) and over 150 people showed up. Our good friend Silas' band (called Traditional Roots) played until the power went off at 8pm! We fired up the generator and kept going for a while - eating and showing off photos to all the pikinini. We called Kel, and many of our friends got to talk to her (they were very surprised that she could still remember Pijin!). People were still showing up at 1am the night before we sailed out of Auki, just to spend time with us, which was really sweet.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HHJN_HYGZd-0bxaJHevI3T8QxfldSAZ38EtHYcIvTnBfjeWmzoAYatoCVKLWZFrIQuZop6e7WmAD6VNt84S4vt87OxoPauuJpn_GBPbz_KorHaIqiT1x62r8WO4kHVHjSUw__xeYFisF/s1600-h/DSC08250.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HHJN_HYGZd-0bxaJHevI3T8QxfldSAZ38EtHYcIvTnBfjeWmzoAYatoCVKLWZFrIQuZop6e7WmAD6VNt84S4vt87OxoPauuJpn_GBPbz_KorHaIqiT1x62r8WO4kHVHjSUw__xeYFisF/s200/DSC08250.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340096593810985682" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">Rob & I</span><br /></div><br />We're going to miss our good Auki mates Silas, Willie, Frank, Goretti, and especially everyone at the Auki AOG and Dukwasi village. It was really sad to say "bye" to Rob & Lara after all the good and bad we've been through together over the last couple of years, but the net and power situation should be a little more stable when they move to Honiara in a couple of months - which means some good skype sessions will be in order...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHfnNDS834KPmGneH_wLOa_O684P-9IcqYm8A0_HkTRj_EoYiiDti7oB8qpIBgH7BoH-YPJrhax0a1k3HkYtDXIiOXcTIucThsFi9JVd9RIgA2YL1RLuESbwCPv1rQWHCLNhOOBFUsUjo/s1600-h/DSC08243.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHfnNDS834KPmGneH_wLOa_O684P-9IcqYm8A0_HkTRj_EoYiiDti7oB8qpIBgH7BoH-YPJrhax0a1k3HkYtDXIiOXcTIucThsFi9JVd9RIgA2YL1RLuESbwCPv1rQWHCLNhOOBFUsUjo/s200/DSC08243.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340096590429590498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Frank & Willie</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > & Me!</span><br /></div><br />Finally, we've decided to re-settle back in Melbourne for family reasons, so we're shipping all the stuff we stored under Ben's house (thanks mate) from Auckland to Melb. Auckland feels more like home than Aussie because we've never lived in Melbourne together since we got married in 2003. Many thanks also to Allan, Kay and the Life crew for all you've done for us! We have nothing against NZ - we would've loved to have been able to settle there - but 7years away from family is enough for me...<br /><br />So I've got work organised at St Vincent's Hospital Melb, and Kel's already back at work. We'll be living in Berwick, and we expect many Kiwi visitors over the years to make use of our spare bedroom (we insist!)<br /><br />Stay in touch everyone!<br />SteveSteve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-25006983365733688252009-04-05T16:36:00.001+11:002009-04-13T14:12:57.882+11:00Stimulating blog?!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324008108262234626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdj7NB6mgX2dsCsFYAVwI1pAodhwJavv7YS8WGQ9fuOYXvekxBsX_wWG-opuE0xCRgh1DtF3EvU61pv8X2zc-EdHVcSxhM21ukkGAm1l28uditMlXfCbt4ej_84G3UWxOT_iDTJdlQ7vL/s200/Parachute.jpg" />Yes it has been awhile since we have sent a stimulating blog to fly around in cyberspace. . . so we’d better attempt to amend the situation.<br />Well as Steve alluded to in his blog (congratulations are in order Steve – your first blog!!!! Well done, wasn’t that hard was it!) we had a wonderful whirlwind of a time in NZ, including attending a wedding, Parachute music festival (Rob’s highlight but we won’t rub it in (see picture)), catching up with family and a few friends. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 133px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324008109276958130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROlNAaJdFfk6TWHkM9TSgy6rdLbQ_6AGeKp5pCDzI8i089LquRe0wGrkRwHtyrUOYYif-vZ3bhF6mDkuaYQ2DaCY95-OG5RK9GnSO1aPImH5vZsRAbDivh8PL5yGFw06LTUH_iw68erVx/s200/David+Crowder.jpg" />Back in the Sols we had the sad experience of saying goodbye to our Kiwi wantok the Harries but we wish them all the best in their next adventure and hope to share future holidays together.<br /><br />Back to the workshop and it’s starting to look like a building!!! Big thanks to the St Matt’s team who got the bulk of the walls done. With funding provided by the Sol Ministry of Health we have been able to employ a few extra hands to speed up the process. So now all the walls have been completed. It was a great spectacle to see the manatou (mobile fork hoist) come in for an afternoon to assist with getting the roof beams up. Lots of excitement – no wonder it attracted a crowd of spectators! You will be pleased that no one was hurt, not even the manatou who just managed to scrap under the doorway.<br /><br />Rob managed to catch malaria, however unlike the dramatic stories Kelly and Steve can share, all we can say is – Rob got tested for malaria quickly at Kilu’ufi hospital, took the medication and was back at work the following week. Not so exciting aay?<br /><br />To make up for that I will post a dramatic (well it is dramatic in real life) photo of the waterfalls we visited. There were five awesome waterfalls in a row. We could have stayed for hours trying to capture their magnificent beauty. Anyway, there it is . . . a blog, can’t really categories it as stimulating but at least now you know that we are alive and well, haven’t been eaten by crocodiles, a coconut hit us on the head or been squashed by an overpopulated truck crabbing sideways!<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 133px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324008102834491314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibHEwt6BjKCis0cbOIbLQCGBkQmfKg9cD9RnCzRxqUiC6n5uZX7QPvjY-jP7Uy0K3iqS2sE8QNWG6v7m4OLHRzqQOGl5KZINmEdBsg1_htEq7VqxR0xuvglxqC9-gjO6CuyGUkHs21V-Qd/s200/waterfall.jpg" />Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-34458246104488708192009-03-01T13:15:00.000+11:002009-05-26T20:37:50.493+11:00Part 3 of the Medivac - The PalaceAfter a couple of months of being back in Australia and working in our embattled public health system, I have plenty to complain about. My experience as a patient in that system, however, was one we are eternally grateful for, and every aspect of care I received was exceptional.<br /><br />We arrived in the emergency department and were greeted by my panicked parents, who flew up the same evening on hearing of my plight. The wait in the ED was not long, but still uncomfortable thanks to my distended tummy and painful sacrum (traumatised by its sudden and abrupt meeting with the bathroom tiles when I passed out in the shower two and a half days prior). I was considerably relieved to be wheeled into a cubicle and then seen quite promptly by one of the doctors for another recount of the history, plus an explanation that no, I was not contagious! My poor parents and Steve sat out a couple of hours in the waiting room before being brought in to see me, now newly punctured and hydrated with another IV and bag of fluids. At some time after 1am, however, it was not a long visit, although we were all pleased that I would be admitted overnight, and that they could check in to their respective hotels to sleep.<br /><br />It was a long five hours on my little trolley, punctuated by several trips to the toilet (the fluids were getting in fine now, but clearly they had to get out, too) and a few outbursts from aggravated psychiatric patients. Early that morning, though, there was a bed for me on a ward, all pillowy soft, well-blanketed and with the crispest, almost glowing white sheets I had seen in.....I don't know how long.<br /><br />I stayed in the hospital for five days, over which time I was looked after by the head of the infectious diseases department (the kind and the wonderful Prof Patterson) and his juniors, wonderful nurses - everyone from the clinical staff to the cleaners and tea ladies were just delightful. And the food was excellent! Steve could probably tell you more about it than me, though, as he cleaned up most of my meals due to my very poor appetite.