Letter: Full House

Letter 25 / 9 / 83

We have a full house these days. Not only is Peter D here, but last year's school principal, Dave E, is spending a week with us. Our outside study/guest room has a cement floor now (2-3 days very hard manual labour by Peter and Peter) but no walls, so we are chock-a-block inside here. Peter and Dave are occupying the study/living room, and our little fold-away camping table in the dining room end of the kitchen is rather over-taxed. At least the guys all help with the washing-up. Evenings get a bit hectic trying to care for James and Alison and cook a proper meal (with dessert "because we have visitors") while the men are usually battling it out trying to use up every last skerick of daylight.

The painting's done, the roof is trimmed and ready for the ceiling to be fitted this week, and my kitchen sink is installed - on bamboo legs and complete with a drain facility, but no taps. Peter D even made James a little bed out of packing crate wood (the crate the sink came in) and I painted it green (that being the only colour in the store) to match his fluffy green mat on the lovely yellow floor! The bed is only 4'10" long and 2'6" wide, and quite low, which makes a lot more space in his room.

Kids antics

Alison is a tin of worms these days. Changing her nappy is a real nightmare. She's almost crawling ... any day now, we keep saying. She keeps getting up on her hands and knees and swaying like a praying mantis.

James has his ups and downs these days. I try to make time for him, with school holidays and all, and he manages to take up most of my day other than cooking, cleaning, and changing Alison's nappies. But he craves Peter, Peter D or Dave's attention - and invariably gets into trouble when he tries to 'help' them. Poor little chap, we've had endless dirty pants and puddles on the floor since Peter D came. Dave has more time for him than Peter and Peter, so he often shadows him, but he can't work out what is going on when Dave smokes!

New phone

Murray Island got a new phone the other day. From Dec 4 we'll be able to dial (at present we just pick up and listen for the operator) - but only "local" TI numbers. In "a couple of years" they've promised STD! Anyway, the helicopters brought the technicians in, and the pilot let James sit in the cockpit - but he was frightened that it might take him away or something. Meanwhile, Peter D went and scrounged the old phone! We use the crate the fridge came is as a change table, and underneath/inside is James' cubby. So Peter D installed the old phone in there.

James enjoys the tape - don't know if I mentioned it before. He won't prance around, he sits up tall and still, for half an hour at a time. We can even put the head-phones on him and he'll sit or lie still for at least an hour!

Ali has changed a lot - neat little cheeks (hardly chubby at all, though she eats almost as much as James) and blond hair. Her eyes are grey, but lighter than James'. They're a funny pair - J and A - seem to march to the same drumbeat ... dirty pants seem to always come in two's in this household, for instance! Yesterday James went to sleep about 2pm and didn't wake until 4am today. Of course Ali had to be up at 4am too.

This week they plan to burn off the hill - we need to clear well around our place. Its been raining hard yesterday and today, so it might be a bit green by Tuesday when they try to burn.

Well, there goes the bell for Evensong, time for the evening onslaught ... bath Ali, and start cooking tea for these men.

Letter: Men at Work

Letter 20 / 9 / 83

We are so busy these days with Peter D here to help with the house. The walls are all done now - beautiful! And all the floors except our bedroom, but we've run out of paint. The guys are working on the outside guest room / study now. Next the ceiling - we're looking forward to that. My kitchen sink has arrived, but I need someone to make me a stand for it.

Thanks for the parcel. James loves his paint, and Nathan's shirts. He's recently put on a growth spurt though and they only just fit him. Alison's sun bonnet is great. She's very cute and wriggly these days. (Changing her nappies is a nightmare!) Her hair is quite blonde now. and she sits for a few seconds at a time. She's almost completely weaned too.

Must rush and get breakfast for the men, and me too I guess. James is home from kindy on mid-term "yellow-day" (as he says). He's been going to kindy a full half-semester now, hasn't lost interest, and he's learning so much. You should hear him sing "Twinkle Twinkle" - with actions. His words are "bumboo bumboo didi gar ... "

Letter: The Boat Cometh

Letter 15 / 8 / 83

There's a boat due this week but its the smallest one, the "TSI" (Torres Strait Islander) - so I guess our rainwater tank won't be coming this time.

