brad brace contemporary culture scrapbook

May 11, 2017

Yurumein

Filed under: belize,caribbean,colonialism,culture,dominica,grenadines,intra-national,language,nicaragua,st lucia,trinidad tobago,usa — admin @ 4:30 am

yurumein

… the painful past of the Caribs on the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean, their extermination at the hands of the British 200+ years ago, the decimation of their culture on the island, and their exile to Central America where much of that culture survived, even thrived. YURUMEIN (your -o- main) also explores what few cultural remnants of the Caribs, also known as Garifuna, still exist on St. Vincent and the beginnings of a movement to teach and revitalize Garifuna language, music and dance, and ritual to younger generations of Garifuna/ Caribs on St. Vincent.

(Yurumein) Garifuna Settlement Day

The Garifuna are mixed-race descendants of West African, Central African, Island Carib, and Arawak people. The British colonial administration used the term Black Carib and Garifuna to distinguish them from Yellow and Red Carib, the original Amerindian population before the Africans intermixed and those deemed to still look Native by the British. Those Caribs who were deemed to look Native and had less African admixture are still living in the islands of the Lesser Antilles. The Island Caribs lived throughout the southern Lesser Antilles, such as present Dominica, St Vincent and Trinidad. Their ancestors are believed to have conquered these areas from their previous inhabitants, the Igneri.

Since April 12, 1797, the Garifuna people have been living in Central America, where they speak the Garifuna language. The Garifuna people mostly live along the Caribbean Coast of Honduras, but there are also smaller populations in Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua and in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. There are also many Garifuna in the United States, particularly in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Houston, Seattle, and other major cities.

from://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garifuna
see my Island 1.0 (Belize) and Island 5.0 (St Vincent)
http://bradbrace.net/id.html

April 16, 2011

Protected: Island 7.0 (Hateruma, Japan) tsunami

Filed under: airlines,art,disaster,Film,General,global islands,ideology,japan,language,media,tourism,weather,wildlife — admin @ 10:36 am

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March 8, 2011

RWANDA PIKININI GENOCIDE EXTRADITED ARMED SEX CHANGE CHILD-CANNIBAL BRIDES FROM JAPAN, UNLUCKY THAI TYPO DESERTIFICATION REBELS, SUPERBUG SMUGGLED STORM GENES, TOBAGO DEMON VACCINE STATUES, BHAGVAD GITA GREENHOUSE RECRUITED GAS EMISSIONS, LOST COCAINE-CLIMATE RAMPAGE MONEY, AND IVORY COAST EX-MANGA-COP KILL THREE BLOODY RIDGE GUINEA PIGS, WOUND 34 ROLL YOUR OWN INDIAN BILLIONAIRES, AS ARMOURED, ALLAHU AKBAR, PUBLIC DISSENT VEHICLE ROBBED AFTER TWO-MONTH PACIFIC EARTHQUAKE DOUBLE DRIFT PUPPET SATIRE TORMENTS FOOD CRISIS CORAL-DRUG GIANTS FROM SMOKED SOMALIA GOLD MINES OVER VENEZUELAN INDIGENOUS GANG RAPED MANAHUNE BORDER BRIDGES

Filed under: airlines,bangladesh,canada,capitalism,china,congo,cook islands,corporate-greed,cuba,disaster,disease/health,fiji,government,human rights,ideology,india,intra-national,irian jaya,kenya,language,media,mexico,military,nicaragua,pakistan,png,police,rampage,resource,solomon islands,somalia,sri lanka,thailand,tonga,tourism,trinidad tobago,tuvalu,usa,venezuela,wealth,weather,wildlife — admin @ 6:10 am

The Late Pleistocene (approximately 141,000 years ago) glacial period came to an end because of changes to the obliquity, or tilt, of the earth. This is a possible climate change hypothesis “because of the relatively large and persistent increases in summer energy reaching the high latitudes of both hemispheres during times of maximum Earth tilt”. The warming of oceans, exacerbated by melting glaciers that flow into them, is causing “horizontal mass redistribution” of the world’s seas. Essentially, the weight and position of the world’s oceans have shifted, and this has literally caused the earth to shift its position on its axis! Indeed, Inuit observations seem tied to the technical science of long-term climate change, specifically the theory of the Milankovitch Cycles, which seem to predict natural planetary warming and cooling periods based on the position of the earth and its axis in relationship to the sun.

An estimated two-thirds of Papua New Guinea’s six million people cannot read or write – but the “Buk Bilong Pikinini” movement hopes to make a positive difference. In pidgin, it means children’s book. Some branches of Papua New Guinea’s public library system do not even have books. Many education institutions and schools have no libraries, and children find it hard to learn to read and write.

In recent decades, coral reef ecosystems around the world have declined dramatically. One-fifth have died, and human activity directly threatens another 24 percent. As atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide increase, higher temperatures and ocean acidification could kill 70 percent of the world’s coral reefs by 2050. By century’s end, they could be gone entirely.

A traditional indigenous practice is being taken up by different communities to fight a food crisis in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region. Bengalis and other ethnic groups have adopted the practice of the Mro tribe, of creating a Rice Bank, in their own communities. They say the Rice Bank can give them the chance to prepare as rodents threaten another spell of destruction of crops including paddy in the coming season.

Violence has broken out all over the country of Nicaragua. Armed again, but this time organized by Sandinista thugs. Beatings and brutal physical attacks against intellectuals, journalists and civil rights group members are frequent here now. There is currently no legal opposition allowed in the country against the policies of the Nicaragua government (FSLN), controlled by the Sandinistas. It was illegal for any opposition to the Sandinistas to paint anything on poles or walls, which is what students have been doing for weeks to declare the elections stolen. During the early hours of the morning vehicles carrying armed gangs erase any opposition on walls in the country’s capital, Managua.

A look at some other pests that are benefiting or could benefit from global warming: Ticks that transmit Lyme disease are spreading northward into Sweden and Canada, once too cold for them.

The Trinidad and Tobago police have found pages of the Hindu holy book Bhagvad Gita soaked in millions of dollars worth of liquid cocaine in a laboratory in Couva, Central Trinidad. A Venezuelan national and four citizens of Trinidad and Tobago – two men and two women – were arrested and investigations are now on into this innovative way to traffic cocaine.

Thailand has issued rules making sex change surgery more difficult — including a requirement that potential candidates cross-dress for a year — over fears that some patients are rushing into the operation. Transsexuals and transgender men are a common sight in Thailand, appearing
on soap operas and working at all levels of Bangkok society, from
department store cosmetics counters and popular restaurants to corporate
offices and red-light districts. A national transgender beauty pageant
draws thousands to the beachside town of Pattaya every year. But over the past two years, a rash of castrations, especially among young
men, has alarmed the medical establishment and prompted the new rules.

Giant Humboldt squid have reached waters as far north as British Columbia,
threatening fisheries along much of the western North American coast.

Battling with one of the world’s highest murder rates, Venezuela crushed more than 30,000 guns seized from the streets during police raids this year. Policemen used blow-torches to chop up some of shotguns and pistols. They compacted weapons including home-made pistols into a 5 ton block.

A typo tragically sent Queens firefighters barreling to the wrong address – as three men died in a fire a mere three blocks away. As trapped residents desperately tried to escape an illegally converted boardinghouse on 65th Street in Woodside, the nearest fire companies found themselves on “a wild goose chase” on 62nd Street – because a 911 operator had mistakenly entered a 2 instead of a 5. Two crucial minutes were lost during the rerouting of Engine Co. 292 and Rescue Co. 4. They got to the scene four minutes and 55 seconds after the 911 call.

The African version of “Spitting Image” has delighted big audiences by ridiculing corrupt politicians. A rapping president describes himself as “a real bad dude”; a prime minister and vice-president fight over lavatories; and a set of parliamentarians suffer from a brain disease called “corruptophaelia”. Welcome to Kenya, as seen and portrayed by Africa’s version of Spitting Image, a daring puppet satire that is steadily pushing the boundaries of free expression and outraging the Nairobi elite. The XYZ Show, now preparing for its second series, proved a huge hit. Its well-aimed barbs delighted a devoted and growing audience, while scandalising the politicians who are the show’s main target.

Nicaragua’s navy seized 2,400 kilos (5,286 lbs.) of cocaine in Caribbean waters and arrested five people linked to the consignment.This has been a heavy blow against drug trafficking, The five Hondurans were carrying in their boat more than 2,400 kilos (5,286 lbs.) of drugs, as well as fuel; the five in custody are of Honduran nationality. They were arrested 45 miles east of Puerto Cabezas.

Numerous accounts of rapes show a similar pattern at the Porgera Joint
Venture (PJV) mine in Papua New Guinea, partly owned by Toronto-based
Barrick Gold Corp. The guards, usually in a group of five or more, find a woman while they are patrolling on or near mine property. They take turns threatening, beating and raping her. In a number of cases, women reported to me being forced to chew and swallow condoms used by guards during the rape.

Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are now found in South Korea, the Papua New
Guinea highlands, and other places previously not warm enough for them.

A British tourist in Thailand had been raped after being dragged off the
street by two men. She was taken  to a hotel where she was raped and then robbed of her belongings. The woman, aged 25, said the attack happened early morning in the Thai resort of Pattaya, twenty metres from a police sentry box. The attack happened after she had been separated from friends.

Seven Papua New Guineans adrift in the Pacific Ocean for more than two months have been rescued but two have since died. A helicopter from the US-based fishing vessel “Ocean Encounter” spotted a 22-foot boat drifting near Nauru in the central Pacific. Seven men were onboard, they left Tabar Island in the New Ireland area of Papua New Guinea  to return home to Lihir Island, a distance of about 50 kilometres (30 miles). But they ran out of fuel during what was expected to be a daytime trip and drifted to the northeast.

Unusually heavy rain fell during the period needed to dry the land before burning, says a Bidayuh from Sarawak, Malaysia. New weeds grew quickly over the farms, making it impossible to burn and threatened to ruin the year’s harvest. In response, a Bidayuh-Krokong village held Gawae Pinganga, an almost-forgotten ritual to ask the ‘Pinyanga’, the village’s spirit guardians, for a dry season. The last time such assistance had been asked of ‘Pinyanga’ was during World War II and the elders were uncertain as to the exact composition of the offering.

Organized citizen gangs, called the CPC or Consejo del Pueblo Ciudadana work closely with some of the most dangerous criminal delinquent gangs in the city and region, mostly young disenfranchised and uneducated men, to prevent any opposition to Daniel Ortega and his government policies, while rumors fly that Ortega flies to Cuba for blood transfusions.

The number of Indian billionaires has almost doubled, from 27 to 52 in the
last year, despite one of the worst global recessions in history, In the last year the Indian stock market has gained more than 75 per cent and the economy has grown by almost seven per cent. Yet 42 per cent of the population still live below the poverty line.

The meaning of the Arabic phrase “Allahu Akbar”, shouted by the Fort Hood killer Major Nidal Malik Hasan before he opened fire, is known as the takbir and is used by Muslims to express a wide range of emotions.

The number of tobacco smokers currently in Thailand has reached 14.3
million. Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry is considering a proposal to the Finance Ministry to increase the tax level on hand-rolled cigarette
products after finding over 7.4 million people smoke this style of
cigarette. The remainder smoke manufactured cigarettes.

Police in Uganda have arrested and extradited a man who is among the most wanted suspects from the Rwandan genocide. The 100-day killing rampage led to the loss of an estimated 10 percent of Rwanda’s population.

A corrupt former Philadelphia cop who used his badge to rob drug dealers
was sentenced yesterday to 30 years in a federal lockup. Malik Snell’s criminal acts had so tarnished the badge that he wore for 12 years that it would be removed from service and destroyed.

The Japan Meteorological Agency is planning to start monitoring levels of ‘’super’’ greenhouse gases, which have an enormous effect on global warming compared with carbon dioxide, at two observatories as part of efforts to combat global warming under the Kyoto Protocol.

Bark beetles reproducing more quickly in warming climates and expanding
their ranges have devastated forests across western North America. In
British Columbia they have laid waste to an area twice the size of Ireland.

Thailand’s main airport is to relocate 12 giant “demon statues” to boost the morale of staff who thought the figures brought bad luck. The statues at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport will move from the arrivals
area to the check-in zone at a cost of around 1.7 million baht (51,000
dollars.)

A gunman went on the rampage in the Northern Mariana Islands in the western Pacific, killing at least four people and wounding six,
including five Korean tourists. An Asian gunman killed four local people, including two children aged four and three, and critically injured a four-year-old girl in an apparent random shooting spree at a local shooting range. The man then drove in a van to Last Command Post Park, a popular tourist destination and opened fire on a group of South Korean tourists.

Before any pill reaches the pharmacy shelf, it must first pass through a
gauntlet of human guinea pigs: the ‘clinical subjects’ paid to take trial
drugs so specialists can observe their symptoms. But like call centers and high-end hospitals, drug trials too are rapidly shifting to India and Asia with Thailand as the region’s favored frontrunner.

Tokyo has banned the sale and lease of anime films and manga comics
depicting rape, incest and other sex crimes to under-18s. A bill,
introduced by the metropolitan assembly, calls on the industry to self
regulate by toning down graphic comics and films on general release.
Publishers and retailers breaking rules face fines up to JPY 300,000. A
group of publishers, complaining of censorship, have threatened to boycott
Tokyo International Anime Fair.

Students are now putting together El Libro Negro, the black book that proves the elections of 2008 were stolen. With this in mind coupled with the increasing pressure on the Ortega government, after one week of peaceful opposition protest met by brutal Sandinista violence, Daniel Ortega finally admitted there had been fraud in the elections.

The recruits assembled by moonlight at a watering hole. Hundreds of boys and young Kenyan men were herded onto trucks, which were covered with heavy canvas and driven through the night. It was so hot inside they could hardly breathe. One recruit, said they banged the sides of the truck for water but got none. Some had to urinate where they stood. Their destination: a secluded training camp deep in the Kenyan bush.

Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast faced a battering by high winds and heavy rains Friday, as remnants of hurricane Ida wrecked homes and officials warned as many as 40,000 could be affected by the storm. Despite being downgraded to a tropical depression, heavy rains from Ida swelled rivers, destroying an estimated 530 houses and decimating remote communities in one of Central America’s poorest nations.

When it comes to American policy in Pakistan or, for that matter, Afghanistan. It’s just the norm on a planet on which it’s assumed that American civilian and military leaders can issue pronunciamentos about what other countries must do; publicly demand various actions of ruling groups; opt for specific leaders, and then, when they disappoint, attempt to replace them; and use what was once called “foreign aid,” now taxpayer dollars largely funneled through the Pentagon, to bribe those who are hard to convince.

An armoured vehicle travelling between Wewak and Maprik has been held up by robbers armed with two AR15 rifles, a pistol, a Winchester and an axe.  The thieves escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

The thousands of refugees arriving in Liberia had fled violence perpetrated by rebels who support Ouattara. At least 14,000 people have fled the violence and political chaos in Ivory Coast, some walking for up to four days with little food to reach neighboring Liberia. At least one child drowned while trying to cross a river.

“I had parked next to the Japanese Memorial and two of us went down the hill to the Pigs Tails with the Barbwire to record a video promoting the Solomon Islands, and left a female at my vehicle. Whilst we were down there recording, a person of Local Features walked past the vehicle and eyed the vehicle to see if anybody else was around, and just as he disappeared over the hill, 4 Youths, WITH BUSH KNIVES, approximate age of 20-25, approached the vehicle and DEMANDED MONEY, when they were told that she had no money, they went into the vehicle and STOLE THE TWO BACKPACKS from out of the vehicle and then ran down the hill towards the accommodation areas near the Lunga River…”

In the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the Andean
neighbours. Soldiers destroyed the walkways because they were being used by illegal militia and drug traffickers. They are two foot bridges that paramilitary fighters used, where gasoline and drug precursors were smuggled, subversive groups entered. They are not considered in any international treaty.

“The Head Shaman called for the spirits to come and show us if and how they wanted us to conduct the ceremony to ‘bring them home’. Sure enough they came and showed us. Of course I could not see because I am not the ‘sighted one’, but Aturn saw everything in a flash and told us exactly what the altar and offerings should look like. The ceremony was then held. After the Chief Priest finished, we sat and waited for the response. Within a minute, there was a sound from the east like an old man crying. It was a bird circling the small altar and then above the main altar three times. It is supposed to be a night bird but now it was in broad daylight. It was simply amazing!!! The omen is interpreted as saying ‘We thought that you have forgotten us … but now you come … we are happy. How nice for you to come.’ The rains stopped for seven days within the week after the ceremony.”

A microscopic parasite is spreading a deadly disease among salmon in
Alaska and British Columbia. Researchers say rising water temperatures are
partly to blame.

Thousands of people, including children, are being secretly recruited and
trained inside Kenya to battle Islamic insurgents in neighboring Somalia,
according to deserters, local officials, families of recruits and
diplomats. Most recruits are Somalis living in crowded refugee camps and
Kenyan nationals who are ethnic Somalis living nearby.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan. A Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected. However, the Japanese Meteorological Agency has issued tsunami warnings for the Ogasawara Islands and a tsunami advisory for southern Japan. The quake, which occurred 3:19 a.m., is about 95 miles (155 km) from Chichi-shima, Ogasawara Islands. It is also 210 miles from Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, and 650 miles from Tokyo.

A Sri Lankan was arrested by the Solomon Islands police after he had
escaped from the airport where he was to be deported. The man, who had been illegally residing in the country, was allegedly at the departure lounge when a group of armed men had helped him escape the police. He had been arrested again while four others have been linked to the incident.

Gases such as sulfur hexafluoride and dinitrogen monoxide, which
respectively have 20,000 and 300 times more global warming effects than
CO2, will be monitored at the meteorological observatory in Minamitori
Island, Japan’s easternmost island, and the atmospheric environment
observatory in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture.

A little loop of genes that give bacteria the power to resist virtually all known antibiotics is spreading quickly and likely to cause doctors headaches for years to come. They come on the equivalent of a genetic memory stick – a string of genes called a transmissible genetic element. Bacteria, unlike higher forms of life, can swap these gene strings with other species and often do so with wild abandon.

IIdephonse Nizeyimana was picked up at a hotel in Rubaga, a suburb of the
capital, Kampala, by the National Central Bureau of Interpol. He was transferred to a U.N. detention facility in Arusha, Tanzania, where the tribunal is based. Top officials who allegedly took part in the genocide, such as army generals and politicians, are tried by the tribunal.

Kenya has long feared that the conflict in Somalia, which has been bloodied by civil war since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, will spill across the border into its own neglected northeastern region.The area is home to hundreds of thousands of ethnically Somali Kenyans.

Sixteen countries, home to more than half the world’s smokers and bearing
the highest tobacco use, were involved in the study: Bangladesh, Brazil,
China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland,
Russian Federation, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay and Vietnam.

Five armed men robbed the Big Rooster outlet in 4-Mile but three were captured by police as they tried to get away with an undisclosed amount of money. They were all armed with pistols as they entered the fast food outlet and held up the company employees, customers and security guards at about 9am. As they exited the building and made for their getaway vehicle, police closed in and captured three – two in front of Freeway Motors and one in front of Big Rooster while the other two managed to escape on foot.

Nizeyimana is one of the four top accused who are earmarked by the
prosecutor to be tried by the tribunal in Arusha after their arrest as part of the ICTR completion strategy. Of a list of 13 fugitives, he is the second to be arrested in less than two months.

Thousands of would-be fighters, some as young as 11, have been lured into the militia by promises of up to $600 a month, but many fled after they were not paid, were beaten or went hungry. Many recruits remain in the ranks and see the secret militia as their only way out of overcrowded refugee camps and the dusty, poor towns around them.

The U.S. government warns that such invasive plants as the common reed,
hyacinth and purple loosestrife are likely to spread to northern states.

Translated as “God is great”, it can be used to express delight and
euphoria or as a war cry during battles. It is also said during each stage of both obligatory prayers, which are supposed to be performed five times a day, and supererogatory prayers, which are said at will. The Muslim call to prayer, or adhan, and commence to the prayer, or iqama, also contains the phrase, which is heard in cities all over the Muslim world.

Directives have been given to homicide detectives to charge a man with the
murder of German national Peter Taut. The suspect is expected to appear before a Tobago magistrate tomorrow. Taut’s body was discovered on in a shallow grave at his Bacolet Crescent home where he lived. Taut, 56, an engineer, died as a result of asphyxia, an autopsy performed revealed.

For Western pharmaceutical giants such as Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline, Asia
offers a glut of people willing to accept less money for testing out trial
medicines. Softer regulation is another big draw, as are improvements in
Asian hospitals’ facilities and an increase in Western-educated doctors. Just eight years ago, only 6 percent of the world’s drug trial patients were tested in Asia and India. The figure is now 11 percent.

The gunman, believed to be aged in his late 30s to early 40s, apparently
killed himself following the shooting spree but his motive was unclear.
The injured South Korean tourists included a 39-year-old man critically
wounded when he was shot in the back, and two other men aged 38 who were
reported to be in a stable condition. Two Korean children aged eight and five were treated and released after receiving minor cuts during the rampage. After shooting the tourists, the gunman drove to the nearby Bonzai Cliffs area on the northern tip of Saipan island. Police found the gunman’s van with smoke pouring from it and three rifles inside. The body of the shooter was found nearby with a gunshot wound to the head and another rifle.

Since returning to the presidency in 2007, 17 years after being voted out
of office at the end of the Sandinista revolution in 1990, Ortega has
created a network of private businesses that operate under the auspices of
the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA), an opaque cooperation
agreement of leftist countries bankrolled primarily by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Ortega’s “ALBA businesses” — known by an alphabet soup of acronyms, including ALBANISA, ALBALINISA, and ALBACARUNA — have cornered Nicaragua’s petroleum import and distribution markets, become the country’s leading energy supplier and cattle exporter, turned profits on the sale of donated Russian buses, and purchased a hotel in downtown Managua, among other lucrative investment moves.

It was unclear whether police had recovered the money and the firearms used in the robbery. They said that any information on this would have to come from their superiors. Cooperate Executive Guards’ Tom Vele was manning the door when the robbers burst in, beat him up and pointed their pistols at him. A shaken Vele, with blood on his head and face, said that he thought they were customers wanting to buy food but they were actually robbers trying to rob the company. They arrived in a blue Toyota RAV4 sports utility, believed to have been stolen. The robbery came two days after police superintendent of operations warned the public to be wary of criminals during the festive season as they were targeting owners of Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4 sports utility vehicles.

In the past the Nyando River basin experienced long rains from March to
June with very short rain spells in November. This trend has been rather irregular in recent years with floods occurring in August instead of April. Dry periods have increased in length and farm harvests are dwindling. The Wakesi community traditionally offers sacrifices to the gods for rain. These offerings are made under trees such as the Baobab, as they are associated with rain. The community revealed that they are increasingly offering sacrifices to the gods for rain. It appears climate change is catalyzing these practices.

Refugees are supposed to find safety in the camps, not a government that is trying to trick their sons into going back to fight in Somalia. The recruitment of children violates the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Kenya is a signatory. Kenya is eager to counter the influence of insurgents in Somalia who preach the spread of a pan-Islamic state into Kenya and Ethiopia, where many Somalis live due to borders drawn by former colonial powers. Somalia’s al-Shabab insurgents — some of whom have ties to al-Qaida –already cross into northern Kenya.

In the attacks that started in April 1994, Hutu militias and members of the general population sought out Tutsis and moderate Hutus, and went on a
100-day killing rampage. Civilians and children got incentives to take part in the atrocities, including promises of land belonging to their Tutsi neighbors.

Only six out of every 10 smokers said they planned or are thinking about
quitting, while five in 10 smokers had tried to quit in the last 12 months. The survey found that 3.3 million workers are exposed to tobacco smoke at the workplace and 20.5 million adults to tobacco smoke in their homes.

Fishermen are ruining Semporna’s rich heritage with fish bombing. During their 1,000 hours of diving, the scientists heard 15 fish bombs going off and came across four unexploded bombs. They have warned that conservation action is urgent because of high threats from overfishing, destructive fishing and pollution.

Two women who were walking along the road, after leaving their respective
vegetable gardens, were approached to enquire as to whether they had seen four youths running, and, they said that they had seen some youths running down the hill towards the river, but didn’t take any notice of what they were wearing. In the TV Crew Backpack was a 4 THOUSAND ENGLISH POUND (SBD$40,000), VIDEO CAMERA, and their HERITAGE PARK HOTEL ROOM KEY. And the immediate concern was for the Tens of Thousands of Dollars worth of Equipment in their room. So the chase had to be suspended to go to the Hotel and move rooms and to make sure nothing else was stolen.

40,000 people will be directly or indirectly affected by the hurricane in preliminary damage projections. Nineteen communities are expected to be affected by the storm, which was gusting at up to 35 miles (55 kilometers) per hour.

The shopkeepers are blaming the ‘demon statues’ for the problems they have faced at the airport, which was seized late last year by demonstrators and supporters of the People’s Alliance of Democracy” (PAD).The guardian spirit statues will be shifted from the inner zone of the passenger terminal to the check-in area to ‘improve morale’ of people working at the airport. The anti-government PAD seized two of the Thai capital’s airports in a crippling eight-day blockade late in 2008, which badly dented the kingdom’s tourist-friendly image.

Recruiters started openly operating in Kenyan towns and in nearby huts and tents of the refugee camps. Some recruiters even worked from a hotel fronting a heavily fortified U.N. Compound in the northern town of Dadaab, home to three overcrowded camps of about 275,000 refugees, most from Somalia. More than a dozen deserters said they were promised positions in the Kenyan or Somali armies or jobs with U.N. Security by men acting as recruiters. Some said they were told they would patrol the Kenya-Somalia border, but upon arrival at the training camp, they were told they were going to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, or Kismayo, a key southern city under Islamist control.

President Obama said of Pakistan: “We want to respect their sovereignty, but we also recognize that we have huge strategic interests, huge national security interests in making sure that Pakistan is stable and that you don’t end up having a nuclear-armed militant state.” When it comes to U.S. Respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty, this country has more important fish to fry. A look at the historical record indicates that Washington has, in fact, been frying those “fish” for at least the last four decades without particular regard for Pakistani sensibilities.