<br /><br />Interestingly, the malaria parasites they found in my blood in Brisbane were different to the strain I had been disagnosed with in Solomons. The debate then arose about whether I had both, or whether the initial diagnosis was wrong. I guess we will never know. Either way, I was sick enough that the prof recommended I stay in Australia, and not return to Solomon Islands. By the end of my stay, only my spleen was still enlarged, and so I was a good guinea pig for the registrar to teach a few medical students about examination. They did quite well with some feedback, and were a little excited to palpate a big spleen for the first time. With a few not-so-subtle dropped hints, they deduced that I had malaria. <br /><br />At the end of the week, I was discharged, having lost my tropical tan, and looking rather scrawny in my now very loose clothing. I stayed with Steve in his hotel, but a couple of days later, we had to part ways: him back to Malaita, and me to Melbourne with Mum. I managed to walk the whole way through the airports, which was the furthest I had moved on foot in about two weeks!<br /><br />It was another two months before I actually felt healthy again, as the fatigue and malaise persisted for all that time. I caught a couple of gastro bugs while I recovered too, which was pretty demoralising. At last, at last, I feel good, but still just thinking about Solomon Island food is enough to turn my stomach, as I felt so terrible when I left. Yeeeuch.Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-83303172859597547132009-02-28T12:30:00.000+11:002009-05-26T20:37:26.632+11:00Part 2 of the Medivac - Arriving at The Palace [yes, very belated]I was prompted to action partly by Steve, and partly by seeing Rob and Lara's final entry on the blog: I never finished my hospital saga, and it is a story that needs to be recorded for posterity. (note: datestamp altered to be closer to part 1 - Steve)<br /><br />When last I left you, Steve and I were preparing to leave the "comforts" of National Referral Hospital in Honiara so I could receive some First World medical care as recommended by the insurance company. We advised them the next flight departing Honiara would be that evening, a Sunday. With about six hours before the flight, a company consultant rang to inform me that yes, I had been approved to fly to Brisbane and was booked on the flight. But how would I fly by myself, I asked in horror? I needed assistance to get to the toilet twenty metres away, had blood pressure of 80/50 (normal is about 120/80), had collapsed a couple of days ago, couldn't sit up for more than a few minutes at a time - how would I carry a bag, check myself in, walk through the airport, get a taxi to the hospital? "Oh," the consultant replied helpfully. A long pause ensued. I explained to her, with minimal hysteria, that I was better qualified than most to assess my own safety to travel - AND I WAS DEFINITELY NOT SAFE! With that, she promised to try to get Steve on the flight as well.<br /><br />The hours oozed by, the stress levels rose (Steve called our parents, so they were anxious along with us), and I probably vomited at some stage during all of that too. With about 2 1/2 hours before the flight was due to depart, the insurance company called back: yes, Steve could accompany me. Phew.<br /><br />A nurse came with us to the airport, so that I could have fluids running through my IV until the last possible moment. Steve held me and our scant luggage, and looked for a place for me to sit, or preferably lie, but most seats were full. As we have learned, getting by in Solomons is all about who you know: as we looked, we made eye contact and exchanged eyebrow raises (see previous blogs) with an air hostess we had met on two previous flights! She immediately cleared a couch for me to lie on, and hurried off to sort out a wheelchair and helped Steve get us checked in with minimal hassle. We were waved through, rushed through even, despite carrying about six litres of water, and me and the wheelchair setting off the scanner alarm.<br /><br />We don't normally have a lot of kind words for Solomon Airlines (none for their domestic services), but the staff were lovely and helpful, and I think we even departed on time. They found me blankets and pillows, and a wheelchair as quickly as they could at the other end. It was an uncomfortable flight, however, as my belly begun to expand very uncomfortably due to my enormous liver and spleen. I now have so much more sympathy for the babies I used to see with liver problems - it is impossible to sit up straight, or lie on your left side with an enlarged liver, it really feels like your organs are being pulled out of you with tongs. But we made it, and must have got through immigration and customs very quickly, as I barely remember it.<br /><br />A friendly taxi driver drove us (very carefully over the speed bumps, as I didn't want to lose my liver) to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, hereafter referred to as The Palace. Just being in an Australian city was reassurring, even though we don't know Brisbane well. One way or another, it had to be better than where we had come from. A brief wheechair ride up into the clean, new emergency department, and we entered another world....Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-12461896744297040482009-02-27T13:32:00.004+11:002009-03-24T00:01:14.740+11:00The Medi-vacSome, if not most of you by now, will have heard that Kel is no longer here with me in Auki (she’s been home in Melbourne since the start of Feb). I’ll try describe the circumstances surrounding Kel’s medi-vac, and then we’ll wait to see how long it takes her to correct me, and fully depict just how awful it was to have a bad dose of malaria…<br /><br />Well, it was during the second week of the St. Matt’s visit that Kel started having migraines that progressively worsened. She was also really tired, but soldiered on as much as she could so we could achieve as much as possible while our friends were in town.<br /><br />After an agonising week spent in bed, trying to minimize noise and daylight intrusions (if you’ve been here you’d understand just how hard a task that is with paper-thin walls, louvre windows, and mesh curtains… and the dogs, kids, wood-chopping etc) we managed to find a thermometer which confirmed her temp was pretty high. So 10 days into a migraine, and only a small hint of a fever – and no other obvious signs of malaria – we called the health insurance mob.<br /><br />The health insurance guys make their own jobs a whole lot harder by not listening to the local advice you give them – they really had no idea how things happen in our third-world country – but they managed to get Kel on the afternoon flight to Honiara, nursing a sore sacrum after she collapsed in the shower that morning. They failed to book me a flight, saying it was all booked up (we knew it wouldn’t be – and it wasn’t). So Kel, only barely safe to walk by herself (she was lucid enough to self-assess) escaped Auki by herself, the plane taking the long-way-round to Honiara. The National Referral Hospital (called No.9, a name earned during WWII) sent a vehicle, and Kel made it to the emergency department between about 5 and 6pm.<br /><br />Our good friend, and (we think) the best doctor from our hospital, Dr Jack, had been transferred to No.9 only a week earlier. Luckily for Kel, he spotted her waiting in E.D. as he was heading home, so he returned to take care of her that night. Dr Jack was able to get her processed really fast, and also organised a single room on his ward (which was fantastic, because whilst we’re used to being stared at, you don’t want to be stared at by 30 other sick women when you’re also not well…). Grace (Dr Jack’s wife), and our volunteer buddy Mike came to visit and bring food – which was lucky as the nurses didn’t offer her any, expecting that she wouldn’t like Solomon food… Despite her illness, Kel was able to launch into a tirade (in Pijin, of course) about how long she had lived in the Solomons and even though she has white skin, she is black on the inside and certainly not afraid of Solomons food!<br /><br />After assessing Kel, the doctors weren't certain that she was suffering from malaria, but the test was ordered as a precaution. Since it was the weekend, Mike came in to take her to a private clinic for the test, where it was confirmed that she had “PF 4+” – which translates to be the potentially fatal kind of malaria you really don’t want (later in Brisbane we discovered she also had PV malaria: the jury is out on whether she actually had both or the initial diagnosis was incorrect), and a severe case at that.<br /><br /><div>Steve </div><div>------<br />Here I (Kel) will take over to garner some sympathy as I tell you a little about what hospital is like in Solomons. I spent two days and two nights in No.9, and I had one sheet that followed me from a bed in the resus room, to a bed in another waiting room before finally sharing my ward bed with me: there was no other clean linen. In some wards, there are mosquito nets, but there was not on mine, and so in the evenings, I watched fat black mozzies looping their way around my room. Maybe they were males, as I don't remember being bitten. Steve did plenty of hunting and killing for me, though.