The Visitor

“I think you need to pee on my face, Sara.”

These are words that one never really wants to hear especially sitting on a beach at 7 a.m.  But there we are, me and my best girl, H, sitting on Bonege Beach 2 at 7 a.m., her with a swollen mouth from a jelly fish sting and me with peeing anxiety.  Not the most ideal way to end a stay in the Solomons, but not unexpected either. 

As H (my best girl) learned here, anything and I mean ANYTHING can and does happen.

***

H arrived the Tuesday before, the last to leave the customs room, which is pretty much the size of the Nelson arrivals airport.  Its tiny and hilarious and hot.

As I see her emerge from the customs room, a wash of emotions sort of come flooding in.  H brings an unexpected element to stay here in Honiara.  She is the first and only guest I’ve had here and I was both excited and nervous to have her stay here.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s o for awesome having her come here but it also leaves me with a sense of slight dread.  H is the most supportive person I could have in my life and she walked side by side with me during some pretty dark times, from a sad, heart breaking separation to a city demolishing earthquake.  But she also reminds me of how far I’ve come and the zen, super adventurous life I’ve worked hard to achieve.

It’s hard not to love H; her enthusiasm and humour are infectious.  Her passion for her work (it has something to do with earthquakes and scientists) and her zestiness for a good adventure makes her the perfect companion.

It’s no rest for her as we zoom through the main streets of Honiara to Casa Turchese for gin and tonics and a good old fashioned catch up. Mackenzie, my local housemate, makes a fantastic local dish of fish in coconut milk with roasted papaya(!!!).  Awesome.  The neighbours come over for a nice visit and H begins her life in the Honiara social scene.

The next day, we drive along and she looks slightly nervously around.

“I still can’t believe you did this, Sara…I mean, it was really ballsy,” she says.

I guess I don’t know how to answer. I don’t feel particularly brave or ballsy.  I just felt like the universe aligned to help me out and carry me to this place, where I’ve found a really great life.  I feel like the luckiest girl alive and H comments about how much happier and together I seem.    

The next night, we celebrate the International Day of Peace at my friend Katherine’s house, with mediation, yoga and a violence free meal (vegan).   It’s all very peaceful and happy and when we leave the house, we feel too zenned out to really talk. 

H makes her way around Honiara the next day, much more confident than the day before.  She begins her process of getting use to the place.  I find it a bit challenging because Honiara is home now; everything seems normal and I don’t do the whole “hey isn’t that interesting” thought process anymore.  So for me, seeing Honiara through a visitor’s eyes is completely entertaining.    

We walk around the streets and sort out the weekend’s activities, though not without a bit of work.  EDITOR'S NOTE: when the Solomon Islands Visitor’s Bureau offers to book something for you, don’t do it! Just grab the number and do it yourself!  These guys are pretty useless!!!

Anyway, we go out to see my neighbor, Aidan, off.  I’m sad to see Aidan leaving; he is a very good neighbor, putting up with our antics and letting us play Band Hero till late.  Which H and I do, singing her favorite heavy metal toons until far too late. 

We can’t stay for as long as either of us would like due to an early morning appointment with the Sun Express to go across to Maravagi, my favorite resort, currently, in Central Province.

The ride over is totally unexpected for me. I’m used to bouncing around in banana boats, wondering half the time if we are going sink.  But the Sun Express cuts through the rough water quickly and I find myself slightly sea sick, a totally new experience in the Solomons. I guess I’m just a banana boat girl. 

Helen enjoys herself as we make our way to Mbike, a little island in the Galas.  It’s a beautiful stretch of white sandy surrounded by crystalline blue waters.  Three large houses tower of the white sand and it looks ideal but due to water issues, the resort has yet to open. I tell the Sun Express people that I’ll bring my own water, if they just let me stay there.  They say that I’m not the first person to offer…

Anyway, its off to Maravagi.  Now usually I jump off the boat just as we get close to the resort but the size of the Sun Express means I can’t.  We quickly unload and begin our holiday in earnest. 

In the afternoon, we snorkel around the home reef, spotting a nice sized black tipped reef shark.  Now that I’ve spotted a few of those guys, I understand a bit more how to respond other than swimming in the opposite direction as fast as possible.     

We eat, snorkel, beach, eat some more and generally have good chats.  Maravagi is a great place to just chill out and enjoy the best of the Solomons (although, this weekend I went to Nugu and that was freakin awesome).

Anyway, after our two days there, we make our way in a banana boat across the sea to Savo, the lone volcanic island hugging the northwest corner of Guadalcanal.

Savo is a totally different place to Maravagi.  Blessed or cursed with volcanic activity, it doesn’t have much of a reef to snorkel but it does have other things.  We hammock and enjoy the simpler, taster local food than offered at Maravagi.   

The next morning we wake up early to see a completely unique sight…the Megapodes.  Megapodes are little black birds that resemble small chickens, but with better posture.  There are several interesting things about megapodes, one being that their eggs are around thirty percent of the size of their torsos.  The yolk from the eggs are around 80 percent of the internal parts of the egg, making it yummy for omelets (I know, H and I tried some!). 

We walk up to an area where some Savo-ites are digging in the black sand.  The area is surrounded by a series of fences, covered with coconut fronds, giving privacy to the Megapodes.  A small group of Megapodes dig into the black sand.  The eggs are incubated in the warm volcanic sands of the islands.  After 31 days, the egg hatches and the bird digs its way out, never knowing its mother or father. 

Anyway, the locals have built up fences around their nesting area to protect them from dogs and to give them a bit of privacy.  As H and I pull the leaves of the fence apart, we watch these fascinating little birds chortle at each other.  Sometimes, it’s just holes in the ground with dirt flying up in small clumps.

The birds make a quiet exit once their eggs are safely laid in the holes.  The locals make the signal and it’s a mad dash of digging as they go for the eggs, sand flying everywhere.  The eggs are highly priced as a protein source but also sell for about 10 dollars Solomon an egg in Honiara.  After about 10 minutes, a good amount of the eggs have been dug out of their nests. 

The megapods have waddled their way back to their jungle homes, which one local points out to me as being a place that is taboo (sacred) to locals and no one is allowed to visit or disturb them. 

H and I make our way back to the Sunset Resort, to enjoy a meal of megapod eggs and pineapple. 

We needed to eat up cause our next adventure would require quite a bit of energy…

 

  

Sex and the Solomons

Okay faithful readers. I'm going to talk about it. I sort of pinkie promised myself that I wouldn't talk about cause, well, its a bit personal. But love is clearly in the air here in Honiara (I leave it up to you to ponder whether it has struck me or not). Everywhere I turn there are people falling in love or hooking up. I don't know if its the time of year here or what but something is clearly up.

This is kind of my advice guide for newbies re: sexual interactions in the Solomons.  I've started this little series for newbies because I get lots of emails asking me about what its like here, where are all the hot men etc...so I thought, after 10 months of being here, I've amassed a certain amount of wisdom on the subject. Just don't going thinking I'm a slutty mcslut for giving you this advice: MUCH of it has been gleamed from others.

Let me say a few words to the non Solomon Island dweller: love here is a complicated thing. Not that love anywhere is straight forward but there are all kinds of taboos around sexual interactions in the Solomons. And, remember folks, these are ISLANDS. Hard to get away from people if it doesn't work out.

When I go to the village, me and the local girls often talk about men. There is a surprising innocence and propriety around sex in the Solomons but, from statistics, its clearly going on here. The birth rate is high and unmarried pregnancies are common occurrences.

Note: There is also an alarmingly high rate of sexual violence towards women in the Solomons. This needs to be discussed at length on a highly effective level and I don't feel I have the knowledge or technical ability to clearly discuss those issues right now in this blog entry. I have several friends who work in that field and they are my heroes. It would be disgraceful to pretend to be as knowledgeable or as adapt as they are at discussing these issues. So I'm going to keep it light.

