Cook Islands Update #4
Update #4 Sent via Satellite
Kia Orana! (Good Day) Thursday, March 9, 2006 Temp 84 degrees- Humidity 90% It’s cooler – at the moment – 6:30 AM – I am preparing to “put myself together” for another day in paradise. The trip to Mitiaro is a go for Monday. I am really excited about the invitation to REALLY see the local side of island life.
Charlie will not be in the office today as he has flown to Auckland, NZ with his daughter for a multi-day music festival. She is apparently an up and coming vocalist and has been given the opportunity to perform. I will be in the office with Niki, the Director giving me a chance to get to know her and learn more about the operations of the Red Cross.
3:00 PM – Disregard my earlier comment about “cooler” – 94d. and sun all day. The building has an open porch so I parked myself there with a fan!! Much of today has been spent on my laptop creating an addition to the now outdated CPR/FA manual that is being used to include the new 2005 skills revisions. They are teaching the new program but have not received updated books. This skills chart will be attached to the present booklets until the current edition is replaced copies of a new printing. Whenever that will happen!!
At noon time, Niki and I went to visit the final session of a 5 day training program called, Information – Education – Communication that the Red Cross sponsored. It is a media skills program where participants learn to develop techniques to produce effective printed informational materials – brochures, posters etc. to target specific audiences on HIV/AIDS awareness – a growing problem in The South Pacific. We were invited to stay for lunch enjoying a wonderfully flavorful chicken curry and rice dish. We returned to the office and I finished up the skills sheet.
Now – about the island I am traveling to on Monday - population 50! (I guess everyone will be a student!) It is about an hour’s flight on Air Rarotonga, Northeast of here…… Niki summed it up by saying THIS is civilization and Mitiaro is BASIC!! I am going to take some bottled and boil the rest. It appears that my Buzz-Off clothes will be put to the ultimate challenge since a good portion of the center of the island is swamp!! Electricity is turned off from 12 midnight to 5 AM – PLEASE LET THERE BE AN EVENING BREEZE. I guess you can’t say that I am not going to get a FULL island adventure! Marty, my team leader and Niki have suggested I take tomorrow off – Friday to have a break before my travels. GOOD Idea! I plan to go into town and buy some essentials – mosquito netting, water purification pills etc!! ….Until tomorrow JW
Friday morning , March 10 Temp - The usual - Humidity The usual! - nice to have a day off - I am in town at the Telcom Center using my wireless laptop one of a couple "hotspots" in town. Much faster and easier than queuing up for the 4 terminals available. Got caught last night is Pacific rain shower - Lasted about 10 minutes and probably dropped 3 inches of rain - you could watch it approach from the sea across the outer reef - the cloud to cloud and ground lightning was awesome. These little bursts can occur at any time of the day or night.
I am going to spend the day picking up last few items for outer island trip next week and then see if I can get the radio up and running. I hope to do some touring around tomorrow and Sunday and take some more photos.
Marty, Marianne and I are going to "Island Night" at The Staircase Bar & Grill this evening. Apparently, this is the local place to go rather than at one of the big resorts.The island is not really crowded though there were a couple cruise ships in for the day last week. Besides that, it is pleasantly quiet.
Had a fire at the local Catholic School the other day - Unfortunately, the three available fire trucks were at the airport awaiting for an international arrival. This is an international requirement so they had to stay there until the Air New Zealand flight landed before they could leave to go to the school - too late - burned down! SO it goes on The Cooks. As for medical care - only MD's are permitted to use the couple defibrillators on the island so the Ambulance can't carry one! SO much for rapid ALS intervention.
LAter jw
Kia Orana! (Good Day) Thursday, March 9, 2006 Temp 84 degrees- Humidity 90% It’s cooler – at the moment – 6:30 AM – I am preparing to “put myself together” for another day in paradise. The trip to Mitiaro is a go for Monday. I am really excited about the invitation to REALLY see the local side of island life.
Charlie will not be in the office today as he has flown to Auckland, NZ with his daughter for a multi-day music festival. She is apparently an up and coming vocalist and has been given the opportunity to perform. I will be in the office with Niki, the Director giving me a chance to get to know her and learn more about the operations of the Red Cross.
3:00 PM – Disregard my earlier comment about “cooler” – 94d. and sun all day. The building has an open porch so I parked myself there with a fan!! Much of today has been spent on my laptop creating an addition to the now outdated CPR/FA manual that is being used to include the new 2005 skills revisions. They are teaching the new program but have not received updated books. This skills chart will be attached to the present booklets until the current edition is replaced copies of a new printing. Whenever that will happen!!
At noon time, Niki and I went to visit the final session of a 5 day training program called, Information – Education – Communication that the Red Cross sponsored. It is a media skills program where participants learn to develop techniques to produce effective printed informational materials – brochures, posters etc. to target specific audiences on HIV/AIDS awareness – a growing problem in The South Pacific. We were invited to stay for lunch enjoying a wonderfully flavorful chicken curry and rice dish. We returned to the office and I finished up the skills sheet.
Now – about the island I am traveling to on Monday - population 50! (I guess everyone will be a student!) It is about an hour’s flight on Air Rarotonga, Northeast of here…… Niki summed it up by saying THIS is civilization and Mitiaro is BASIC!! I am going to take some bottled and boil the rest. It appears that my Buzz-Off clothes will be put to the ultimate challenge since a good portion of the center of the island is swamp!! Electricity is turned off from 12 midnight to 5 AM – PLEASE LET THERE BE AN EVENING BREEZE. I guess you can’t say that I am not going to get a FULL island adventure! Marty, my team leader and Niki have suggested I take tomorrow off – Friday to have a break before my travels. GOOD Idea! I plan to go into town and buy some essentials – mosquito netting, water purification pills etc!! ….Until tomorrow JW
Friday morning , March 10 Temp - The usual - Humidity The usual! - nice to have a day off - I am in town at the Telcom Center using my wireless laptop one of a couple "hotspots" in town. Much faster and easier than queuing up for the 4 terminals available. Got caught last night is Pacific rain shower - Lasted about 10 minutes and probably dropped 3 inches of rain - you could watch it approach from the sea across the outer reef - the cloud to cloud and ground lightning was awesome. These little bursts can occur at any time of the day or night.
I am going to spend the day picking up last few items for outer island trip next week and then see if I can get the radio up and running. I hope to do some touring around tomorrow and Sunday and take some more photos.
Marty, Marianne and I are going to "Island Night" at The Staircase Bar & Grill this evening. Apparently, this is the local place to go rather than at one of the big resorts.The island is not really crowded though there were a couple cruise ships in for the day last week. Besides that, it is pleasantly quiet.
Had a fire at the local Catholic School the other day - Unfortunately, the three available fire trucks were at the airport awaiting for an international arrival. This is an international requirement so they had to stay there until the Air New Zealand flight landed before they could leave to go to the school - too late - burned down! SO it goes on The Cooks. As for medical care - only MD's are permitted to use the couple defibrillators on the island so the Ambulance can't carry one! SO much for rapid ALS intervention.
LAter jw
posted by Lab-Rover at 2:25 PM
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