<br /><br />I was put on intravenous fluids when I got to No.9 after they measured my blood pressure at about 80 over 55. None of those fancy pumps, though, just gravity, and waiting for my wrist to swell up to know that the line wasn't in the vein anymore, or me anxiously prompting the nurses about the last bag taking 24 hours to run through rather than the two that the first had taken. Monitoring is occasional and low-tech - a mercury thermometer under the arm, a manual blood pressure cuff, taking the pulse the old-fashioned way. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but somehow it is more comforting to know that multiple machines are checking on your wellbeing.<br /><br />Even though the nursing staff insisted I use their staff facilities, I am unconvinced of the benefits - the shower walls were as green and slimy as any other cubicle, the toilet comparable in cleanliness. Not that it was such a bother, all I wanted to do was get back to bed, with Steve holding me up, and my IV fluid bag in tow.<br /><br />The thing I found the hardest, and I didn't even realise this until afterwards, was keeping on talking in my second language whilst I felt so bad that death seemed an attractive option. It takes effort, even though Pijin is not a difficult language and I am very comfortable with it, this was the sickest I have ever been, and even talking was a draining exercise.<br /><br />But....there was another chapter still to come in my hospital adventures, and that will come next...</div><div>Kel</div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-24691980113508794112009-02-20T13:25:00.002+11:002009-03-12T17:40:12.982+11:00St. Matt's visitJanuary was jam-packed for all of us, with lots of travel and work to do. Kel & I spent a fabulous week home in Melbourne for my little bro’s wedding, and R&L managed a couple of weeks back in NZ, also for a family wedding – we were particularly ticked-off that they got to see the David Crowder Band at Parachute (watch out for a pic – I’m sure Rob won’t last too long before getting one on the site!)<br /><br />Anyway, Kel & I were accompanied back to Auki by 8 mates from our St. Matt’s community in Endeavour Hills, Melb. The team deserve to be named because of the incredible work done over 2weeks – Roy & Jennifer B, Gay B, Peter B, Clair B, David & Libby E, and Andy E. Even though they were unable to join the team because of personal circumstances, Mark & Rose B made the trip possible with their vision, coordination, and particularly their enthusiasm to maintain St. Matt’s long term relationship with the Sols. All along, the people of St. Matt’s have been our greatest supporters – they provided the initial inspiraion for Kelly & I deciding to volunteer here, after we toured with them in 2005 (even though we were still in NZ at the time) – but that’s another story…<br /><br />Back to the team’s visit:<br />We had two main goals – literacy and a little health training at Dukwasi village, and; continuing construction of the workshop at Kilu’ufi Hospital.<br /><br />The training at Dukwasi village was for their women – many of whom are/were totally illiterate. This village is close to our heart as they’ve welcomed us like one of their own. We can’t begin to describe how excited they were in the lead up to the trip! The anticipation was not without a big spoonful of apprehension, as they told us of a white lady from AusAID who had come once to speak to them, but her intended audience was so fearful they fled, and she never did the talk. (See previous blogs on what a big deal it is to be white over here!)<br /><br />Our ladies ran workshops at the village each morning for a week (if the village ladies don’t go to the garden each day, the family does not eat). The first day and a bit were focused on basic health issues (e.g. sanitation, nutrition, wound and back-care). The remaining time was devoted to language training. If villagers have some education they can often read English, but they struggle to read Pijin. Additionally, they don’t completely comprehend English, but they “get” everything when it’s in Pijin – it’s all a little backwards really…<br /><br />The Dukwasi women were very keen to learn to read Pijin because of the publishing of the Pijin Bible mid-2008. Understandably, without really being able to understand Pijin, our ladies were up against it – luckily their skills and experience with teaching, other languages, and creativity allowed them a lot of flexibility to adapt to the challenges.<br /><br />At the end of the week we all gathered together for a feast hosted by the whole village. There were speeches, little skits practiced by the women’s groups, songs, and gift presentations. St. Matt’s bought 20 Pijin Bibles for the village, which were given to family groups to encourage them to read and practice together. My sources at the village happily report to me that the Bibles are looking a little worn when they take them to church each week – that’s gotta be a good sign!!<br /><br />Now, the men got down and dirty amongst the workshop at Kilu’ufi Hospital – laying the first 6 layers of bricks around the building, and making the window frames. We started early every day, trying to make as much progress as possible before the mandatory afternoon rains. The conditions got the better of the boys from time to time, but I was really proud of their workmanship and how they gave their all in really demanding conditions.<br /><br />St. Matt’s, being as generous as ever, donated so much money that we were able to purchase some decent tools and other bits and pieces that we were able to spread throughout the team (thanks to the logistics master, Mark!).<br /><br />We achieved about a month’s work of work with the team here, and even more significant to us was the phenomenal encouragement of having our friends selflessly come and contribute to our work over here.<br /><br /><br />The team also managed a few cultural experiences while in Auki – traditional pan-pipe band, man-made islands and shell-money demonstrations in LangaLanga Lagoon – as well as snorkeling, church, and our Solo-style cooking!<br /><br /><br />I’m also very excited that Karl (Kel’s dad), David and Libby E, and Jennifer B are returning at the end of March to continue helping us in our last month over here (can’t wait to come home!!!)<br /><br />SteveSteve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-87915233085314931592009-01-10T15:24:00.003+11:002009-01-10T17:02:47.111+11:00Samerai's Demise<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OViOXKsovWXgcwk-IbNJUhIwLZ7wZrLVnOdv1LzMvQQNnQb4K-IFab-WOEtLWzuB5_HvaREw27tNw72X52SOb6pchjell488iTXE3vsBhHw833_2oooNljA-_yFLUm3pisa5qJMgNeYA/s1600-h/suzki.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289541487023463202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7OViOXKsovWXgcwk-IbNJUhIwLZ7wZrLVnOdv1LzMvQQNnQb4K-IFab-WOEtLWzuB5_HvaREw27tNw72X52SOb6pchjell488iTXE3vsBhHw833_2oooNljA-_yFLUm3pisa5qJMgNeYA/s200/suzki.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Previously rumoured to be Auki’s favourite car, with 5 potential buyers (prior to giving any indications of selling!) the samurai has lost it’s podium in one foul swoop. This intrepid adventurer surviving river crossings, overloading with wantoks and negotiating our perilous drive with the ease of a pikinni climbing a coconut tree, would not have believed it’s demise would occur as a result of a stuck 4x4 transfer gear lever. There it was, last night . . . alone outside the government buildings. Some have tried to argue in a thrill seeking attempt the samurai independently rolled across the level carpark, raced down the slope colliding with the tree. We believe it was pushed.<br /><br />What could be more riskier for a car with 5 good tyres than being isolated outside its secure compound facing a Friday night alone in Auki township. The samurai knew Rob was going to restore it in the morning ready for further adventures.<br /><br />Alas, wrangling about the cause does not change the outcome. Although vital parts are intact, the samurai has been bent beyond rectification. The end of the samurai has come. And with it the end of freedom of exploration and the ushering in of hardship with the completion of the Kilu’ufi workshop.<br /><br />Asta la vista Samurai!</div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-5340950494136561302009-01-09T12:04:00.004+11:002009-01-09T12:14:47.888+11:00Paradise<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKS53QVX0HLojUJ-jUfArPUZ_dfO9M5ya_tfLw9el3xcpUPcnOpIu8z1cx0lO8juFMRSJ2iQ1ey6VgF3Gs5TYfW25Gp8OWbAdveCyDxn5tJ47KZx4_MAGiayccVgbYS-C6ldjTEQazhg6q/s1600-h/tavanapupu1.