tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29340958229124258392024-03-05T20:19:35.957-08:00Island time- Volunteering in the Pacific BlogMy experiences and thoughts on my journey to become a volunteer for Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) on South Tarawa in Kiribati for one year. Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-69049911956973680212018-12-20T15:23:00.001-08:002018-12-20T15:23:18.413-08:00Reflections- U to Z<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">U is for unforgettable!</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Kiribati is a country that few people back home I spoke to before I came out here had heard of it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is well and truly off the beaten track and down a dead end cul-de-sac as far as being on a major route for international travel destinations go but it is a truly remarkable place and well worth a visit if you ever get the chance- just get off South Tarawa!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I’ve had so many experiences over the year but here are a few things that I will cherish and remember fondly when I look back on my time here:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The waters of Tarawa lagoon are an impossible shade of turquoise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIPlZhgzJvqRBYjdLY5Vua5sEHxpTTXgHkIKqZ964Qn4hcuWCdG8UeNgdW0oJ2JDH4hTZOdW9bFOQDnoF2QFZr04OZwMyD6wvOoXxRrw3Zu34l44A25KvtdfIQT64ZgvS1CTpHAE71umF/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIPlZhgzJvqRBYjdLY5Vua5sEHxpTTXgHkIKqZ964Qn4hcuWCdG8UeNgdW0oJ2JDH4hTZOdW9bFOQDnoF2QFZr04OZwMyD6wvOoXxRrw3Zu34l44A25KvtdfIQT64ZgvS1CTpHAE71umF/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">North Tarawa and the outer islands are simply stunning. The beaches of North Tarawa and the outer islands are picture postcards. They are beautiful, unspoiled jewels and lack the resorts, crowds or other downsides of modern mass tourism. That being said accommodation on North Tarawa and the outer islands can be a tad basic but is more than adequate- and you will be contributing directly to a local community and not some faceless corporate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>i-Kiribati people are friendly and welcoming and always quick to laugh, at themselves or each other in a really good natured, fun, self depreciating way. Laughter is never far away in the office and it is refreshing to be in a work environment where laughter is so near the surface at all times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The kids, like kids everywhere are full of curiosity and really want to say hi and give you a hi-five. I will miss the “Mauri i-matung” cries of the kids as I bike down the island each day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHcftEAh48HN7VUonzcwCwjPBbP5bDkUnqwvyawhlNro7Rpiq1hbTVkp6DKbhVzTIqYvG54UB_yP1rn2cJ1XwnCJQsRjzKKZHLmk7qIMMtxCnau2gP1DInkt_Cymdhyp7guUz0EZRC5ZP/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHcftEAh48HN7VUonzcwCwjPBbP5bDkUnqwvyawhlNro7Rpiq1hbTVkp6DKbhVzTIqYvG54UB_yP1rn2cJ1XwnCJQsRjzKKZHLmk7qIMMtxCnau2gP1DInkt_Cymdhyp7guUz0EZRC5ZP/s320/IMG_0376.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Sunsets, this is the land of 1000 sunsets. Almost every night you get an incredibly beautiful sunset. Locals seem to be a bit blasé about them but for me, I can’t help but find a quiet spot and sit awe as the colours deepen and night descends. Koakoa restaurant just across the road from where I live is the best spot in South Tarawa to enjoy a drink, a meal, some good company and watch the sunset over the lagoon. Magic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The beauty of North Tarawa and the outer islands. Kiribati is a beautiful place and really is like nowhere else on earth. A thin ribbon of land in the middle of the Pacific ocean, that fact alone blows my mind when I fly in and see how narrow this land is and yet people have lived here and an amazing culture has flourished or hundreds if not thousands of years. Speaking of which…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I-Kiribati culture. Family and community are at the heart of life here. The people retain their own unique culture and word view and traditional i-Kiribati dancing, held at every official botaki (festival/event) is truly amazing to watch. The young men that danced at the graduation of MTC on my final day blew me away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Young people at MTC. The young people at MTC are truly inspiring. I-Kiribati are quite shy and reserved and when I first arrived the trainees really were too shy to speak to an i-matung. Now though, where ever I go I am greeted with a “Mauri Craig” or “Mauri Sir Craig” from the trainees. I can’t help but admire their fortitude and commitment to their studies. New Zealand students wouldn’t tolerate the conditions that they endure as they train- on site 24/7, overtime punishments for very minor infractions (which means doing extra duties at the weekend instead of going on shore leave to see family), isolated from family and friends, not even a week break between the three six month study blocks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 18 month training programme for the seafarers is hard, as is the life they have chosen, being away from family for ten months at a time is hard, but they are making sacrifices to provide for their families. I have nothing but the deepest admiration for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">99 IDF students about to perform their dance at my farewell botaki</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">My Farewell Botaki- on the last Friday of my stay the students and staff put on a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>farewell botaki (party) in my honour. I had assumed it was for the captain superintendent who is also leaving after 30 months in charge of MTC. He is heading home to Germany to be with his new wife. However, he will return in February to hand over to his successor and so they will have his farewell then. I was not really looking forward to it, I hate being the centre of attention and would have been much happier hidden at the back, but no there I was front and centre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">As it turned out I needed have been worried. I was blown away by the harmony of the students singing, the warmth for the other English teacher Karee as she performed the master of ceremonies, the incredible dancing of each class as they performed their own dance in my honour but more importantly the sheer happiness and fun the students showed throughout the event. As I said to them in my speech, as far as I was concerned it wasn’t a farewell for me, it was a celebration to them for all the hard work they had done throughout the year. The whole event really highlighted for me the joy that bubbles beneath the surface of i-Kiribati culture. It was an incredible, and humbling experience for me and one I will always treasure. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking to Karee afterwards we agreed that an event such as that for the students at the end of each year would be a great way to celebrate their success before the more formal graduation ceremony. I hope they take that suggestion on board.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Vegetables and Volunteers</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Fresh vegetables oh how miss thee. The shortage of vegetables was, and is, perhaps the biggest challenge facing us i-matung out here. Things (I’m talking to you carrots and onions!) are available and seem to be in regular supply then suddenly vanish, sometimes or months at a time. You can’t take anything for granted. The reality is the soils are poor and there is little land available to grow things on. The Taiwanese have the only large scale garden on South Tarawa and are running workshops teaching the locals how to garden but it has been a very intensive process- needing to create compost to improve the soils from scratch not to mention a lack of bees here makes pollination a problem. However, that being said a number of people do try to grow their own vegetables and maybe in time this trend will increase. Maybe hydroponics will be the solution and I know that there are some small scale hydroponic efforts being established.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">One of the major downsides of the shortage of fresh fruit an vegies is the reliance of most people on poor quality food imported from Fiji, Aust & NZ such as noodles and fizzy drinks such as coke. Rice is heavily subsidised and a staple of the diet and people here eat a lot of it, and do so in huge portions. If people don’t have jobs rice is readily available as is fish for the lagoon. However, the poor diet has a couple of major consequences of the people here. One is stunting. Lack of nutrients when kids are young stunts their growth and Kiribati has one of the highest rates of stunting in the Pacific. The other major consequence is type two diabetes is prevalent. A recent survey found 50% of the people studied had type two diabetes! Both these facts are extremely disturbing and are examples of the challenges people face due to the lack of fruit and vegetables and poor nutrition. One of the teachers I worked with this year was due to have part of her foot amputated due to diabetes. She put off the operation and died of blood poisoning before she could be operated on. She was in her thirties<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and there was no need for her to die. Unfortunately stories like this are the reality of life out here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Volunteering<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfO8ByW4tv7nXEoxwC7XXQ1LXWCRsrDGhmb4FkeJubBxCEjoLNpo4rwzCinSdSIyih2LprHoLfso_jiodXZ5d26DGBSxLtXFrxvj0GLbKNetc49hW8-av-3dIAwCLyEYKbNgqPVujNLk8/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfO8ByW4tv7nXEoxwC7XXQ1LXWCRsrDGhmb4FkeJubBxCEjoLNpo4rwzCinSdSIyih2LprHoLfso_jiodXZ5d26DGBSxLtXFrxvj0GLbKNetc49hW8-av-3dIAwCLyEYKbNgqPVujNLk8/s320/IMG_0354.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">What can I say? This experience has been life changing in many ways and has been one of the highlights of my life. There are many volunteers out here and each and every one has left friends, family and the comforts of home behind to come out here to do a job and maybe make some positive change in the country. We all share a sense of altruism and a belief in wanting to make the world a better place and it really is refreshing to be in a community of people who are all doing something meaningful to try and improve the world around them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all come from different backgrounds and countries but all share a common bond. It really is awesome to have been part of such a community, if only for a short time. We won’t change the world but at least we have all put our hands up and travelled to one of the lesser known corners of the world to try and help foster change for the better. Imagine the world we would live in if everyone did that. So I take my hat off to each and every volunteer for putting aside family, friends, career and comforts of home to travel here to Kiribati to try to make a difference. The world needs more volunteers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicm-wLUdVYW1SAC5PcSI6grz6ZSSvv62WLK5dMO7_uj3XDi0PNdIzGOezuDViM2DS9tlDryjHLdLCsbtOXpEAju21-UPV76Pm_c4PJBW0NeuewghtxAihW7ZDj3KYnKJFi-9D12rQjPDGy/s1600/IMG_0347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicm-wLUdVYW1SAC5PcSI6grz6ZSSvv62WLK5dMO7_uj3XDi0PNdIzGOezuDViM2DS9tlDryjHLdLCsbtOXpEAju21-UPV76Pm_c4PJBW0NeuewghtxAihW7ZDj3KYnKJFi-9D12rQjPDGy/s320/IMG_0347.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">As well as the volunteers I need to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the people at VSA in NZ that do so many things to make life out here as easy as possible for us. The old adage is that it takes a village to raise a child, from a volunteering perspective it takes an organisation like VSA to make our volunteer assignments work and to help solve problems when they arise. I can’t express enough how impressed I have been with the organisation and the support they have shown me whenever I needed help. They are an incredible bunch so thank you VSA for everything!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">W is for Weather</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">What can I say about the weather here except that it is hot every day. You can’t get much more consistent weather anywhere in the world- the temperature hovers in a narrow band of 31-32 degrees each and every day of the year. Sure, it drops to about 27-28 Celsius at night but the temperature is incredibly consistent. The weather that I will miss the most when back home is the coolness as the wind rises and a sudden down pour sweeps in off the ocean or the few times when the the clouds rolled in and rather than a tropical downpour we had an hour or two of gentle rain so similar to a summer rain shower back home. The one or two occasions we experienced this was so different to the rest of the weather out here and was memorable as a result.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">X is for Xenophobia<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Okay so I couldn’t think of anything for x. Xenophobia is not a problem here, at least in my experience. The people are warm friendly and interested in learning both us i-matung and our ways. I’ve not had one negative experience whilst here and will miss kids as I’m biking home saying Mauri i-matung! If you are having a bit of a rough day the greetings from the kids on the street as you walk or bike past really picks you up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are some i-Kiribati who don’t like having foreigners here, and must feel a sense of injustice at the inequalities between their incomes and those of the expats. However, as I’ve said I’ve never heard of, nor seen, an evidence of xenophbia or anti-foreigner sentiment since I've been here. The people are some of the friendliest that I’ve had the pleasure to meet and although they can be reserved till they get to know you they have an incredibly positive outlook on life and a warm, rich sense of humour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Youth <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Okay, so I’ve already covered youth in the posts on opportunities and population growth. However, t</span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">he truth is that Kiribati has an incredibly young population. I am constantly staggered at the number of youngsters under the age of 10 running around. I worry about what the world they are going to inherit will look like and also at how much more the population can, and will grown by, out here. What opportunities will these kids have? Will the issues that their country faces be solved by the time they become adults, or will they have become worse? My gut instinct is the latter, that the increasing number of people on this fragile island ecosystem will continue to put undue stress on it and that the future for these kid face is not to hopeful. I really do hope I’m wrong. I’d love for all young people here to be trained up and have meaningful employment opportunities when they are adults. Will there be opportunities for them all? I don’t know but unless progress is made then I am not too hopeful of a brighter future for them, especially those living on South Tarawa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I do love the energy of the young people I’ve been working with at MTC. The farewell that they put in for me as one of the highlights of my stay. The final week at course the students had completed all their assessments so each class prepared a dance that they were going to perform at my farewell. As I told the students at my farewell speech during the ceremony as far as I was concerned it was not a farewell but a celebration and acknowledgement of all the hard work that they had put into the year and that is was to celebrate all of them finishing their years studies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLISDwr11zRHomVTHT_vvwz4v1A59nlt82r-JN7iCy99lZk_26qMvGUk-HQA__f0bPQ0EXLgBhdsUxBTAYN5hRTFTLwgEccZ0MxsGL0iUCVyGWyqN_P_dy6E3k3CGsDs5Lwp4DxfuY34QS/s1600/2018+12+14%25234-+Haka_Moment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLISDwr11zRHomVTHT_vvwz4v1A59nlt82r-JN7iCy99lZk_26qMvGUk-HQA__f0bPQ0EXLgBhdsUxBTAYN5hRTFTLwgEccZ0MxsGL0iUCVyGWyqN_P_dy6E3k3CGsDs5Lwp4DxfuY34QS/s320/2018+12+14%25234-+Haka_Moment.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dancing was incredible, each class choreographed their own dance incorporating elements of traditional dance and their own ideas and modern music. One of the classes even learned the haka Ka Mate and performed that, adding their own i-Kiribati twist to it. That really blew me away, that they would go to such lengths to try to incorporate a haka into their farewell for me. I feel extremely privileged to have been the recipient of such an hour from the students and highlighted of me the cultural links that bind all the peoples of the Pacific together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The dances were entertaining, funny and the whole audience, which was all the staff and students, were caught up in the energy they created. It really was a celebration, a chance to let their hair down and as such was an outstanding way to end my time here. Although I had been dreading it; it turned out to be one of the highlights of my time in Kiribati and something that I will always treasure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Z is for Zucchini</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Okay so I’m grasping at straws again. I haven’t seen a bloody zucchini in months not that I enjoy eating the world’s most bland vegetable. In fact I’ve enjoyed being in a zucchini free place for the last year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 19.9733px;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Anyway, hope you enjoyed a small window into my year in Kiribati. It’s been everything I hoped for and more. The challenges have been in areas I least expected it. I don’t for one moment regret coming out here but I am looking forward to getting back to my old life. It’s been a great opportunity to reflect on my life so far, to take time out from the normal daily grind and really think about what I want to do from here, but also has given me the opportunity to look back on the people and events that have shaped my life so far; I’d have not done that had I stayed in NZ.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh_iVftWdTh1zsmJ_vHQx-I7WF-wvv_XWf7shTgWrFSVXZ-4RzJ-uJVpTm_7HXf2sKPWV6uBGspUrOb_HeUdombICz8YuIQAkdSqCelS79voDT1L7XfAKBhc39KYHY0nweCb_FPrOWN_K/s1600/2018+02+03-KiaKia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZh_iVftWdTh1zsmJ_vHQx-I7WF-wvv_XWf7shTgWrFSVXZ-4RzJ-uJVpTm_7HXf2sKPWV6uBGspUrOb_HeUdombICz8YuIQAkdSqCelS79voDT1L7XfAKBhc39KYHY0nweCb_FPrOWN_K/s320/2018+02+03-KiaKia.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I’m looking forward to getting back home but also have a tinge of sadness about leaving here- it gets under your skin. I know I'll probably never have the opportunity to return to Kiribati. I am leaving with a greater appreciation for home, my family and my boring old life. Has it been a selfish self indulgence? Most certainly. My only regret really is that my Julie was not able to share the whole experience with me but she was at a place in her career that it wasn't possible and that is cool. We both needed to do what we needed to do. I‘m just glad she was so understanding and accepting that this was something I had to do, for me. However, I am glad that both she and Finn got to come out and see first had a very different way of life to that which we have back home and experience, if only for a few days, life in Kiribati.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Have I changed as a result of this experience? Undoubtedly and I’m not sure I will ever be quite the same person I was before I left on this adventure and I think it will take a while to adjust to returning to my normal life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">So I now turn my back on the coconut palms swaying on this microscopically narrow strip of land in the middle of the endless expanse of the Pacific, away from the incredible turquoise waters of the lagoon and from the warm friendly i-Kiribati people. I turn southwards and gaze across the endless miles of the mighty Pacific ocean towards the shores that are my home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will leave these seldom visited islands knowing that this has been a truly profound experience and one that I will never forget. I wish nothing but the best for Kiribati and her people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO7EQkth7tDePrjegVnck6UNakqvS7K1m8ubwVZCmr5OHYG55wsLgK1RWAv02SWNs7EYRQkOE0aScSdSI5Op5DrWsXHAC1_NVwQ7vVetX9i0V0mIzY9enYogsNsK0HOZ4za5NepW8weZb/s1600/Sunset+from+home+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKO7EQkth7tDePrjegVnck6UNakqvS7K1m8ubwVZCmr5OHYG55wsLgK1RWAv02SWNs7EYRQkOE0aScSdSI5Op5DrWsXHAC1_NVwQ7vVetX9i0V0mIzY9enYogsNsK0HOZ4za5NepW8weZb/s320/Sunset+from+home+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I think it fitting to finish with a traditional i-Kiribati farewell:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Te Mauri<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>(Health)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Te Raoi<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>(Peace)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Te Tabomoa<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>(Prosperity)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Craig<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-40046279038091616032018-12-15T12:33:00.004-08:002018-12-15T12:37:08.120-08:00Reflections- N to T<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">N is for- North Tarawa<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYrZwbr2VmGXzx-w1Yy_mfwGfUXw0VR3W-eFcCYwgUqFaH_kXnJ6o_OnOqLT_HjUIA1YJVWvY1w7rpImDH-DAjSmAkjVkilBpFN0-W5BxUgCiKAO3NPsu6ixG_EtzjoWPcWGIq469PxSX/s1600/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYrZwbr2VmGXzx-w1Yy_mfwGfUXw0VR3W-eFcCYwgUqFaH_kXnJ6o_OnOqLT_HjUIA1YJVWvY1w7rpImDH-DAjSmAkjVkilBpFN0-W5BxUgCiKAO3NPsu6ixG_EtzjoWPcWGIq469PxSX/s320/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252322.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">North Tarawa consists
of a string of islets stretching along the norther edge of the lagoon from Buota in the south to Buariki in the north. At high
tide you can take a ferry across the channel between North and South Tarawa for
50c but when the tide is low you can simply wade across the 500m gap that separates
the two. The coconut covered islets are separated in places by wide
channels that can be crossed at low tide and a track winds its way through the villages to Naa at the northern tip of the lagoon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7olpHVnItZsDHcRYkuByVZqLRymXJQmXFGVstnAPaGSFp_7GiAL5GPQscI6IVG-vGwnAUE46ZS3X2Jk3Q2050U9xEkplbPvzzfCHBvv6czhy2k-d-G5FR2J4m2wS4RefzKlHR-pp905rM/s1600/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7olpHVnItZsDHcRYkuByVZqLRymXJQmXFGVstnAPaGSFp_7GiAL5GPQscI6IVG-vGwnAUE46ZS3X2Jk3Q2050U9xEkplbPvzzfCHBvv6czhy2k-d-G5FR2J4m2wS4RefzKlHR-pp905rM/s320/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252349.jpg" width="320" /></a> <span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">North Tarawa is
like a different world to the heavily populated South and I’m sure is more like
South Tarawa would have been before the population got so large. The population
of North Tarawa (2015 census) is about 6500 and so is much less densely
populated to the South which is home to more than </span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"> </span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">56,000 people.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeRrYO2wUDVRlPKbIks_BzOZ3gRuERKvEvYosfNIDuzJgycpZPnFH8JYSdsENTn6oizTcvRvE4ncZndhywH5dpTx9_uV_TSHS3BFu9dCBYs3X1fzpjNQwQrmW6v_uITXD5GENBv8TNhSV/s1600/2018-05+Broken+Bridge+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeRrYO2wUDVRlPKbIks_BzOZ3gRuERKvEvYosfNIDuzJgycpZPnFH8JYSdsENTn6oizTcvRvE4ncZndhywH5dpTx9_uV_TSHS3BFu9dCBYs3X1fzpjNQwQrmW6v_uITXD5GENBv8TNhSV/s320/2018-05+Broken+Bridge+5.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">We often walk from
Tebon te Keke to Broken Bridge for a swim, a walk of about an hour each way.