Social sexual interactions are a strict no no in the Sollies. Men and women do not hold hands while walking down the street. Men hold hands with other men and women hold hands with other women but I have rarely seen a woman and man hold hands here. There is no public kissing or hugging of the opposite sex.

So without further ado, here is my thoughts on some of the key relationship terms or issues here in the Sollies.

Weddings

Me and my faithful housemate Carol (who moved in about two months ago to Casa Turchese) attend a wedding on Saturday afternoon. There are certainly hallmarks of a very western wedding: the big white dress, the groom in a tux, and the bridal party all in matching pink outfits. The ceremony is Anglican and, in formal, quite similar to anything I've seen in the states or N.Z. But one thing is different. Instead of the “you may now kiss the bride”, the priest says “you may now lift the veil of your brides”. There is no big finish kiss, just a modest lifting of the veil.

I felt slightly sorry of the bride in her huge white dress. The girl, only 20, was sweating profusely in the heat, as was her young groom.

After the ceremony, the couple leaves the church and heaps of colourful confetti are thrown at the couple. Then we are off to another location for the reception. The bride and groom barely interact, as if slightly embarrassed by the whole situation. The reception is held at a school hall and the wantoks of the bride and groom have prepared a huge feast of motu (an above ground oven covered in rocks) kasava, fish, chicken and veggies. The wedding cake is banana with white icing (it was delicious, of course I tried it), three tiered with a white bride and groom statue on top.

I was, I must admit, slightly disappointed with the conventional nature of the wedding. I was hoping for something a bit more Solomon Island rather than the traditional boring old wedding but it all seemed very by the book, down to the line of handshaking.

Bride price

This tradition is common in the Solomon Islands. In most places, the original intention of it was to pay the family of the bride the amount of income they would lose when the bride leaves the family for the groom's home.

Now, bride price has become a totally new thing (according to some of my local matron friends). There is a very large ceremony and quite a lot of money is now paid to “purchase” the woman. The intention, again according to my local matron (older women) friends, has been warped beyond recognition, giving the man “ownership” over his bride. Many blame the influence of colonization and the church for the reasons why women are now much more subjugated than before. With only snippets of oral history, its hard to tell whether women had it better or worse in the days before Mendana found this sun dappled isles.

The tradition of bride price is controversial, as it creates a sense of women as objects that can be sold and bought, rather than individuals with rights and freedoms. However, not all people see bride price this way and some people stick to the traditional notion of it being simply a method to compensate the families.

Either way, it is an old tradition in the Solomons and not one that is likely to be changed any time soon.

02, 03s (pronounced oh-two, oh-three)

One not uncommon phenomenon here is the concept of having multiple partners, usually without the other partners knowing about it. Its not just a male activity, women here take multiple partners as well, especially in Honiara (its fairly unheard of in the villages).

I believe the concept of having multiple partners came, partly, out of the over abundance of women versus men at one time in the Solomon Islands. When I speak to my local male co-workers, there seems to be a perception that if you treat one woman badly or get bored, simply get another one because there are so many women.

In a recent meeting, I pointed out that, statistically speaking, there are now more men than women in the Sollies and a significant amount of more men than women in Honiara. My local male coworker was shocked, and explained:

“But there are so many women at the clubs!”

Despite the anecdotal evidence, this may turn into a problem very soon for Solomon Island men. With less women, there could, potentially interesting shifts in the dynamics of social interaction.

Bush Married

Living together is kind of a no no in the very religious Solomon Island context. Locals have created a work around called being bush married which is living together but not legally married but is recognised as being married by the local community. There are many reasons why this happens:

-It can be difficult if you live outside the urban areas to get the proper paperwork completed re: marriage certificate.

-Also divorce is also very difficult to get here, so many couples chose to stay married on paper, with the man or woman simply moving on to another relationship by living with someone else.

-It is not uncommon for men to leave their wives and move on to other women quickly.

-Women also run away from unhappy marriages only to find themselves replaced when they return to their villages. Often, women have to pay compensation to those who they have upset (usually the in laws) if they wish to return to their family home.

Creeping (a slightly Chosieul phenomenon)

Now, I'm a bit hesitant to discuss creeping, as I am not an authority on this issue and I have never been to Chosieul, so I can't speak from experience. I do know that this does not happen everywhere in Choiseul, so bear with me.

Choieul is a particularly gender separated culture; women and men rarely interact in a social setting. But, obviously, people need to interact somehow. The young available men go “creeping” at night. Creeping involves men taking ladders up to girls windows and climbing inside. Then stuff happens, the girl does not know who she is with and the man leaves. However, if the man likes the girl, he leaves out her bedroom door to meet with the father. This indicates his intention to marry to the family.

While lots of local people have problems with this tradition, its a difficult one to break because the mothers and fathers of the young people involved typically met or interacted in this same fashion. I'll leave it up to you, gentle reader, to decide what you think about it.

The non local context (EXPATS)

Dating amongst the ex pat community is not an easy thing, although I have several friends who met here and fell in love and have great relationships. But the expat community is very small and if it doesn't work out, pretty much everybody knows about it and why. The sense on anonymity is completely gone here and everybody knows everyone else's business. Essentially, my advice here is: don't be an asshole to people. If you want to shag around, that's fine, but people hear about it. If you treat people like crap, well, it gets around. I'm just sayin.

Now, the drunken hook up is common here, as is drunken behavior in general. And, like a drunken hook up anywhere, its slightly uncomfortable to deal with but here, you gotta deal with it at some point. My advice is: deal with it sooner rather than later and just be upfront and honest about your intentions. Everyone will be happier if you do that.

So, don't be an asshole. And if you do like someone, be pretty sure before you head in there cause it can get kinda messy if it turns to custard. Its very hard to avoid each other on this little island. Anyway, if things don't work out, my advice is to stay classy about it (which is my advice about most everything).

Expat/local dating

Now, this is completely a personal choice and I really have no advice here. I have heaps of friends, both men and women, who have had cross cultural relationships here and its worked out great. I've also seen it go horribly, horribly wrong.

The scenario of it going wrong looks something like this: I've seen ex pat men have relationships with local women, only to leave them when the contract is up, sometimes with little ones, and then the men are back off to Australia or N.Z., never to be heard of again. Or local men turning their backs on their families only to have their expat women leave them to another assignment and then struggle to reintegrate back into their wontok system.

Also, be aware that the drunken hookup is likely not necessarily a wise idea with this context. I know several people who got called out by this, only to find out their hookup was married or a sex worker or both. Threats of violence can occur as do demands for money. So just tread carefully with the drunken hookup.

I guess my only words of consideration is what it would be with any cross cultural relationship: respect the traditions and understand that there are significant differences between the two of you. Love and accept those differences. Trying to change anyone is an impossible feat in any relationship, so I wouldn't suggest trying it (believe me, its just not worth it!). That's my two cents.

Again, don't be an asshole to local women or men. No one deserves to be treated like personal sex objects (unless they agree to that and are totally on board with it), especially the lovely, trusting and warm people of the Solomon Islands. Sorry but I'm going to be judgy about any douchebaggery in this regard. If you do treat people like crap, and I hear about it, we are going to have to have words. I'm just sayin.

In conclusion, love is a complicated thing everywhere, even in these little sunny islands in the Pacific. So have fun, enjoy the sun, don't be an asshole and you should be just fine.

P.S. To all the ladies who email me asking me where all the hot men are...well, typically they are all stuck on the base and need a pass to get out. So good luck with that, ladies.

What a difference a decade makes

Ten years ago today a tragedy of almost unimaginable scale occurred. The event, of course, is the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.

Now, I'm not doing this blog entry because I want to discuss the events of that day or the devastation of what occurred afterwards in Afghanistan and Iraq, indeed throughout the whole Middle East. Whatever you believe happened on that day, one thing is clear: everyone's life changed.