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 412px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 102px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289095856455662754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKS53QVX0HLojUJ-jUfArPUZ_dfO9M5ya_tfLw9el3xcpUPcnOpIu8z1cx0lO8juFMRSJ2iQ1ey6VgF3Gs5TYfW25Gp8OWbAdveCyDxn5tJ47KZx4_MAGiayccVgbYS-C6ldjTEQazhg6q/s200/tavanapupu1.jpg" /></a>Happy Christmas and New Year!! <div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywYeEOfvH3WTrp2T0GlQHK1RWWjYZryJyfDfaMpXCbxC7D3yFot4kmryWD-YwF3Lxhfy63mp1OtkCS80IZ64BtbYAg6MogQEImhjHSBWSPyX-joEDBi0pQMaO38zZN548CycFX3Fpzhw2/s1600-h/tavanapupu+3.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289095331334109266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiywYeEOfvH3WTrp2T0GlQHK1RWWjYZryJyfDfaMpXCbxC7D3yFot4kmryWD-YwF3Lxhfy63mp1OtkCS80IZ64BtbYAg6MogQEImhjHSBWSPyX-joEDBi0pQMaO38zZN548CycFX3Fpzhw2/s200/tavanapupu+3.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Rob and I have discovered a wonderful tropical hide-away. Tavanapupu Resort. We had the privilege of staying there 4 nights. This is where we insert a huge rave about everything – the service (second to none – the staff are truly legendary, no glass is allowed to empty, ladies are served first, nothing is a hassle, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDD4G4R4hP1s5SMMsUrByJVD3bWlr9_Kr4TfZbFlZUCGJyeksSVJ_wWElkaXKOY_nHfZqyx-iLIDwMCr9ix24cbHEUlGwDkG-6fN_TbwzVHxpUY5pPbMoUi11_aBYN2M__8kKdfZB5AbGE/s1600-h/tavanapupu+2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289094789979400194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDD4G4R4hP1s5SMMsUrByJVD3bWlr9_Kr4TfZbFlZUCGJyeksSVJ_wWElkaXKOY_nHfZqyx-iLIDwMCr9ix24cbHEUlGwDkG-6fN_TbwzVHxpUY5pPbMoUi11_aBYN2M__8kKdfZB5AbGE/s200/tavanapupu+2.jpg" /></a>filleting and cooking fish in their kitchen is greeted with smiles and offers of freshly baked bread to accompany your catch), the accommodation is amazing, tasteful, the beds allowing even us a sound night sleep, location is superb - beautiful grounds, gardens, snorkelling and fishing available. Good swimming beach including shade from the sun. Enjoy a pleasant walk around the island. And that’s while it’s still under renovation! </div></div></div><br /></div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-387766129261926172008-12-20T11:10:00.002+11:002008-12-20T11:23:08.242+11:00You know you are in Auki when:<ul><li>Your hand gets tired from waving at anyone & everyone on the 10 min drive to work.</li><li>Filling up your water bottle becomes the main attraction for the National Psychiatric Unit.</li><li>You spend NZ$42 for 2 kg of basic cheese for a taste of home.</li><li>One of the mars bars you got for Christmas 2007 is still in the fridge in Dec 2008 (too valuable to eat!)</li><li>You see in a shop a tin of bake bean's used by date was 2006.</li><li>You stork strange '<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">whitemen</span>' for conversation and entrap them into coming for dinner.</li><li>You pass a 3 ton truck crabbing while <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">competing</span> for the world record of passengers.</li><li>Four <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">vehicles</span> in a row is heavy traffic.</li><li>Power is off more than on!</li><li>The daily sunsets far <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">surpass</span> those on Hollywood movies!</li></ul>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-63512933129671217652008-11-21T14:38:00.005+11:002008-11-21T14:49:44.286+11:00Froggy challengeFroggyA<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo1M9r0yFFD9PG62DlIN9gM3fH-HqlEeU-i0hfB66ZiaL4Z2J-jNNvt9StC1hSiJ232V3sYV59Jx6S25-DpCVDdm5F7wqCJ3fcY_ivQQxq4zxJduuIYmj6IeyA03KQTYEgmc2lhFRTwL0/s1600-h/Froggy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270950736295231058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo1M9r0yFFD9PG62DlIN9gM3fH-HqlEeU-i0hfB66ZiaL4Z2J-jNNvt9StC1hSiJ232V3sYV59Jx6S25-DpCVDdm5F7wqCJ3fcY_ivQQxq4zxJduuIYmj6IeyA03KQTYEgmc2lhFRTwL0/s200/Froggy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>Here's how the froggy challenge works. You get to write a caption each for the two photos in the comments section. The competition will be judged on Christmas Day with the best captions being displayed on our website. </div><div><br /></div><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><div></div><div> Froggy B<br /></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb8j8m_uVVoyCVHcf42fFy4aVtJe3-WZ950c-lu_9z90IdTVRpHxvAmQsf8RTuFvxJd0U7gUN6IF1YW9dI_rqLWhrYb_kPQuiBPX5tFJEOc2HMhrR16c0y4lgL74aIKCTSNnYvQqckXdc/s1600-h/froggy+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270952507599108258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb8j8m_uVVoyCVHcf42fFy4aVtJe3-WZ950c-lu_9z90IdTVRpHxvAmQsf8RTuFvxJd0U7gUN6IF1YW9dI_rqLWhrYb_kPQuiBPX5tFJEOc2HMhrR16c0y4lgL74aIKCTSNnYvQqckXdc/s200/froggy+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div>This will achieve two things - 1) allows us to see if anyone reads these blogs! And 2) Gives us something to look forward to on Christmas Day rather than sitting around missing friends and family!</div><div><br /></div><div>Have fun, think crazy and enjoy yourselves! </div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-7691974026418323132008-10-29T15:42:00.000+11:002008-10-30T15:56:12.753+11:00On being white - part 1<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">I have been reflecting, rather seriously sometimes, on my experience of being in a racial minority group. We are white fish in a brown bowl, a walking freak show, objects of curiosity, a temporary distraction for crying babies, things to be gazed on, pointed at and whispered about from a safe distance. Even after a year in this little town of <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Auki</st1:city></st1:place>, I can’t walk down our own road without attracting many stares. A stroll through the main street practically halts business and stops trucks. It is rare for people to be unpleasant in any way, rather most offer a smile, a raise of the eyebrows or a “morning”. Rarer still, though, is the prospect of anyone actually speaking more than a few words to me. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">I walk through the hospital in the mornings, passing the outpatients department on my way to my own, and keep my head down as I hurry past, to avoid the stares, smirks and even outright gaping. Of late, it has meant I have not seen some friends who have been waiting there, but I am encouraged that they have been brave enough to attract my attention, even though by communicating with me, my peculiarity and “whiteness” envelops them too. For me, it means someone shares in my experience of being ogled, at least for a little while.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">On any of the wards, I snatch the attention of at least ninety percent of the occupants. Silence often falls across the dingy concrete room as I slink behind the nurses’ desk to read a patient’s case notes. I sit down to treat a patient, and one or two onlookers will move to a neighbouring empty bed to observe my movements a little more closely, whispering knowingly to each other, “oh, exercise”. On the paediatrics ward, my presence alone will make some small children burst into tears, never having seen a European before. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">I swing from being amused by my effect on people to being mildly annoyed. Sometimes, when a child calls out “bye bye white man” (the “bye bye” was picked up from the American Peace Corps, in Pijin it designates future tense, so doesn’t make sense on its own, and we are called “man” regardless of sex), I will mimic their tone and call out “hello black man” in Kwara’ae, the local language. Some of the older kids and the adults pick up on the irony, and we have a good laugh. Many don’t realise, and go on pointing and staring, “oooh, white man”.