The track winds past villages and homes, under a canopy of breadfruit, coconut
and other trees. Young kids, often naked, wander up for a hi-five and a friendly
“mauri i-matung”. The only thing that saddens me is that a occasionally one will put their hand out and ask for $1. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtq2xsw2EE0BgMx7CBS8iXXC0L_pTV4TuTKKSYLriNA46V4lrvZ4Sa7yuYD7fpq-ewtl3zdZCNgknyeOXw58ftRTgtmko_OBwRK5e3789qfsxwdUPE9B0dBePO8NEBxJPK4MyGDs-mt98D/s1600/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtq2xsw2EE0BgMx7CBS8iXXC0L_pTV4TuTKKSYLriNA46V4lrvZ4Sa7yuYD7fpq-ewtl3zdZCNgknyeOXw58ftRTgtmko_OBwRK5e3789qfsxwdUPE9B0dBePO8NEBxJPK4MyGDs-mt98D/s320/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252323.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Few people live in
the north and many still live in traditional kia-kias. There are fewer dogs and
there is a just a sense of peace and tranquility after the hustle, bustle and
noise of the south that somehow recharges your batteries and makes it easier to
face another week on South Tarawa. It really is our escape and sanctuary at the weekends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">O is for Opportunities <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">According to the
Kiribati Economic Outlook 2016, the unemployment rate in the 2010 census was
31% while youth unemployment rate stood at 54%. Few of those in paid work (22%)
were in the </span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"> </span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">private sector while 34%
were employed in the public sector. Another 31% were producing goods for sale
while 7% were self-employed. Thus there was, and still is, a chronic lack of
employment opportunities out here (source: </span><a href="http://www.mfed.gov.ki/sites/default/files/Economic%20Outlook%20April%202016.pdf" style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">KiribatiEconomic Outlook 2016</a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiix7QDCl0Cmu4mW7Q6QAzGBE3icjxasnDKB6e1BCM9yqvUj7xAYg2HzfKg8WkB0UxvnDCBkd6Uvms4v8g9hHJmUlgJSzx-mxyhlkB4e8vzH9JICmdsaRibxrz7gEVd0EeE8Mtgdg9tv62r/s1600/WP_20180807_07_53_19_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiix7QDCl0Cmu4mW7Q6QAzGBE3icjxasnDKB6e1BCM9yqvUj7xAYg2HzfKg8WkB0UxvnDCBkd6Uvms4v8g9hHJmUlgJSzx-mxyhlkB4e8vzH9JICmdsaRibxrz7gEVd0EeE8Mtgdg9tv62r/s320/WP_20180807_07_53_19_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I have worked with
youth for a number of years back home and I do enjoy working in this field. it dismays me that there are so few job opportunities job opportunities for many of the young
people here. At the beginning of the year we had over 400 applicants for 60-70 positions on the seafarers training programme and more than 300 for the 50 places on the Steward's and Hospitality programme. Aoraki polytech (now Ara) where I used to work, would loved to have 6 times the number of applicants for its hospitality programmes than places available when I worked there, we struggled to fill some of them! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">A job as a seafarer,
for which we train young men at MTC, is one of the few opportunities available
to young men. It's a tough life, thjey are away from their families for up to 10 months at a time but the money they earn money is important to support their families. They are skilled workers and are highly sought after by the German shipping companies. It is a good career but not an easy one for the young men who choose it. Similarly the male trainees on the Stewards and Hospitality course can become stewards on ships or they and the female trainees may get selected to become staff at a couple of Australian holiday resorts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Another
increasingly popular option is the seasonal worker exchange programmes to New
Zealand and Australia. Those young people travel to work as unskilled labour in
orchards and just as is the case with the seafarers the money they can earn is
important for supporting their families back home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I would like to
see more opportunities for the young people. The country has a very young
population and so there will be increasing pressure for jobs for youth and unfortunately,
I really can’t see many new opportunities developing out here for them over the
next few years. I hope I am wrong though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">P is for Population growth</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; line-height: 115%;">The population of Kiribati was 110,110 in 2015 which was an increase of 7,052 people over the previous (2010 census) total of 103,058. This is equivalent to a growth rate of 1.32% per annum but is slightly lower than the 2.2% growth rate in the 2010 census.Kiribati has a
young and growing population and most people live on South Tarawa. As is the case in many
places in the world there is an urban drift as people leave the outer islands in
search of work and better opportunities in South Tarawa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5-JN7msdjjk2ecIylOzLFS-sG3pm6F-sCxmJBrv1JRPyc0ZeZZ_hur0X_wDmKrlnj5NPbC9lp6BUzgU5ZuJN4VsJhAWLpVX6TC0cI3d4gcFlpqz0-XtviZ3c9giKFCufM18bMUTB195V/s1600/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5-JN7msdjjk2ecIylOzLFS-sG3pm6F-sCxmJBrv1JRPyc0ZeZZ_hur0X_wDmKrlnj5NPbC9lp6BUzgU5ZuJN4VsJhAWLpVX6TC0cI3d4gcFlpqz0-XtviZ3c9giKFCufM18bMUTB195V/s320/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252334.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; line-height: 115%;">South Tarawa
has a population of 56,334 in 2015 which was an increase 6142 over the previous
census. In North Tarawa the population grew from 6102 in 2010 to 6619 in 2015,
a growth rate of 2.31%. The grow rate in South Tarawa is often at the expense
of the outer islands. Butaritari for example saw a population decline from 4346
to 3224, a loss of 1,122 people (-5.97% per annum) over the same period. Trying to encourage people to stay, or return to, the outer islands is one of the many challenges facing the government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">As I said many
people travel to South Tarawa for perceived opportunities but the reality is
that they are just adding to the crowding problems, especially on Betio.
Betio’s population grew from 15755 people to 17356 which may not seem a lot
till you see how small an area the island actually is and the density of the
population there. It has a land area of less than 3km2 and so is more densely populated per square kilometre than London, Tokyo or Hong Kong!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; line-height: 115%;">Population
growth is to my mind the most pressing issue facing Kiribati and one that influences and contributes to many of the others problems- housing, sanitation, water quality, waste management
etc, etc. Kiribati is seen as being the poster child for climate change but
climate change is beyond Kiribati’s immediate ability to solve. What the
country could do <b><u>now</u></b>, is put
more focus on curbing the population growth rate and so help reduce pressure on
the limited resources, infrastructure and land of South Tarawa. Kiribati cannot
solve climate change, it requires world wide cooperation, but it can and does have
the ability to make meaningful change to the population growth rate, but that will require is the political will to do so. Thus I see population growth and not climate change as
the most important, and potentially solvable, issue facing the country today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Q is for Quotas- random
quotas eg potatoes! <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">One
of the most amusing stories of this year was the great potato saga. When I got
here potatoes had been banned for few years, apparently to protect the local
potato industry- which being at the equator was, and is, non-existence. I have
been told by several people that this ban had been bought about by someone in
the government unhappy with the quality of the potatoes being imported. This
may be true. There are a number of companies importing food,
including fresh fruit and vegies into Kiribati from NZ, Aust and Fiji. Often
they will buy the cheapest food they can to get the best price. The end result
of which it is not unusual to find rotting fruit and vegies sitting on the
shelves in the coolers at the various “supermakets”. Having worked for several
years in a fruit and vege department at the local supermarket while at uni, I
found this extremely surprising but you literally have to go through he very
limited selection to try and pick the non-rotten food!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Anyway,
I digress. So someone in the government unhappy with the quality of the
potatoes put a ban in place and this has only recently been lifted, much to the
relief of the i-Matung population, and New Zealand grown potatoes can now
frequently been found in the shops. The Australian varieties are still banned
however and fair enough too </span><span style="font-family: "segoe ui emoji" , sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">R is for Remittances &
Rents<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Remittances,
that is money sent from people working overseas to family back home has long
been an important part of the economies of countries throughout the Pacific. I
recall studying the role of remittances in the Pacific as part of my geography
degree back in the early 90s and today, as back then, remittances play an
important part in the local economies of Pacific countries, including Kiribati.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JhF_OkYE0-feZMA8zz8mDvATIIrc2jjnC2a024B3Nc16K8w8oJP2BENDOcmGjFtj4JWsowh4cvHbQ0QjXF6X4d-LeBKRBA2hW6nlOCCnDy1vQBG9Ur3fjGhPRp6vRdhWkmvlgxogokXF/s1600/2018+09+20%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JhF_OkYE0-feZMA8zz8mDvATIIrc2jjnC2a024B3Nc16K8w8oJP2BENDOcmGjFtj4JWsowh4cvHbQ0QjXF6X4d-LeBKRBA2hW6nlOCCnDy1vQBG9Ur3fjGhPRp6vRdhWkmvlgxogokXF/s320/2018+09+20%25233.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Here
in Kiribati the seafarers have long been one of the most important sources of
remittances but the value of their contribution to the local economy has been
declining over the last decade or so. It is said that each seafarer
working on an overseas vessel supports on average 10 family and extended family
members back home so they do play a vital role in the economy of Kiribati and
this has been reinforced to me throughout my stay here. With there being about 1000 seafarers and fishers employed around the world that means about 10% of the population relies on remittances! It is a pretty important part of the economy as is the training undertaken by MTC. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Remittances play a vital role in the economy. In 2017 for instance more than $18.4 million was sent
back here which accounted for 9.18% of GDP so we are talking a fairly
substantial contribution to the economy as well as to every day families
finances. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">It
is interesting to note that while the value of remittances has increased the
percent of remittances from seafarers has been declining since the early 2000s.
The global financial crisis, changes in vessel technology and increasing
competition from other nations has led to this decline so the value of seafarer
remittances has declined from a peak of over $12.5 million in 2012 to about $5.6
million in 2014. However, it is still an important source of remittances here
and no doubt will remain so in future. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><b>Rents</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">One thing that surprised me out here is how expensive places are to rent. We are living in the poorest country in the Pacific. i live in a pretty basic, western style, house. I have electricity, running cold water and an indoor toilet- bloody luxuries compared to the conditions my neighbours put up with. They draw water from a ground well and cook on open fires or small portable gas hobs and their homes are shacks made from whatever materials is at hand.</span></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUgLqszSKEcdWo71AuoGlpVomcNJVzos61334LVLnrrXHoC-F0g2kySusDUB1rNXEw1yTUuc3JLpfF2ZUqjpgQXIkyQWyhPcduTFH1TrGXzN4Bv8dOoLoEEoyqL4tk98uUAqVoL2DB4cn/s1600/WP_20180313_12_58_12_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOUgLqszSKEcdWo71AuoGlpVomcNJVzos61334LVLnrrXHoC-F0g2kySusDUB1rNXEw1yTUuc3JLpfF2ZUqjpgQXIkyQWyhPcduTFH1TrGXzN4Bv8dOoLoEEoyqL4tk98uUAqVoL2DB4cn/s320/WP_20180313_12_58_12_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Anyhow a house like mine, a pretty basic bach my NZ standards rents for about $1000 Aust per month! Holy crap. My workmates, working t one of the more prestigious places in South Tarawa, are probably on no more than $200 per week at most, and most people earn a lot less than that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">So why the disparity? Simple really. The international aid industry. The country is awash with high paid consultants flying in from Aust, NZ, the UN, Wold Bank, etc, etc, etc weekly. Many of the large multinational organisations have large budgets and so will pay whatever it takes to get their staff accommodation so its created an artificial rental market where the rents are completely ridiculous. However, it also makes it hard to place volunteers or staff from the smaller, less financially well of organisations that operate out here too, and a shortage of suitable rental accommodation now runs the risk of limiting the number of volunteers from NZ and Aust that will be able to come out here in future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I don't blames the locals for charging all they can in rent. Hell, I would if I was in their shoes but it does mean, along with the shortage of available western housing, that locals can't afford to live in the better built houses and so you have the situation where locals like in poorly built, or home built, huts and shacks and us westerners live a life of comparative luxury in the equivalent of 5 star accommodation. Is it right? Not really but it is the way things have developed in the past few years unfortunately. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">S is for Surfing</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3BvhDdlNc2mlvqG7U-e0z7x4e1D4Mle35OLGCCfG_g8LaRS4BJK85AQAkQky8G_H8LWKBj9JNoaofG2gABEQI5GonVhKTC2RGH6OgtEib5vFFK8DJN9hGKgAx8fHgcX1G5rpms3qhxC9/s1600/Surfing+Aug+26-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="941" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3BvhDdlNc2mlvqG7U-e0z7x4e1D4Mle35OLGCCfG_g8LaRS4BJK85AQAkQky8G_H8LWKBj9JNoaofG2gABEQI5GonVhKTC2RGH6OgtEib5vFFK8DJN9hGKgAx8fHgcX1G5rpms3qhxC9/s320/Surfing+Aug+26-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Probably
the highlight of my time out here and my sanity check. A chance to get out at
the end of the day and catch some waves, or help the local kids to do so, was a
real highlight. The local kids are as keen as mustard and love getting out on
the beat up old soft-tops we have that they can use and they would love the
opportunity to surf more. The sad fact is though most won’t get the
opportunity. The nearest surf shop is several thousand kilometres away in Fiji
and unless other surfers come through and stay in “Kiwi Alley” their options
will be very limited in future. Sad really but I’m glad they have had the
chance to get out and give it a go, some have shown real promise but the thing
that struck me most, apart from their love of the water, was their willingness
to share and happily take turns without hogging the boards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Once again something that many young people take for granted in NZ is a real luxury out here. It isn't unusual to see kids boogie boarding on the only thing they have to use, old chilly bin lids! </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">T is for Tsunami &
Typhoons</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Neither
have been an issue or us here (touch wood- we are too far north for typhoons or cyclones) but tsunami awareness, or tsunami-phobia (a fear of a possible tsunami) is to strong amongst the expat community. With only a metre or so above the high tide mark we could be in
a bit of trouble should one hit. Like food what would you do in a tsunami is
one of those topics that frequently gets discussed out here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Pz8TUHwOxDCUwldWzfCh5olDXamU04oovtVSaxfHN_-Wu2UM53lc0fRc8GW4NjMX4T-B3tnLhvx6Sqh0rI5QbS4kNu7LmyR6sdeNPWdN-AjSqV1mc5xecxTbv_6jFmr6ABAaAW1AQFQY/s1600/2018+11+25%25231-Eita.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Pz8TUHwOxDCUwldWzfCh5olDXamU04oovtVSaxfHN_-Wu2UM53lc0fRc8GW4NjMX4T-B3tnLhvx6Sqh0rI5QbS4kNu7LmyR6sdeNPWdN-AjSqV1mc5xecxTbv_6jFmr6ABAaAW1AQFQY/s320/2018+11+25%25231-Eita.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">My
philosophy though is that tsunami such as the one created by the 2011 Japan earthquake have been travelling backwards and forwards across the Pacific for
millennia yet these islands and their people are still here. My theory is, and
it is just a theory- I didn’t really study tsunami as part of my geography
degree- is that the coral atolls don’t act as a barrier to the flow of water in
the same way that actual landmass does so don’t create tidal-surges to the same
degree. My theory is that just like in the open ocean the water may rise
slightly but not have the same level of displacement as when it hits proper
land- in much the way a ship at sea is usually safe from the waves- it is those
close to shore and land that wear the worst of it. Still it is just a theory
and not one I’d like to put into practice. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EPeCLGaTRAyxHy6BSLgTu-CefDwXHCUANFEC1YHskRgONunJiuEhVHPqLNAKq1Qw3ZD-aIEFrwf__AXtazgLvobQI78d52VTt-1d1sb1CmnCuyJ9ei5E8gv_EWzF4a86nJFKGsGbZcxI/s1600/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EPeCLGaTRAyxHy6BSLgTu-CefDwXHCUANFEC1YHskRgONunJiuEhVHPqLNAKq1Qw3ZD-aIEFrwf__AXtazgLvobQI78d52VTt-1d1sb1CmnCuyJ9ei5E8gv_EWzF4a86nJFKGsGbZcxI/s320/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252336.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The
other interesting climate related aspect of life here are typhoons and
cyclones. In some ways they are Kiribati’s most famous export! The
central Pacific is the incubating ground for typhoons and cyclones and as the
seas warm these events are becoming more intense for the countries affected by
them. So whether or not we can do anything out here to stop sea level rise
another unforeseen consequence of warming seas and climate change which is affecting
the countries elsewhere in the Pacific is that the intensity
of cyclones and typhoons is increasing. Maybe that might spur countries in to
doing something to reduce global warming. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6JBwNxc1jfpnkSCQpC1lprvcr9KHk1SBd-vRcJq2DjhBLazZ4Ns3G1ZawmF0lhsbH6_Y8y2KXmTPh_WTunFc_V02dJ3BPZuq6o63QdRp6JruUvFsZyxDFXVzNyflV8TKr7GHjlD9bDKb/s1600/2018+09+22-+Sunset%252315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6JBwNxc1jfpnkSCQpC1lprvcr9KHk1SBd-vRcJq2DjhBLazZ4Ns3G1ZawmF0lhsbH6_Y8y2KXmTPh_WTunFc_V02dJ3BPZuq6o63QdRp6JruUvFsZyxDFXVzNyflV8TKr7GHjlD9bDKb/s320/2018+09+22-+Sunset%252315.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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CraigCraig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-37507083295192326912018-12-11T19:16:00.000-08:002018-12-11T23:05:43.471-08:00World View<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><span style="color: blue;">I wrote the following post back in early March and never posted it
as I was coming to terms with living out here. It got lost in the events of my
mother’s death and I’ve just rediscovered it so thought I’d post if for you, my
musings on how our world view is influenced by geography and our experiences growing
up. </span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; line-height: 107%;">World
view <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEdhs_vm1rmY38G6mXO6hW2NUEf5iPHjA3i-DsEJuf5yCqWlEV80sooukyJb0OwCIKdi68m7TTEz2SswuKDgyLTUEO8oOX7DXoJt5TVYxgp3XnwjYWq0cAGTQiYv7Wf0vE64Na2JJwzK_/s1600/WP_20180409_10_25_43_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEdhs_vm1rmY38G6mXO6hW2NUEf5iPHjA3i-DsEJuf5yCqWlEV80sooukyJb0OwCIKdi68m7TTEz2SswuKDgyLTUEO8oOX7DXoJt5TVYxgp3XnwjYWq0cAGTQiYv7Wf0vE64Na2JJwzK_/s320/WP_20180409_10_25_43_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12pt;">
How is your outlook on life, and view of the world, formed? It
comes from a large range of factors including: where you grew up (place),
socio-economic status (class), family type, family beliefs and traditions, your
age, gender, sexual orientation, income, education, life experiences, occupation,
culture, language etc. It is in effect the lense through which you see, filter
and interpret the world around you. That lense begins to develop as an infant
and all your experiences and interactions impact upon it and are distilled by
it. In short your experiences, culture and background affect how you view the
world round you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">World view is useful in that it helps us to make sense of the
world we live in, but it is important to note that it can also limit our
understanding of it so understanding your own view of the world and how it came
to be formed can help you to understand how other people’s views do not
necessarily gel with your own. For example, if you grew up in a reasonably well
off middle class family, where both parents were well educated and working <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so as to ensure you had financial security, and
you were given every opportunity to take part in social and sports activities
after school etc, that would impact on your outlook and view of the world-
you’d probably grow up thinking everyone has the same opportunities and access
to the things you have. Your experiences and world view would be very different
to someone who grew up in a large, poor family where every day was a struggle
to put food on the table and some days you went hungry. Your experience in
growing up in that environment would most likely give you a very different
perception of the world, and potentially, your place in it. Your attitude as to
whether or not you see value in education, in work, in owning your own home, in
the opportunities open to you can be impacted by your experiences growing up
and those experiences will help shape who you are and how you see the world and
your place in it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of late I’ve been pondering how geographic location affects
your worldview. The atolls of North and South Tarawa here in Kiribati are no
more than a few hundred metres wide at most, and usually less than a hundred. That
means that you can literally see from one side of your island home to the other
and it only takes a few minutes to walk from the lagoon side to the open ocean
side! This is very different to the world I grew up in, even an island country
like New Zealand most of us can see one, or other coast but not usually both at
the same time! The atolls of Tarawa are scattered around the circumference of
the lagoon, a long narrow strip of land linked by causeways, which in the north
can only be crossed to at low tide. In effect it is like living on the rim of a
giant fishbowl, most of which is full of water (Tarawa lagoon). A thin circular
ribbon of land, barely above the high tide mark, no more than a couple of
hundred metres wide right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The ocean around
Kiribati and the lagoon is at the heart of life here, it is both a highway for
travel and also provides food for the people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRceImP_sqxKhfOBqyUeclm86PQwB2crQSUvWr55rkPBZf9lurCc3SMEV5SaEpok9aK8eQ-vxSAftYlvNcdkitmZxLAUZfOVD5X936o59u0pp6mdFL9qocIl4xp9sbUg-KFvh331CgbJn/s1600/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRceImP_sqxKhfOBqyUeclm86PQwB2crQSUvWr55rkPBZf9lurCc3SMEV5SaEpok9aK8eQ-vxSAftYlvNcdkitmZxLAUZfOVD5X936o59u0pp6mdFL9qocIl4xp9sbUg-KFvh331CgbJn/s320/2018+09-+Kiribati+holiday%252322.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are no rivers here, no mountains, no hills, almost all
of the land is only 1-2m above sea level and the highest point, a small area
around Eita, is 3m in height and that is the highest point anywhere on these
islands! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How does this reality affect
one’s outlook or view of the world? Seasons, what are seasons? It is hot and tropical
all year round, sure El Nina and El Nino weather patterns and the trade winds
do affect the climate here but you won’t get a winter season, at least not as I
know it. Speaking of which the most ironic T shirt I’ve seen here so far was
one being worn by a young man on his way to church. A bright orange T shirt
emblazoned on the front with the Stark’s motto from Game of Thrones: Winter Is
Coming. I pissed myself when I saw that one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One of the features that influences world view here is
geographic isolation. The nearest major islands are several hundred, if not
thousands of kilometres away. North, South, East, West. It doesn’t matter which
direction you travel, the first land mass of any consequence is many, many
hundreds or thousands of kilometres away. I stand on the edge of the reef looking
south across the Pacific Ocean from my home here, knowing several thousand
kilometres away is my real home and that if I drew a straight line due south on
the map the next major land mass I would hit it is New Zealand or Antartica!
