University of Melbourne

Dear Diary,

This afternoon as I walked through the entrance gates of the University of Melbourne I felt as though I was taking my first step into the world of Art Curatorship and into the future I have been dreaming of (forever).

I feel like my life is unfolding and I am energised by the deepest and purest joy I've ever known.

One day

“That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But, it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it and think how different its course would have been. Pause, you who read this, and think for a long moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on that memorable day.”

Charles Dickens, Great Expectations.

Our days

What are days for?

Days are where we live.
They come, they wake us.
Time and time over.
They are to be happy in:
Where can we live but days?

Phillip Larkin

Romantic Love

Nikki Gemmell suggests that romantic love can be transient, delusional, and debilitating when it takes possession of our lives and our senses and leaves us unanchored by optimistic infatuations. After reading Gemmell’s Death of a Romantic, I considered the archetypal lovers who embodied the passions and romance I dreamt of in my youth and even though I have not experienced that rich, mature requited love that comes with years of being, living and believing; the love I have experienced, provided me with quietness, security, and hope.

If the experience of enduring and requited love is as she so beautifully describes ‘a harbor or a haven to rest from all the toss of the world’, then indeed the best is yet to come.

Final days

I am leaving on Sunday... my journey in Honiara, Solomon Islands is coming to a close.

As I farewell everyone over dinner at the Taj Mahal tomorrow night, I will be smiling and a little pensive as I reflect upon: the many stimulating and illuminating conversations we shared together; some challenging work situations; new adventures and personal discoveries; and relaxing days and nights in 'the tropics'.

Work colleagues have become my companions. There have been many good memories. Maybe, one day - we will meet again.

Good byes are never easy.

As this door closes, new adventures await and the amazing journey continues...

Honiara

Local Friends

The Bride Price Ceremony of Langa Langa

The carving of the Bride Price Ceremony of Langa Langa, come from Malaita Province. The virgin lady is meeting her husband, and dressed all in shell money ornaments. This demonstrates that she knows how to make shell money to help her husband and his tribe in shell money making. Shell money traditionally has been used for many custom ceremonies, compensation payments, land settlements, peacemaking and forming alliances. The shell money hood she is wearing implicates that she has been working only with her mother since her childhood time in shell money making activities.

The bride is also holding a coconut fruit with a leaf, symbolising that she is virgin, and holding a seed for nobody but her husband to take from her hand, and plant the coconut tree that will bear many fruits in future, as she will bear many children for her husband and his tribe to grow in numbers.

The bride price payment is traditionally considered as actually paying the the life of the woman to eb fully supported by all means to her husband's tribe until the day of her death.

Custom Wedding Decorations

After the bride price ceremony is performed, the bruce is then decorated and escorted t her bridegroom's house-hold.

On her head, is the "Kwao" or the crown which symbolises the dignity of a woman. in her hands she holds a coconut (grown coconut) with shoots. The coconut symbolises fertility. this means tat she is now at the childbearing age and then she joins the family of her bride groom, she will bear children for that family and the tribe.

When she enters the house of the bride groom she is made to star on a white-woven (native umbrella) mat. This white umbrella mat "Fau" symbolises chastity and purity. This means that the bride is coming to her bride groom as an unblemished and pure virgin.

Point Cruz

The 'Yacht Club' at Point Cruz. One of our favourite dinner haunts.

Mt Austen

An adventurous and physical morning of trekking in tropical conditions.

Dr Lillian talking to Leonard, Mt Austen, Honiara.

On the ward

Surrender

In life we have two choices. Either we plunge/dive deeply in or surrender.
We have a choice.
I want to start surrendering.

Sunday reflections

Despite a beautiful and relaxing week, today I didn't feel myself.

It's like one of those days when you feel: restless; when your anticipating something important and just want the moment to begin; when something has unbalanced you; when you are aware of your vulnerabilites, fragilites and desires; when you want to cycle with the wind in your hair along a long and endless road...

Over breakie at the King Solomon this morning I announced to my colleagues "I just need to be in Elwood today".  

I needed to be in my space, around my things, the Bay, the local bakery, my rhythm. I wasn't homesick, but I needed to know that I was safe, secure and incontrol. That everything would be ok. I needed to release that pit of anxiety that had stirred the depths of my belly.

Amtrack

AMTRACK. Exploring old World War II wrecks on the coast of Honira.

Solomon Island Day trip

A local glimpse

Lotus flowers

Live on, survive, for the earth gives forth wonders.
It may swallow your heart, but the wonders keep on coming.
You stand before them bareheaded, shriven.
What is expected of you is attention.

-Salman Rushdie

Time to absorb

Morning mood...

Went to bed at 4.30am, but finally finished the scholarship submission. Ah.. It’s nice to be able to relax again and to be “present” here.

Ok. Time to head down to the foyer and meet the crew. We are going to my favourite spot, the ‘Raintree Café” at White River to stare into the ocean over coffee.

now time to chill…

Just home after a wonderful morning of adventure...

When I arrived in Honiara, some Aspen medical crew members told me be "careful about going there, doing this, watch your stuff etc etc". I decided to listen to them. Even though it is not my nature to enter a new place and place myself in a glass cage. But after spending the last 10 days busy working on the computer etc, I have missed the Solomon Islands and today, I really needed to walk amongst the locals and wanted to experience their world with my skin.

As it turned out my skin was drenched because it has been raining heavily all day. But I feel so energized. I’ve spoken to locals, found a massive stationery and craft store, eaten at a local mid day bar surrounded by locals and went through the local market. Actually it’s funny to think back upon that first day when I visited the Central market and stood like a sacred mouse on the outside for an hour! I had heard so many cautious tales about pick pockets etc that I exercised too much caution. It's actually a really interesting experience. When I/ex patriates walk through in local areas it's like mutual voyeurism; the locals look intensely at u we look with wide eyes at their culture and traditions. Both defy comprehension.

I’m pleased for the days’ exploration and mini adventure - otherwise it feels wrong for me to live here and to not walk amongst them.

Ok now to the gym.

European School of Economics

Evening time

Its dusk and after sitting out on the balcony with my computer, I’m about to go downstairs to the communal kitchen to prepare dinner. I was on ND last night and after a busy shift night, slept soundly all day, lulled by the sound of the constant rain.

Last night there was high octane in the air. One of our Paramedics from NZ came in at 11am with “retro sternal chest pain and difficulty breathing”. When I met him at the ward entrance he looked terrible and instantly we knew that it had to be 'all systems go'.

His ECG's showed an evolving septal infact. The ST segments were nearly tombstone in appearance and his first Trop, which was recorded 30min after onset of his first symptom was 0.3. He was also having runs of SVT.

The medical-nursing management was brilliant and whilst talking to a Cardiologist at Royal Brisbane Hospital, his ECG's were faxed. Fortunately the last ECG showed some resolution of the ST segments and the decision to administer thrombolytics was withdrawn.

He was emergency evacuated for an urgent coronary angiogram today. The report indicates that he had 95% RCA occlusion and 75% LAD.

Angels must have been watching over him last night.

…now it’s time to chill out.