<o:p></o:p><br />One friend suggests that the reason locals distance themselves from we whites is that they don’t expect to be able to communicate. I think this is true for many people; recently I was speaking with a local motel owner who looked at me completely blankly even though I spoke to him in Pijin (spoken by most Solomon Islanders). He initially spoke to me in English, but I replied in Pijin, which usually elicits a surprised smile and an “oh, you know Pijin” response, and then the conversation segues into Pijin and flows more freely. This time, the Pijin didn’t work. My local friend repeated what I’d said, then translated it into Kwara’ae, to which the man was able to reply. It frustrated me that I was unable to participate in the conversation even in one of the man’s own languages, but I couldn’t help but smile at the way my white skin somehow created a language barrier where there was not one. <span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">As I write this, I start to remember a few pleasant encounters we have had lately: a neighbour who lives down the road met us and spoke to us for the first time at the market last weekend (she knew who we were, we’d never seen her before!), a new friend called me at home for the first time wanting to give me some bananas, and a lovely girl working in a store shyly spoke with us last week, identifying herself as a relative of our landlord and has since greeted us with smiles <i style="">and</i> conversation. It won’t change the gasps and wide eyes when I go into town, but it’s comforting to know some Solomon Islanders are brave enough to reach across the colour spectrum to be our friends. <span style=""> <br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><span style="">Kelly<br /></span></span></p>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-17180600291996563442008-10-28T20:57:00.002+11:002008-10-28T21:03:47.278+11:00Unanticipated Suzuki drowning<div>Another wonderful weekend was had with Ants & KC down at Su’u. Filled of snorkelling, relaxing and regular bathing in the river - no bathroom could ever have such beautiful surroundings or clean flowing water. Thinking to extend this time we decided to leave early Monday morning to make the 2 hour trip back to Auki for work.<br /><br />Everything was going to plan until we reached the river crossing near Maoa. Here on Friday we discovered two huge sago palms felled across the road. (Landowner’s dispute) A lovely local lady showed us an alternative route, transversing the river further up and then driving along side until connecting with the main road again. Unfortunately we were unfamiliar with this part of the river and forgot where we had crossed. No friendly local was in sight to share their knowledge so the attempt was made.<br /><br />The water rose at one stage above the bonnet and the Suzuki went on, growling up a stony gradient and then. . . although the volume of growling increased the movement stopped. Stuck Suzuki! There it hung suspended, three wheels grounded as the river washed away the stones from under the fourth. The river continued its flow through the Suzuki. Fortunately rumblings were still audible and my mission was to monitor and foster these while Rob went for help. It was a surreal experience lingering, alone, gazing on a pageantry of tropical delight, cool water rushing around feet, hands grasping the steering wheel, foot hovering over the accelerator, ears intensely tuned on that vital grumble ready for action . . . yet frozen, inactive.<br /><br />Rob emerged from out of the bush with about eight locals ranging from children to adults. As they approached the Suzuki a sudden silence filled the air. The engine stopped. Devoid of mechanical assistance Suzuki was surrounded and manually extracted from it’s peril deposited safely on the dry stony bank.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262143117476362050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxLPkUDhSDHJ5NvTSepzLACqwPwSg6Wmr4WsdJaWDd-plNpax-0ZuENOuDPFB68altMizGQ4JFjhgCA-g7qP2Bsb5IHbToxJWGEnafgamaFntQGrh811Sr2PLZvYXvV1dWFkFAM0n1DGm/s200/jeep.jpg" border="0" /><br />Unfortunately the Suzuki didn’t escape unscathed from its near drowning. Water entered the fuel system and the following two hours were spent in Maoa as Rob worked to restore it to life. God assisted having overseen the tools Rob had selected for the journey, so we were again journeying home with an operating fuel gauge, revived Suzuki (including an improved starter motor) and a great story to share. </div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-69927486678443395982008-10-20T15:47:00.000+11:002008-10-30T15:51:48.722+11:00Tropical diseases<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Sorry it has been a while since the last entry from us, but Steve and I have been laid low recently with a rare but severe tropical illness known as Wantok Withdrawal Syndrome (WWS). [For an explanation of the term ‘wantok’ see below.] Symptoms include lethargy, malaise, intermittent whinging and low mood. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">The problem is, we have been far too spoilt lately, with six wantoks in six weeks, essentially. And now, nothing. Sniff sniff, pout. The fun and anticipation began several months ago when we received an unexpected e-mail from a Sarah, a medical student in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Wales</st1:country-region></st1:place>, and later from her friend Aimee. They had chosen to do their five-week elective at Kilu’ufi Hospital, and found this website amongst very few others that mention Malaita. Not only that, they would be staying across the road from us – yay! </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">We were very excited when they arrived on Malaita Day, although slightly distracted by a last-minute invitation to the Premier’s lunch-time function (the joys of being white). Steve and I met them for the first time that afternoon, and proceeded to coerce Aimee and Sarah into being our friends, we think: gave them unlimited access to safe drinking water from our tank, hooked them up with our <i style="">haos mere</i>, Helen (cleaning lady/angel) to get their washing done, made them dinner, imparted some local knowledge, organised some tourist stuff, took them snorkelling on a reef… What we were trying to do was create dependency: if the girls needed us, they would feel obliged to spend time with us. Steve and I wanted to extract as much wantok time from those five weeks as we could. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Just a week after the girls’ arrival came the boys: another two medical students, from <st1:country-region st="on">England</st1:country-region> this time, came also to do an elective placement (although for four weeks here, and a further four in lovely <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Wellington</st1:City></st1:place>, NZ). Our strategy was the same: create dependency. The boys, James and James (aka Jim, to reduce confusion), arrived before the doctors did, so I got in quickly and introduced them to the girls, suggested they also stay across the road from us, perhaps they’d like someone to do their washing, etc ,etc. It seemed to be quite effective, as we enjoyed frequent visits, lots of chats, dinners, DVD watching, board games, swapping books (yes it may sound pathetic to you big-city people, but social life in Auki is based almost exclusively around these activities), ah yes they were happy times. But now they’re gone……..</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">I am hoping that Sarah, Aimee, James and/or Jim are reading this and thinking “oh I would love to do a guest blog on this website”, because I think their adventures deserve far more than I have mentioned here; obviously I have focused on Steve’s and my plot to suck them in and make them be our friends. (Fortunately, they all turned out to be nice wantoks, the sort of friends you want to keep, as we have had the occasional case where we lived to regret freely offering hospitality!) I must move on, you see, as I have mentioned only four of the “six wantoks in six weeks”. The final two, much to the surprise of many, were Steve’s mum and dad, Pat and John. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">These daring travellers have begun their global roaming a little later in life than some. As much as we assured them they should not come to visit, a tour around <st1:place st="on">Europe</st1:place> earlier this year convinced them that the Solomons were not beyond their grasp. P&J visited us for one lovely week, and experienced many things: the reliably unreliable Solomon Airlines, traditional Solomon Islands music and food, island church, our hammock, LangaLanga Lagoon (back to Serah’s little paradise again, see earlier blog entry), Friday’s weekly fish-and-chip ritual at Solomon Organic Café, the bustle of the market, power cuts, stifling heat and breathtaking humidity. They coped admirably, and Pat even made noises about coming back to help us pack up next year – impressive! I was so miserable to be saying goodbye to them on Monday evening, but was thankful for once that Solomon Airlines cancelled their flight back to <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Honiara</st1:City></st1:place> that day. Instead, we had one last night together and then waved P&J off on Tuesday morning, which got them to the airport nicely in time for their flight back to Brisbane. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">And so began our WWS, which has stricken us ever since. I do think that perhaps a cure (or at least symptomatic relief) may be found in a parcel that has just arrived for us at Auki Post Office…….thanks Sarah and Aimee, we’re sure it’s from you. