Wednesday 6th January

6am. I missed getting the Solomon Star Yesterday, so all I have to go by regarding the earthquake in Western Province is what I found online. I’ll try and get a Star today which should have a lot more detail by now.

We had several shakes last night here in Honiara, about 10pm, midnight and 4am, just the usual small ones that make everything rattle a bit and the house feels like it is sitting on a jelly. No doubt we are going to have a larger shake at sometime, I’ve been trying to estimate the times between the really big ones here, that lift the reef up 300’ each time. I think every 1,000 years or so, judging by the forest growth on the hills that are formed, and if the Botanic Gardens are anything to go by, a good large quake is due anytime.

I actually started putting together an emergency kit last night, well, I looked around the house to find stuff to make an emergency kit with. It was a choice between putting the fishing gear somewhere easy to grab, a few clothes, a back pack, and that was it. I don’t have much to save, cameras, laptop, and fishing rods will be about it.

I’ve started putting together a presentation for the schools, all the photos I’ve taken over the years in Ireland/Australia/USA/New Zealand and here are finally becoming useful. It makes it easy to show the difference between cities as far as rubbish and pollution and general appearance. Honiara really compares badly with anywhere I have lived or been. I am staying away from the AGW rubbish, and going back to the original Greenpeace slogan, Think Global, Act Local mantra. If I can get the younger school kids started on keeping every clean eventually things might improve, although it is going to be a long term proposition. There is no sense of belonging in Honiara, it is just a town that everyone comes to for shopping or employment, and there is nothing else to give any sense of belonging.

Another reason for wanting more Solomon Island artwork out in public, I know it will probably get damaged to begin with, but eventually people might start appreciating and taking some pride in things.

I get really annoyed with the casual attitude towards things here at times. We employed a lady to keep Commonwealth Ave clean, and I admit it isn’t the most glamorous of jobs, sweeping a street and picking up the rubbish that people drop. Good pay, 5 days a week permanent work, and things started off well, but now it has got to non appearances, no notice about being away, and even when she is there, it is like playing hide and seek. The problem isn’t helped by the fact that employing her was Keithie and Bruces idea, they are paying her wages and Tiff and I are the ones that hear about the absences and non performance. Coupled with the predjudice and colonialism it makes a long hard road getting anything for the work crew. I did have reservations about the person David suggested we employ, I pass on the comments to him now and let him deal with it so he can see the consequences of his actions a bit better, instead of hiding behind the “I am only here to plant trees” excuse. He’s paid supervisors wages, he can start to earn them now.

I think I need a holiday, I’m starting to sound like a grumpy old man.

The hardest thing about working as an Advisor here is not doing things, and letting, or getting the locals to do it instead. I could take over, and do everything, but once I leave, it will all fall apart and revert back to Solomon Island casualness. While it’s frustrating trying to steer people indo doing something, once the idea or concept is put in place, and works, it is accepted and carried on with. At times I feel as if the baseball bat method of teaching is applicable, keep hitting them till they do it. But there have been some changes, and all good ones. Just not enough to satisfy me at present. I’m too impatient at times with what I can see, and want to do, and trying to get the idea through to the people I work with.