The kids had a school disco which they both were very excited about. Unfortunately, Elijah got a throat infection and was unable to go. Alex went dressed as Katie Perry. We couldn't find a blue wig at the last minute so we put paper cupcakes on her dress and gave her a headband with a heart. They were suppose to dress as an actor, animal or singer. (AAS) She won the prize for her class for best dressed and was very excited. Of course it is not as flash as our disco's back home. They played basic games like musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey and find the ball under the cup. They also did a dancing contest and if you want to see young kids dance come to the Solomon islands. I guess it comes from the traditional dancing but they were great at hip/hop and modern dance. I am assuming some of them learn from music videos because some of the moves the little girls were doing were not very appropriate for their age groups.
Last weekend we were invited to a traditional wedding that was set up by one of our friends. It is something that they do not do very often anymore, even in the villages. The couple are getting married later in the year back in Australia and it was a surprise. They were lured to the village under false pretences. When they got there, they were taken into a hut to put on the traditional dress. You can imagine the terror the bride felt when she realized that all of the local woman were topless. I guess she convinced them to let her cover up a bit more because they emerged dressed in loin clothes, grass skirt and a covering for her breasts. They men did a war dance and then they were escorted into the decorated hut. The elder of the tribe performed a ceremony which consisted of them eating beetle nut, exchanging necklaces rather than rings and accepting hand made gifts from the villagers. It was very beautiful and moving. After it finished the tribe made us dinner served on woven leaves that consisted of rice, fish, chicken, local sweet potato, plantains, and sweet boiled puddings. The kids didn't eat much of the food, but I thought it was lovely. After eating the couple were placed in the back of a truck that was decorated with flowers and greenery and we drove through town honking at them. I think it is one of the best experiences we have had here so far.
I am sure there is much more that I could tell you about our time here but I am off to a morning tea. Every week a group of expat woman get together to talk. As well as it being a social event they talk about ways to help the local community. They have made contributions to a deaf school and gotten another school up and running. Sometime a guest speaker comes. Last time it was someone talking about the cocoa that is grown here and how it is processed and used. It is suppose to be some of the best cocoa in the world but there are often problems with the way it is processed in this country because of the hygiene standards. Very interesting. Bye until next time.