For me, this anniversary will also the mark the day I moved from the U.S. At the time, I believed I would return in a year, after my year of travelling around the world.  I never made it around the world, not till last year. And I never moved back to the U.S.

I remember the day clearly, arriving at the airport in Christchurch, being interviewed by Radio N.Z. Whilst watching the first scenes of the planes hitting the towers, in shock. I had just left the U.S. a mere 12 hours before and my home was under attack. I wanted to hop right back on the plane and go back. But I couldn't.  All the planes were grounded for two weeks. I was stuck in a country where I knew no one, the future uncertain.  Scared, alone.

I found my feet in the wonderful country I would later call home for the better part of ten years.  As for going home, I actually wouldn't return for another year. I stayed in N.Z. for lots of reason but when I returned to my home, everything was different. People were less welcoming, American flags waved on lawns everywhere. It was like walking into the Twilight Zone ...everyone was either afraid, angry or both. People still talked in somewhat hushed tones and it seemed to me that everyone was still very much in a grieving period.

I felt totally out of place; people had gone through something I couldn't understand. I felt like a foreigner in my home. In N.Z. I had been cushioned from the reality of the grief, the pain my country was processing. The stark reality of my choice was there, all around me, and it was intense.

Somehow, a decade passed. When I visit home, things have moved on but the effects can still be felt in the economy and in conversations. It is something so deep that I think no matter how much time passes, the pain dulls but remains in the background like a radio you forgot to turn off.

Grief does funny things to people.  Heart break can turn loving people into enemies.  I know from my own experience that it can turn best of friends to strangers overnight. 

So after some reflection about life and its strange, epic confusing and grief filled turns, I honoured the day, this sad anniversary, by doing what I call my Honiara epic day: five km run, a dive and a yoga session.(Here beginneth the lighter part of this blog entry).

I did a five kms run in the morning. The run was a part of the Solomon Marathon. All of us eager beavers started near the Heritage Hotel, bright and early at 8 a.m. On a Sunday morning. Little pikininis (children) barefoot and excited crowded the start of the starting line. And suddenly we were off, running down the main street on Honiara. I did well for the first 500 metres and then my lungs began to burn.

One thing stung: I was being outpaced by a little four year old with bare feet wearing a red shirt and matching red bandana. The little one screamed his battle cry as he left me embarrassingly in the dust. Its like when you are skiing and you see the little ones just zoom down the slopes past you while you are laying a pile of poles and planks having biffed it on the ice.

The race was typical of all of fun runs I've done: those competitive types go to the front and run their hearts out and then begin to walk, breathless and red. Now me, I'm the definition of a pack horse, slowly but surely running at a steady if slow pace. Yeah, its two kms down and the little rock star pikinini has still outpaced me.

Finally, I meet up with Viola who has decided to walk. I convince her to run to the half way mark with me; I'm proud to say I haven't started walking yet. We drink up, take a quick rest and then off. We run through the shade and then walk through the light. Our bodies are covered in sweat and sunscreen gets into my eyes, causing them to sting strongly. I used to love running but I gave it up here but its difficult to do (although I do show up at Hash occasionally but definitely not often enough).

We make it to last bit and rock out; finally I pass the little four year old, ashamed that I'm actually glad I beat him to the finish line. I am a sad, sad woman.

It feels great; the finish line is filled with people cheering us through to the finish line. The liveliness and happiness is like nothing I've seen before at a fun run and the atmosphere is down right festive.

I take a wee break but meet up with Stan, my fearless neighbour again after he finishes his 10 kms run. We hop into his Hilux and head back home. In the car, we both agree that its a beautiful day for a dive and why not? So despite my aching right knee and the voice in my head saying “oi! Don't push it”, we head off to Tulagi Dive to grab some tanks and weights.

Now, this is my third dive of the weekend, having done Bonege 1 and 2 the day before. But no matter, the ocean is calling both me and Stan. I'm on my tenth dive and now the gear is getting easier to put together. The water is calm to get into and the clarity has improved greatly on the day before. We sink down easily into the depths, right on to the wreck. After motoring around, we go deep. I'm not going to confess how deep because it was slightly unwise to go that deep with only 10 dives under my belt. However, one must follow their dive buddy and Stan is an advanced diver, taking me through the darkened rooms of the wreck.

I should feel nervous being this deep but I'm not. I feel perfectly calm because one thing I've learned in life: panic can kill you. Over the last ten years, I've learned that nothing is worth losing your calm over. Nothing. We make our way up and have a quick decompression stop. There are literally millions of fish, big and small, hanging around the wreck. Stan and I pick a spot and sit in the sand, watching the sea underworld go by.

I make it up first and even though the waves have picked up, my legs hold out underneath me and I make it out of the water without a struggle. We pack up and go home.

Lunch is bowl of soba noddles with slippery cabbage and bok choy. I sit, savoring it on my balcony, looking out at my peaceful tropical valley that ends with a beautiful view of the sea. The Galas, a series of islands, seem to float out miles away.

Then its on to yoga for some more zen time. I glide through the poses on my balcony, occasionally stopping to look out on to the sea.

So why am I telling you this? What does my “Honiara epic” have anything to do with the largest tragedy my country has ever known?

Because my way of commemorating this day is to live, to do the things I love. I feel like I am honoring the day by enjoying this moment. I am doing things I didn't know I loved to do two years ago or even one year ago. I think of NYC, Washington...even Christchurch and what sudden change like disaster has to teach us. In the end, all we have is this moment. All the plans in the world can be disrupted and changed.

I guess if this decade has taught me anything, its that you can always rebuild from the devastation of natural or personal disaster. As my thoughts go out to the families that lost their loved ones, through the attack or through what occured afterwards, I hope they have found peace with their loss and are rebuilding and recovering.

As rough as it is to pick yourself up after a devastating loss of a loved one or a home, you can always heal and start again. You can have a new life, a new hobby, a new relationship, a new career. A new home. A new view. I think I'm on my fifth new life chapter since that fateful day.  Each new chapter, each new beginning has taught me something very valuable and though these changes have sometimes been brought about by great loss and pain, I value those important moments of transition.

This beginning, this Solomon Island time, I've learned to slow down, to savour, to enjoy. Sure the past is there in the background enriching who I am and still teaching me things. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I honour what has come before, those who I have left behind. I am learning to be gentle with the past, including how I view my own and other's actions.  

Because life begins again.

And isn't that the beautiful thing about life?

S

Newbie Honiara Guide: What to Bring Part Two

Alright then...we've covered what to bring your luggage...moving on to the shipping allowance. If you are lucky enough to volunteer and/or work for an organisation that will pay for your stuff to be shipped to these lovely isles, here is what I think you should focus your packing energies on. Of course, what is important to me (e.g. shoes, pink electronics, diving knives) may not be important to you. So use at your own risk.

If you have a substantial shipping allowance:

Here are a few ideas of what to bring if you have a substantial shipping allowance.

