Farewell Tarawa

Only one day to go.

Things we liked

The Beauty of Kiribati - make an effort to see Kanton, just don't go by a local boat.  It will be worth the effort if you like nature and/or isolation.  We have heard anything outside South Tarawa is worth seeing, but unfortunately time didn't allow to allow to many outer island visits.

High tide is the best time to see Tarawa as it looks like the perfect tropical paradise, as long as you don't look too hard.  Unfortunately, high tide only occurs twice a day and one of those is usually at night.  Tarawa really is a beautiful place, but you have to look beyond the rubbish and overcrowding.

On clear nights you get a great view of the night sky and if you get away from Tarawa it's even better.

The people are always welcoming and friendly, but you need to remember they live on Kiribati time.  It's no different to African time.

I sometimes wonder who has this time thing right.  Why does everything have to happen now.  Won't today, tomorrow or some time when they get around to it do?  I usually answer a very definite NO, I want it now and then occasionally wonder why I was in such a rush to get it.

The people here are generally happy and when something funny happens or something funny is said or seen their reactions are hilarious.  It doesn't matter if it's inappropriate as dictated by Australian standards, they will laugh at you or with you, they don't judge.

Just don't expect the truth when you ask a question.  In their attempt to please people they will tell you what they believe you want to hear.  They don't like to be seen to make a mistake or be different.  None of this is done spitefully or to hurt, merely to please others and be a part of Kiribati.

The Wins

I have had some wins that were long efforts of persistence so it just goes to show that if it's worth complaining about something you have to be willing to chase it.

Duty Free

This was the easiest.  Denise opened her duty free when we came back in June and discovered a bottle of Gin was broken.

One of our friends actually saw a box dropped in Fiji and was able to identify the person who dropped it as the same person who served Denise.

After about four weeks of emails and denials by both the airline and the duty free shop, both agreed to compensate.  To avoid profiting we donated the airline payment to their charity of choice.

Power Bill

A few months back our power bill doubled.  On investigation I discovered it was because the power company had changed the billing cycle from the middle of the month to the end of the month.  This meant we had six weeks of usage instead of the normal four weeks and that pushed us into the high usage group = higher charges.

Again I emailed the company and requested compensation.  As it was only $25, I told them to take it off the bill for the Special School.

Insurance

The insurance company finally agreed to proceed with our claim after multiple emails, calls and visits.  We didn't get what we wanted, but we ran out of time to dispute it.

ATHKL

This is one company I believe is only here in Kiribati to make a profit at any cost.  Even if it means creating further financial hardship for the people who can least afford it...and yes I am aware this is a public blog.

I have no idea how they justify the rates they charge for the poor service they provide.  What makes it more reprehensible is those rates are being charged to the locals as well.

Anyway, in January I discovered we were losing credit, but it wasn't too much.  When I calculated it over the whole 12 months it was at least $100.

After many, many, many emails, calls and visits to their office they decided to repay me $100.  They didn't realise that this wouldn't silence me.  This was paid by cheque, so then we (read Denise) had to cash it.

I am now after ATHKL to fix the problem and if anyone in Kiribati has an iPhone and wants to do battle with them I will assist them.

Parliament

The parliament is sitting again for two weeks so it's back to having every radio in the country being turned in and people actually listening to every word they say.  Our driver forgot that parliament was on the other day so we had music, but then he must have realised or been reminded by somebody and over to the parliamentary broadcast we went.

What Next?

We will now enjoy a break and will travel and catch up with friends in Australia, then it will be off on a round the world trip for a few months.  After that we will look for another volunteer opportunity somewhere.  I wouldn't mind Mongolia, but we will see what eventuates.

You know, some of you will see our blog as a negative but we have only tried to show it as things happened.  We have rolled with it, but sometimes not as well as we could have done.  We have met some delightful people; we have had some different experiences but on the whole we will be better for it.  Don’t do anything silly like complain about your life for a while, when I get home, I may walk off or glaze over.

There are things that I am sure we have left out but I’m sure the story will surface with the encouragement of alcohol.

Hugs and kisses

Us