Sunday 8th November

I can’t wait for the rains. Today would have to have been the hottest I have felt it here since I arrived. I woke about 4am sweating on top of the bed, ceiling fan just pushing dry hot air over me, and it never got cooler all day.

I’m afraid I’m settling into a routine on Sundays, Kukum Fish Market about 9am, chat to the stall holders, ask hao mus hemifala, wander along the stalls, I usually buy pretty much the same things, pineapple, bananas, bok choy, stuff that looks like spinach, pawpaw, cucumber, kumara, and I notice I’m finding the same stall holders each week, even if they move up or down the street. The slight discount doesn’t sound much, a dollar or two off stuff, but it’s more the feeling of belonging instead of the full price I see some of the other palangi paying. Being of a decidely non-RAMSI appearance probably helps as well, I’m certainly not close cropped hair and clean pressed clothes with a Pajero 4x4 parked beside the road.

I almost went to the beach, but the thought of driving for 45 minutes, paying out $20 and putting up with the conversation from the other palangi on the beach changed my mind. Plus knowing the sea would be almost as warm as the air, the sun is behind the beach now, and the palms and trees along the beaches cast shadows over the sand all day. I’m going to be going back to NZ on holiday looking paler than when I left.

I’ve still got the geckos inside, well, most of them, haven’t seen the big ones yet, but 3 of the small ones are still wandering over the ceiling and walls. Hopefully the termite spray hasn’t killed them off, I’ll be finding dead bodies under the fridge and stove no doubt sometime.

A bit more on time definitions. Zoe (thank you) summed it up with “tomorrow” means “not today” it does not necessarily mean the next day. I’m going to write a few up and send to VSA for a page filler for the VSA Magazine, although I’m sure it has been done before.

A few pictures, I know I’ve been really slack with pictures lately, of the crew cleaning up along the road frontage by Iron Bottom Sound Hotel. And my bestest friend Adrian, the man I’ll probably either hang for killing, or be awarded a medal for doing it. He decided Jacks betel nut stained teeth were a disgrace, well, ok, most of everyones teeth here are, so Adrian turned up with a new toothbrush, bi-carb and vinegar, and got Jack to scrub his teeth with the bi-carb, then rinse with vinegar. I was close to starting the chainsaw up and cutting Adrian into small pieces.