1. Bedding. BRING FITTED SHEETS! I hate making my bed at the best of times, so without fitted sheets, I lived a life of frustration and angst (just kidding). Honiara doesn't really have any fitted sheets, I HIGHLY recommend bringing your own. Also bring a blanket, I know it sounds crazy BUT you will get to the point in the cooler season when you might feel slightly cool at night. It took me about five months to get there but my little throw blanket is now always on my bed.
2. Exercise equipment. Gyms here are pretty average and most charge about 50 dollars Sollie per visit. Its a better idea to get a nice home gym going. Running is fine here but be prepared to be followed by gangs of pikininis (children) screaming and laughing at you and to be harassed by men (if you are a woman). I recommend some weights (or those band thingys), a swiss ball, and perhaps a treadmill.
3. Small appliances. Bring your favorite toaster, jug, food processor, blender etc...Small appliances are expensive here and not very good quality. Our toaster (which was quite cute, it had a plastic fish on the handle!) broke within two months. I had to bring one from N.Z. when I came back from Christchurch. I sent a few things over, including my stick blender that has a small food processor unit. It works great and takes up very little room. I highly recommend taking anything that is multipurpose and durable. Be prepared to leave it here.
4. Knives-bring some good ones...you can buy decent knives in Chinatown but they are kinda pricey.
5. Herbs, salts, oils etc...I'm a bit of a foodie and I love my hickory smoked rough sea salt. I also love my Nando's Peri Peri sauce. I can't get either here. Bring fancy herbs, salts, oils...anything you feel like you can't really cook without, here. If you have the room, why not?
6. Bring your balls aka sports equipment. Bringing extra sporting equipment like soccer, rugby and basketballs will endear you to the locals. The Solomons Islanders particularly love their football (soccer), so consider bringing a few extra balls. Also a small air pump won't go wrong.
7. Tupperware or Sistema storage containers. Okay, here in the Sollies there are ants, cockroaches and rats, oh my! They love food and you don't want them to get into your food. Bring really good storage containers (I love Sistema) but its up to you. Be aware that rats are particularly aggressive and can chew through the plastic so the tougher your containers are, the better.
8. Bikes. You can bike around Honiara, in fact I've seen quite a few pedallers lately making their way to the beach, going for a snorkel and then biking back. What a great Sunday morning! If you are out in the provinces, biking is a great idea. Bring a mountain bike rather than a road bike, your ass will thank you. Oh and bring a bike lock! Again, be prepared to give it to a local person when you leave.
9. Kayak and/or surf/body boards. Kayaking here would be amazing! You can purchase a dugout canoe here for about 500 sollies but the balance is quite different than a kayak and tipping out is a big possiblitiy. I recommend bringing one if you can afford it and have space. Surfing here is AWESOME (according to my wantok Eddy). The breaks have NO ONE on them and they are pretty amazing. A body board would also be pretty cool here too.
10. Kids toys/equipment/etc...I am not a mum so I can't really advice you if you are parent. Here is what I Would recommend though: the toys here are pretty cheap and are incredibly breakable. Bring robust stuff from home or ask a local carver (there are many) to make you some wooden toys. Again, my housemate makes these, so send me an email if you are interested. Also, if you want to get in touch with the parents group, I know people who are involved, so feel free to email me for contact details.
11. Life jackets. There may be a time when you have to travel by boat and there are no life jackets on board. Bring your own, if you want, to ensure you are safe should the boat capsize.

Furniture is pretty good here and most houses come with the basics. You don't have to bring your refrigerator, freezer, washing machine etc...here unless otherwise advised by your agency.

Don't Bring:

There are going to be some items that you will definitely NOT want to bring here. These are my ideas:

1. Expensive jewelry. If you want to keep it, don't bring it. I would never recommend any bringing any kind of expensive or sentimental items here. The chances of it getting nicked or lost is high. If you are married and want to bring your rings, I suggest buying or wearing only a simple band. Wearing a big diamond around Honiara pretty much targets you for petty criminals. And also, in a country where the cost of your ring can feed a family for five years, do you really want to be flashing around that kind of wealth? I know I wouldn't be comfortable with it. But its up to you. Also, I purchased almost all of my jewelry here. I like the local accessories and I don't worry if it gets lost or broken.
2. Your entire pantry. First off, don't bring tins of tomatoes or fruits, you can buy it here. By bringing your entire pantry from home, you are kinda a weirdo. Why would you want to come here and just eat the same food you ate at home? Why not just stay at home? It might be slightly more expensive here but by bringing your tin of Watties Beans (again you can buy it here) you are also wasting shipping room. Buy local, if you can bring yourself to do it. I figure the less processed food you eat, the better for a number of reasons.
3. Your car. You can buy a car from Japan and ship it here, usually for a cheap rate or purchase it from another expat (someone is always leaving). If you love your car, don't bring it here. If you do decide to bring your vehicle here, be prepared to pay a mint when you return to your home country in repairs on shocks, tires and the chassis. This place is killer on cars. I recommend purchasing a little 4wd vehicle, the roads here are very bumping and there are lots of potholes. My personal favorite (and perhaps next vehicle purchase in N.Z.) is a diesel Toyota Hilux. I love those grunty beasts; they can go anywhere.
4. Your designer clothes. Clothes take a beating here, from hard water to over enthusiastic house meres. Bring a small capsule wardrobe (see clothes above) and then go to the kalico (bale or second-hand) shops. You can purchase great stuff there. Plus, you don't want to be wanker showing off your expensive clothes from home. Remember, people make very little money here, so being understated in your wardrobe is probably best.
5. Art: Don't bring your own art, unless you are prepared to part with it. This climate is killer on canvas. There are some great local artists (my housemate Mackenzie is one of them) who is happy to be commissioned to do specific work for you (email me if you want to know more about this). Again, doing this helps the local economy and you can take the art home with you as souvenirs.
6. Your pet. Again, if you want to, go ahead. I do know a couple people who brought their animals and its fine. However, Honiara's animal kingdom is a brutal place. The streets are lined with feral dogs and cats and chickens (most are mine, I can't help but keep on adopting these cute fellas. Shade, my kitten, is the latest adoptee, and at five dollars Sollie per tin of Solomon Blue, he is fairly affordable to feed). There are lots of lost dogs and cats that need a good home and a little love, even temporarily. IF you bring your beloved cat or dog, keep them indoors or on your property at all times. Leaving your animal to wander around is a recipe for saying goodbye to your beloved pet.
7. Chocolate. BRING AT YOUR OWN RISK! It will melt as soon as you get off the plane. You might be able to get away with it but pack it in a separate bag so you don't get liquid chocolate all over your stuff.
8. Your important documents. Other than your passport, I would only bring copies of your important documents. Mold loves paper, so just bring copies and store the originals at home. Same goes for photos.
9. High end electronics. Leave your Bose speakers and Wii at home. I mean, if you want to bring it, fine, but remember that by bringing it here, you run the risk of having it stolen. Expat houses DO get targeted by thieves.
10. Wine. I mean, if you want to bring your 200 aussie bottle of wine, thats cool, but consider that you are going to have to run your air conditioner to keep it cool (if its a red). Also, there is no guarantee that its going to come to you in one piece or that some of the wine won't go missing. Save your money and buy locally. Yeah the bottles here aren't as great as it is at home, but you can still get a decent bottle of wine.
11. Fancy china and glassware. Unless you are hosting state dinners, don't bring expensive china here or flatware or expensive glassware. Tessa and I purchased six beautiful water classes and within seven months, only one remains. Things break often here. Aus Pak is a great place to buy sturdy plastic plates and flatware for good prices. Most of the Chinese shops have a pretty good selection of affordable glass ware.

Basically, when packing, balance between needs and wants. Think about what you want to have, how much time you have here and how you want to use that time. Its great to have a WII and an XBOX 360 but do you really want to spend your time indoors when you could be out socialising, getting to know people and being active?

I know what my answer is.

And there endeth my two cents on what to bring to Honiara....

The parable of the prawn and goby fish

The goby fish and the prawn chillaxing in their pad.

Bonege Two

After a run of a diving drought, I get a break with my friend Ned. We get up early; around 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday (!!!) to beat a path down to Bonege 2, an old WW2 wreck that I dived when I took my PADI course.

There is something about being the first person at the beach. Something slightly invigorating but also scary; you have no idea if there are crocs or sharks and no one has scared them away yet. So I guess that makes it our job to do the spooking of the large, scary animals away from the wreck.

Despite my neurotic tenancies, I get in the water and make the decent into the deep. The water clarity is pretty amazing; I can see the giant barracuda swimming calmly about 30 metres or so away and then it flits off into the deep. Ned is a perfect dive buddy; calm and relaxed. We do have to call the dive off early due to his ears not adjusting but it was totally worth it just to get back in the water. It leaves me wanting more, to discover more about the mysteries of the wreck.

