I walked back from town tonight, about 4pm, I’m acclimatised to it now, in that I didn’t break out in the drenching sweat I used to a year ago, but it was still hot. When you can drink 2 litre bottles of coke and still feel thirsty, and it doesn’t make it through your system either, it’s time to take a break and find somewhere shady to sit. I’m back to the 3 – 4 litres of cold coffee a day again, like this time last year, I don’t seem to be sweating it out, but it’s not making it through the system.
Picked up my necklace tonight, I’m a bit annoyed, Julie was going to make my design with the frigate bird pattern, then for some reason stayed traditional and put crosses in it instead, ok, she took a few hundred off the price, and gave me another necklace and bracelet as well with it. At the rate I’m collecting shell money, I’ll be able to afford an ugly pig soon. If anyone is interested in knowing, well, I’ll tell anyway, bride price is worked out on the age of the girl, then other stuff gets added in. Can she wash, cook, garden, how much would it cost her parents to replace her and pay someone to do the same work etc. Basic bride price seems to start around $20,000, with about $10,000 in shell money, and up to $30,000 in red money ($100 notes) for the wantok. Some of the other provinces have different systems, Malaita is the main one for shell money, Temotu has red feather money, long woven lengths of bird feathers. Rennell Bellona are more Polynesian, it was more of a barter system, or general sharing of resources, from what Tiffany and David have said. There are a lot of “Bush Marriages”, where the couple just move in together, it can lead to some trouble with the wantok, but if you’re one of the many with no land, no employment, it’s the only alternative.
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I finished the article for the Solomon Star, if it is published in tomorrows paper I’ll post the link in here.
Tiffany and David haven’t left yet. The boat was meant to sail Tuesday afternoon, that got postponed till Wednesday, now it’s meant to go Thursday afternoon. At this rate they will be lucky to get any time away at Bellona. They are due back next Wednesday, then Tiff goes to Brisbane for a week to do some shopping for the Nursery equipment, well, more to say hello to the people I’ve got everything ordered through. Hopefully she’ll have a week with one day or so with Nursery stuff to do, the rest of the time she can catch up with her wantok that are there.
With the elections still a few months away, all the expat community, including the RAMSI people with partners here are being advised to either take a month away where-ever, or move to a central secure area during the election. Being at the bottom of the social order as a volunteer, I get a whistle, and the promise that if anything happens, I’ll be cremated and the ashes sent back to New Zealand. If it does start to look a bit dangerous, I’ll probably move up to Steves and camp out there for a week or so behind the fence with all his wantok.
I don’t think it will be like 2006, but it can be a very volatile place, there is a lot of frustration with the lack of progress despite all the aid money coming in. It comes in, but never seems to get used for whatever it is meant for. Or else diverted to other uses.
The school holidays start next week, which means next terms school fees are due. If you are a palangi and anyone comes up and starts talking to you in the street now, you can guarantee that the conversation will eventually turn into “Can you give me $700 for my sons/daughters school fees?” Or, “Would you like to buy carvings/shell money/paintings so I can pay school fees?” My usual answer is “Mifala lookem like RAMSI? Mifala Aid advaesa, not RAMSI, sore, no seleni nomoa fo givem away” Eventually they realise I’m not going to help and they give up, but some are more persistent. I haven’t had any come to the house at night lately, the security guys are keeping them out of the Ba’hai area for now.
Steve got hassled the other morning near Chinatown. He walks in the mornings, to get his blood pressure and weight down, and he has lost a lot of weight too. Anyway, he was near the bridge, and a group of teenagers, all dreadlocks and attitude surrounded him with the usual “Give us money whitefala” stuff. Steve was bought up in Palau, and speaks pijin better than most islanders do, so he had all the replies and stuff, and eventually got away without any major trouble. There was a police truck came past, they stopped, asked Steve if there had been any trouble, and should they go and give the kids the bash to sort them out? About 6 large Policemen, a couple of Australian, Papua, and local guys. Steve said not to bother, he has to walk through there every day, so why get too well known.
Other than the couple of times I’ve been in Central Market, I’ve not been hassled, the scruffy long haired appearance may help with that, I don’t look remotely like a RAMSI person, and a bit of pijin toktok helps.
Have a Happy Easter, take care, Hi to Pete and Katja, send pics of the new bus please Pete, Gytha, Rhonda, Mum, Rose, Damian Jesse, Kahu, Tarsha, Hayden and Leigh, John and Sylvia, Lou and Scott and Zambezi, Kelly Alex, Atia Dascha, Jerome, Fionn, Libby, Al, Dave, Chip, Chris, Mike, Joe Pastry,and everyone else .
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