Islands

The return presented even more of liminality than the arrival did, I think. For me, it was again about language: Tahitian-French-English, then just French-English, then just English. I felt myself drifting farther and farther away from the island and the life there.

The trip is a long one--12 hrs of flying and 12 hrs of waiting in Pape'ete and Honolulu--but Sal and I were good companions until we parted in Honolulu, and I've finished the 6th (out of 12) novel in Powell's _Dance to the Music of Time_. Quite an accomplishment, if I do say so.

All is well at home. Elinor (now 20 months old) and I are hanging out today, and I say thankgod for her nap--we both had a long one.

I haven't begun to unpack, and re-live the experiences that got my clothes so dirty, that stained the suitcase, etc.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As Sally said, we've been well hosted by Nina and Albert, my friend Lydia's parents, xho live on Raiatea. She's known as Tiare here--named for the flower native to Tahiti and a special one that's only on Raiatea.

Anyway, we were to meet Albert, but were late and then couldn't find the city hall because Monday was a holiday, and the flags weren't out and there was no sign in the small village. So we went to there house, and he was there! he's seen us zoom by (in his own car, which they've kindly lent us). So Nina and Sal and I set out, back over the mountain to the other coast. We had a sailboard board and a huge bucket of nets. We balanced the bucked on the board, and pulled it around withus. we spread the nets out, with Sally and I trying to help, but probably making it harder.

We were wading in mud inwater up to our armpits, and squishing our feet--in water shoes, so we wouldn't get cut. It was great fun and such a chance. We ended with 4 pretty good sized fish. Then back to their house for Lunch. Albert had cook some beef, because he didn't believe we'd get anything. The neighbor Emile (cf Sally's blog) came over for more music--Sal had put the uke he gave her in the car just incase.

We're going with them to Taha'a--a 20-min boat ride, to see a vanilla plantation, but it's toorainy/windy today, so we'll go tomorrow.

the amazing thing is that I've made these arrangements by telephone inFrnech! (or possibly not made them: it gives a certain risk to everything wxe do to realize I might have misunderstood!)

Like all theIslanders, we're thinking about returning. I'm eager to be back with family and friends, and to hear all the island stories, and Ihate to leave. That's a good position to be in.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 10:36 AM | Permalink

Wed; April 7. Here we are, on Raiatea, the Sacred Isle. We left Huahine, with much sadness, last Thursday, and spent 5 days on Tahiti, coming here on Monday, the 5th.

On Tahiti, we stayed on PresqueIsle, the small almost-island. XWe made many trips into Papeete, the capital--to see the museums, to do a bit of shopping, to meet with Louise Peltzer, the minister of Culture and Education. She's from Huahine, and is a good friend of our friend Lydia/Tiare. We came right after the delegation of Japanese schoolgirls.

After 5 weeks on Huahine, we were ovewhelmed by Tahiti--the crowds, the traffic, etc. But we managed to get into the countryside, the Plateau that runs the length of PresqueIsle. We also had a wonderful visit with Marty's daughter Wendy, who lives up in the hills in a magical place.

Now, on Raiatea, we're staying on the beach, and today we did a boat trip up Polynesia's only nagivable river. Ho Hum, I thought, but it was spectacular. Then we went to Taputapuatea, the most sacred spot in Polynesia, the center of all religion and ritual. It's right on the water and beautiful. The boat trip included snorkling right at the reef, and a trip to an empty motu (small island with trees) A real deserted island.

Yesterday we met Lydia's mother and brother, who kindly came to call at our bungalow. We'll see them again soon.

Marilyn left us in Papeete, and Craig leaves on Fri, so Sally and I have the last week alone. It's hard to believe it's coming to an end.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 03:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Here we are, at the end of our month on Huahine. It flew by--the locals can't imagine what we do all day, as not many visitors stay this long. We've made many good friends, and are known all over, as students on small islands have found out. I've got good information for my project, and lots of photos. Tomorrow we go to Tahiti for 5 days, and then to Raiatea for almost 2 weeks. There's a logical circuit of the islands, which we are not doing, so everyone's amused that we're doing it out of synch. We hope to catch the pirogue races, as "our" team, FareAra will be there. We've offered to sell tee shirts and caps.

