Slow and sick day

9.29.07

Thursday afternoon there was a tickle in my throat. It then grew to a full on head cold. Everyone went to Festival One a huge music festival with groups from all over the Pacific. I choose not to go and began walking home. About half way I looked into dinner at several places I had noticed in passing. The Island Chicken was a poor man’s version of KFC, I thought of the Mama’s market (more on it later) but kept walking. In the small China town area I stepped into a very nicely appointed restaurant. I wasn’t feeling well but still hungry. At the checkout counter was a Chinese man, he took the money and spoke perfect, almost American English. So like the US. A Ni-Van waitress brought the whole white board with the day’s specials and stood it four feet away from the table for my perusal. She also put a menu on the table. Looking them both over I choose (partly on price) Combination Fried Rice and water. I took out my Bislama workbook and began to study. Behind me was table with four men, two white, two Ni-Van. Speaking in English they discussed business or other affairs. I didn’t eavesdrop. Across from me was a young couple with a baby perhaps six to eight months old. The man acknowledged me as I came in. He was a red headed white fellow perhaps 30 and his wife was a light skinned Ni-Van. The baby sat in her lap as they ate. They talked very little. Later the baby went to the man’s lap. I was pleasantly surprised at my plate of fried rice. On top of the rice was a lovely assortment of meats and vegetables. I ate and finished my homework and walked the rest of the way home. The cold was beginning to blossom. I went to bed fairly early and had a fitful sleep.
Evan I choose to walk to class. It was a full thirty minutes. I look so forward to walking so much more and having the walking to become a bit less of a workout. All day my sinuses drained. Several others in the group were in different levels of discomfort too. Our late afternoon session was a field trip to the Mama’s market to use Bislama to discover names and prices of the produce sold using Bislama. I was very intimidated. My biggest concern is my ability to learn to function with the new language. We shall see.
Still under the weather I went back to the room and listen to music and sorted through my things in preparation to for tomorrow’s move to the village. I’ll leave a full bag in storage. I read and enjoyed the time alone. Evan returned around 9PM and shared the soundtrack of Avenue Q. Sesame Street for twentysomethings. Delightful. Look forward to seeing the show someday.
Around 4AM I was wakened by several shouts and wails from the street. Thought it was earlier or later but amazed to hear the sounds of crazed young men. We had been told earlier of the Ni-Van’s susceptibility to alcohol. Friday night, pay day and the music festival. Highly recommended to stay a distance from them when the booze kicks in. Ryan and Chris saw an occurrence last night where several young men were tearing apart a house’s garden.
Language test: in English how do you pronoun “dhoti”?
FISH. GH=fi as in enough, o=I as in women, ti = sh as in motion...