It's been eight months since our last update. After New Zealand, we arrived back to Buala and proceeded to have no meaningful internet access. We have been updating via Instagram, and many of you have followed us that way. If you want to go back and enjoy eight months of photos, our Instagram accounts are … Continue reading The long overdue update…
Reflections from Mt. Doom
"Frodo: I can't do this, Sam. Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness, and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because how could the … Continue reading Reflections from Mt. Doom
The Start of Something New
I wrote this blog on the plane flight over on 15 January. Just getting around to posting it now! It summarizes where I've been and where I am going over the next few months! Today officially begins my U.S. Fulbright. I am so honored to be part of the US Fulbright program and have the … Continue reading The Start of Something New
Check 1, 2…
Fieldwork Lesson #5 is one I KNOW, but for some reason, I didn't do... ALWAYS test your sound equipment. Don't just test it before you record, which I did, but after your recording, play it back and make sure it worked. I bought a new voice recorder before coming because my other one is over … Continue reading Check 1, 2…
A Few Days Down Under
I've wanted to visit Australia for as long as I can remember. Being this close to Australia but not having been there was driving me crazy. So after a couple of months here in Honiara, I convinced Rachel that we should visit Austalia for some R&R. Since most of the flights out of the Solomons … Continue reading A Few Days Down Under
Planes, Ships, and Motor Canoes
A few weeks ago (Nov 9-12) we took a trip to Isabel Province. We plan to return to Isabel next year for about 5-6 months of my research. The goal was to make connections in the community, share my research project, and check out the living situation. We were able to do all three, though … Continue reading Planes, Ships, and Motor Canoes
World Teacher’s Day
World Teacher's Day, or more accurately week, went by in a blur! World Teacher's Day was October 5, 2018, but I was gone from Monday, October 1 to Saturday, October 6. Below is a summary of each day and some pictures, but if you want the condensed version of what I learned and my takeaways, … Continue reading World Teacher’s Day
Mbonege River Springs
A few hundred meters up the road from the Wreck of the Kinugawa Maru on Mbonege beach is the Mbonehe River (these names are all pulled from google maps and I'm wondering if some of them might be misspelled). The sign at the house where we pulled off said: "Welcome to PawPaw River," so I … Continue reading Mbonege River Springs
One Month In
One month ago (and a few days), Mike and I landed in the Solomon Islands. I can't believe we have already been here one month. Time is going quickly. So how has the last month been? It is hard to summarize in a few words so I will describe in categories. Settling in/Living/Food Our house … Continue reading One Month In
A Taste of the Island Cultures
Sometimes people ask me to describe the Solomon Islands. They often ask: What are the people like? What is their culture like? What do they eat? I always struggle to answer because the Solomon Islands are very diverse. There are nine provinces spread over 1100 kilometers, with over 70 distinct languages. Generally, the people are … Continue reading A Taste of the Island Cultures