That blows my mind! So it is easy to imagine Tarawa as its own little world,
stuck right bang in the middle of the deep blue of the Pacific, hundreds of
kilometres from anywhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCm4jLw4Hou_raOfWC7x_wuj_QDgV297e-B_MQIaYghgSwwSO4O62YM7BCJuuTx6lBFvRSITHFjQqhZ4dVFjbQeWRtCqdY4mHTsoV33ombFZ8K_I-GFBY-UxLwAeau2kUVy3i2hiJW4gUA/s1600/WP_20180831_16_14_28_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCm4jLw4Hou_raOfWC7x_wuj_QDgV297e-B_MQIaYghgSwwSO4O62YM7BCJuuTx6lBFvRSITHFjQqhZ4dVFjbQeWRtCqdY4mHTsoV33ombFZ8K_I-GFBY-UxLwAeau2kUVy3i2hiJW4gUA/s320/WP_20180831_16_14_28_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kiribati can be seen as an micronism of the earth itself- the atolls
of South Tarawa especially are overpopulated and crowded and as a result are
dealing with all sorts of environmental and social problems associated with
this- just as the larger world is grappling with these issues. Indeed if
outsiders HAVE heard of these islands it is usually in regards to the impacts that
climate change and sea level rise are having here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you grew up here and have never been anywhere else how can
you really imagine what rolling green hills, or mountains, or even cities are
like? They are so far outside your everyday frame of reference. Sure these days
we have TV, the internet and books but even so is not quite the same as
experiencing them yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve
discussed with the tutors here their experiences travelling overseas. All are
ex-seafarers having spent a decade or more at sea. Most have travelled the
world several times or more and have visited pretty much all the major ports
around the world. I can’t think of a more extreme culture shock than first
setting foot in New York or San Francisco, or Hong Kong or Yokohama/Tokyo after
having let Tarawa for the first time! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Life here for many people is probably not too dissimilar to
the way they have lived for generations. Time here seems to have a different
flow to it, one days appears to be very similar to the next, there is no real
change of seasons. The moon seems to play an important role though, influencing
the tides and fishing patterns and I guess for generations the moon, the ebb
and flow of the tides has been the main marker of time and daily life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the people here still live a
subsistence existence relying on the sea to provide food and sustenance for
their families. Many of the young people I’ve been working with at MTC spend
their spare time fishing in the lagoon or ocean but most hope to, once they
have finished their studies, get a job overseas either on a ship or at an
Australian hotel resort so they can send money home to support their families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unfortunately, the reality is that many people living here
will never get the opportunity to travel and see the wider world beyond their
shores. Their perception of the world is framed by the lagoon, the atolls and
the other nearby outer islands which they came from, have family on, and may
call home. They may take a ferry to and from the outer islands, sometimes a
journey of several days, but for a sizable percentage of the population living
here they will probably never get the opportunity to fly even as far as Fiji;
airfares are prohibitively expensive for the average I-Kiribati. As a result of
this geographic isolation you might expect the I-Kiribati to be quite inward
looking and even insular in their outlook or worldview but that doesn’t seem to
be experience I’ve had. I’ve not met a more generous, happy and positive people
in a long, long time. People realise the world beyond their shores is impacting
on their lives here and the steady stream of consultants and volunteers visiting
just underlines this to them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The ocean surrounding these atolls is their life blood and has
been for centuries; it is both a highway and a garden, providing bountiful food
and yet, as people are no doubt aware, this ocean is now a potential threat to
their long term survival. Will these atolls sink beneath the waves as some are
predicting? Who knows for sure but no matter what happens the world outside, as
well as growing population pressure from within, will continue to put pressure
on this very fragile environment and continue to have major consequences for
the people of these islands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve discussed this idea of worldview with a couple of other volunteers
and consultants, trying to organise my thoughts on it and get my head around
how these islands impact on your view of the world and your place in it. One of
the consultants out here, and a former volunteer, an Aussie named AJ, I think summed
it up best. The difference in world view, he told me, really come down to one
thing. Choices. We I-Matung (foreigners) have choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s right. I’m here for a year as a guest of
these amazing people. No matter if I’m enjoying it here, or finding day to day
life a struggle (which I’m not), I know I have an end date and at the end of 12
months can leave here and return to my “real” life. I have choices. Coming here
was a choice; it was my decision to take a year out from my regular life and
live in another, little known to me, part of the world. It was a decision I
made and I was lucky enough to be in a position to be able to have that choice.
I am extremely fortunately to have landed in such a wonderful, warm, welcoming
country but also know I have the good fortune to have choices as to where I
live, and what I do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The average I-Kiribati person doesn’t have the same choices or
options available to them. Many will spend their lives on these, now, quite crowded
atolls. Some will and do leave and often it is in the hope of finding work to
remit money home, but many won’t have an opportunity to leave their small,
fragile island home. The world outside is impacting on the lives of the people
here and they are facing all sorts of social, economic and environmental issues
which they are struggling to deal with. However, just have they have done for
the past however many centuries, the people will continue to exist and their unique
culture thrive in this, small, barely known corner of the Pacific. The endless
Pacific Ocean will continue to be at the heart of their world and it will
continue to be pretty damn easy to forget that the world exists beyond where
the ocean meets the sky on the impossibly blue horizon of Kiribati. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Craig<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-42122034072341846312018-12-08T14:10:00.002-08:002018-12-08T14:10:29.460-08:00Reflections G-M<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">G is for Garbage</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: Okay, so I mean rubbish but was struggling with a G word so have borrowed the American equivalent. Rubbish is a major problem out here, there is a weekly rubbish pick up but a lot more recycling and separation needs to be done. The landfills are pretty full and are squeezed into the little land available that backs onto the lagoon. There is not much land available to dump excess rubbish and a some of it ends up on the street, beaches, in the lagoon and ocean. There are occasional clean ups of different beaches etc and there are a number of people working here to improve waste management systems but more needs to be done, to curb the rubbish problem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LdBfuCjsTWlogZGLK_ltAQpEkZox1W25VqYfeNb5XSNvNCQvZOZY6k9Y1qTQMGuT7bOrgj0p5UyX2zMs2K2pRm8T5GLY_UjgLJl7cdF3pnm93xoLOukjb11R52BqTQZkl9uRicZXMQ1c/s1600/Garbage%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LdBfuCjsTWlogZGLK_ltAQpEkZox1W25VqYfeNb5XSNvNCQvZOZY6k9Y1qTQMGuT7bOrgj0p5UyX2zMs2K2pRm8T5GLY_UjgLJl7cdF3pnm93xoLOukjb11R52BqTQZkl9uRicZXMQ1c/s320/Garbage%25231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landfill</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">With regards to household waste, almost everything goes into our green bags which are collected once a week and by everything I mean everything- plastics, glass bottles, tins, everything- which is put in them and ends up in the landfill. The only thing separated out is aluminium cans which people can recycle and get money for. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dpVQatVht5tt6FeCTvKNoXLa0sDMCFPMM2hksJ13J0bavUE7KhmS_NFh-hrtPh_ex9t2OKCm1tKtIvvC_tCdOCQX-RBQVZXrUM15IwrNp2msvdGOFSKe2AaLQpLGGt0ffm7aZNqJx9he/s1600/Garbage%25232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dpVQatVht5tt6FeCTvKNoXLa0sDMCFPMM2hksJ13J0bavUE7KhmS_NFh-hrtPh_ex9t2OKCm1tKtIvvC_tCdOCQX-RBQVZXrUM15IwrNp2msvdGOFSKe2AaLQpLGGt0ffm7aZNqJx9he/s320/Garbage%25232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landfill squeezed in between the lagoon and ocean</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Personally, I’d like to see a more comprehensive system introduced to separate recyclables from no recyclables but the problem is, and will remain, where to put the increasing amounts of rubbish. Each and every plastic water bottle or plastic bag that arrives on island stays here and with the population growing as it is, rubbish is a serious problem- along with the stripped out remains of cars which are scattered about and slowly rusting into oblivion. So rubbish and recycling of waste are a major issue that the country is grappling with, and is having limited success in solving. Though a fancy new rubbish truck arrived from NZ a couple of weeks back and is now a regular on the rubbish collection run. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuKhaYPWHhjm7DlNNvFhUCiPkU1ylUhtD8764-YMZJj2whmbxWK5qwUILVAtr_6MfkFe4BFI4tt_UklzwHBpn78KivIf-dYh6mhfqVyySXvZElDVLeV47wVdMFin83X85oHx8s-wS8ae_/s1600/Garbage%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivuKhaYPWHhjm7DlNNvFhUCiPkU1ylUhtD8764-YMZJj2whmbxWK5qwUILVAtr_6MfkFe4BFI4tt_UklzwHBpn78KivIf-dYh6mhfqVyySXvZElDVLeV47wVdMFin83X85oHx8s-wS8ae_/s320/Garbage%25233.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many wrecks wasting away</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">A lot of litter ends up in the lagoon and on the beaches. For international volunteers day the various New Zealand, Australian, Japanese and German volunteers gathered with the local community at Taboraio to clean up the causeway at Taborio, both picking up rubbish and planting mangroves to protect the beaches. We picked up about 600kg of rubbish in two hours! But it was literally a drop in the bucket when it comes to the amount of crap that litters what must have once been the pristine beaches of South Tarawa. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">H is for Housing</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: Most people’s houses are extremely basic, four tin walls and a roof held down by concrete blocks being common. Traditional houses, kiakia are built to make the most of the sea breezes, well ventilated and the woven bandanas palm rooves keep them cool but modern homes, thrown together from whatever materials are at hand are the opposite. Is there a less suitable material for on a hot island surrounded by ocean than corrugated iron? The sun beats down on it and intensifies the heat and it rusts, damn quickly out here. Can’t think of anything less suited as a building materials but it seems to be the main one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWYu53GmoPzaBdATJ0QmuIyVC4seavFGzRx_iVHkYEYCHPyeh4ylNULrmlRjO_rGe3YU_-7lkNW9nsStlmbsOTmqQmXEbRWA88O2Mx3Ah_oBnhSVzl9OY66PCLYc36b6QLYhDvIPBr15_/s1600/Homes%25231b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvWYu53GmoPzaBdATJ0QmuIyVC4seavFGzRx_iVHkYEYCHPyeh4ylNULrmlRjO_rGe3YU_-7lkNW9nsStlmbsOTmqQmXEbRWA88O2Mx3Ah_oBnhSVzl9OY66PCLYc36b6QLYhDvIPBr15_/s320/Homes%25231b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A home near my place in Antenon- we don't get cyclones or strong winds here at the equator a good thing ereally when you look at the rooves!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The houses around me rely on wells for water, though any places also have rain collection tanks, electricity and toilets are also often lacking. So many people live in very rudimentary shelters. On of my neighbours for instance live in a concrete block house with no internal or external doors, no kitchen, no toilet, electricity or running water. People cook on fires outside, it really is a very basic way of life that many people live.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Housing on Betio- the most densely populated place in the Pacific- pop density more than London or Hong Kong! </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Lack of land to build on and increasing population pressure means that there will continue to be pressure put on the housing stock, especially in Betio wihcih is one o fhe most densely populated places on earth. Most people build their own shelters and there is talk about filling in part of the swamp near the airport to build new housing but that project is far from certain and if it in time does go ahead will require a lot of overseas investment to complete. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional kiakia on North Tarawa</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I-matung</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: Foreigners are known as i-Matung. We are treated with respect and courtesy where ever we go. Whether travelling though one of the remote villages in the outer islands or simply biking along the main road to get some groceries you are always greeting by smiling kids wanting a high five or simply to say “Mauri i-matung” (hello foreigner). There aren’t that many of us out here and we do get a lot of respect from the locals so it’s been a really nice experience to be acknowledged simply for walking down the road by the local kids. If you are having a bit of a rough day the kids soon get you in a better mood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Japanese Vols</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: There there are a about 10 Japanese volunteers working on South Tarawa, along with the ten or o of us kiwis an Aussies. The Japanese volunteers roles include a doctor, a table tennis coach, an engineer, a Japanese Language instructor at MTC where I work, a midwife and a waste management expert. The J-Vols usually sign on for two years at a time and like the rest of us are doing their bit to try and improve things at a local level in the various organisations and institutions that they work. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Japanese volunteers and local community at international volunteer day beach clean up. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The J-Vols are an important part of the volunteer community and I really admire their commitment and drive to help people out here. They tend to be on two year contracts and as is the way with Japaneses, for those of us who have had the privilege to live in that country, tend to be wrapped up in cotton wool a bit that makes life more challenging for them as some things that the rest of us take for granted are deemed to be </span><i style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">abunai</i><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"> (dangerous) and so are forbidden. Things they aren't allowed to do which would make life easier includes driving cars and riding bikes! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I do enjoy throwing words of my barely remembered Japanese into conversations with the Japanese volunteers and making my own form of pidgin Jap-lish. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">K is for Kiribati</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">. Small, isolated, miles from nowhere, the back of beyond, far side of the black stump. Call it what you want but like New Zealand Kiribati is adversely affected by the tyranny of distance and geographic isolation. Almost all foods stuffs and other goods are imported into South Tarawa. The islands that cling to the edge of Tarawa lagoon barely a forty of fifty metres across in many places and barely a mater above sea level yet life has thrived out here for centuries. The people are warm, friendly and have their own wonderful vibrant culture and outlook on life. Being out here isn’t like stepping back in time but it is a window in to a world that is rapidly changing as are the lifestyles of the inhabitants. Most of the young people have cellphones, the internet and mobile connectivity continues to improve, while there are more and more cars on the road (which for most of the islands of South Tarawa is a single road), not to mentioned stripped out rusting wrecks on the side of it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The people face some awful stats when it comes to life expectancy, infantry mortality rates, domestic violence etc. One recent survey had 50% of the population suffering form type 2 diabetes due in no small part to the local diet! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local i-Kiribati helping to plant Mangroves on volunteer day</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Even </span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">so there is a unique, vibrant and caring society at the heart of everything. The islands, as is true everywhere, are undergoing rapid change and face some unique hurdles but there is a positivity about life out here. The way of life is different to anywhere else ’experienced, maybe the way of living is simpler, the ebb and flow of the day is still very much influenced by the tides for many people, just as it has been for centuries. Life still very much seems to be attuned, especially on North Tarawa and the outer islands, to nature that we could all learn from that. People here live with nature rather than trying to bend it to their will as we in the west are wont to do. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to witness first hand a country at a bit of a crossroads. Will things improve for the people or will the challenges the country face overwhelm them? I’d like to think the former.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of our local surfing kids. </td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">L is for lagoon</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: Tarawa lagoon is about 500km2. It is big. The atolls and islets form a ribbon clinging to the circumference of this giant fish bowl. On the South Tarawa side it is polluted with extremely high e-coli readings so us i-Matung do not swim in it but the locals do use it for fishing, swimming, their daily wash and to go to the toilet. There have been some NZ medical personal doing a study on ear health out here and they found 90% of the kids they tested had hearing loss and hearing issues which were attributed to swimming/bathing in the lagoon so are procuring funding to put some aural health programmes in place across South Tarawa. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the end of the day families bath in the lagoon and kids enjoy swimming</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Part of the issue of water quality in South Tarawa is caused by the Nippon Causeway that links Betio and Bairiki. This causeway built in the late 80s spans what used to be a 3-4km wide gap between the two islands. So traditionally it was one of the major routes for the lagoon to flush itself clean each day. The bridge in the centre of the causeway is only a few metres wide so the water no longer flows out each day with the movement of the tides and so no longer flushes the lagoon of South Tarawa the way it used to. A bridge over the entire gap would have had ecologically less impact but now it is here the lagoon side of South Tarawa has become very, very polluted as the water no longer flows as freely as it once did and is no longer cleansed daily.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXMqJj7THSLOtSkofabNZvkcM3uZrNVPQLSDRtTM7WGRnc8OmtNpxep9raqsPyxBS4KmKGbpaH-2o3XM6FIaCL6QtdkYU2SpR41sZGsHaHZqcS5LQpmPnbHaRrnYSsEvLf3YHB0I4Rbl7/s1600/Lagoon%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXMqJj7THSLOtSkofabNZvkcM3uZrNVPQLSDRtTM7WGRnc8OmtNpxep9raqsPyxBS4KmKGbpaH-2o3XM6FIaCL6QtdkYU2SpR41sZGsHaHZqcS5LQpmPnbHaRrnYSsEvLf3YHB0I4Rbl7/s320/Lagoon%25231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Nippon causeway inhibits the natural flow of water, helping create the cesspool that is water quality on South Tarawa. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">North Tarawa is a complete contrast to south. The water is flows through the channels between the islets each day and so is clean and swimmable so is our preferred place to go swimming. It really is a different world up there, unspoilt sandy beaches, a true Pacific paradise. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Tarawa</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">M is for MTC & mum</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Marine Training Centre (MTC) here on Kiribati. MTC trains young men to become seafarers on German ship working around the world as well as to be fishing crew on Japanese and Korean fishing boats. In recent months one of the New Zealand fushing companies has been recruiting staff for on their vessels. Speaking to the New Zealand staff that came over to recruit they were very impressed with the applicants for the positions they were trying to fill and so hopefully this new partnership will prove to be a long and prosperous one for both parties. Finally, we train about fifty stewards and hospitality workers for on ships and to work in a couple of hotel resorts in Australia.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning muster- 7:50am every morning. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">MTCs flaghip prgrmme is the IDF (Interndepartmental Flexibility) programme. This </span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">programme is 18 months long and the trainees are on site pretty much 24/7 with only short breaks between the three stages of their training. I really do take my hat off to them for their commitment and perseverance. Its not an easy life they are training for, being at sea for about 10 months per year, but they are a important part of the local economy as each s</span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">eafarer’s remittances support about 10 people back here in Kiribati. In 2017 MTC celebrated its 50th anniversary and so has a long and proud history of providing training for young en, and women, out here. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New classrooms built with money from NZ</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"> </span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The training here is run along pseudo-military style lines and must be really hard to adjust to, especially for those who come from the outer islands. Issues caused by isolation from family and friends make it even harder for the trainees so as i said i have a lot of respect for them and their commitment. I don’t agree with all the methods used here and don’t think this style of training would work in New Zealand but the system works and does prepare them for life onboard ships.</span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking towards the parade ground</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">What did shock me was when I first started and was interviewing the potential students for one of the programmes at least 1/3 of those I interviewed had lost one or both parents. We are talking young people from 18-22 years average. Back home, you’d have half the kids parents divorced or separated and might have one or two who’d lost a parents, but not 1/3 or more out of 80 or 90 people i interviewed. That really hit home to me how hard life is, and how low the life expectancy is, for people out here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTFZ6FteuV4lD4Zsc26nOBJI7O5GougkxLBosp0YV7WhtCx2vmyiWZKSkBgtWXUybasn4rdgcYsHH81ko608suXb_TAjdUGZS7R2YMA-VcMtfBSKfVFd16Ry0Dx2Hl8u5FOlpIeRA3gnv/s1600/MTC%25234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTFZ6FteuV4lD4Zsc26nOBJI7O5GougkxLBosp0YV7WhtCx2vmyiWZKSkBgtWXUybasn4rdgcYsHH81ko608suXb_TAjdUGZS7R2YMA-VcMtfBSKfVFd16Ry0Dx2Hl8u5FOlpIeRA3gnv/s320/MTC%25234.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view towards the new classrooms </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at MTC, working with and getting to know the staff and students, and putting new systems and assessments in place for the English programmes. I really will miss working here, the staff and the students. One memory I will forever cherish is the voices of the students when they sing in class, the harmonies are amazing and their voices reverberate around the compound. You'd never get a NZ class of teenagers singing like they do, that's for sure! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">It has been a real privilege to have had the opportunity to work here as a volunteer for a year and I will miss it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Mum</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">- I guess when I came out here I was expecting a lot of challenges and pushing myself outside my comfort zone but what I wasn’t expecting, even though her health hadn’t been good for the past few years, was losing my mother. It was a real blow to all the family but being out here, isolated and far away and not even being able to talk to them whilst they were all able to get to see mum in hospital and say their goodbyes in person, was probably the hardest part of the whole experience this year for me. I received a text message from my wife to tell me my mother had just passed away as I was unable to contact them directly via phone. That was hard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I know I struggled out here for the next couple of months as I dealt with the grief but am grateful for the way in which VSA and MTC both helped out and made getting home so easy. It was probably the defining experience of my time here in many ways. </span></div>
Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-60612878582030875072018-12-08T12:31:00.000-08:002018-12-08T12:31:08.777-08:00International Volunteer Day Dec 5th<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday December 5th was international volunteers day. All
the volunteers on Kiribati- German, Japanese, Australian and New Zealand had
the day off work to celebrate being international volunteers by... volunteering
for the day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It had been arranged by Linda the local lady who looks after
the Australian volunteers, and until Trevor arrived from NZ to become the
Programme manager for VSA here in Kiribati, us kiwis too. We joined with the
local community to do a beach clean up on the causeway at Taborio and also planted
a few hundred mangrove shoots which when they grow should help to protect the
islets from the sea. You dig a hole in the coral sand, not always an easy task,
and plant three shoots in each hole, the theory being that at least one
shouldn't be washed away. There are examples of such planting along different
sections of the foreshore up and down the atoll and hopefully over time they
will grow and help protect the islands. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It was an early start (7am) due to wanting to do it at low
tide and in a couple of hours we collected over 600kgs of rubbish and once
finished Linda's community put on a breakfast for us. The rest of the days was
our own and then in the evening there was an official function at the
Australian High Commission where we were all presented with certificates for
our efforts out here in Kiribati this year. It was a really enjoyable day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gJ3pGxSghSgkB2ru58IRMejTMWIYZ4t5W8-vTtWGOQuOynJyJ4r04IF0qCeIFhX6_wW_-c5gG8aD7h5ZTwhItOHDAfO3wzeQZ4PjuIIkqOBIklfeDDHvBirRpumZu7tNM8RsyoZMVmfD/s1600/Volunteers%25231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-gJ3pGxSghSgkB2ru58IRMejTMWIYZ4t5W8-vTtWGOQuOynJyJ4r04IF0qCeIFhX6_wW_-c5gG8aD7h5ZTwhItOHDAfO3wzeQZ4PjuIIkqOBIklfeDDHvBirRpumZu7tNM8RsyoZMVmfD/s320/Volunteers%25231.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiwi vols planting mangrove shoots</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlCJGUSmpf7ULpqUAlFPAZnAs7L7e5vmThscgrU5N9pGn8_A-4Rvz-zLhyphenhyphenb11EX5YZfoZ904JjA8evJ1gdXinCHUzmdDB-3BiL1C9M1bRLRL8gTqX37YXJmu8mxY9sL1zPi8MuYKSYA3H/s1600/Volunteers%25232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlCJGUSmpf7ULpqUAlFPAZnAs7L7e5vmThscgrU5N9pGn8_A-4Rvz-zLhyphenhyphenb11EX5YZfoZ904JjA8evJ1gdXinCHUzmdDB-3BiL1C9M1bRLRL8gTqX37YXJmu8mxY9sL1zPi8MuYKSYA3H/s320/Volunteers%25232.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the locals too</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRax5cuEtpjTh8OEdKmbbk3GzPgAKYTaw-JneZGlbl4N8H1XVaPz3jUP8H0IReTolNYCr5veitC9kpwJNGhcrPMRxdhqKri17kYEARZH2Vk6F7AHWat9Ga8gPrkjUx3Q6r0lkwbyiCRyac/s1600/Volunteers%25233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRax5cuEtpjTh8OEdKmbbk3GzPgAKYTaw-JneZGlbl4N8H1XVaPz3jUP8H0IReTolNYCr5veitC9kpwJNGhcrPMRxdhqKri17kYEARZH2Vk6F7AHWat9Ga8gPrkjUx3Q6r0lkwbyiCRyac/s320/Volunteers%25233.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had great support form the local community</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhY79x5uNKK_99ew0GWVaFqlDkI7rSVNSgp9mZacz77IT9ea9j_C0NRGmqGatw4no-CYfe_Yvc3dU_5K5KMh4FgK-XI1Oe3dnfa65LCFoROFXLLQafgE2oBg0asTbJokmptUEO3i9nHzO/s1600/Volunteers%25234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEhY79x5uNKK_99ew0GWVaFqlDkI7rSVNSgp9mZacz77IT9ea9j_C0NRGmqGatw4no-CYfe_Yvc3dU_5K5KMh4FgK-XI1Oe3dnfa65LCFoROFXLLQafgE2oBg0asTbJokmptUEO3i9nHzO/s320/Volunteers%25234.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hopefully over the next few years the mangroves will grow. One of the ubiquitous Kiribati dogs checking out our handiwork. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw1-lMl1EY82HblfJFnXY9kIXdVCxkI9ZAGAgd4o4nZDVO9H8aNzqtsb6eIOhsQToaMycGeT_uVQBFSspCEF8u88Pl5JKprD-wi3lQeoAIelZraTfgR4_7C67Pqpsp4elN5U71YgnEw4I/s1600/Volunteers%25235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivw1-lMl1EY82HblfJFnXY9kIXdVCxkI9ZAGAgd4o4nZDVO9H8aNzqtsb6eIOhsQToaMycGeT_uVQBFSspCEF8u88Pl5JKprD-wi3lQeoAIelZraTfgR4_7C67Pqpsp4elN5U71YgnEw4I/s320/Volunteers%25235.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the rubbish we collected</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPNC3MiaEznYEkvCfcfQz6pcj_I5_8cf1HlcFcGx1DLZ7S8SN68q3_YTsFszZZiz8QJ2NSoRjug1gOWEpurOM2yuw-JnwyHcRcIjla_tc8LY5XcwOp9Rc256vRckCWUi8dQVh56TpGy1S/s1600/Volunteers%25236a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYPNC3MiaEznYEkvCfcfQz6pcj_I5_8cf1HlcFcGx1DLZ7S8SN68q3_YTsFszZZiz8QJ2NSoRjug1gOWEpurOM2yuw-JnwyHcRcIjla_tc8LY5XcwOp9Rc256vRckCWUi8dQVh56TpGy1S/s320/Volunteers%25236a.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local kids helping out collecting rubbish. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74Usx0wwNFheYnrNNrqeG0pu_PdwObH483DN77vcBwMGEBs61s0eQEINcpQfW-gDDd16LNTp7io8NiFZUu-mkbBQCfrVXR8rJSrOkAKjeiC96SCvoB-uTDnYvXkb9WwvCN41yvJ2VqEkW/s1600/Volunteers%25237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74Usx0wwNFheYnrNNrqeG0pu_PdwObH483DN77vcBwMGEBs61s0eQEINcpQfW-gDDd16LNTp7io8NiFZUu-mkbBQCfrVXR8rJSrOkAKjeiC96SCvoB-uTDnYvXkb9WwvCN41yvJ2VqEkW/s320/Volunteers%25237.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The international and local volunteers</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjSisjI04m1gSzDIvKd3yDdnbwyb-P2YJND2fKDLvF1pnPa5bHcR8D4EOqlmRBAcq3m-1eyZ5rt5GcEujL4_nvc8BILGcVbr3vf1nMYoGJa4_SBb_Tr-TH8iUw8AQ7PPl66NiIwSaGMax/s1600/Volunteers%25238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjSisjI04m1gSzDIvKd3yDdnbwyb-P2YJND2fKDLvF1pnPa5bHcR8D4EOqlmRBAcq3m-1eyZ5rt5GcEujL4_nvc8BILGcVbr3vf1nMYoGJa4_SBb_Tr-TH8iUw8AQ7PPl66NiIwSaGMax/s320/Volunteers%25238.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Japanese vols and friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Craig<br />
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-4033986456066434072018-11-27T10:49:00.000-08:002018-11-27T10:49:03.144-08:00Reflections A-F<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A few reflections on my experiences out here in Kiribati. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgERER9UCFnn79seQnPbtlpjQHaswx1EJOd-Si1iulfrWq9MMw3-iQuB574zPRtkWUf4Tb55NizkZrWXpUy6N7z2ASJZvz4EXZNcGXJwpHVsZiEnnXa-NCSJ2mYLd_XGhgKr9OaQt_Ldr8/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgERER9UCFnn79seQnPbtlpjQHaswx1EJOd-Si1iulfrWq9MMw3-iQuB574zPRtkWUf4Tb55NizkZrWXpUy6N7z2ASJZvz4EXZNcGXJwpHVsZiEnnXa-NCSJ2mYLd_XGhgKr9OaQt_Ldr8/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">A is for aid</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: International aid and development
assistance plays an important part of the economy out here, as it does in many
Pacific Island countries. As with all such help there are good and not so good
examples of its effectiveness. Aid can be a bit of a double edged sword in that
if isn’t done to build capacity (good old development double speak eh) and in
appropriate ways that meets the needs and requests of the locals, and yes are
even driven by them by their wants and needs, then it runs the risk of being
ineffectual at best or even a total waste of time, money and resources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">There are lots of
NGOs, organisations, companies and individuals doing great work out here to try
and assist the i-Kiribati people to be able to improve their standard of living
and quality of life but such assistance needs to be done appropriately and with
the support of the people, walking with them to build their skills not in front
of them telling them what needs to be done. Aid and development support needs
to be done in a manner that longer term will be sustainable and can be managed
by the people, this is the same throughout the world and is one of the reason I
chose to volunteer for VSA, their philosophy is meaningful partnerships at the
individual and local level. I haven’t changed the world out here but I have helped
to develop skills in the English language staff that will make them more
effective teachers and this should long term impact on the students too so
maybe I’ve put a small tick in the positive outcomes box. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Bananas & Breadfruit</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: Not much in the way of fruit available
out here but bananas seem to be the main fruit grown locally and readily
available. Breadfruit is another staple of the diet and I’ve become a bit of a
fan of breadfruit chips! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Christianity & climate change</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: The Christian churches have, as is true
in most nations of the Pacific, a very strong influence on daily life out here.
The Mormon church schools are the wealthiest looking and best maintained schools on
the islands.
To tell the truth it saddens me to see how much influence churches have. The anthropologist
in me can’t help but wonder at the richness and diversity of the pre-colonialisation
religious belief systems and practices that were usurped by the belief systems imposed
by the missionaries and colonisers. I do wonder at the destruction wrought by missionaries on belief systems
throughout the Pacific and can’t help but feel pang of regret that it has
happened.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Climate change</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: If people have heard of Kiribati at all
it is usually due to the threat imposed by projected sea level rise and climate
change. With about 1m of freeboard above the high tide mark for most of the islands Kiribati doesn’t
have much in the way of elevation to deal with any potential sea level rise. Are
the islands sinking beneath the waves? I don’t know but the truth of the matter
is that they are like an overloaded rowboat with very little in the way of
leeway on the running board. With 1-2 meters above the hightide mark with there
is fuck all to play with. King tides and strong winds do swamp the islands and
affect the fresh water supplies of the people. The new president’s philosophy
is “that we aren’t the Titanic and we aren’t sinking” even though the evidence
from around the world seems to contradict this.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49WsPA25_ITEBYzbobXl-_icHhic7p-qZ-lmfKZbbQJCum7IGvDMYOeWauClA4-b58XYED3tl_qLmWM56tWNxm5tksr-3ez4lcyAxIVeCynGZMCLdOLzlAsq6F_LZGESPxFNg2uTakP64/s1600/2018+11+25%25231-Eita.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49WsPA25_ITEBYzbobXl-_icHhic7p-qZ-lmfKZbbQJCum7IGvDMYOeWauClA4-b58XYED3tl_qLmWM56tWNxm5tksr-3ez4lcyAxIVeCynGZMCLdOLzlAsq6F_LZGESPxFNg2uTakP64/s320/2018+11+25%25231-Eita.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">As far as I’m
concerned Kiribati is one of the canaries in the mine on this issue and it can
do little itself to protect its coastline and atolls from the ravages of the
seas. However, although it is a serious problem and one which will continue to
impact directly on the people of these atolls it is an issue that they can do
little directly themselves to solve this, apart from raising awareness, and halt
the influence of sea level rise brought about by climate change on their homes.</span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">What is needed is international
cooperation and focus if we are to curb sea level rise so it really is out of
their hands. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Although the impacts of climate change are serious and
potentially disastrous, it is not in my opinion the most pressing issue facing
the islands. I see overpopulation and continuing rapid
population growth as the most pressing problem and this is one area that the
country could have a dramatic impact on its fortunes if it took this matter
seriously..but more on that under P.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">D is for dogs</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">! Dogs, bloody dogs! The bane of my existence
out here. Dogs are everywhere, roaming singly or in packs. Children keep them
at bay with well placed rocks but the islands appear to be being slowly but
surely overrun. Will I miss dogfights in the neighbouring area at 10pm, 11pm,
12 pm or in the early hours of the mornings? Hell no! While I was here
Australian vets came out a couple of times to spay the dogs and treat their
injuries but the reality is the number of dogs needs some serious curbing! I can’t
see it changing any time soon but it pays to be on your toes when biking as it’s
not a matter if but when the buggers will have a go! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">E is for experience</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">! What a truly humbling experience and
privilege it has been to live out here. This has really been an incredible
opportunity for me, a chance to see, to live within, and enjoy a very different
culture and society to my own. The contrasts between life in New Zealand, and
life for people out here couldn’t be more stark. Running water, electricity, an
indoor toilet and other trappings of every day life back home we take for
granted. We expect our water to run, to be drinkable and to have electricity on
all the time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Our infrastructure and services we take for granted; they just work and can cope with the demands of the population- well maybe if you exclude Auckland due to the current immigration levels putting pressure on infrastructure there. Out here those things
are not a given. We are incredibly fortunate to be living in a country with reasonable health care and support infrastructure in our towns and
cities. You get sick out here and the hospital services are rudimentary at
best. I really don’t think we appreciate how well our towns, cities and services
function till you get to compare them to a place like Kiribati at the other end
of scale in terms of accessibility to basic services. Life back home really
isn’t that bad!Indeed, as</span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"> the late great
John Clarke, aka Fred Dagg, once sang “</span><i style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">we
don’t know how lucky we are</i><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">So the experience
for me has not really been an eye opener, I already knew life would be
challenging in some ways out here, but it has enriched me and reinforced my own
views on how much we in the west/north/developed world- call it what you want- <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>take for granted and how far away our
lifestyle is from the reality of many people in other places around the world.
The reality is also that our consumption driven excess is unsustainable and
they we must <u><b>all </b></u>change our lifestyles if we are to save this planet longer
term. Will we? I very much doubt it but the reality is we are all living on a
fragile planet in the middle of the solar system and it can only take so much
abuse. In some ways Kiribati is the world in microcosm, a tiny example of the
bigger issues facing the planet and if we can’t fix things here then what
hope is there for the rest of us?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">F is for fresh Fruit & Fishing! </span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">I’m going to the Pacific, it’s going to be
a paradise- mango, papaya, bananas, coconut, all the tropical fruits under the
sun… only the reality is not exactly like that. Small, sweet, locally grown bananas
are available in the local stalls on the side of the road, usually flown in from Butaritari. Coconuts are plentiful and drop each day for the trees around my home, with a
bloody large crash usually. A word to the wise don’t park your car beneath a
coconut, or breadfruit, tree. The damage to windscreens can be major and they
are usually too expensive to fix so cars drive round with cracked or broken
windscreens instead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Papaya is
sometimes to be found in the markets but are usually not cheap- but oh are they good if you've been lacking in fresh fruit fr a week or three. The most plentiful fruit
found in the shops has been… New Zealand apple an pears. Yep, I flew half way
around the world to eat NZ grown temperate clime fruit! The reality though is
its not too badly priced (maybe $1.20-1.60) for an apple and usually quite fresh.
Julie was blown away when she found her favourite (Ambrosia?) apples stocked in
a small shop at the motel we stayed at in North Tarawa- couldn’t get much
further into the middle of nowhere from NZ than there!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The amount of
fruit and vegetables available at the supermarkets when I was back home
blew me away- again it’s a matter of not knowing how lucky you are. The
I-Kiribati people are quite short of stature and some of this is no doubt
genetic but speaking with local expats in the health sector came to learn that
often it is due to stunting caused by poor nutrition and lack of fresh fruit
and veggies when small. A sad but true fact of life out here. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Fishing</span></b><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">: Ah, the Betio Fishing Club with their monthly big game fish
competition. Where else have I been that I can jump on</span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"> </span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">boat and get a days worth of excellent game fishing
in for absolutely nothing! Only did it a couple of times but thoroughly enjoyed
both experiences. First time fishing of a sail powered catamaran quietly trawling
around the top end of North Tarawa while under sail and then on the NZ high
Commission boat and going around Abaiang. Two great days. Kiribati is big game fisherperson’s
(wow does that sound weird…fisher’s…fishies’) paradise- spread the word! The Betio Fishing club are a g</span><span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">reat community that loves their fishing and
have a very impressive list of prize fish caught. Great fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";"><o:p>Craig</o:p></span></div>
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-48194043188830716182018-11-13T21:11:00.002-08:002018-11-13T21:11:37.106-08:00Butaritari weekendLast weekend I headed up to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Butaritari with the other kiwi volunteers- Cath, John & Frances. Unfortunately
Roi, our Univol (university volunteer) had been flown to Fiji to see a
specialist due to some health conditions that weren't responding to treatment and though was hoping to be back in time had not returned so missed out on the trip.<br />
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Butaritari is another atoll, much like Tarawa and lies about ½
an hour flying time north of here. There are three flights a week: Sun, Tues,
Friday so we booked the 9am Friday flight.<span style="text-align: center;"> The
flight was uneventful but the landing a little bumpy Only when we got off the
plane onto the coral airstrip did I realise why. We collected
our stuff from the plane- which was left by the plane’s cargo door for us. At the side of the runway
was a decrepit old building that served as the domestic terminal and it was here
that most locals waited for their relatives to get their gear, out of the heat
of the sun. While at the far end of the runway was a goalpost and soccer field,
the posts being made from local coconut. An interesting location for a soccer
pitch I thought! Once we'd got our gear then we headed to our accommodation on the back of a local truck. </span></div>
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Butaritari was immediately different to Tarawa, a lot fewer
people (pop of the entire atoll may be 4-5, 000 tops), lots of vegetation and
trees growing along the side of the main track that an the length of the islet.
Many people’s huts had hedges out in front of them and there was a lot more land
between ach, and a hell of a lot fewer dogs!. It is a lot wetter that Tarawa
and bananas, pumpkin and other foods are grown there are sent down to Tarawa to
be sold in the local markets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">There is no tourism to speak of in Butaritari so we arranged to say in some kia-kia (traditional huts) at one of the catholic churches. </span></div>
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We had a pretty low key weekend, ate lots of bananas and
were fed by the local church community. John and I explored the northern end of
the island by bike, we did lots of swimming and walking and really just used it
as an opportunity to think and recharge. Friday afternoon we went for a swim
down on the oceanside and were soon joined by half a dozen of the local kids, togs
not needed by the boys, who went commando. The kids ran over the coral
outcroppings and splashed about and practiced their English skills with us
while we struggled not to fall over getting out of the shore break and over the
slippery, sharp coral rocks<o:p></o:p></div>
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Butaritari is the kind of place where every day feels like
Sunday afternoon. The world beyond the atoll? Hard to imagine it exists and being
tied to the 9-5 workday or needing to be any where at a certain time were completely
alien concepts. Life seemed to go at the pace it probably has for the past few
centuries. Sure there were a few signs of modern life, engines for boats, a couple
of trucks on the island, a few motorbikes, quite a few bikes but no cars! It
was kind of like getting a peek at the world as it used to be and how we
organised our societies in the days BEFORE the industrial revolution. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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It was the kind of place you’d either fall in love with or
would drive you mad. There wasn’t a hell of a to to do, fish I guess if you
were local. You’d either love living a very simple way of life or want to get
out of there as quickly as possible. Everyday seems to be very similar to the
one before and it is the kind of place you could wake up one day and realise that
20 years have gone by! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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By the end the weekend I was ready to leave actually, much
to my surprise. Even I would want a wee bit more going on but if your life revolved
around church and community I can see how the locals enjoyed their lifestyle, just
not for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Like Tarawa, Butaritari was the scene of a major battle which
occurred almost exactly 75 years ago (Nov 20<sup>th</sup> is the 75<sup>th</sup>
anniversary). At the same time as US Marines landed on Tarawa US infantry of
the 27<sup>th</sup> infantry division landed on Makin atoll (Butaritari). The
Japanese had been using the island as a seaplane base and had fortified it
after it had been attacked the year before. Most of the garrison of 300 troops
and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>600 noncombatants (including 500
Korean labourers). The Japanese did not fight on the beaches as they were doing
at Tarawa but further inland and sniped the Americans. It took three days for
the Americans to clear the island of the enemy, and in the battle US had 66
soldiers killed and 152 wounded. The Japanese garrison had 550 men killed and
105 prisoners of war, all but one of whom all but one were labour troops. Who would
have wanted to have been a press ganged Korean labourer on either Tarawa or Butaritari,
their survival rates were pretty abysmal- talk <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about innocent victims! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Unlike Tarawa there were few obvious signs of the battle,
the vegetation has regrown and the tank traps etc filled in. There are not concrete
pillboxes everywhere as there are here at Tarawa. We did find the remains of
one, apparently Japanese plane, which had been bought to shore after slowly rusting
in the lagoon for a number of decades but only the wings remained, and were
told of several other planes further out in the lagoon but as it was raining on
Saturday I wasn’t that keen to try to locate them. John did find, after getting
some directions from a local, a small fading memorial to the battle and those that
fell there. I doubt there will be a service for the fallen to commemorate the
battle and the land’s visible scars of the occupation have faded. One interesting
story we did learn, the accuracy of which I cannot verify, is that the Japanese
had press ganged most of the local Gilbertese (as they were known then) male
population to create a new wharf and that they had planned to execute the men
once the task was completed so that they could have the womenfolk but thankfully
the Americans arrived before the wharf had been finished. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We were due to fly back to Tarawa on Sunday morning at 10am.