Residents of the Ogasawara Islands are urged to evacuate coastlines
immediately. Evacuate from the seashore immediately to the safe places
near the above coasts. Scores of villagers on a remote Japanese island chain in the Pacific scrambled for higher ground after a major 7.4-magnitude offshore quake sparked a tsunami alert.

It was one of the most brutal genocides in modern history. Some figures put the number of dead at 1 million — 10 percent of the population of the
central African nation. Millions more were raped and disfigured. A whole
generation of children lost their parents.

In the Islamic world, instead of applause, often someone will shout
“takbir” and the crowd will respond “Allahu Akbar” in chorus.
It can also be used as a protest. In the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian
presidential election many people shouted it for an hour between 10pm and
11pm every day for nine days to show their anger at the result.

Desertification and land degradation is the greatest environmental
challenge of our time and a threat to global wellbeing. People must be paid via global carbon markets for preserving the soil. The top 20cm of soil is all that stands between us and extinction. Conflicts and food price crises all stem from the degradation of land.

The Cook Islands Health Ministry has announced the first HIV infection in
the country. Nothing is known about the person who has been diagnosed for privacy reasons, but follow-ups will be made with their previous sexual partners, to ensure the virus has not spread. With the large number of
tourists who arrive in the country each year, it’s no surprise that this
has finally happened.

The survey found that 74.4 per cent of adults noticed anti-cigarette
smoking information on television. Only one in 10 adults were aware of
cigarette marketing in stores where cigarettes are sold; seven in 10
smokers considered quitting because of warning labels; and 98.6 per cent of adults believed smoking causes serious illness. Most people mistakenly believe smoking hand-rolled cigarettes is less dangerous than manufactured cigarettes.

Nizeyimana was a captain the Rwanda Armed Forces, he is
accused of exercising authority over soldiers and personnel through a chain of command, and allegedly sent a section of soldiers to execute of Rosalie Gicanda, a former queen of Rwanda who was a “symbolic figure for all Tutsis.

She said she was unable to resist the two men who, after raping her, took
her Natwest bank and credit cards and 60 pounds in cash and a bracelet
worth 100 pounds. Last night police in Pattaya charged two men with rape and theft. They were named as Krajon Senkam, 29, and Surasak Kovekasan, 20, who were described as local ‘maeng da’ a Thai expression, literally translating as cockroaches, describing men who live off the earnings of local prostitutes. The men were arrested quickly as they were known in the area.

We naturally grasp the extremity of the Taliban – those floggings, beheadings, school burnings, bans on music, the medieval attitude toward women’s role in the world – but our own extremity is in no way evident to us. So Obama’s statement on Pakistani sovereignty is reported as the height of sobriety, even when what lies behind it is an expanding “covert” air war and assassination campaign by unmanned aerial drones over the Pakistani tribal lands, which has reportedly killed hundreds of bystanders and helped unsettle the region.

One typical test, which measures the speed of blood stream absorption, can require volunteers to consume a pill and submit to more than 35 blood draws throughout a weekend. Two weekends of testing, in the United States, would pay approximately $1,000. Volunteers in Thailand would more likely receive less than $50. Other disease-specific trials test experimental drugs on patients over a series of weeks or months. The ‘payment’ in these studies typically isn’t cash but rather the promise of cutting-edge treatment.

More than a third of the world’s child brides are
from India, leaving children at an increased risk of exploitation despite
the Asian giant’s growing modernity and economic wealth.

The police was informed so if you see any of the following items up for
SALE, please ring me on +677 747 6372, after you have detained, or delayed
the person offering it to you. I will come as soon as you have rang and
then they will be handed over to the police to face the consequences.
The list of items that were stolen and what they were contained in was:
One (1) Dark Blue Backpack belonged to the Film Crew, Jamie & Kim,
contained the following: 1 x Very Expensive Digital Video Camera containing a Digital Tape for Recording, 1 x Room Key to Room
112 of the Heritage Park Hotel, and 1 x some other items that I can’t
remember at the time of writing this statement.

The average amount of sulfur hexafluoride, frequently used as an insulator
in electronic devices, found in the atmosphere is relatively small at 6 to
7 parts per million compared with 380 ppm of CO2, but the level has doubled from the 1990s, mostly due to man-made emissions.the National Institute for Environmental Studies has been taking
samples and analyzing them four times a year on Hateruma Island in Okinawa
Prefecture. The agency plans to start monitoring levels once a week at the
observatories in Minamitori Island and Iwate.

The deserters all said they were taken to Manyani, a training center for
the Kenya Wildlife Service outside the port of Mombasa. They said their
cell phones were confiscated upon arrival and Kenyan citizens had to
surrender their identity cards. Kenyans of Somali descent can easily pass for Somalis. They share with Somali nationals the Islamic religion, a common language, and a tall, slender appearance, looking distinct from members of other ethnic groups from farther south.

Uniformed men, apparently from the Venezuelan army, arrived in trucks on
the Venezuelan side at two pedestrian bridges that link communities on both sides and then proceeded to dynamite them. The row renewed tensions that have bubbled for weeks, with Venezuela’s
president, Hugo Chavez, recently telling his armed forces “to prepare for
war” with their neighbour in order to ensure peace. Colombia’s decades-long civil war has for years spilled across its 1,375-mile border with Venezuela in the form of leftist guerrillas, right-wing militias and drug traffickers, a nexus made even murkier by contraband and corrupt local authorities.

Seventy thousand H1N1 vaccines valued at US$675,000 will be here in time
for this country’s hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. And while the safety and the efficacy of the vaccine is still being questioned,these vaccines have
been used in over 20 countries over the past several weeks and have proven
to be very safe. While the vaccines are a welcomed move in light of the
215 confirmed swine flu cases and five related deaths, they hope the
ministry has a plan to deal with the chaos that can ensue.

A jury convicted Snell of conspiracy, attempted robbery and a
weapons offense in connection with a botched home-invasion robbery in
Pottstown. Snell, 37, was also convicted of taking $40,000 in cash from a South Philadelphia drug kingpin during a bogus police car stop

The seabed tremor struck at 2:19 am local time jolting people out of bed as loudspeakers blared across the Ogasawara islands and authorities warned of the risk of a two-metre (six-foot) high local tsunami. The tsunami alert was later downgraded and all warnings were lifted five hours after the quake hit near the islands, some 1,000 kilometres (600
miles) south of Tokyo. No injuries or damage were reported.

Nearly 25 million women in India were married in the year 2007 by the age
of 18; children in India, Nepal and Pakistan may be engaged or even married before they turned 10. Millions of children are also being forced to work in harmful conditions, or face violence and abuse at home and outside, suffering physical and psychological harm with wide-reaching, and sometimes irreparable effects.

The takbir is also included on the flags of many Arabic nations. It is
written on the centre of the flag of Iraq, 22 times along the borders of
the central white stripe on the flag of Iran, and beneath the Shahadah in
the 2004 draft constitution of Afghanistan in white script on the central
red background.

The Chinese government has abducted and unlawfully detained large number of Chinese citizens in illegal prisons. State-run hotels, nursing homes and psychiatric hospitals in Beijing are being used as so-called “black jails”.  Many people
detained in these illegal prisons are citizens from rural areas who travel to Beijing and other provincial capitals to file complaints for abuses such as illegal land grabs, government corruption and police torture. In these “black jails” they are subjected to physical violence, theft, extortion, threats, intimidation, and deprivation of food, sleep and medical care,

The other Backpack, belonged to myself, was a Columbia Brand Backpack,
being a unique Backpack within the Solomon Islands as it was given to me by Patricks Defence Logistics whilst I was employed with them and told that it was a Prototype Backpack, which had a main pouch, a zipped opening at the top near the handle and a smaller front semi-attached pouch at the front with a zip for the main pouch and a smaller zip for an internal pouch at the front, and, was of sentimental value as it was the only thing that I got out of Patricks that I have left.

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, many governments around
the world are forced to support their private economy in the face of weak
global demand. The combination of higher spending and lower revenues
results in the deterioration the government’s fiscal health. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has such concerns for several Pacific
Island countries.

Hand-rolled cigarettes also cause serious illness for smokers such
as oral cancer and cancer of the aesophagus. In India, about
100,000 died from smoking hand-rolled cigarettes each year.
Most cigarette manufacturers are now producing more smokeless
cigarettes after noting an increasing trend in smokeless tobacco use among
teenagers worldwide.

New Delhi metallobeta-lactamase 1 or NDM-1 for short, will cause more trouble in the coming years. What makes this enzyme so frightening is not only its intrinsic ability to destroy most known beta-lactam antibiotics but also the company it keeps. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are nothing new — virtually all strains of the common Staphylococcus bacteria are now resistant to penicillin. Almost as soon as penicillin was introduced in the 1940s, bacteria began to develop resistance to its effects, prompting researchers to develop many new generations of antibiotics.

Tiny rations of dirty food, beatings and failure to pay promised salaries
caused widespread desertion, recruits said. Some who tried to flee were
caught and beaten, but many managed to return home through Tsavo, a vast
national park filled with dangerous animals that surrounds the training
camp. At least one boy who fled at night with a group of nine others was attacked and killed by lions, another group of deserters was chased by elephants. Some recruits called their families on phones smuggled into the camp and whispered tearful pleas for help.

A society cannot thrive if its youngest members are forced into early
marriage, abused as sex workers or denied their basic rights. Despite rising literacy levels and a ban on child marriage, tradition and
religious practices are keeping the custom alive in India, as well as in
Nepal and Pakistan.

A spike in violence on the Venezuelan side, including the abduction and
murder of an amateur football team, and the drive-by shooting of two border guards, prompted authorities to reinforce the border. Destroying the bridges was a “necessary and sovereign act to curb border
infiltration and drug smuggling,” the economy minister said. Colombian media reported that villagers on their side of the border
remonstrated and threw stones at the Venezuelan troops in a vain
effort to save the walkways. They were sighted at two rural spots, Las Naves and Chicoral, near the Colombian municipality of Ragonvalia.

One cabinet minister denounced the programme as “weird”, while another
complained that villagers were mistaking the puppets for the real-life
equivalents. But to the relief of viewers, the government decided not to
order it off the air, even after a clip entitled “What if Kenya was
perfect?”, which depicted President Mwai Kibaki and the prime minister,
Raila Odinga, in jail in The Hague for crimes committed during last year’s
election violence.

The cholera outbreak in Papua New Guinea’s Madang is still worsening with more than 300 people now being treated for the illness. Cholera is a diarrheal infection caused by ingesting bacteria in water or
food, and can kill healthy people within hours.

More than half the world’s child brides are in south Asia, which also
accounts for more than half the unregistered births, leaving children
beyond the reach and protection of state services and unable to attend
school or access basic healthcare.

Thailand’s people are largely healthy and eligible for testing thanks to a
90-cents-per-visit public healthcare scheme. Its hospitals are staffed by
English-speaking physicians and specialists educated abroad. There’s also no single Thai regulatory body responsible for approving
trials — both a convenience and source of frustration for pharmaceutical
firms. In a departure from Western standards, trial supervisors don’t have to report what the industry calls “Unexpected Suspected Adverse Drug
Reactions” — meaning worrisome side-effects of prototype drugs don’t have
to be documented.

Rains could produce flash floods and mudslides, as Nicaraguans waited for Ida to head north out to sea. One of the first areas affected were the Corn Islands, a tropical paradise popular with backpackers. Around 300 tourists were evacuated from the islands by civil defense forces.

But about 120 people temporarily evacuated to higher ground on Chichi-shima island and some 50 people on Haha-shima island overnight. “It was the biggest earthquake I have ever felt,” said Masae Nagai, a hotel
owner on Chichi-shima, part of the remote archipelago also called the Bonin islands, which has a population of about 2,300.

Only 6 percent of all births in Afghanistan and 10 percent in Bangladesh
were registered from 2000-08, compared to 41 percent in India and 73 percent in the tiny Maldives.

The contents of my backpack at the time were a follows: 1. In the Main Backpack Pouch: a) 1 x Yellow Coffee Table Insert Book with Coastwatchers Posters, Pricelist and other advertising material, including a Coastwatchers Memorial Information Sheet from the Coastwatcher Memorial Trust, and, other Coastwatchers Paperwork related to SCUBA Diving, approximate Value of SBD$1,500, and 2: In the Top Main Backpack Pouch near the Handle: a) A packet of Sinus Tablets, approximate Value of SBD$80. 3: In the Front Smaller Pouch: a) 1 x DC500 Sealife Underwater Camera with Land & Sea Underwater Program (unique and the only one (1) in the Solomon Islands) containing a 1 Gigabyte SD Memory Card in a Camera Case designed for the Camera approximate Value of AUD$1,500; b) 2 x DC500 Sealife Underwater Camera Batteries (unique to the camera) approximate Value of AUD$200; c) 1 x Solomon Islands Tourism Industry Association (SITIA) ANZ Cheque Book with either 20 or 40 Unsigned Blank Cheques in it, approximate value of SBD$10 or SBD$20; d) 1 x SITIA Receipt Book with approximately 70 blank receipts, approximate Value of SBD$12; e) 1 x Coastwatchers ANZ Cheque Book with 22 Unsigned Blank Cheques in it, approximate Value of SBD$11; f) 1 x Reading Glasses Case containing: i) Reading Glasses, approximate Value of AUD$250; ii) Writing Pen, approximate Value of SBD$5; iii) A laminated Honiara Recompression Chamber Contact Numbers Checklist, approximate Value of SBD$100. iv) 5 Coastwatchers Business Cards, approximate Value of SBD$100. v) 1 x Packet of Pall Mall Blue Cigarettes, approximate Value of SBD$22.

Land conflicts in Somalia, dust storms in Asia and the food price crises of recent years all stem from the degradation of land, due to overuse by humans and the impacts of global warming. Since the early 1980s, a quarter of the planet’s land has been despoiled and 1% a year continues to be lost.

“Ocean Encounter” was expected to arrive in Majuro, capital of the Marshall Islands, to get medical treatment for the survivors, who are suffering from “overexposure and aggressive signs of
malnutrition.” After being picked up, crew spoon-fed small amounts of water and a rice-and-water mix to the survivors because “their systems could only accept small amounts under their condition.” It was not immediately known what the men had to eat or drink during their
two-month ordeal. The survivors said they saw several fishing
vessels during their two months at sea, but these “ignored their gestures
(calling for) assistance.”

Research on a “brain-eating tribe” may hold the key to understanding and
even treating mad cow disease: A genetic study of the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea has shown that certain members carry genetic mutations that protect them from a disease called kuru, which can be contracted by eating prion proteins in brain matter. The disease, which kills tribe members lacking the mutation, is similar to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), sometimes erroneously referred to as “mad cow disease.”

The better known issues of climate change and loss of biodiversity are both rooted in the global loss of fertile soil, as the soil
harbours a huge stock of carbon and the health of creatures living in the
soil underpins global food production and forest growth. The reason
desertification has not been a priority is because 90% of the 2.1 billion
people who live in drylands live in developing countries,

Also, about 44 million, or 13 percent of all children in south Asia, are
engaged in labour, with more than half in India.

Local authorities on the Ogasawara islands, near Iwo Jima, said they had
set up five shelters for residents but had closed them before sunrise in
the absence of damage reports. The jolts were relatively stronger than those we have felt in the past. But there was no panic as people acted in an orderly manner.

Children in the region have also been seriously affected by insurgency and
instability, as well as natural disasters. We were worried about our students as the jolt was quite strong and lasted very long. But we were relieved to confirm that none of our students were injured and no facilities were damaged. We were quite lucky, considering the size of the quake. The quake hit at a shallow depth of 14 kilometres, 153 kilometres (95 miles) east of Chichi-shima, and was followed by a series of aftershocks measuring between 5.3 and 5.6 which continued into the morning.

Kenyan politicians are not the only people to have suffered ridicule. A
jug-eared, foul-mouthed Barack Obama was shown debating with Osama bin
Laden, who wore a Nike turban and drank Pepsi while pledging to end western civilisation. After the death of Michael Jackson, his puppet equivalent was questioned by God about why he changed his skin colour and about “those little boys”. “Because I’m bad,” Jackson replied.

The Japanese government plans to tighten management of its mineral resources by demanding exploration permits and overhauling the granting of
mining rights.

Especially in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, past or ongoing conflicts
have broken down most child protection systems, leaving children especially vulnerable.

As it turns out, reefs are quite valuable. Inferring from more than 80
studies, the economists found that, on average, 2.5 acres of coral reef
provide $130,000 worth of goods and services, and sometimes as much as $1.2 million. Here’s the monetary breakdown: Food, raw materials, ornamental resources: average, $1,100 (up to $6,000). Climate regulation, moderation of extreme events, waste treatment/water purification, biological control: average, $26,000 (up to $35,000). Cultural services (e.g., recreation/tourism): average, $88,700 (up to $1.1 million). Maintenance of genetic diversity: average, $13,500 (up to $57,000).

The vast bamboo growing areas, spreading over parts of India, Bangladesh
(taking in the hill tracts) and Myanmar, have been facing acute food
shortages since 2007 due to a rat plague, which occurs on regular basis
every 47 to 50 years. According to government, around 1.1 million people live in the hill districts of Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban, with an area of over 13,000 square kilometres. Half belong to different indigenous groups and half are Bengalis who settled in the 1970s and 80s. Chakma, Bengali, Marma, Mro, Tenchunga, Pankho are the major communities. Mro farmers have traditionally deposited rice in a ‘bank’ during the
harvest period. Community members can take grain from it when necessary.
Non-farmers can also take food from the bank so the whole community
overcomes hunger together.

That’s why we see tanks full of bearded dragons at every shop (and not blue tongues) because bearded dragons have clutches and clutches of eggs many times during the year while the BTS only has 5-15 babies (on average) every 1-2 years. If you’re trying to make money in a reptile business or pet store, blue tongues are not the way to go! It’s much easier to snatch BTS out of the wild and sell them than wait on babies for months and years on end.

Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Tuvalu are maintaining their
government expenditures even as tax revenues have declined because of their weakened economies. The Cook Islands and Fiji Islands have expansionary fiscal policies because they are still subsidizing key industries, building their infrastructure, and trying to soften the impact of the global recession. The Samoan government has to cope with tsunami damages on top of the typical challenges that face Pacific Island countries.

About three hours after the quake, a 60 centimetre (two feet) wave was
monitored 700 kilometres away at Hachijo-jima, part of the Izu island chain that runs south of Tokyo. Waves of up to 20 centimetres also reached the southwestern Japanese main islands.

Full-scale war between Colombia and Venezuela was “unlikely” but there
remained the potential for a bloody border clash. Things are so tense it’s definitely possible. Alarm bells should
be ringing. Chavez, who says he is leading a socialist revolution against US hegemony, has protested against a deal that will extend US access to Colombian military bases. He accused Colombia’s conservative president, Alvaro Uribe, of being a Washington pawn. Venezuela has cut the $7bn annual bilateral trade between the two countries, sparking protests from businesses on both sides of the border.

Trafficking of children for labour, prostitution or domestic services is
widespread, especially within Bangladesh and India, and within the region,
as well as to Europe and the Middle East.

The world is driven by city dwellers: political leaders are setting agendas to satisfy people who live in the
cities, we therefore tend to perceive soil as just dust, or mud, or a
dumping place. But if we don’t preserve that first 20cm of soil, where will we get our food and water from? Half the world’s livestock are raised on drylands and a third of crops, especially wheat.

The impacts of climate change — rising temperatures and more erratic
rainfall — are here already from Latin America to the Sahel.
Adding to the pressure on land is rising global population, which is
expected to pass the 7 billion mark next year and reach 9 billion by 2050.
As well as the consequences for food and water, violent conflicts and
migration will also increase, affecting those living outside
drylands.

Last Command Post Park was the site where the Japanese military commanders
were based during the final advance of American troops during World War II. The nearby Bonzai Cliffs site is also popular with tourists and was where thousands of Japanese civilians living on the island threw themselves into the sea as the Japanese defeat loomed. The Northern Mariana Islands has a population of about 89,000 people, and
is a self governing commonwealth in union with the United States, lying
about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines.

Inequality is increasing and nothing has been done to curb “grotesque”
amounts of wealth building up in India. Mukesh Ambani, the head of Reliance Industries, remains the richest person in India with a net worth of 32 billion US dollars. India’s 100 richest people have a combined wealth of 270 billion US dollars.

Soldiers who witnessed the shooting rampage that killed 13 people at Fort
Hood military base in Texas have reported that gunman Major Nidal Malik
Hasan shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire. Islamic groups have prepared for a public backlash after it emerged that
Hasan was a Muslim and have expressed fears about inter-faith relations,
already strained by the September 11, 2001 attacks, and wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan.

Most infections that people get while in the hospital resist at least one
antibiotic. For example, half of all Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States are resistant to penicillin, methicillin, tetracycline and erythromycin. Methicillin-resistant staph aureus or MRSA killed an
estimated 19,000 people in the United States alone in 2005.

The Ogasawara chain, made up of more than 30 subtropical and tropical
islets some 240 kilometres north of Iwo Jima, were put under the control of the United States after World War II, and returned to Japan in 1968.
The remote islands have preserved their unique biological habitats and have been dubbed the Galapagos of the Orient. After sounding the
initial alert there was no threat of a destructive widespread tsunami and
no nearby islands were thought to be in the tsunami danger zone.

All villagers, irrespective of their livelihoods, would
get rice from the buffer stock during crisis periods. Rangamati inhabitants can cultivate rice during periods when the lake
waters recede from December to April. Their land goes under water during
the rainy season starting in May every year. They also depend on fishing, but for only eight to nine months a year as
the government bans fishing in Kaptai lake during the rainy season. Fishermen will be able to take rice from the bank provided that they give
more to the community stock when they earn more. About 300 villages throughout the hill tracts had accepted the Rice Bank concept.

Insufficient emphasis has been placed on protecting child victims of
trafficking and ensuring that any judicial proceedings brought against them are child sensitive.

According to 2009 data, Cook Islands and Fiji Islands had
their highest budget deficit as a percentage of GDP at 11.7 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively. The Cook Islands and Kiribati had the highest trade deficits at 92.7 percent.

Japan has abundant supplies of methane hydrate in deep-sea regions off its
coast. And sea floor hydrothermal deposits that contain copper, zinc, gold
and other metals are distributed off the coast of the Ogasawara Islands.

The situation is critical. Coral reefs are showing signs of stress from local pressures at the same time that climate change is starting to have a bigger and bigger impact on reefs. Overfishing has reduced the quality of many reefs. The people of Sabah should be very proud that they own such a top marine eco-system in the world. Semporna is not only a world-class diving spot. The expedition, encountered 844 species of fish,
including 756 species of reef fish, more than 90 coral shrimp species and
more than 100 algae species. The scientists also discovered some coral shrimp and gall crab species that were new to science and a rare mushroom coral species, the lithophyllon ranjithi.

Suspected insurgents killed three people, including a toddler,
and wounded at least 34 Tuesday in a grenade, gun and car bomb attack on
two restaurants and a hotel in Thailand’s south.

The two-family home had been converted to at least seven single-room units, according to the Department of Buildings, which yesterday issued three violations. The house had 10 residents, including the
owners and their two children. There were no smoke detectors in the
basement, and two elsewhere in the house had no batteries, fire inspectors
found. “I heard a huge bang; I heard screams, so I looked through the window and saw flames coming out of the basement. Blue, red – it was raging.”

4) In the Front Smaller Pouch Front Zippered Area: a) 1 x Bendigo Bank (Australia) Internet Banking Key Code Machine with “The
light is on but nobody is home” Neck Holder, approximate Value of AUD$50.
b) A plastic bag containing the following keys from my Laptop Keyboard
approximate Value of AUD$200: i) Shift Key, ii) Letter ‘A’ Key, iii) Letter ‘Z’ Key, and iv) Caps Lock key. c) Toe Nail Cutters attached by an Elastic (Rubber) Band to Finger Nail Cutters, approximate Value of AUD$25,
d) 1 x one (1) Gigabyte Memory Stick with World War II Photos on it (a
Folder name of “Extras for Jaime” on it, approximate Value of AUD$200, e)
2 x Parker Pen without ink sticks, approximate Value of AUD$12, f) 1 x
Nokia Phone Headphone Attachment, approximate Value of AUD$25, g) 1 x
Infra-red Mouse Pouch (with possible instruction sheet inside), approximate Value of AUD$15, h) Another battery for the Sealife Underwater Camera, approximate Value of AUD$100, 5) In one of the Mesh Side Pockets was the SITIA & Coastwatchers Post Office Box Keys on a series of Key Rings and Tags approximate Value of SBD$200.

The brutal violence brings the death toll over the past two days to four
and the number of casualties to more than 50 as a result of militant
attacks in the troubled Thai south, which is gripped by a bitter five-year
uprising.

Increased aridity is making the drylands the most conflict prone region of the world. If you really want to look at the root causes of the conflicts in Somalia and Darfur, and drylands of Asia, you will understand that people in their quest to have access to productive land and water for life, they end up in conflict. In nothern Nigeria, where increased aridity means lack of fodder is driving herders south into the areas farmed for corn. Conflict is almost inevitable.

With 13,000 murders in 2007, the last time figures were published, violent crime consistently registers as Venezuelans’ main concern in opinion polls.
Gun laws are lax in the South American oil exporter. The government estimates there are 6 million firearms circulating among the population of about 28 million. Venezuela’s murder rate is about 8 times that of the United States. Crime has risen under President Hugo Chavez, who has focused on poverty reduction to tackle violence in poor city neighborhoods.

But it warned in a bulletin shortly after the quake: Earthquakes of this
size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within 100 kilometres of the earthquake epicentre. When a massive 8.8-magnitude quake, one of the most powerful on record,
struck off Chile’s coast in February, Japan issued its top tsunami alert
and ordered more than half a million people to evacuate seaside areas. Authorities later apologised after a wave of 120 centimetres hit and caused no injuries.

