Auki- first days!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

We made it to Auki!  I seriously had my doubts about the boat leaving on time, especially after the earthquake.  I kept feeling aftershocks a tiny bit throughout the night and I certainly did not sleep that well.  Sister Vero had on the radio and all I could hear was muffled pidgin and every other work tsunami.  They were saying, “No tsunami,” but I unfortunately didn’t understand that until the morning. 

We got to the wharf and waited for our boat while every single person in line stared at us.  Clare and I smiled but I seriously felt like I was in a cage.  After loading the boat, we luckily got a table and two very nice RAMSI officers sat with us.  We talked about our experiences in the Solomon’s.  They were stationed for 3 contract terms to build housing for the police force.  They wish to do this so that the various province police can move around because they are very biased to their “wantok” or one-talk, meaning they are from the same tribe/village.  What is also true of wantoks is that they can show up to any other wantoks house/province and expect to be put up for however long they would like to stay.  This is incredibly problematic and expensive for the hosting wantok.  Anything in his home becomes common property for his wantok family to share, even if they had not known each other well.

After a four hour boat ride, we arrived in Auki around 12 PM and were greeted by Bishop Chris right off the boat!  He draped a leaf necklace around each of our necks and welcomed us in the traditional fashion!  Bishop Chris is nothing less than a celebrity in Auki and all of the Catholic community for that matter.  When he was walking through the market to reach us he had already received 2 fish!  Now everyone in the crowed wharf was staring and he casually explained, “Clare and Cayla wantok me.”  Then the people understood!  We threw our bags in his truck and drove about 5 minutes down the road to the Diocese of Auki grounds.  This beautifully landscaped community is home to sisters, brothers, some school and security staff, and the Bishop himself.  We were lucky to have a lunch prepared for us as soon as we arrived in his kitchen with other visiting sisters of charity who were just preparing to leave.  Everyone was so friendly and welcoming.  Clare actually had Brother Roger, who is Bishop Chris’s friend from New York, as a teacher in high school and he is here visiting at the same time teaching music.  He was a major reason why Clare became so interested in the fellowship and it was great that their time overlapped a bit.

After lunch, Clare and I were led to our house with Sister Loretta and Sister Matilda.  Their house is so colorful and cute!  It is just a minute away from the Bishop’s, as well as the chapel.  Clare and I are once again living like queens as we each have our own room, and electricity!  Sister Loretta took us to town so Clare and I could get Internet to post on our blog and we enjoyed a nice walk.  The center of Auki is maybe about a 30-45 minute walk from where we are.  After our trip, we discussed our schedules for our time here.  Clare would be going to the secondary school to teach English where Sister Loretta teaches and I will be traveling to Kilufi Hospital in the morning with Sister Matilda who is visiting the sick.  Hopefully I will be able to set up some work there for the rest of my time in Auki.

Bishop Chris held an evening prayer and many children from the surrounding community came.  He also held a meal in a little outdoor seating area/hut equipped with grass roof and bamboo bar!  He is already so kind and welcoming.  It is amazing how all the kids and adults look up to him.  His pidgin is spot on since he’s been here, almost 20 years!  Bishop Chris was a classmate of Providence College’s president, Father Shanley, so a PC grad himself.  The friars that are still teaching at PC all know Bishop Chris and some of his family is still attending/involved with the school as well.  It is certainly a small world!  I am blessed to be in the beautiful province of Malaita and welcomed by everyone.  After dinner, Brother Roger, Clare, and I were talking about how the Solomon Islanders are the happiest people you’ll ever meet despite having so little.  He said one thing that stood out to me.  Solomon Islanders have 3 possessions:  their family, their community, and their faith.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Day 2 in Auki was just as amazing as the first.  We woke up for early 6 AM morning mass said by Bishop Chris and a priest from Tonga.  After that, Sister Loretta and Matilda cooked some breakfast and we got ready for our organizing schedule day.  Sister Matilda had to get 3 huge bugs out my room and I think she was a little annoyed.. There was a massive spider, grasshopper, and a cockroach (I'm not a wimp!)  Clare and Sister Loretta headed off to the secondary school right across the street where Sister Loretta is an English teacher.  After Clare got settled, I was to head down to Kilu’ufi Hospital with both the sisters to find out my program for the 3 weeks.  We caught a bus around 9 AM in the scorching heat and arrived at the hospital.  You would have to see to believe the condition the hospital is in.  It is much more “professional” than the clinic, but the halls between the wards were outside and inside the wards are just lines of beds where people lay.  From what I could see so far, there was a maternity ward, children’s, men, women, tuberculosis, and the only psychiatric in the Solomon’s.  I went with Sister Matilda as she gave communion to the sick in the TB ward while Sister Loretta tried to find the director for me to meet.  The patients looked so sickly it was terrible.  Also, at Kilu’ufi, they are not responsible for feeding the patients, so most of the time you will see many many family members crowding around one bed visiting and feeding the patient. 

