A bit of a swell!

One of the things about living on a tiny tropical island, lost in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean is that we never forget that we are at the mercy of the forces of nature. If it's not a cyclone, or raging thunderstorm, it's a tsunami or maybe just very big waves! Yesterday morning we woke up to over >5m waves crashing in on the beach in front of us, and a couple even watered the garden for us! They didn't come any further, but it's the highest I've ever seen them and the car tires did get a bit wet.

Yes, the forces of nature are truly awesome, it's the sheer power of these waves to displace large rocks and tree trunks, which leaves you feeling very small. I've always liked that sort of thing, like staring up at the millions of stars, and knowing you are just a very tiny part of it all. I imagine some people must feel scared by it, but I find it comforting, it puts all your ridiculous anxieties and stresses into perspective - I think it's the reason that Tahitians are so zen and maybe also so religious. We live in the present, for only tomorrow will we know what tomorrow will bring!

  Oh yes, and  the 4m waves at Teahupoo on Tahiti meant that surf was up!

Matotea's changing face

We've been super busy this holiday week with guests up to the eyeballs, it's great that we're so busy, but it's definitely been our toughest challenge yet, particularly as 'meme', my invaluable mother in law, who usually helps with the childcare, has been away in Tahiti and elsewhere, pursuing her ancestors and Parau family, but more about that in the coming weeks! So it was twelve guests and three kids to look after, but we managed it, though I am spending today de-compressing and having some Amaiterai catch-up time! At the end of the school half-term Matotea and Heimana brought home their school portraits, I scanned in Mato's last three school portraits, it's fun to see how she's changed

and how fast she's growing into a beautiful young girl.

A Rurutu yokel in Tahiti!

I made a quick dash to Tahiti last week, to get Amaiterai's passport application in, unfortunately children's passports can't be done here in Rurutu. The idea even of getting a two month old baby a passport seems slightly ridiculous, particularly as eye color and height are obligatory. 

It's now been nine months since I was last in Tahiti, and I'm definitely losing the knack of  city life. The traffic jams and heat have lost their attraction, even supermarket shopping wasn't that exciting - even though we did find some craisins - one of the funny little things that I really miss from CA, and it looks like I'm not the only one to appreciate them.

 

Poor Amaiterai's eyes were like saucers the whole time we were in Tahiti, he clearly didn't quite know what to make of it all, and was all smiles when he got back home to his sisters, though fortunately he was good as gold on the flights.

 

Navigating a hot sweaty smelly city single-handed with a baby wasn't much fun, and running to and fro from the passport office was a real drag, though I was treated preferentially in the post office and supermarket line, which was a small and rather unexpected comfort. It was all a bit of a rush, but I did enjoy a quick stroll through Papeete market, it's such a vibrant place and always full of beautiful flowers, fruits and veg and an array of great characters.

 

I also enjoyed the views of Tahiti's majestic peaks, even from a school car park! I also enjoyed catching up with my wonderful friend Tracey and family, living the high life in Mahina!

School photos

Yes, it's that time of year again, and now I have two heis to make (it's worth it for the cuteness factor)