I was felled by an extreme flu yesterday--but once I decided it wasn't Dengue fever, I relaxed and slept 14 hrs. much better today. I had my hair cut this morning--always living dangerously.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Big excitement here on Huahine about the pirogue racing team. they race 5-man outrigger canoes--here on Huahine, between islands in the Society Islands, and a big race in Hawaii in the fall. The Huahine team is current champion, and just got a new boat. Both boats are Baleen (?) or whale: we see them zworking out every afternoon, when they zip across the lagoon in front of our place.

the 2004 team hats just came in, so everyone in town sports one. We hope the tee shirts arrive before we have to leave.

Most people seem to have a pirogue in their yard, so everyone does it.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 07:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yesterday we all (Sally, Marilyn, Sally's mother Janet, Ruth Peter, Craig and I) took a tour by outrigger around the 2 islands that make up Huahine--we had great snorkeling, wonderful swimming, fruit and snacks in the water, and a view of the islands from the lagoon. The hit of the day occured when the pilot/guide got out his uke--the local kind is triangular, and double stringed. We, of course, burst into our Tahitian song, which he knew, so he got another tour leader to join us, and we all sang it again. The other leader's group, mostly French, was not nearly as pleased as we were.

Janet leaves us tomorrow, to return to NJ. We will miss her.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I posted a terrific blog yesterday, but it's somehow disapeared into the ether. All is well on Huahine--lots of sun and great kayaking, snorkeling, etc. Today Marilyn and Sally found fresh fish at the dock early in the morning, so we'll have unidentified "lagoon fish" tonight.

The president of Polynesia is on the island so the banners (French flag, Polynesian flag) are flying, police are standing about, folks pretty dressed up. No sign of the man himself.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Various days on Huahine

March 3.

I?m writing this at home, on the keyboard I can remember, [rather than the French one where the ?A? the ?M? and the ?W? are in the wrong place, not to mention the apostrophe and period and all the marks!] and will log it into the internet when it stops raining and I can carry my computer into the village.

Sally, Marilyn, and I are well settled in Big Pink, a wonderful beach house in Huahine. We?re a 5 minute walk (along the beach) from the town of Fare, where we have a supermarche (not so big, though), a few tourist shops, the information center, 2 banks, a public market, and 2 places to log on. Everything opens very early, closes for lunch/siesta, and opens again in the afternoon. But they tell us that the tourist trade is way down, so some things seem not to be open at all. Women have stalls with fresh produce, some bread, and one woman had a lei (a corone, here), made from ginger?so I cam home smelling divine, with the corone around my neck. We found a store selling boats, surf gear, and cds of local music, so we?ll check those out.

The owner lives in Tahiti, but is from Huhahine, and has a vanilla plantation here. His sister and her husband live in a small house next to ours, and they?ve been very helpful. He says he has a farm on a Motu (a small island on the edge of the reef?across the lagoon), and we hope he?ll take us there to see it.

We?ve explored the town well, but are waiting for the tremendous rain to stop before we venture out on our bikes. The house also has 2 kayaks, and Sally and I had a great time on the last sunny day?we paddled to the end of the lagoon. Well, the lagoon actually circles the island, but is so narrow at one end that the water?s too choppy for the likes of us. It?s the most amazing combination of blues: turquoise, deep blue, and everything in between. It?s great for swimming and snorkeling, and just lying about. We have a small beach in front of the house, but the tide covers it mostly. It was all coral and rocks the first day because there?d been a big storm the night before, but by now it?s all sand. Everyday we watch young men and women in their pirogues, practicing for the interisland races. They streak across the lagoon in front of our house, do a bit of surfing in them on the coral reef, and streak back. We?ve been told that there will be some sort of a race this Sunday, or maybe Saturday.

