More from the Solomons...

January 2-9, 2008 Mbambanga, Solomon Islands

Wow! Another week gone. It’s been non-stop raining since the New Year and we had a whole list of work to get done outside on the deck. Every morning we’ve woken up and had to rearrange our plans and do little jobs inside. It has really been the pits. James left, which was sad for Zack and I as we have lost a vital member of our team. Now we’re stuck with Max, and there is no comparison. Only 2 days after he left, and there was a new guy in his bunk, all moved in. Seems like PCRF is hurting for money these days. The new guy is TJ, he’s 48, from LA, and has traveled around a lot. Kind of a traveling hippy that’s trying to live on different boats as crew for a while, so I think he’ll work out just fine here.

I got a serious bout of food poisoning from something I ate in a restaurant in town. Four days later and my stomach still isn’t the same. Painful abdominal cramping and horrible bowels, I won’t go into all the gory details, but it was a terrible experience. Michel had similar symptoms for a few days and we were running through the options thinking we had amebas, worms, traveler’s diaherra. But it turned out that we the symptoms subsided in a few days and we’re back to normal (for the most part). I got a cheap plane ticket to New Zealand, the same flight my friend Paul is on, who I’m spending time with there. Feb 12th out of Honiara…counting down the days! It worked out great, but I have an itching feeling that all my flights are going to be so easy from here on out. I’ve heard traveling in Indonesia is crazy. Oh and I’ve decided to spend more time in NZ and less time on the crazy hippy ship, and meet them by ferry at Banda Island, Indo.

I finished my part of pointcount for the Kitava study! It feels so good when that’s completed. I identified at least 2000 points on pictures from 2 transects. The sun finally came out today, and I spent my day beautifying the helm. Sanding, oiling, it looks great. I’ve really had it up to here with Max! He doesn’t enjoy being on the ship anymore, because he’s made these young doctor friends in town, and he spends/ or would like to spend every waking minute with them. Again, you don’t have to be here if you don’t want to be here Max! So far he’s gone on every town trip that we’ve made so far, and says he will come back in the afternoon to work, but ditches the trip back to the boat and finds his own way back (bumming a ride off people) and comes back whenever he feels like it, before dinner. So basically, he sleeps and eats here. He’s not pulling his weight whatsoever recently, and I’m not the only one to notice it. I’m going to bring it up at the open table, b/c of course I’ve tried to talk to Max about it one on one and he doesn’t get it.

We had quite an episode today. After a long day, with some of us working, others in town, Zack, Kris, Heather, TJ, and I all went to Fat Boys for some beers and bridge playing. An hour into our stay, the ship radioed for us to come back. It was Michel on the radio, and with no questions asked, we packed up, and headed back to the ship. Well, it turns out there was a fire in the galley! Spacey Heather, jumps on the boat to go to Fat Boys with the ‘us’ crowd, and leaves the diesel stove tank filling while the stove is on. Surprise, surprise, it over flowed and caught fire on the stove. Michel tried to blanket the fire, with no success, so fearless/stupid Max jumps on the scene with a fire extinguisher and blows chemical all over the place. The fire is out, but the galley is a huge mess. If the extinguisher was something other than dry chemical, the fire would have got a lot more serious. He just doesn’t think, and he not only puts himself in danger, but also everyone else who he happens to live on this ship with. Venting again, excuse me. After (of course) and accident sequence, basically highlighting Max and Heather’s stupidity, we spent about 4 hours washing and wiping everything in the galley down as the dry chemicals sprayed everywhere are very toxic and carcinogenic. Zack and Kris went to get us dinner in town, and it’s 9:30, and we’re still waiting on that. All in all, crazy day. You never know what’s coming next on board the S/V Insanity.


January 10, 2007 Mbambanga, Solomon Islands

We spent all morning cleaning and wiping down everything in the galley, to take off toxic fire extinguisher chemical residue. I mean ‘everything.’ It was quite a job. Max and Clementine lasted until about 10:00, which was slightly ridiculous, and then took naps until the lunch bell rang. Are you surprised? Not sure if I have a crazy work ethic or something, but I think you can’t just sit back and reap the benefits, when everyone else you live with is busting there butt to get the job done. I guess I would feel guilty, not such a crazy idea. Maybe that concept is not instilled in the French. Also, rumors are blustering that Clementine saw the fire and the madness that was going on, and went back downstairs to finish her movie! Pretty disgusted with her and Max at the moment.