After missing work for several days, Jose Emilio Galindo Robles, the
regional director for Radio Universidad de Guadalajara in Ciudad Guzmon,
was found dead inside his home. Authorities have given little information about the case but have confirmed that the journalist
was killed. A motive had not been confirmed. Galindo, 43, known as “Pepe Galindo,” had experience as a reporter and
researcher of environmental topics, especially environmental legislation.
He won the Second Biennial of Latin American Radio for a report about
political crimes in Mexico, El Informador adds. In 2004 he won first prize
in the Biennial of National Radio for a report about pollution of the
Santiago River caused by private companies.

The rebels, travelling by car and on three motorcycles, hurled a hand
grenade into a restaurant at lunchtime in Sungai Kolok, a border
town in Narathiwat province, wounding four people.

NDM-1 resists many different types of antibiotic. In at least one case, the only drug that affected it was colistin, a toxic older antibiotic.
Thus far, the majority of isolates in countries throughout the world can
be traced to subjects who have traveled to India to visit family or have
received medical care there. However, the ability of this genetic element to spread rapidly among Enterobacteriaceae means that there will almost certainly be numerous secondary cases throughout the world that are unrelated to travel to the Indian subcontinent.

They then opened fire on customers, shooting dead a Buddhist police officer and injuring another four people. A three-year-old boy who
suffered gunshot wounds later died at hospital. The gunmen then began shooting at another nearby restaurant, killing the owner, a 45-year-old Buddhist woman, and wounding four people. A car bomb exploded in front of one of the town’s hotels soon afterwards, wounding 23 people.

Around 20 percent of the world’s most powerful earthquakes strike Japan,
which sits on the “Ring of Fire” surrounding the Pacific Ocean. In 1995 a magnitude-7.2 quake in the port city of Kobe killed 6,400 people. But high building standards, regular drills and a sophisticated tsunami
warning system mean that casualties are often minimal.

“The most obscene thing I came across was a copy of the Bhagvad Gita,
the pages torn and soaked in liquid cocaine.” This oil-rich nation continues to be the transhipment point for cocaine coming from South America to the US and Canada. Special anti-drug officers have been trained both at home and abroad in the government’s fight against drugs. The accused are to appear in courts shortly. Trinidad and Tobago is home to a large Indian diaspora sourced from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between 1845 and 1917. The immigrants were brought here during the British rule to work on the sugar and cocoa plantation.

The explosive weighed 30 to 50 kilograms and was hidden in a Honda Civic
with a fake licence plate, which had passed a screening by a bomb detection machine. The bomb was hidden in the passenger car and detonated by radio signal; two of the wounded were in a serious condition.

An explosive hidden in a motorcycle went off in Pattani
province close to where Buddhists were attending a festival, wounding 17 — five of them seriously.

Desertification and rising aridity were the ultimate cause of the food
price crisis of 2007-8, as it began with a drought in
Australia. This year’s price spike started with a drought in Russia.
Another example of desertification’s impact was the loss of land bordering
the Gobi desert leading to record dust storms that damage the health of
people in Seoul in South Korea, thousands of kilometres away. Combating
desertification and soil degradation requires better land management,
better equipment and new technology to manage water, drought resistant
seeds and payment to communities for preserving the soil.

Four gunmen on two motorcycles opened fire on a 34-year-old Muslim rubber worker as he travelled to work in Narathiwat province; he died at the scene. The bloody rebellion has claimed more than 3,900 lives since it erupted in Thailand’s Muslim-majority southern provinces, bordering Malaysia, in January 2004.

In the early morning the little broadcasting center of the community radio
station “Radyo Cagayano” was being burned
down completely. At about two in the morning, eight mummed soldiers
infiltrated the premises in the small town of Baggao in the Northern
Philippines, captivated and gagged the employees and ignited the entire
radio station with petrol. Radyo Cagayano had just started broadcasting a
few weeks ago and had especially stood up for the interests of local
farmers.

Experts have been warning for years that poor hospital practices and the
overuse of antibiotics spread dangerous bacteria, but practices are
changing only slowly. The fact that there is widespread nonprescription use of antibiotics in India, a country in which some areas have less than ideal sanitation and a high prevalence of diarrheal disease and crowding, sets the ideal stage for the development of such resistance.

The Tongan people were acquainted with the Manahune under the name Haa-Meneuli. but The Haa-Meneuli appear to be Tongans. The Mana’une people of Mangaia Island, Cook Group,are stated by Taniera, their chief, to have come originally to Mangaia from Rapa-nui or Easter Island, and that in appearance they resemble the people of the Tokerau Islands.

The shadowy rebels, who have never publicly stated their goals, target
Muslims and Buddhists alike and both civilians and members of the security
forces, usually with shootings and bombings. The attacks echoed a serious blast in August, which ripped through a restaurant in Narathiwat packed with government officials, wounding at least 42 people. Tensions have simmered since the region, formerly an autonomous Malay Muslim sultanate, was annexed by predominantly Buddhist Thailand in 1902.

While biodiversity is extremely high, the downside is that the population is glaringly low due to over-exploitation. Coral reefs provide a haven for fish and other creatures, and larger fish tend to congregate around reefs because they are good places to feed. Bleaching — a whitening of corals that occurs when symbiotic algae living within coral tissues are expelled — is an indication of stress caused by environmental triggers such as fluctuations in ocean temperature. Depending on many factors, bleached coral may recover over time or die. Semporna is within the 5 million sq km of sea straddling the waters of Sabah, the Philippines, Indonesia, Timor Leste, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skinks are from Indonesia, and are often what you see in the pet stores for $199.99. They are snatched from the wild and sold to pet stores for about $25. Irian Jaya’s are truly terrific BTS that are capable of shades of orange, brown, and red. These babies 100% captive bred. Irian Jaya (and Indonesians) are the easiest type of BTS to find, but keep in mind, finding a truly captive bred bluey can prove to be very difficult. Nearly ALL pet store blue tongues are wild caught. Very, very rarely do you see Northerns in pet stores because it’s simply not cost-efficient for reptile businesses to breed them.

A cheque, for over K1 million belonging to the Telefomin people in West
Sepik, lost in a taxi by a politician, has been found. The cheque was
returned to Telefomin MP Peter Iwei’s parliament office following
widespread publicity and public appeal. Telefomin has a population of about 40,000 people who share a common border with Indonesia.

The idea is one of the ways of sharing poverty in the villages. Their spirit is: they will eat together and starve together. A cyclical plague of rats was likely to continue destroying crops in the region in the coming season. The hill tracts are experiencing a severe infestation of rats, which occurs every 50 years or so, as bamboo flowers produce seeds high in protein, and rats breed four times faster than normal during this time. The rats destroy the paddy and vegetable fields resulting in severe food crisis among the communities. The rat infestation grew over the last two years and may continue for another two to three years. The rodent plague is also affecting at least 25,000 people in six villages along the Indian state of Mizoram.

The Inuit believe our world has tilted on its axis and this contributes to climate change. The elders in  Pangnirtung, Iqaluit, Resolute Bay and Igloolik – all believe this phenomenon to be true. It’s been very interesting to see elders and hunters across Nunavut make the same observation about the world having shifted on its axis. Elders across Nunavut have noticed that the sun and stars have changed their position in the sky. The sun is now rising higher and staying longer than it used to. Importantly, in the far north, you must remember that the sun goes below the horizon for a large part of the year, and therefore Inuit are very familiar with its celestial pattern. Indeed, Inuit are telling stories about how in the old days, during the dark months, they would travel the land by dog team using stars as their navigational tools. So, when Inuit talk about the sun and stars, they do so with an intimate knowledge of these systems.

March 9, 2010

GRENADINES

Filed under: airlines,art,disaster,disease/health,General,global islands,grenadines,haiti,human rights,ideology,language,tourism,Uncategorized,weather — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 11:57 pm

I recall having to run for my connection to Miami because AA had trouble
getting the jet way to work. Didn’t head into the city to see the print
exhibit as the bus connections took too long and I was hesitant to leave
my bags with the storage operation in the airport (no lockers.) Grenada
Customs scrutinised my passport photo (I guess I have lost some weight)
but recognizing my haircut after I removed my 12hr cap seemed to clinch
it. Gave me 90 days no problem and were surprised I was going to be
staying on Petite Martinique for so long. Expensive cab ride from
airport ($20US I think) to Lazy Lagoon (where I had a reservation for
about $47US) but the bar was very loud and I was very tired so we went
over to the Tropicana Hotel where I was sure the girl said $35US but
later once the taxi had left, claimed the rate was $75US. I tried to get
it down to at least $50US to no avail. That _could be the actual rate as
the room was air conditioned and had a private balcony overlooking the
Carnage (natural harbour) but had seen better days. Made some good
recordings of some sort of cicadas and rain squalls through the night.
Had some fry chicken, rice, vegetables and beer from the adjoining
eatery. Watched the tourism TV channel in my room. Slept a little then
scrambled to get a morning taxi to the ferry dock. Very windy and
difficult to walk on board the Osprey. Some good pics of dramatic mist
rising from pockets of forest along the shore. Into Carriacou and PM
where E Clement from Palm Beach Restaurant came to meet me and take me
to my apartment. (a negotiated $400US/mo) A steep climb up the hill past
many goats and sheep. His web site implies that the apts are right on
the beach, but this was fine, a nicely equipped place with satellite TV
and with a great view across to Petite St Vincent, Carriacou and Union
Islands.

PM time line (from public school building):

1700s – Europeans settled on the island 1795 – Julien Fedoris Rebellion.
A Petite Martiniqian, Joachim Philip fought along side Fedon. 03-03-1795
– Joachim Philip led an attack on the Britisn settlement in Charlotte
Town (Gouyave) GND. 1850s – Church and School were established on the
island. 1897 – Father Joseph Aquart arrived on the island. 101 – A new
school building was completed. 1937 to the present – School building was
completed. 1941 – Alfred Hyacinth Roberts was appointed Principal of
this School. The first Petite Martiniquian to achieve such position.
1944 – The Old RC Church was destroyed. 1947 – The present RC Church
building was completed. 1953 – A Petite Martiniquian, the Hon Eva
Sylvester was elected to the Legislative Council. The first Grenadian
female to have achieved such position. 1955 – Hurrican Janet claimed the
lives of two Petite Martiniquians. 1961 – A serious drought affected the
island. 1970 – The first Post Office was opened 1972 – Michael Caesar
appointed a senator. The first Petite Martiniquian to achieve such. 1982
– Electricity was brought to the island. 1995 – The present post office
was completed. 1996 – A police station was established upstairs the
health centre. 1997 – Great controversy over the building of an American
sponsored Coast Guard Base. 1997 – The present police station completed.
1996 – Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs, Petite
Martinique office opened. (compiled by Dwight Logan)

I feel asleep in the sun out in front of my place overlooking the
beautiful caribbean blue waters with a big glass of cold rum punch,
listening to a radio programme from SVG (St Vincent and the Grenadines.)
When I awoke, my earphones and the cord holding my sunglasses were
missing! I finally spotted them way over in the undergrowth — I can
only assume that the goats, who occasionally make their way up here to
eat the longer grass, from the house below, must have yanked them off! A
couple of days ago I sadly lost my nice gold Revo sunglasses in the
beach surf. I can usually wear them in shallow water with the cord
attached, but a big wave snuck up behind me and dragged them out to sea
— I still go back and scan the shoreline for whatever might remain of
them. That little stretch of beach has quite strong surf as I’m amazed
by how much sand, coral, conch shells and big stones has been
redistributed from one day to the next. You can hear — I made some
recordings — the round stones tumbling back into the water with each
receding wave. The mosquitos are very small and silent and seemingly
undeterred by deet — only a stiff breeze (plenty of that right now) or
electric fan keep them at bay. One night I grew tired of the fan-noise,
turned it off, and awoke the next morning with many itchy welts. I’ve
now also rigged up my mosquito net which seems to help.But if I continue
to get badly bitten I’ll have to consider getting off the island and see
if that helps. Apparently there is a small boat, Mystic, primarily for
school and mail, that goes to Carriacou at 7:30 am and returns in the
afternoon, so I may make that trip in any event, and see what options
are available there. I had previously made some accommodation inquiries
online and so have those contacts. PSV is a privately owned island that
I could also visit — I think this is where the smuggling activity
happens, as well as being an celebrity resort (Mic Jagger and others
whose names I’m not likely to recognize) E Clement (a common name on PM — I wonder if N, and I are related (?)scottish boat builder heritage.
Anyway, E is expecting some of his 10 siblings, wife and children for
christmas, and wanted to have a big screen tv for them, which he
‘ordered’ from PSV — but the coast guard caught and seized the boat
last night, along with the big TV! While I understand that Grenada duty
is not paid in these operations, I’d guess that duty and taxes must be
being paid somewhere, because I’m pretty sure these TVs aren’t
manufactured on PSV.but somehow there are some great savings to be
had…Fancy liquors seem pretty cheap and a big draw for the yachties
who come ashore. Despite the names of places here, no one except the
French yachties speaks the language or patois anymore. Other islands,
Petite Dominique, Moupin, Union, and the Tobago Keys can be reached from here for a price.

Yesterday (Sun Dec 13) the freighter MV Gemstar, left for its annual
passenger (party passage — think gigantic pounding speakers that you
can feel in your chest, in an otherwise empty metal cargo vessel ) trip
to St Vincent for only $40EC. I stepped aboard, looked around and took
some pictures and later made a little film of the ship leaving the dock
— a scruffy Caribbean Santa tended to the lines and waved from the
galley as the ship made its boozy passage on quite choppy seas. It was a
tempting offer but I’m sure I couldn’t have dealt with that much
‘volume’ overnight and then have to contend with a new reportedly
somewhat dangerous SV port in the early a.m. Made a good recording of a
big flock of birds with other intermittent sounds in a tree in front of
Melodies’ beachfront guesthouse at dusk — thinking I might do this on a
regular basis… The wind presents big difficulties, but I may try using
one of my mesh shirts to baffle more of the noise. Heard again that the
duty-free days may be coming to an end… an unpopular VAT tax and there
may be shortages in the shops — so I stocked-up on white rum and fruit
juice! Mailed more postcards, along with a matchbox to Ruud (a
Netherlands mail-artist) — forgot to watch if the stamps were actually
applied to the cards and matchbox… hope they are honest. Maybe I’ll
check on the matchbox today… just to give them a discrete idea of my
concern. Big, bright white yacht sliding past — apparently there are
many more and even bigger ones yet to come — February and January being
the most popular and driest months.

tyranny refuses you any societal existence… one by one everyone and
every institution turns against you

bought some “brail” nuts from an itinerant vendor down by the dock…
they had to boiled for 20 minutes… they’d be pretty good if they were
roasted instead (same deal with peanuts probably)… they taste vaguely
like brazil nuts, but a smaller rounded shape and are apparently from
the breadfruit tree — which I hope to find here as well

“I DON’T COUNT”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (transliterate the sounds of numbers one through
10)

example:

won you free your jive sex heaven hates mine then

enter to win; center two sin: all entries published (lulu, scribd, — be
sure to include your name/info with all posts to lists/bcc:
bbrace@eskimo.com.. best gets a limited Global Islands Project coin
edition: printed card with 6 (lowest common denomination) coins from the
last six islands visited!

Watched two turtles being butchered yesterday on the pier– one green
turtle and a hawksbill, while searching for a motorboat ride ($20EC) to
Carriacou. (Planned to attend a “phrang” event held the weekend before
Xmas but by the time we got there and then took a minibus into town,
there was only an hour or so before the big Osprey ferry did its usual
run back to PM. ($30EC) Felt badly for these ancient creatures,
upside-down on land with their throats slashed. Last week I spotted a
small ‘land turtle’ crawling along the road and took his picture which
only alerted the neighbourhood children to his presence. I fear he ended
up in someone’s cooking pot.Sounds as if there is harvesting limitation
however — probably during breeding-season.

Bought some colourful sweet potatoes and passionfruit, which I don’t
think I’ve ever tried. A lot of seeds to try and eliminate for very
little, slightly tart juice.
airport
The sweet potatoes were very good — even cold they are tasty and sweet
with some salt. E got his smuggled big_screen TV after all, but he
thinks he may have to pay duty which will more than double the price.
His sister arrives tomorrow and presumably will be pleased to see big_TV
programs. I said I wasn’t particularly interested i n Direct-TV service
($20/mo) but E gave it to me until there were other guests./The good
news is that the boat’s owner didn’ t lose his boat and but lost the
goods from Grenada. He owns the biggest grocery store in town so we’ll
see how that all plays out…

I caught a tiny yellowfin fish off the pier this morning with my new
miniature rod — it doesn’t seem to cast though… which seems strange.
I will have him for breakfast tomorrow. Saw a barracuda in the water but
not sure if my rod could bring him in or not… Last week I bought a
spotted red fish called Hine — would like to catch one of those as it
was very tasty. Only the locals are permitted to take fish with spears.
Bought some lentils. white and red beans, popcorn, vegetable oil, tiny
yellow mild peppers which I eat raw, dried cocoanut for my curry rice
and three brown eggs — I have one with grated cheese on toast for
breakfast on my eating days. There’s a lady up the road who does a
little BBQ on Saturdays but so far that’s been a non-eating day
unfortunately.

The neighboring outlying islands — PSV and Union actually seem to be
moving in closer.

Well, I finally remembered that the semi-circular bar has to go back
from the reel in order to cast. So that went pretty well this morning
except that the line got all snarled and I didn’t catch anything. Or, as
the fishermen, who seem surprised to see me there on the pier, say, “are
you holding anything?” Cecilia, who owns/owned a guesthouse way up on an impossible/near vertical incline, was on the pier selling salt-ham
sandwiches ($5EC) and apple-juice. She asked me if I wanted to ‘leave’
here — finally realized that she was saying ‘live here.’ I’ll have to
go and visit what’s left of her PM museum.

New guests next-door: not sure where they’re from, maybe the UK. What a
ruckus! For hours they loudly argued about having to climb this hill to
the Palm Beach apartments and whether they should stay. (Plus they run
their TV with the DirectTV box,’all night/day long. I’m left with one
horrid HBO-family channel. ) The website _is misleading, I too thought
the apartments were apart of the restaurant-complex on the beach. But
no, it’s not an insignificant climb up here; but the view of the water
is great and I’m getting used to it. And the goats merely stare at me
now rather than attempting to run… as far as their tethers permit.

There are blue-uniformed female workers who travel to PSV on a boat in
the morning and return at dusk as I’m recording the birds. They don’t
look very happy. There’s some chance that I could get a ride over there,
but would be restricted as to where I could go. There are prerequisite
‘rich & famous security issues’

PM apparently has one of the highest personal incomes in the Caribbean.
Don’t really see it, unless it’s the smuggling and maybe fish sales..
There are five guesthouses on the island.. There was a Christmas
‘serande’ last night that I had expressed an interest in but I guess
they saw that I was sleeping — I asked to be awakened next time.

Finally fixed my fishing rod — all the line was wrapped-up in the gear
complex somehow. Wound some of the untangled line back on the reel.
Should be good to go tomorrow morning. Also have a short ‘mooching rig’
set-up with ‘plastic pumpkin power slugs .” If I manage to catch a nice
fish I will share it with visitors (from a MN dairy-farm, on the lam for
several years) down below at the Millennium Guest house (next door to
the Matthew’s grocery shop.)

almost caught a fish this morning from the fuel dock — they don’t allow
fishing because I guess that dissuades the yachts from coming in; but I
was there at dawn before they were open. Getting better with the rod and
reel — it doesn’t really work all that well, but it was only$9 or so
from Big Five sporting goods in Portland. I’ll try for some fish again
tomorrow. Curiously I couldn’t find any nutmeg in town, despite this
being the Spice Islands. Apparently it’s good i rum punch. Had some BBQ
chicken from Mammy up the road last night. Pretty good. There were a
lot of people milling about, probably spilled-over from the ‘serenading’
that I could occasionally hear… a fiddle, guitar, something
percussive… all out of tune. Apparently you can join in and go house
to house; hopefully that might be possible at some point. Some drunken
local youths were slaughtering and butchering a cow and a pig on the
pier — it’s the Xmas season.

This little 20-yr old Sharp PDA is working pretty well, aside from
phreaking-out and opening all applications in quick succession when
plugged-i to 220V power. I usually just write names of things and ideas
for the GIP books in my Moleskin book because I typically can’t read my
ow writing and it’s too much trouble to transcribe it all. I should be
able to download this txt file to my computer at home.

Big Christmas “White Dance” at the RC public school. Typically loud for
the Caribbean but only went fro 10pm to 5am, only that long because the
band was late arriving. I went down to look around while they were
testing the sound system and realized it was going to be way too loud
for me. But noticed some interesting wall-paintings of Grenada political
personages and an outline of PM history which I photographed this
morning while on my way to buy some more sweet potatoes (black vine)
$5EC/lb (this time.) Still no White Jack overproof rum (140) at
Matthew’s store (or anywhere else), he offered something that no one was
willing to pronounce more than twice, “Jack-and-I” (?) in unmarked plain
bottles for $25EC which I purchased. No fish, not even a bite, this
morning. E told me I should use bait (instead of a lure, but that always
seems like cheating somehow) — apparently there are nighttime snails
that can be used, I may relent. There is some latent hostility towards
visitors which of course surfaces after imbibing… one silly f*ckers
got all upset because I didn’t want to help him carry his trash along
the beach this morning while I was o my way to fish. Another drunkard
decided to berate me for not wanting to talk with him while on my way
home. People here have that irritating

Not only can I not detect the tourist-promotional fragrance of nutmeg
and other spices in the air. there is none to be had in any of the
stores!

Caught one tiny fish this morning which I’ll use for bait, and one big
fish snapped my fishing line, taking my brass lure, swivel and sinker as
well!

Missed an outdoor karokee event last night : that,s what happens when
you go to bed too early. Should be some sort of musical Christmas day
celebration this afternoon at one at the “fisheries building.” >>
nothing there most of the day except recorded pop/reggae, but tagged
along with a Christmas “serenade band” that visited peoples’ houses in
exchange for libation. Pretty cool tradition: fiddle, guitars, drum,
rythum blocks, gourd and tincan shakers. Was called a “stupid white
f*cker… and what are you doing here…” yes, and merry christmas to
you too. There is hostility toward “foreigners” but then, unless you’re
a direct descendant of the Awark or Carib Indians, then you “don’t
belong here” either. Most islanders are quite polite but it’s a veiled
British kind of response that’s difficult to read. The usual reply,
which I heard in Belize and Nicaraugua too, is “ok” or “alright” as if
you had asked “how are you?” It may be more frustrating attempting to
understand someone is likely speaking patois English rather than an
entirely different language…not too many phrasebooks for this.
Strangely enough, Cousin N (and I) are likely related to Scottish
shipbuilding forbears of one of the oldest families (Clement) on the
island! Took a picture of Clement tombstones on my morning walk today.
Some mornings it’s a near-humourous cacophony from several households’
very loud stereos all playing at once, along with all the goats braying
(?)

There may be some maritime tradition about discharging last year’s
flares… anyway. that’s what’s been happening here the last two days…
hard to imagine that they’d be very useful in locating a v vessel in
distress as they veer way beyond, although impressively high, the
ignition point.

Never had so much trouble with mosquitos… I’m wearing $5 worth of DEET
but they still find some unprotected patch. Another red flare! Hear some
singing down below. Three more! If I lived here it would have to be way
up on the hillside but that’s a strenuous climb! Wonder why so few of
the rooftops are painted white or jus t left plain galvanized steel…
most are blue, red, or green. Some more music from further up on the
hill… must figure out how to get up there with out getting too
scratched-up. Can’t be more than two or three households and microwave
tower…Two more flares.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The imagery in the 12hr project can be seen to poetically emulate the
blank, indifference typical of conceptual art and its documentation.
Yet. at the same time it’s clearly a dangerous affront to the conducive
elite and corrupt Artworld — there’s no other explanation for its
exclusion from their increasingly exclusive institutional discourse. The
12hr project has achieved its own orbit and raison d’etre. Perhaps this
is intimidating or alienating but what other recourse/discourse can it
expect? Well, at least some marginal acknowledgement and some financial
support! But no, after 30 years, there’s nothing but refusal and
indifference… the project has returned and enhanced this response; I’m
seriously, repeatedly and deliberately threatened afterall. Eventually I
will return fire and achieve maximum damage as per the Western maxim;
why not, it would be a very responsible response. Maybe I suspected all
along that my work would continue to be denied and so developed this
possibly corrosive aesthetic to shelter my poetry. It could be
rationalized safely in this manner but deep down it’s really much more
pristine and positive and curiously sheltered. You may notice a rhythmic
reoccurrence of sorted subject matters while the incidental lyrical
shots sketch a story-line that very few follow. Your history-tale is
just a big pack of lies after all. Snoop Dog cartoons. Slow rap. No
deal. Literally tens of thousands of people all over the world follow
this project now but sadly very very few decide to pay for this artwork.
There’s institutional-art which pays someone else and the rest which
pays nothing. Eliminating the art-institutions can only help alleviate
this absurd corrupt complicity. Meanwhile the art-acolytes grin and
incredulously, are seemingly grateful for the rare dribble of
chump-change in return for their insipid obeisance and betrayal. There’s
no middle ground here, you need to step way back from the table and
fight the architects of this dismal atrocity. Burn these
upper-middleclass social clubs masquerading as art-galleries/schools,
below the ground but not before nailing the administrators to the walls.
Record their screams and the sounds of ecstatic, licking flames as
glorious anthems to a restored, honest purpose. Rebuild from these newly
freed grassroots… The 12hr project has a Zen-like approach to
depicting an essentially non-existent present. The posted, internet
scans are close approximations of the printed photographs (whose
exhibition/printed-publication will likely continue to be denied as
well): they serve as FPOs (a production printing term meaning For
Position Only.) It’s serial, ostensibly populist nature (initially as
ISBN-books and faxes), denies exclusive Artworld nonsensical-hierarchies
and adapts seamlessly with Internet listservs, newsgroups, ftp-sites and
their mirrors, mailing-lists, and later, blogs and social-media. The
“twelveth hour” of impending destruction is ever-present and
simultaneously non-existent. There’s just a rarefied, residual,
reconstituted, uniquely-mediated poetic identity remaining…

#mce_temp_url#

But because the project demands some continuous, though slight effort
from recipients, it’s presumably discarded only because it’s not
conveniently, submissively packaged as rapid, received ‘critical’
inside-fodder-dissemination for the Artworld acolytes. Well,Yes , I
insist that you at least begin to understand the work before you open
your mouths and develop your hideous institutional ‘careers.’