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">P.S. I did entitle this entry “Tropical Diseases”, and ran out of space to talk about Steve’s tropical ulcers on his ankle. Suffice it to say, it was a lot of pus from a tiny scratch. The saga ran on for a few weeks, but I am pleased to say that after some wifely nagging, a course of antibiotics and lots of debriding and dressing changes, he’s okay! It was just a shame we couldn’t have got our lovely med student friends to do the fun stuff.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Kelly<br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 8pt;" lang="EN-AU">[A wantok (from the English words “one talk”) is literally someone who speaks the same language as you, and usually identifies someone as being a relative (no matter how distant) or friend from the same village or region as you. It is contextual, however, because two Solomon Islanders from different provinces (who have different first languages) would be considered wantoks if they were overseas. We refer to other white people that we have at least a superficial relationship with as wantoks.]<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-78075527839549230532008-10-17T08:48:00.005+11:002008-10-17T09:00:43.792+11:00Our DrivewayOur driveway is clay and very steep, the ferocious tropical downpours have rapaciously gouged trenches randomly over the surface. Numerous arduous attempts have been made to fill these in with dirt but the rain just laughs and washes the hard toil away in the next shower. It is difficult to know whether walking up or driving up is preferable. Driving includes the terrifying experience of being suspended at 45¡¡ facing the sky, not seeing the ground and avoiding dwelling on the steep drop on the right side of the track. The sounds of banging and complaining of the vehicle’s joints, the grinding and moaning of the 4 wheel drive as it struggles up slowly, laboriously, crunching over concrete with occasionally the wheels spinning out on the loose soil. Diesel fume overpower the smells of dust, sweat and dirt. Your breath is held along certain points of the journey as you yet again only just make it. <div><div><br /><div>Walking, at least you have your two feet on the ground (unless they slip and go flying on the loose gravely surface)! However the amount of physical stress on the body equates to an hour aerobic exercise! Techniques vary with some taking the tortoise approach slowly and steadily does it, fighting the temptation of resting as to succumb may remove the goal from reach. Others go for the hare approach including the long rests. Overall the survival rate of the ‘tortoises’ is healthier. To increase the complexity burdens such as suitcases, 10kg of rice/flour/gas, or 40kg of concrete can be added! How else do they arrive?! I guess our driveway is a major deterrent for visitors but at least we know if people are serious about seeing us! And there is always a drink at the top. As for the view – it really is worth the endeavour! </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257874824840563714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj34XJtvaoIm87EZRqQ1sOpS-NEz85I7EJ0kTUQzfVIupmCPq86coCcCm2yCZXNyYehTPe5SfmccOE-Nzs5iqMS9aC1128Zi1GgXQJ5BImiUXx8zpASEsBu_8_cZMdgnWRuHWfLuUcNzfLz/s400/view+auki.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-12298049876167578092008-10-05T12:07:00.002+11:002008-10-05T15:18:17.464+11:00Guest Blog: Visitors from Su'u<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKWo90PdXGru-e-l9nlXpKDnk88VR4OYFan2lSl310CzR4CysLUhzY0iQhfyFCaWlVPV72hAnYeIIzWVprloytoX1v21a79fUa39RYo3i0JHRR1vbRCMAwWTrLr0uT_-Fb36b9BOxI8G_/s1600-h/A&K.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253515292451462578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKWo90PdXGru-e-l9nlXpKDnk88VR4OYFan2lSl310CzR4CysLUhzY0iQhfyFCaWlVPV72hAnYeIIzWVprloytoX1v21a79fUa39RYo3i0JHRR1vbRCMAwWTrLr0uT_-Fb36b9BOxI8G_/s200/A&K.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Rob and Lara have invited us to have the very honoured privillage of writing on their blog site. Our names are Antony and Cassey Wright, we are working at Su'u Secondary School which is 65km South of Auki in the bush. Cassey and I are newly weds (Dec 2007), and we felt strongly about giving our first year in marriage to serving God in a third world country, so here we are. Our time here in the Solomon’s has been one adventure and challenge after another. Stepping out in faith has been an incredible blessing for our marriage. We have had to learn, trust, grow and pray together on what seems like a fast track course in marriage and serving God.<br /><br />Su’u National Secondary School is a large Christian boarding school in the middle of the bush. The school is in an isolated location, because Malaita is a big island and Su’u is very central, also because being so isolated means the students are forced to study away from the many distractions of village and city life.<br /><br />Cassey is teaching English and taking care of the Library and I am teaching Science and Biology. There are only three schools in the Solomon’s that go up to 7th form (university entrance) level, Su’u is one of them and we have just over 400 students. The challenges are relentless; lack of resources, communication (limited VHF), power, water, bugs, rats, drunk locals and the biggest being the cultural differences.<br /><br />Having Rob, Lara, Steve and Kelly in Auki, with their open invitation and friendship has been a lifesaver for us. Cassey and I finish in 6 weeks at the end of the school year and make our way back to New Zealand. Please continue to pray for these four amazing people. They are doing a great work for God, serving his people at Kalufi hospital. Especially pray for funding for the workshop Rob is building at the hospital, and maybe if you feel lead, even loosen your own purse strings a bit.<br /><br />Thank you once again guys, you're legends.<br /><br />Lots of love, Ants and Cassey.</div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-52149811732561613002008-10-05T10:52:00.003+11:002008-10-17T08:48:37.830+11:00Run-way PigsAs yet no comment has been made regarding domestic airline travel. The short rural dirt runaways lined by idealic tropical bush and villages, sudden thunder storms and restriction of no night flying must challenge the most competent pilot. Since we have been here there seems to be a good flight record with no major air accidents. Like most places there are always exciting stories to exchange, some may wonder if they are fabricated. The following are from eye-witness accounts.<br /><br />With the plane ready to go there appeared extensive conversation with the ground crew, pilot and two locals. The pilot at last wandered over to the waiting passengers and announced there had been a mistake and too many tickets had been issued for that flight so two people would have to say behind. One local man volunteered to stay and catch the next day’s flight but all other passengers for various reasons needed to arrive at that location that day. So the pilot put all their tickets into a ‘hat’ and drew out the unfortunate person. He happened to be an overseas visitor meeting up with his beloved for a two week holiday. Distressed he protested to no avail, left to spend a night in a strange town while the two locals not part of the conversation quickly seated themselves in the plane.<br /><br />Another incident occurred while on route, when the passengers observed the co-pilot trying to attract the attention of the pilot who appeared to be asleep! It was only after much shaking the pilot was aroused just in time to assist his co-pilot in landing the plane!<br /><br />Recently there has been many a delay and cancellation of flights due to air crafts (three at one time) being out for repairs. However in an unusual event a plane has left early without notification to passengers concerned who arrived to find having missed that flight no further opportunities were available that day. Please note that accommodation or taxi fares are not provided by the airline to people whose travel plans have been disrupted.<br /><br />So the lesson is – always have change for a taxi fare and a ‘plan B’ when you fly! And you thought run-way pigs were all you had to worry about!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253511640148983298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0WXrgd-Ep-ImYhlYxtGoGm50_QoJ-unar9BY6vNq4tjeIDoLKL9d-r4w_CaxSfZwn4oMEVZTw7uS6oAZBsxBK3SH24uzHT8zmrnx2q0z8FPiPIvIqjhclg2fhWYl_L_YqB-zTiSolA_b/s200/pigs.jpg" border="0" />Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-73121270420896749332008-08-19T16:39:00.003+11:002008-09-05T14:19:53.002+11:00Workshop<div>Our biggest project has begun at Kilu'ufi Hospital - we're building a 200sq-m workshop for the maintenance team, prosthetics and orthotics dept, and the community based rehab division.