RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS THREE WEEKS AS A GLOBAL VOLUNTEER

This is a long one - because it covers three weeks and also because I have to share so many stunning pictures! I hope you enjoy reading about my experiences on such a remote island.

 

My dear friend, Val, got up extra early in Auckland to get me to the airport on Monday 17 August for my Air New Zealand flight to Rarotonga. I had been looking forward to this part of my travels for many reasons – firstly, so that I would feel productive and hopefully be able to make a difference in a school situation, secondly because the Polynesian culture had always fascinated me and thirdly, and probably very arbitrarily, because I had loved reading, “A Pattern of Islands” by Arthur Grimble in my first year in high school. The book is the humorous autobiography of Arthur Grimble, a naive young cadet who was sent out by the British to do colonial service in the then Gilbert and Ellice Islands – Kiribati (Gilbert) is just north-east of Rarotonga. Also, the dates available to serve were absolutely perfect for me. So I signed up…. and arrived here on Sunday 16 August, having crossed the International Dateline – so I got two Sundays in a row!

James Puati, the country manager, fetched me from the charming airport – another one with a hazardously short runway and a famous Jetstream fall-over zone, and also a man playing music who welcomes every single flight in with his singing.  His name is Jake Numanga and he has not missed serenading all incoming and outgoing planes in over 40 years! He was even given an MBE by the Queen for his services to tourism. The man who checked my passport asked me if I was sure I was from Africa? Too pale perhaps?!! James took me to the Kii Kii Motel, my home for the next three weeks and I relaxed and unpacked. My room is literally ten metres from the sea and I have seen the most exquisite sunrises and sunsets – and whale shows almost every day! There are roosters in the trees who cockadoodledoo whenever they feel like it and the sea is very noisy!

The next morning, I met my two colleagues/friends – Fran Johansen from Arizona and Eileen Shatz from Washington DC. Fran and I shared a room and it was huge and very comfortable. She was on her seventh volunteer programme (her second on Cook Islands) and Eileen was on her fifth – so they were hardcore and I was the novice! We went through some orientation with James and spent the rest of the day relaxing and getting to know one another. Because this is such a long stay and because it is really not easy to explain everything well and to capture the atmosphere adequately, I shall write about my experiences under different headings and add information as my time here progresses.

COOK ISLANDS

The islands celebrated 50 years of self-government this August – they are still under New Zealand authority though and all Cook Islanders hold New Zealand passports – so it is easy to travel to and stay in New Zealand.

Cook Islands holds three world records – 1.  Cook islanders are said to be the most travelled in the world – probably because they have to travel so far… about 14 000 live on the 15 islands and at least 60 000 live in Australia and 20 000 in New Zealand.   2. It is the most spread-out country in the world – the 15 islands with the Pacific Ocean in between cover 2,4 million square kilometres!  3. They have more cinema seats per capita than any place in the world – that one I can understand.

Rarotonga is the most densely inhabited and the main island and its capital is Averua – also the capital of the Cook Islands.  Everyone lives on the coast around the island and it is almost round. A round-trip from Cook’s corner, where the buses start and end their trips, is roughly 32 kilometres. In the middle are lush mountains and forests which are uninhabited. There is a lot of coral reef, the sea is many shades of the most amazing blue and there are many beaches. You can hire a car, motorbike or bicycle – or, as we three ladies did, rely on the ancient, juddery bus! There are two buses – one called the clockwise bus (so you keep the sea on your left) which leaves on the hour and the anticlockwise bus (obviously now the sea must be on your right) which leaves on the half hour. There is a rough timetable telling you more or less when to expect the bus, there are no stops – you simply wave the bus down to board and shout “stop” or tell the driver where you want to go when you get on, in order to get off! And when the drivers get to know you, they drop you at the Kii Kii or at your school! The outer road is called the Christian Road and the smaller les-used inner one is called the pagan Road.

Fran (now retired) and Eileen are both high-powered legal ladies and they were sent to Takitumu Primary School, which is close to the Kii Kii. I stayed on the bus for another 8 or 9 kilometres to get to Titikavu College (12 – 16 year-olds). Little children get on the bus and sort themselves out and it is cute to see how relaxed and confident – and safe – they are!

Every morning one of the three of us had to read the journal – typed the day before – about that day, so we had to pool information and reflect on what we are doing here. One also prepared a message of the day – an uplifting quotation or idea. This was a good way to start our day. We had a lovely resource room at the Kii Kii – which is also where the dodgy and very expensive Wi-Fi works – I suppose being in the middle of the ocean doesn’t lend itself to free and easy WiFi – and we have all been spoilt in other places!

