I woke this morning to singing—the whole air was filled with what sounded like hundreds of voices, and indeed turned out to be many dozens at least. The soccer park was turned into a church, some of the Nakamals (Kava bars in people’s back yards) were turned into churches, and the people here sing their way through their services.
I gathered my swimming stuff and walked the 10 minutes or so to The Club for some laps. The good news is I am the only member of the The Club…for about $25 a month I have access to a great lap pool where I am the only person awake and swimming in the morning. I thought since today was Sunday that expat families would be there but alas, no one but me. It seems the French and Australians staying at the hotel where the pool is located don’t surface for the first part of the day. One of the locals who works there told me they order breakfast in and come out around noon. Well, ok, more pool for me.It was quite humid last night and today and I kept swimming until my fingers were pruned to such a degree that it was clear it was time to get out. It just seems so silly to be out in the wet hot air when I can be in the wet cool pool.
I sluggishly made my way back to my room via the new grocery store. I inspected all of the isles and the security guard struck up a conversation with me about this store’s appalling lack of bread today but “the baker got G-d and was in church instead of baking”. By the time I got back I had had too much sun, heat, and too many laps and I made a lunch, guzzled 48 oz of water and waited to feel better. I got to skype the kids and Benjy tonight and it was great to hear how they are doing. Julia has forayed into the culinary scene, digging through my cookbook and making some tasty looking comida.
Tomorrow I start work and that means a disciplined number of hours writing for the book as well as getting to know the hospital and what I will be doing there. I know that’s what I came for but I am really really good at flip-flop time and the idea of work is kind of hard to get a grip on in the current state of relaxed that I am experiencing. I haven’t figured out the Bislama for “Aloha” yet, but I’m sure that there is an equivalent word. Happily it has been pointed out to me that I can take the memory card out of my camera and put it into my computer so regardless of the fact that the cable is at home, tomorrow I will take a bunch of a pictures and put them online, including one of the water slides that I am so enamored of.