I?m working hard on my French and managing, but it?s always a struggle?I trip up on the small words that mean so much: ?did she say she IS coming? Or she?s NOT coming?? etc. But it?s good for me to practice before Craig arrives and it?s too easy to let him handle it all. We are able to find all the foodstuffs we need at the grocery, and to actually bring home what we?d intended.

Last night Sally and I played the ukuleles together for the first time?I?m such a beginner that we need to stay in the key of C (shades of my early folkie days with the guitar!); lots of songs work there, however. We are working on harmonies, and expanding our repertoire?next we move into Tahitian songs! We?ll have to top ?Oh You Beautiful Doll? in Tahitian that we presented to the students in February. A big responsibility.

I?ve read all the blogs in my GeoCluster, and am amazed at the commonality of our experiences?we are excited and slightly anxious before we leave, we wonder what in the world we thought we were doing to travel this way, and then we settle in, meet folks, and we?re off on our adventures (or experiences, as Katherine Ann Porter says). It?s exciting to see what we?re all doing and to read of everyone?s travels.

I?m reading a lot, thanks to the rain: mysteries, of course, and also deMaistre?s A Journey Around My Room. We read of this work in deBotton?s The Art of Travel in January, and I tracked it down. It?s a collection of short essays on his room, occasioned by deMaistre?s house arrest in 1790 after a duel. He takes us to every part, and uses the writing to think about his life, and about human nature. Not exactly gripping, but very interesting. I read Middlesex on the long long plane ride and airport waits, and finished it here. It?s perfect for Sally?s study of the third sex, and I know she and Craig will love it. It?s compared to Tristram Shandy, but I liked it lots better. I?m also using this time to make my way through Anthony Powell?s Dance to the Music of Time, 12 novels covering 1921-1960 in England. It?s often compared to Proust, but funnier (that?s Evelyn Waugh?s opinion). I?ve been trying to read this for years, and this seems like the perfect opportunity. Waiting for me are Melville and RLStevenson, and more mysteries.

On Sunday the first of our wonderful visitors arrive: Sally?s mother Janet, and her niece Stacey. Janet is a frequent visitor to the NW, so I?ve met her several times, mostly over tennis. She?ll be great fun to have around, and we?re thinking of special things to show her.

The rain stopped, as promised, and it is a beautiful day here in Paradise.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 03:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

We arrived in Huahine yesterday morning, early; after an initial shop for food, a swim, and a long nap, the day was over. The island is more beautiful than I even imagined. Our house is, indeed, right on the water, with kayaks and bikes. I am making valiant efforts with my French, and doing pretty well, I think. My thoughts on liminality are, not surprisingly, about language: here many notices and signs are in both Tahitian and French, and we hear Tahitian on the street. On the plane--Hawaaian Airlines--the crew see,ed a bit confused about whether to use French or English--or about when to use each.

We have found the internet place, obviously, the grocery store, the Post Office, and a cool hardware store. more later.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Buoyed by our successful performance of "Oh You Beautiful Doll" in Tahitian at the farewell party, Sally and I are taking TWO ukes to Huahine! We'll perform at the drop of a hat (or a pareo), and look forward to working up new tunes to entertain and astound (and appall) Islanders on our return.

We've been packing and repacking and ditching and jettisoning all day, and we're a bit giddy with it all. We have too much stuff for the tiny amount we're allotted by Air Tahiti Nui, so we speculate on just how much we can call a "purse."

I was disappointed to learn yesterday that correction lenses for my [snorkel] mask would be very very expensive, because I'm far sighted rather than the mor common nearsighted--always the odd one out! So I'll go underwater with my poor far sighted, astigmatic eyes, and hope for the best.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I'm in Central Oregon, where we came to ski over the long weekend--with family and friends. We had a big storm this morning--just as I was heading out for the 30 mile trip to take a daughter to the airport. Whiteout conditions, but not a lot of snow, really. I made it there and back, and spent the rest of the day recovering, and reading Islander blogs. What fun! It's hard to believe some folks are actually ON their islands already. I've got to get back home to Portland to re-pack and jettison lots of stuff so I'll have room for all our media equipment.