Somali pirates of the Caribbean. I really wasn’t sure if it was a cop or
a just-released prisoner who accosted me outside the police-station this
morning: he was wearing a Grenada do-rag and tank-top and shorts, and
said something-something-island? I stood my ground and said “excuse me” and made him come to me. Drunken locals, beer bottle-in-hand, wander-into the precinct to shoot the breeze, but “foreigners” are treated
somewhat differently. I plan o becoming increasingly discourteous as my
departure date arrives. Wouldn’t mind visiting Union island and taking a
tour of the Tobago Keys, but moving around these parts is expensive. The
helicopter is in the air. But here’s the thing, I usually have similar
feelings on every island to some degree. I have this 10-10 flexible,
exponential axiom: if it takes 10 days to be acknowledged, then it’ll
likely take 10 years to be accepted, so this is likely a 20 year island.
Yet I suspect that I’m drawn to islands to in some way determine why I’m
routinely excluded, or why societies are apparently always based on
exclusionary principles. This is institutional logic, where the
overarching pseudo-precept preempts everything else that even dares to
attempt self-definition. I’m not the least bit surprised or alarmed by
~terrorism,~ just another name for ~freedom fighters~ what the hey….
displace, essentially-prolong and hopefully disrupt more of the same
privileged pointlessness. If there’s actually a God, beside deserving a
swift kick in the ass, his name should be Oblivion — unfortunately He’s
really not around any time soon. Listened to an Irish pastor (who’s
lived in Kenya) preach about the Potato-famine without once implicating
the government-of-the-day for needlessly causing its citizens to
starve-to-death. Why does corruption continue to usurp commonsense?

Had a big brown with speckles fish, interested in my lure, had to drag
it by him several times before he snapped at it. Must review my
fish-hook tying technique… have now lost all my lures! And as this is
a community of fishermen, who don’t tease the fish… there won’t be any
available here. as E said, fishermen use what they know works – bait –
Now he wants to charge me extra for electricity because I apparently run
the fan a lot. It’s necessary to keep the mosquitos at bay. The
Caribbean is starting to feel more and more like a rip-off for this
little fish. The goats are usually tethered from front ankle to stake
driven in the ground. Inevitably, they wind the cord around and around
the stake until they’re on very short tether. The herd from the house
just below, is sometimes stacked-out but today they were everywhere…
down by the school and the harbour and up above the house here. Maybe
they need to be tied-in-place once in a while so they (or their owners)
know where home-is. They’re horizontal irises make them seem
otherworldly, but always skittish and agile. Hope to include little
posterized folios of their heads for the GIP book.

Batteries are always an issue… I suspect it has something to do with
the 220V power-supply. My rechargeable AA cells which I use for my SW
radio no longer seem to enough of a charge to power the radio — same
story for the gumstick batteries for the Minidisc recorders…. despite
manufacturers claims of no-memory effect, the retention capability just
dwindles to nothing. Fortunately, the add-on AA battery pack which I
load with lithium cells helps-out. The battery-problem used to be worse
with the Fuji camera (I’d have to carry a few sets of AA’s with me
everyday); this new Nikon Coolpix runs a very long time on 2 AA
lithiums.

They somehow blow conch shells to announce the selling of fish on the
pier. Only Jack fish (mackerel I think: not so tasty) yesterday, so I
passed but E presented me with one this morning probably to appease this
rent/power increase. Even deep-fried, these fish are mealy… I may just
go or threaten to go, to Union Island… but that would cost a couple of
hundred.

Surprising how often guesthouse owners will tell you that it’s quite
safe and unnecessary to lock windows and doors… but, when _they leave
for the day, you always hear the locks.

BB’s travel-tips: apply your DEET (I use Ben’s 100%) _after your
sunscreen… also provides an especially curious sheen to your skin.

Purchase an extended-shank bicycle lock to secure common wardrobe closet
doors. I also travel with a heavy cable and Brinks key-lock for securing
either a bicycle or room. Third-world locks are not reliable and
key-copies circulate, especially on islands, despite there being an
apparent absence of locksmiths (?) Usually the locks are pretty-much
insignificant anyway as other points of entry are facile. Freaky! Only
because the prospect of recovering a PP/greencard is hellish within the
visa constraints.

I use a large Otter-box with miniature padlock, in combination sometimes
with a Pack-safe cable-mesh enclosure locked to something substantial to
secure passport and cash and electronics.

Copy of passport/greencard online and on mp3 players.

Never tell anyone the exact day of your departure as this when robberies
are most likely to occur — when you don’t have time to report the
incident.

Bring a short extension cord, multi-tap receptor, lightbulb socket
adaptor, sink sealer, rubber doorstops, duct tape, and laundry line.
You,ll use at least one of these everytime!

Tourist offices are often a good source for free postcards — a
significant savings if you send many.

New Years Day

After much stress and anxiety I decided to leave the “bug house” on PM.
Also picked-up a nasty centipede bite below my right eye and on my ear.
Happened at night while asleep under my mosquito net. I awoke to see my
swollen face in the morning, never saw the long black bugs with many
ridges that routinely invades the house. E told me they didn’t bite. At
first I thought it was a rash of mosquito bites and although opinion
seems divided, E thought it was a centipede (there’s a local name for
them which I forget.) Looks infected and swollen; applied Neosporone and
cleaned with rubbing alcohol. Hired a speedboat to take me to Union
Island (100EC – a little expensive I think) Went to the medical clinic
where they gave a free shot of hydracorasone. May go back again to have
them reexamine. Also will try the pharmacy for some penicillin ointment.
Staying at an apartment in Big Sand. (1100 EC per month plus power – I
overpaid $440US, which I’ll have subtracted from the power bill or next
month’s rent. This is very different island, with a different accent and
more relaxed attitude, popular with many visiting yachties. About 5000
people – more than 5 times PM population. Feels very peaceful with big
green waves crashing on the beach. Not so many mosquitos and the
apartment has window screens but I,ve setup my net this morning after
spotting a couple of bites from last night.

Sandflies here in the morning too. Picked up many new welts while
chatting with the Rasta who lives across the way. He says that I can go
to St Vincent and then to Beguia by ferry and that his sister has a
guesthouse in SV which apparently has the largest botanical garden in
the western hemisphere, which I’d sure to visit. Bequia is a whaling
community. We talked about snow and other natural disasters.’There is a
volcano in SV that is set to go. He recommended the movie 2012. Pretty
much everyone here on this street seems to be related. A neighbour’s dog
took one of my shoes from the porch, but I found it. Walked into Aston
then back over to Clifton where I got some Fucidin H antibiotic from the
pharmacy for my inflamed facial centipede bite. The pharmacist said if
this doesn’t work I’ll to take an oral antibiotic.

I’m looking forward to my eating-day tomorrow. I cooked some rice and
beans with lentils and carried back some curry, hot sauce, box of
matches, tiny green peppers like I had in PM, tin of cocoanut milk,
sardines, three tomatoes. postcards, and a sitting shelf figurine made
in Haiti for V. I.ll probably spend much of the sitting in the sun and
drinking overproof PM rum, on the private pier out behind the apt.

Post office was closed today for inventory but while in Clifton I heard
the sound the sound of a conch shell being blown and knew there were
fresh fish being sold, Bought a nice yellow fin tuna (4 lbs @ 8EC per)
Carried it home and cleaned it on the beach then fried it on the propane
stove in my apt, I broke my fasting rule but only meant to have a small
sample taste, Oh, is it ever good! Still plenty left for a few more
meals. The dog who stole my shoe has become more friendly after
watching me with the fish, Put a few scraps of my fish on hooks dangling
from the pier. A lot of wave action and rocks but there were little
green and yellow striped fish nibbling at the bait so maybe some bigger
ones will show-up.

Union Island History (from a sign on the island):

The first European settlers to arrive on Union Island were Frenchmen.
Jean Augler and Antoine Regaud, who settled here as early at 1763 with
350 slaves. Twenty years later, following the Treaty of Versaillies in
1783, Union Island like the other Grenadines Islands was placed under
the control of England, with Samuel Span and his family becoming the
first owner of the island. To this day there remains a reminder of this
family, in the form of a family cemetery in Ashton. In 1850 the Spans
sold Union Island to Major Collins from St Vincent. He in turn leased
the island to a Scotsman, Charles Mulzac in 1863. The lease was 150
pounds per annum. Along with some of the other Grenadines, Union Island
produced an exceptionally fine strain of cotton, known as
“Marie-Galante.” On his father’s death in 1893, Charles Mulzac’s son
Richard took over the lease of Union Island. His tenure was short. In
1898 a hurricane, coupled with a poor cotton harvest, forced him to sell
his interest in Union Island to a Vincentian, Mr Richard. Twelve years
later in 1910 the British Crown bought the island in what was known as
“the Union Island settlement scheme.” They parceled out 2 acre and 4
acre plots for the local population at favourable credit rates. In 1969
colonial states yielded to “Associated statehood” and ten years later in
1979, St Vincent and the Grenadines became a sovereign independent
nation within the British Commonwealth.

Getting a little annoyed having to leap off the road every time a car
races past.

Went to the Tobago Cayes Marine Park office and Tourist Bureau and
picked up a big pile of brochures about SVG and conservation efforts, as
well as a weekly copy of the Vincentian newspaper (1EC) Headline for Dec
31 reads: “Eight Murders remain Unsolved.” Also some old copies of
Caribbean Compass monthly boating tabloid – very interesting to read
(boaters are being attacked and robbed at various Caribbean night
moorages) and reminded me to look around for Latitude 41 when I get
home, although maybe I should resubscribe to Freshwater News too.

Now the bottom of my right eye is red, don’t know whether some
antibiotic ointment travelled there or whether it’s an eyelash or
something wedged in.

Also had a look at the fancy yacht complex and airport runway next door.
Told Hazel, who runs a clothing shop next to the Clifton Beach
restaurant, that I had paid too much in rent (44EC or 76EC if you use
the 2.67 bankrate — I’ll be paying in EC next month) and that Y(?) her
sister (who runs the hotel I think and my apartment, that the excess
could be applied to my electricity bill. All the dogs are excited about
something outside but it’s usually very peaceful out here. And even i
town while you occasionally hear loud music, it’s nothing like the loud
cacophonies of PM.

Went into town this morning after a big breakfast of more tuna,
cocoanut-curry rice, and red and black-eyed peas with lentils along a
good wallop of hot sauce (sometimes I guess that peppery foods repel
mosquitos…], to mail postcards. ($1EC) While waiting for the TC
Marine Park office to open I purchased an expensive small glass of fruit
punch ($10EC) Apparently I can catch a ride with the park rangers if I
come to the office at 8 am tomorrow morning. There are fairly cool
T-shirts for sale down by the wharf, various colour combinations with
two sayings: Sail Fast/Live Slow or Sail More/Work Less — rather pricey
@45EC but if I get a free ride tomorrow I’ll get one. Likely blue on
orange. Not wanting to waste the 25 minute walk back home (although I
have found a dirt road shortcut), I purchased three boxes of juice (two
pineapple and one fruit punch) @ $9EC — much more expensive here than
PM, which implies that they really are avoiding taxes/duty or something.
This is very obvious with liquor prices. Also spotted a guy wearing a
Scaramouche crew T-shirt and asked about the traditional sailing
excursions to Maureaux, and I forget where else (200EC including lunch
for the day.) Saw a brief spiel about the ship on the TV tourist channel
but looking at it in the harbour from a difference she didn’t really
look all that special, assuming that I was looking at the correct boat,
she was flying a Canadian flag off the stern. The owner was sitting
astride a motorcycle next to the crew member and finally piped up to say
that they may or may not depart Thurs, Fri or Sat. Captain Yannis
cruises is another cheaper possibility but it’s just a big fiberglass
multihull. I’ll start with the rangers tomorrow. There’s a ship’s
chandlery shop in Clifton which I somehow associate with the owner on
motorcycle, that sells even more expensive and foreign groceries —
frequented by yachties in the morning for coffee and croissants; on
parle francais. Maybe one day. Very breezy this morning out on my
essentially private pier; big rolling green breakers. .. The dogs are
pretty bored (they like to chase the horny rooster that I hear every
morning), but they sit together and stare wistfully down the beach,
occasionally going for a brief dip in the sea. The old billy-goat is
tethered in the middle of the yard and will be under the picnic bench by
midday. I am beginning to discern the differences between goats and
sheep, at first I thought they were all goats on PM until Pam (along
with her partner Bill, originally from Minnesota then living in Be…for
five years until they were deported, informed me that there were sheep i
the mix. They look very similar, the goats a little more sinister.

The only edible tropical orchid, Vanilla planifolia (also known as
fragrans), which was originally cultivated around the Vera Cruz area of
Mexico, produces 99 percent of the world’s vanilla. Another genus,
Vanilla tahitensis, cultivated in Tahiti, produces beans with a stronger
aroma but weaker flavour. Vanilla pompona or Antilles Vanilla is
cultivated in the West Indies. Only saffron and cardamom are more
expensive spices than vanilla — the world’s most labour intensive crop.
Vanilla orchids are now grown in many tropical climates with
three-quarters of the world’s supply coming from Madagasgar. Because of
demand and expense, 97% of vanilla used is synthetic.

Well, I’m no longer interested in a Tobago Cayes T-shirt! The Marine
Park office repeatedly lied about the ride over with the rangers being
free. Turns out they want a “tip.” At first 80EC then finally 50EC and
they lied about taking me to a few islands and swimming with the
turtles. I just got dumped off on an island with rich tourists from
neighboring yachts willing to pay $120EC for a lobster dinner. Was
interesting to listen to the stoned ‘cooks’ carry-on amongst themselves
while playing dominos. I guess I was expecting a more pristine
environment, less trash, and something more than a yachters’ picnic
site. The water’s a nice colour. The ride was ridiculously ‘bumpy’,
slamming repeatedly down from wavecrests, really poor boat handling —
they probably wonder why their boat takes on so much water. Saw the
Cap’n Yannis catamaran over there and am no longer interested in that
dreadful tour either. I’ll just take it easy tomorrow, maybe visit the
fort in the morning or the next day. The parrot fish are brilliantly
coloured and have beak-like mouths; you can hear them too, They scrape
algae from the reef and pulverize the coral with their powerful jaws.
What they don’t need as nutrients passes through them as sand — an
adult parrot fish cam create a ton of sand every year.

Visited the fort today; quite a climb to see a pretty unremarkable
remains of a 16th C French fort. Why do we seemingly cherish contiguous
oppressive military refuse? Nice view though, I can now identify all the
islands within sight.

Basin Pond: (another sign)

This pond is part of the most extensive complex of 18th Century ruins on
Union Island. It was built between 1750 & 1763 by Jean Augler, one of
the island’s first French settlers. Basin, the largest of the island’s
ponds, stored and provided water for plantation slaves. It was entirely
paved with local stone, and cemented with heated coral and conch shell.
After emancipation in 1834, Basin Pond continued to be a main source of
water for local people. Up until the 1950s it was still used for washing
and watering animals.

Went down the road (none are named in these parts) to Gordon’s Bar and
Grill (there is no grill). actually a pretty spiffy green and yellow
place on a nice sandy beach with additional little cabanas and music by
Sam (who I’ve met but not heard yet) on Sundays. Other than that it
seems pretty much deserted, so I practised my snorkeling and made some
movies with my tiny, underwater ankle-cam, and collected dozens of
intriguing coral bits which I photographed back at the apartment. This
imagery may be intercut with the ankle-cam films and possibly outlined
and used as folios for my GIP book.

Then I went into Clifton to pick-up some more free postcards from the TC
Marine Park office — they visibly stiffened as I came in the door ;)
Was also looking to buy another fish and possibly record the conchshell
or pan music (Saturday’s probably a better bet for that), but instead,
made some fairly good, surreptitious recordings of domino games: lots of
slamming, shuffling and swearing in some patois I only partially
understand. No fish though, so instead I bought some bacon ($13EC, from
Wisconsin and frozen probably many years ago) at a little shop that’s
quite close to where I live — along with a big bottle of Mauby
concentrate, and a jar of SVG peanuts ($9EC). Her prices might be a
little better than in town where the rich yachties shop. Cooking the
bacon drove the dogs wild — especially when I poured-out the bacon
grease into the sand.

So for breakfast (my major meal), I had a fried egg, cheese, tomato
(very good here), bacon toasted sandwich followed by fruit-punch, my
rice and beans/lentils with hot sauce, and a nice cold glass of Mauby.

Had a little nap, maybe too much food all of a sudden and the rain this
morning.. Very dry here year-round; all the islands are really quite
arid — cactii are common. Thought to try and get a postcard to William
and Pam, originally from Wisconsin (did I cover this already?) who are
staying at the Millennium Guesthouse on PM. Will try to visit St Vincent
this month but I’m a little nervous about possible immigration nonsense,
even though it’s the same country. Sky has now brightened-up, typical
tropical downpour.

“ginger ales are 10c a glass if you don’t like that, you can kiss my
hairy ass”

went into town this afternoon and did some more domino recording…
gradually I’m being acknowledged there, but buying a couple of guiness
stout ($6EC) when hardly anyone buys anything, probably helps…
wandered back home and thanked the pharmacist for her help… people
don’t recognize me easily when they see my haircut instead of the Tilley
hat… it does keep me cool and doesn’t blow off (interesting design
that flexes with the wind, but somewhat squeakily…)’but it may be too
‘dorky.’unless I can batter it up a little, Another person I passed on
the road was surprised that I didn’t recognize him from PM , but with or
without my hat I’m bound to be more identifiable than local folks. I’m
also wearing my red mesh tanktop today (and all this week) which may be
significant. I see red flags flying at houses and hear of socialist
tendencies.

Different newspaper this week: Searchlight — purchased from the
taxi/minibus “Messenger.” Headline for Friday January 8 reads: Storm in
Bike Crash (Prime Minister’s Son undergoes emergency surgery in
Barbados) Will mail this big pile of postcards today. No music at
Gordon’s last night. The barkeep was asleep in a lounge chair. No
customers. The big white place with columns next door (Big Sand Hotel)
doesn’t seem to have any guests either.

Mailed the cards after waiting 20 minutes for the postmistress who
finally called to say she was at the clinic… and someone who was there
all along sold me the stamps. I guess civil ‘servants are the same
everywhere. The pharmacist passed through and said hello. They were
selling those little silver fish with the big eyes again. All you can
really do with them is deep-fry them whole — not especially tasty. Took
some pictures of the con/hshell blower and fish transactions and bought
some lettuce. 8 small tomatoes and a papaya ($19EC); vinegar from
Lambi’s ($6EC — there’s laid-back and then there’s arrogant
indifference that’s becoming too apparent there) Then back home stopping
at “J’s” for 3 boxes of pineapple juice (just $7.50EC there; and 3 eggs.
My hat frightened the little girl there I think. Made a simple salad
which I’m eating now.

(sign in Ashton):

You are now in Ashton, the second major town on Union Island. Union
Island (13.7 sq mi) is located 44 miles south of mainland St Vincent, It
is the second largest and most southerly of the Grenadine islands. Mount
Tabor, its highest peak, rises to 1000 ft. The island’s population of
approximately 2000 people is concentrated within the 2 main towns,
Clifton and Ashton. Union Island Island was settled as early as 5400 BC
by tribes from South America. However the present population is a
mixture of African and European descendants. The French were the first
Europeans, arriving before 1763. They were followed by the British, to
whom the French ceded the island in 1763. Slavery was abolished in 1834.
Thereafter some residents continued to cultivate the land, growing
mainly corn and peas. Many however, beccame seafarers. Today this
tradion continues and is supported by the island’s fishing and tourism
industries. Do enjoy your stay on our beautiful and friendly island.

Radio reception is poor here, even with the amplified antennae, which
I’m beginning to wonder about… of course, on PM I was way up on a
steep hill. Trying to listen to Radio Paradise 820 AM from St. Lucia.
Took another shot out my front door toward B’s (cute girl from St Lucia
and her aged US husband). On PM the repeated shot was toward Union
Island. Did I mention that the papaya was very good? Saved the seeds in
order to try and propagate at home.

The icecube tray shattered into a dozen pieces as I tried to extract the
cubes. The PM place had much better culinary tools but E was the cook at
his restaurant. I’ll head down to the pier and work on the watercolors
shortly. There’s no plausible reception point for any of my artwork so
it’s really an ongoing process, much like my 12hr-project. I’m starting
to overpaint (usually not a good idea for watercolours) the work from
Nicaragua. Some look pretty good; I’ll just keep going as much out of
spite… Had some sardines in tomato sauce and fed the remainders to the
little dog next door — surprised to see that the aggressive dog made no
moves, as he did with the bacon-grease. A=mazed at the sound this made
across the concrete deck… I’ll try to record something like it… A
coupe passed-by accompanied by the dog-chorus… no response but I was
wearing a miniscule swimming outfit.

Made some films of my pocket-kite flying off the pier. Wandered down to
J’s for a couple of Guinness Foreign Extras and seeing as they were out
of peanuts, I settled for some junkfood: cheeseballs and Pringles. This
morning (breezy and overcast: rain seems more likely in the early a.m.)
I made some more cocoanut-curry rice, this time I used canned c-milk but
had to add a little water at the end. Took a couple more pinholes from
the pier and one of B’s house (more seagrape foliage in the foreground
than house) before the sandflies drove me inside. Will look for some
more salad ingredients today. >> sudden brief tropical downpours >> the
girl in the Let Me Go bar and shop told me that the rainy months are
September and October and that the community library might open at 3
p.m. >> small bag of green beans (to add to my tossed salad), giant
papaya, small different kind of cantaloupe, onion (which I,ll use in an
omelette tomorrow), and cucumber (that I sliced-up and made into a
separate salad) = $21EC Y came by in a shared taxi and the driver
offered me a free ride the rest of the way home but I thanked him and
said I liked the walk, even though the one section of dirt road turned
out to be quite muddy. Went out to the pier and started to work on the
watercolours but quickly turned very windy and the rain started-up
again. Photographed some hummingbirds but stayed inside mostly listening to Radio Barbados and reading tourist info on St Vincent. Y loaned me a book on early Union Is entrepreneurs (augustus king mitchell… by
Gloria Stewart Morgan) and newspaper clippings. Apparently the
courthouse and historical records were set afire by two men awaiting
trial in 1979 — a small park in Clinton is on the site. Adjacent to it
is a semi-circle of brightly-painted vegetable stands. I’ve been buying
my produce from an older stand farther down the road, thinking it might
be cheaper there. I was surprised to learn that even here where the soil
is good, all the produce is imported from SV! The economy has been
Westernized I guess, as people used to grow most of their food.

Am wondering if my facial bug bite, which is nearly all healed was
caused by a scorpion. There’s a huge brown bug with long antennae that
lives behind the kitchen splashboard. He ‘sings’ a cricket-like song; at
first I thought it coming from outside or perhaps some squeaking part of
the refrigerator. Very sad news about the earthquake in Haiti. Being
Black and French I doubt much aid will materialize from the West.

Tried to exchange some money ($1000 US) at the only bank (big
flat-screen TV playing CNN ‘news’ about Haiti); they wanted ID and
didn’t accept a copy of my passport. I’m concerned they may notice
(perhaps needlessly) the absence of SVG visa-stamp, so maybe I’ll do
this in SV. I should probably carry that much cash anyway in case
something goes wrong, as it always does. Having waited in line for 40
minutes, I took my time putting away my ID and then tossed their
calendar back in the pile; did a good eye-roll and left. Why ask for ID?
I’d save about $70 on a grand with the bank rate. Saw Sam walking with
some white girl, he called me by name before I remembered who he was —
but I’m probably more distinctive than most here. (There are some pretty
inventive DIY haircuts here and sometimes they acknowledge mine.) In
tourist literature they say the locals have a good memory for faces,
maybe it’s true.

Put out the laundry for Shirley to pick-up. Exchanged money with no
problems. Called the MV Barracuda but it’s in the shipyard ’til maybe
next week. Will try to visit SV then. Happened upon a brief Big Drum
performance by primary and secondary students, intended for US PBS
travel programme. Shot some films and stills with the little Nikon. The
dance was performed for rain and courtships. Interesting to see how
pleased the locals were – some older folks were dancing off to one
side… PBS was so focused on their commentator they missed it. Topped
up my cellphone at the LIME office in Clifton.and got a SVG phone
directory. Bought some bread from the central market $3EC and some more
pineapple juice, Sunset Rum (84.5% alcohol). and three more eggs from
J’s ($32.50 EC) Looking forward to shopping in Kingstown; should be
much cheaper, Hope to buy some bootleg CDs of tinpan music, a pair of
locally fashionable, shinney white sunglasses with black lenses,
groceries and rum. Sat out on the pier again and worked on the
watercolours this afternoon. Walked into Ashton by way of Baddu (much
shorter) and bought popcorn, salt-fish ($12EC/lb), and onions. Inquired
about the BBQ but it’s not happening this week. Soaked some of the fish
for an omelette in the morning. Will take a shower now and make the bed,
then read more about Union Is entrepreneurs.

Followed the road and the a ‘track’ along Richmond Bay past a couple of
houses’ and a gated passageway toward the higher Zephyr hills. Saw some
probably abandoned, ransacked guesthouses and another mini-fortress with no apparent entrance that is only identified on one map as a ‘ruin.’ Got
tried of avoiding being scratched, scraped, and stuck in the overgrown
bush (‘burn bush’ and cactii) so didn’t proceed any farther — not
likely too much to see as the power poles didn’t continue either.
Wandered back home for rum punch and watercolours. Took some hour-long pinhole photos of the sky initially (too cloudy to see the circling
stars; another night) and the fanciful architecture across the way.
Watched a few installments of ‘Cash Cab’ on TV last night – still an
intriguing programme. The Rasta brother was chanting and rattling
outside. New Moon. Will attempt to see Mt Olympus and maybe the Chatham Estate today (a non-eating day: some Spice Black tea (with lime) that I packed.)) Next year I’d like to visit Netherland’s ABC islands (Aruba,
Bonaire, Curacao.)

