Commodore
August 5, 2024

Tuesday 6 August – school puts on a show for us

I stayed behind on PolePole while Rowan and crew went out to snorkel on the great Astrolobe reef about 4 miles away. I made chocolate brownies for the school children, I had to cut them quite small so there would be enough to go around. I also baked bread so ended up having a rather busy morning. Sadly the snorkel was not that good, the coral was pretty damaged and not the greatest visibility.

We headed into the village at 1pm, because Jo one of the elders, I’m calling him Jo as his name was unfathomable, had invited us to tea before the school performance. Wendy and Mike Kayaked in, Wendy had made Anzac cookies so between us we had plenty to offer the kids. Things got rather delayed, Jo was not having us late for our school appointment, so tea was changed to after the performance. The head mistress met us and showed us around the school. The first building she took us to was the boarding house, kids from smaller villages come and board during the week. At 13 they all have to go and board as there is only a senior school at the main Kadavu island. The dormitory was pretty comfortable, good beds each with a mosquito net. There were a couple of sick kids on their beds, poor things. We then went and looked around the classrooms, they have 4 classrooms for 32 kids ranging in age from7 to 13 years old. They have three female teachers including the headmistress and a male teacher. They all speak such good english as a second language, it is very impressive. The classrooms were really interesting with loads going on, lots of motivational signs everywhere. very impressive for a village with just over 100 residents.

Finally we were taken to our seats on the white carpet. We were welcomed profusely by all four teachers, then we had to introduce ourselves. The kids sung a few songs and then we were asked to say a few words that might interest the kids, where we were from, where we had sailed etc. It was all extremely relaxed, the kids looked like they were having so much fun, it was very infectious. The kids came and invited us up to dance to much hilarity and we all had a bit of a bop around! After a lot of dancing and a final song, their anthem we assume, they finally requested a photo of us with all the kids on the school steps. Everyone including the staff were all having such a jolly time, it was lovely to see, we also had a very good time.

Jo came and led us away to his home for tea after saying goodbye to the kids, who had all lined up, we shook each child’s hand goodbye! Jo’s wife Sarah had boiled the water in anticipation of our arrival, Jo went off to pick the lime leaves, and we washed our hands vey well after all that hand shaking with young kids! Sarah was enormous and most probably does not move about much. The lime tea was pretty good but the casava cakes were pretty hard going, and they insisted we take the whole plate full with us! Sarah has her sister’s 7 year old child staying with her, in exchange the sister who lives on the mainland has Sarah’s 18 year old daughter staying with her, as she is going to senior school there.

As we headed back to JeldiJeldi we were surrounded by the school kids, they had eaten our cakes and finished school for the day, even managing to rush home and get out of their uniforms. They helped us push the dinghy out to deeper water and had a ball waving us off. That was a big afternoon for us, we needed a rest when we got back on PolePole! We had Wendy and Mike over for drinks later on, very interesting listening to their stories, they are in the tourist industry and live in the Bay of Islands in NZ, they just sail to Fiji for the winter season. They actually lived here in Fiji for a couple of years, so have loads of local knowledge.

Leaving JeldiJeldi miles away from the land

Us all walking in over the mud and sand, no snakes today thank goodness

Amazing tidal beach

Both Wendys and I were wearing the same make of flip flops, Archies…. they are amazingly comfortable (I’m on my second pair), designed by a podiatrist in Australia