John and the local priest went down to find the travel agent t confirm on
Saturday evening and found him in a local kava bar. Our check in time had been
delayed to 1:30pm and he was waiting to hear confirmation of the time on the
local radio- our here radio is used for public information just as it was back
home in the fifties and sixties. It is the most reliable form of communication
and lots of public messages are broadcast each day- just like the BBC did to
the French Resistance during WWII! Yep, life certainly works in different decades
in some ways out here and that is pretty damn cool! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, there was a bit of confusion but in the end on Sunday
morning we had it confirmed that we were to be at the airport at 1:30pm. We were
on time and drove into the domestic terminal/falling down shed on the back of
the truck (I’d never been driven INTO a terminal building before) and waited…
As with everything out here, no point getting wound up, it is what it is, and
it wasn’t until 4:30 that the plane to take us back to Tarawa finally arrived. Much
to our relief as we were starting to think we’ might have to spend another
night. It gets dark in Kiribati about 6:15pm every night and we weren’t sure if
Bonriki airport allows night flights, so it was with a slight sense of relief that
we finally lifted of and headed back home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a nice weekend, a chance to spend some time on an
island that few tourists have ever been to, have some fresh fruit and just
chill out. Even though the weather was crap on Saturday (only time I’ve ever
wished I had a lightweight sweatshirt since I’ve been here) we did get out biking,
walking, swimming and just enjoyed the place. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Craig</div>
Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-12183325329348250872018-11-02T00:09:00.000-07:002018-11-02T00:09:24.416-07:00Betio Fishing Competition<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">The Betio Fishing club hold a monthly fishing competition that has been running since 1979. Five or six boats head out early in the morning, fish all day and must be back for the official weigh in at 5pm at the Betio Lodge on Betio.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">This month I was invited to join the New Zealand boat along with our new VSA Kiribati and Tuvalu programme manager, Trevor. Trevor and I go back a few years. We first worked together at Aoraki polytech in Timaru in 2011 and though he moved onto Corrections and a couple of years ago up to Auckland we played each other at football regularly over the years in the local Timaru competition. So I was pleasantly surprised to see he had become our new programme manager- small world eh. Trevor arrived a couple of weeks back, while I was home on holiday, and is settling in to life out here in the middle of the Pacific.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">It was an early start on Saturday morning (3am alarm). I biked down to the NZ High Comm arriving at just before 4am and after having been chased by four packs of dogs! Being early in the morning they were a bit vigilant and aggressive. The others were already rhere and starting to get the boat ready- Nigel, the Deputy High Commissioner, Trevor and Charlie the boat driver (and our fishing guru).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">We quickly loaded up and took the boat down to the dock and were on the water before five am and soon heading north towards Abaiang. The weather was overcast for most of the day and a few squalls rolled past us heading for Tarawa early in the morning but we managed to mis most of them and the y cleared as the morning progressed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">We arrived off the coast of Abaiang just before sunrise and soon had our lines out and the fun began. Over the day we trawled the western coast of Abaiang, up and down past the small islands of the outer lagoon. We caught about eleven fish all up including a few sizable ones. We had one lure that caught 9 of the fish and so well and truly earned its keep and soon became our good luck token.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">We took turns at bringing in the fish. I managed to catch the biggest fish I’ve ever caught, a 50lb dogtooth tuna as well as a very nice (23lb) wahoo and a 13lb Giant Trevally. Trying to bring the tun in was a bit of a mission. We also caught a barracuda as well as a couple of blue trevally and coral trout. Our story of the one that got away, there has to be one doesn’t there?, was a strike by a marlin which lept out of the water after taking the bait but then dove and disappeared. It would have been awesome to see a marlin landed! Oh well, maybe next time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">About 1:30 pm we headed home and got back to Bairiki about 3pm in time to unload the catch, clean the boat and store everything away before heading down to the lodge for the official weigh in. We ended up having a pretty good catch. The 50lb tuna I caught was just shy of the record for the year (a 56lb one caught by Aaron, a former VSA volunteer, caught earlier in the year). Our biggest wahoo and the giant trevally all earned us competition points- you get a point for the biggest fish over a certain weight per species and bonus points if you land 5 or more different species. We ended up coming second and stayed head of our ANZAC rivals at the Aussie High Comm (who’ve won for the past 3-4 years) to hold onto second overall place for the year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">It was a great day out on the water with some great company and we managed to catch some very nice fish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This years record fish.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Crew from the various boats at the official Weigh in at Betio Lodge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Not a bad day out all round really.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "comic sans ms";">Craig<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-36753076182504966672018-10-25T16:35:00.000-07:002018-10-25T16:35:29.310-07:00Back to Kiribati<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">It’s been a busy
past few weeks. First of all Julie and Finn came out to Kiribati for a ten day
holiday. We popped over to North Tarawa for a couple of days and they got to
experience life on a small, remote island in the middle of the Pacific. I think
they found the heat and mossies a bit of a challenge but otherwise coped fine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">On the way back to
NZ we went to Fiji for a few days and stayed in a lovely Air B&B, an old
workers cottage that had been beautifully restored and turned into a holiday
let. I was blown away by the amount of fresh fruit and vegies available in the
Lautoka markets. We avoided the touristy
areas most of the time as we wanted more of
a “real” experience. It was a great break and a chance to explore part of a country none us
had spent any time in before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">After Fiji we
headed home and I spent the bulk of my days doing repairs and maintenance on
some of our rentals, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also spent time catching up
with friends and family and snuck in a weekends worth of football playing at
the Masters games. My team didn’t do very well but it was an enjoyable weekend
nevertheless. Still before I knew it the holiday was over and it was time to
head back to Kiribati. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">I headed back to
Tarawa on Sunday arriving on Monday after a night in Fiji feeling refreshed and
reinvigorated. As soon as I stepped off the plane was glad to be back. I was
feeling a bit ambivalent about returning before getting on the plane, I guess I
miss my life and routine back home. Still I’ve only abut ten weeks to go so am
looking forward to making the most of my last few weeks here in this remote
part of the Pacific. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHuerqBqyIk6QIcv14i0QtTBYfubHOIg5Le3myw9fAcz8AX7Euuy57Lk5UhAK8o_Wr9ZnP8SWOxbiPLnE1ajPgo4YFqyTvEKKsZlNrLJJzUw1iyklfmngLs0owRydkuogceLsvxWLdyqW/s1600/2018+10+24-Sunset%25235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHuerqBqyIk6QIcv14i0QtTBYfubHOIg5Le3myw9fAcz8AX7Euuy57Lk5UhAK8o_Wr9ZnP8SWOxbiPLnE1ajPgo4YFqyTvEKKsZlNrLJJzUw1iyklfmngLs0owRydkuogceLsvxWLdyqW/s320/2018+10+24-Sunset%25235.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-33799744755187903542018-09-19T16:04:00.001-07:002018-09-19T16:04:05.228-07:00A brief update<br />
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Another couple of weeks down. Not much to report really.
I’ve been biking to work most days but alas the coral dust, mud etc is
destroying the gears on my bike so think I will cut back to a couple of days
per week. The coral dust is like course sand paper and combined with the sea salt off
the lagoon and reef destroys moving parts of bikes. Not a good combination!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My neighbour John and I have continued to go out surfing with the local kids when the tide is right. We took the boys out surfing after work a couple of days
last week but towards the end of the week the tides were still too low by the
time it was getting dark so arranged for them to go out first thing Saturday at
high tide. The boys were impatiently banging on the rusty corrugated fence by the
lagoon about 8 am to get John up as they wanted to surf! I’m too far from the
beach to hear them, ha! It was a bit windy and messy but we got the boards out
and the kids were out for a good 2 ½ hours before the tide dropped too much. This weekend head the tides should be right again so as long as its not too windy we should get out for a surf. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve been spinning my wheels a bit over the past couple of
weekends as I count down to Julie and Finn arriving in Kiribati. They’re coming
over for ten days arriving on Monday then we are heading back to NZ via Fiji
for a couple more weeks- coinciding with the South Island Masters games so I can join my team for a weekend of footy. I’m looking forward to seeing them both and Finn is
getting excited about getting here and I’m sure will enjoy the experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Then from there is its the final run home till I finish, time just seem to be flying by. I've got myself settled into a pretty relaxed routine. I break up my week by going with John and Frances to Koakoa, the restaurant just over the road from home, on Wednesdays. It is a great location and is a nice spot to sit, have a beer and watch the sunset over the lagoon. </div>
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Saturday's I clean my place, make myself some scones, wait for the tide to be right for a surf, maybe go for a bike-ride to Bairiki to get some groceries. On Saturday nights I usually go with John and Frances to another of the other nearby restaurants, Utererei (pronounced ew-sa ray-ray) or the newly reopened Chineese- yes that was how it was spelt but they have recently dropped the second e, making it now appear to be called Chin ese. so popping out for dinner on Wednesay and Saturday nights are my two weekly treats for myself. Sunday is my favourite day out here. Most people go to church so the road is usually deserted and is a much quieter day then during the week, its a nice relaxing do bugger all day. </div>
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As I mentioned, I've been keeping a pretty low profile out here. On a few occasions I've planned to meet up with the other i-matung at some of the various events on the monthly social calendar but when push comes to shove I usually just really can't be bothered and more often than not end up flagging it and chilling at home instead. Interacting with other i-matung and taking part in whatever events are on in the community is an important part of staying sane for many of the expats out here but for me I really can't be bothered getting too involved in the events. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hermit and enjoy a chat when I do meet up with other expats but the thought of spending a few hours at the Aussie High Comm Sandbar or the Betio lodge having a few beers after the local fishing comp weigh-in or for their monthly quiz night simply doesn't appeal. I came out here to chill, relax, get away from it all, do a bit of surfing.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHskfHuj8ygGaVyFJo-6R0qmxDjIUiiTb7re3AVkzLyZW2rIDNqnHOKcaFIKS8f9Yf_KNJOOb55-dnvk9l510VUefIesi2Evs5dirVcwZMHYToJni9Xny2VHw61V7F6cEJ_BdJ4JXYgQ5G/s1600/Sunset+Koakoa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1086" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHskfHuj8ygGaVyFJo-6R0qmxDjIUiiTb7re3AVkzLyZW2rIDNqnHOKcaFIKS8f9Yf_KNJOOb55-dnvk9l510VUefIesi2Evs5dirVcwZMHYToJni9Xny2VHw61V7F6cEJ_BdJ4JXYgQ5G/s320/Sunset+Koakoa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Koakoa last night</td></tr>
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I've found that I don't really need to get out and spend a lot of time with the other expats as part of my week, it's not why I came here for. If I wanted to hang out with people in a local bar then I could have stayed in NZ and done it there. For me coming to Kiribati was a chance to get away, spend some time by myself to think and reflect on my life to this point and and maybe decide what I want to do next. Volunteering for VSA has been a chance to step out of my regular life and comfort zone to do something totally random and different for a year or so. So for me being a big part of the i-matung community doesn't feature very highly on why I'm out here though it is a very important social/ support network for many of the expats out here.</div>
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I'm not criticising those of the expat community that do get involved in the various events out here. It is an important part of people's coping mechanisms and the various events on the monthly calendar make life out here tolerable for many but we each came out here for different purposes, for our own reasons. We all need to do what we need to do to stay sane and maintain a sense of normality. There isn't a great deal to do and you need to make you own entertainment but we all have different strategies for coping with daily life but for me I've come to the realisation that i don't want to be too involved with the expat events and am happy doing my own thing. </div>
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Other news in the past week or so is that my daughter Hana started her 3 month overseas volunteering experience. She and her boyfriends are going to be doing a range of different projects in South
East Asia before going to university next year and is currently helping teach
English in a small school somewhere in the highlands of Cambodia. It should be a good experience
for her and maybe a bit of an insight into some of the potential pitfalls and challenges
of volunteering and voluntourism around the world. It will an incredible experience which I’m
sure she will love and will give her a better insight into how the world works and some of the challenges faced by people in different communities around the world , and so will be invaluable for her as she heads off to uni next year. </div>
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Craig</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-26471012623148855172018-09-01T18:55:00.000-07:002018-09-01T18:55:33.022-07:00Surfing with local kids<br />
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One of the things I came out here to do while in the middle
of the Pacific is surf. I bought a couple of boards over with me and get out on
the reef outside my home when the conditions are right- which is not that
often. There is a prevailing easterly wind that usually chops up the surf
making it pretty messy and not very good, even early in the mornings. Also, we
can only get out about an hour and a half or so either side of high tide or
there isn’t enough water on the reef. But once in a while you get great
conditions and a nice little 2 foot wave. It can close out pretty quickly, be a bit dumpy out the back and and there is occasionally a larger wave comes through
to keep you on your toes but it’s good fun.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufgKOjGK9pGmkN_HkMwcfnavqSKsz_9h9ArkATJ45XE6-Y021ok61L_CrUsOcWKn8WVJMNY96GJkRK0DY31bhs6RaH_U-5o1S2zN2zsqtecD1IEs3VzVaD_Lu7tZ-UW5etCZFavmZVnf3/s1600/2018+08+Surfing-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="941" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufgKOjGK9pGmkN_HkMwcfnavqSKsz_9h9ArkATJ45XE6-Y021ok61L_CrUsOcWKn8WVJMNY96GJkRK0DY31bhs6RaH_U-5o1S2zN2zsqtecD1IEs3VzVaD_Lu7tZ-UW5etCZFavmZVnf3/s320/2018+08+Surfing-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The best spot near us is the causeway between Bairiki and Betio
where the channel they blasted in the reef to allow local boats though has made
a nice little right hander. But you need a car to get there from where I live
so it is usually easier to simply head out off the reef outside my place. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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From Betio where I work to my home in Antenon the atolls
loop around the edge of the lagoon in a large semi circle and must go though at
least 120-150 degrees during that 10-12km stretch. As a result the wind and
surf conditions change quite a bit from one atoll to the next as you make your way down the atolls. There can be a
great little wave at the causeway but nothing further round, or more often than
not the causeway is flat while the wind has pushed up a bit of swell nearer to
my home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anyway, last weekend the conditions were pretty
much the best we’ve had since I’ve been here on the reef outside my home. A
spring tide and no wind meant that the sea was
pretty glassy with a nice little swell further out on the reef which looked very
inviting so my neighbour John, another VSA volunteer, and I headed out. <o:p></o:p></div>
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John works as a
land surveyor, training up local surveyors and this is his second stint in
Kiribati. He came out here in 2016 and bought some soft top boards with him and
taught some of the local kids to surf. The kids have spotted him round Antenon
(the village where we live) and had been asking to go surfing so on Saturday
afternoon when we went out we took the old, beat up soft tops with us. We were
soon joined by half a dozen kids keen to have a go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before we knew it this had grown to a dozen
or so 6-12 year olds who were all very keen to have a surf. Both John and I soon gave up
and handed our boards over to the kids for them to use, helped push them to take off when trying to catch waves and made sure everyone got a fair go. Some of
the kids had been out with John before and were pretty good but for others it
was their first time. They had a ball though and when it was time to head in begged
to be able to go out again on Sunday afternoon. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So on Sunday and then again on Monday after we got home from work we took all 6 boards out with us. The old soft tops
are pretty banged up and falling to pieces but the kids didn’t care. They
headed out and had a blast. John and I kept an eye on them and I took my go-pro
out to get some footage and we had a couple of great 2 ½ hours sessions till it started getting dark. I was
surprised at how well they all shared, after a couple of rides they’d hand the
board over to the next kid to use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple
of them got a bit greedy in that once they’d handed a board over they pretty
much jumped straight onto another one, but there was no bickering, no arguing,
no demanding a turn, or demanding one more turn. Some of the older kids were
better at understanding English and would translate any instructions to the
others. They all waited for their turn and then made the most of it. I was
pretty impressed with their behaviour! <o:p></o:p></div>
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So for three afternoons in a row we were joined by the local kids till it got dark. They had a ball and loved every minute of it. I don’t think we’ll be able to go out very often now without
being joined by the kids, but that is how it should be.</div>
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<br />
Craig <br />
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Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-41206904711992526022018-08-25T15:06:00.001-07:002018-08-25T15:06:03.795-07:00FoodIf you’ve been out here in Kiribati a while and spend some
time with the local expats/i-Matung, one peculiarities you will soon notice is
that one of the main topics of conversation is…food!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s right, one of the main things we talk
about is food, or more importantly what is available, where and for how much.<br />
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Almost all the food here is imported. There is next to no
land to grow anything on and even if there were the soils are coral sand, great
for coconut palms but bugger all use for much else. The Taiwanese government
has a small agricultural ttraining centre where they do grow/produce amazing variety of things and are teaching the locals how to grow more varieties of vegetables but this
process has been extremely labour intensive- even getting the sand to a
reasonable quality of soil using seaweed and other compostable materials was a
major mission. And even though they are producing more varieties of vegetables-
which are donated to local schools/charities- there are no bees here to
pollinate the flowers so it must be done by hand. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VmsQUtdqe-4olroRFybCJMy5fiCE4W6P7dA__Yjn5JIZnlvf4o8L6UV6i1P1ZU4dXlieP7MIUbpH68qkF2x-ea_b66O16rDV9YlIeo1TXx3vIuUsF14EdUuUeLpqJARbuWGxFIJuHGLg/s1600/5%252B+a+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VmsQUtdqe-4olroRFybCJMy5fiCE4W6P7dA__Yjn5JIZnlvf4o8L6UV6i1P1ZU4dXlieP7MIUbpH68qkF2x-ea_b66O16rDV9YlIeo1TXx3vIuUsF14EdUuUeLpqJARbuWGxFIJuHGLg/s1600/5%252B+a+day.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 plus a day? I try to have a piece of fruit or two each week... the one and only time I ever found peaches out here. </td></tr>
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Don’t get me wrong, some foods are grown. Pumpkin seems to
be one of the hardiest, easiest to grow plants, so pumpkin is often included in
meals at restaurants- usually boiled. Cucumbers too are reasonably easy to get
hold of, not sure if they are grown locally, or imported from one of the outer
islands, but I suspect the latter. Bananas can be found in local markets, again
typically imported from the other islands. On North Tarawa where there is<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a lot less pressure for land villagers do
grow some crops including Taro. Locally, a few cherry tomatoes can be found
along with limes, pawpaw etc but not in any decent quantities. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, as I said most food is imported. The most common
vegetables to be found are onions and carrots, both imported from NZ or Aust.
Much to my surprise apples are pretty common most of the time and found in
refrigerators at the shops (about $1.20-$1.60 each) but aren’t exactly the
fruit I was expecting to find at the equator! Food brought in by plane gets only
so far up the atolls from the airport while food imported via the port makes it
part way down from the other end. Each importer buys their own products and
tend to buy the cheapest things available in Australia and New Zealand (so the
quality of the produce is often not that good by the time they arrive on
island) and mark ups can be a tad…extreme. Recently cabbages were $35 each! So
you are often at the mercy of the importers as to what can be found on island
and no two places stock the same things. It can also be totally random what you
find. I was out for a bike ride one Saturday and stopped to get a drink at one
of the stores close to the airport and they had a fridge full of fresh
kiwifruit. Of course I bought one but have never seen kiwifruit again anywhere on
South Tarawa. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So shopping for groceries ends up a bit of a scavenger hunt,
travelling to half a dozen small shops and the larger “supermarkets” to see
what is available and there can be sometimes rather large fluctuations in price
between the different importers. Going from shop to shop for groceries is an
important part of the weekly routine, but one that I actually do quite enjoy. Some
of the main stores are locally in Betio where I work, and they often have more variety
<o:p></o:p></div>
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and different stock to their branches in Bairiki, closer to
where I live, so I’ll often pop out at lunchtime to source groceries while at wrk and that has made life a bit easier. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For the i-Kiribati population, rice is the staple of the
diet. It is heavily subsidised by the government and eaten in vast quantities-
along with locally caught fish, but people put few vegetables with it and
nutrition out here in general is pretty poor. Rather basic nutrition-less crackers
(Punja’s breakfast crackers) and instant noodles- which are often eaten raw as
some sort of snack- are some of the most common foods for my workmates and I
assume many other people too. The i-Kiribati are quite short. Most people are
under 5 ½ ft (170 cms) tall. This is no doubt is partly genetic but a large part
of it is probably due to poor nutrition and the resulting stunting of growth in
the important growth years during childhood. A rather sad and sobering fact. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8BqVa_b71gBLnxOIfzYC0v7H2-A_F_ZLHvLxgHI47MgFI5c8kyud8hfSgrHB7Z8TJt8vDA5HLM12jkOH1QfsPpal5KrahCJ9nQ37NKAA_aPc6xHcyDwtYU0nY4JsqJBLd4xD2MRNJa6l/s1600/WP_20180825_09_50_34_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8BqVa_b71gBLnxOIfzYC0v7H2-A_F_ZLHvLxgHI47MgFI5c8kyud8hfSgrHB7Z8TJt8vDA5HLM12jkOH1QfsPpal5KrahCJ9nQ37NKAA_aPc6xHcyDwtYU0nY4JsqJBLd4xD2MRNJa6l/s320/WP_20180825_09_50_34_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most Saturday mornings I bake myself a batch of cheese scones. Ah, the comforts of home.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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So, food here is a big deal and for us i-Matung and the bush
telegraph, or in this particular case the modern equivalent known as the South
Tarawa Expats Facebook page, quickly gets informaiton out when something out of
the ordinary arrives on island and which shop it is found at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As well as having to rely on whatever the shops decide to
import food supplies are at the whim of the government. There was great
excitement two weeks ago with news that that potatoes had been spotted at Coral Ace
in Betio (one of the larger stores)! Potatoes? Yes this humble staple of
western diets was banned by the government and has been unavailable for at
least a year! Why? Apparently to protect the local potato industry. What potato
industry you may ask Exactly! There isn’t one! Ironic isn’t it? However,
somebody in the government took exception to the quality of potatoes being imported
(remember when I said earlier importers try to get the cheapest products-
including produce, at the cheapest price, well that’s what you get poorer quality food!). Anyway, the story as told by other i-Matung (so it must be true), is
that someone took exception to the quality of the imported potatoes and they’ve
been banned but now apparently the ban has been lifted- at least in the case of
New Zealand grown spuds. Australia potatoes are still banned but with the
quantities imported of ANY potatoes being so small I doubt the Aussies are even
aware of this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And as for the local potato market? Well it is still non-existent. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So imagine my surprise when I sat down to lunch at work a couple of Monday's ago and there before me sitting in their pale white, slightly gooy looking glory
was a plate of mashed potatoes. Were they lumpy? Hell yes but they were also
bloody delicious! How long will spuds last on island? Who knows but after that lunch I went down to Coralace and bought myself four small potatoes for
$4.50. Yes, 500 grams of spuds for $4.50 or $9.00 a kg but who cares! It’s the
little things that remind you of home that can make or break your day. The
number one rule of shopping here being if you see something buy it, you don’t
know when more are likely to arrive on island and once sold out they are gone,
sometimes for weeks or months at a time. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObbAYswAD_TMT_c9FkTU7BFtu3ILj32MIfgkVVz9UXb34IVkZr9372Sv3knkn-NZxA049I8m3IUrwsmKEiXJdJcEwiROimNRBwCiXCC7uS0C4F_hCqye6Qc9qC0oY67He0HuuVI5TZcwO/s1600/WP_20180813_12_07_36_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObbAYswAD_TMT_c9FkTU7BFtu3ILj32MIfgkVVz9UXb34IVkZr9372Sv3knkn-NZxA049I8m3IUrwsmKEiXJdJcEwiROimNRBwCiXCC7uS0C4F_hCqye6Qc9qC0oY67He0HuuVI5TZcwO/s320/WP_20180813_12_07_36_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes I am sad. One of those sad, sad food shots but hey it was bloody mashed spud and broccoli !</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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We had a similar story recently with mince, it too was spotted
in Moel’s, another of the local supermarkets, a few weeks back and this too as
BIG NEWS on the island as mince had not been seen anywhere for over a year. So
again the local i-Matung community descended en-mass to stock up on mince at
least $13 per kg. Now however, it seems to have disappeared again and who knows when more will arrive on island. Meanwhile, I eagerly await an update on the bush telegraph. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Craig <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-70093168656878701302018-08-11T18:26:00.000-07:002018-08-11T18:26:13.529-07:00The Nippon Causeway<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Nippon Causeway is the
main link between the heavily populated island of Betio (site of the Battle of
Tarawa) and the other atolls in South Tarawa. It was built by the Japanese
government in the late 1980s and prior to that boat was the only link between
the main communities of Bairiki and Betio. The causeway is the only road
linking Betio to the rest of South Tarawa and was badly damaged a combination
of spring tides, strong winds and heavy rain following Cyclone Pam in March
2015. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The causeway is not without
controversy, some 3-4 kms long it is a vital connection for Tarawa but it only
has one bridge. Traditionally each tide would have flushed the lagoon and this
low lying gap between the atolls was one of the main points that the water
flowed into and out of the lagoon with each tide but now the causeway blocks this from happening. The lagoon on South Tarawa is no longer flushed clean every
day and so has become quite heavily polluted and is not safe to
swim, at least for westerners, though locals still use it for bathing, swimming
and going to the toilet (which is in itself part of the problem!). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Over the past few years the
main road running the length of the atolls has been sealed and I have been told
this has led to a major reduction in the
infant mortality rate as there is now a lot less coral dust being kicked
up by the cars, minbuses and trucks using the road. This work was done by
McDowell’s of New Zealand throughout the island but the section across the
causeway is unpaved as it is the responsibility of the Japanese to maintain/repair.
