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. One of the family huts. 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 rapi...