July closes

Tomorrow we welcome August onto the scene, so today we say goodbye to July with all its  cultural festivities. The heiva was stretched out for a full extra week and a half this year, with re-plays of the dance shows, in an attempt to ring up a bit of extra trade. The general feeling being that things were pretty quiet this year, and it's true there did seem to be less visitors (tourists and locals) around this year, which is sad because the dance shows were really very impressive this time, here are a few parting shots that Mato took of Moerai's dance performance......

Our hero takes a fall!

Bastille day, the 14th, always heralds the horse races here in Rurutu, as you already know this is the pinnacle of my horse-loving family's year. There were no tricolor fly-bys or injured parachutists (as in gay Paris), but there was excitement enough. Sadly, Tuati, our raining champion, let slip the title this year, coming in third, after a tumble in his first heat, and some debate about Oviri the wonder horses' form.

Even Mani, Viri's brother came in second, allowing the title to leave the family after 8 years consecutive wins!!!! It does seems like our poor horse has some hoof problems........ and oh well, fortunately no serious damage done (except to my men's pride), we'll just have to come back next year........

Let the heiva commence.....

 Friday was the opening ceremony of our annual cultural festivities the 'Heiva i Rurutu', for the first time I was involved in the opening parade, as a member of the Tourist Committee. It was a fun little moment of island pride, with an odd jumble of participants - the local associations were out in force, the kid's football associations, the Pandanus weavers and the very noisy Moto-cross and quad bikers, the mayor's office workers (all in matching attire, above) and a drive-by of the new communal heavy machinery!

Then there were the three village's dance troupes with their decorated chariots.

 

There was the raising of the flags headed by the chief of police and an original version of the Marseillaise played on Tahitian drums, by Moerai's dance troupe, all kitted out in ti-leaf costumes. My girls, who'd never miss a party, came along,  dressed up to the nines in their new fairy and ballerina costumes - Matotea was nonplussed when she was not allowed to join me in the parade.

Tama, our friend and the local dentist from Tubuai, took some great photos of the girls as well as the opening of the craft tent, here my mother-in-law shows off her wares.

 In the evening there was the annual fireworks display,  Heimana slept through the whole thing last year, but this year she was completely enchanted.......

Heiva (part III)

Almost as soon as it had begun, it was over! Hard to believe that the heiva was officially closed last friday. All of the dance prizes went to Moerai this year (and there are a lot of them, so it's a bit surprising, it's resulted in a lot of grumbling about the whole thing being a fix, what with the mayoral elections coming up, and the Association running the heiva being steered by the mayor's wife!!!). The time has passed without my noticing or blogging, I guess it's because we've been busy with guests and have been more or less without internet this past month. I'm not sure what sort of internet demons we're dealing with here, but we only seem to have connection during the evenings and even then just fleetingly......as always internet/computer problems put me in a really bad mood, it feels like my only connection with the world and I feel like I might drift away into space without it!

Heiva (part II)

I just can't help feeling rather festive at the moment what with all the heiva excitement, the whales are here and the kids are on holiday...

....we went down to Moerai, to the festival ground by the harbor last week, to check out the taro-pounding competition, as well as the fecculent weighing. A good time was had by all!

14th of July

On a fabulously sunny 14th of July Tuati became the new horse-race champion of Rurutu! He beat his uncle by a good two seconds and set a new course record in a thrill filled final, on the beach in Avera,
under an azure sky and the shadow of Manureva!

It's been quite a year for him, and he will be heading to Tahiti to continue his schooling in August, after getting his junior highschool Diploma here in Rurutu.......well done Tuati!

Heiva

It's officially started! The heiva, our annual cultural celebration has begun. It kicked off on friday with the raising of the flags and a parade headed by Miss Rurutu, complete with decorated floats and torch-bearers, followed by a much-anticipated fireworks display. I packed two warmly dressed and impossibly excited little girls off in the car with papa friday evening, as I stayed home to man the kitchen..... Heimana succumbed to sleep before the fireworks display began, but Matotea was enchanted!

Saturday it was the fruit-bearers race and the stone-lifting, and I got to go along too.

Tonight the tarava, traditional song competition......thursday the horse race, counting down!

Our new hobby

 We've both been playing around with various arts and crafts since we've been back in Rurutu. Viriamu made some penu (taro pounders) out of limestone for the salon de tourisme in february and more recently he's been focusing on woodwork.

 For this year's heiva we made some umete (bowls) in miro (tahitian rosewood) and purau (wild hibiscus) with carved motifs, inspired by traditional Rurutu and more generally polynesian designs. Viriamu shaped the bowls and I did the carving - I'm by no means an expert, but I have been enjoying it a lot and am getting better.....

We sent five bowls along to the heiva, and have already sold three. I think we may have hit on something .....I've always fancied myself as a sculptor, so maybe we've both found our callings.....

Father-Son Horse Races

Father and son wait for the start of the final horse race

As usual on july 14th, aside from celebrating liberté, egalité and fraternité, we also celebrate the horse races in Avera. Last year Viriamu missed the birth of his daughter to race, this year it was the first time that Tuati has been allowed to race, as well as Viriamu's would-be champion horse 'Oviri'. The last few days have been pretty tense, there has long been rivalry between Viriamu and his little brother Mani, the reigning champion, but the tension was palpable yesterday. To cut a long story short, Viriamu got fifth and Tuati got third in the final, but Tuati gave Mani (the winner for a 7th time in a row) a good scare, he overtook him and was ahead for part of the race, but Tuati took the wrong line on the final stretch and was overtaken at the last moment......next year, next year! Tuati still dreams of gold!

The final stretch, so close but so far! Tuati (far left), Mani (far right). 
Tuati did a great job in his first race, he's just a slip of a thirteen year old lad!