Belmont Salt Pond sign:

This wetland has provided Union Island with salt since the times of its
earliest ancestors. During the 1700s, its “white gold” was also shipped
off to Europe by French & British colonizers. The island’s climate is
perfect for saltmaking — low rainfall, a warm breeze and lots of
sunshine for evaporation. High temperatures concentrate the sea water in
the wetland, forming layers of salt on its surface. Salt is usually
harvested from March to the beginning of the rainy season. In a good
year, thousands of pounds may be collected by hand. The wetland is a
nursery for many young fish and other sea creatures. It also provides an
important habitat for local and migrating birds, including herons and
ducks. Please help us to keep this wetland clean, and maintain its
centuries-old tradition.

Another Rasta from the same building has a big Isuzu truck and I asked
him if he could bring me a case of Guiness sometime but he says it will
cost nearly $100EC for 24 including deposit, so that’s about $4EC each.
Not a big savings over buying one at a bar for $6EC. Somehow I managed
to walk to Chatham Bay. The maps suggest this is not possible. It’s not
even mentioned in any guide book, even the local ones, but it’s easily
the most stunning locale that I’ve seen thus far on the island!
Beautiful beach and water with only a few beach bars, half a dozen boats
anchored close to shore, pelicans, and very quiet. At the far end of the
beach there’s this totally unexpected, very fancy, open-air
bar/restaurant complex that’s more than a little incongruous with
swimming pool and white pleather sofas! Amazing! I might go there
tomorrow for a BBQ and hear Sam’s music but it’s a fair, hour’s trek
over there and I’d have to head home before it gets dark. I doubt the
so-called dollar buses (a charter trip is $20EC) go there, you’d need a
four-wheel drive to make it down the rutted steep decline. There’s a
short cut through the bush following a dry watershed, but it’s pretty
arduous – going up at least. Thankfully I had my walking stick. Noticed
another road that might go to Bloody Bay, but someone told me that it
was “bushed over,” and accessible only by boat. Also a “track” that
might go to Mt Olympus. The island is quite bristling with 12hr imagery.
I’ll keep taking them but will likely wait for a few years before
processing them. I’ve already scanned over ten year’s worth and many of
the prints have still not been scanned even once. I can insert new
imagery with the “+” designation. Delaying processing will only decrease
contrast which is what I’m after anyway. There are gravel makers here
too, like in Thailand.

(another sign): Union Island, like its neighboring islands throughout
the Caribbean, has seen a succession of inhabitants in pre-colonial
times. The earliest evidence came from petroglyphic drawings found in
these areas (Grenada, St Vincent and Canouan), which indicate that the
Ciboney people were here as early as 5400 BC. They used primeval boats
of raft kind and made progress gradually into the Caribbean from the
South American coast lands. Their out-at-sea canoes exceeded 20 metres
in length. It is only much later, in the centuries preceding the
Christian era that other migrating waves of Amerindians, Arawaks and
Caribs followed in the path of the Ciboney people. The Caribs and
Arawaks originally came from the Orinoco Basin and traveled as far north
as Puerto Rico.

This bought vegetables from CJ’s stand in the square. Better prices I
think: several small tomatoes, cucumber, papaya, grapefruit, for $15.
And more Sunset Rum ($28EC this time), peanut butter (Marouks from T&T: $10), and crackers ( Crix also from TriniD $3.50)

Sitting on the porch ledge and suddenly bitten by some sand flies just
as a sudden shower started. Didn’t last 60 seconds. Earlier I layed in
the sun and had a swim in the third little beach down from me, but
washed all my Deet off. Brought the air mattress down but gave-up trying
to inflate it by mouth. The gasoline vendor in Clifton has a compressor,
so I’ll have to bring it over sometime. Made some ankle-cam films
including one of a little yellow crab with delicate white pincers. Not
at all like the bigger, crusty dark crabs that you see on the shore
rocks. (Not sure the camera is capable of focusing that close.) If you
sit very still they will eventually emerge from their sand burrows. This
one could walk forwards as well as sideways.

Another onion, tomato. cheese omelette with salt-fish. A little tired
this morning, maybe it’s all the food. Making another …

Spent the day working on the watercolors; using both sides of the paper
so they’ll be 100 when I’m done. Will scan their current state when I
get home and post an album to my websites and facebook. “Waters.” Many
people at and just down the road a bit from Gordon’s — it being Sunday
night. Making another Big Sand recording and will see how close I can
get to Bloody Bay (site of master/slave massacre), this morning, once
the threat of rain diminishes. Should try and pick up some groceries too
although I have plenty of cooked rice and beans, a still a little salt
fish and cucumber salad to eat tomorrow.

OK, I walked around Mt Olympus the other way (counterclockwise). past
Bloody Bay and Chatham Bay — up quite high so could see the rain coming
in finely veiled curtains across the water and hillsides. Saw Sam making
his way back from the Chatham beach bars, guitar slung over shoulder —
apparently he played for some people aboard a big white catamaran last
night and then slept on the fancy sofas in the big Italian bar. Spotted
a big land tortoise and walked part way down a track that might go to
Rapid Point (Sam says it’s a deadend at a quarry, but then he’s never
heard of Bloody Bay), before it turned overgrown. Walked and walked and
walked through Ashton and way out to the western end of the island along
an excellent concrete road, financed by the good ol’ Canadian gov’t,
that just suddenly ends. No one seems to live alongside it for some
reason — it is pretty windy — and other than an ancient French
plantation-era, unused pond/reservoir and the rusted remains of some
sort of quarry machinery, there were no other structures to be seen. The
tourist map indicates a Miss Irene bay or beach and a Miss Irene point.
I’ll have to ask Y who she was/is. So, back through Ashton where I
bought popcorn, kidney beans, fruit puch in a box, 4 eggs (they’re a
dollar each!), and a box of matches = $20EC

The Barracouda, MV Rita, MV Gem Star, Bequia Express, Admiral, Geronimo and Glenconner are mostly family-owned ships. I had just read an article about the Barracouda mailboat and its continual, reliable service for 15 years with only two mishaps, so I was disappointed to hear last week
that she was in the shipyard. Hopefully I’ll be able to take the 5 hour
trip this Friday morning (6:30 a.m.) I may walk around Kingstown and the
botanical gardens for a few hours and then catch another ferry to Bequia
(Carib: land of clouds) and stay there overnight, catching an early
morning ferry back to Kingstown in time to pick-up some groceries and
board the Barracouda to Union Is. Did some more w/c on the beach but the
fine, sticky sand is getting in my paints, and all over me as well.
Interesting to see the wind create turbulence across the surface of my
w/c water, just as it does across the sea.

“Cuba before 1959 was a land of plenty for a handful of people and
misery and extreme indigence for the vast majority. It was a playground
of the mafia.” – Gonsalves SVG PM

Watched ‘Rabbit-proof Fence” on IFC again while waiting for the skies to
clear a little. Went downtown in search of Callicou soup but ended up in
this little unnamed place off the main street for a “little lunch”
(EC$10 + 3 for a 500ml Sprite), quite good chicken plus salad, rice.
Inadvertently followed the owner to the jetty where I bought some
“dolphin” (bares little resemblance to what it is commonly called) and
a slice of *Kingfish” for $10EC. Only tourists apparently like tuna
(that would be me); the dolphin is much sweeter — we’ll see on
Thursday. Headlines from the last copy of the Vincentian this week:
Another Pit Bull Attack! – big purple letters: “Mr Raleigh Baptiste, a
welder of Gibson Corner, was in his yard picking tangerines…” Met
‘Sam’ but apparently that’s the bartenders’ name, really it’s Raphael
Socony Holder, and his CD which he now reluctantly sold me for $10EC
(and refused my GIP card) is called “Which Part Don’t You Understand?” I
have no way of listening to it now and really have no idea if it’s good
or not. He seemed so flippant about the transaction that it could mean
one thing or another… earlier I went into the Kash & Karry mart to buy
buy some more funny peanuts in the glass bottle and the decided to buy a
Guiness Foreign Extra Stout — gosh, it’s really tasty… that got me
chattering to the proprietor about Island history which was going pretty
well despite his recalcitrant nature, until I fumbled the name of the
most western point… Janet? N? ok, yes it’s haha Irene Point. Bye-bye
and thanks.

Will try and see if the libraries are open today and maybe record the
children at the primary school.

Memorial Plaque:

This plaque is erected to the memory of all the African Slaves that died
in Union Island during the time of slavery. This Plaque is also
dedicated specially to the 53 slaves who died during a period of months
(Sept 1737 – July 1738) as a result of the harsh living conditions amd
cruel slave drivers of that time. This was the same period wehn cotton
production increased one hundred and twenty percent and the time of
major infrastructural development. May they rest in peace.

Ended-up walking around the second higher tier.. almost to the top of
the radio-tower hill but was dissuaded by dogs whose barking echoed
ominously off the rocky cliff-face. Walked through the village of
Donalson and then back into Clifton past the government school where I
heard singing at about 9 a.m., so will bring the recorder one morning at
that time. Bought some fish seasoning and I have one lime left for my
meal tomorrow. Thought about buying a bottle of red Ju-C (Big 16 (oz)),
primarily to photograph, but didn’t want to carry it about. Will check
on the Barracouda tomorrow, if it’s running I’ll be able to buy
groceries economically in Kingstown Saturday. Sat in a few places
downtown and watched the goings-on; read the entire issue of January’s
Caribbean vegetable sellers has a great singing voice, so I’ll try to
record her one day as well. Tried to have a little nap as I was up late
watching some movie (an old Jack Nicholson I think and a young girl
returning to a little-known family homestead and unearthing the
reluctant past…) on IFC. Wandered down the road to the Big Sand Hotel
with this Zaurus device to see if there was free WIFI signal — but no.
Now sitting on the pier writing this, the dogs come-up hoping to be
petted but I learned my lesson in Thailand.

“Let our quietly attentive staff infuse your sojourn with seamless grace
and gentle discretion…” Canouan resort

I like how the Vincentian newspaper runs their headlines into adjoining
pictures, sometimes reversing or coloring the type in the image-space.
This style wouldn’t have been feasible in the pre-digital typesetting
days, as too much of the picture would have been obscured. The roosters
are ‘crowing.’ The dolphin was good; the kingfish unremarkable.
Finished-off the cocoanut-curry rice, will make some more once I hear
about the Barracouda today. New maximum price for gasoline is
$11.15EC/gal.

Walked over to Chatham Bay and at first sat on the comfy lounge chairs
waiting for the bar to open but soon the rich chartered yachties
clambered to shore and started yacking about their annuities. I left and
went down the beach to what I’d hoped were less expensive
establishments, and who knows, maybe they really were… but the
Sunshine Bar wanted $8EC for a beer. I bought two and declined their
offer of a ^not too expensive fishcake lunch” and headed home early.
When an employee has to look at the owner to see what to charge for a
beer, (and the price on the menu, which I’d looked at earlier, is less)
you know something’s up. Sometime’s I can’t be bothered arguing about
prices and instead decide to never return. I suppose it’s difficult to
constantly encounter all that offshore ostentation and not want to reap
a little of that indifferent wealth, but it would be difficult to assume
that I belong in that privileged swagger. The one brown chicken has
returned for more popcorn. There really are some beautiful ones here,
but now she seems to be particularly interested in my toes. I called J’s
GH in Bequia and reserved a $100EC room in Bequia. I’m thinking I’ll do
this trip repeatedly; next week is some Blues Festival so maybe I’ll
reserve from there tomorrow.

Rolled my luggage up to the gardens in about 20 minutes. Botanical
Gardens (founded in 1765 by a British army medic, it’s the oldest in the
western hemisphere) : brandy & coconut water, cinnamon leaf and ginger
tea; red snapper and avocado; mace from the nutmeg used as seasoning for
pasta. Eron was my very informative guide. Every guidebook recommends
hiring a guide ($20EC); explanations of the various trees and plants
were fascinating: teaks, mahogany, ironwood, cannonball, Australian
pine, travellers’ and king palms, Souffriere tree (national flower),
Bermuda Cedar, breadfruit (a descendent of Cap’n Bligh’s trees brought
as cheap food for British Caribbean slaves, mimosa family of plants that
contract revealing thorns when you touch them, Norfolk pine… Some are
extinct in their natural habitat and many are not indigenous but the
climate supports many species. And of course the beautiful, talkative,
nearly extinct, multi-colorful national bird. the Vincentian Parrots
(Amazona Guildingii), all busy munching away on fruit slices.

I was just about to ‘write’ something when I dropped the stylus and the
point broke off on this tile floor.. I was going to remark that one of
the gang of dogs has forgotten me in my absence — which sets all the
others off… Babylon! Can you believe these wicked boatmen? The
Barracouda had problems again and left me with problems in SVG after
returning from Bequia (really just another boutique island that just as
well might be another exclusive one). And there’s no steel pan music to
be had on the street anyway! I was prepared to make a major
investment/offer and buy about a dozen or more CDs, which seem to
usually go for $10EC — a little steep for bootleg copies. There were
banners about a SVG Customs compliance day this month. Compared with PM they’re already paying way too much. it would be interesting to visit
Martinique and Guadeloupe (where PM boatmen apparently pick up these
deals) but not sure how I might proceed from this point — I guess it
would have to be by water somehow and my return flight could get
complicated. There was this enormous cruiseship (bigger than any warship
I’ve seen, but maybe that was what it really was) docked in SVG just as
I returned from Bequia and sitting on a streetcurb eating a
fried-chicken sandwich and a bake (big fried blob of dough) — suddenly
the complexion of the place changes drastically as the passengers
disembark. It may as well be a VR experience. Curiously there doesn’t
seem to be resentment or hostility from the locals. There’s an
underlying joviality at times that can giveway to a sudden “running of
the mouth” such as I witnessed while waiting/hoping to get passage on
the Guidance, a little cargo boat that I had to take back to Union Is.
along with way too many passengers mixed with cargo that just kept
coming dockside and included just about everything except livestock, or
maybe that was us. Hard to tell if it’s fairly efficient or chaotically
ridiculous — the goods, each scrawled with a name and an island and
probably accompanied by a cellphone call, along with many distressed
senders and receivers coming on board and making demands, but it sort of
seems to pan-out. There’s a crowd on each dock waiting for Guidance as
well. Off to bed; very tired.

There was a very young, fragile and fair-complexioned, maybe Swedish
couple, maybe brother and sister on the Guidance who despite an umbrella
and applying sunscreen visibly reddened on their passage to Mayreau. A
couple of hours into the trip, the captain perhaps started thinking less
about his cargo and erected a tarpaulin shade over part of the main
deck. I think, in maritime law at least, the captain is responsible for
any passengers and crew. He had several mostly young boys who worked
quite hard slinging boxes and sacks into and out-of the hold and decks,
but they seemed pretty jovial. As on the ferries, they troll a very long
line for fish, and caught a small barracuda.

Made some cocoanut rice with shelled peas from the SV market ($7EC) this
morning, and got the beans and lentils soaking. Amazing assortment and
quality of produce there; also bought a small bag of small tomatoes
($1EC), “heap of big limes” ($2EC), bag of hot little peppers ($2EC),
pound of (unfortunately), unsalted roasted peanut ($6EC), bunch of
sweet little ripe bananas ($1.50EC green ones are cheaper), jar of
dry-roasted peanuts as a treat ($10EC), copy of T&T Newsday from
Thursday January 21 (headline: “2010 murder toll reaches 30: Fireman
Shot 18 Times”), and three litre bottles of Sunset rum, which filled-up
my little rolling bag. Imagine how stressed I was to get to the ferry
dock with all this heavy stuff and find that the Barracouda wasn’t
running! Prices were not as dramatically better than Union’s than I’d
guessed. The Barracouda as well as the four Bequia Express ferries were
made in Norway complete with Norwegian signage.

The downtown part of Bequia that I managed to see was a somewhat
disappointing loud, touristy zone with many chartered boats in the
harbour. Would have liked to visit the model boatbuilding museum but it
was closed. The Plantation (Guest) House was abandoned and overgrown and would have been a good place to stay in its day — yielded some 12hr
photos of the statuary dispersed on the grounds.

Did a quick listen and a few edits of the Barracouda and Bequia
recordings, some good stuff! Got all the various batteries recharging.
J’s still didn’t have the Pinehill pineapple juice that I like and the
little girl still cries when she sees me, even when I take my hat off.
Bought some more groceries in Clifton (mostly at Y’s store): pancake
mix, guava jelly, Jamaican cinnamon tea, dozen eggs ($10EC), cheese,
popcorn, Canadian split yellow peas (which I added to my beans and green
lentil soak) and popcorn($3EC), 1 litre Belgian soya oil (12.25 EC),
bottle of peanuts (to take with me to Gordon’s when I have a cold
Guiness), Ocean Spray 100% cranberry-pomegranate juice ($19.50EC to mix with the rum), and Crix crackers. Thinking of another omelette on toast
with those peppers tomorrow along with a very little rice and beans
(just to sample them.)

Talked with Y about the island uprising and her parents’ (as prominent
residents they were suspect and imprisoned but not beaten like the
rest), soda bottling business. Related my story about my similar idea
for unusual flavoured sodas along with reproduced photo-art on the
labels, and how I probably talked about it too much as Jones’ Soda Co in
Seattle did just that.

These entries remind me of Twittering a little. I can remember seeing
the Twitter offices in South Park across the street where I worked at
Wired in Frisco, and not fully understanding the implications and appeal
of an application that merely seemed a restrictive, abbreviated form of
email or listservs. Apparently Twitterers have currently donated $22 US
million to Haiti relief efforts by texting ‘Haiti’ to 90999. (I’ll have
to find out how this works.)

Just before heading out to the pier to work on the watercolours, I
heated-up the SV mkt peanuts with salt and curry. Have to try this with
green peanuts and maybe other spices… a marketing idea? Read some more
of a used book I lifted from one of the unattended Chatham beach bars :
Ian Rankin’s “Hide & Seek” a Scottish detective novel. But I’m mostly
interested in a Penguin classic tome at Ericka’s book exchange, although
it’s not too bad a beach-read. The beans are a-boiling but I need to
remember to add the lentils later as they get mushy by the time the
beans are done.

Wood from Brazil Tiles from Turkey Marble from Italy Wine from Chile
Linens from Egypt Crystal from Ireland Lighting from the UK Champagne
from France White Goods from China Furniture from Indonesia

— shipping container advertisement

Perhaps by buying all those groceries from Y’s store yesterday I
confirmed my intention to pay additional months’ rent and this helped
realize new repairs: (this also means some noise and I’ve learned that
leaving your curtains tied-back is an invitation for anyone to come-up
and speak with you, as one of the workers asked for a box of matches
while scanning the interior of my apt.) The roof of the residence and
former GH across the road is being replaced (a 12hr subject); perhaps my
rent is somehow helping to rehabilitate this fanciful building. More
great sounds too but I’m already running low on MDs. The new pre-amp
with three settings (zero, low, and high gain) is getting some getting
used to, and the battery gave-out when I first started recording from my
GH window, so I had to delete some attempts… The high setting causes
the recording to readily disintegrate with minor changes in volume, ie,
sudden wind gusts.

antimacassars Kick ’em Jenny volcano

Although situated farther south than the path of frequent tropical
storms (between August and October), the last hurricane, Janet in 1955
totally destroyed the island. Earlier recorded hurricanes occurred in
1898, 1831, 1817, 1780, 1768, 1675, and 1625. The temperature hardly
changes with an annual average of 27.5C.

The locals still complain that the gov’t doesn’t do anything for them.
They are a long way from SV and they feel closer ties with Grenada and
maybe T&T. Interesting to consider that Grenada’s and SVG’s most
‘outlying’ islands (PM and UI) are so close to each other — 30 minutes
by speedboat with no formal immigration checkpoints.)

The first five months of the year are typically the dry season, it
really is a dry island entirely dependent on that little rain for water.
This would explain the lack of crops and the early cotton plantations
which eventually depleted much of the soil. The Salt Pond is apparently
a good bird habitat, I need to find out how the salt is/was collected…

blind bit of difference all the hammering is getting to me so I’ll head
down the beach… Someone tore-out possibly the climatic 15 pages
toward the end of Hide & Seek. I’m usually suspicious of fiction’s
resolutions anyway. Might have made another UW film, a crab’s eye view
of the beach/sea, called Life is a Waste of Time. Hard to tell as the
tiny camera ‘froze’ and I have no way of viewing what may be recorded on
the SD card. One rooster, several hens and one adolescent chicken came
around for popcorn this evening. I called PSV to arrange a ‘tour’
tomorrow morning; they wanted to know if I wanted breakfast — like I
could afford anything on that private island (others: are as well or are
already headed in that direction).. well maybe a glass of water: it’s a
fasting day. Be curious to poke around though, not sure if they’ll
charge me for the boat ride or not. Laurie just called back to say that
Captain Maurice on the Zeus II will pick me up at 11 and return at 1, so
a brief visit perhaps. Y is flying to SV to attend an aunt’s funeral, so
won’t be back until Fri. The laundry can wait until then. As you might
expect, the cinnamon tea smells nice, although it’s probably pretty old,
but doesn’t have a lot of taste.

Decided at the last to cancel my tour of PSV just in case I need that
free trip to get to PM (and I’d prefer a little more time there),
although Maurice seemed to think a fee was in order for going to PM
because he would be “facilitating” me — can’t have that!

Exchanged my book for a collection of Italo Calvino short stories.
Borrowed “A Natural History Monograph of Union Island” by Jacques
Daudin, from the Clifton Community Library. It really was open at three,
but not a lot there; the young librarian had purple eyeshadow and will
allow me to borrow what little reference material they have. I recorded
ten minutes of school sounds and having asked a teacher about the
library she agreed to show me some photocopied material tomorrow
morning. Struck up a deal at the Rasta music shop (10 copied CDs for
100EC), mostly because they had a few steel pan CDs, along with Burning
Spear, Steel Pulse, Sizzla, Culture Mix, Reggae compilation, DJ
Loudmouth, and probably a spoken-word Angela Davis work entitled “The
Prison Industrial Complex.” The chickens spotted me coming back from
reading my Union Island book on the pier, so I fed them the leftover
popcorn and unpopped kernels from yesterday.

Serious rain this morning just as I finished my usual omelette with rice
and beans. Though I’d visit the schoolteacher and then walk around
towards Ashton and hang-out there for the day. There’s one track on the
map I’ve not been along that runs past places mentioned in the UI book:
Colin Campbell and Water Rock Reserve where there’s apparently old
growth forest. I’m taking fewer and fewer photos as the island typically
sort of ‘seals-over.’

“Bad weather for we today.” Still waiting for the sky to clear a little
more. My new radio either gobbles-up battery-power, it does have a lot
fancy features, or the AA’s are not fully charging as I can now rarely
have it play for even half a day. I’m trying the dual voltage cord from
the Zaurus to simultaneously charge and play the radio. The output
voltage is lower and the amperage is different but the plug fits and it
seems to be ok so far.

Watched Obama’s State of the Union address last night: very impressive
and I hope it all really happens. His picture is posted in many shops
and boats here.

Found the beginning of the track through Water Rock Reserve but I’ll
need long pants to get through the low-lying burn bushes; couldn’t see
Fort Irene… Bought some Pineapple-Passionfruit ($7.50EC) and Pineapple
($6.75EC) juice, and a bag of Lam’s Caribbean Style Chow Mein Noodles
($6.25EC) from Guyana.

Changed my mind about going to SV this morning. It is a little expensive
once you add it all up: a little over $100US and it’s an arduous trip
being tossed around on the water for five+ hours each way. I’d really
like to see the Montreal Gardens and I’d only have a couple of hours for
that and the Bequia Music festival… maybe later in February when the
memory of the last trip has faded. Made another onion, pepper, cheese,
tomato omelette along with rice and beans. Need to buy some more onions
and bread. Will put the laundry out this morning. D is in snowy Kentucky
headed for Florida.

Made a single pancake with guava jelly — a little undercooked. Watered
the palm plants outside. Read another Calvino war-story. Will head into
Ashton soon and check-out Uncle’s Recreation Centre and the Library and
buy some groceries.

Had a little nap then remembered the four little bags of peanuts I’d
purchased for my trip, and gobbled them-up accompanied by a
pineapple-rum drink and another short-story. Fed the chickens some more
popcorn; they now run to the porch if they see me. Took yet another 12hr
“establishing shot” of B’s house. Read two more stories.

Asked Y if her family was Garifuna — hope I wasn’t offensive (there
probably aren’t many genealogical records) but apparently they have
higher cheekbones and flatter foreheads,,, this is consistent with G
people I met in Belize. I never quite know how much to say about my GIP
books,’sometimes it’s helpful other times it causes trouble and
suspicion.

Walked past a single gravel hammerer (need at least two for a good
recording) and through Ashton to the snackette next to the high school
where I had a marginally cool Guiness and asked about Uncle’s that’s
apparently open on Saturdays for bingo. So bought some groceries from
the little shop underneath the Seashell GH: Daisy Chicken Luncheon Meat
from Brazil in a tin with key ($3.50EC) to go with the Ghanian noodles,
big bag of onions ($5.50EC), another (probably the last on the island)
Pinehill pineapple juice, black-eyed peas ($5.50EC), wholewheat bread
($4.00EC), and three tiny bags of Jamaican almonds @ $3EC/ea.
Searchlight SV newspaper headline: “Robbery suspect gives cops chase
through Richmond Hill: COLLARED!” I inadvertently dropped my newspaper on the road and someone in a minivan stopped to alert me but despite being heavily laden with groceries, no one has ever offered me a ride; there aren’t that many roads/destinations… It’s a dramatically specific island whose 10 million year old volcanic profile is readily if still eerily recognizable. Y couldn’t tell me who Miss Irene was either. I told her that I was feeding the chickens in her absence and that they now ran to the porch when they saw me. If I had related this to Shirley in Belize, she would have been chuckling longer than the chickens.