The people on the island are very friendly. The greeting everyone gives is, “Kia Orana” – may you live a long life. These words are also on the number plates of all vehicles. The ladies and girls love to wear flowers – especially in their hair. These are called eis (like a lei without the “l”). Their clothes are bright and sensible. The children all wear jandals (slip slops) for school and often leave them outside when they enter the classroom – I am sure some of our children in South Africa would love that in summer – or maybe when writing final Matric exams! Uniforms are just shorts or a plain skirt and shirt with a tracksuit top if it is cold – no big fuss and the kids are comfortable.

One very touching thing I have noticed here is that families bury their dead in their gardens and erect beautiful headstones for them. The graves are well-tended and many have fresh and artificial flowers on them. Some even have canopies over them. There are graveyards around the many churches too. The land is very precious and it all belongs to Cook Island families. Because disputes may arise, it is also quite a strategic move to bury your family members on your land. Cook Islanders may not sell land to foreigners, although they may lease it on a 60-year leasehold.

This is a very Christian place since missionaries arrived from the London Missionary Society in 1821 and there are many churches – especially CICC ones – Cook Islands Christian Church. We attended the main one in Avarua, the main village, on our first Sunday and the singing (all unaccompanied) was magnificent. There is a little English, but the service is mostly in Cook Island Maori. The names of the choruses are put up in English too and I was particularly moved when we ended the service with, “God will make a way”, which has become a kind of mantra for me at times. The ladies all wear pretty hats – mostly white ones - and many of the men wear white suits. Some of the children have Christian names and some have Maori ones, which are not too difficult to pronounce as the language seems quite phonetic. Sundays are very quiet – church and family time are respected and there are no buses after 4.30 and many places are shut.

There is a very interesting library/museum and of course, lots more about Captain Cook in there. We were taken on a visit but not allowed to take photographs, unfortunately.

SCHOOL LIFE

I met Gaylyn Lockington, the Principal, and was assigned to Harry Neale, a Cook Islander who has been in New Zealand and Australia, on my first day. He is the main English teacher. The school is very small – only one class per year group and only eight teachers plus the Principal. So everyone teaches all the children! Harry asked me to tell the children in his year 10 class why I was in the Cook Islands – and I told them it was so I could learn from them. I also told them about my trip thus far…. I can’t imagine what a child here must have thought of my adventure. I was so happy when one girl said to me, “You’ve taught me something today – I don’t have to have money to be rich” – okay, you do need some to be able to travel! I took two classes who were learning about summarising from an antiquated book and found an article about Helen Keller to use with them. I had them role-playing and seeing what it must be like to be blind and deaf and then we did the summary together on the board. They know more than I think though, because when I mentioned the fact that when Nelson Mandela was being buried … they all shouted out that the sign language man was a fraud! So - good lesson for me – don’t think news about South Africa hasn’t spread… even to the Cook Islands!

A lady called Jane looks after the special needs children and I have enjoyed working with her. On my second day at school, I went into her classroom not realising that she was having a difficult time with a boy called Ta-ee. He wouldn’t even look up when I greeted him. When I saw a ukulele, I asked Jane about it and she started playing. I asked Ta-ee and Theresa, another pupil, to sing for me – and they sang their school song in Cook Island Maori beautifully. On another occasion, Jane told me to get on the back of her bike as she was taking Ta-ee and me to see an art exhibition. He came on his bicycle. We went about five kilometres away to the ruined Sheraton Hotel – it was started 35 years ago and then money ran out and the Italian builders left, so now it is a dangerous-looking shell of double-storey should-have-been villas …. Where was the art exhibition? The graffiti on the walls, of course! We first had to get past some cows in the field though!

I helped in a Social Studies class about the Holocaust – and told the children about concentration camps originating in South Africa and about Dachau where I have taken our kids on Eurotour. We also spoke about Apartheid and about Nelson Mandela as a leader compared to Adolf Hitler. The children are generally well-behaved, but maybe a bit passive at times. Some of them go home to work on the land or have jobs. I think most of those at my school will leave at 16 and look for work, but some will continue to the big high school in Averua and then to university in New Zealand.

I have also been helping by doing individual Maths testing – something different for me. It seems children are now taught multiple ways of solving problems and the test aims at seeing which strategies they use. The children are very friendly and trusting, and I think I gained their trust even more by administering the Maths tests and chatting to each one. Thank goodness Edie Henchie spoke about new ways of teaching Maths – little knowing that she was preparing me to handle these tests and be able to assess the children correctly. I even know about skip counting and part-whole strategies! Although the children speak good-ish English, I can’t help but think that language issues should be taken into account where long story sums are concerned. I got to test 59 out of the 85 pupils and so I got to know them individually too. Children all do their first three years of schooling in Cook Island Maori only, by the way.