My dog, Dewey, an australian shepherd, nipped a neighbor who was skiing by on the road--he's very nervous around human-powered motion (bikes, skateboards), and does not make friends that way. what an embarassment. So he'll never be off the leash again, I guess.

I realize that I'm not in the right time or place to read the many islands books I have set aside, so I'm finishing up several knitting projects (for the abovementioned granddaughter), organizing my travel files, and cleaning house. Who would have thought?

Posted by Virginia Darney at 01:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Today is the last day of classes for the Islanders. We'll finish the evaluation conferences this morning, and have our last group meeting this afternoon. We'll have "island food" and "island entertainment" at our last meeting, as well as the revelation of the Documentation Kit--documentation activities we'll all do on our own island. Some folks leave early tomorrow morning, so we scatter after today. Excitement and anxiety both are running at full tilt--we can't wait.

We've all had anxiety dreams. Mine: Sally and I and our guests are at our house on Huahine, and ALL the students show up. They're happy to see each other, and to be on Huahine. Ever the hostess, I worry about sleeping space, enough food, enough bathrooms, so I scurry around the house looking for more spaces to put people. But we're surrounded by the most amazing temples--sort of Incan, actually--on the motus surrounding the lagoon, and we're all thrilled to be in and by the water. Hmmmmm.

I'm gripped by the same excitement and anxiety (obviously), and am in a bit of a frenzy getting everything together. do I have enough suntan lotion? enough books? enough journals for writing? etc etc. Sally and I will coordinate our packing so we don't duplicate, and so we spread the heavy media equipment evenly among our bags.

check out everyone's web site and blog--you can follow our travels (and travails) as we report them.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 04:26 AM | Permalink

We've had our last formal class meeting--it's evaluation conferences with each student next week and a farewell party. I'm currently reading--and marveling at--the students' travel prospectus assignments. They're terrific, and great fun to read. I can't wait to talk with each student about her or his plans.

Like many of the students, I've radically changed my research plans--as I realized that vanilla production simply did not excite me. I'm much more engaged in thinking about the literature I've been reading and the ways it is or is not my own experience. And to collect old postcards, as a way to anchor the expreiences in visuals.

I've been reading fiction lately that's NOT about islands. Somehow that seems like preparation, too, separating myself a bit from the classroom. Or maybe it's just worry that I won't be able to take enough novels for my stay on Huahine and I need to read more now--fast!

Posted by Virginia Darney at 11:46 AM | Permalink

I've been reading two works on South Pacific culture and mindset: Howe's _Nature Culture and History: The "Knowing" of Oceania_ and Levy's _Tahitians: Mind and Experience in the Society Islands_. Each one presents a window into Tahitian culture, and a way of thinking about it. Each one also is careful to point out that one cannot, finally, "know" Tahitian culture, or any other.
At the same time, I'm reading Wragge's _The Romance of the South Seas_, (pub 1906), an account of the Australian Astronomer's trip to New Caledonia and Tahiti--boy does he think he can understand a culture by observing for 2 months! It's a good message for me, I think, because he is so enthusiastic and loves every minute and surely isn't getting much.
At the same time (I guess it's the third hand) I'm poring over guidebooks, getting ready to take off. Now that the elusive visa has arrived, we really are ready to go.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 01:31 PM | Permalink

The Visa saga continues for the Huahine gals.....we called (!) the place on Raiatea to see about a reservation, because they haven't answered our emails. She said sure no problem, and she hadn't received the emails [even though the "tell me if this has been read" notice said she had]. AND she even emailed back with the confirmation.

Now we can send in the visa applications with a place to stay every night. godforbid we should go without such planning! Sal and I are maintaining good humor throughout (so far), and chalking it up to Those French.

Posted by Virginia Darney at 08:11 AM | Permalink

Posted by Virginia Darney at 10:59 AM | Permalink