Cooked some noodles with the Brazilian mystery-chicken: I’m still
getting thinner and probably need more of something.

Another windy day; the mosquitos and sandflies still swarmed around me
the minute I stood outside.

Almost everyone here has either lived in Canada, usually Toronto, or
knows someone who does… I think I said this already… Traded my
Calvino stories for “The Mermaid and the Drunks” -Ben Richards and
“Oryx and Crake” -Margaret Atwood. Learned that the MV Jasper leaves
from Ashton on Mon and Thurs at 6 or 6:30 a.m. So nay go back that way,
bypassing PM and saving some money, if there are no immigration
issues.Bought an eggplant, papaya and cucumber for $16EC; a big 2kg bag
of popcorn for $17EC at Kash & Karry and another Marouks peanut butter
at J’s for $9.95. Will attempt to steam the eggplant and then see if
there’s a bingo game to record in Ashton.

I plan to add the eggplant to my morning omelette. Bingo doesn’t start
until 10:30 p.m. — too late for me. Had a Hairoun Indian Quinine Tonic
Water. Found the track up to Mount Taboi but I was too tired and
carrying my recording gear and novel. Most stores close around noon or
so, and the one that sells refrigerated eggs didn’t reopen until six so
the walk over was unproductive. Fed the chickens and read my book in the
sun.

The other night I dreamt that I was laboriously spreading thin coatings
of honey across immense expanses of a church flagstone floor. I’m only
now beginning to feel like I’m living on this island – the days are
becoming longer, even languid – I suppose I’m always anxious about how
to get off the island in order to begin to get home (there are always
snags and setbacks) but then I eventually succumb a little to the
eventualities… but maybe that anxiety is part of the island
definition. I know all about being excluded, isolated and denied. Is
this a kind of revenge or appeasement? “…the sudden disturbance of
wings triggered by a faraway noise, the startled ricochet and truncated
flight of caged birds…

“In the hour of shipwreck and darkness, no one will save you…”

History is ours and it is made by the people. Do we really believe this
any longer? The great avenues will once more open through which free
people will pass to build a better society. Just sat around all day and
read. Despite the huge breakfast I just had two guava-jelly pancakes…
Really packed it away: later I had a bowl of the chicken chow mein
noodles, which maybe disrupted my sleep. As usual, I’m often trying to
get somewhere in my dreams. I remember purchasing a “yellow” economy
bullfighting ticket but then discovering that there weren’t many of
those colored-coded seats available. Sounding windy again this morning
despite being very still and warm last night. I’ve made some cinnamon
tea and reading “Oryx and Crake” while waiting for daylight and a walk
into town to pay Shirley my rent. Will make a note of the electric meter
reading and also ask at Erika’s about any customs/immigration procedures
and whether MV Jasper arrives at the main jetty in Carriacou that the
Osprey uses, (as I don’t want to have to lug these heavy bags around the
island via dollar-bus from the small pier.) Exit strategies. Finished
“Mermaid and the Drunks” yesterday– various kinds of exile, return and
self-discovery. Pretty good, with lent insight into Chile’s political
strife and culture. The island of Chiloe was mentioned so I’ll have to
research it assuming it’s not fictional. May bring along my walking
stick and venture some ways along the track to Mt Taboi.

dirtysockpuppets.com

Electricity (I asked the guard at the power station) costs about
$.90EC/kwh so by my calculations my bill for January should be around
$84EC. Ynonne’s sister’s name (who works i the clothing shop) is Marie
(not Shirley.) Anyway, I asked for Shirley and was told something bit
her foot on the beach and the swelling prevented her from coming into
work — so ended up giving $1100EC to Y in the supermarket for
February’s rent and then headed part way up the mountain before the
track got too overgrown. Still had some good views of PSV, PM,
Carriacou, Palm and Frigate islands. Bought eggs, more chow mein
noodles, cheese. peanuts, orange juice, and a tonic water on my way home
through Ashton. Soaking some black-eyed peas and kidney beans and the
yellow peas separately. Bought refrigerated eggs that came in about a
week ago, so we’ll see how they compare.

When the water’s moving faster than the boat, you can’t control a thing.
Another eggplant, onion, pepper. cheese and tomato omelette. The
chickens are calling. Still waiting for my rent receipt. I have learned
with frequent good reason, to mistrust nearly everyone, especially the
institutionalized, and when people sense this they feel especially
obligated/permitted to cheat, betray and steal. Self-fulfilling
dialectic in the absence of sufficient positive outcome. nothing I can
do. The beans are still simmering, then I’ll cook the lentils with the
rice and green peas. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus,
Species. Finished “Oryx and Crake” — a little pedantic at times and
laced with typical Canadian support prerequisites, but a good dystopian
SF tale occasionally sprinkled sparingly with cautious optimism.
oryxandcrake.com Will head into Clifton for more from the book exchange.

ingredients for "Brad's Rum Punch"

ingredients for “Global Islands Project Rum Punch”: lime juice, sorrel rum (for color), overproof white rum, fruit juice blend, ice, lime garnish, served in octagonal glass

Well, the MV Jasper isn’t going to work because the captain checks to see that you’ve checked-out of Union — I’ve not officially exited Grenada nor entered SVG, so I can’t begin to exit… so, I’m dependent on water-taxis (probably a lot more expensive from this side), or goodol’ (drunken/stoned) Mr Bones to get me back to PM in time to catch the Osprey to Carriacou/Grenada and the plane home. Y spotted me from the supermarket and gave me a rent receipt in an envelope. Was she planning on slipping it under my door? Maybe I ask too many questions or am objectionable in some other way. The little girl at J’s certainly thought so again — one look and her eyes widened and she started bawling. Perhaps I should bring a little treat for her next time. No tomatoes; should have bought them yesterday. Picked up a copy of “Vincy Carnival magazine 2009(EC10)” from the Determination Bar (I have a hard time understanding what’s he’s saying — actually I’d prefer another distinct language), he brought me a fresh copy… and three ‘new’ books from Ericka’s (can’t figure out: The Club Dumas (Arturo Perez-Reverte), Catapult (Jim Paul), and the Penguin tome, Clayhanger (Arnold Bennett.)

Every once in a while the saltpond glazes over and people come to gather
up the salt. I might get some, it’s probably zestier than the regular
stuff… Y had no idea… other than warning me that I might burn my
feet…. so how is that?

Sent another matchbox (full of spent matches) to Rudd Janssen. The
postal people thought it was quite funny but insisted that I wrap it in
paper, which they supplied along with scissors, pencil and tape
($1.35EC) A chair has materialized out of nowhere on the pier and I now
regularly sit there to peruse my exchanged novels but after again
realizing/reading the exclusive support mechanism, I’m not so keen.
Instead I took a chance and petted the dogs.

Walked down and around (got some good 12hr pics of boulders in a row)
past Fort Hill and out to the end of the airport runway and back into
town where I bought several tomatoes, a mango and a sporphina (? a pale
green lumpy vegetable that I’m steaming now for my omelette tomorrow) =
$16EC Out to the pier to read Catapult… it recounts the tribulations
of building a rock-throwing device as an artwork in San Francisco
(Headlands Center) amid much wryly anecdotal commentary and recounted
histories. The chickens followed me back from the pier and right up onto
the porch where they stare in the windows at me. I found a few popcorn
kernels beside the stove — that’s all I had and it clearly wasn’t
sufficient. I’ll have to make a bigger batch tomorrow. Thinking of maybe
visiting the Montreal Gardens for three days if I can find a cheap place
to stay nearby. I’d leave on the MV Gemstar Wednesday and come back on
the special Saturday Barracouda run that stops long enough to see a bit
of Canouan and Mayreau.

Dragonflies eat mosquito larvae who also ‘nest’ in land-crab burrows.
The rooster starts crowing about a quarter after four; I’m up, brushed,
flossed, Deeted and shaved and breakfasted by five. Finished the
Catapult.; enjoyed the references to the Bay area. Apparently just
shooting a film in SF or NYC pretty nuch guarantees a ROI from local
audiences alone. Made some popcorn for me and the chickens. Walked into
town and traded Catapult for Angle of Repose (Wallace Stegner) at
Erika’s. Maybe I should be cautious when going in there as they do
process Custom and Immigration clearances. Even more salt-gatherers at
The Pond — word has spread. The Club Dumas is a book about old books. I
called the Montreal Gardens to ask if there were any guesthouses to stay
either there or nearby but honestly couldn’t begin to understand what he
said. I unsuccessfully tried texting them also. I was maybe hoping that
as an artist and aspiring gardener I might help-out in exchange for a
simple place to stay. Next I phoned the SVG Tourist Office: I can’t
believe that there’s no where to stay near their primary tourist site.
Maybe it’s not all it’s cracked-up to be. I’m still mindful of the ten+
hour sea voyage there and back. I may try asking in-person in Clifton…
(but there are officious immigration people there.) The chickens came
right up on the porch again for popcorn. They really do seem to
recognize me. In the early mornings they seem to hang out in the cool
mangroves round the saltpond. New neighbours from B.C. in a house within the ‘coconut compound’ which includes the pier. This middle-aged couple often briskly walk back and forth along the short stretch of beach for
some pre-determined time (they glance at their watches before setting
off, and most of the dogs seem delighted to follow along.) I see that
“the Englishman” way up on the hill above the airport has a
(non-operating) wind-generator but it’s curious that there aren’t any
(that I’ve seen) alternative energy devices like solar-panels on an
island that gets a lot or sun and little rain.

MV BARRACOUDA rates:

Kingstown to Bequia $25; Kingstown to Canouan $40; Kingstown to Mayreau $45; Kingstown to Union $50; Bequia to Canouan $35; Bequia to Mayreau $40; Bequia to Union $45; Canouan to Union $40; Canouan to Mayreau $30; Mayreau to Union $30; Children (6-16yrs): $20

I wonder if there’s an early morning flight from Union to Grenada in
time to catch my flight home? My luggage would be overweight and there’s
still the visa issue, but I’d save on the cost of expensive
accommodation in Grenada and taxi fare to the airport and hotel and
ferry/water-taxi costs (this could add-up to say $270US or more); less
lugging of baggage and it would less stressful — fewer things could go
wrong. Would immigration insist that I return to Grenada to checkouts
and then return to SVG to check-in — only to checkout of SVG and
check-in and checkout of Grenada? similar to what E said his sister had
to do? It doesn’t seem that I can check-in or out of SVG because I
didn’t checkout of Grenada and in order to do that I can only return the
way I came or surreptitiously take a water-taxi to Carriacou and
checkout but having done either trip I may as well continue on to
Grenada. Or would SVG just scold me and not stamp my passport (?) and
would Grenada let me in without the SVG exit stamp? I may phone Erika’s
and ask somewhat-anonymously about all this. It may be too expensive
anyway or there may not be an early flight or the puddle-jumper may just
refuse my heavy bags… Cinnamon tea this morning. Hope someone
remembers to pick-up my laundry this morning. Oh, it’s suddenly gone
from the porch. There’s a tiny high-pitched mosquito in here; you open
the door for even a few seconds and in they come. I kill them by
clapping my hands together. The air pressure from opposite directions
may be immobilizing them.

Bought a nice ‘dolphin’ steak for tomorrow. Sat out from of Mitchell’s
hardware with cold tonic water reading the Vincentian (Landmark
Decision: Police Guilty) and watching the goings-on. Bought a bottle of
Sunset rum and box of orange juice from J’s. Almost finished read ing
The Club Dumas. I’ll have to read The Three Musketeers, around which it
is loosely based.. Recorded the rasta chanting with the new moon but one
of the channels all but dropped-out; I really like it so I’ll have to
see if I can re-balance it once home. I see there’s another lunar event
this Saturday so I’ll be listening.

The chickens are plucking around outside on the porch this morning
despite being only moderately interested in the popcorn yesterday; there
are too many mosquitos and flies right now to stand outside. Another
three-egg scramble (not really an omelette): will cook the dolphin steak
later in the day. Running low on bread, butter, juice, peppers and
cheese.

“You don’t have to go…” “Without finding out the answer?” “Without
undergoing the test. You have the answer within you.” “But the end
result is the same: damnation. You have to pay with the innocence of
your soul.”

As for the devil, he is no more than God’s pain; the wraith if a
dictator caught in his own trap, The story told by the winners.
Surprisingly, I consumed all of the two pounds of dolphin before one. I
did have a little nap and this may help me stay up a little later for
Clifton’s Saturday night. Finished The Club Dumais and just barely
beginning to understand what it may be like to live here in amongst the
remnants of a volcano and wicked colonial histories. Yah mon.

Trotted into town after eating all that food and a nap… peanuts from
J’s (always crawling with little children) and exchanged The Club Dunas
for “In the Cut” (Susanna Moore) and there’s only an early morning
flight to Grenada on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. not on Mondays, but it’s only
about 190EC… So that’s surprisingly cheap and now worth
considering….

Recorded the Saturday evening street sounds. A little random and not at
all like the sequestered murmurings on PM. Sucked back a few Guinesses
and one bad Danish Stout along with a small chicken and chips ($8EC.)
Came back via Maglite; never have felt even vaguely threatened here,
though I’m usually asleep by eight. Pretty sure I won’t feel at all
hungry tomorrow. It’s odd but I’m now becoming less and less interested
in eating/drinking. It rarely seems worth the effort. Many French
yachties here as well, they seem very enclosed within their
language/culture. One big catamaran parked over a local’s tiny
scuffed-up wooden outboard and of course he and onlookers were upset. It
probably wasn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things but in the
marine world there’s usually much more respect accorded to any boat and
its skipper. Just impolite and I’m afraid typically Francais.

walked through Aston (noticed another road cutting up and inland which
I’ll try another day) and around to Clifton where I bought butter, two
tomatoes, 3 sporphina, eggplant ($30 EC) and then to Y’s supermarket for
bread ($4EC Lambi’s and the little red bakery have bread too but it’s
lighter than air). Just finished steaming a couple of the vegetables for
my usual egg scramble tomorrow. Thinking I’ll try setting up the PSV
tour for the last Saturday and have E pick me up there for lunch at his
restaurant before the ferry leaves at 3. So my transport will be free
and I just pay for a nice lunch, perhaps some conch, which I don’t think
I’ve ever tried. I’ll arrange a ride to PM for Sunday with Bones as a
backup plan. Still on the lookout for callaloo soup, I,m asking too
early in the day. OTOH I’ve never seen E’s boat move in the month I was
there… Some guy was selling chicken foot soup from the back of his car
but it didn’t look like it was anything more than the feet in water, so
I passed. Fed the chickens, mopped the floor a little, turned the fridge
back on — I’ve been trying to minimize the electric bill, and will head
out to the pier to read In the Cut, perhaps walking into Clifton around
3 to check for fish.

No fish mongers around today. perhaps there’s no fishing on Sunday.
Nearly everything closes up by mid-day and some re-open in the evening.
Went into the Clifton Beach sports bar that my neighbour Jule and her
husband (from NY) lease and operate. Very breezy with a good view of
harbour activity. Bought a tonic water ($4EC) Told me that SVG visas are
only good for 30 days. Just as well that I don’t have one. Have begun
reading Angle of Repose.

Thinking about how ‘dead’ it was in Clifton on Sunday; perhaps I should
move my departure up a day, leaving for PSV on Fri with Bones as a
back-up Saturday. I’d like to chat a little more with J about how they
do business and residency in SVG. D texted me that he was enjoying his
Christmas book on newspaper columnists. I bought it from a little shop
(Post-Hip) in Multnomah Village last summer; the proprietor rattled-on
enthusiastically about the various older writers I knew little about.
The chickens are squawking for popcorn. Y has left for the store. The
dogs are alerted to some irregularity. The waves continue to break
on-shore. I read my book waiting for sunrise. Much as I like the hot and
dry climate it could be frustrating to live here without an easily
irrigated garden. Antimacassars: I need to again be angry but stay that
way, despising authority, effecting revenge, right the wrongs, stating
the truth and ending this nonsense. In addition to spontaneously singing
songs, islanders seemingly love to burn things. It can be a big pile of
brush or garbage but even a small pile of raked leaves invokes the
smoke. It’s also curious how people with sand in place of lawns are
obsessed with raking leaves (only to have them all blow back the next
day), unless it feeds the desire to burn… Papaya trees are fabled to
not be planted too close to bedroom windows as they cause bad dreams,
but that folklore seems to be largely disregarded here. I think I
finally categorically dislike the computerized voices in reggae songs.
While I understand how the practise eliminates the need for traditional
vocal skills (any wharbbling can be brought into tune/line), it also
excludes anything non-catagorizable or even ‘new.’ Ynonne spotted me
coming my usual way into town and asked me for the difference in a $80EC
power bill, a big portion of which is government taxes. And apparently
solar technology is not permitted! (The Englishman on the hilltop has a
wind turbine however.) Traded …Cut for Chuang-Tzu (A Classic of Tao)
… well, no one else would read it. I asked again about the fare to GND
but I’ve forgotten. Also about private boats going to Carriacou for
their Carnival, also at the Neptune Bar (Julia) but nothing solid.
Watched as the police searched passengers for ganja when disembarking
the Barracuda from SV. I was breaking up some ice and Y came around to
see what was going on; she saw me at the bar and thought I was still ‘in
Clifton… so that’s good.

Watched an interesting TV programme last night about the history of Soul
Train. Michael Jackson _didn’t invent the moon-walk, it was some of the
unpaid ST dancers. White PVC tubing is frequently used here in
ballistades, furniture, and filled with concrete for columns.You can see
stars in the daytime from deep in a well. Listened to Wire’s Below the
Radar and Somic Frequencies mp3s on my new little Cowan player while out this morning: Went for what turned out to be a very long walk. First
over and through Ashton and took the cutoff up and around and eventually
to Clifton where I was going to buy what I thought I remembered seeing
in Lambi’s: refrigerated eggs, but no. I did buy some little very hot
red peppers like I had from St Vincent. 3 for $1EC and 3 tiny bananas
(she called them ‘figs’, also 3 for $1EC.) so, I walked back to Ashton,
this time around the coast and bought my chilled eggs from Henderson’s
again. Then up to the shop underneath SeaShell? for some cheese, pancake
mix, kidney beans, rice, powdered cocoanut milk ($27EC) Then back
through Baddu and home. The clerk told me Salt Pond salt was all but
gone so I took an empty peanut butter jar down there and filled it with
some fairly clean flakes. Then over to J’s before she closes mid-day for
more rum and orange juice ($35.50EC) All set for tomorrow’s meal. The
days are long and all this shopping keeps me busy and active. Now about
to resume my book; chapter four of Angle of Repose which so far recounts
the lives of newly arrived New Englanders in frontier California late
19thC. It’s nice to see all the goats, sheep and cows wandering down the
roads, Several cows have now just begun grazing in the neighbour’s
yard, ignoring all the dogs’ objections.

A restless night with dreams of violent confrontations. The rooster
crowed a little after 5. Another 3-egg (one of which was quite old as
the yolk broke when landing in the pan), scramble. Reading ‘Repose’
again, into chapter 8; I may buy this book for D; I already have a much
better perspective on the Hudson River school of thought and painting
that really was _exported to the western ‘frontier.’Not sure what to do
today; I’ll probably walk over to Chatham Bay again tomorrow as it’s a
non-eating day sometimes needing some distraction. I must remember to
make some guave pancakes today; I have a lot of mix and jelly ‘to
eat-up’ (as M used to say.) Making some popcorn; best to get the pot and
oil very before adding the kernels. Looking forward to the cheap
overproof rums in PM, if that’s still possible after the new VAT this
month. You can get three times the amount of rum for less than a 750ml
bottle costs here. Apparently this stuff is so flammable that it’s
prohibited on most airlines. Or did I say that before…?

Was thinking yesterday while out on the pier reading Repose, that I
should make an ebook from all of M’s saved greeting cards. Maybe D could
scan them for me? I wonder if she saved the envelopes as well? Did the
Ashton-Cliford loop and bought some eggplant (3 short squat ones for
$8EC) All cooked and ready for tomorrow. Only 7 or 8 meals left here,
not sure I’ll get through all the food I have in the cupboards.

New Harmony, Fruitland, The Icarians, Amana, Homestead, The Mennonites, The Amish, The Hutterites, The Shakers, The United Order of Zion, The Oneida Colony…

Finished ‘Angle of Repose” — the angle at which rolling stones and dirt
come to rest, or death. Interesting NatGeo TV programme about the moon
and its stabilizing significance for the earth. It’s apparently slowly
moving away and will eventually cause the earth to wobble more on its
axis, leading to dramatic climatic changes such as another ice age. The
highest tides occur when the gravitational effects of earth, moon and
sun are aligned.

Up early: about 2:30 — maybe I was just hungry. The rooster (there’s
only one other that I can hear at some distance), first crowed at
quarter to four. (In small coastal villages i Belize they crowed at a
few specific and regular times each morning, locals used to mark time by
this phenomena, ie.,, “I’ll meet you at the second cock.” It’s two
o’cock? ;) Have begun ‘Clayhanger.’ and will return the library book and
do another book exchange at Erika’s. I should work on the watercolours
though and need to make a point of making more pinhole photos. Y is away
and so the laundry was done yesterday (Thursday).

No, she changed her mind and goes on Monday. ($280? EC) She and her
Rasta brother are always well dressed. Many chickens to greet my return
this afternoon. Tried to return my book to the library, next to the
primary school, but it was closed and a track ‘n’ field event was
happenin.’ Bought a chicken wing and peanuts ($2EC) and took a couple’of
snaps. Pretty exciting; again, those long tropic thighs make for good
runners. Three teams each wearing red, green or yellow T-shirts. Also
tried to mail some postcards but it seemed I was too late. Did manage to
exchange another book for “Kings in Grass Castles.” Something about
Australia, again in the mid 1800’s. Bought a couple of Guiness and
salted peanuts from the Kash ‘n’ Karry but noticed the old expiration
date. B and her old white partner were there as often, buying supplies
including water. I guess they don’t have a tank (?) Earlier I worked on
the w/c’s and read 60 odd pages about Victorian hardship. The coconut (I
bought one today $3EC), compound is getting quite spruced-up! New roof,
paint and yard work. Apparently tin rooves are cooler than shingle and
yield better rainwater runoff…. Also picked-up a copy of the February
Caribbean Compass — a cool little paper, maybe I could work there?
as-if. Articles on the San Blas Islands and Mt Taboi here on Union
Island. And, the Vincentian: 20 Years for Killing his M.

A Libyan (Islamic = no interest paid) bank is expected to be established
in St Kitts. It will support the new international airport and provide
college scholarships. The birds are chirping outside despite it being
nearly dark. Valentine’s Day (Monday) is apparently a big event here.

Sat out on the pier most of the day reading, watching the breakers and
painting. ‘Clayhanger’ concerns a Victorian printer and architect so
much more interesting than the apologetic, academic introduction would
have you believe. Got me thinking again of incorporating letterpress
elements in the red drawings; perhaps white photopolymer plates made
from the painted picture fragments (SSS.) Went downtown and bought a few
nice tomatoes and rum and (unfortunately, sweetened OJ) from J’s. Called
the Caribbean Cottage Club in Grenada about staying the last three days
in February. I’d like to visit the Grenada Chocolate factory there
(Portland entrepreneurs.) Waiting to record the Rasta as the sunsets…
(Guests moved-in below which may have dissuaded the performance.)

Yes, it’s the young white skateboarder, I’ve seen gliding around town,
with the blond Rasta locks, no doubt attracted by the occasional
moderate surfing swells.

38.15 LSB(?) is supposed to be the Caribbean Emergency and Weather
station at 6:30 a.m. but hear nothing but static, on my SSB radio. The
Internet has doomed many SW broadcasts. It was so cool to see people
clustered around SW radios in Bangladesh, and hearing some English
suddenly was strange. “Transformed … by something without a name in
the air which the mind breathes.”

I may have accidentally shut-off the water valve leading from the tanks
on the roof, so running the pump for an hour was probably unnecessary. Y
told me that the trees were trimmed back from the house so the possums
(which I’ve never seen), in their nighttime quest for the fowl nesting
in the trees, wouldn’t get up there and rattle around on the roof. It’s
apparently been unusually dry this year so I didn’t recognize the
spotted, spikey tree without leaves and now just a few buds, behind the
house as a frangipani. Erosion on the beach here is quite severe. I
could watch big chunks of beach sand being washed-out. In the short time
I’ve been here I guess the shoreline has receded about a foot. Kind of a
helpless feeling; I guess you can pay a lot of money to have boulders
dumped as a breakwater which helps a little. Y thinks it’s worse since a
little island was eliminated to the East when the airport was expanded.
The last batch of beans are furiously boiling. From the pier I can see
(from right/East to left/West) the Tobago Keys, Mayreau, Canouaon, and
the distant peaks of St Vincent. I think Bequia, which is East of SV, is
hidden behind Canouaon. In Ashton Harbour there is the abandoned,
sketchy, outline of an unpopular Italian marina development; quite a few
empty houses as well throughout the island. Once the beans are done I’ll
start the lentils and coconut rice then retire to the pier to read and
take some more pinhole photos once the sun climbs up. (I’m looking
forward to having a Papa Murphy Delite pizza once back in Portland.)
Later this afternoon I’ll attempt to return my library book and look for
fish, which goes fast as much of the minimal catch is pre-sold I think.
Much of my life has been an impending disaster, packed with trouble and
economic woe, so I’m getting a little anxious about getting back to
Grenada and home to see what has conspired in my absence, although D
wants me to stop-over in Florida for a few days. This would be costly
and I need to pay the rent on the ‘treehouse,’ which a showed Y a
picture of yesterday. I pretty much cooked the Canadian lentils, then
slowly added/stirred the coconut milk powder into the same water
followed by the rice being brought to a boil and cover and simmer for 10
minutes. I’ll have leftover uncooked rice which I’ll leave for Y or
someone. I’ll look down the beach in the other direction for my ‘popcorn
bowl’ that the dogs ran-off with yesterday. On page 267 of Clayhanger
with cinnamon tea on the side. Very breezy and very hot today. Made a
nice little film of what I think may be a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
stalking, catching and eventually swallowing-whole a big beach crab. He
looks like a heron but with a duck-like bill. I think I have enough food
here to last until my departure for PM. One more 3-egg scramble, then
pancakes, chow-mein noodles, tomatoes, rice & beans, and pasta with
tinned-mackerel should be enough for 5 more meals. On page 426 of
Clayhanger

Another hot one; walked into town mid-day to exchange Clayhanger for
something else but Erika’s wasn’t open. Bought 2 lbs of fresh fish that
turned out to be Kingfish and not Dolphin — buggers! — if I can’t see
the head it’s harder to tell. (Same price but Dolphin’s much better. I
thought it didn’t look very red but I guessed it was a younger fish or
something. What can you believe?) Sweat’s rolling down my back: out to
the pier. The chickens all followed me back and cheered me up. Started
to read “Chuang-Tzu, a Classic of Tao.” Wondering about Florida again.
(Interesting TV programme about the spreading Burmese/African python
invasion in the Everglades ~ released exotic pets that grew too
large/expensive.) Spotted a roadway up towards “the Englishman’s house”
which I think I’ll investigate this morning before it gets too hot.
Fewer mosquito (bites) this month (Feb), perhaps it’s the dry weather.

