Tuesday 21 May 2013

Sam's first day of Kindy - i-Kiribati style.....

We decided Sam needed some interaction with kids his own age so after a few recommendations we enrolled him at Betio Seventh Day Adventist Kindergarten!! Our next door neighbour sews the uniforms and she made Sam's. It is so cute!! Mind you Sam is probably the biggest kid in his class so of the i-kiribati kids are positively tiny!! Yesterday we went to enroll Sam and today kindy started.


Sam was quite shy today with so many carers and kids about. He sat on my lap most of the time until Miss Lisa his teacher showed flash cards to the kids and he was interested enough to get up and have a closer look. Miss Lisa sings rhymes and songs first in English then in I-Kiribati. They sing for a bit, then Miss Lisa shows some cards which are black and white photocopies on a bit of cardboard. The kids did a bit of writing or copying shapes on the very dodgy blackboard.




This is Sam's classroom, an annex to the chapel on the verandah. It is very basic but the kids don't seem to mind, however I am seeing a huge scope for resourses and toys and things to engage the kids with. Tomorrow Meei is taking a storybook and a set of coloured flash card pictures for Miss Lisa to use.



Miss Lisa doing round and round the mulbury bush shapes on the blackboard which is ready to fall apart!! But she had gotten Sam's attention. I think he'll become less shy with the other kids as the weeks progreaa, being the naturally bold and sociable child he normally is!!



One of the traditional outriggers was sailing past and with my new camera I was finally able to get a good picture. They are tiny to sit in but skim along the water quite quickly.....


Tiabo Moa (see you soon))!!

Jodes  :0)

Thursday 16 May 2013

Fiji, photos and all!!!


Our break in Fiji was much anticipated and it did not fail to deliver everything we wanted. The resort was fabulous and I would highly recommend it to families or couples alike. This time we had the added bonus of clear sunny weather!! Bliss, as the beach and pools were definately a high light of the resort. The beachs of Natadola Bay were clean and the water clear, Sam and Jack had a fantastic time pottering in the shallows and racing up and down the clean sand.



We decided to go 'all out' and book an exclusive suite in the 'club' area. This is the private pool area and most days we were the only ones utilising it, the sun lounges and funny little bee hive huts were so incredibly comfortable and all of us at some stage are guilty of falling asleep on one or the other!!



Sam had just woken up from a little nap in a bee hive hut, it was soooo comfortable and nicely sheltered with a gentle breeze, who could resist!! About 40 seconds later he jumped into the pool for a swim then sat up for a milkshake served to him by the butlers whom look after us so well. They called us by name always and even sussed out our drinks of choice for various times of the day, how's that for attentive??

 
 
Everynight was some sort of Fijian inspired entertainment around dusk, this night was the fire show which had Sam absolutely enthralled. Two men and two women did the most amazing things with lit torches and ropes. It was all very pleasant watching the shows with a cold eime in hand!!
 


The outside 'cleopatra' bath was bliss to lie in at the end of the day for a soak and of course the boys thought the bubbles were fantastic and had a ball playing in the bath each night.


I think I managed to drink my way through my 7 days away, but as there is no white wine to be found on Tarawa (that is drinkable) I was in seventh heaven!! Especially as of an afternoon I would be bought a very cold glass of my fav wine by a butler, oh and I didn't even have to ask!!!
 
 

JJ enjoying a Rose in the suite whill Jack and Sam did enjoy watching some satalite tv!!



Everything about the week was lovely. I cashed in on a birthday present which entitled me to one day husband and child free. JJ dropped the boys at kids club for the morning and I headed to the spa for a divine treatment consisting of a hot shell massage, a rehydrating facial and a luxe pedicure. I floated out of the spa and headed to the club pool to enjoy some solitude by the pool where a light lunch was served with wine, followed by a lazy afternoon on a sun lounge with frequent dips in the pool, not to mention frequent cocktails and nibbles. I got back to the suite where J had bathed the boys and I ordered them room service and their nanny arrived to take over for the evening. JJ and I headed back to the club lounge for cocktail hour and hor dorves and onto the restaurant. At Navo we enjoyed divine meals (never seen on Tarawa!!) and to die for desserts. We even finished the night with a nice sticky wine and wandered back to the room to relieve the nanny, what an utterly wonderful day!!