The other teachers are friendly and I have shared some of their meals – one day we had corned beef, maniota (grated tapioca with coconut oil) and seaweed resembling little bright green grapes … so when in Rome, shut up and eat the seaweed! It is actually quite tasty when coconut milk is added. The school bell is a drum in the shape of a vaka – the wooden canoe-type boat used in these islands, and one pupil, Mutu, has to go and beat this drum to announce the end of each lesson and the start of the next. This is her responsibility for the whole year and she is very proud to be the bell-drummer. For punishment, pupils have to weed the flowerbeds and all pupils spend the last ten minutes of each day sweeping classrooms and the bathrooms as there is no care-taker. I even took a Home Economics lesson – I was asked to tell the children about different food I had eaten on my trip around the world so far… I threw in some nutritional tips too – just to make Louise proud! I also helped with a Year 7 cooking practical – the children made butter chicken and I was the self-appointed taster and judge. Their food was superb! I took a tourism lesson for the Year 11 class – 16 year-olds… obviously, right up my alley! I also sat in on Maori dancing lessons and cloth dyeing classes.

The teachers I met… Harry, the English teacher who also has weights, a dartboard and a projector in his room; Meena, the lovely Indian Maths teacher from Fiji; Jane, the Special Needs teacher with a heart of gold and lovely fruit for me; Tu, the Home Economics/Tourism and Art teacher who can turn her hand to anything and whose classroom is the heart of the school and the break-time retreat for teachers; Tap, who is the “Carol Felton” of the school, 75 and still going strong!; Repo, the Cook Islands Maori teacher who has been there for over 20 years; Phil, the PE teacher and Deputy from another island; Richelle, the Science and PE teacher whose sideline is baking delicious cheesecakes; Caleb, the “Tony” of the school who is the ICT man; Mr T, the technology teacher and the original Mr T; and especially Gaylyn, the wonderful Principal who has a hand on everything and everyone and with whom I shared many wonderful conversations.

During my final week, I went to Takitumu Junior Primary School for a day and loved it there – again I did some geography, some poetry lessons and helped with Maths! I taught the children the click song and we sang it for the Principal who was beyond impressed! I went there for a second day, but was surprised when Harry appeared at break to “kidnap” me and take me back to Titikaveka for a surprise farewell party! I was late for my own party! They gave me a beautiful ei made by Tu and the most extravagant spread of food. They also gave me a beautiful sarong (gorgeous greens and made by the children) and a light backpack. I must admit I was in tears at such generosity and kindness and their lovely words – they even said they had never had a Global volunteer who was so involved. It was very reassuring to hear that as I had questioned whether I was doing enough to make a difference.

 I really hope that I did make some small difference – I certainly chatted to everyone (no surprise there!) and I tried my best to encourage the teachers as much as the kids. Many asked me on my return from the junior school where I had disappeared to! Saying goodbye was sad! It was certainly good to be back in education BUT I’m not ready for full return to the classroom yet! However, I do feel I can still make a contribution in the Eastern Cape, and particularly in the rural areas and maybe even the townships so I shall be looking at that when I return.

ENTERTAINMENT AND FREE TIME

There are two lovely lady dentists staying at the Kii Kii – Isabella is a former opera singer! Just shows that any career change is possible! We enjoy their company too. James and his lovely wife, Debbie, have taken us to The Islander Restaurant for supper (Happy Hour is all day!) and on another occasion, to the library/museum to give us some perspective on the history of the islands. We three ladies enjoyed a morning at the Punanga Nui Saturday market – lots of lovely material, clothes, flower head-dresses, wooden boats, musical instruments and food were on sale. We were also treated to some dancing from the dance group which has won the island competition for the last five years.  Eileen and I went to Muri Beach for a swim and ended up with four young girls aged 6 to 9 joining us and acting as limpets as I tried to swim! They loved the word limpet when I explained it to them. Obviously where there are limpets, there has to be a whale – enough said! I felt quite drowned after about half an hour of this! We got out of the sea and found we had swum past two resorts and were in a third! We had a lovely cheeseboard and tea and then went to wait for the notorious bus home.

One evening, the three of us were taken to the fancy Edgewaters Hotel for a superb buffet and entertainment island-style. There was lovely dancing from both men and women and lots of drum playing on the vaka drums. We had a great evening together and met more people on the bus which fetched and delivered us. I think I even recruited a lady from New Zealand who looks after a special needs girl at a school there and who wants to serve as a Global volunteer on Rarotonga. 

