Thursday, July 15, 2010

This week started off with a disappointment but ended up being a very interesting week. We were supposed to go to Sunesup this week to help with a Kindy Workshop and we were both looking forward to going. The transport, a Toyota Ute, had been booked and we were supposed to leave at about 2pm. Unfortunately by the time the transport got to us it was too full and there was no room for us. Very disappointing in view of the fact that we were probably the only passengers who had actually booked! But booking doesn’t count.
The upside of all this was that it meant we were able to meet up with Diane, the Country Head for VSA, who had come over from Santos. Diane was the person who had made all our arrangements and ensured that our housing was really tops.
The next morning we were invited to a Baptism and Wedding – this is what the pictures are about. The Baptism was down at the beach at 8am and the weather and the sea were just perfect. It really was quite a moving ceremony as the Bride and Groom were taken into the sea and baptized by the Pastor. What made it special for us was that the Groom was Moli, the Carpenter from just down the road, who had made all our furniture. The Pastor was Moli’s father. After the Baptism we made our way to Moli’s house where the wedding took place. There was lots of singing by the Bride’s family and then by the Groom’s family before the wedding actually started. Out the back of the house was an area where the Bride’s family had put their “brides price” gifts – a huge number of yams and bananas. After the wedding the bride went up to another house and was dressed in custom dress for the custom wedding, before being led back down by the bride’s family again to much singing as they walked to be given to her husband. The hundreds of guests were fed laplap, rice, fish, bullock, greens and pomplemouse. We had to leave about 4o’clock and it was still going strong when we left – a terrific experience and one we felt very privileged to have been invited to.
Thursday was a celebration of Kindy Day in Lakatoro. The children, teachers and parents from Kindys all around the central area gathered in the stadium for speech-making and displays by the children. Everyone marched in behind the Police Truck with its flashing red light and each kindy held up the banners they had made. Maryann was a VIP – she sat up on the stage with the “big fella men” and got to make a speech. I was very proud of her – she spoke so clearly and her voice was strong and confident – she was clearly the best speech maker on the day!
So our life continues to be enriched week by week and we just never know what it going to happen next. We were warned before we came that boredom would be something that we would have to deal with and we are still waiting.
Hope you are all as happy in your worlds
Cheers
Vic and Maryann

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