Home now and back to reality with school amd a truck load of washing. Mana greeted us at home as she stayed and house sat for us for part of our break. Her contract is up and it is time for Mana to move on to new adventures, we will all miss her very much, even though she only popped over from her outer island ever few months.


ANZAC Day 2013

 
sorry I am  bit out of whack with posts as I was hoping to get a few blogs done in Fiji, but the calling of the sun lounge by the pool was just too great to resist!!
this blog is about ANZAC day 13, the Aussies hosted this year and our compound was quite involved.
 
However the day before while Kristy and I were on skype having our "Tupperware Party" with Faye in Geelong the kids thought they'd play some playdough, which turned into a playdough fight!!! I made them help me clean it all up and I think we were finding playdough and had a sticky floor for the next week!!!!! Rascals......
 
 
 



The dawn service began at 6am at the Coast Watchers Memorial at Betio. JJ was MC for the event and so it began directly after the president H.E President Anote Tong & Madam Tong arrived.

 
 
 JJ & Scott standing to attention during the Last Post, played by a trumpeter from the Kiribati Police Band. Scott read the Ode and Kaitlyn, Scott and Kristy's 12 year old daughter delivered a very moving and informative speech to the President, the Australian and New Zealand High Commissioners and guests.
 
 
The Kiribati, Australian and New Zealand Flags flying over the Coast Watchers memorial
 
 
Jack, Gemma and Kaitlyn layed a wreath on behalf of the Australian children living in Kiribati! (Sam was deamed too irresponsible and left at home!!)
 
 
 
GunFire Brekky was hosted by us at our Maneaba, it was a lovely morning weather wise and most came back for a spot of brekky and a tipple of rum, the maneaba had been decorated by Meei and the AHC staff and it look fantastic.
 
 
It was a great morning and by 10 am it was all over and we were back into the schoolroom to complete our days work and as it was not a public holiday for Kiribati the men went back to work as the Tuvalu patrol boat and MSA & TA were all due in a few hours later to begin a hectic 4 days of  joint pareol preperation, celebrations and training. It was very nice to be so involved in ANZAC day and JJ has already been covented by the NZ High Commisioner to MC for him next year!!

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Fiji!!!!

Bula!!!

well here we are in relaxation mode!! No photos to download as i am on the club computer because mine has died!! Well the screen won't display so am not sure what is gong on, the hard drive seems to still be working so i should be able to get everything off in the way of photos, school work etcs, still a pain in the butt  to have to set up a new computer!!!

The resort is fantastic, our suite bliss and we are very happy.....oh did i mention, the week we decide to be here coincides with the "G77" summit so we are living amongst presidents and prime ministers of most Pacific nations. What a scream, we have a security detail at our front door whom announces to, I am not sure who, all our movements in and out of the suite!!!! Not sure if I feel ultra protected or a target, so we flew to Nadi with President Tong of Kiribati and have spoken to him daily in way of greeting. This morning we had brekky at the 'Club' with the company of the president of Fiji and the Solomon Is!!!! All very bizarre!! They leave tomorrow and life will go back to normal!!

I managed a hair cut yesterday, dodgy but short and that is what I wanted so I can't complain!! Friday is my free from husband and children day so a morning spa session including a warm shell massage, a hydrating facial and a luxurious pedicure!! Bliss, then an arvo by the club pool over looking the Pacific with attentive staff to bring me thy bidding. I thought cocktails to match my toenail colour!!

Have just dropped the kids of to Plant Trekkers for the morning session including their lunch and Sam has a nanny, Sai who is a typically lovely and gentle Fijian woman.  I am about to relax by the pool with a book and my writing paper!! Oh is it too early for a cocktail :P (No, according to the butler!!!)

I had intended to do an ANZAC day blog whilst here as I had my computer but it'll have to wait for a while!!

See ya soon

Jodes :0)