Julie's visit

The November holidays were an exciting time for us. We were lucky enough to have Julie Adams visiting us, curator of Oceanian objects at the British Museum. She was invited to Rurutu by our association Te Aru Ora, and sponsored by Air Tahiti. She made the detour whilst in the Pacific, after spending several weeks in New Zealand, as part of the events marking the 250 years of contact between Europeans and Maori. She was specifically involved in preparing an exhibition of taonga (ancient sacred objects), some of which were collected by Cook's expeditions, at the Tairawhiti Museum in Gisborne (take a look at the exhibition). Is seems like a very appropriate way to celebrate the event to me.

We have been in contact for several years, Julie was responsible for organizing the A'a Object in Focus exhibition back in 2016, and since then we've often talked about trying to meet. Finally it happened! She is also working with the Museum de Tahiti et des Iles on various projects. We're hoping that one of them might just bring A'a back to French Polynesia for a while.

Whilst in Rurutu she gave a short talk about some of the Austral Islands objects that can be found in British museums, it was a fascinating opportunity for many Rurutu to see images of the objects and talk about their incredible cultural heritage. Of course A'a was a focus, but there are lots of other amazing objects, including shell necklaces made with cords of finely woven hair...

...and this amazing stool/headrest that is most likely from the Australs.

We even got to see the piece of tapa that the Endeavour's crew obtained while it was anchored off Rurutu in 1769.

November holidays

The school holidays have already been and gone, in a flash! Poor old Amai was picking Tahitian gooseberries and fell off the stepladder the week before the holidays, partially fracturing his wrist. It's the first broken bone that we've had here, I'm amazed to say.

It's just been strapped up, and while he's not really easily able to write and draw, it doesn't seem to be slowing him down too much...

The whales also have moved on, so the season is coming to a close for us. A welcome break, before the end of year festivities.

In Memoriam

It is November 11th, Armistice day, a celebration of the end of World War I and a moment to remember all those who lost their lives in the Great Wars. I sadly never got to meet my grandfather, but one of the few things I know about him is that he fought in WWI and was decorated for bravery, we have this magnificent picture of him on horseback taken in 1915. However, I know little more than this, unsurprisingly he never really talked about the experience to my father. I also think of the other young men who never returned. Their futures brutally taken away from them, like the Welsh poet Hedd Wyn (born Ellis Evans), who was posthumously awarded the bard's chair (highest accolade for Welsh poetry) at the 1917 Eisteddfod, or Wilfred Owen the talented war poet who died in 1918, who wrote about the horrors of war:

             Anthem for Doomed Youth

             What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
             Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
             Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
             Can patter out their hasty orisons.
             No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells,
             Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, -
             The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
             And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

            What candles may be held to speed them all?
            Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
            Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
            The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
            Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,
           And each slow dusk a drawing down of blinds.

                                                                Wilfrid Owen