Friendships and moving on

As I think about heading back to a city life in a Western country many things come to mind along with the sorting and packing of the stuff that has taken up residence in my home and heart.

One such “thing”, is a gift that made it’s way here via the Australian and local postal service (and didn’t take 75days to arrive like a recent Christams card). It changed my relationship/commitment status, has offered an enjoyable weekly activity, looks good, has just the right amount of firmness, tastes yummy and got an outing in an earlier blog posting.  

The time is coming to be parting company with “Mr Sourdough”.

He’s been fed and watered on a regular basis, kneaded, risen to the occasion, complemented simple offerings and learnt to sit quietly. He knows the path from the fridge and back again and will soon take the pot holed road to another home and dinner table.

Looking for a home...........

With quite a lot of free time and only 15 square miles of coral atoll to play on I have taken to surfing the net (albeit very slowly due to assess speed), done a bit of shopping (window and real) and now preparing to change my virtual relationship status.

Do I leap or take steps  ?

Do I take the dive and go from “in relationship” to “single” in a solitary bound or do I take the side road and go “it’s complicated”. 

Actually it all sounds too complicated ………….

Being here is not unlike living in a country town. Forget the six degrees of separation, it’s a small place and everyone knows everyone or in the case of many of the locals they are related somehow. Each of us develops friendships /relationships of varying depths and interests within the small expat community or via work, but for the most these friendships are new. I have some that started face to face in Australia at pre departure briefing, some that wandered along a virtual path as I tried to answer queries and give a “real” picture of life here as they prepared for their adventure here and others that have developed over the tennis net.

Keeping strong

Relationships are funny things, to be in and to observe.

Recently I spent a day with 2 couples, each partnership clocking up 33 years of marriage. Well done and the greatest delight is that they appear to still to have great love and respect to each other and for their commitments.

Against a backdrop of culture that start having children very young, have big wedding botakis (or elope), show little or no affection to each other in public and seem to go from one partner to another this day was an affirming occasion. 

Making love, well recycling stamps that say love !

As I start to say my goodbyes to friendships made with people of all ages, and twist another dance to the fast paced “Kiribati” beats I know I think and feel differently.

It’s a changing world and 14 months in Kiribati is leaving some wonder and angst in my heart and mind. I expect it will take some time for the sand to settle in the jar of muddy lagoon waters and the next chapters of re-settlement back in Australia to uncurl. In the mean time friendships made will continue to play an important part in life here and beyond.

Friendships and time with the people that I spend almost every day with, the ones that laugh at my attempt speaking Kiribati, the ones that make my arrival at work a delight, the people I sit next to on a geeko  weed desk or grass roofed  Mwanabea, are going to be  missed terribly.

The time is coming to say farewell to those that have called me “one of them”.

Te Toa Matoa are real people of Kiribati, on the ground doing what they can for “their people” others with disabilities.

The days to laugh, dance and enjoy their smiles and friendships are coming to an end.

 

 Street performance with TTM

Up next:   Departure count down