We went to visit Colin, a jeweller who works with the special black pearls from Manihiki Island in the northern Cook Islands and bothe Fran and Eileen bought some lovely jewellery. Catherine Evans, Crown Counsel on the island visited us and we had a lovely evening laughing and chatting to her. James, our manager, has been charming and kind and is obviously very experienced in this area. He is also a master brewer and he owns the Mutata Brewery, voted number 5 on the to-see list of Tripadvisor!

On the second Saturday Fran, Eileen and I caught the 45-minute flight to Aitutaki for a day trip. The airport check-in was ….very casual. We were given a tillslip with a seat number on it, we walked past the ever-present chickens at the counters and we walked straight onto the little Air Rarotonga plane, which seats about 30. The trip was beautiful. When we landed, our guide, Paul, put us on an open-air bus for a trip into the town. We stopped at the Pacific Beach Hotel – voted number one boutique hotel in the world – and walked through to see the stunning views! We then boarded our boat for the day. There were about twenty of us. We enjoyed snorkelling in such clear water you almost didn’t need snorkels, has a magnificent lunch and went to three different islands, including One Foot Island. This area was used for the setting of 2006 Survivor in which the three tribes were put on separate islands and one person was sent to Redemption Island each week.

I had a funny experience with two lovely New Zealand ladies when I told them I was going to Rotorua to visit my friend, Penny, and to also visit the old geysers. In South Africa, geyser means three things – water boiler, bubbly mud and old men. In New Zealand geyser ONLY means old men – so when I added that I believed most of the geysers smelt like old farts, they looked at me oddly and burst out laughing! Apparently, the word geysers of the bubbly mud type is pronounced “guyzers” in New Zealand! At least we solved that and they didn’t go away thinking I was demented and desperate! We also met a lovely German girl called Silke who is doing a 40-day round-the –world trip and who started her trip in Cape Town. One lady from Seattle told me that Silke was on 14 flights – I couldn’t avoid showing off and topping that with my 56! I must say I have been greatly encouraged by just about everyone I meet saying, “good on you!”

Fran, Eileen and I must have tried out most little restaurants and coffee shops and we have had a lot of fun together. We have especially enjoyed having our own “office” at the Kii Kii where Wi-Fi works and where we have laughed a lot. I really feel like the old me is back! Oh dear! My new American friends are both such special ladies and I am very blessed to have worked with them. I am going to meet up with Eileen in Washington in October and I’m sure Fran and I will meet again – in Arizona or who knows where?

It was quite strange one night as we sat watching the lovely French movie, ‘Les Intouchables” on my laptop and I thought to myself – here I am in the middle of the Pacific watching a French movie with an American lady!”  Both ladies are so intelligent, kind and jolly smart! I often felt like the African “Vienna sausage” in the American hotdog! They tried to teach me about gello and jelly and I think my accent was quite a novelty to them! It’s funny how you are often unaware of your accent until you are the only one saying words a certain way! I’m sure I was the only South African visitor on the island! It was often easier to “Americanise” words, but I did try not to sound too much like the nanny named Fran!

Their sense of compassion, spirit of giving and positive attitudes were so a great inspiration to me. I got to know Fran even better because we were room-mates. On our first day here, we were dropped in Avarua to sort out banking, bus tickets and internet cards. We then stopped for coffee and a light lunch. Eileen’s case had not arrived so she stayed in town to buy some clothes and Fran and I walked back to the motel. Now, because Fran had been here before and because she was so adamant the the Kii KIi was “just around the corner”, I listened to her and we walked home! Well, guess what? The island is round and there are no corners and that short walk was nearly 5 kilometres! Fran will never live that one down!

SO WHY DID I COME HERE AND WHAT DID I LEARN?

I learned many things – I am not the great Mrs F who is going to fix everything! I was put here to learn to relax, to slow down, to learn from others and to enjoy beautiful, peaceful surroundings right in the middle of my long journey so that my batteries could be recharged for the next three months. It has been interesting to see how what I plan and think will happen often doesn’t – I’m learning to step back and look at the bigger picture. I was not sent her to whirlwind through the school like a whirling dervish! I was sent to serve and to see where I could help. Children all have the same needs no matter where you are – and these Polynesian children are no different.  Teachers all need encouragement too. In fact, schools are important places to build all sorts of relationships. I realise too that I have lots to give back to my own part of the world – so that all my years of experience are not wasted and I need to see if the Education Department will use that expertise.

 

I now know what I am collecting as I travel around the world….FRIENDS! They don’t weigh a lot, they don’t have to be packed and unpacked….because I carry them in my heart! What a blessing! I am looking forward to the next twelve weeks as I continue on my wonderful journey.