Duck hut

Our ducks are due to arrive on Kuch's next flight from Cairns. There's a rusty old rainwater tank out the back of our place, and we managed to turn it into something like a nissan hut - not as easily as we expected. When we cut it in half - against the direction of the corrugations - the silly thing unraveled and whipped around like a snake. Anyway, its 'dug in' now and reasonably under control. There are a lot of dogs around these days (although periodically the health department thinks of a reason to come and kill a few) so we'll have to completely enclose the ducks with wire. We are using birdcage mesh to try to limit the rats a bit too.

We've more or less decided not to go south in December or January, we'll stay here until next June or July. We are feeling comfortable and settled, its not worth $800 for a few hassling weeks in Cairns.

Lnguage helpers

Now we have a paid language helper - just an hour a week for starters ($5 an hour, but the government subsidy pays $4 of that) - lets hope he turns up for his first session tomorrow. His name is George Sallee, and he's not a church-goer, bit of a wayward sort in fact, but we see him as having heaps of potential.

I wasn't intending to get a language helper too until Alison is quite a bit older. I had my eye on Bal Gee - young friendly girl with a big smile. She's done some courses at the School of Australian Linguistics so has a basic understanding of grammar and phonemics. She's offered to come and show me some of the verb charts she's worked out.

Water supply

The water situation is still desperate, but we have had the most surprising help. Barnie Day has been living at TI hospital caring for his sick wife, but he came out here for a week's holiday. He knocked on our door and said he couldn't sleep at night for thinking about our baby having to drink well-water. (Although she's a sturdy 4 month old, her exceptionally white skin does make her look very delicate). He has a full, hardly used, rainwater tank, so would we please fill our 44 gal drum from his tank. Peter has made himself a little 'dolly' trolley from some old pram wheels off the dump, so he trundled back and forth carrying water to fill our drum.

Yesterday we spent most of the day at a feast. We really enjoy feasts these days, find we can really just sit and relax with the people. James can hold his own with the other kids so we are not 'on edge' watching him all the time either. And we love the food - never thought I'd enjoy some of that stuff!

. . .

Well, Peter's fishing, the kids are both on a sleeping bag at my feet. They've both got wet nappies on from last night, and I haven't finished preparing James' kindy lunch. Its village work day and the men are supposed to be coming up to work on our outside guest room / study, so I need to put some jugs of water in the fridge for them ...

...oh and Peter's just got home with a good-sized trevally for today's meals!

Letter: Dirty Washing Train

Letter 8 / 8 / 83

Our water situation is desperate. Somehow we just keep managing. Its really discouraging to climb the hill and see the pump sitting there all in pieces and no one working on it. Those in positions of leadership have their own full rainwater tanks and a good well down the other end of the village. Our well is dry. If we get there at dawn we can just jiggle the milk tin between the rocks at the bottom for a bit of muddy water. We use that for washing dishes and nappies, and every second or third day ourselves. About every ten days we spare a bit of water to rinse out a few clothes. Sheets and towels just have to go and go for now. In our bedroom is a "dirty washing train" - seven cardboard boxes full of clothes, sheets, tablecloths etc etc. I guess some will be hopelessly stained by the time they get washed. Every now and then we get a light sprinkle of rain which just keeps us in drinking water.

Floor paint

We've been painting the floors of the two long rooms. Jet Dry is okay, you can walk on it in two hours. But after using 1/2 a tin on the first little section we realised it needed undercoat (the chap in the shop told us it wouldn't) and that takes four hours to be touch dry, and 16 hours before we can paint over it. But after we tried the next bit and it still wasn't very good we decided to try primer under the undercoat. That takes 24 hours to dry. We've been trying to do the kitchen in patches - but what a nightmare with 24 hours + 16 hours + 2 hours of no walking - and keeping James off too. Still, it is lovely and bright and clean when its done. Its going to be so nice with all the walls and floors painted and the ceiling in. With no more government travel subsidy - they were paying 70% of our travel - we wonder if we will ever go back to Cairns once the house is nice. We could do a lot of other things with that $800! Maybe we'll stay here till July 84 when we are required back in Darwin for the conference.

James at dindy

James continues to enjoy kindy. We find we get to missing him (always in the way when he's around!) by the end of the morning. All the other kids have their lunch and a sleep session at kindy, but we feel he may as well come home for that - he's only such a little kid to be off at "school" 9am to 2pm, so we bring him home at 12.

I've started Alison on solids - a bit of "mixed cereal". She's certainly keen on the idea - James never was. I guess I'll soon start using the "Mouli-baby" and doing her a few of our non-existent veges. Our beans look hopeful, so do the cabbages. The corn is dying. The lettuces and strawberries and citrus cuttings have all dies. Tomatoes are doing well. Don't know what's happened to our ducks on order from Cairns.