Well this is the first day that I didn’t go for a walk somewhere, partly
because I was waiting for my laundry to be picked-up (never happened; I
looked at the washing machine but it was disconnected for some reason)
and I was luxuriating in the 90F sun. Note to myself: buy dominoes and
perhaps a book of dominoes once in Grenada. Gobbled down the rest of the
fish and a big bowl of spicy chow-mein) the little Corgi-like dog was
vigorously wagging his tail while scrunching the scraps.

“Subtract the days and there is no year. What has nothing within it has
nothing without.”

Chuang-Tzu, inner chapter 25, 319BC

Well, the roadway just lead to the fort; I didn’t recognize the house
because the gate was closed last time I was up there. Walked around the
island through Ashton and Baddu, read on the pier, then texted and
called Bones: he says don’t worry he’ll pick me up on the 26th. So
that’s a relief. To celebrate I walked over to J’s where low and behold
she had pineapple juice for me!

“With the abandonment of fixed goals, the dissolution of rigid
categories, the focus of attention roams freely over the endlessly
changing panorama, and responses spring directly from the energies
inside.”

Killed _one of the big brown bugs; they’re very fast. Last of the eggs,
precooked vegetables; little cheese, bread, cooking oil, tomatoes,
peppers, limes remaining… lots of pancake mix, pasta and r&b still.
18th C treaties latitudinally divided the Grenadines between the British
and French. The area on Carriacou known as Gun Point and the headland on PM known as the Breeza apparently belong to St Vincent.

The true man casts away his knowledge to the ants, discovers how to
estimate from the fish, casts away his intentions to the sheep.

“Spillover saying” is named after a kind of vessel designed to tip and
right itself when filled too near the brim. Taoist speech characterized
by intelligent spontaneity – a fluid language which keeps its
equilibrium through changing meanings and viewpoints.

To ‘divide’ is to leave something undivided, to ‘discriminate between
alternatives’ is to leave something which is neither alternative.

Tomorrow I’ll extend the tin of mackerel in tomato sauce with tomatoes
and peppers and use it on the box of pasta and perhaps the chow mein
noodles. Lots of pancake mix to take me through next week.

Up at 3 so started some pinhole night photos of the sky. My FamoCoquillettes with tomato-mackerel sauce turned out pretty well. There’s enough for another meal. Need to get some popcorn for the chickens

(perhaps) and then cooking oil… so may be not. But I will get into
town to buy a paper. Plan to work on the watercolors again today. Took
some larger images of the water with the Xacti camera for use as a web
icon and a printed postcard advertising the advance sale of the entire
suite of Carib Waters paintings: 50 double-sided watercolours for
$30,000 until Sept 30; $700 each thereafter. I’ll scan them and put the
files up on my website and Facebook (http://bbrace.net/webgallerywc/wc.html)

Met some people originally from Martinique on the beach. The happy dogs
were all barking at them of course. Curiously the female German Shepard
is quite protective of me: she sat right at my elbow when the strangers
approached, and barks at the billy goat when he bumps-me, and tried to
lick my swollen facial centipede bite. Went for my walk (almost) around
the island this morning before it got hot. The GS and the Lab-mix
followed me all the way; I had to wait for them to cool-off in the
Jerome Village lagoon at one point. I didn’t realize there were so many
dogs in town until we walked by…. More w/c work; have a few mores days
to wrap-up the suite of 101 double-sided paintings. Will ask about a
day trip to Mayreau but I’m guessing it’s ridiculously expensive —
probably the affluent Tobago Keys effect. Do tourists cause local prices
to rise? Thought about having a GIP coin minted to accompany the
coin/card edition. Would also serve as a good standalone promo item that
could be left anywhere to circulate. Boiled-up the last of the chow mein
noodles with the orange spicy pepper sauce. Wonder if they’d nake a good
(fat-free) snack when dried. Read that seemingly spent lithium batteries
can be revived a little by leaving them in the sun — I’m trying this
out. (Also by hitting them with a rock.) The chickens are upset and
pacing outside the door.

The trouble with Tao is its claims to indifference (irresponsible
“disengagement”) and selective acceptance of oppressive policy/regimes
(which are the real cause of the root dissatisfactions), to “avoid
harm.” I understand the attraction of such a last-resort doctrine but
it’s really not much different than rich corporate robber-barons hiding
their money offshore and retreating to private islands. It’s nearly
(tribal political) election time in SVG where the sale of passports (why
does anyone care?), VAT (why increase taxes during a recession?) and
timid socialism (yes, comrades; thieves, murderers and crooks: beat
around de bush) seem to be the only visible issues. I’d like to know
what happened to St Lucia; it’s often mentioned as a political scenario
to be avoided. Radio stations are deliberately reactionary and
bi-partisan but aggressive lawsuits against media are astonishing. My
brotha!. Eventually biblical-scripture muddies the minimal useful
dialogue. The chickens are understandably upset again this evening.
False prophets. Not hopeful.

Signs (painted lyrics) at Pebbles Jazz Club in St George, Grenada:

I WENT DOWN TO THE CROSSROAD – FELL DOWN ON MY KNEES

THEY CALL IT STORMY MONDAY, BUT TUESDAYS JUST AS BAD

ON THE SEVENTH HOUR OF THE SEVENTH DAY ON THE SEVENTH MONTH, THE SEVEN DOCTORS SAY HE WAS BORN FOR GOOD LUCK

I GAVE YOU A BRAND NEW FORD BUT YOU SAID “I WANT A CADILLAC” I BOUGHT YOU A HUNDRED DOLLAR DINNER & YOU SAID “THANKS FOR THE SNACK” I LET YOU LIVE IN MY PENTHOUSE – YOU SAID “IT’S JUST A SHACK” I GAVE YOU SEVEN CHILDREN AND NOW YOU WANNA GIVE THEM BACK

Ate all the cold and spicy chow mein noodles last night — very good as
a snack (not good dried.) Have finished-up the watercolour suite. A good
sunbathing activity. The sun and wind quickly dry deliberately shaped
puddles of color-wash. There are a couple I could ‘noodle’ around with a
little more but it all feels finished somehow. Need to buy a good set of
travel brushes, half-pans, ox gall, compartment box, and more w/c books.
Will see if I can do my walk without attracting the notice of the bully
dogs.

Took the Angelo watertaxi to Mayreau ($150EC not too bad considering
that he had make four trips — and he had lifejackets!) It’s the
smallest inhabited Grenadine Island with only 200 inhabitants, mostly
fishermen – felt a little tense and expensive. Apparently cruise ships
dump their passengers here, which would account for the big stacks of
locked-up lounge chairs on the beach. Everyone lives in the middle of
the island: something to do with the government acquiring what was a
private island and re-settling people while “Canadians” and a group of
lawyers from SV bought the rest. Righteous Robert’s brightly painted
Rasta-urant and the Catholic stone church on the hilltop with a great
view of the Cayes, were interesting to see. Electricity was introduced
in 2003. There is an elementary school, post office, a few grocery
stores, bars and medical clinic. Big HIV/AIDS sign. Apparently the local
water is risky.

My neck is still stiff from being slammed around in that little boat
yesterday. Didn’t wake-up until 6.

Thursday Feb 25: packing day in preparation for the journey back to
Grenada tomorrow morning. Charge the batteries and gadgetry. Empty the
fridge. Clean-up a little. Estimate power bill and pay Y. Dispose of the
disposables. Hand wash shirt and shorts and hang to dry overnight.
Shower in the evening. Text Bones a reminder and ask for a lifejacket if
possible. I think I’ll try sitting backwards and farther back in the
boat this time. Don’t know if I’ll bother with PSV backup tour or not. I
can call Angelo if need be, but he charges $150EC to PM.

Well, Bones finally showed-up but he first picked-up a little ‘package’
at another dock. He is a skilled boatman — a very smooth passage. I was
surprised and delighted to learn that Richard & Pam had leased (perhaps
questionable, according to E, beachfront land ($100EC/mo) and were
industriously building a modest hexagonal house of their own design. The
local children call it the “coin house,” in reference to Grenada’s
multi-sided coinage. I’m very impressed with what I’ve seen and it’s all
built visually and by hand. Thrilled to see how it all transpires and
integrates into the community. PM is certainly a tenser place to live…
I’d been back there for a few hours and the cops were on me… ^how long
have you been here; you’ve been here before; why are you taking
pictures?… (all those stories about locals remembering faces are
true)…But in truth a modestly strong swimmer could get to PSV from
PM… it’s that close. I noticed that the new VAT has dramatically
increased the price of groceries that I saw at Matthew’s — a major
player on the island. Apparently he contributed to this impressive
sounding community center above the primary school that was supposed to
provide internet access and library/media facilities to one-and-all. The
old-timers sit on LIME mobile store steps by the wharf to chat with
friends waiting for the ferry to arrive. The Osprey arrives at the dock
around noon and then mysteriously goes back out into the bay and
apparently anchors for lunch, returning at 3 p.m.

Staying at K’s Caribbean Cottage Club ($170US $440EC for 3 nights –
ouch!); very nice 2 bdrm apartment with high pitched ceilings, lots of
wood and louvered windows and doors. Making recordings from the porch at night. You can glimpse the sea over the palm trees in front. Bought some
tasty BBQ chicken last night ($3.50EC) from a lady down the street. Rum
‘n’ coke and plantain chips. This morning walked down to Grand Anse Bay
and beach then back here with some groceries (big bottle of Coke, dry
roasted peanuts, tonic water, and souvenir spice collection which I
should have purchased from the market in St George where they’d likely
be fresher and cheaper. Also wandered around town: library and museum
closed, Pebbles Jazz club with attached art gallery (closed), Scare Dem
World music shop (Mighty Sparrow CD copy $15EC), vegetable, fish, and
meat markets. Made a nice little film of a big LCD billboard. Walked
around Ft George (closed) taking 12hr photos of the walls. Back to the
apt again where I read some tourist publications. Thought about taking a
Sunsation tour on Sunday but unfortunately they’re not offering any that
day. “Tutti Frutti” Tour ($80US) : St George Stadium, Picturesque West
Coast, Concord Waterfall, Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Station, Carib’s
Leap, River antoine Rum Distillery, Pearls Airport (which I think is a
raceway), Grenville, Rainforest at Grand Etang Crater Lake. I could ask
the Crabman taxi for a similar tour but I think Katrina said he charges
$200US which be ok split between a few people but no one of the
semi-permanent guests here would want to go. So I might just visit the
two botanical gardens instead. Reading a Frank Zappa biography that was
in the apt. Phoned to confirm my flight home on Monday.

Signs (painted lyrics) at Pebbles Jazz Club in St George, Grenada:

HEY EVERYBODY, LET’S HAVE SOME FUN, YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE AND WHEN YOU’RE DEAD, YOU’RE DONE

IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING

BIRDS FLYING HIGH – YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL, SUN IN THE SKY – YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL, BREEZE DRIFTIN’ BY, YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL – I’M FEELING GOOD

WHEN SHE WALKS SHE’S LIKE A SAMBA THAT SWINGS SO COOL AND SWAYS SO GENTLE THAT WHEN SHE PASSES, EACH ONE SHE PASSES GOES “A-A-AH”

Nearly robbed – at least I can’t see anything missing – last night.
Someone used a length of stiff wire to try and hook things on a table
next to the window louvers. At first I thought they had stolen my PDA
case with wireless modem and SD card inside, but then I spotted where it
had dropped on the floor. (There appears to be wifi in the apt but I
haven’t the desire to try it out.) I actually considered such a remote
possibility before going to bed at 9, and considered moving my recording
equipment inside the locked bedroom, but finally just slid most
everything off to the far end of the table. There’s a locking gate and
barbed wire frost fence, some of the windows are barred and chained, or
nailed shut; there’s supposedly a watchman (big help), and a mastif-like
black dog. I wonder if it wasn’t the beatific smiling rasta kid (Tille)
that helps-out here — he came by to relay a message about the
Sunsations tour and furtively noticed my minidisc equipment set-up on
the balcony. I asked K about security/safety my first day and of
course she downplayed it, saying that once a guest had her handbag
grabbed but local people pounced on the thief. While trying
unsuccessfully lock a door, she told me that she was an Italian ex-pat
yoga instructor (with long blonde dreads), that wasn’t ‘very practical,’
so I’m thinking her employees may take advantage of their situation. The
former owner lived in this apartment, which would explain the security
fortifications. There are workers here as well adding some structures to
other buildings, but it must have been an inside job; no one else would
have had that specific intimate knowledge of building layout and have
likely previously crafted the wire-tool. Also other things outside:
books, laundry, cushions were not disturbed. The previous night I left a
lithium battery out to hold down some paper receipts. It was there as I
encountered the ‘maid’ hanging the laundry in the breezeway but gone
when I returned, the receipts had been ‘thoughtfully’ placed under a
book on another table. I’ll be leaving the lights and TV on all the time
today So not at all like Big Sand where you safely leave your screened
windows open all day/night. St George is quite Westernized and I imagine
is considered ‘progressive,’ attracting an affluent, comfort-seeking
tourist. Earthquake in Chlie, tsunami in Japan; alerts in Hawaii.

K talked me into going to some Grand Anse beach where we (her son and
young handsome boyfriend who seems to want to be a cop and surrogate
father), had an expensive and poor lunch. Left early for the airport
next morning where I repacked my slightly overweight luggage and the
security people tore apart my carry-on luggage, inspecting every item
and insisting that I go back_out and put some items (a bicycle-cable,
lock and 9V battery) in my checked-luggage. While I was out they stole
items from my carry-on bag!! I can’t recommend that anyone visit
Grenada; I’ll just say that Grenadinians are much different from
Vincentians. Finally flew home. Just click-on OK.

October 19, 2009

ONE-THIRD OF DENGUE CALIFORNIA COFFEE CHILD BRIDES AND MASSIVE MADAGASCAR IVORY TEA FARMER COPS KILL SEVEN NEW GLOWING ‘FORCED ACQUISITION’ EARTHQUAKES, MONKEYS, MOSQUITOES, MUSHROOMS, TOBAGO MURDERS, SOUTH PACIFIC MALARIA, SECRETIVE RITUALS AND DERAILED PASSENGER TRAINS WITH BURMESE MIGRANT WORKERS HARASSED BY GANGS, PREFER HILTON HOTEL HORROR, ILLEGAL XINHUA FISHING, MALAYSIAN MALARIA MAYHEM, OVER BANGLADESH BORDER FENCING, POACHER BOATS, AND ALARMING NICARAGUAN CLIMATE CHANGE FOOD CRISIS AS RWANDA GENOCIDE’S GREENLIGHT RADIO STOCK EXCHANGE SURGES KILL THREE, WOUND 34 — HUNDREDS OF VENEZUELAN FOLK CORPSES TRAPPED FOR 100 YEARS IN KERMADEC, EASTER ISLANDS PONZI PRISON RAT-KILLING, ADMINISTRATIVE BUNGLED THAILAND TSUNAMI UNDERPANTS THIEF’S $60 MILLION PNG PATROL LOCK-UP

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Kenyan authorities have seized almost 700kg of ivory worth millions of
dollars in a night-time raid at the country’s main airport. The Kenya
Wildlife Service says a similar amount was intercepted in the Ethiopian
capital, Addis Ababa. Both consignments – with a potential value of more
than $1.5m (£938,000) – were reportedly headed for Thailand. Poaching is on
the increase mostly owing to high demand for ivory in Asia. It is not yet
clear whether the ivory, recovered at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport, had
been trafficked from other parts of the continent or was from East Africa.
Twenty years ago the world’s elephant population was plummeting and the
trade in ivory was banned. But over the past decade the ban has been
periodically relaxed and occasional supervised ivory auctions have been
allowed.

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck the remote
Kermadec Islands region. The quake occurred at a depth of 62 km and its
epicentre was about 260 km north east of Raoul Island. There were no
immediate reports of any damage or injuries. No tsunami warning was issued
following the quake. The islands, which are often hit by severe quakes,
have no permanent population except a small New Zealand Department of
Conservation team on Raoul Island.

Madagascar’s rival political parties have agreed on key posts in a
transitional government. Andry Rajoelina, who led a military coup that
ousted President Marc Ravalomanana, will remain as president. However, Mr
Rajoelina will not be allowed to run for the post in Madagascar’s next
elections, which must be held by November 2010 under the deal. The newly
appointed prime minister is Eugene Mangalaza, who is a member of the same
political party as another former president, Didier Ratsiraka, who was
ousted himself by Mr Ravalomanana in 2002. The deal is expected to end the
political crisis that has enveloped Madagascar since Rajoelina took power.
The political struggle has led to the deaths of more than 100 people and
hampered the island’s tourism industry.

The disasters this week show people on Pacific shores still lack basic
protection from tsunamis The official responses to this week’s double
disaster – first, the Samoan tsunami, and then the Sumatran earthquakes –
again reveal worrying flaws in the early warning systems that are the
first, and usually only, lines of defence against the natural hazards that
regularly afflict the world’s most seismically unstable regions. When the
8.3 magnitude undersea earthquake struck, 190km south of the Samoan
islands, it was registered instantly at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre
on Ewa Beach, Oahu, which then issued tsunami warnings to a number of
Pacific island groups, including New Zealand and Samoa.

The fencing project of India – Bangladesh border is expected to complete by
March 2010. The development of fence had been put off due to issues like
harsh topography and pending land acquisition case, cites a home ministry
statement. The other factors which delayed the fencing of the India –
Bangladesh border include need for realignment of fencing, presence of
human life within 150 yards of border, objections from Bangladesh Rifles
for the development of fences within 150 yards etc. The working season
available for the construction of the fence was also a very restricted one.
Approximately 2,649.74 km of the total 3,436.56 km have been fenced till
now. The project is now expected to reach completion by March, 2010, it
said. About 3,326.82 km of border roads of the sanctioned 4,326.24 km have
also been constructed. The 2,840 km India – Bangladesh border will be
floodlighted, which is expected to cost about Rs.1,327 crore. This is
expected to get over by 2011-2012. The work is being carried out by CPWD,
NBCC and NPCC.

With no outside help in sight, villagers used their bare hands to dig out
rotting corpses, four days after landslides triggered by a huge earthquake
obliterated four hamlets in western Indonesia. At least 644 people were
buried and presumed dead in the hillside villages in Padang Pariaman
district on the western coast of Sumatra island. If confirmed it would
raise the death toll in the 7.6-magnitude earthquake to more than 1,300,
with about 3,000 missing. The extent of the disaster in remote villages was
only now becoming clear. So far, aid and rescue efforts have been
concentrated in the region’s capital, Padang, a city of 900,000 people
where several tall buildings collapsed. But the quake was equally
devastating in the hills of Pariaman, where entire hillsides were shaken
loose, sending a cascade of mud, rocks and trees through at least four
villages. Vice President Jusuf Kalla said there was little hope of finding
anyone alive. “We can be sure that they are dead. So now we are waiting for
burials.”

Police in Uganda have arrested and extradited a man who is among the most
wanted suspects from the Rwandan genocide. The 100-day killing rampage led
to the loss of an estimated 10 percent of Rwanda’s population. The 100-day
killing rampage led to the loss of an estimated 10 percent of Rwanda’s
population. IIdephonse Nizeyimana was picked up at a hotel in Rubaga, a
suburb of the capital, Kampala, by the National Central Bureau of Interpol.
He was transferred to a U.N. detention facility in Arusha, Tanzania, where
the tribunal is based. Top officials who allegedly took part in the
genocide, such as army generals and politicians, are tried by the tribunal.
Nizeyimana is one of the four top accused who are earmarked by the
prosecutor to be tried by the tribunal in Arusha after their arrest as part
of the ICTR completion strategy. Of a list of 13 fugitives, he is the
second to be arrested in less than two months.

Three major earthquakes struck within an hour and 10 minutes near Vanuatu
in the South Pacific, prompting a tsunami warning that was quickly lifted.
The quakes struck near Vanuatu in the South Pacific. They were part of
series of nine moderate-to-major quakes that rattled the region in just
over four hours. The first quake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck at 9:03
a.m. at a depth of 35 km (22 miles) and an epicenter 295 km (180 miles)
north-northwest of Luganville, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. A second quake,
with a magnitude of 7.7, struck 15 minutes later at the same depth and an
epicenter of 340 km (210 miles) north-northwest of Luganville. The third
quake, with a magnitude of 7.1, struck at 10:13 a.m. at about the same
depth and an epicenter of 280 km (175 miles) north-northwest of Luganville.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued and then quickly lifted a
regional tsunami warning and watch for parts of the Pacific near the first
earthquake’s epicenter. The first data from a buoy at Luganville on Vanuatu
detected a tsunami wave of 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) at Luganville on
Vanuatu.

One of the suspects in the killing of two Tobago teenagers was shot dead by
police officers in Moruga. Gary Mohammed was killed around 10.15 p.m. A
party of police officers approached a wooden structure in a forested area
in St Mary’s, Moruga, and were fired upon, officers said. In returning
fire, Mohammed was shot several times and died at the scene. The
32-year-old, of Ste Madeleine, San Fernando, last lived in Tobago. The
search continues for a second suspect, who was also shot. The battered
bodies of Kolen Salandy, 16, and Rondell Thomas, 15, were found in French
Fort, Scarborough, Tobago. Their bodies bore marks of violence to the neck
and throat, and both were found with their underpants and trousers pulled
down to their knees. Autopsies revealed the teens died as a result of
broken necks. A manhunt was launched for the suspects after they were
spotted in Princes Town. The men fled to Trinidad by boat after the
teenagers’ bodies were found, investigators said. They believed the men
were seeking assistance to leave the island by sea. As officers search for
the second suspect, medical institutions have been informed to be on the
alert for anyone needing attention for gunshot wounds.

Stepping off the plane, tourists are welcomed to Easter Island with a
garland of flowers. They find themselves on a tiny dot in the Pacific
Ocean, 3,700km west of Chile, to which the island belongs, and 2,000km east
of Pitcairn Island. All around are the white-flecked waves of the Pacific.
“What perfect peace,” exclaimed Thor Heyerdahl, a Norwegian explorer and
author when he arrived in the mid-1950s. He might not say so today. Some
70,000 visitors now arrive each year, up from just 14,000 in the mid-1990s.
Apart from the island’s utter remoteness, what attracts the tourists are
the moai, the mysterious giant stone statues erected by the ancestors of
the indigenous Rapa Nui people. They are testament to a complex society of
up to 20,000 people which later shrank to a shadow as a result of
calamitous environmental stress and deforestation, a cautionary tale
narrated in “Collapse”, a book by Jared Diamond, a polymath at the
University of California, Los Angeles. Today Easter Island once again faces
environmental threats. Food comes from Chile, either by ship or on the
seven weekly flights from Santiago (there are also two from Tahiti). The
visitors “all pull the chain,” Luz Zasso, the mayoress, notes acidly. The
absence of a sewage system is threatening the cleanliness of the island’s
underground water sources. But it would be hard to install one without
damaging archaeological sites. Electricity comes from diesel-powered
generators. Power cuts are frequent. Rubbish is piling up. Many Easter
Islanders are worried. Tourists should be limited to 50,000 a year and be
preferably well-heeled, argues Marcelo Pont, the vice-president of the
Council of Elders, an advisory body. Visitors from the Chilean mainland
attract particular resentment. “They’re interested in sun, sand and
swimming pools, not the island,” says Edgard Herevi of the local chamber of
tourism. Tourism has brought migrants from the mainland, too. The
population is now 5,000, up from 3,300 in 2002, of whom only half are now
of Rapa Nui descent. Locals complain that the incomers are competing in the
handicrafts trade, carving wooden moai and selling shell necklaces.

Thousands of Venezuelans congregated for candlelit rituals on a remote
mountainside where adherents make an annual pilgrimage to pay homage to an
indigenous goddess known as Maria Lionza. Along with Santeria, Venezuela is
home to other folk religions, such as the sect surrounding the Indian
goddess Maria Lionza, an indigenous woman who according to tradition was
born on Sorte Mountain and whose cult has spread to Colombia, Panama,
Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Central America.

The Global Hunger Index placed Kenya among the world’s most food deficient
countries. The report by International Food Policy Research Institute
(IFPRI), Concern Worldwide and Welt Hunger Hilfe ranks countries on a
100-point scale with 0 being the best score, but Kenya had only 20.1 per
cent. In ranking the country is placed 29th in the world among the
countries with poor food security. Kenya is a hotspot on hunger
vulnerability because of the perennial droughts and insecurity. The world
has been dealing with the food security since 1976. But today close to 900
million people are still food insecure and Kenya is placed among the dark
section of the report. Democratic Republic of Congo was ranked the worst
followed by Burundi, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, Chad and Ethiopia. Egypt,
Tunisia, Algeria and Libya were identified as the countries in Africa that
have shown consistency in food security.