Bonege One

The next weekend, I get my hands on some dive gear and commit to two dives; Bonege One and Two on Sunday morning. Its another early wake up call and this time my diving buddy is Stan, my eternally energetic neighbour.

The water is rough and I struggle in the waves, swimming on my back. I swallow more salt water than one should. Unfortunately, my buoyancy isn't quite right and I sink only a metre below the surface. We go back in and I'm a bit angry at myself. I need help to emerge from the waves and a friendly bloke holds me up as I stagger like ship wreck survivor onto the beach.

We take a moment and weight me down further. I get back into the water and sink quickly below the waves.

A great part of the dive is the beginning, right as you begin to sink under the surface. As you look up, the surface looks like rippled glass. As you sink below the waves into the deep, all the troubles of life seem to slip away. Everything becomes infinitely still as the feeling of weightlessness takes over. As I focus, fish come into view and begin to swim around me.

We float around a bit and then go down to the sea floor. The shelf quickly cuts down and disappears into the deep. As we swim along the floor a dark shadow appears into view. We have found the wreck of Bonege One.

I am sure that the designers of these warships never intended them to be stranded in the deep however the turrets, poles and hull seem to fit seamlessly in the underwater environment. Like a ghost, the ship sits quietly at the bottom, decaying and yet, with the coral, it grows and expands daily. It's original purpose of bringing death and dominance to the Pacific, now brings new life.

At first, I find his form of diving a bit unnerving. He sits on the bottom and just watches and waits. He is simply graceful underwater while I flail around, using my useless arms to motor through the wreck.

The wreck hosts the usual suspects: clown fish, trigger fish, large angel fish and a gazillion other specifies I can't name. I seem to struggle with my balance though and use my arms far too much. I'm terrified of touching the wreck, with its rusty pointy bits promising infected cuts.

I leave the water again but this time I don't require any assistance to get out (woot)!

Bonege Two (again)

Stan and I spend our surface interval talking about the dive and how I can improve my buddy skills. Stan is a big believer of getting down to the bottom and letting the underwater world pass by you. The key is: the calmer you are, the calmer the underwater life is around you and comes to you.

The water is decidedly much more rough. Even at the bottom of the sea floor, the currents are pushing us around like paper dolls. We quickly swim over Bonege 2 wreck and go deeper to get away from the currents. When we reach the bottom at 19 metres, Stan takes out his underwater torch and we begin to explore the chambers of the wreck.

Schools of small yellow fish hang out in the dark, waiting the storm out from above. They look surprised at our appearance and quickly swim off. As we look under the wreck, a small shark darts to escape the light from the torch. Its not a shark I've seen in the water before and we quickly identify as a baby tiger shark. I don't want to wait around to see its mother, so we circle back to shallower water.

You meet strange things at the bottom of the sea floor. Disco clams, jelly fish, blue spotted rays and my new favorite: the goby fish with its friend/symbiotic heterosexual life partner, the prawn.

The goby fish and the prawn live in perfect balance which each other. Their relationship works like this: the prawn is slightly blind but good at digging burrows. The goby has great eyes but no arms in which to dig a safe burrow for its eggs. The prawn digs and the goby keeps watch. These BFFs maintain constant physical contact through the prawn's antenna and the goby's tail. When the gobi flits into the burrow, the prawn follows. The fish earned the name as the “watchmen” of the prawns.

Together, they survive the predators of the deep. As we round a large circular piece of the wreck, we interrupt a pair of these weird prawn/gobys. Its to our credit that they just chill out and watch us, not at all bothered by these two weird looking creatures. The goby, which is about the length of my middle finger, watches us with big black dolls eyes while the prawn sits there, oblivious to us. I watch them for awhile, noticing their bizarre relationship of contact physical contact and complete genetic mismatch.

I have a couple of questions about these two. First, how did they figure out relationship ages ago? Did they get drunk one night and the prawn slurs to the goby “hey wanna come back to my burrow? I need someone to help me protect it. Plus I have Sky.” Second, now that they have hooked up through the ages, how do they find new ones each generation? I mean was there speed dating involved or ads in the paper: “wanted: one handsome goby to look after burrow for sexy blind prawn. Must have a sense of adventure and like sand.”

But more importantly, I wonder with this odd couple, if they ever fight? Do they try to change each other? Does the goby complain about the prawn leaving his dirty underwear around the house? Does the prawn wish the goby cooked more often and clean the dishes? Does the prawn ever think “man, I could do a lot better. This guy doesn't even care how hard I worked to dig my burrow!”questions don't get answered by watching them, they seem pretty happy to just let each other be...well...a prawn and a fish.

Despite these philosophical musings, I have to end the dive as my air begins to run low.

The climb out of the surf is horrific. I get washed up to shore with 50 pounds of gear on my back. Every time I try to get up, a large waves smacks me down. I swallow water and realise that I'm in real trouble if I can't sort myself out. I crawl up the shore, only to be dragged back into the water, then a wall of water pushes me back out onto the rough rocky beach.

I feel like every muscle and bone in my body has abandoned me. My body is getting tired and a small alarm bell rings off in my head. There are no other divers on the beach and Stan is nowhere to be found.

I cry out for help and a local guy comes out and grabs me, hauling me out of the waves. He cries out and says that its too dangerous to be diving. He's right but I'm too tired, embarrassed and pissed off to want to talk about it. After a moment of steading myself, I walk up the beach, bloodied knees and a bruised ego and meet Stan at the truck.

Despite the rough entry, I find that I can quickly steady myself and get the gear off. Two dives in a day for someone who isn't “diving fit” is exhausting and I make my way home quickly. I demolish a bowl of pasta and quickly beat a path towards my bed, thinking about the weird relationship of the goby and the prawn.

As I sink below the surface of consciousness, I think that if these two strange creatures, who really have nothing in common, genetically or otherwise, can live together, why can't the rest of us?

Newbie Solomon Island Guide: What to bring

Okay, I have to go back a step. I've been here so long now that I skipped an important part: packing before you get here. I was asked (actually one friend demanded and got quite cross with me that I forgot to include this) by some friends to cobble together what I believe to be crucial items to stuff into your suitcase before making a visit or a move to the Sollies. THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING IF YOU LIVE HERE. If you are just visiting, bring items 1-5, 7-10, 12, 15, 21-27, that should be sufficient for the time you are here.

NOTE: This is based on MY experiences and those of my close friends. Other expats may have a different list entirely and thats cool. If you have any questions about any of the below, feel free to email me. Also, you will notice this is skewed towards the ladies, as I am a girl. Tough luck, boys.

What you need to know before you go:

First off, remember that this a developing country in a very isolated part of the world. Everything comes here by shipping boats and, well, sometimes those boats don't show up or can't pay the port fees or other taxes to offload their goods. This means that food and product shortages occur often. What you can rely on is the basics like local veggies and fruits and fish. You may have a shipping allowance to bring goods into the country (I discuss that further below) which means you can bring stakka (lots) of stuff but I would focus your packing on things that aren't available or are very expensive to purchase here.

The Golden Rules

1. Don't bring anything that you can't bear to part with. I know this may sound harsh but if you have something that would make you sad to part with, like a teddy bear your mum gave you or a diamond engagement ring, I wouldn't bring it. A good example: my dad lost his wedding ring, which he had for more than 30 years, whilst snorkeling in Hawai'i. He never got it back and he was gutted. But many people do and nothing happens, however be aware that you are taking a risk to lose those items. I have known several friends who were very upset when personal and sentimental items went walkabout and never returned.
2. The more things that serve dual or triple purposes, the better. For instance, a yoga mat is great for relaxation but also makes a good bed roll in the villages. I have torches that have a red light as well as a regular light that can serve as an emergency signal. Again, the more multipurpose, the better.
3. Bring extras. If you have room, chose a few things to bring doubles of. I've mention them down below.
4. Don't panic! IF you don't get everything on the list, you will be fine. Many expats leave frequently and they often leave stuff behind. Also, remember that you will likely be going home at some point, so prioritise what you need to be bring based on usefulness to you.