New flights

Things are 'hotting up' with the two new rival companies now flying small planes out from Cairns direct to here.We hope one of them will be able to get us some citrus seedlings and bring the ducks too. One chap, Ron Kuch (Kuch Aviation) is willing to do shopping for people in Cairns and charges $200 fare, or $2 a kilo for freight. "Outback Air" have now lowered their price to equal his. Avdev, the regular mob who fly from TI are working out how to get these guys thrown out - reckon they don't have licence to land on these islands. Hope they don't succeed.

Letter: Pump Problems

Letter 31 / 7 / 83

The day has a gloomy, clammy feel to it - if only it would rain. The water situation is little short of desperate. We have 25 litres of slightly murky drinking water left, and about 40 litres of murkier washing water. The well is dry, at least for the next few hours. The pump has been broken for weeks ... now they've fixed it but apparently the rods that go down the well are broken. The Melbidir came the other day with replacement parts - the wrong size! They can't be carried by plane, we have to wait for the next ship. Its going to be "soon" - only another 10 days or so.

We've heard that there are plans afoot to update all of the islands' water systems. Last year they installed a solar-powered desalination plant on Coconut Island - maybe all the islands will get one. Or maybe just a newer, bigger pump.

Church is on, but James is sick so I'm home and Peter has gone along to the AOG this week. James has his usual chest complaint by the sound of it - we all had a rough night.

The last of our mailed boxes arrived on the Melbidir the other day, and our floor paint and ceiling parts. We've painted a little bit of the floor - it looks lovely, but we realise we don't have enough paint, we'll have to try to get some more.

James has been going to kindy every day and loves it - Saturdays and Sundays are disappointing for him!

Communal living

We've had lots of 'people contact' lately. A lady died in Cairns a week ago Thursday and it took until Thursday for the body to arrive here. So its been quiet communal eating (not really feasts) every day, and its still continuing in less quiet fashion since the burial on Friday until the big feast tomorrow. We've been going along for the evening meal (about 7.30pm). James loves it, Alison is not so sure. We find we are liking island food more and more. There was turtle meat there yesterday - turtles are mating three months early this year (?) . And mackerel are running already. Mango trees are in flower too. Does this mean that we'll have an early wet season, or just that the seasons are all mixed up these days - ?

later

The kids are asleep. I've just been down for a swim/wash. I haven't had a freshwater shower in 2 or 3 days. It still hasn't rained, its still threatening to. The water is "freezing" (relatively!) but its so muggy out of the water. The temperature is actually 27deg C - its been up to 29 - 30 deg the last few days. Before that it was 26 deg by day and 23 - 4 deg by night. We put winter pajamas on the kids.

Alison is a lovely little button these days. Still smiles a whole lot. She blows raspberries and spits a lot because her gums are sore. When she wants "up" she lies there going "brrr" and splatting her arms hard against her sides - I'm sure one day she'll fly! We let her try some cereal, thought she might enjoy a new texture on her gums, and she loves it - grabs the spoon and pulls it into her mouth. She's also very ready if a cup is proffered.

James is doing well with his reading. He knows quite a few letters. 'J' he reads as "j - mine", then there's: "M - mummy", "d - daddy", "a - babby", "b - babby", "n - nanna", "p - papa", "t - teddy" and "o"! It all happened quite by accident, but he even picks them out of small print when we read him his Bible Story. Its fast getting to the stage where he can read but not talk. But his talking is increasing every day. He loves to say "Eeyore!" (his version of the hello/goodbye greeting "yawo") to people passing by the house. And he is at last toilet trained. All of a sudden he was willing to go outside and pull his own pants down - no more puddles in the house. He is so funny when he comes and announces "anana di ga, di bleh" (I didn't wee on the grass, I went on the dirt). Of course no one except us understands him. Funny thing is, he manages to hold it in for the whole three hours at kindy.

I need to go and wring the saltwater out of the nappies and rinse them in some well-water. James keeps waking up and whimpering - looks a bit feverish again. He has what the people call "bad cold-sick".

Hey, its raining - ever so tentatively. If only it would slosh down and fill our barrel and the well and water the plants. There, its stopped already. Wasn't even enough to run into the gutter. Maybe if I go and hang the nappies out it will rain ...

Letter: Hoy! and Darts

Letter 23 / 7 / 83

The kitchen is painted at last, and what a difference that makes. We are just waiting to get the floor painted and the ceiling up now. So we are just continuing slowly with our house-fixing - waiting for Peter Dunstan to come and help in September - and concentrate on language for a bit.

