While there is something incredibly satisfying about listening to the merry sounds of Christmas carols seated by a roaring fire with mug of hot chocolate and snow falling outside the window, I’ve discovered they are just as much fun to listen to when dressed in a tank top and sandals, drinking coconut juice straight from the shell. Being big fans of music, the sisters have a wide collection, including a Christmas cd and (unlike many strict Americans I know who relegate the Christmas music between Thanksgiving and New Years) have no problem enjoying a few “O Holy Nights” and “The First Noels” in the off-season! As I helped Sr Maria prepare lunch this afternoon – a delicious cabbage, tuna and tomato quiche – we played the Christmas music a few times through.
The young boys of the families here in Fanualama (or “place of peace”), which is the compound for the chapel and houses for Bishop Chris, the sisters, visitors and a couple of families in the community, had their own “Christmas in July” after receiving a few small gifts from Bishop Chris after his arrival late last night. I watched them squeal with laughter as they transitioned from a game of soccer, to running bases, and finally ‘frisbee’ with the now-flattened ball. Bishop Chris pointed out how, unlike children in America, these kids were not run by micromanaged schedules (half the time, he said, their parents may not even know where they are) and they were thrilled to just be running around, shirtless, in the hot mid-day sun.
After a busy schedule in Australia, it was a little difficult to sit still without feeling like I wasn’t able to contribute to anything. So when the chance came, jumped to help Maria make lunch and Loretta weed the front lawn area. However, while my hands felt busy, I wasn’t all that sure if the help I offered was really just getting in the way (even after a trip to the market this morning to see all the fresh fruits and vegetables laid out, I’m still a bit unsure about certain types so Maria ended up doing most of it). While I kneeled among the clover in front of the house, listening to some tropical island songs (at this point we had moved past the Christmas carols) Regina called me inside to help her and Maria with their English course studies. Finally I felt a bit more in my element –nouns, adjectives and adverbs are the same here as they were in Ridgefield High School. Regina and Maria are working on completing a certificate course to help them advance in levels of English and while I am here I will try and answer their questions about understanding the instructions.
Loretta explained to me this morning the school system here in the Solomon Islands. Unlike the America public school system, which mandates that students stay in school to a certain age, students here must pass examinations after grades 7, 10, and 11 in order to stay in school. Because of this there are fewer students at the university level, a number that is made even smaller because of the financial burden on the families. There is also a financial responsibility for families with girls, as the ‘bride price’ is still practiced here in Maliata. As we sat eating dinner last night, we heard loud singing and cheering pass along the street and the sisters explained to me that it was a wedding celebration. However, the cheering only came from the husband’s side of the family –the bride’s family essentially loses a family member as she takes the dowry and goes off to live with her husband.
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