Merry Christmas

I just wanted to wish everyone in the cyber world a Merry Christmas.  My holidays have been good, I did two dives on Christmas Eve, and have tomorrow off and going to lunch at the bosses house.  We had our staff Christmas party yesterday which was a riot to spend the day with all the staff and their families.  Imagine a Hundred people on an island with tons of food, drink, music, and children.  We even got a tree from the islands today, and it is not a palm tree!  It is a shaggy evergreen that looks nice decorated.  I miss everyone back home and wish for a cold night for Christmas Eve so I can sleep nice and comfy.  While I have not bought many gifts this year, I hope everyone takes some time and gives something that doesn't have to be unwrapped - it could be a hug, a helping hand, or even a cold open beer!

 

Miss you all, and Merry Christmas,

 

Luke

Marovo Lagoon Pictures

Here are some pictures from Marovo Lagoon

Marovo Lagoon Holiday

I just had an amazing week of vacation, or as aussie's say "Holiday" in Marovo Lagoon at Uepi Island Resort.  The resort is owned by friends of my boss, and was very hospitable.  I had my own bungalow on the water, that featured a king size bed and a huge bathroom.  The bathroom usually would not matter, but to give you an idea of how small the bathroom is at my house, I have to stand in the shower to close the door!  The food was amazing all catered, which was mainly fish and lobster.  A few nights there was some chicken or pork to mix things up.  I was able to do a lot of reading, something I do more now then ever before in my life.  I read a book PT 105 written by an officer that served with Kennedy on the PT boats here, and has some thoughtful insights into what it was like living here during the war.

For fun I did a lot of diving.  I did 9 dives all were fabulous.  Now I do get to dive most days in Gizo, but that is always for work with students.  It was nice just being able to relax and enjoy the diving.  They have a jetty or dock there, that is home to a resident school of Reef sharks ranging in size from 2 feet to about 5 or 6 feet.  That is pretty large for reef sharks.  They were there almost 24 hours a day.  There would usually be about 20 of them there at any given time.  It was incredible to sit underneath them on the wall watching them feed above and all around you.  The corals there are gorgeous the best I have seen.  The reefs are full of short tunnels that you can go through and pop out at another spot, which is fun to pop out and scare someone.  I hope all is well and am looking forward to Christmas, although it certainly does not feel like it.

Luke

Telemarketing Phone Calls

It finally happened, I got my first telemarketing call in the Solomon Islands.  It was from Miami Florida, who would of thought that.  They were calling to boost a web site www.thegiftrevolution.com that is about giving free acts of kindness for Christmas, and changing the world in 25 days.  When they called the staff could not understand them so they gave me the phone, weird to here someone from where I used to live on the phone.  I wanted to inform the person that with the money they spent calling, they could have fed a family here for a week. 

I guess it is a good idea, but why call all the way here?  Especially since the Solomons lack the materialistic Christmas that they seem to be combating.  I mean there is about two places in town with Christmas decorations up, and the kids will get some toys but nothing like what happens in the US.  The shops do not stock up on anything special, and I have only seen Christmas decorations in one of the shops.  Anyways just thought I would let you all know what was obviously the oddest thing to happen this month.  But who knows the month is not over yet.