[password] shipnavire1
[status]
:position 07 06.182n 171 22.427e
Church crawl
IGNORE THIS IF YOU ALREADY RECEIVED IT. I AM RESENDING IT AS IT DID NOT SHOW UP ON THE SITE
12 months. We've been here nearly 12 months! Time to move on. But we can't leave yet as we have to wait out the South Pacific Hurricane season. Cast off time will be April or May 2017 when we head back to Fiji for five months, and then back to dear New Zealand in November. After living in this country, a harsh dysfunctional mix of the first and third worlds, albeit with some gorgeous tropical aspects and lovely people, local and expat alike, I have a seriously heightened appreciation for what a good country NZ is. While its been an interesting year we long to go come south again. South to cooler temperatures, to more familiar South Pacific cultures, to abundant local produce and interesting food cultures, then eventually to freinds, family and the familiarity of home. Often this year we have indulged in long conversations about living in Rawene, growing vegetables, and establishing a community there. Another dream that sustains me when I get sick of the heat and faultiness of this place is our plan to drive down to Wellington very shortly after we arrive in NZ , spending Christmas 2017 in Wellington and seeing most of you.
We plan to celebrate Christmas Marshallese style this year. We will join David's Marshallese colleagues and go on a church crawl. Like a pub crawl but with no alcohol. The plan is we go from church to church and sing and dance. And hopefully get fed local food. Its traditional in the sense that they have done it this way since the missionaries arrived in the early 1900's.Then we will sail out to a nearby island with a couple of Australian freinds and do it western style with much food and alcohol, probably on Boxing Day. We'll miss all those kids of ours: Tom and partner Jazz, and Aidan in Wellington; Harry and partner Chloe in Wanaka, Anna and partner Robyn in Manchester, and Jackson in Rome.
I've struggled to come to terms with the infiltration of western style commercial Christmas here. It is so incongruous to see fake Christmas trees in all the shops surrounded by fake snow, all the while it is 30 degrees outside under the palm trees. In this land where poverty prevails they don't need all the entreaties to to buy presents. Even in New Zealand I abhor the commercialisation of Christmas.For me Christmas is about food family and freinds.
David has just told me the tree at his work is a real pine tree, imported from the US. I rest my case.
Merry Christmas to you lovely family and freinds, from Navire and her crew at seven degrees north.[END]