Introducing Maroro!

No Tahitian home would be complete without at least one guard dog. So we found ourselves an almost stray puppy, which is not a very hard thing to do here. He was thin and flea-ridden, but still very cute. We've called him Maroro which means flying-fish in Rurutu (it's marara in Tahitian). The girls next door think it's a very good name, because he is very excitable and flighty.

What he likes.....
Dead geckos
Soapy water (with bleach is best)
Rotting land crabs
Chewing people's toes
Chewing my flip-flops (grrrr!)
Worrying coconut husks

What he doesn't like...
Eating bees
Fleas
Being flea-sprayed
Being washed when he smells of rotting land crab
Taro (what kind of Tahitian dog is this?)

Jury's still out
Cockroaches
Pineapple
Worming medicine

From the beginning

On September 10th 2005 I moved to French Polynesia to work on the French Polynesia terrestrial arthropod survey, based at the Gump Station, Moorea. As a way of keeping up with friends and family I've decided to write a web journal, these are just a few impressions and experiences from my life in Moorea. I hope you enjoy them!

The House
We have rented a house a few kms from the station. It's a two-bedroom bungalow with a good bit of garden. Truth be told it's seen better days, but the shabbiness is mainly cosmetic and Viriamu and I have spent the last few weeks making it presentable. It's on the mountainside, backing onto bush, with a sweet view of mountains in the background. The stars are awesome at night. There is a grapefruit tree and a lime. We also have Gardenia tahitensis 'tiare' bushes, so that we can make leis. Here are a couple of pictures of the house:


and some of its inhabitants....


(clockwise from left) giant roaches, fat geckos, hundreds of sharpshooters, el dogo