Friday Entertainment

If I thought I was coming to Port Vila to slow down the pace of teaching-life I was surely mistaken. It’s been a full-on week and that’s without students! Having been out of the ‘classroom’ for so long and getting to grips with the NSW syllabus has challenged me as I prepare to meet my new class on Tuesday.  Actually, I met half of them and their parents last night at the Beach Club, the Friday night hotspot for many expats, tourists and locals. The club is on a sheltered beach looking across to Hideaway Island. The drinks were expensive (Port Vila prices) the pizza’s delicious (blue vein cheese, apple and leek for me!) and the entertainment well.....very entertaining.

A group of about 20  local unemployed youth have created a fire dance routine which is a mix of modern and traditional styles including rope walking, fire breathing, dance and poi. It broke the mould of the usual tourist fire dances and it was hard not to be ‘touched’ by this group who obviously had worked hard pooling their own ideas with no professional help to create something special. They involved many younger expat children whom they were teaching their skill and even had a final dance (kind of a Port Vila Gangnam style) which everyone joined in. I thought I was going to put out their fire with the amount of sweat created when I danced on the sand, especially as I inadvertently stood right by the big flame thrower! This is a Friday night event which takes place after the Nippers and youth group programmes on the beach so who knows...I might even be a fire dancer yet. One thing for sure...I’ll watch where I stand!

Hmmmm...I'll have to learn how to take decent photos now!!!!!!!!