Local reporter makes news

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Kia Orana:
Back at the Deli-licious for a flat white coffee and a spot of blogging....
Well, if you can't find news, make it. So when the Global Volunteers headed off to a local art gallery for the opening of an art exhibit of paddles painted by artists in honour of the vaka races, we ended up in the local weekly's around-the-town column. They must have liked the photo of me. They ran it twice.
Hard to believe just one more day here and then time to say goodbye. I feel I've made some very special friendships here and the loveliness of this place and its people - especially the children - will stay with me forever.
We toured the local brewery last night - just a small building with a couple of vats. Matutu is run by locals James and Debbie. Deb is about to take over from Taiana as the country manager for Global Volunteers. Both she and Tai have been amazing to us. This morning, Tai had decorated the breakfast room with balloons, party hats and a Snickers bar at each of our places in honour of American Thanksgiving. Seven of our 9-member team are from the U.S
Tonight we head off to Taste of Rarotonga and I hope to get a plate of local chow cooked in an Umu - an underground bbq oven. It'll be hard to beat the local prawns I had for lunch.
Tomorrow is my day at the Cook Islands News, then I have to pack and say my goodbyes. But since my flight doesn't go until 4 ayem, it will be a long evening.
Next stop, New Zealand. Will try to post a last time from here before I go. I have to tell you it's truly been a life-changing experience and I would hope some of you reading this would be able to share this at some point in your lives. It will be one of the most wonderful things you'll ever do. For the first time in many years of travelling the world I truly feel like I have experienced a country as a local. It's the only way to fly - even if it does take 40 hours to get here!
Miss you all and hope all is well on the other side of the world.
LInda

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Photos

Could be Elvis
AS I biked to school this morning, I thought I saw the King outside a store

bad corgi!
Another of the royal spawngets into the garbage.

Palms along the road
Nice, eh?

lunch
Cook Islands prawns, fresh from the ocean - and a bottle of Matutu beer.

Comments

[Kim]

seefood
Oh, you are driving me crazy with that picture of your lunch. Are you sure you can't bring back one little prawn for me? Kim