Zack, Nicole, and I went to Fat Boys to stock up on a few beers to bring back to the boat after a long day of totally revamping the galley. We even had to paint the walls and sand/varnish wood that got burnt in the fire. I didn’t get a chance to go into town today, and I have to produce tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll be able to go in the afternoon for some time on the internet. Oh and it was Orla’s birthday today. After dinner we had a chill out mellow night with a few good slideshows (and Michel’s crazy hippy slideshows) and ‘gentle’ music. It was cute though, at the end of the night when everyone had gone to bed and I was up brushing my teeth, I saw Orla and Michel dancing in synestia to “You are so beautiful, to me.” I guess they’re not so hippy in some respects.

January 11-13, 2008 Mbambanga, Solomons

The last three days have been the same old, same old routine around here. I produced (cooked breakfast and lunch) on Friday, and then was able to go on a trip to town in the afternoon. The phone lines were down so I couldn’t call anyone, but I did get some good emails. Zack and I had to get gas from this guy in his shed, and I got to talking with him, and it turns out he makes these carvings I really have been searching around for. I set it up with him to make me a carving (a flat wood one, that I can hang on the wall) and I’ll pick it up sometime next week. His work is really beautiful, such a find. Other than that, Zack and I are expecting a package that James sent us from Honiara, c/o some RAMSI named Mike.

Have I explained RAMSI before? I don’t think so. In just the late 90s and early 2000s, there has been riots and fighting between the different islands here in the Solomons. Well RAMSI (it stands for something), is a peace-keeping group made up of Australians, New Zealanders, and Fijians that have come in and tried to restore some order in the country. They are policemen, hospital workers, lawyers, environmentalists, small business owners. Pretty much just people here to bring the country back together and teach the islanders how to do different things correctly. Well there is a whole underground scandal with the RAMSI and the money that was brought over to help the Solomons. It’s turned out that the RAMSI have overstayed their welcome and have started up businesses of their own, with goods directly sent from Australia to the Solomons. We’ve met a few of them, real big-headed guys that think they’re god’s gift to the world. But in any way, I hope they get sorted out and understand that they’re not needed here anymore.

Oh well back to the RAMSI Mike. I guess James met this guy, and he’s coming to Gizo, and will bring a package of perishable goods for Zack and I. I’m thinking/hoping it’s cheese! It’s supposed to come on Wednesday. There is also a new volunteer named Heidi coming on board on Tuesday. Clementine is leaving on Saturday, and Max has taken 3 days off to decide if he is going to stay on board the ship. Again, really frustrated with Max, I see right through him like glass. He wants to go spend time off the ship with his doctor friends in Gizo, so just say that right? Well noooo! Not Max it couldn’t be that easy. He dropped a bomb at morning meeting on Friday, saying “I need time off the ship to think about if I want to be here or not.” Meetings after meetings later, he got his way and took the day off Friday (as he had already taken Thursday off too). So Zack had to stay in town overnight on Friday waiting for a phone call, and went out with Max and the guys that night. Max said he already has made his decision that he’s going to stay on board, he just doesn’t want to be on the ship right now basically. Am I making any sense here? Not sure why this ‘kid’ (literally kid, I never acted like this at 18-years old) winds me up so much, but he does.

On another note, we had a huge thunderstorm that came out of nowhere on Friday night. Within minutes of the rain and wind picking up, there was lighting followed right away by thunder, just a few feet away from my porthole! So scary! The storm just picked up real quick and was right over us for a good twenty minutes before traveling away. Reminded me of Florida summer afternoons.

We’ve also been preparing for our cultural exchange with Mbambanga Island here. It’s all happening on Wednesday; should be a fun night. We’re preparing this crazy skit for them and they will be doing traditional dancing for us. We have to have guards to watch the ship that night, but I hope I’m able to stay and see how the whole thing plays out.