Robs # 10 - The beat of a different Drum

The beat of a different drum

If  everything was the same as home, then why would you travel?  Culture and culture shock is one of those bitter sweet experiences that adorn the most hardened of globe trotters, but when it is in your own state, it is a little surreal.  For the kids , everything is foreign here.  Not bad, just different.  The island has two shops and a verandah store.  One, The IBIS,  is a council run facility, groceries, fruit and veg, bulk products.  The Minimart, is family run business that offers similar lines, and hot cooked food.  It is a bit like a cross between a local corner store, and a take away shop.  The Minimart also sells clothing, and simple tools.  The Verandah shop is the incarnation of a spare room in the front of someone’s house.  An innovative husband/wife team who donated some of their land for the Health Centre to be built, have converted the front room into a shop.  They sell chocolate, drinks, frozen meat, and some grocery lines.  Toys and electrical kitchen appliances can also be bought at the verandah shop.  It is nice to have choice, but it is amazing how used to your Coles, Woolies, Aldi or IGA, you get.  This is where our first big adjustment takes place.  It would be so nice to walk in to a familiar supermarket, and have choice.  To be able to choose between 5 different brands of Eggs, Bread, flour, noodles, cleaning products, roll on deodorant, shampoo, diet cola…the list goes on.

This difference, whilst not a culture shock, is still the seed of home sickness.  I always believed that I felt home  sick because I was on the islands  without my family for 3 x 3 week periods.  But here I have my family, and yet, like waves constantly crashing onto a beach, the lack of the things of home, the smells of home, the friends, the work, the climate, the wind, the sounds , everything that I have taken for granted, is absent in this beautiful paradise, and there is a hole, eroded into my shore line.  The hole is called “homesick”.  We all feel it, and it is silly I know, but it is real.

This morning the Bell was ringing calling folk to church this morning.  Jo prepared herself for the Lord by asking me to pick her a Hibiscus for her hair.  Amy had a friend to play, early, so both she and Ramatu, giggled themselves ready for church, and Ben brushed off his thongs, and performed his weekly hair brush rital, before we walked to the old chapel.  The church was built in 1890 from Coral hand cut, and lime concrete to bind it all together.   Uncle Dan Mosby (also known as Mr Ted from the RAN series) was the elder that met us as we entered into this living monument.  A massive smile and a welcoming hand shake, and we sat on our wooden pew.   Uncle Ned signaled the start of the service by ringing the old bell again, and as he entered the church clad in his clerical robes, he beamed a smile directly at Jo and I, and the Warup started to beat, then the voices started to sing, and for a church so small, those Akas (old women) and Athes (old men) banged out a huge sound.  The old hymns from these island voices resulted in a sound so massive, a sound so layered, and a sense of praise, and worship so full of heart, that churches in main stream Queensland could take some lessons.  It was one of the most uplifting services I have been a part of for years.

After church, I had a dressing to do on an aunty, then lunch.

Jo decided on a coconut curry with some mullet that had been given us a couple of days ago.  I have decided that I could eat mullet every day for the rest of my life.  This curry rivaled mine.

Full with a fantastic meal, we decided to make the most of the out doing tide, by walking along and endless beach…and I mean endless!!,   until we had come to our favorite swimming and snorkeling spot.  Jo found a hand carved spear washed up on the beach.  A real work of art.  We might give it a go if we have an opportunity to do some spear fishing.  The snorkeling, was predictably fantastic.  Huge trees of coral, and waving gardens of anemones, coral bommies, rising from the blue abyss to within 1 mtr of the surface, and fish of every colour, shape and size were waiting for us all.  I so wish I had an underwater camera, it has to be seen to be believed.

Ben’s agenda was different to mine and Jo’s.  He wanted to collect pearl shells, and after just 30 mins had scored himself a nice bounty of 4 huge oysters. Watching him breath hold and go down 30 feet or so on his breath, is really amazing.  He can almost get 2 minutes, the makings of a true Torres crayfisherman.  Perhaps there will be use of that spear Jo found.

Amy and Ramatu swam in the coral gardens, and you could hear their excited giggles and squeals through their snorkels.  All in all a great afternoon.  On return back to the unit, Ben and Amy , played chasing with a crowd of local kids after an hour skinning coconuts, for their milk.  Jo and I had a quiet sit on the beach outside our unit this evening, the cool wind was blowing and whispered comfort to us from the pangs of home sickness.  There is something decadent in sharing a can of softdrink  with your lady, when the kids don’t know where you went!!  Lets let it be our secret till they read the blog hey.

As we enter into our last week here on Masig.  We know that it is to be a busy one.  Robyn the regular RAN is off the island, so Jo and I are it.  We have doctors clinic next two days, which should add another dimension to the role.  Busy, but interesting.  Reflecting on the last two weeks here, we have come to the decision that we love this place, we love her people, we love what she teaches us, but she is no HOME.