That being said the work is currently being done to fix causeway, repairing and
strengthening it and preparing for the new road surface. Of course this means that
the roading equipment brought over from NZ was returned there and no doubt
other roading equipment supplied by Japan will replace it- is that double
handling, less efficient use of money and resources? I’ll leave that to the
reader to decide but is pretty much par for the course in development circles.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Anyhow, since I’ve been here
work has progressed on the upgrade/repairs to the causeway and it is due to
be finished early next year and once it is completed will make a huge diffidence
to traffic flows and make it so much quicker nand easier to travel between Betio and Bairiki. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At present though, crossing
the causeway, as I do each day, is a bit frustrating. The roading crews put a
layer of crushed coral sand as the main surface of the road and it’s not
really fit for purpose- even a non roading engineer like me can tell that. The
surface is okay when dry, it is pretty hard but does slowly erode so is
constantly being replaced and smoothed over. The real problem occurs when it
rains, the coral turns to a weetbix like mush and is soon pock marked with
holes, some quite deep. Cars and other transport needs to wend its way
around the potholes and worst affected areas. Still, only a few months and it
should be fixed. In the meantime though….<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<br />
South Tarawa<br />
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<br />
The causeway before it was damaged in 2015.<br />
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<br />
<br />
My first day in Kiribati- the repairs and strengthening of the causeway are evident.<br />
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<br />
Early April, as you can see work was continuing on the new seawalls. A hole in the reef which was blasted when the causeway was built to create a channel for boats and this created a great surf break and this shot is taken shortly before we headed out for a surf. <br />
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<br />
Biking to work. The Bairiki end of the causeway.<br />
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As you can see the surface isn't really ideal, it cuts up pretty quickly.<br />
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Traffic wending its way past the worst of the hollows, which are in evidence in the foreground.<br />
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The surface erroded after the rains last weekend and need refilling- a never ending job!<br />
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<br />
A tuck slowly making its way across the uneven surface.<br />
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At the Betio end of the causeway there was still quite a bit of mud.<br />
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<br />
Which we had to navigate to get to work.<br />
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<br />
When wet the surface is like weetbix!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMRqFrb8mGGCevZOAlRKG-0Tfz8MkB1IPxJuS9KJk7VzzxKGEwLkWoZLmu350mYL2_6_6slZ8UYimcG1OSI1gKKPebcgh5LTNfZpfEWUmf55XkNGzriCnAq8CDxiRXaEDiCuhgXz4pR6C/s1600/08+2018-+Causway+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMRqFrb8mGGCevZOAlRKG-0Tfz8MkB1IPxJuS9KJk7VzzxKGEwLkWoZLmu350mYL2_6_6slZ8UYimcG1OSI1gKKPebcgh5LTNfZpfEWUmf55XkNGzriCnAq8CDxiRXaEDiCuhgXz4pR6C/s320/08+2018-+Causway+10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Heading home after work, graders working on the Betio end of the causeway. You can see how little elevation between the high tide mark and the road there is. There is only about a metre of elevation hence the frequent issues during king tides.<br />
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Heading home after work, the lagoon is on the left and the new seawall is completed. It has 3 different channels to catch the water. It is on the lagoon side that most of the problems during king tides + wind seem to occur.<br />
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Tiabo<br />
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Craig<br />
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<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-8671842224326202672018-08-05T03:41:00.000-07:002018-08-05T03:41:35.567-07:00Another week in paradise<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD76VWkHl4SJ-l4I1QVY7wjJHkyiLms66WQs7lJnPrGCsa8tgVcRTYqaTuhdzJ0cEF4qtbRVu-nCo2_ByR9AAPNrs_OZ5Tt35asq0QqiZZJU6QM7Y87XsMi69axGhQN9jFBHLkKZ0UD2y6/s1600/08+05+18-+North+Tarawa+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="940" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD76VWkHl4SJ-l4I1QVY7wjJHkyiLms66WQs7lJnPrGCsa8tgVcRTYqaTuhdzJ0cEF4qtbRVu-nCo2_ByR9AAPNrs_OZ5Tt35asq0QqiZZJU6QM7Y87XsMi69axGhQN9jFBHLkKZ0UD2y6/s320/08+05+18-+North+Tarawa+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Another week in paradise and I must say it’s been quite a
good one. I biked to work three days this week and really enjoy biking early in the morning before it gets too hot and observing the local i-Kiribati people going about
their morning routines as they start their day. There isn’t too much traffic
about and it is a nice way to begin the day. I quite like the ride home too and by the time I get there I feel like I’ve had some exercise which is good. The only issue
really is the causeway is still being upgraded and biking across the hardpacked
coral sand is a bit of a pain. On Friday afternoon we had a brief shower and so
the surface was full of puddles and quite slippery. I was covered in fine,
white coral mud by the time I crossed but it was about 10 minutes faster to bike
across than take a car or minibus as they had to wait in several areas where it
is one lane and then weave backwards and forwards across the road dodging the
larger puddles of water and slushy mud. </div>
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The coral that is used for the temporary road surface while the causeway is being upgraded isn't really up to the task, it is fine when dry and reasonably firm, but even then does cut up over a few days so is ocntstnatly being graded and holes refilled, but when wet, is simply like weetbix, bloody hopeless stuff! The new tarseal won't be finished for some time yet but once it does will make a big difference to the commute between Bairiki and Betio. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Friday evening would have to have been the nicest evening
I’ve had here. About 5pm a gentle, light rain began to fall. Usually when it
rains here it pours down for about 20 minutes to half an hour then clears again.
This time we had a nice gentle rain for a couple of hours, the temperate dropped and it was really
pleasant and reminded me of the rains back home on a hot summers day. Of course
about 7pm it did bucket down and lasted for a couple of hours. The rain beating down on
the tin roof of my home made a hell of a racket and then about 8pm the power
went out, so it was an interesting evening and a bit different for your
typical evening here! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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A sunset over the lagoon this week. </div>
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Cumulonimbus thunderclouds over the lagoon on Thursday</div>
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This weekend I made two trips to North Tarawa walking up to Broken Bridge. The trip up there is truly stunning. Lots of little kids coming up to you saying "hello I-matung" and wanting a high five. The path winds through the vegetation past small villages, it is really is a different world to South Tarawa and is fantastic to recharge ones batteries after a week in the much more densely populated South.<br />
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An MFAT (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) official was comingpout for the week so one of the regular consultants who travels out here contacted myself and Rick the head of Child Fund in Kiribati to see if we could take him out and show him Tarawa over the weekend. We both agreed but when the MFAT guy was unable to make it on Saturday and Rick had other plans on Sunday Rick and I decided to go to Broken Bridge Saturday; and then today I took Ryan, the MFAT official, up there.<br />
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I must say I had two really enjoyable walks with two very fascinating guys who have done a lot of really interesting things. Rick is an Aussie working for Child Fund NZ who amongst other things has worked in Palestinian Refugee camps in Lebanon, while Ryan is an American who did his PHD in Dunedin and now lives in Wellington. Ryan has spent a lot of time in the central South Island and Central Otago region and he was the first person out here I've met who has mentioned Dansy's Pass as one of his favourite places- many kiwis wouldn't have a clue where it is!<br />
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So,m as I said I had two really enjoyable walks to Broekn Bridge, a couple of swims and really fascinating conversations running a gamut of topics, a fantastic way to spend the weekend.<br />
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This is something you won't see at most international airports. This flag is raised to tell locals that a plane is due so they can't cross the tarmac to to get to the villages on the far side of the runway. Only in Kiribati!<br />
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The ferry taking us across the lagoon at Buota. We waded back at low tide but at high tide it is a 2 minute, 50 cent ferry ride to cross.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-boQLddPDS6EvrwVz1enNzhpMuB4haG8m20VAB-QMtPYk8BDizFr8uq_nP_sb5LpAsxyUq60QPb9uqwWN8xAgZ4MYMO27BTvWYypu0FrADOD1LI4Nre2YZUlgLTPrcMsFP3nlICZGARj/s1600/08+04+18-+Ferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-boQLddPDS6EvrwVz1enNzhpMuB4haG8m20VAB-QMtPYk8BDizFr8uq_nP_sb5LpAsxyUq60QPb9uqwWN8xAgZ4MYMO27BTvWYypu0FrADOD1LI4Nre2YZUlgLTPrcMsFP3nlICZGARj/s320/08+04+18-+Ferry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A traditional hut on North Tarawa. Thatched roof and open sided and a couple of feet off the ground- the thatch keeps them nice and cool. </div>
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Crossing one of the smaller lagoons heading the Broken bridge. </div>
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Finally, I must say I am really enjoying being back in Kiribati. I wasn’t sure before left NZ how I would feel but I am 100% reinvigorated and love being back here and am looking forward to the next few months and making the most of my time left here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Craig</div>
Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-23993604904192245502018-07-24T15:54:00.003-07:002018-07-24T15:54:43.784-07:00Back to Kiribati<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4No8ostbHpQCruN9qbCWeDdtC2znyWLVqr0NHt2pzB68AtKqlE_1CZhS2MnpSbV1mp7cnlEQZ5aQJlV5d654_l3eLm4ufSeLQ4nxvviG3npsGsq6QTfPO1S-9mMgbLzVBVNCOSCgIx2c/s1600/WP_20180409_10_46_19_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1086" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_4No8ostbHpQCruN9qbCWeDdtC2znyWLVqr0NHt2pzB68AtKqlE_1CZhS2MnpSbV1mp7cnlEQZ5aQJlV5d654_l3eLm4ufSeLQ4nxvviG3npsGsq6QTfPO1S-9mMgbLzVBVNCOSCgIx2c/s320/WP_20180409_10_46_19_Pro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This fortnightly blog has turned out to be anything but. My
apologies for that. After mum died I really didn’t feel like blogging, had too
many other things on my mind and then my computer died, leaving me computerless
in Kiribati for about a month before I went back to New Zealand for a break.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I returned to New Zealand for an extended (six week) holiday
at the beginning of June. I really needed to go back, check on my family and more importantly on my father and ensure that everything was going okay with him. VSA were really, really good about it, as was MTC the
organisation that I’m working for.</div>
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I really enjoyed being home, catching up with Julie, the
kids, dad, and my friends. My brother popped over for a few days from Australia
and spent some time with dad which he enjoyed. I also managed to get a few games
of footy in for my football team and also make the most of the New Zealand
winter, a fire every night, frosts in the morning, lovely. Oh winter how I
missed thee!<o:p></o:p></div>
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So after six weeks back home I returned to Kiribati on Monday
and was still a bit undecided about how I felt about returning. The longer I was home the more
I enjoyed my old life and doing the things that had become part of my weekly
routine over the past few years, time with my family, sports, hobbies- not to
mention readily available fresh fruit and vegies! As a result, I wasn’t exactly
looking forward to getting back to Kiribati but knowing dad is coping back home
made it somewhat easier. I felt better about returning this time than I did
just after mum died and once I got back on to the island it felt good to be
back. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the first things I did once I’d unpacked the store of
groceries I’ bought back with me (we leave with empty suitcases and return
fully laden with supplies from home to tide us over till our next break) was bike
down to Bairiki to organise data for the wifi and I must have had a dozen or more
kids smiling, waving and saying hello as I biked past! A nice warm welcome back
to the island. The little things you forget about and miss when back home.
Popping out onto the oceanside reef for a bit of a swim to cool off, in the
nice warm 28-29 degree water, was another bonus or the return after being bundled up against the winter weather the past few weeks. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So overall I’m feeling more settled and more focused than
when I came back after mum’s funeral. I’m happy dad’s doing okay and so am looking forward to the next few weeks and
months and the rest of my time in Kiribati.<o:p></o:p></div>
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An added bonus is that in a couple of months Julie is going
to come out for a couple of weeks holiday as is my younger brother and his family so
that is something to look forward to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Craig <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-49338955414691645142018-04-24T23:55:00.001-07:002018-04-24T23:55:13.990-07:00ANZAC Day 2018<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today is ANZAC day, a day to remember those New Zealand and
Australia men and women who served in our armed forces and were wounded or
killed in war. To my mind ANZAC day is a day of solemn reflection and a chance to
pay tribute to the sacrifices made by those who went before us and to remember the
terrible impact war has had on families and communities all across the country,
and indeed the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both my grandfathers fought in World War One. One an
engineer on a minesweeper in the Royal Navy, seeking out and patrolling against
German U boats in the North Sea, the other served in the trenches in the Western
Front. Both survived the war and both were still alive when I was young so to
me World War One is still not a distant, black and white war seen in grainy
footage on tv but a real conflict that had a real impact on my own family. It
is for them that I attend Dawn Services, to thank them for their service to ensure
that they, and the countless other young New Zealand and Australian servicemen
and women, are not forgotten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning was the first time that I’ve had the
opportunity to attend an overseas service and also a combined Australian and
New Zealand (a real ANZAC) Dawn Service. Here in Kiribati the service is held
at Betio, site of the Battle of Tarawa where in three bloody days in November
1943 more than 6000 American Marines and Japanese soldiers, not to mention
numerous press ganged Korean labourers, were killed in a blood bath on a tiny,
tiny coral atoll. It is hard to reconcile the horrors of that battle with the
peaceful tranquillity of a Kiribati dawn, yet there are reminders of the battle
and Japanese occupation all over Betio.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPvKNXkr-J4zbD0_jC3iEwYtGR676oQmVTVr2ZnN_3YfBuXZZm3n1t50NDHl7uwJOwtZSfAlLDe2xqWaj1HnhqCPz1umohOU9OwIBkB48Dx5JRWLSMkMFRKuBpxwLD5zofFD-8n_hbMxv/s1600/Anzac+Day+2018-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPvKNXkr-J4zbD0_jC3iEwYtGR676oQmVTVr2ZnN_3YfBuXZZm3n1t50NDHl7uwJOwtZSfAlLDe2xqWaj1HnhqCPz1umohOU9OwIBkB48Dx5JRWLSMkMFRKuBpxwLD5zofFD-8n_hbMxv/s320/Anzac+Day+2018-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawn ANZAC Day 2018</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What made the service even more poignant was the fact that
it was held at the memorial that commemorates the deaths of 22 Coastwatchers
(14 Kiwis, 5 Aussies and 3 Brits) who were executed on 15<sup>th</sup> October
1942 by their Japanese captors following an air raid on the islands. These
coast watchers were mostly civilians and many of those from New Zealand were
volunteers from the New Zealand Postal Service. They had volunteered to stay
and man their radio communications equipment and had been captured earlier in
1942. Their bodies have never been recovered and their story, and sacrifice, still
remains largely unknown within New Zealand. Today on this far flung outpost of the
Pacific a group of expats from around the world and local i-Kiribati gathered to
remember, reflect and to ensure that the fallen from all conflicts are not
forgotten.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGpJEqr0lfH3GIIfYb38sxPj1vXotUGFDadTWdY0MBrBwrXC3NwzEGBGRkv7Xa0mzaUEIilAG71OGd4pHKaaGYHm-oCw3BekamhGeTS6rdzUYIUpy93Cyn54ylgJCmw62d0OE0_0vJ0Ck/s1600/Anzac+Day+2018-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1554" data-original-width="876" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGpJEqr0lfH3GIIfYb38sxPj1vXotUGFDadTWdY0MBrBwrXC3NwzEGBGRkv7Xa0mzaUEIilAG71OGd4pHKaaGYHm-oCw3BekamhGeTS6rdzUYIUpy93Cyn54ylgJCmw62d0OE0_0vJ0Ck/s320/Anzac+Day+2018-2.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Betio Memorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Betio Memorial
Reads:</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In memory of the twenty two British subjects murdered by the
Japanese at Betio on 15<sup>th</sup> October 1942.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Standing unarmed at their posts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They matched brutality with gallantry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And met death with fortitude<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">K G Morgan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">B Cleary<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">IR Handley<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">AM McArthur<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">AL Sadd<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">AC Heenan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">JJ McCarthy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">HRC Hearn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">AE Mckenna<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">AL Taylor<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">TC Murray<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CA Pearsall<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">IB Speedy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CJ Owen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">DH Howe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">RJ Hitchon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">R Jones<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">RA Ellis<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">CA Kilpin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">JH Nichol<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">WAR Parker<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">RM McKenzie</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lest we forget. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-47907071569541511522018-04-21T17:12:00.001-07:002018-04-21T17:12:48.045-07:00Friendship Bridge <div class="MsoNormal">
(Still struggling a bit out here at present but getting back into my weekly routine. Yesterday I decided to head down to Friendship Bridge at the far end of South Tarawa for a swim. I had biked there a week before heading back to NZ and was pretty knackered by the time I biked home. It is probably a 46-50km round trip which with the heat and my general lack of bike fitness meant it was going to be a bit of a challenge, at least it was first time I did it. Still it was another beautiful sunny day and I needed to get out and get active. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Friendship bridge is a metal bailey bridge built by the
Americans that spans the causeway/lagoon that links North and South Tarawa. It is at the
far eastern end of the island, two or three kilometres north of the airport.
