Papa'a Time!

Today at 1.51pm we are to hold 2 minutes silence in memory of those who have lost their lives in Christchurch.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all involved.


I've learned recently the new terminology of 'Papa'a Time'.  Papa'a being the Cook Island Maori equivalent of Pakeha (white person).  You've all no doubt heard of island time, where time is a rather fluid concept, well papa'a time is a terminology used when 5 minutes MEANS 5 minutes.  Having conducted a recent 2 day workshop I wondered why, after breaking for, what I thought was, a 15 minute morning tea break the participants started drifting back in after about 20 minutes.  I was subtely told that I needed to specifiy that breaks were on Papa'a time.  So when I indicated 30 minutes for lunch, I meant 30 minutes!

Mind you, and the reason they needed longer for morning tea is that the other oddity here is that the big meal of the day is had mid morning, not noonish.  I was initially flabergasted when the locals would tuck into huge meals mid morning and said to myself that it's no wonder there is an obesity problem here.  But apparently that's the norm.  I do note that I certainly haven't been able to face a big breakfast waking in mid 20 degree heat, by come 10ish I'm starving!

Janine, a colleague Matt, and I competed in a mini triathalon on the weekend.  It was a 200m swim, 8 km, cycle, and 2kn run - which sounds easy...doesn't it?!  That's what I thought when we registered and thus I hadn't done any training.  What I wasn't counting on was the heat at 2.00pm (race time) and how much older I am now than when I last did one!  We also had to use my mountain bike which was like using a tractor in a drag race!  The swim was ok, the cycle was tough, see previous, and the run was awful!  Getting off the bike my legs felt like jelly and just would not work!  And the heat was just oppressive and there were no water stations on the way.  But we finished and now both Janine and I are keen to continue training and do something similar again.  We both know we can do better!  Janine has already agreed to do  the 400m leg of a ladies tri in two weeks!.

Janine started work today.  She is employed as a 'Reading Recovery' teacher at Te Uki Ou School 8.00 - 12.00 five days a week.  The school is a private, fee paying school so is tidy and very well resourced in comparison to others on the island.  It's a great foot in the door and we both hope it leads to a permanent teaching job.  But conversely of course we had to send George and Emily off to daycare this morning and that was so sad.  It's not their first time obviously but it is still traumatic for mum & dad - they didn't seem to mind too much!  George will soon be running the place - or at least running amuck!

The red ants here are ferocious!  They really do hurt when they bite and if food crumbs aren't immediately cleaned up they materialise out of nowhere in a flash!  I was out visiting schools a few weeks back and at one Early Child Centre I saw a cockroach, obviously deceased, being transported whole by an army of ants.  Quite a sight to behold!  it reminded me of Gullivers Travels.  As any good educationalist would do they called over the kids to witness it - they were fascinated.

We don't get alot of cockroaches at home as the geckhos and chickens keep them at bay.  We've been told to encourage the wild chickens as they eat the huge centipedes that can do real damage if they bite you.  Thus the multitude of chickens we have visit us are the best fed on all the island!  We even put up with the cockadoodle dooing in the early hours of the morning. 

We have discovered the joys of taro leaves.  Janine, as always, has enquired into their preperation and cooking and experimented with great success!  As we have learnt if they aren't cooked properly they can make your throat itchy, thus we must boil them twice.  So why bother?  Because they delicious, cheap and full of a range of vitamins and other stuff that's so good for you.  Incidentally, we've been researching the various fruits and veges and coconuts are 75% saturated fat!  More exercise required!  Anyway, every Saturday at the markets Janine inquires of all the stall holders how to prepare their various wares - breadfruit, jackfruit, taro leaves etc.  Once they know you're a local they're very forthcoming of advice.  One woman told Janine to bring a pad and pen next week and take notes!

She's even taken to buying material and making clothing and other items (valances for the beds, plastic bag holders, car seat covers etc) that she's seen around the markets.  Soon she'll be opening her own stall!  She's so clever - it's no wonder I love you so much!  Incidentally, the car seat covers are a must, what with the beach and rain and all and the kids allowed to be free-range within the car.  We still keep Emily in a car seat though. 

I now have to swat for a quiz night this Friday.  I wonder if general knowledge is universal...

'Til later  kia manuia