One of the orchids flowering in the orchid HouseWednesday 20th May
It’s been a quiet week in Honiara so far. Only 2 murders, one in Cenral Market, idiots drunk on kwaso having a fight with bushknives, and one in East Honiara same cause. Plus one serious wounding in Chinatown Friday night, young teacher from Western Province stabbed 18 times while walking over the bridge in the early evening. Same cause in that one as well, idiots drunk on kwaso.
It’s no wonder I don’t or can’t be bothered going out of an evening. Too many people with bushkinives wandering around and you never know just what is happening in their heads at any time.
Had lunch today with Peter and Steve. Peter has had a good visit, caught up with all the VSA people in country, and is happy with what is happening so far.
It’s surprising how every occupation has it’s own in-house jokes, that in any other group would have people being shocked/horrified/disgusted. I’m happy to say VSA staff have a really good sense of the ridiculous, I’m not too sure about the people in the office back in Wellington, but the field staff certainly have a slightly off beat twist to the humour.
Our little Rover Mulcher is back working again, I’m picking it will a be monthly maintenance job replacing the shafts, if I could get hold of a mig welder I could modify the design a little to stop the problem, we’re looking for one here now. I’ve written to Rover Industries again with a query on how long the shafts should last, but if their last reply was anything to go by, I’m not expecting anything back. Great machine, crap customer relations. And I think 40 hours use isn’t a great deal of time to be paying out $750 for 3 shafts to get it running again. As I said, it’s a slight design problem with the cutter blades spinning hard on fixed shafts, I’m going to try welding the blades to the spacers so there is a wider surface in contact with the shaft.
Peter has been in contact with Wellington Botanic Gardens, well, they contacted him the week before he left, wondering if VSA had any people that would be interested in working at the Wellington Gardens for a month as exchange students, all expenses paid. It’s part of their outreach programme for the South Pacific, and they are after local people working in similar situations to be part of the training there.
I’ll have to wait for Peter to get back to NZ in the next week, and he is going to follow up, and pass my contact details to WBG. It is looking good for Jennifer and Imelda to get a month in NZ, although I don’t think they’ll be thanking me for the weather in Wellington when they get there. Ok, I know Wellington can be absolutely fabulous at times, but also bloody wet and windy at other times. Plus my son lives there, so it can’t all be bad.
We’ve got Andrew and Emorys applications to be filled out and put in, for them to hopefully get a place in Otago Polytech for the Aboriculture course next year. I had a look at the forms, and decided that while the words may be English, the way they are put together made toktok look simple to understand. Tiffany is going to fill them out, all I have to do is write the recommendation letters.
The beach football (futsal, like soccer) competitions are on in Honiara this week. So far one team has been banned, and 2 players banned for life for attacking the referee and breaking his arm after a match they lost. It seems to be quite common here, one team was banned for life last year, all the players, for a similar occurrence.
As for the rugby Stadium, I found out that all the rugby players come from Rennel/Bellona Province, mostly Polynesians, and they tend to end up in New Zealand or Australia if they are reasonably good. Steve thinks the Solomon Govt should put in for the Rugby World Cup for whenever once the stadium is built. It’s probably the only time it’ll be used.
It can be extremely frustrating dealing in toktok with shopkeepers when you want something technical. I’m after a ring compressor for the stihl weedeater and chainsaw motors, so we can do a complete service, replace the rings bearings etc. Toktok doesn’t have words for “ringcompressor” so it’s a lot of “small fella hem move updown and hem need small fella ring around hem stop hem oil blong hem come out. To puttem back we need hem small fella long tube tight around ring blong small fella go updown” Or words to that effect. Needless to say, I’m still looking. They don’t use them in the repair shops here, the usual method is to tie a tin can around with string, and drive the piston through that into the cylinder. I’m just being fussy I suppose in wanting the right tools.
It’s been a quiet week in Honiara so far. Only 2 murders, one in Cenral Market, idiots drunk on kwaso having a fight with bushknives, and one in East Honiara same cause. Plus one serious wounding in Chinatown Friday night, young teacher from Western Province stabbed 18 times while walking over the bridge in the early evening. Same cause in that one as well, idiots drunk on kwaso.