<br /><br />Check out the website: <a href="http://www.golongsolo.com/workshop">www.golongsolo.com/workshop</a> for photo updates and a description of what's going on. Because we're having to find the funds for the workshop we're always looking for more donors (and it's tax-deductible for Aussie tax payers), but that's enough of a plug for now. We've sent a promo DVD back to Oz & NZ, and it's now on our <a href="http://www.golongsolo.com/workshop6">website</a> for you to check out...<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242370652869136578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltHZStbleg0Xegx-91miXGrtM3g-Ovn3ryCw08Tng1TPCkwH2_K7HVe4pmBODgzWhUljvzgVaquPonM11gQrGny2rmy36jGgoIHOfAhQYm2BAuC1QvShSbxm8Nyq-ZWVghyphenhyphenQlGGcFitUW/s200/Blog+Sept.jpg" border="0" /><br />It's all being done by hand, so it's extremely hot and sweaty work.<br />(We've been shovelling truckloads of sand and coral the last two weeks, and have just begun making the bricks by hand - we only need about 3000!)<br /><br />Ok, back to work...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242370661752531938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjih3swdymht6ER76u9QN2-s_DKytAO0N_cozYMKEZQzw3KUAVnl7SuUp9ZBFqVJepVXkM8zYj8TxpwAzSLgmAckJfwiyHZX_ZQSQEkaBXwgnO20XxEnOt1vlmLzgyqOku27w6N_vDDP0A/s200/Blog+Sept+(1).jpg" border="0" /></div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-65150104954245114692008-08-06T16:38:00.001+11:002008-09-05T14:30:29.441+11:00Serah’s Place<div>I am still trying to catch up on last month’s events amidst the power cuts, and as promised, this entry is devoted to the two-and-a-bit blissful days we (Steve, MD&A and myself) spent down at Langalanga Lagoon. The Langalanga region is only about twenty-ish kilometres from Auki, but feels a million miles away, and is home to an ever-increasing number of artificial islands. [I think I have made a brief note on the origin of artificial islands to accompany a previous entry, so please see that for background.]<br /><br />It is close to an hour from town in a little banana boat to get to Serah’s. There are many leaf hut villages to gaze at on the way, seasoned fishermen paddling dugout canoes, a few other artificial islands, and if you are lucky, flying fish that race over the water with you. We also saw a stingray (who perhaps thought he was a flying fish) fling himself jubilantly out of the water as we passed.<br /><br />My bottom and I were pleased to feel the boat slow down and coast in towards the little blue pier that perches daintily over the sea. A carefully hand-painted sign and Serah herself welcome guests to the island, and everything is only a few steps away: the bungalow over the water with its wrap-around balcony, two shelters to sit, eat, drink and relax, the separate bathroom, and Serah’s own house. Standing on the balcony can easily while away an hour, as a parade of marine life marches and swims by as you watch: a reef shark in the shallows, a fist-sized hermit crab, some moray eels and of course endless schools of tropical fish.<br /><br />Not having electricity on the island immediately slows the pace of life from laid-back Solomon time in town, to impossibly long afternoons and evenings that seem to each last for whole days. We watched and learned about the making of the traditional shell money, but “ran out of time” for the other activity options: there are many aspects of Langalanga life that we could have learned about, but the lure of the water, the dugout canoe and time on the couch or bed with our respective novels was too great for us.<br /><br />Unfortunately, dynamite fishing was a popular hunting method in the Langalanga region, which has put an end to much of the spectacular coral. There is, however, a good-sized area directly in front of Serah’s island that is perfect for snorkelling, and we gleefully explored just about every inch of it. The snorkelling was a good way to cool down after paddling practice in the dugout canoe – we proved that it is really much better to grow up using that sort of thing rather than try to master such a skill in one’s adulthood.<br /><br />Hours of paddling, bobbing and floating around on the sea made for tired bodies, and it was with grateful sighs that we sunk into our crisply white-sheeted beds. Although we did try to stay up past 8.30pm with card games by lamplight and stargazing until our necks were stiff (spectacular, by the way), we just couldn’t.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242374112749355394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz42F2b3zAOV3y60J4w8awqRuzV2e8lfuXNIbmLSboQGNYW_kSdoNQalIMpsWVs3OIK6HI5iZC67gjJ29dXv0On7nmVPPu0iQjWqpD3Rc35v1R3rtppSvXWfRysd8r9YTz3MOLmRdh1BD0/s200/Blog+Sept+(2).jpg" border="0" />I suppose there are some other important things I should mention: we were very well-fed (delicious burgers, scrambled eggs for breakfast, lots of yellowfin tuna), very comfortable in the bungalow (it is a leaf hut, but not grubby or dingy as that may sound to some), and Serah and her husband Gustav are wonderful hosts. Steve and I are glad to have the chance to go back again (and again) while we are in the Solomons. There are not a lot of tourist activities re-established in Malaita after the ethnic tensions several years back, but this is definitely one we recommend.</div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-66163289519543803302008-07-25T17:03:00.003+11:002008-07-25T17:10:17.183+11:00The power, the water, and then the power and the water….and then the computer.I do feel I have a bit of catching up to do, blog-style, as the Green House team of Survivor Auki have been particularly lacking in utilities of late. As you will surely have read, the electricity is off more than it is on, but our troubles extend a little further back. During the time of the Telekom strike, our power was also under threat for a few days, and next came the water emergency…<br /><br />A couple of months ago, our landlord signed us up for the new cash power system, where a meter is installed in your home, and you pre-purchase kilowatt-hrs instead of waiting for a bill. It works a bit like the pre-paid mobile phone system where you receive a receipt with a code to enter, which tops up your credit. Fair enough, really. In the provinces, however, the system is dependent on communications with Honiara, who doles out all the codes. When the telephones for the entire country are near-knackered though, the system’s flaws become apparent. It was a Wednesday morning, and with 22 kilowatt hours to go (usually we use 5 – 6 per day), we thought we’d top our credit up, allowing some time for SIEA to fax Honiara etc. We heard nothing from them, and the weekend (when the office is closed) was creeping closer. By Friday night we were down to 5 units, so it was a DVD-free, anxious weekend. STILL nothing on Monday, and our wonderful RAMSI friends had us around for dinner to save us a bit more power. Tuesday morning I marched (well, cycled) around to SIEA, and my heart sank when I saw a man on the telephone giving Honiara what for. I figured I would stand there and wait my turn to do the same, but was relieved to see the lovely SIEA lady smiling at me and handing me a receipt and code. Phew!! So with about 0.3 kwh to go, we were now in the clear. For a little while…..<br /><br />A week later, we were looking forward to my parents and brother arriving on the weekend, when Steve happened to be outside and downstairs, and gave our main water tank (which supplies the tap water inside) a friendly tap. It answered with a very empty-sounding echo. I noted my shower that evening was quite warm….and I hadn’t turned on the hot tap. The penny was dropping…..perhaps it was significant that our tank had stopped overflowing when it rained….. Ah, such city people that we are. No problem, said I, we’ll just turn the town water on to fill the tank until we can get up on the roof to fix the presumed blockage. The town water tap was jammed in the off position, and now we faced a water crisis. No one in the vicinity had a ladder (a few people corrected me when I asked them in Pijin “oh, you mean landa”. Why??!!!), and it was early in the morning before the SIWA office opened. Lucky for us, one of the SIWA-truck-driving SIWA employees spends many of his waking hours driving up our road, and he stopped in at the place across the road. I ran over and begged him to come and fix our tap. He looked at me with little enthusiasm but said he’d send someone.