Your luggage

20 kilos is your check in luggage allowance for all flights in to the Solomons (commercial) and seven kilos for your carry on. However, there are few things you can do to get more on the plane. You can pay extra OR, if you are going on Solomon Airlines, ask for a 10 kilos sporting goods allowance (call first to make sure this policy is still in place). Its free and I have done it myself. Also, check what your international flight limits are. Mine was 30 kilos for Emirates and I checked my bags all the way in from Charles de Gaulle to Honiara. I had 27 kilos and was not charged any extra coming into Honiara. Maybe I just got lucky.

Bring at least one really good back pack, the more waterproof, the better. Also, don't bring the flashiest luggage you can find or anything too new. My suitcase is a road warrior and looks that way. I've never had my stuff broken in to because of it. Just sayin.

Stuff to pack in your luggage (in no particular order):

1. Snorkel, fins and mask. Buy a good set. If you can afford it, bring two. I have three sets of fins/masks/snorkels. Whenever I go anywhere with friends, I always find that someone has left their gear behind, so I end up loaning my extra gear to people. Its also handy to have a few spare sets in case your best set breaks. Snorkel gear is expensive here, and not easy to find, so bring it! Slightly used rather than a older set is best. The plastic around the mask does age and will eventually crack, causing the mask to leak. No one wants a mask full of sea water, so bring something either new or just slightly used.

Snorkel purchasing hint: bring the best kind you can, with tempered glass so it can double as a diving mask. Also I prefer the one with one big lens rather than the dual one.

NOTE: IF you are a diver or interested in becoming a diver, BRING YOUR OWN EQUIPMENT minus weights and tanks (if you have a shipping allowance, feel free to stick your gear in there if you don't want to dive straight away). Seriously, renting gear is very expensive. After about 10 dives or so, you will have made it worth the initial cost of getting your gear.