Peter had a discussion with a (drunk) Anglican fellow yesterday, and was being criticized because we haven't been joining in with "Hoy!" and darts sessions - we see it as encouraging gambling, they see it as supporting the church in their fund-raising. Drunk or not he had a point and we feel we must start being a part of these activities.

I took James to Kindy the other day. Its been closed lately for renovations, but just opened again. The (new) principal's eldest daughter, 3 year old Marissa, had been going, but with a new teacher there who "makes you do things" no longer likes it. They are supposed to only take 3-5 year olds, but they are fairly flexible. So, anyway, I took him down there and came back after an hour - and he loved it. They let him paint! The next day was a holiday, so we have to wait until next week to give it another go. We are all looking forward to him being down there a few hours each day for some companionship and mental stimulation.

He loves the daily "Kindy of the Air" - sits riveted to his seat and stares hard at the radio! I try hard to remember the rhymes and songs to do with him later, and we've been trying to tape the programme too.

Alison is growing fast. She rolls over at will now - in her cot, I never put her down on this floor - and she spends a lot of time in her bouncinette. And she grabs everything. And she's teething, so everything goes straight into her mouth and gets thoroughly dribbled on. Fortunately we have some 'Bonjela' for her gums as she's been pretty miserable with the pain. A spot of Bonjela soon brings back her sunny, smiley disposition!

Father Tabo's sister died in Cairns on Thursday, so half the village, all the relatives, are in mourning in the "Parasol" (shade house) next to our place, eating together, "sitting quietly" (except for the drunk ones) until the body arrives and is buried.

James is finally toilet trained. He comes running in and says:

"ananya" (ie negative, shaking his head) "di" (wee) "ga" (grass), "di" (wee) "bleh" (dirt).

Letter: Time for Church

Letter 17 / 7 / 83

Another Sunday, another crucifix-stamped wafer (slightly mouldy tasting) and a sip of wine for us, and a pat on the head for James (it does amuse him) and Alison, and a long, rambly, mixed-up sermon to sit through. Last week we did our duty at the AOG church - the fellowship was closer but the teaching just as mixed up.

Growing kids

James has grown up a lot since the last photos we sent, but he's changed more in abilities than looks. He slimmed down so much when he got sick in Cairns, but he's eating well again now (after about 6 months). "Eat" is one of his favourite words. You hear a little voice after he's been put to bed, "Mummy ... eat?" He's so independent these days - sets the table and clears it etc, when I make bread he does a little one too ... but at certain times he swings right back and wants to be dressed on Alison's "change table" (converted fridge crate) - lying diagonally because he's so big. Or we find him "lying" in the bouncinette. He also likes to have his turn with his mum in the rocking chair.

Talking of growing up - that Alison! We call her "button" these days, because she's as bright as a button. Full of gurgles and smiles and a funny little laugh. James was amazed when she picked a teaspoon up off the table the other day ... later we heard him screaming when she got a fistful of his hair. She's gained control of her hands and is so grabby and strong. And she's teething and so dribbly and wet! She enjoys those "water-cooled" teethers you can get. And last night I heard her grunting in her cot, and there she was lying on her back, having turned herself over, giggling at me. So we've reached the roly-poly stage too.

Climbing the hill

Last week for our day off we set off on a walk and ended up going right around the island. That was rugged! Its very beautiful around the back. It would be lovely to have a hut there to escape to occasionally.

The good news is that our solar generator is working. Every day for more than a week we tested it and watched the charge creep up despite the cloudy weather. Then Peter mounted it on the roof and fixed up some lights inside. What a difference from hurricane lamps!

Monday

Well today we climbed the hill behind our place, then went on up the ridge to the highest point on the island.

Peter walked on to Gelam's Pit. "Pit" means "nose", "Gelam" is the Dugong in the MI creation legend. It was way too hazardous for the rest of us. Then we climbed down and walked the long way home via the airstrip and road.

Once again we were impressed with how incredibly beautiful this place is. And, as usual, we went barefoot. The hill is covered with knee/waist high grass, but underneath its rough and rocky. You just can't see the ground and need to feel the way with your feet. Can't you just imagine us leaping barefoot across rocky crags ... carrying two kids?! Although we do it for enjoyment, if things ever turned nasty here (and we have no reason at this stage to believe they will) its good to be both fit and to know our way around the rest of the island.