<br /><br />He was, despite my initial misgivings, true to his word, because by the time I got down to the office that afternoon, they told me the tap had already been fixed, and the stopcock would be replaced today too. And it was. And then a son of a friend came and fixed the drainage problem the next morning. Just like that, our water crisis was averted. Nice that (a few) things do work in the Solomon Islands.<br /><br />Now even with the town-wide power crisis, we have huge amounts of water – even though SIWA can’t run their pumps, we seem to have come into <em><strong>another rainy season</strong></em> so our trusty tank is constantly overflowing again (that dripping never sounded so sweet!). Rob and Lara, in the Yellow House Survivor Auki team, however, continue to experience water shortages.<br /><br />Our added headache has been the succumbing of our computer – something about the Solomons means that even previously functional items stop working at random intervals. I won’t describe this in detail, but just mention that Steve was exceptionally anxious without his precious machine, but has since started to implement a few healthier habits, such as starting to practice that guitar that he wanted so much but then has not actually picked up for more than a couple of days at a time. Due to his cleverness, he was able to accurately diagnose the condition as a blown power supply unit, find the only one in the country (over at Honiara) suitable to power up his machine, get a friend to pick one up in Honiara and send it over on a chopper. We are again proud owners of a functional computer, and Steve is smiling again.<br /><br />Let's hope things get back to normal soon...Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-41300572432586614632008-07-09T11:30:00.000+11:002008-07-10T11:31:09.323+11:00Survivor AukiScarce blog entries and emails may or may not have alerted you that we are currently undergoing our own ‘survivor Auki’. Initially Telekom employees staged a national strike as they wanted their CEO to resign. This resulted in no internet or mobile phone usage, in addition to this the emergency numbers for the police and ambulance in Honiara did not work. This situation has been resolved and now Auki is experiencing an electricity shortage as the power board is unable to pay its fuel bills. <br /><br />To start with power was rationed to night times only, now it has stopped altogether. A knock on effect is without power water can not be pumped into houses so water supplies are under threat. Currently Rob & RAMSI personal are working with the hospital to find a solution to their water crisis as they have run out this morning. <br /><br />Our prayers and thoughts go out to the businesses and organisations around Auki like the hospital and ice cream shop who are suffering during this time. We have been informed by a local this occurred last year and lasted for 3 months! We wait with baited breath and hope things are sorted out sooner!Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-68585685340673721642008-07-02T16:27:00.001+11:002008-09-05T14:40:52.238+11:00Another feature in the month of the family<div>As it has been fairly difficult for us to access a computer lately, I am very sorry that this entry has been so slow in making it to the blog. It is certainly not due to the lack of importance of my family’s visit, just the logistics have been tricky. So, as I alluded to above, we had a visit from my parents, Jan and Karl, and my brother Antony, at the end of last month. This was their third time to the Solomons, but their first time to the provinces. So really, it was like their first real visit to the Solomons, as previously they had only been to Honiara.<br /><br />They arrived on one of the wee Solomon Airlines flying matchboxes, not even too late by Solomon standards, touching down onto the grass runway, dodging the chickens and SolBrew cans (the pigs stayed on the adjacent soccer field, fortunately), close enough for me to see Mum waving to me from the window. After some screeching and hysteria (from me), we cruised back home on the Sol Air shuttle bus, and I felt a decent flicker of pride as they pointed out different things along the way and how extravagantly green all the surrounds were.<br /><br />We treated Mum, Dad and Antony (hereafter MD&A) to a traditional cooking lesson with our friend Jerry and his family up at Dukwasi village. We got to consume the fruits of our labour the next day for lunch after watching some traditional dancing (with a few modern touches, such as the gold wristwatch of the male leader – a little incongruous with the grass skirt!). Dad had a large audience of goggle-eyed kids astonished at seeing a white man swing a bush knife to cut firewood.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242376697948551954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepCRvg8pfHZIzM540sOLjdMXk9DD4NU5P5xVJQMojF_7aoUUz0b2WeyWGcc4FncBeq03UCmFvijITb2oCpxDZuI0s75XQDZFJiMHr_jOr5XDKQ6AgT2iFTCCBnxlVdTuftJz0_op-0GGE/s200/Blog+Sept+(3).jpg" border="0" /><br />Antony got very well-acquainted with the hammock, and ensured he had at least a couple of hours in it each day we were home. The onset of the power crisis meant that we had some enforced relaxation time, and Antony had a full afternoon in the hammock one day. MD&A endured a lot of walking up a lot of hills, but only Mum was able to hobble away from the experience with a black-and-purple toe…we’re not sure exactly how she managed that!<br /><br />It was fun for Steve and I to get to do some “touristy” things with MD&A (not that there is heaps to do), and we finally made it up to the limestone caves with our friend Jerry. We had heard quite a bit about them from other visitors, and it was all true – the bats (they really stink!), the mud, the water…. but also some spectacular parts that you’ll have to come and see for yourselves: cathedral-like chambers with beautifully arched ceilings, and one part where the cave roof collapsed that has now become a lushly-overgrown clearing with hundreds of trailing vines, and you might see Gollum slinking by if you look very carefully..<br /><br />Another big highlight of MD&A’s visit was our two night down at Langalanga, at Serah’s Lagoon Hideaway. It was so good, in fact, that it deserves an entry all of its own. Stay tuned..</div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1286717669066567941.post-82777736914547979772008-06-30T11:19:00.000+11:002008-07-10T11:25:01.499+11:00Guest Blog: Dr John's Island Holiday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeEnYlalcJYjsV_aCW61mFs3fqRDSSyX7XlFgrxUkwGNnaGq08aKF41gb9LUA5mqGlvh_sSqSfWlAGuEikIDswh7ALcP_nLw9sJap2KX3KccwP1y1S-tE1kD6T1OX3wgd97rkIAsqV-K-/s1600-h/Dad+in+boat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221174780893034786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeEnYlalcJYjsV_aCW61mFs3fqRDSSyX7XlFgrxUkwGNnaGq08aKF41gb9LUA5mqGlvh_sSqSfWlAGuEikIDswh7ALcP_nLw9sJap2KX3KccwP1y1S-tE1kD6T1OX3wgd97rkIAsqV-K-/s200/Dad+in+boat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>(The following has been written by Lara’s Dad. Disclaimer: we accept no responsibility for anything parent’s write!)<br />“Me hapi tumas fo stap long dota blong me Lara an Rob. Two weeks holiday on a tropical island (my first time)! Lara and Rob’s house certainly has a wonderful view of Auki township, wharf and fishing village. Only problem is a steep rocky drive up to the house goes with the view! Lara obviously concerned about her Dad’s fitness made sure we did the trip up and down frequently and also several walks including one to a water hole in a river and another to two large limestone caves one with hundreds of bats and a stream running through which suddenly disappears into the flour of the cave. Awesome experience! So much reminded me of Thailand – wet all the time from sweat or rain, coconut and banana trees, tropical vegetation, gravel roads, houses very similar to those of the hill tribes in Northern Thailand, the church consisting of concrete floor and roof, otherwise open, no overheads or powerpoint as they know the songs!<br /><br />It was good to be at the hospital when the first shovel full of dirt was shifted for the building of the Maintenance/CBR/ Prosthetic workshop which is the major project at the moment, particularly for Rob, and an exercise of faith as AU$35,000 has to come in from somewhere for it to be completed. It was also good to share the frustrations, particularly for Lara, of having few opportunities at present to use her many gifts and abilities here. The trip ended with three days snorkelling on one of the Florida Islands. Thanks so much for having me and allowing me to experience some of your Island life and share some of your joys and frustrations. It meant so much.” </div>Steve, Kel, Rob & Larahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02282587130352124656noreply@blogger.com0