The channel is about 100 metres wide and the water is quite deep here. It is a
natural passage for the tides that rise and fall each day, draining and filling
the lagoon in an endless cycle that has been conducted for millennia. Due to
the constant flow of water and flushing of the lagoon at this point the lagoon
is safe to swim in, unlike South Tarawa where I live. The lagoon in South
Tarawa has extremely high levels of ecoli bacteria due to pollution and the
amount of raw sewage that floats in it. This of course doesn’t stop the locals
bathing, swimming, fishing and going to the toilet in it, but it sure as hell
keeps the i-Matung from swimming there, as does the large amount of assorted
rubbish either floating in the water or piled up on the shore. It's not exactly
paradise but is yet another consequence of the pressure that the population is
putting on their environment.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So if I want a swim, I’ve two options. I can go out on the
reef on the seaward side of the island near my house where I surf, or I can
travel east about 23-25kms to Friendship bridge. Although I do enjoy swimming
on the reef near home, it isn’t exactly the most beautiful location, the water
and rocky beach covered in plastic and other assorted debris washed in from all
points of the Pacific, whereas the lagoon at Friendship bridge is pretty much
pristine, and a real tropical paradise. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I set out about 10am in the morning, during the heat of
day. It is another perfect day in Kiribati, the sky is a deep blue and not a
cloud to be seen. The prevailing winds are from the east so I have a slight
head wind and more importantly a slight cooling breeze to bike into I as travel
though the various villages and across the causeways on the ribbon of road that
threads its way from atoll to atoll. I am always alert and wary on the road as
biking isn’t exactly safe. Minibuses, the local public transport, travel up and
down, pulling in to pick up passengers and somehow squeeze another person into
the already overloaded transport, then pull out only to repeat the performance
a hundred metres down the road. Passing the minibuses on the narrow main road is
always a bit of a danger, cars coming the other way, often passing each other
as they do so. Dogs, kids wandering out without looking are other constant
hazards, but you get used to that and become an expert at anticipating and avoiding
upcoming obstacles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaclDGU1J6LYgxKscSPNA0Uij46LMxEvhUotT49go1Dys81NTf7jipRC1t0vXGNq3iU2Na73o57SOnKUW6NX5FCFhQfVUwRENYNKfyYcosS3cd5i9AYArAfR7rzJTjwaWQPxJYc5jWUmzY/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaclDGU1J6LYgxKscSPNA0Uij46LMxEvhUotT49go1Dys81NTf7jipRC1t0vXGNq3iU2Na73o57SOnKUW6NX5FCFhQfVUwRENYNKfyYcosS3cd5i9AYArAfR7rzJTjwaWQPxJYc5jWUmzY/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Causeway at Tabario</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aN1Lz55_HG_JaJf-7dW_bOeJHnsupRSFUb8mBOQJkcoWkIb-j2SdhpmIAHTGtsGXI18AsN8OE8lqj5uZhCxmuAL9nAGJ_sYVOl0E-EeSvfxrK-tx-jYmEZL83e9ZtEQZncqNNhVlLKc7/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aN1Lz55_HG_JaJf-7dW_bOeJHnsupRSFUb8mBOQJkcoWkIb-j2SdhpmIAHTGtsGXI18AsN8OE8lqj5uZhCxmuAL9nAGJ_sYVOl0E-EeSvfxrK-tx-jYmEZL83e9ZtEQZncqNNhVlLKc7/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Causeway at Tabario 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Eventually I get to the far end of the island and the round-a-bout at Bonriki that leads to the airport. Only a few kms to go! I bike past the abandoned fish ponds. Mangroves protect the shore on the lagoon side here. At low tide the exposed coral sand is a brilliant white. I push on past the airport, the road runs parallel to the runway and as I bike along it the temperature climbs five or six degrees; it is sheltered from the breeze so there isn’t a breath of wind and it is hot, damn hot! I follow the road around the end of the runway and it soon becomes an unsealed track. I pass more local houses sheltering amidst the trees, here they are much fewer in number than elsewhere on the island.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gUdMgIYeRFBLwqquNTxRFp6TCHWV3Z3i1CaZjleuwZnxBxJ2IB8m42uDFXFZbiSX9eYbs_Vs5qLHFa8zh28eL2vBaMaepFGBUCImOkHElI-JY5UQpat_4fdhog0gTOonwF2lrehJNgFS/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gUdMgIYeRFBLwqquNTxRFp6TCHWV3Z3i1CaZjleuwZnxBxJ2IB8m42uDFXFZbiSX9eYbs_Vs5qLHFa8zh28eL2vBaMaepFGBUCImOkHElI-JY5UQpat_4fdhog0gTOonwF2lrehJNgFS/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roundabout at Bonriki, one of three in south Tarawa.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2kKpH4ORey8M8ihAedyX8QBvpZGYXfdUQ4XkeZ5aK3NJ_GmDUCiM9hwDJHVO753oK1qZWwQ27roxM8lAcQyNmfuZb5xTntSgQcFedq-wnKkU1sXS9fku0QxSXEyHfalbBxivOHwKwpQ1/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu2kKpH4ORey8M8ihAedyX8QBvpZGYXfdUQ4XkeZ5aK3NJ_GmDUCiM9hwDJHVO753oK1qZWwQ27roxM8lAcQyNmfuZb5xTntSgQcFedq-wnKkU1sXS9fku0QxSXEyHfalbBxivOHwKwpQ1/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abandoned fish farms near the airport</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A few minutes more and I’ve made it to my destination. I cross the bridge and lean my bike against a coconut palm and wade out into the warm tropical water for a nice relaxing swim.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMMkyq1eRDIMUECSOliRxhtg5VopODLub9eoAZ_RpaCZMbQ3LMl8rSy3wupKlRS1Lsu1i2YBWYA18PrjhXpG7P3AY0c4iZkTL6gu25V7wNXExQ7BsFadsVjZPI6ilTMlndahqaccM4XGp/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMMkyq1eRDIMUECSOliRxhtg5VopODLub9eoAZ_RpaCZMbQ3LMl8rSy3wupKlRS1Lsu1i2YBWYA18PrjhXpG7P3AY0c4iZkTL6gu25V7wNXExQ7BsFadsVjZPI6ilTMlndahqaccM4XGp/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The causeway looking out to the seaward side</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp83uu-PK2h5IFm9KcVCwSYp7ZUzYgyaAMXp5SpmZJ9OYZ0Sr-dP3zexJTJfR1bdczKSPtAMOm5ILdaq9dKW0CZ4QSVzOZP20-xZX7qJGJnK4ukupRPWSniJI0PC55753J8rrgdZZmKuGE/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp83uu-PK2h5IFm9KcVCwSYp7ZUzYgyaAMXp5SpmZJ9OYZ0Sr-dP3zexJTJfR1bdczKSPtAMOm5ILdaq9dKW0CZ4QSVzOZP20-xZX7qJGJnK4ukupRPWSniJI0PC55753J8rrgdZZmKuGE/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Causeway at Friendship bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsLIx7JZNpp4CxGXeyi3huuLa9-jPh9TAr3bF_o1PMp2hrTlgFCTc-Yw_X7oaUdtBSxyp9badbstXZRuaJPGyIHTIF6uGY18f2AroBboMpsxsNUft48eZjtCgNVvQUjDhT7qFIhv1VAwX/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsLIx7JZNpp4CxGXeyi3huuLa9-jPh9TAr3bF_o1PMp2hrTlgFCTc-Yw_X7oaUdtBSxyp9badbstXZRuaJPGyIHTIF6uGY18f2AroBboMpsxsNUft48eZjtCgNVvQUjDhT7qFIhv1VAwX/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the causeway looking towards the main lagoon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKXNe54DyPjCQK863PnGAxT_8tSvNOHh4WzcoYNW29bjgLQZ1YHj6imTm6BHmtcYN7KrsxxC-bO5zW7qCTjDWxpmrLCjopcO2xGsjBH8G67K0TbUYRfuuBG8hsPCctLgWPyvOHRuZX85C/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="940" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKXNe54DyPjCQK863PnGAxT_8tSvNOHh4WzcoYNW29bjgLQZ1YHj6imTm6BHmtcYN7KrsxxC-bO5zW7qCTjDWxpmrLCjopcO2xGsjBH8G67K0TbUYRfuuBG8hsPCctLgWPyvOHRuZX85C/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqEbVj91TnwZdwq8BipzUZ1fC46cL_nHv7AI5XZAz6f9UKKJFK3O5BF-3pm71thyphenhyphenYNZirSDsIwFqGQ6l1Ngu24apKBk-QexcY_-tQxEVXhDXwfxsQNq1gVy-k53FS8Ywg-opbDZxtn1Qr/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqEbVj91TnwZdwq8BipzUZ1fC46cL_nHv7AI5XZAz6f9UKKJFK3O5BF-3pm71thyphenhyphenYNZirSDsIwFqGQ6l1Ngu24apKBk-QexcY_-tQxEVXhDXwfxsQNq1gVy-k53FS8Ywg-opbDZxtn1Qr/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mangroves growing along causeway near airport. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3Fec3AsUI7flDVSPZM2OY5Ldj-SoUunp_mJgoUWYrQsvT3Xc4jID_b741XVZ0QaV3UanWzlo5T0lrvhu-Rk01BxAaEw8uwIzhbNTv0zgf4KC3LKDf9REF7ITshq0HSuaplHh3WGzpgHj/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="601" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3Fec3AsUI7flDVSPZM2OY5Ldj-SoUunp_mJgoUWYrQsvT3Xc4jID_b741XVZ0QaV3UanWzlo5T0lrvhu-Rk01BxAaEw8uwIzhbNTv0zgf4KC3LKDf9REF7ITshq0HSuaplHh3WGzpgHj/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petrol station Bonriki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmNc_Yx43dfKO2vODOZRAQx4FnmWeGEWYqhHJ9lMzxqZFFBhqD2AIrrvIzgPZFJIyUEv962WYIStZbxOyc2pE96FoWqbkQjhZ-QSJ_OIJZKSbjjOJjJ1MwW1KipG3c8k86nQgGXaCNmxH/s1600/2018+Friendship+Bridge+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="602" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmNc_Yx43dfKO2vODOZRAQx4FnmWeGEWYqhHJ9lMzxqZFFBhqD2AIrrvIzgPZFJIyUEv962WYIStZbxOyc2pE96FoWqbkQjhZ-QSJ_OIJZKSbjjOJjJ1MwW1KipG3c8k86nQgGXaCNmxH/s320/2018+Friendship+Bridge+11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Eventually, it is time to head home. The breeze is on my back but by now I’m tired and getting a little saddle sore. The last fifteen kms are especially hard. I’m not used to biking in this heat, and my legs are getting tired. I stop at one of the local supermarkets for a can of drink for some much needed energy then push off once more.<br />
<br />
Recharged I continue back the way I’ve come. Climbing the extra metre to Tarawa’s highest point is always is a highlight, yep three metres above sea level, WOOT! I stop by the causeway at Tabario to watch the fishermen wandering out in the turquoise waters, nothing to do with needing another breather, honest! Then the last few kms beckon. By the time I get back home I'm fairly tired but its been a great day.<br />
<br />
CraigCraig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-20130789698000029532018-04-09T02:13:00.001-07:002018-04-09T02:13:05.651-07:00A tough couple of weeks<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing I really didn’t consider fully before I came was
that I might lose one of my parents while I was volunteering. Mum and dad have
been married for 57 years and although mum’s health has been declining in
recent years, I really didn’t think when I popped round to see her and dad and
said “bye, I’ll see you in June”, that that would be the last thing I’d ever
say to her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Tuesday March 20<sup>th</sup> I had a typical day here,
work and then on the way home checking out the surf on the reef to see if it
was worth popping out for a surf- and it didn’t look too bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was about to head out when I noticed that 5 What’s App messages had arrived between when I
got on the minibus from work and home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
quickly checked them, only to find that Julie had messaged me to say that my
mum had had a heart attack and was on the way to hospital and that it didn’t
look good. I kind of went blank, tried to figure out how to get off Tarawa and
what to do. Eventually I figured it out, managed to get hold of my boss at VSA
and arrange a flight home for Thursday. Only<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a week earlier I’d decided to go home for Easter. My son had injured his
knee and been in A&E, mum also had ended up in hospital the same day due to
her general health and my wife Julie also was having a bit of a health scare. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ummed and arred for few days before buying a
ticket home for Easter. As soon as I bought the tickt i knew I'd made the right call but as it turned out it was to be a week too late. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Julie kept me informed as to what was going on and on
Wednesday morning let me know there was nothing more they could do, they were
turning off the ventilator and were expecting mum to peacefully slip away. Mum
passed away three hours later, surrounded by dad, my brothers (who had made it down
to Timaru from Melbourne and Gisborne), my sister, their partners as well as
her my nephew and his partner, my son Finn and wife Julie. I was sitting on the
deck at MTC just after lunch. Julie had sent though a couple of photos that,
due to the lack of wifi at work, I was waiting for the images to slowly download
when another message came through from her saying that mum had just died. I’ve
never felt so far away from home in my life. My work was great and arranged for
a van to take me home. I am able to use What’s App to phone home at home from
my modem but not at work so was able to talk to my wife and family.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next few days were a blur. Flights to Fiji, Auckland and
Christchurch; evenings reminiscing with my brothers, their wives, and dad. Sunday
my sister and her husband joined us as did a number of relatives, including mum’s
surviving older brother and sister and their partners. Things kept building up
towards the funeral on Monday which was always going be a very hard day. Somehow
dad got through it, though as one could imagine after 57 years of marriage he
was in a bewildered and dazed for most the week. We spent another enjoyable family
night on Monday reminiscing then on Tuesday morning most people headed back home and we
were left, dad, Julie, Finn Hana and Zac (my oldest brothers son who was over from
Aust and was staying for a couple of weeks) and me. It was as if we’d been hit by a
tornado and were now standing in the post storm calm wondering if the previous few
days had really happened. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I spent as much time as I could for the rest of my stay with
dad, taking him and Finn and Zac fishing up in the McKenzie country, having him
round for tea each night and just trying to be there for him. Saturday Zac and I
left so now the mantle has passed to my wife Julie and my kids Hana and Finn to
keep an eye on him. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I left NZ yesterday morning and got back to Kiribati this
afternoon. When I signed up for VSA I was expecting things to be difficult but
never once did I imagine that one of most difficult challenges I'd face was that one of my parents would pass away. It has left
me re-evaluating whether or not I am doing the right thing. Dad’s health is not
the best either and the events of the past three weeks have made me take a long look
at things and what is important. I am conflicted between wanting to be here in
Kiribati and realising that we could potentially have limited time left with
dad and wanting to be there for him to help him through this incredibly
difficult time. I’m not going to make a hasty decision, I’m heading back home
in June for three weeks and will re-evaluate how everything is going then. My
thoughts at this stage though, is I can volunteer any time, but I can only spend
a finite amount of time with dad and am torn between being here in Kiribati
and not being there to help him though this. My wife Julie has really stepped up
in the past few weeks in so many ways and I know will continue to have dad over
for tea and keep a good eye on him. I thought I was doing the right thing
coming to Kiribati, that the time was right, but now I’m not so sure. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-26636040833023694092018-03-14T01:03:00.001-07:002018-03-14T01:03:50.526-07:00Meeting a local surf legend<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Would you like to simply opt out of the regular world and
live life on your own terms, in your very own tropical paradise? I think many
of us dream of this, yet few of us have the good fortune, tenacity, or drive,
to actually make it a reality. Of course, out here in the middle of the Pacific
Kiribati seems to have more than its
fair share of people of a more adventurous disposition looking to live life in
a different way to most of us. Many of those that have washed up on these
shores do so thinking it will just be for a short time but some end up staying
for much longer, sometimes forever. It seems to be the way of far off places to
attract all sorts of characters, restless souls looking for adventure, people who
often don’t seem to fit into regular society or want to live a more interesting
life outside the mainstream or normal conventions. In that regards Kiribati is
no different to other outlying spots in the Pacific, or elsewhere in the world
for that matter, with more than its share of characters trying to live on the
path less travelled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A couple of weeks back I had the good fortune to meet one
such man. I was invited to one of the local bars to join the members of the
Kiribari Surf Association to spend an evening with Kiribati surfing legend
Chuck Corbett who had recently returned to South Tarawa and has been living
life his way out here in the middle of the Pacific ocean for many, many years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPQ5HgWnsa1WXmvZk-Vuu5wKbNadsSL7UhpGQBJiz4eZI0f5xdwV1ujMm9UtTajPJZv2FZQKpkWUQm7fqqQfPOvl_cqxINAcDToojgg4TH5D1V6MxGoNHQk6MnGPl0zkLPXZ05rDZAPV1/s1600/Fanning+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPQ5HgWnsa1WXmvZk-Vuu5wKbNadsSL7UhpGQBJiz4eZI0f5xdwV1ujMm9UtTajPJZv2FZQKpkWUQm7fqqQfPOvl_cqxINAcDToojgg4TH5D1V6MxGoNHQk6MnGPl0zkLPXZ05rDZAPV1/s320/Fanning+1.jpg" width="320" /></a>In fact, Chuck has been living on and surfing
around the atolls of Kiribati since 1979. Getting here back then was an
adventure in itself, and some would say it still is. He left the US as a
sixteen year old for a two week holiday to Hawaii and never went back to the
mainland. After a few years in Hawaii he travelled to Guam and then having heard
rumours of waves on Fanning Island eventually made his way to Tarawa in Kiribati,
arriving not long before independence in 1979. He spent about 12 years in South
Tarawa, developing businesses and starting a family but eventually moved across
the country (or in this case across the ocean) to Kirimati (Christmas) Island on
the other side of Kiribati and since the early 90s, to Fanning Island. Or, as
he so eloquently put it, when I arrived on Fanning I realised I’d been living on
the wrong islands for twelve years! For many years Fanning Island’s world class
surfbreak was pretty much his own private break and indeed he lived there for
several years before he saw anyone else surfing the breaks! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the years Chuck has had various business ventures
including running surfing charters to the breaks around Fanning and involved in
a number of initiatives with the local i-Kiribati people. He is still
passionate about ground up, locally led development where the local people
control the process rather than have “development” imposed on them by outside
or government interests. It was an insight into seeing how he has been involved
in various ventures that were aimed at improving the lives and conditions of
the people of Kiritimati and Fanning Islands and create possible income streams
for them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Chuck had just arrived on South Tarawa, having travelled
down on a cargo ship and is on Tarawa for a few weeks and it was fantastic to
spend an evening with him, to have him share his videos and photos of the
various waves he’s surfed, trips that he has made, and learn about his life in
general and I think a few of the KSA members are now fired up to get to Fanning
one day and try out the waves there. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyArGu_sUofe2QR9Teuq9qVEoOAEzBUpU_hCwBafV6VO7gYbjB_R2g0bA6bI83Mc-t4UP7D7KteFNlBk0wHlSW_ShUWbDa6dmWCazCz3w11B_IimLAJJI9p9tY6vUOjEI64CnfxcKbxfxc/s1600/Fanning+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="539" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyArGu_sUofe2QR9Teuq9qVEoOAEzBUpU_hCwBafV6VO7gYbjB_R2g0bA6bI83Mc-t4UP7D7KteFNlBk0wHlSW_ShUWbDa6dmWCazCz3w11B_IimLAJJI9p9tY6vUOjEI64CnfxcKbxfxc/s320/Fanning+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many people dream of
living on a remote tropical island, Chuck has lived that dream. His life
choices seem to have been driven by his passion for surfing but he also continues
to be passionate about the people of Kiribati and wanting to improve the lives
of those living in the smaller, outlying villages and islands so that they can
benefit from whatever forms of development that they deem as appropriate for
their location. He seems to be still living life his way, on his terms, and who
can fault him that? Most of us only ever dream of living the lifestyle he’s
enjoyed over the past forty years or so. It was a real honour to met him and
share, if only briefly, a small window into his world. All the best Chuck.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
An indepth interview with Chuck can be found <a href="http://michaelkew.com/dispatches/2015/7/27/a-bend-in-the-reef-chuck-corbetts-kiribati-equation">here.</a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ko Rabwa. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Craig<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-45928503681625010532018-02-18T00:04:00.003-08:002018-08-25T15:00:09.566-07:00Food and An AnniversaryFood is one of the major topics/ issues here in Kiribati. Due to population pressures, and salination of soils, there is very limited food availability and most foods are imported from NZ, Aust or Fiji. Foraging for food is a weekly task, well at least biking the 12km or so to Bairiki and back, stopping in at various "supermarkets" on the way is. Theses aren't NZ style supermarkets, rather most are warehouses/ stores selling a range of products, no two of which seem to sell the same things. As well as theses there are numerous small shops along the main road where families make an income selling various products.<br />
<br />
To get your weekly shop you need to stop in at several different places to see what is in stock this week. At one one the larger ones in Bairiki this week they had some fresh fruit and veggies, last week the shelves were bare. After three weeks without any fruit I couldn't resist spending $6 on a single orange and a peach! Yes, that is the first fruit (apart from some coconut and coconut milk) I've had since I got here. My god that, peach tasted good!<br />
<br />
So here we have it my version of 5+ a day, 3 pieces of fruit in three weeks! For someone who loves fruit that's not good!<br />
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<br />
<br />
My new favourite drink, fresh chilled coconut milk. Yum!!!!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LiCs8PDkxSA459XB30TqoCL8Wp3BR99mK8w88R2hQ6_skPm7Xhx8426xFXwFwgL_V1ZbvjLjj21nXxDWXkbVBZjGGqjD5y2Ciq71hfCytURdR7BO5oGNSnaAMK5-VUa-FSs3Y-bD4nWV/s1600/Coconut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LiCs8PDkxSA459XB30TqoCL8Wp3BR99mK8w88R2hQ6_skPm7Xhx8426xFXwFwgL_V1ZbvjLjj21nXxDWXkbVBZjGGqjD5y2Ciq71hfCytURdR7BO5oGNSnaAMK5-VUa-FSs3Y-bD4nWV/s320/Coconut.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So, what is available and where is a regular topic of conversation with expats and volunteers. Something will be in stock for a short time then can disappear for months at a time so hoarding seems to be a sensible strategy. However, most people I've spoken to seem to think that overall variety in foods has improved in recent years.<br />
<br />
I've landed in my feet when it comes to food as the Marine Training Centre where I work has two NZ trained chefs who cook lunch for staff each day for a very reasonable price. Most days it is something that includes the traditional side order of rice but occasionally there is a surprise like pasta or chicken snitzel. So compared to many volunteers I am quite lucky and means I have a well cooked main meal for lunch and then just have a snack most evenings for tea.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately there was no chef at work the other day so I popped down with a German volunteer to grab some street food of fish, a chicken drumstick and rice for a very reasonable $2.50. I've been quite careful with what I eat and drink but alas yesterday I didn't really feel very hungry then last night had my first case of "Delhi Belly" which was not very so pleasant so have been feeling a tad under the weather today. I think eating street food may not have been a good idea after all. I took some medicine and am starting to feel better now but still not really hungry and don't think I'll try that again for a wee while.<br />
<br />
My lovely family has been sending me photos of what I've been missing out on...<br />
<br />
Cider! CIDER! No bloody cider here!<br />
<br />
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<br />
Now, that's just mean- though eggs and baked beans are available- tomatoes and bacon, not that I've found! Now I have a yearning for a full English breakfast.<br />
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Meanwhile Finn has finally gotten his learners licence and took this shot of his scooter at Jack's Point last week while on a bit of a local road trip on the back roads around Timaru. Very artisitic Finn!<br />
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Late yesterday I went for a swim on North Tarawa with one of the local Aussie expats and his family, and took this of the sun setting as we travelled back across the lagoon. </div>
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Finally, I found some old photos on the portable hard-drive I brought over with me. This is Julie and I in Feb 2008, just after I'd had part of my bowel removed so was looking a tad sorry for myself. </div>
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Today is our 22nd wedding anniversary and we've been together for 25 years. Like all couples we've had good times and bad but somehow she's still managed to put up with me and my sometimes hairbrained schemes- such as heading off by myself to the middle of the Pacific for a year! Despite all the trials and tribulations we are still together. I can't imagine how life would be without her and thank her for the joy and happiness she has brought into my life, and those of the kids, over the past quarter of a century. I hope she can make it out here later in the year to share in the experience what I'm up to.<br />
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CraigCraig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-15502983504468005812018-02-12T01:10:00.003-08:002018-02-13T00:55:24.340-08:00Home sweet homeFor the next year I am living in a house rented by VSA, it is about as far into the centre of the island as you can get. Which means we've a 200m walk to the road and lagoon on ones side, about 75ms to the seaward beach on the other! Yes, the island is that narrow.<br />
