Taking Learning out of the Classroom

Suddenly the year seems to be speeding away on me. Weekdays are full with teaching followed by coffee and socializing on the water front and weekends are also full with sailing, paddle boarding, market shopping and Sunday morning swims at Mele Beach followed by a big breakfast which takes us through to lunch and sometimes dinner. There is not much to complain about and life is good.

Evening sail on Skye-Rose.

School trips are an interesting event. My first ‘outing’ was taking my class to the inter-school Beach Cricket Competition. Buses were ordered and the kids were organized and ready. We waited and waited. Half an hour later we managed to contact the bus drivers “oh, very sori, weels, they fall off bus”. After another half an hour we finally get two more vans. The students pile on board these beat-up roadsters, packed in with no seatbelts, windows wide open, kids hanging out and we head off. We don’t get far and we come across a street parade for the university open day. The bus stops. By now the cricket competition is, or should be well underway. We finally arrive one and a half hours late. Never mind, half the other schools haven’t arrived either. Island time”! The wind, which never blows onto the beach has decided to come in full force. We were sand blasted and hit full-on with horizontal rain. The kids were still happy, at least it was warm.  They lost all their games. Not a surprise. The girls only learned how to play the day before and guess who taught them. Yes, I took a five minute look at a book and for the first time in my life learned how to play.

The Girl's team trying to look fierce.

After the shambles of this trip it was with some trepidation that I took them to Parliament the following Monday. It was the opening session. The MP’s arrived with police escorts, there was a lot of serious business and I threatened my students with all manner of punishment if they dared play up in the Gallery. There was a lot of pomp and ceremony and the kids were fascinated. Parliament lasted for twenty minutes then the MP’s retired until later in the week.  We headed off to the Cultural Centre, a run around the park and anything else I could add to delay returning to school too soon. I feel like I can tackle anything now!

Sand drawing demonstration at the Cultural Centre. Mesmerizing stuff!

The staff highlight for this term was The Amazing Race which Susi and I organized. I’d forgotten how competitive teachers are. It was absolute carnage with staff either ripping off or swimming in their clothes during the paddle boarding, forming roadblocks to wave down buses, jumping on the back of trucks they had waved down and literally ‘throwing’ pots at Wan Smol Bag Art Centre. Activities which Susi and I had spent days organzing and hours putting into place were completed or demolished in minutes. It was hilarious.  Now they all want to know when the next event is. Needless to say there were many weary bodies at school today.

My wonderful teacher-assistant Naomi trying to make a kava bowl during the Amazing race.

But life is not just school. The harbour is always a scene of mystery and intrigue.

Not the drug boat or the Russian launch. Just a nice evening on the waterfront.

 

 This week’s big news was the seizing of 32 billion vatu (72 vatu to the NZ dollar) of cocaine cemented to the hull of a yacht which has been sitting in the harbour for years. A search was carried out two years ago after tip offs but nothing was found. I wonder how hard they looked! We watch all manner of boat come and go. The latest was an enormous launch complete with helicopter, submarine and grenade launcher owned by a Russian billionaire who flew in on his private Lear jet for a spot of big game fishing for a weekend and then departed again.

There are so many stories that could be written here. I’m just too lazy and too busy enjoying myself to be the one who writes them.

Until next time. Lukim Yu