 

 

Tight squeeze to fit Air New Zealand Boeing 777 onto runway!

View from our verandah - sea only 10 metres away

Our spacious rom at the Kii Kii Motel

More views from our room

My American tjommies, Eileen and Fran - lovely ladies!

NOT a good sign to see on your arrival! apparently, cyclones are more common and the coral reef gives protection from tsunamis

Can't stop photographing the gorgeous view

Cook Islands Prime Minister, Henry Puna

My school - Titikaveka College

James and Debi - Global Volunteers organisers

Not a bad view as you make morning coffee!

Jane with Theresa and Ta-ee - special needs children who sang for me

School timetable - had to put this one in for Wendy Stegmann! So easy-peasy with 10 teachers and 5 classes!

Entrance to my school

Helen Keller experience - how to make a child understand being deaf and blind... for a while!

Staff photo

Happy hour all day - not a bad idea!

This is a REAL photo - absolutely stunning view from the Islander Hotel

Tap Short - 75 and still teaching! She always wears an ei of fresh flowers

Jane and I off to the "art exhibition" on her motor bike!

I love all these positive words stuck on the beams for the children to see constantly

The vakas (rowing boats) going out for practice

Ministry of Justice with lovely mountain background

Our team - Eileen, me, Fran and James

Chickens in strange places

Fran showing me how to suck coffee through a TimTam chocolate biscuit

Eis for sale at the market

Morning market

Art for sale

Cute little dancers - can they shake those hips! apparently Hawaiians vibrate, Tahitians rotate and Cook Islanders sway

How to tie your sarong

At the Punanga Nui Market - Saturday fun

I admired one lady's ei - and she took it off and gave it to me!

Bougainvillas outside the Catholic church

The vaka boat is everywhere - even in the church

Just look at the big .... lips..... on this sculpture!

Here's how to make a good cheeseboard - Pacific Hotel style

In the Cook Islands Christian Church - look at the lovely hats

Outside the church - beautifully tended graveyard full of flowers - people even sit on graves and chat after church

Another family graveyard

Sunday lunch after church at the Tamarind

View from the Tamarind

And here is the Tamarind from the beach

Isabella and Astrid - the two lovely German dentists - with equally lovely teeth!

Mutu - in charge of the school "drum" to keep lessons on time!

All children clean up after school

I love this - such good, simple values

A cute little girl on the bus

Island dancers at the Edgewaters Hotel

Children using a wooden "template" to make sarongs

Another family graveyard with a frangipani tree in the foreground

Couldn't resist the rainbow!

Eileen starts work on her trifle for the kids on her class! It was a work of art!

jandals (slops) outside means children inside

Year 7s (11 - 12 year-olds) start cooking

And the teachers flock in to sample the results...Tu and Harry are either side of me

Two German teachers paid the school a visit

Plantations

Good idea for a bicycle rack!

In the Hidden Spirit Gardens

Looks almost Monet-ish

Back to the Tamarind for supper

View of beach

Isabella and Astrid joined us for this supper

Another view towards the mysterious central mountains - this is across the road from the Kii Kii Motel

Foyer of Pacific Hotel on Aitutaki

View from the same hotel

Off on our day trip - Aitutaki

With Silke, German girl who loved South Africa1

Our boat for the trip around the islands

Amazing blues

This is for my Hudsonians - the pose!

I can snorkel! Just heavy breathing through the mouth!

As we neared One Foot Island - one American, one South African and two New Zealand feet!

More pictures trying to capture the indescribable beauty of Aitutaki and the islands

Fran checking on Eileen and me in the water

Pawpaw and prawns at the pacific Hotel - heavenly taste!

Lunch with Fran at the Pacific

And our lunch-time view.... not too shabby, Nige!

I love this clock - do we have a similar one in South Africa?!!!

One of my favourite bus drivers!

Ironing my top at school -

Maori dancing lesson at school

Our pool at the Kii Kii

At Tatikumu Junior School - tooth cleaning twice a day!

We can sing the Click song!

Two cuties reading to me

The beauty parlour in town

Vakas going out again

Trader  Jack's - lovely seafood here

Map of Rarotonga

At my farewell - Meena and Harry at the back and Jane, Chris, Angie and Tu in the front

Lots of food1

With gaylyn, the Principal

Sarong made by these two boys

Wearing my lovely ei - and finally took a fairly descent selfie!

Jake Numanga - the legend!

My ei

My sarong - they decided that green was my favourite colour - so much for purple Ferrari!

Church next to my school



Just snapped this as I was walking home one day - too beautiful! Muri Beach

This is the best picture with which to end my blog and to sum up the beauty of Rarotonga, Cook Islands