2. Knife-Swiss army knifes are great, I suggest buying one or a big knife. Note: I had a diving knife that I forgot to pack in my check-in (it was in my carry on) and I had to give it up. I'm still sad because that knife was SO Lara Croft and Marco gave it to me as a gift (Actually the cheap Italian made me pay him something for it, he said you can never give a knife for free)...
3. Sunscreen. Bring a LOT. Sunscreen costs about $250 sollies here, which in my book is pretty pricey. Typically you can only get it here at the chemists and there isn't a lot of choices (mostly its Nivea). So wherever you are, load up.
4. Board shorts and swimming shirts. I highly recommend getting yourself some board shorts because showing thighs for women is a big no no here. Rashies or swimming shirts are also great to protect your skin against the sun and coral reefs. Believe me, if you snorkel, you will probably get a coral cut and those are no fun (coral can GROW inside the wound. Believe me, it sucks). I suggest getting a short sleeve and a long sleeve one because the long sleeve one is great for protecting your skin when you are on a banana boat.
5. Books-There is one bookstore in the whole Solomon Islands. That's right, ONE. Its a second hand bookstore and closes often without much notice for weeks at a time. If you want to be very generous, buy some kids books, there really aren't any here and kids will love you for it. If you have a shipping allowance, use it to ship out books. You won't regret it. Alternatively, I have an e-reader and that is also very useful. Either way you will want something to read while you are here.
6. External hardrive. Buy at least one (I have two), I recommend the one terabyte hard drive. If you have Irish pirate neighbours, like I had, get them to fill it up with stuff you want to watch while you are here. Minus the entire series of Krog Mandoon. Well that actually was pretty funny. Also, use it to back up your hard drive on your laptop.
7. First aid kit-I got one from my volunteer organisation before I came here but I think investing in a good first aid kit is an excellent idea. St. Johns in N.Z. has a great set of first aid kits, as does the Travel Doctors. I would go with the Travel Doctors because theirs is focused on people traveling in exotic areas. Bring some extra Savlon or anti bacterial cream. Also, extra Panadol is a good investment as it is slightly pricey here.
8. Malaria pills-Everyone seems to have an opinion about whether to take malaria pills or not, but I would suggest bringing them anyway, no matter what your opinion is about it.
9. Small mosquito net. I recommend bringing one when you travel. You can bring a larger one for your bedroom at home if you wish too. I would pack the larger one in my shipping allowance and bring a small portable one in my luggage.
10. A big floppy hat and sun glasses- As a bit of a ginger, I BURN in the sun. To stop this from happening, I have a big floppy hat that I wear to the beach and on the banana boat. I recommend bringing some kind of hat to protect you from the sun. Don't bring your expensive designer sun glasses here unless, again, you are prepared to part with them. There are quite a variety of cheap sunglasses here and I buy a pair every other month or so, because these break easily. But again, its up to you.
11. Laptop. I highly recommend bringing your own personal laptop. Pinky, my 2009 Sony Vaio, goes everywhere with me and I would be lost without her. I watch movies, do work out dvds, talk to my parents on Skype, and all kinds of stuff on Pinky. I love her.
12. Map of the Solomon Islands. You really can't buy these here, except for at LANDS, which is a government outfit. I suggest buying a good map before you come, if possible. Laminate if you have time.
13. Torches (flashlights). Look, you will be without power at some point, whether in Honiara or out in the provinces and in the villages. I recommend at least bringing two (big surprise there). Bring at least one waterproof one. Wind up torches are great because batteries are expensive.Head torches are wonderful things, bring one.
14. Computer related stuff: Bring some electronics dehydration packs. Moisture (and insets) get into things like laptops and you never know when your boat is going to sink and you have to save your laptop from a watery death (even with the silica beads, you might be out of luck). I wrap up my laptop in lava lavas and stick a silica gel bead packet there for about a day or so in the back of my closet. Works a treat and Pinky seems happy as.
15. Dry bags-Beloved by kayakers, dry bags are created to keep your stuff dry. I have a huge 60 litre dry bag and a small 10 litre dry bag for electronics. I have a dry bag back pack (which I LOVE). All my luggage is waterproof. Why? I go on banana boats quite frequently and it does rain and the boats fill with water. I want to protect my stuff from getting wet as much as possible. I would recommend bringing a dry bag, at least one, whether you are in the field a lot or not. Most of the resorts require banana boat trips, so it never hurts to have one.
16. Insect repellent: There are mosquitoes here. These little bastards sometimes carry malaria. I recommend wearing some when out in the field (I recommend Bushman, mine is 60 percent deet and has sunscreen in it). Sprays work good too, as do the coils (which you can purchase in Honiara. I am sure its filled with toxic stuff, which makes it so cheap). You can buy some hippie stuff that is a natural repellent but I've used some and it was basically a herbal perfume (which was quite pleasant).
17. Iron tablets and vitamins : Okay, if you love meat, you are out of luck here in the Solomons. There is beef here but its very expensive and not the best quality. You can get a meat license, to bring 20 kilos of beef (vacuum packed) on the plane. Its a hundred Sollies and worth the investment if you can't live without your steak. Having said that, bringing iron tablets is a great way to ensure you stay healthy by keeping your iron levels up. I think a daily vitamin is also a good idea. It is difficult to get all your nutrients here, especially if you live out in the provinces and other than Centrum, the variety of vitamins here is low. There are no health food shops here, so if you can't live without it, bring it.
18. A light rain jacket. Its a tropical country. Enough said.
19. E-perb: Okay, your basic eperp (or emergency beacon) is a great idea if you are spending some time in the field. It is not uncommon for boats to get lost or capsize here, and if you want to get rescued (hey, who doesn't?) an eperb is your lifeline. Basically, this little device sends a signal to Australia and then your home country is notified (there's a whole system) with your exact GPS coordinates. Then someone is called here in the Sollies and a rescue is organized. I've heard of people needing rescue in a number of situations here and they have had good success using an eperb.
20. Coffee. Yeah I know, it sounds strange, but if you are a coffee snob and/or Italian, it is better to bring your own here. Espresso coffee is VERY expensive here. I am not a coffee snob and I drink the Solomon Islands coffee and green tea. Its not as strong but I like it. Again, its up to you.
21. Yoga mat. Okay, you might not do yoga or any form of exercise. I do, yoga is a great for relaxation and refocusing (which you will need to do from time to time when working here). But I also use my yoga mat when sleeping out in the villages. Often, all you get is a woven mat on the ground. The first night is pretty uncomfortable but you will get used to it. In the meantime, a little extra padding that a yoga mat provides is priceless.
22. Drugs and women's hygiene-Bring your own, if you require special medication. Do not assume the drugs will be available here. This includes Epipens, birth control pills and things like condoms. While there is some availability with these items, I worry about the quality of what is provided but its up to you. Also, consider bringing your own favorite brand of tampons or pads as you may not be able to find what you want here.
23. Small toolkit. I know this will come as a shock to you, but I fix stuff in my house. A lot. A good little toolkit is great to bring as these are quite expensive here and difficult to find. Mine is pink, comes in a small brief case and is generally hilarious to carry around. Shout out to my ex husband for sending it to me here as a birthday gift in March; its been a great little toolkit and has gotten a lot of use by me and my neighbours. However if you don't have a generous ex husband, bring your own.
24. Good underwear. The stuff you can buy here is pretty low quality and personally, I wouldn't buy a bra from the second hand shops. I'm just sayin. Ladies, bring your sports bra. Or two. I have two (I have two of most things). I recommend wearing them on banana boats, ladies, I promise your breasts will thank you for it.
25. Clothes. Bring light coloured, light weight and loose fitting clothing. I recommend linens and cottons. Just don't bring white as it will stain immediately. I wouldn't pack too much though, clothes are cheap in Honiara at the local kalico shops. I've found quite a few nice clothes. Ladies, leave your short shorts at home, showing thighs are a big no no here. If you aren't sure, bring a lava lava (sarong) to wrap around you. You can buy these here but its always good to have one to start out with. Skirts are wonderful to wear and most Solomon Island women wear them as opposed to pants or shorts.
26. Beauty products. Ladies (or I guess dudes, if you are metro-sexually inclined) bring your good moisturizers, toners, cleansers, shampoo and conditioners if you feel you can't live without them. HINT: IF you don't want to fill your bag (there is a 20 kgs weight limit) with beauty products, buy them at the Brisbane duty free. Also, bring a good set of razors, the ones here are pretty dull and expensive. The beauty products here are pretty sub standard, so bring anything you feel you can't live without. However, don't bother with the nail polish, I found the best nail polish in the world right here in Honiara. More on that later...
27. A small sports towel is a good idea. I wish I had brought one of those microfibre ones that pack up really small.
28. Your toiletries bag. Bring a toothbrush, floss etc...you can purchase all that here but its always good to have something with you already.
29. Shoes. Yes, I said it. Now, I'm going to recommend what kind of shoes to bring, because I have witnessed all kinds of shoe debacles here (and experienced my own). Shoes here are fairly expensive to buy and you certainly won't find the quality/quantity/price that you will at home. The essential list is:
    a) Flip flops/thongs/jandals/slippers: This is standard footwear for the Solomon Islands. If there was a dress code, this would be nambawan on the list of footwear. Seriously. This place loves its jandals. I wouldn't suggest bringing your $60 aussie pair of Havanas, especially if you want to bring them back home. Buy something cheap and comfortable because they will get WRECKED here.
    b) Sports sandals. I love my Keen sport sandals. They are durable, comfortable and I can pretty much walk anywhere in them.
    c) Crocs. Okay, I said it. Now, seeing Crocs being worn outside the home setting typically makes me cry inside BUT these shoes are ideal for the Sollies. Comfy, easy to wear in muddy conditions, dries easily; these shoes have it all. Ladies: I suggest buying ballet flats or similar if you want a more stylish option. My friend Viola owns a particularly stylish pair, sort of Mary Jane flats. These look great on her and she wears them all the time.
    I feel dirty now that I have recommended Crocs, but it is what it is.
    d) Running shoes. Only if you like to run. However, most running shoes don't do too well in these conditions (dirt roads, lots of rocks, no flat surfaces) so be prepared to slip down hills.
    e) Walking shoes. You can get away with just sport sandals BUT there may be a time when you want to cover your whole foot. This could be when you are walking through the bush and need more protection.
    f) Reef walkers. Now I often just use my sport sandals in the water but owning a pair of reef shoes is a good idea. I own two and regularly lend out a pair to my friends. (If you are tight on space, you can use ditch these and use your sports sandals instead).
    g) One pair of Stilettos. Okay people, its called Stilettos in the Solomons for a reason. However, I do not recommend walking in these big girl shoes around town. Here is what I do if its a stiletto type situations: I wear my jandals to the party (cause its always a party thing) and then do a quick switch in the car or just outside. Pop your jandals back in your purse. When the party is finished, switch again. For men, I think it might be good to consider bringing one pair of dress shoes.
30. MP3 Player. I use mine all the time while on banana boats and walking to work. I have audio books and enjoy rocking out to my favorite music while riding over the waves. I also listen to the BBC World Service and Wantok FM on the MP3 radio. It calms me down and helps make a rough ride a bit more enjoyable. Try to get one that is waterproof; my two aren't (yes I have two) but I haven't had any problem. I pop them into my electronics pouch (the one that helps dehydrate the device) every three months to keep them running smoothly.
31. A cheapie phone- Bring a cheapie phone, cause if you lose it, it is easy to replace. I recommend something by Nokia; the battery lasts for ages and its quick to recharge. Plus everyone seems to have one here.
32. A few extras: Ladies, if you have long hair, bring extra hair bands, clips etc...you can buy some here but really good ones are hard to find. Also if you want wireless or Internet in the home, consider bringing your own equipment to make this happen e.g. external modems, hubs etc...

MAKE SURE TO PACK SOME CLOTHES ON YOUR CARRY-ON. Luggage does get lost here, even for a day, so make sure you have an extra change of clothes on you.

Duty free (what to buy)

1. Booze. If you can't live without your gin and tonic, buy some bottles at Duty Free. Be aware about travel times, sometimes the flights here leave Brisbane before the shops open (which sucks). You can pre-purchase your items online, just google Brisbane Duty Free and everything should run smooth (you can even get good deals by doing this as well as saving time). So make sure you have planned to pick up your duty free cause booze here is expensive.
2. Perfume. I wouldn't pack mine, I'd rather save my luggage allowance and buy it cheaper at duty free.
3. Beauty products: I bought a few items, including moisturizer (you will need a LOT here). You won't be able to buy Clinique or any other brand names here so load up.
4. Watches. I bought my little waterproof watch at duty free and I love it.

Newbie Honiara Guide Part One: Food

(for Volunteers and anyone who might need it)

This blog is dedicated to my loyal, crazy, lovely, maddening, awesome house mate Tessa, who has stood by me, eaten my “experimental” food, helped me through my sad Sara period(s), took me to too many parties, so many I couldn't count (in a month!), and generally just loved me. I owe Tessa more than I can list here, so I won't try. I love her and wish her all the best on what lies ahead. The Solomons and Casa Turchese will miss Tessa.

When I came to Honiara, I felt like a babe in the woods. I was staying in a set of apartments/hotel. There were no other volunteers at my work and the other expats all had kids. I felt socially and personally adrift for weeks. I would come home and not know where to go and what to do. I made a secret vow then that I would do everything in my power to help other volunteers get used to the ins and outs of living in this unique part of the Solomons. SO here are my words of advice, starting with the basics.