Sister Loretta found me and it was time to meet with the medical director, May-June.  (Yes for real, June for short).  Her office was the nicest place I’ve seen in the Islands yet, with a rolling chair, air conditioning, a fan, and a computer.  Her personality was very dry so I was intimidated.  It was peculiar that her office seemed to be so elaborate while the rest of the hospital was in pretty tough shape.  Basically she said it was fine that I worked at the hospital she just needed to see a formal letter.  This is the most procedure I have experienced so far!  No waivers, no health forms, just a letter.  So Sister Loretta and I walked back to Sister Matilda in the women’s ward to tell her we were heading back.  She was praying with a patient while the nurse was cleaning the beds.  During the prayer, she actually found beetlenut in the patient’s bed which is definitely not allowed!  Everyone started laughing, including the nurse.

Sister Loretta and I walked back to the house, maybe 20-30 minutes.  Here begins the start of my realization how easy we have it in the US to type and print.  Sister Loretta has a computer, so I quickly typed up a document stating my education, background, and why I am traveling on this fellowship.  I wrote it from the sisters and Bishop Chris.  But, printing at the house would be too easy.  We then walked to the secondary school to print out the letter.  One of the office workers printed out the letter for me, and now my job was to find Bishop Chris to sign it.  I was exhausted from the heat by this time and Sister Loretta stayed behind at the school.  I walked back to the Bishop’s house, right near ours, but he was not there.  So I began asking where he might be, and found out that he was in his office a mile down the road.  So I began my journey, letter in hand.  I was enjoying myself waving to everyone on the road as they stared at me and met with Bishop Chris.  After he signed the letter, I began the journey home and barely made it.  Clare was in the house and told me how she was teaching her own class!  When she headed back to the school, I unfortunately had to walk BACK to Kilu’ufi to deliver the letter!  So maybe 1.5-2 miles later, I was sweating profusely as I handed my letter to May-June.  She said I was set to start Monday for an orientation with the nurses.  They said I should be very busy because there are actually only 3 doctors in all of Malaita (151,000 people).  This is compared to a state such as New York which is about 1 doctor to every 400 people.  I finally completed my journey home (with a tan) and waited for Sister Loretta and Clare to return home from school.

When they got home, we headed to the market to pick up some things for dinner.  Of course we got the world-renowned Malaita pineapple as well as some lettuce, peppers, and tomato.  We walked around for a little and returned on a bus.  After some weeding in the garden (Gram would be proud!) with Bishop Chris, we headed to evening mass.  We had dinner once again with the children from mass which was great.  Now, Sister Loretta is playing this game on my dad’s kindle where you have to get 3 bubbles of the same color in a row and they pop.  She is screaming and laughing every time she beats a level.  It’s actually hilarious and reminds me of my mom and I playing jewel frenzy and other games on the iPad until ridiculous hours in the night.