Ka Kite Rarotonga ..... Kia Manuia

It is a beautiful clear blue sky afternoon and my New Zealand Air flight is on time ..... sigh .... taking off down this now, very familiar runway (I drive or walk beside it daily) ..... my heart is full, sad, poignant. From the air, the stunning beauty of the island is so clearly evident ...... the turquoise ocean, the deep green of the central rainforest, the vibrant and varying hues, fragrant scents .......hibiscus, frangipani, the paw paw orchards, coco palms and I love how the women just pluck a flower from a roadside hedge, dressing up the hairdo :) ...... yes, it was a good decision to start this journey of the heart in Rarotonga ...... so very healing to open up again, breathing deeply of life ..... inevitably, it is children that are the catalysts! The joy, love and the open spirit they so willingly share, warms my soul beyond measure. This is a third visit in twenty years and so little has changed that it almost feels like a constant in my life, despite the many years in between. I guess I am just drawn here by something inexplicable ...... I will surely even miss the noisy roosters :) the chickens, geckos, (no, not the cockroaches!!) the pigs, goats and oh so many dogs that roam the streets ..... well okay, maybe the goats and pigs are somewhat secured ..... I had a good hearty chuckle when dropped off at the airport ....... a rooster ran into the terminal ahead of me from God knows where! So typical, maybe it was Randy Rooster from the Kii Kii, my first wake-up call on Raro, coming to say good-bye!! The simple small town life holds much appeal ..... the Kia Orana spirit permeates everything. The island and it's people are not without fault, but it is easy to forgive and forget when the majority of life is so pleasant, kind and caring. It kind of fits my personal philosophy at any rate ...... if 85% is pretty darn good, who the heck cares about the other 15% ..... balance will find it's way in there somehow and it usually does! It is just so easy to brush off the negatives when living in such slow paced beauty ..... hours spent helping young children with English hardly feels like work, the long leisurely walks along the coast, visits with Teiva and Purotu at the internet cafe in Avarua town center, Saturday mornings at Punanga Nui Market, which is most definitely the highlight of everyone's week and is the social hub of the island (only in a small town is this even possible .... everywhere towards the end of the week, one is asked "are you going to market tomorrow?"), a place where I could not walk twenty feet without a student, teacher, parent or someone I had met in church, town, out at dinner etc. etc., coming up for a chat and a delightful hug and one cheek kiss that is standard greeting here. Everyone takes time to truly visit, even in the midst of a work day. No one frantically checking watches, if they even have one, to say "I have to run, got a meeting, show, work, shopping, kids to pick up from soccer, take to soccer, etc. etc. to attend" .... there just is never that sense of urgency on an island ............ everything is always on "island time"!! This place is so remote in every way from the modern world!! Yes, there is internet available, cell phones do exist, but they are far from being the central part of anyone's lives. I realize now how seldom I have even seen a cell phone, or anyone texting ..... it is just such a pleasant change of pace, that I can scarcely describe it. Small and simple ...... not a utopia by any means, despite my gushing, but just a lovely spot in the middle of the Pacific, full of kind, generous people, breathtaking landscape, a peaceful pace of life, an amazing array of delicious fresh grilled fish and mouth-watering fruits to keep the taste buds satiated and oh my ..... the little Polynesian barefoot children of Takitumu ....... so many gifts ..... :) ....... and darn, just when I was getting used to left side British style driving ...... finally trained my brain not to turn on the windshield wipers when turning!!) . Kia Manuia Rarotonga