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I'm currently flatting with a VSA volunteer called Aaron who finishes up his 20 month placement later this week, then the place will be mine. It has been great flatting with him, he's really been a great host and full of good advice to make settling into life here so much easier.<br />
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The outdoor area, the room at the end is the washhouse and houses a couple of old soft top surfboards the local kids can use, my boards.<br />
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The house is pretty solid- we are above the cyclone zone, king tides and strong winds combining are our main natural hazard. The home has been used by volunteers for a number of years so is well appointed with various odds and ends left behind by my predecessors, making it a reasonably well appointed home- it is probably not too dissimilar to a kiwi bach in that regard, lots of bits and pieces to make life comfortable, not many of which match. But it is great not having to go for a big shop to get the basics.<br />
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A large open plan lounge/living area. We have Sky tv, it hasn't worked for the past 6 moths or so despite several attempts by the landlords to fix it. However they took the decoder away last week and replaced it so as of Friday I have Sky tv (there is no tv on the island, only satellite tv via Sky). Never had Sky at home so is a tad ironic that I moved here to get it- and Aaron is still in denial that it finally works!<br />
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And towards the front door and kitchen area.<br />
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I've been crashing in the spare room/ sunroom. All houses (if they have windows) have louvre windows and mosquito netting over them. This room is small but comfortable and I'll probably keep using it s my bedroom as it is lighter and brighter than the main bedroom Aaron has been using. I always like sunny houses so can't really see me moving into a dark room, even though it is on the cooler side of the house. I like sun damn it!<br />
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It is so warm you don't need top sheet on the bed. The first couple of nights I used a fan to keep the room cool but don't bother now. Temperate drops to a nice 27-28 degrees at night and there is often, but not always, a bit of a breeze to cool things off, so its not too uncomfortable :)<br />
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The house is surrounded by coconut palms- so need to remember not to stand under the trees. Nothing like picking up a freshly fallen coconut and drinking the milk! Yummmmmmm!!!!!! Fresh, chilled coconut milk is my new favourite drink.<br />
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There are also a few banana trees. The fruit is growing nicely. Fruit really is in short supply on the island so am looking forward to these ripening up...<br />
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We collect rainwater from the roof and have 3x large (10,000 litre?) tanks and one smaller one hooked up to the main supply. It hasn't rained since I've been here though. All water needs to be boiled, so boiling water for the morning and mixing up milk from milk powder for the next day are part of the evening routine.<br />
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There are a few dogs from the neighbour's that wander by for a visit. The black one, Sammy, is a bit of a favourite here. The dogs roam about where they like and there are usually dog fights most evenings/nights somewhere around us. There are three or four dogs further down our track to our house that rush out in the morning, barking and snarling. Some days though they let you past unmolested, other days they are in attack mode. Pretending to pick up a rock from the ground scares them off but can be a tad disconcerting when four come barreling out of nowhere.<br />
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Anyway, my house is nice and comfortable and has everything I need for the next year.<br />
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I popped down to the beach for surf after work tonight. The water is about 29 degrees. A couple of the local kids came out to join me on one of the old soft top boards a previous volunteer had left. There are a couple more of the soft-tops in the washhouse so will take them down for the kids to use when I got for a surf after work tomorrow.<br />
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Craig<br />
<br />Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-43410284548847780902018-02-07T12:03:00.002-08:002018-02-07T12:03:52.569-08:00Ferry disaster<div class="MsoNormal">
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One thing that has been going on here in Kiribati since I
arrived is the unfolding tragedy of the recent ferry disaster. A ferry with 85
people on board travelling between Nonousti (pronounced Na-noose) and South
Tarawa left port on January 18th for the two day journey to Betio (on South
Tarawa) but did not make it. Unfortunately, it was several days before the
ferry was reported missing and New Zealand (and later Australia, the US and
Taiwan) sent out planes to search for
the ferry and, once a lifeboat was located, other survivors. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I must admit I am not
one hundred percent up on the exact details but his terrible accident which has
been slowly unfolding here. I first learned of
the missing ferry while waiting for my plane at Auckland airport and have been
relying on news sources in New Zealand and the UK to keep up to latest developments. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p>Last week a week of prayer was declared in Kiribati and
there was, and continues to be, hope amongst the people that I have spoken to, that
further survivors will be found. On Tuesday night they played on national radio
here an interview with the survivors. As it was in e-Kiribati I have only heard
second hand what they reported as having occurred after the ferry sank, but to
say it was a harrowing ordeal for the survivors is truly an understatement. It
appears that the ferry in question was not sea worthy, shouldn't have left port, and that those on board
tried to warn the captain that the hull was cracking and that they should turn back but they were ignored with
terrible, terrible consequences.<a href="https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/pacific/349690/reports-turn-back-pleas-ignored-by-kiribati-ferry-captain">See here for details. </a></div>
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Unfortunately, a number of those missing and presumed
drowned, were school children heading to South Tarawa for the new school year. A
terrible incident like this will, and does, reverberate throughout a small close knit country like Kiribati and no doubt many, many families are directly affected by
it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The cabinet has declared three days of mourning and today has
been declared a public holiday to remember those that have perished in this
terrible tragedy. May they rest in peace.</div>
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Craig<o:p></o:p></div>
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Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-87245084395278798852018-02-07T02:01:00.000-08:002018-02-07T02:01:11.816-08:00North Tarawa<div class="MsoNormal">
Last weekend we were taken to a village on the island
of Nabeina in North Tarawa for the
weekend to complete our week long orientation programme. We were picked up by
boat abut 4pm and whisked across the lagoon to North Tarawa. We stayed in one
of the local villages with the family of Motire, who had been our guide for the
week, navigating us through the various government departments getting various
forms stamped, helping to get my work permit, as well as a drivers licence,
bank accounts etc. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi4D1nVWYrVxpTnagZONg80cVNIqefzIm7GqJw3l6NJ6cywGf6c3EZYRdlOoCvf9L-1cOMfR_Nh-MaHerd7eKpLZ3MwmzFjDIr2y9JJtjegZJVqsWAdCR3YcCuDmR_ZkK0aFyRzsDsBN3/s1600/North+Tarawa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi4D1nVWYrVxpTnagZONg80cVNIqefzIm7GqJw3l6NJ6cywGf6c3EZYRdlOoCvf9L-1cOMfR_Nh-MaHerd7eKpLZ3MwmzFjDIr2y9JJtjegZJVqsWAdCR3YcCuDmR_ZkK0aFyRzsDsBN3/s320/North+Tarawa2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the family huts.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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North Tarawa is a real contrast to South Tarawa. South
Tarawa is quite noisy and crowded; land
is at a premium so there are huts and houses everywhere. Young kids and dogs
wander about and there is a constant background hum of cars and vans (used
locally as buses) travelling along the main road linking the islands, people
and music. North Tarawa on the other
hand was a tranquil haven, an insight into how life would have been like prior
to the rapid population growth of the past few decades. The village was spread
out with huts tucked between coconut and pandanas trees. The buildings were
mainly made using traditional methods and materials- pandanas thatch for rooves
and coconut logs for the foundations and each hut has a mat of woven pandanas
leaves on the floor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47UnLthtDffspQZvy9WUJNUSr7v8EC906hBdqQ9-_Fbzj9LRdLyf01E-Q87u15YFQ14ld4eOI-QXBeqaY5GDC65WS4R5RfPRafktM_ZPsQtZqX8D0C2dp44FnhK29VEaGbXRFXKzJY9st/s1600/North+Tarawa3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47UnLthtDffspQZvy9WUJNUSr7v8EC906hBdqQ9-_Fbzj9LRdLyf01E-Q87u15YFQ14ld4eOI-QXBeqaY5GDC65WS4R5RfPRafktM_ZPsQtZqX8D0C2dp44FnhK29VEaGbXRFXKzJY9st/s320/North+Tarawa3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hut at night.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When we arrived it was high tide so I swam in the causeway
between the islands, the water was up to my neck and it must have been 400 or
more metres cross to the next island. The following day I was able to walk
around this area at low tide without getting my feet wet! So there was at least
a 5ft tidal range between low and high tides.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x3X0pGJsFp9j097SE-XvPLB8qSJjqB8qEF00Y-5_cq3v6c32_VIwjYS0DEMMGqHAqUH3TeL1B8TyatSapVym30e461f76lWWFqV79Lz_39PXeTykFAH7f3OulwG9sG2wumHiXJLyfLOM/s1600/North+Tarawa6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x3X0pGJsFp9j097SE-XvPLB8qSJjqB8qEF00Y-5_cq3v6c32_VIwjYS0DEMMGqHAqUH3TeL1B8TyatSapVym30e461f76lWWFqV79Lz_39PXeTykFAH7f3OulwG9sG2wumHiXJLyfLOM/s320/North+Tarawa6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lagoon at low tide, at high tide this was 5' or so deep.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Life really seemed to be dictated by the ebb and flow of the
tides and it was hard to even imagine the hustle and bustle of South Tarawa was
just across the lagoon. We stayed in traditional huts with thatched pandanas
palm rooves. The huts were open sided, raised off the ground, with woven thatch
mats on top of coconut log foundations. The locals use moveable screens made from woven
pandanas (used much as as flax is back home as a general purpose material for
weaving) that they hang to create walls to screen the sun and breezes. The huts
were so much cooler than the corrugated iron and concrete house I’m living in
and no doubt the other corrugated iron roofed houses on South Tarawa. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6YXD29T3qpTjA_PPl5NMS6Aka4VjnPKV8lcsNNM3YK1JEi60NLxGilwOHYMXWCwy0f1n9ELuwtbWLoS0VLH7dPPsMxojT0NA-rjstcTFfY5eLQ6LK4xl_FzolnaAY35IpjWvGqtsd_RI/s1600/North+Tarawa9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6YXD29T3qpTjA_PPl5NMS6Aka4VjnPKV8lcsNNM3YK1JEi60NLxGilwOHYMXWCwy0f1n9ELuwtbWLoS0VLH7dPPsMxojT0NA-rjstcTFfY5eLQ6LK4xl_FzolnaAY35IpjWvGqtsd_RI/s320/North+Tarawa9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Screens woven from pandanas.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CEJOl827Qnlr6uQbKFOJb2Od3xf2XwJOC2UdkYGqQUqtuGdvW6YDd-d_Oyp9KlKyWMan1JtSCgJ4lxwKMkgo9esSyshpF8o40OrsooLOgrdAPaE4-mrw4qrdH2V9wfTbgGZDMYD1IQmw/s1600/North+Tarawa4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="527" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4CEJOl827Qnlr6uQbKFOJb2Od3xf2XwJOC2UdkYGqQUqtuGdvW6YDd-d_Oyp9KlKyWMan1JtSCgJ4lxwKMkgo9esSyshpF8o40OrsooLOgrdAPaE4-mrw4qrdH2V9wfTbgGZDMYD1IQmw/s320/North+Tarawa4.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Collecting todi (coconut sap)<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We spent the weekend getting an insight into village, and
Kiribati, life. On Saturday morning I was up early and went with Motire’s
brother to climb a coconut tree to harvest the sweet sap, called todi, used as
a sugar alternative- and is very nice on pancakes!. After that we spent a
couple of hours fishing in the lagoon, using nets to catch, small agile fish. I
was amazed at how quickly the water level dropped on the outgoing tide, the
area that we were wading through up to our knees was soon exposed coral and
sand. In the afternoon we learned how to weave rope together out of the fibre
of coconuts and also wove screens/mats using the ubiquitous pandanas tree
leaves. Later in the afternoon Motire’s brother took me to the taro pit and
showed me how they grow taro. We were up to out knees in warm, thick mud
putting a mix of mud and leaves around the base of the taro to add nutrients. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our final activity of the day was a brief language lesson
then as the tide rose again in the late afternoon Motire’s brother took us
around the island to the next causeway in his boat to the aptly named Broken
bridge. Broken bridge is the remains of a concrete bridge that once linked the
islands, its central span long gone and the remaining concrete slabs tilted at funny angles on the
piles. Apparently the bridge was built by the Japanese in World War two but has
long ago fallen into disrepair. The rising tide was moving through the central
gap with quite a current. The water was deep, crystal clear and about 28
degrees! Perfect! It was a fantastic spot
to cool off after another hot Tarawa day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMYf0IpUBA4QCiQAGQVeMvxQKAM2-yJnOmx0xYviFvVKbpO923PB6xYg8HB-GNtN9yAeAlPGwoMRWmvqL1cHLBnK4fnAG5GUo9fI5pS_MEGIzwFdUV75EQsaava4ZD_pVGY6WAVpNlprg/s1600/North+Tarawa7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="625" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMYf0IpUBA4QCiQAGQVeMvxQKAM2-yJnOmx0xYviFvVKbpO923PB6xYg8HB-GNtN9yAeAlPGwoMRWmvqL1cHLBnK4fnAG5GUo9fI5pS_MEGIzwFdUV75EQsaava4ZD_pVGY6WAVpNlprg/s320/North+Tarawa7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Buia's (Huts) near broken bridge<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Between each activity there was plenty of down time to rest or
wander the lagoon. Motire’s family would cook meals of locally grown produce and
fish that they had caught themselves. We
shared our meals with Motire’s mother and then after we had finished the rest
of the family came together at the dining hut to eat. This took a wee bit of
getting used to for me, used to sharing meals together, but it was a sign of
respect for guests. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday was a pretty lazy day. We had a culture lesson in the
open-sided village meeting house, called a maneaba in the morning. The maneaba
was an impressive building and is the central heart of the village. The high,
thatched roof was formed from coconut wood and held together with woven coconut
string, only the most skilled men were allowed to work on its construction. The
structure rests of five or six large blocks of coral on each of the side walls
and there is a gap of about 3-4 ft at the sides so guests must stoop and bow to
enter. In the maneaba we learned about the protocols, the dos and don’ts, the
processes of meetings, where people sit and how decisions are made. In South
Tarawa one must walk motorcycles or bikes, or drive a car very slowly, past a
Maneaba when a meeting is in session. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IuiYgVNA8lg-XRltjqZfzKe7V7nIXPo-TzIkH25YJJF8QAp4HqMIqhVaaoUjF_JHEnmMtp279abL2VSfjAdEc7ACO1iLKOntjZ2E60qQgVNevARQrZwSTliB7xjcQ1QomQA9sfSJKws3/s1600/North+Tarawa5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IuiYgVNA8lg-XRltjqZfzKe7V7nIXPo-TzIkH25YJJF8QAp4HqMIqhVaaoUjF_JHEnmMtp279abL2VSfjAdEc7ACO1iLKOntjZ2E60qQgVNevARQrZwSTliB7xjcQ1QomQA9sfSJKws3/s320/North+Tarawa5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">A well in the village<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That was our last lesson but as the tide had dropped we had
the rest of the day to relax, read in our huts, or wander the lagoon until it
was time to head back to South Tarawa on the rising tide late in the afternoon.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7V-keRBeJfQg6LaafhrELu4W5ROmMYP7AUUoCrzCUCHbGWW8RsZRdIcPVOgHChjOudMkX7r8Ujpwpu_vsaALfdniWI4AXeCCgP6cIoY7yDgsILIkNdkiEnGzHC2H0nZVlCJhxVjBV3Ini/s1600/North+Tarawa8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7V-keRBeJfQg6LaafhrELu4W5ROmMYP7AUUoCrzCUCHbGWW8RsZRdIcPVOgHChjOudMkX7r8Ujpwpu_vsaALfdniWI4AXeCCgP6cIoY7yDgsILIkNdkiEnGzHC2H0nZVlCJhxVjBV3Ini/s320/North+Tarawa8.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on the first day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having the opportunity to stay for a weekend in a local
village, learn a bit about and try some of the activities the villagers do as part of their everyday
lives was a real privilege and gave me a small window into a very, very
different way of life to that which I am used to. I thoroughly enjoyed the
whole experience, it was a fantastic weekend and great way to finish off our
first week in Kiribati. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
Craig<br /><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-50988566767091165242018-01-31T21:01:00.001-08:002018-02-01T00:56:05.663-08:00Settling in<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's been an interesting first few days settling in. The other new volunteer Roi and I have been visiting the other volunteers at their jobs, getting my visa done, opening bank accounts, getting safety briefings from the police and the NZ High Commission as well as finding out where to buy different every day items from- no one place has everything so it looks like it will be a bit of round trip doing grocery shops as well as meeting with our new employers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I am settling in and really enjoying it so far, it has exceeded my expectations and I'm already starting to enjoy the pace of life. The heat too has not been as bad as I'd expected, sure it is hot and humid but not unbearably so. I have a fan on in my room when I first go to bed but end up turning it off in the middle of the night.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have met the other volunteers, there are 4 of us Kiwis, as well as three of four Aussies all doing different roles, spread the length and breadth of South Tarawa. On Tuesday evening Aaron, the guy whose accommodation I am taking over when he leaves in a couple of weeks, took us to a farewell for a British volunteer. We also met a Japanese doctor volunteering at one of the local hospitals there. They hooked up a sheet in the backyard and used a projector to play a movie on. We sat under the stars in the backyard, surrounded by coconut an other trees watching a movie, it was a really great evening. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over the past few days we've been travelling up and down the main road quite a bit and I'm starting to get my bearings. The main road along South Tarawa has recently been resealed and is in good condition apart from the Nippon Causeway section which is under repair and will be for quite some time yet. In some parts of the trip along the islets you are able to look one way across the island turn your head and seeing the other shore! The islands are literally only a few hundred metres across at their widest point. This week there have been king tides so the water has been unusually high but fortunately there has been little wind so no swells have been pushed up over the roads and into people's homes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tomorrow I am going across the lagoon to North Tarawa for a couple of nights as the final part of theorientation and then work begins properly next Monday.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My new home- we had to tie my surfboard on the roof with my legrope for the trip from the airport.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFzGga9u-NWd82PEpo6IjQjFlXTYib5B6qt2UIa_hJKwlCSagJgxaKXaUQ8BfOW55BmcRx9SeoUuqEphcePsHe0pWPO0QOUir8IIZZcnYL9OutwVmyX6LvvDHmkBnY_Oaj8j8IyLHY3pL/s1600/My+new+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGFzGga9u-NWd82PEpo6IjQjFlXTYib5B6qt2UIa_hJKwlCSagJgxaKXaUQ8BfOW55BmcRx9SeoUuqEphcePsHe0pWPO0QOUir8IIZZcnYL9OutwVmyX6LvvDHmkBnY_Oaj8j8IyLHY3pL/s320/My+new+home.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yesterday we stopped at at small cafe near the airport called Titarbakti (Starbucks) for lunch.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDykIQ8Tf151Vg51VgIYccXWxGxVZcmz1yb8UOdmTfIdPdGXPA1QMw0ARK_-5-ochKyHL-il720A28x0pX4mn_h2BLzw51gkyMYB2DYetYnhtxkRyeev-MfFyE48_TK18qnrzbt3PZABI/s1600/Starbucks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDykIQ8Tf151Vg51VgIYccXWxGxVZcmz1yb8UOdmTfIdPdGXPA1QMw0ARK_-5-ochKyHL-il720A28x0pX4mn_h2BLzw51gkyMYB2DYetYnhtxkRyeev-MfFyE48_TK18qnrzbt3PZABI/s320/Starbucks.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last night Aaron removed this from Roi's bathroom, a rather large spider.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0j5Pq7_YG-Jej3CLcQgeLidXOuzAbUHqTI9KN2lGFZDhGsqWJsniNjubS7oUE9v_-7SiFLDRiMIBAnKRC2reYK6VfzrOYfeANPDaIvFyBQP8LT5Yr-YD46lexfun8bZBejc6SU0-CLPG/s1600/Look+what+we+found.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0j5Pq7_YG-Jej3CLcQgeLidXOuzAbUHqTI9KN2lGFZDhGsqWJsniNjubS7oUE9v_-7SiFLDRiMIBAnKRC2reYK6VfzrOYfeANPDaIvFyBQP8LT5Yr-YD46lexfun8bZBejc6SU0-CLPG/s320/Look+what+we+found.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Craig</span>Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934095822912425839.post-91955629046875719232018-01-29T01:48:00.001-08:002018-01-29T01:48:08.836-08:00Kiribati at last<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, it is 9pm on my first night in Kiribati. I've made it at last. The long journey to get to this point has ended and a new chapter in my life is just beginning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday morning, Julie
and I were up at 5am and I drove to CHCH. From there it was a flight to Auckland and a couple of hours
layover before the flight to Kiribati.In Fiji I met with a consultant on her way to Kiribati and she shouted me dinner. She had done some work for the Marine Training Centre so it was good to get some information about the place and what to expect.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another early start today. At the airport or 6am start and a three hour flight north to Tarawa. I me the other volunteer at Fiji airport. The three hour flight north was uneventful and we were met at the airport by Linda from Mary's motel who took us to the motel in Bairiki. The only issue was getting my surfboard on board as there was no roof rack but we managed to tie it onto the roof using my leg rope. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kiribati was hot </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and sunny, much as I expected. Getting off the plane I was struck by a wall of heat moderated
by a sea breeze blowing across from the ocean so it wasn't too humid and sticky but even so the heat will take a bit of getting used to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the airport we had a couple of hours to relax, so I had a nap then went for a walk along the man road to suss out the place a bit. After that we were taken to our rental accommodation and I met the volunteer, Aaron, whose house I will be taking over when he finishes soon. The accommodation seems fine and I will post pictures when I can. Then it was back to the motel and dinner and am now just relaxing and will have an early night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is great to finally reach here and be under way. I've a few days of orientation ahead, I am meeting the Captain Superintendent at the Marine Training Centre in the morning so hope to have a better idea of what my role will entail from that meeting. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pbCAX8JkcOtBpnpZ8XhIzY7wIswS-ADupjlpcplBLCgRyLoOwHxTbqclHthIYpkKYRAwZ0rQ1j_j7oFoy0M770jo_TwVKQ9wGhXVLPFugE88nFHWOn1oSxd_j4e_elpuTEqDMhcuqD-L/s1600/Kiribati+Day+1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pbCAX8JkcOtBpnpZ8XhIzY7wIswS-ADupjlpcplBLCgRyLoOwHxTbqclHthIYpkKYRAwZ0rQ1j_j7oFoy0M770jo_TwVKQ9wGhXVLPFugE88nFHWOn1oSxd_j4e_elpuTEqDMhcuqD-L/s320/Kiribati+Day+1-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road winds its way along the causeway linking the islets. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KS5BNct8-ULxCOMI1Lpe3KsP1FoVfJoplW-MBa1kpr06XWdpgV3q0QJjKBHvK33Mxs6p_eUpDrZU9HmC6HaS2y_vClvR6StVwnczcTT8JP6JwSSahkd-antGoSHZAi3dyyxgmc9smVub/s1600/Kiribati+Day+1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KS5BNct8-ULxCOMI1Lpe3KsP1FoVfJoplW-MBa1kpr06XWdpgV3q0QJjKBHvK33Mxs6p_eUpDrZU9HmC6HaS2y_vClvR6StVwnczcTT8JP6JwSSahkd-antGoSHZAi3dyyxgmc9smVub/s320/Kiribati+Day+1-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view along the main road which has recently been resurfaced by a NZ company. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWMGk3WtiyOk0j2PC4yZEqThKj7NQtaYHcRnopF_oMpMms-qvOF3uQCD7PywbU4MSIlqc99MQX9H_Q5p0eZSuzaiuFUCwxGZQLz9YFQf7lGpwSdnYQ1qMtjGUJCn73RkN7m9vVtY0noKC/s1600/Kiribati+Day+1-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWMGk3WtiyOk0j2PC4yZEqThKj7NQtaYHcRnopF_oMpMms-qvOF3uQCD7PywbU4MSIlqc99MQX9H_Q5p0eZSuzaiuFUCwxGZQLz9YFQf7lGpwSdnYQ1qMtjGUJCn73RkN7m9vVtY0noKC/s320/Kiribati+Day+1-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on my first day in Tarawa.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Craig</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Craig Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14592543210821530318noreply@blogger.com0