It’s no wonder I don’t or can’t be bothered going out of an evening. Too many people with bushkinives wandering around and you never know just what is happening in their heads at any time.
Had lunch today with Peter and Steve. Peter has had a good visit, caught up with all the VSA people in country, and is happy with what is happening so far.
It’s surprising how every occupation has it’s own in-house jokes, that in any other group would have people being shocked/horrified/disgusted. I’m happy to say VSA staff have a really good sense of the ridiculous, I’m not too sure about the people in the office back in Wellington, but the field staff certainly have a slightly off beat twist to the humour.
Our little Rover Mulcher is back working again, I’m picking it will a be monthly maintenance job replacing the shafts, if I could get hold of a mig welder I could modify the design a little to stop the problem, we’re looking for one here now. I’ve written to Rover Industries again with a query on how long the shafts should last, but if their last reply was anything to go by, I’m not expecting anything back. Great machine, crap customer relations. And I think 40 hours use isn’t a great deal of time to be paying out $750 for 3 shafts to get it running again. As I said, it’s a slight design problem with the cutter blades spinning hard on fixed shafts, I’m going to try welding the blades to the spacers so there is a wider surface in contact with the shaft.
Peter has been in contact with Wellington Botanic Gardens, well, they contacted him the week before he left, wondering if VSA had any people that would be interested in working at the Wellington Gardens for a month as exchange students, all expenses paid. It’s part of their outreach programme for the South Pacific, and they are after local people working in similar situations to be part of the training there.
I’ll have to wait for Peter to get back to NZ in the next week, and he is going to follow up, and pass my contact details to WBG. It is looking good for Jennifer and Imelda to get a month in NZ, although I don’t think they’ll be thanking me for the weather in Wellington when they get there. Ok, I know Wellington can be absolutely fabulous at times, but also bloody wet and windy at other times. Plus my son lives there, so it can’t all be bad.
We’ve got Andrew and Emorys applications to be filled out and put in, for them to hopefully get a place in Otago Polytech for the Aboriculture course next year. I had a look at the forms, and decided that while the words may be English, the way they are put together made toktok look simple to understand. Tiffany is going to fill them out, all I have to do is write the recommendation letters.
The beach football (futsal, like soccer) competitions are on in Honiara this week. So far one team has been banned, and 2 players banned for life for attacking the referee and breaking his arm after a match they lost. It seems to be quite common here, one team was banned for life last year, all the players, for a similar occurrence.
As for the rugby Stadium, I found out that all the rugby players come from Rennel/Bellona Province, mostly Polynesians, and they tend to end up in New Zealand or Australia if they are reasonably good. Steve thinks the Solomon Govt should put in for the Rugby World Cup for whenever once the stadium is built. It’s probably the only time it’ll be used.
It can be extremely frustrating dealing in toktok with shopkeepers when you want something technical. I’m after a ring compressor for the stihl weedeater and chainsaw motors, so we can do a complete service, replace the rings bearings etc. Toktok doesn’t have words for “ringcompressor” so it’s a lot of “small fella hem move updown and hem need small fella ring around hem stop hem oil blong hem come out. To puttem back we need hem small fella long tube tight around ring blong small fella go updown” Or words to that effect. Needless to say, I’m still looking. They don’t use them in the repair shops here, the usual method is to tie a tin can around with string, and drive the piston through that into the cylinder. I’m just being fussy I suppose in wanting the right tools.
A word of caution. Our Telekom here charge you for incoming calls on a mobile as well as outgoing. Rose rang on Mothers Day so I could talk to Mum, it ate all of the $50 I’d just put on the phone the week before. Very frustrating and expensive. If I’d known before hand, I’d have rung Mum from the public phone box, it would have been cheaper at $10 a minute.
I’m wondering if the Calling cards will work here, I’ve not seen them on sale anywhere, but it’s possible they will work. I’ll have to stock up on a couple when I get a break at the 12month mark. As well as all the other stuff I’m getting a list of.
Go out with an empty suitcase, come back over weight with tools, cigarette lighters, bic pens, Champion fruit juicer.
One more day to go, then another weekend on Savo, orchids and fishing, I’ll be in heaven.
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