This is the first part in my (actually I don't have a number yet) series to help you, Honiara newbie, avoid the traps, pitfalls and other crap that I and others had to endure. Learn from my mistakes, newbie, and you will be just fine (if not, send me an email and I'll cook you dinner at Casa Turchese and we can workshop what went wrong. Maybe we can make a flow chart or a diagram...maybe even a SWOT analysis! Oh God, I am such a bureaucrat...)

Part One: FOOD (Where to buy it)

Please note: this guide is mainly for volunteers, however even if you aren't one, you may find it useful. Also, all currencies mentioned are in Solomon Dollars. One Solomon dollar equals about six and a half N.Z. Dollars or eight Aussie. Whenever possible, I will do my best to explain the physical location of each place. There are no street signs or addresses, so be patient with me. All right, lets get down to bidness...:)

Food. Every one needs and/or wants to eat. Mostly three times a day. Sometimes less, sometimes more. Here is my quick advice on my favorite places to shop to get the essentials in food.

A) Oz Fresh. My favorite place to shop is Oz Fresh or Oz Pac. Its right near the Hot Bread Kitchen shop near Kukum market. Its in a set of five shops and is the middle. It has a neon sign that says OPEN on the doors. The doors are closed and it is air conditioned inside. Now, the thing I love about Ozfresh is the lady who runs the shop. She always give me a couple of onions, a packet of pasta, tins of tomatoes and other things. She looks after me and always tells me when her next shipment is in. I love her! The store also has a 13 dollar pack of Spagettini you can buy. It is the cheapest pasta in the Solomons. You can also buy a 75 dollar bottle of Sparkling wine from Aussie that isn't too bad. They usually have a good selection of apples, carrots and other veggies that you can't get at the local markets. The meat is reasonably priced (from Meat Lovers).
B) Bulk Food Shop. There are TWO bulk food shops, one across the road from central market and one near Aus Mart near the King Sol. Hotel. If you want something a bit more...exotic, then Bulk Foods is for you. IF you can't live without olive oil (like my housemate Tessa, who is leaving tomorrow...sniff...sniff...), then buy the 85 dollar 750 litre bottle. Its pretty good oil and its from Italy. The Bulk Food also has a good variety of dried lentils and beans, along with tins of tomatoes and fruit. Occasionally the store has “mystery” cans, that you can buy for 20 or 30 bucks. My friend bought one of these and turned out to be a huge can of tinned tomatoes. So buy one and enjoy the mystery (and if you get botulism and/or dog food, please don't blame me). True story: I once bought three beautiful rounds of Baby Kikorangi blue cheese here for 15 dollars...when I returned to N.Z. I couldn't even buy it in N.Z. Dollars for that price. Now, a word of warning: most food will be expired or just about to be. I buy blue cheese anyway, it makes it tastier. It also helps toughen you up so don't be afraid of the expiry dates.
C) Baraks- The big Baraks is located at the last round about before you head out to the airport. Its a great locally owned grocery store with all the basics at reasonable prices. There is a smaller Baraks in Kukum and you can give that one a go.
D) Fang's-Located in China town, past the Honiara Hotel. Fangs is the penultimate chinese store. IF you want any exotic spices, sauces, mushrooms, noodles etc...from the Orient, then this is your place. Prices are pretty good too, buy your sesame oil (perfect for green papaya salad and soba noodle salads). Remember: a little sesame seed oil goes a long way.
E) Pick your own local. There are many shops in Honiara. Mostly the prices are the same in the local shops. Find one close to your work and make friends with the owner.

A volunteer life saver: THE CHEAP BINS

Wings: Located in MPF plaza. This is probably the only real (sort of) grocery store in the Solomons. I always go for the cheap bins there; typically there are some good finds like noodles for 10 dollars (proper egg noodles) and soy sauce.
Y-Satos: I always get the 10 dollar fabric softener there. And a tube a wasabi.
Pantina Market: I DON'T GO THERE PRETTY MUCH EVER! I used to but only two bags of groceries cost me 400 dollars! However, they do have some good stuff in the cheap bins; I bought two packs of tacos for 10 dollars each. Sure, they were stale but I put them in the oven and BAM! Instant crispy tacos your whole volunteer family/housemates will love and eat.
Speciality Stores
a. Hot Bread Kitchen- I love the hot bread kitchen. The bread is pretty good, given the access to ingredients this business has. With two locations in Honiara (One next to Woodford School, the other in town near the central roundabout), this place is an important part of everyone living in Honiara. If visiting people in the provinces, bring them a couple of loafs of bread, believe me, they will be grateful for it.
b. Meat Lovers-Near Kukum Market/Bahai. I don't know, I am on the fence about meat lovers. You can buy an N.Z. Chicken for about 80 dollars, which is pretty good. The steaks are good but most are pre frozen and then thawed out. Its a nice place and well lit.
c. Nambawan Meat- The name alone wins it for me. However, there isn't a lot of selection at this place in Point Cruz, right next to Sullivans. I've only bought mince and steak there (I don't eat a lot of meat) but it was good. ALWAYS BUY PREMIUM MINCE. There was a very long conversation about this at lunch today, it may cost more but you don't want mince as tough as shoes, and not the nice italian leather ones. Believe me.

Booze

a. Sullivans-This is my favorite place to pick up a cheap (62 dollars) bottle of Banrock Cab Sav Merlot. Also, if you buy 24 of the glass bottles of Sol Brew, they give you a crate and then you get money back if you bring back your empties in the crate. I love recycling, so I encourage you to give that a go.
b. Wings-You can get your wine here but it is slightly more expensive.
c. Oz Fresh- My favorite place to pick up a bottle of bubbly for 75 bucks. They have some other stuff I haven't seen around town.
d. The Black Market. See below.
e. The small shops in town. There are plenty of little walkins that are nothing but Solbrew selling points.
Best Markets
1. SDA Market-I love this place, pretty much because it is close to work. Its also bright, out in the open and friendly. I have never been groped, sworn at or had my pocket picked here. Bonus: its open on Sunday. It is also probably the best place to go for fresh fish. For a quick meal, I often buy the fried fish heads (yes I eat fried fish heads) and the casava pudding that comes in a pack for about 20 dollars. Its a pretty good deal.
2. Central Market: Go there early Saturday morning for flowers. The earlier, the better. The flowers here are AMAZING! Its also a great place to pick up cheap lava lavas (sarongs) and small gifts. The food selection is great too but be careful of fights (they happen often), pick pockets (yes it happened to me), and being groped (if you are chick). Its dark in the market and not terribly friendly at times. Some people love it and others don't. I still prefer SDA.
3. Kukum Market: This market is pretty much all about beetle nut. I avoid going there for shopping but I do walk past it everyday. They sometimes have fresh veggies there but its so close to the SDA, that I don't bother.
4. Neighbourhood markets. I have one near my house and I like going there. You don't get much variety but its convenient and its nice to meet up with the neighbours.
5. White River- What can I say about White River market aka the Black Market...its a seedy place. You can get most everything there like Kwaso (the local brew) and Solbrews if its late at night. I wouldn't recommend going there alone or at night.
A shout out to neighbourhood canteens 
Probably one of the best places to pick up canned goods and other essentials is your local neighbourhood canteen. Typically they are very small, the size of a tiny shack and have chicken wire over the winder (to prevent robberies). I love going up the hill to my local canteen. I can top up my mobile prepay as well, which is always helpful. These little canteens bring in a bit of money to the local community and, bonus, you save petrol (I walk everywhere but you might have a car).

    Next time: Food: Dining out in Honiara (road chicken, the Chinese noodle shop, fish heads, the Japanese, and the leaf huts...)