In “Law Abiding Citizen,” a sociopath goes on a rampage, killing major
officials in Philadelphia and holding the entire city hostage. He
essentially is a character elevated out of the ranks of horror films who
instead of killing teenagers reacting to hormones or other socio-biological
imperatives destroys adults reacting to career dictates. As the title
insists, this is a law-abiding citizen who is irate with a justice “system”
that allowed one of the killers of his wife and daughter to get off with a
light sentence. Does a social message lurk within the context of rapes,
dismemberment, bomb explosions and political assassinations? No, of course
not. That’s just the cover for filmmakers F. Gary Gray and writer Kurt
Wimmer to indulge in calculated genre mischief that mixes horror elements
with a suspense thriller. The script does create sufficient tension and
intrigue to hook viewers, along with a photogenic, hard-working cast, so
“Citizen,” should stir some mid-October box-office action. Gerard Butler
(who also is a producer) plays a supposedly average guy who witnesses the
slaughter of his wife and daughter by home-invasion robbers. Curiously,
this pair seems more interested in being outrageously sadistic than in
grabbing anything worth fencing, but that’s so an audience will understand
these really are bad people who deserve to die. Jamie Foxx plays a Philly
assistant D.A. without much hard evidence who plea-bargains an agreement
with one sleaze ball to testify against the other to win at least a death
verdict against one and a murder plea from the other.

Incidents of Thai gangs harassing and robbing Burmese migrant workers in
Southern Thailand are on the rise, claim several migrant workers. A Mon
migrant worker, employed at a rural rubber plantation in Hat Yai district
in Trang Province in Southern Thailand, said that he and his wife were
robbed of by a gang of three Thai teenagers. The gang stole 440 baht and a
cell phone. Nai Myint Aung, aged 30, said that he and eight of his friends
are already paying 50 baht per month to a different Thai gang, and have
been doing so for the past eight months. Nai Myint Aung said that if he or
his friends fail to pay the monthly extortion fee, the gang follows them
back to their homes and harasses their families. Nai Myint Aung also said
that he left his boss’s home, where he had received his paycheck of 7000
baht, and entered the local market. The gang of Thai teenagers followed him
from the marketplace to his neighborhood. Nai Myint Aung claimed that the
gang stopped his motorbike and seized his wife who accompanied him,
threatening the pair with a knife. The gang then searched his wife’s body
and stole 440 baht and her cellular phone. A Thai neighbor of the pair,
a-35 year-old man, saw the Nai Myint Aung and his wife being attacked, and
phoned the police, causing the gang to scatter. Nai Myint Aung said that
his wife had luckily had the foresight to stow his paycheck in her
brassiere, and thus the pair managed to escape the attack without losing
the 7000 baht he’d just received.

Officials say the sales have fuelled demand for ivory in Asian countries,
especially China, contributing to a sharp increase in elephant poaching. So
far this year poachers in Kenya have killed 128 elephants for their ivory;
last year 98 were killed. In July, Kenyan authorities intercepted 16
elephant tusks and two rhinoceros horns being illegally exported to Laos
from Mozambique. Some wildlife experts have attributed the increase in
elephant poaching to the presence of Chinese workers in Africa. With demand
for ivory products increasing back home, some Chinese workers on low
salaries in Kenya are reported to have become middlemen in the ivory trade.
And because of the high demand for ivory across Asia, the price of ivory
has shot up and can fetch more than $1,000 a kilo.

A magnitude-5.8 earthquake struck central Italy, causing buildings to
collapse in the historic centre of L’Aquila and raising fears of
fatalities. Rome, Abruzzo and other parts of central Italy were hit by the
quake, whose epicentre was in the area of Abruzzo’s capital, L’Aquila, at a
five-km depth. L’Aquila residents were shaken from sleep and ran out in
panic onto the city’s streets. Emergency services authorities said the
quake struck at 3.32 a.m. with a magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale. The
US Geological Survey initially reported the strength of the quake at 6.7
before lowering it to 6.3. In the hours before the earthquake, two tremors
had occurred with magnitudes of 3.5 and 3.9.

Once such warnings are received, it is up to local authorities to pass them
on to their coastal inhabitants by whatever methods have been agreed, with
instant automated text messaging among the most widely used techniques.
Text messaging is of particular value in the event of locally generated
tsunamis, when the window of warning is usually a matter of minutes, rather
than hours. But those Samoans who felt the tremor and waited for the text
that would tell them whether to head inland waited in vain, for no message
was sent out. And had anyone turned down the radio or television so as not
to miss the incoming text alert, they would have missed the islands’ only
warning – given out on local radio just as the first of two giant waves
began battering the islands’ southern shores. On New Zealand’s North
Island, meanwhile, several hundred people received their “instant” text
alert some three hours late, by which time the tsunami warning had already
been cancelled. The messaging service has now been suspended, and an
inquiry is already under way. But technological failure is not the only
factor that contributed to the death toll, which currently stands at 169.
Many of those killed were caught by the morning’s second wave as they
headed to the beaches to pick up the fish that had been washed ashore by
the first wave. Given that tsunamis usually take the form of a series of
powerful waves, sometimes even hours apart, such a fatal lack of awareness
speaks of a wider failure to pass on even basic tsunami knowledge and
preparedness to the islands’ coastal inhabitants. Education remains the
only truly effective means of reversing the effects of disaster amnesia,
but the last island-wide safety drill took place in October 2007, in
response to a tsunami earlier that year that killed 22 people on the nearby
Solomon Islands. Ironically, a similar tsunami safety drill had been
scheduled for American Samoa but the real thing arrived unannounced
instead.

Where the villages once stood, there was only mud and broken palm trees —
the mountainsides appeared gouged bare as if by a gigantic backhoe. The
villages “were sucked 30 meters deep into the earth. Even the mosque’s
minaret, taller than 20 meters disappeared. In Jumanak village, some 200 to
300 wedding guests at a restaurant were buried alive, including the bride.
Ichi, 19, had come back to the village for her wedding. “When the landslide
came, the party had just finished. I heard a big boom of the avalanche. I
ran outside and saw the trees fall down,” said Iseh, who like many
Indonesians uses only one name. “I tried to get in front of the house with
my brothers. We were so afraid. Landslides started coming from all
directions. I just ran and then I waited,” he said. Iseh says he knows of
only 10 people from the village who survived. He doesn’t know the fate of
his parents or brothers. The adjacent villages of Pulau Aiya, Lubuk Lawe
and Limo Koto Timur were also swept away. Survivors in the area said no
government aid or search teams had arrived, even four days after the quake.
Only about 20 local policemen had come with a power shovel and body bags.
“My relatives were all killed, washed away by the landslide,” said Dola
Jambak, a 48-year-old trader, picking through the rubble of his house. “I
lost seven relatives. Now all I can do is wait for the search teams. But
they don’t come.” The landslides cut off all roads, and the villages were
accessible only by foot. Jumanak is reached after walking about four miles
(six kilometers) for 1 1/2 hours.

In the attacks that started in April 1994, Hutu militias and members of the
general population sought out Tutsis and moderate Hutus, and went on a
100-day killing rampage. Civilians and children got incentives to take part
in the atrocities, including promises of land belonging to their Tutsi
neighbors. It was one of the most brutal genocides in modern history. Some
figures put the number of dead at 1 million — 10 percent of the population
of the central African nation. Millions more were raped and disfigured. A
whole generation of children lost their parents. Nizeyimana was a captain
the Rwanda Armed Forces. He is accused of exercising authority over
soldiers and personnel through a chain of command, and allegedly sent a
section of soldiers to execute of Rosalie Gicanda, a former queen of Rwanda
who was a “symbolic figure for all Tutsis.” This marks the second time
Uganda has cooperated to make an arrest. The tribunal has commended the
Interpol and the Ugandan authorities for their close cooperation.”

Malaria in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu has been dramatically reduced
through an effective control strategy. There were 50,000 fewer cases of
Malaria in the Solomon Islands in 2008 compared with 2003. An effective
prevention and control strategy comprising of long lasting insecticide
treated bednet distribution, focal point indoor residual spraying, early
diagnosis and treatment and active case detection has had dramatic impact
on the annual incidence rate of malaria in both the Solomon Islands and
Vanuatu. The annual incidence rate (which is a measure of number of
confirmed cases of malaria per 1,000 population) has been reduced from 198
/1,000 to 84/1,000 in the Solomon Islands over the five year period ending
December 2008, while in Vanuatu it has decreased from 74/1,000 to 14 /
1,000 in the same period. Both countries had now been able to move from
control to pilot elimination as a result of the success of the Global Fund
financed programs. The capacity of both countries to scale up interventions
has further been improved as a result of AusAID’s support to the national
malaria strategies, particularly in the area of elimination and treatment.
The measures in place resulted in a significant decrease in the number of
confirmed malaria cases in the Solomon Islands compared to 2003, easing the
burden on the national health systems and budget, and reducing production
time lost due to malaria, which is a contributing factor that constrains
economic growth. A particular emphasis will be on strengthening health
systems in Pacific Islands countries and territories (PICTs).

A second pulse of the wave was 10 centimeters. It looked like a very small
wave. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The two major
quakes that followed the first one were aftershocks. When there’s a big
quake, the pattern they follow is after the first quake, a second and then
a third. Those are obviously related. At the Hotel Le Paris in Noumea, the
capital of New Caledonia, the manager said that she felt the shake but had
not seen any damage. On Espiritu Santo Island in Vanuatu, dive-shop owner
Rehan Syed said he was aware of no reports of damages or injuries. “We have
the sun out and winds are pretty normal. Pretty cloudy skies but nothing
more than that.” “We felt the quake (my chair and my keyboard moved) but
did not take too much notice as we live with shakes every week,” said John
Nicholls of Vanuatu Hotels in an e-mail. At the New Caledonia Hotel, guests
were evacuated to higher ground, General Manager Torani George said, adding
that he had felt “nothing, nothing at all.”

Greenpeace today called for the arrest of the captain of the Japanese ship
Koyu Maru 3, which Greenpeace caught fishing illegally in the Exclusive
Economic Zone of the Cook Islands. “The Koyu Maru 3 and other pirate
fishing vessels are stealing fish for their own profit, depriving the
people of the Cook Islands of a vital source of income,” said Josua
Turaganivalu, Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace Australia Pacific on board
the Esperanza. “These pirates of the Pacific must be stopped from
plundering ocean life and robbing local communities.” The Greenpeace ship
Esperanza, campaigning to end the destruction of the world’s oceans,
encountered the Koyu Maru 3 hauling in its longline and catching tuna
within Cook Islands waters, where they have no license to fish. Greenpeace
provided the Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources and the Fisheries
Agency of Japan with photographic evidence of the illegal activity.
Greenpeace demands the Japanese government order Koyu Maru 3, which is
owned by Tokyo-based World Tuna Co Ltd, to stop its illegal fishing
activities and sailto the nearest port for further investigation. Globally,
more than US $9 billion dollars is lost each year to pirate fishing fleets.
Pirate fishers, who reap their profits in European, American and Asian
markets, are threatening fish stocks as well as depriving Pacific
communities of much-needed income. Pirate fishing in the Pacific accounted
for an average of 36% of its total fisheries, much higher than the global
average of 19%. “The government of Japan must show leadership in tackling
illegal fishing by its vessels in the Pacific. Japan must also take the
lead among major fishing nations and support efforts by Pacific countries
to reduce fishing activities in the region by half and close all four
pockets of international waters to fishing to allow tuna stocks to
recover,” added Wakao Hanaoka, Oceans Campaigner of Greenpeace Japan.
Long-liners like the Koyu Maru 3 mainly target bigeye, yellowfin and
albacore tuna, destined for sashimi markets in Japan and other countries
where this food has become popular. Some Pacific tuna stocks, such as
bigeye and yellowfin tuna, are being fished beyond their limits.

There is almost no unemployment, and thanks to tourist revenues and
government spending, living standards are similar to those on the mainland.
But locals worry about the future. In response, Chile’s government is
proposing laws that would beef up the island’s government, give the Rapa
Nui more say in it and allow them to control immigration. It also plans to
raise the entrance fee to the Rapa Nui National Park, where most of the
main sights are, from $10 to $60 for foreigners. The Rapa Nui Parliament, a
radical group that split from the Council of Elders, is calling for
independence. Its supporters blocked the airport’s runway for two days in
August. It wants to expel Chileans, even those who have lived much of their
life on the island, unless they have a longstanding relationship with a
Rapa Nui or are the parent of a child with Rapa Nui blood. The group also
dreams of ditching Chile’s peso and forming a Polynesian currency union,
including Australia and New Zealand. Such claims are merely a sign of
economic frustration, argues Sergio Rapu, an archaeologist and former
governor of the island. Perhaps. But the question they raise is whether
greater autonomy to run their own affairs would help the Rapa Nui to avoid
a repeat of the ecological collapse they failed to prevent centuries ago.
Sometimes one has to take drastic steps in Chile (or elsewhere) to get
noticed. The protest entirely is about the Islanders wishing to control who
arrives and who does not, and their model is the Galapagos control, also
for eco reasons. The Interior Minister pushed through an on arrival
registration system after the protest, but the Supreme Court disallowed
that as unconstitutional. The problem is the number of Chileans from
poverty stricken – yes, very poor – Chile who see Rapanui as a place with
lots of money to be made. And it is. So, go to Rapanui, take up with a
local girl, produce a child and stay until things don’t work out and, then,
abandon the island, partner and child. Why would a local girl be interested
in a “roto chileno”, Chilean slang for any-old-common-bastard (rough
translation)? Simple: older islanders make it very difficult for Rapanui to
marry Rapanui since all are “related”, even if people really are not sure
what that kinship might be, which is when I get the odd pleading email for
advice. Not very nice what the Chileans do and you can see why the Rapanui
don’t like those “weeds”, as such Chileans are called. Normal tourists from
anywhere are fine, budget or rich: there is accommodation for all types.

Many smoked cigars in purification rituals, while others closed their eyes
lying face-up surrounded by candles and elaborate designs drawn on the
ground with white powder. Some calling themselves the “Vikings” pricked
their tongues with razor blades, drawing blood that ran down their chins
and chests. They said they could not reveal the esoteric secrets that
govern their traditions. The rituals are held every year in the name of the
indigenous goddess Maria Lionza, who according to legend came from the
mountain at Sorte, near the northwestern town of Chivacoa. Some repeated
the word “strength” while dancing atop flaming embers in a ceremony
honoring the goddess at the start of the annual rituals. Many camped in
tents while dedicating several days to the spiritual ceremonies. The
traditions centered on Maria Lionza are hundreds of years old and draw on
elements of the Afro-Caribbean religion Santeria and indigenous rituals, as
well as Catholicism. Believers often ask for spiritual healing or
protection from witchcraft, or thank the goddess for curing an illness.
Venezuela is predominantly Roman Catholic. The church disapproves of the
folk religion but has long since abandoned its attempts to suppress it. A
statue on a Caracas highway divider honors Maria Lionza, depicting her
naked and sitting astride a wild tapir. Followers of the sect regularly
leave offerings of flowers, liquor, coins or fruit at shrines honoring the
goddess or other folk saints.

Conflicts, climate change and poor policies are blamed for the hunger in
countries with food insecurity. The index ranks countries based on child
malnutrition, child death rates and calorie deficient population. High
rates of hunger are strongly linked to gender inequalities, especially in
terms of literacy and access to education. In Kenya, the report gives
special mention of the rural residents and the urban poor in the slums. Two
groups need nutritional interventions because of droughts and the global
financial crisis. There is no term to describe the water scarcity in Kenya
although it receives sufficient rains. Only four per cent of rainwater is
used while 96 per cent is left to flow to the ocean. The Government needs
to do much more to correct this. In Korogocho, about 150,000 people live in
an area of 1.5km2, making it one of the most densely populated slums in the
city. As a result, 3.5 per cent of children suffer from acute malnutrition
and 37.9 per cent from chronic malnutrition. Gender inequality In addition
to inadequate access to affordable foods, a poor health environment, and
low coverage of health services, the survey showed poor childcare practices
were underlying cause of malnutrition in the slum. Hunger is also related
to gender inequality. In rural Kenya, 75 per cent of women are doing much
work but with the ongoing drought, they have been weakened from looking for
water. Furthermore, men are able to move to towns leaving their wives
behind making them vulnerable. Women were encouraged to acquire education
and look for work to earn their own income. This would increase their
influence in making decisions about buying of food, health care, and other
essential needs for their children. The silent hunger crisis — affecting
one sixth of all of humanity — poses a serious risk for world peace and
security.

The audience is not allowed to understand much about the legal case — the
evidence or the pretrial rulings. Nor does one know much about either key
character, the attorney who agrees to the deal or the father and husband
who feels that justice is not served. But because the audience does witness
selected parts of the murder scene, they will understand that the greater
villain eventually will walk free. Tellingly, no judge, lawyer nor anyone
else — not even the husband who blacked out — has this God-like
perspective. Ten years roll by, and Butler’s revenge-minded victim is ready
for action. Oh, by the way, Butler is not an average guy, after all. He
actually is a secret weapon — no, better than that, he is a “Brain,” whom
U.S. spy agencies employ to kill people anywhere around the globe in a
ghostlike fashion. He’s going after anybody connected with the decade-old
case, which more or less means anybody who happened to be living in Philly
at the time. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen everything you need to
know about the murderous havoc this man rains down on the city. No attempt
is made to make either combatant credible. Foxx’s character goes along with
SWAT teams as they hunt bad guys. And Butler’s nut job couldn’t care less
about his dead wife and child. He’s having too much fun killing people. The
film is smoothly produced, though Brian Tyler’s score is too much like an
excitable cheerleader. Jonathan Sela’s photography and Alex Hajdu’s design
sustain a noirish Philadelphia that works well with the criminal mayhem.

Nai Myint Aung claimed that he fears that the gang will continue to cause
problems for his family, as the group likely remembers his motorbike
number. His Thai neighbor, who came to his rescue the day of his attack,
allegedly urged him to report the incident to the police, but Nai Mynit
Aung says he fears that reporting the gang to the Thai police will only
result in more violence. Reportedly, his fellow workers at the rubber
plantation where he is employed have heard rumors of a Thai gang killing a
family in the area who reported them to the authorities, and he does not
want his family to meet a similar fate. Mi Hlaing, Nai Myint Aung’s wife,
said, “The Thai gangs know that most of the Mon migrant workers go to the
market [once a week] to buy goods. That’s why the gangs perform a robbery
every week on the way [to the market].” Mi Hlaing added that she and her
family previously lived in Thailand’s Phanga Province, but that after an
incident 2 months ago where a 50-year-old Thai man attempted to rape her,
she and her husband decided to move to the Hat Yai area. A Mon worker named
Mi Mee, from Pattaya, also in Southern Thailand, claims that during the
last ten days, Thai gangs have stolen a gold necklace, 2000 baht, and three
mobile phones from migrant workers in the Pattya area; the rape of a
migrant woman in the area has also been attributed to gang activity. Mi Mee
explained that migrant workers in Southern Thailand feel that they must
face the abuse of Thai gangs in the area with patience, because the Burmese
workers need their jobs in Thailand too much to cause trouble.

Bangladesh rewarded a farmer who killed more than 83,000 rats, and the
government launched a nationwide campaign to kill millions more in an
effort to reduce destruction by the rodents and thus cut food imports.
Mokhairul Islam, 40, won first prize of a 14-inch color television for
killing 83,450 rats in the past nine months in the Gazipur district near
Dhaka, the capital. Islam said he used mainly poison to kill the rats at
his poultry farm, collecting their tails for proof. “This is an exciting
moment,” he said. “I will continue to kill them.” Bangladesh imports 3
million tons of food annually, and the Ministry of Agriculture estimates
that rodents destroy 1.5 million to 2 million tons of food annually. The
import of food can be cut by at least half if this year’s campaign is
successful.

Geoscientists have said that the 2007 Solomon Island earthquake may point
to previously unknown increased earthquake and tsunami risks because of the
unusual tectonic plate geography and the sudden change in direction of the
earthquake. On April 1, 2007, a tsunami-generating earthquake of magnitude
8.1 occurred East of Papua New Guinea off the coast of the Solomon Islands.
The subsequent tsunami killed about 52 people, destroyed much property and
was larger than expected. This area has some of the fastest moving plates
on Earth. It also has some of the youngest oceanic crust subducting
anywhere. Subduction occurs when one tectonic plate moves beneath another
plate. In this area, there are actually three plates involved, two of them
subducting beneath the third while sliding past each other. The Australia
Plate and the Solomon Sea/Woodlark Basin Plate are both moving beneath the
Pacific Plate. At the same time, the Australia and Solomon Sea/Woodlark
Basin Plates are sliding past each other. The Australia Plate moves beneath
the Pacific Plate at about 4 inches a year and the Solomon Sea Plate moves
beneath the Pacific Plate at about 5.5 inches per year. As if this were not
complicated enough, the Australia and Solomon Sea plates are also moving in
slightly different directions. The earthquake crossed from one plate
boundary – the Australia-Pacific boundary – into another – the
Solomon/Woodlark-Pacific boundary. The event began in the Australia Plate
and moved across into the Solomon Sea Plate and had two centers of energy
separated by lower energy areas. Normally we think earthquakes should stop
at the plate boundaries. Seismologists do not expect young sections of the
Earths crust to be locations of major earthquakes, so the Solomon Island
earthquake was unusual from the beginning. Other places along subduction
zones had this type of geography in the past and might show up
geologically. At present, there are locations along the margins of Central
America and southern South America that could potentially host similar
earthquakes. A better understanding of earthquakes zones like the Solomon
Islands may help residents along other complex plate boundaries to better
prepare for localized regions of unusually large uplift and tsunami
hazards.

More than a third of the world’s child brides are from India, leaving
children at an increased risk of exploitation despite the Asian giant’s
growing modernity and economic wealth. Nearly 25 million women in India
were married in the year 2007 by the age of 18. Children in India, Nepal
and Pakistan may be engaged or even married before they turned 10. Millions
of children are also being forced to work in harmful conditions, or face
violence and abuse at home and outside, suffering physical and
psychological harm with wide-reaching, and sometimes irreparable effects,
the report said. A society cannot thrive if its youngest members are forced
into early marriage, abused as sex workers or denied their basic rights.
Despite rising literacy levels and a ban on child marriage, tradition and
religious practices are keeping the custom alive in India, as well as in
Nepal and Pakistan. More than half the world’s child brides are in south
Asia, which also accounts for more than half the unregistered births,
leaving children beyond the reach and protection of state services and
unable to attend school or access basic healthcare. Only 6 percent of all
births in Afghanistan and 10 percent in Bangladesh were registered from
2000-08, compared to 41 percent in India and 73 percent in the tiny
Maldives. Also, about 44 million, or 13 percent of all children in south
Asia, are engaged in labour, with more than half in India. Children in the
region have also been seriously affected by insurgency and instability, as
well as natural disasters. Especially in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal,
past or ongoing conflicts have broken down most child protection systems,
leaving children especially vulnerable. Trafficking of children for labour,
prostitution or domestic services is widespread, especially within
Bangladesh and India, and within the region, as well as to Europe and the
Middle East. Insufficient emphasis has been placed on protecting child
victims of trafficking and ensuring that any judicial proceedings brought
against them are child sensitive.

The situation in Indonesia is just as bad. Although neither of this week’s
Sumatran earthquakes proved tsunami–genic, the authorities have to work on
the assumption that any powerful undersea earthquake is liable to generate
tsunamis (the epicentre of the 7.6 magnitude quake was around 50km offshore
from the city of Padang). This is, after all, the same faultline that
caused 2004’s Boxing Day disaster, and produces regular local tsunamis
every year. But there are only 22 detection buoys to monitor all 6,000
inhabited islands in the Indonesian archipelago, and none of those cover
northern Sumatra, Indonesia’s most vulnerable region and the scene of the
highest loss of life in 2004, where the death toll in Aceh province alone
exceeded 130,000. And even where there is detection equipment in place,
there are no guarantees it will stay there. In July 2006 a local tsunami
off the Javanese coast killed nearly 700 people; it later transpired that
the two detection buoys that monitor that stretch of coast had been removed
from the sea some months before, and were awaiting repairs in a dockside
warehouse. Given that these buoys cost about $250,000 each, and require at
least $125,000 worth of annual maintenance per unit, tsunami preparedness
is proving a costly undertaking for developing nations such as Indonesia.
This week’s earthquakes were severe enough – the official death toll is
715, though estimates put it closer to 1,100 – but had either been
tsunamigenic, the city of Padang would have been as unprotected as it was
in December 2004, despite the $30m that has been spent in developing the
region’s interim warning system. Sumatra will have to wait until 2010 for
its own detection buoys to be installed, but as the pantomime across the
far wealthier south Pacific demonstrated, installing the equipment is one
thing; getting it to do its job is quite another.

In what is believed to be the longest sentence ever handed down in a
white-collar case in this district, the mastermind of a Riverside-based
Ponzi scheme that collected well over $60 million from hundreds of
investors—and caused more than $39 million in losses—was sentenced to 100
years in federal prison. Richard Monroe Harkless, 65, who lived in
Riverside when he ran the scheme through a company he called MX Factors
from 2000 until late 2003, was sentenced by United States District Judge
Virginia A. Phillips in federal court in Riverside. During today´s hearing,
Judge Phillips said that Harkless caused “every kind of grief and loss
imaginable” and that the defendant demonstrated that he “would commit his
crimes all over again if given the chance.” In addition the prison term,
Judge Phillips ordered Harkless to pay $35,479,310 in restitution to the
approximately 600 victims who lost money as a result of the scam. Harkless
was sentenced after being convicted in July of three counts of mail fraud,
three counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Harkless and
a team of salespeople at MX Factors raised funds by telling potential
investors that MX Factors provided short-term loans to commercial
construction companies that had guaranteed, government-backed contracts.
Harkless created the company, controlled its bank accounts, hired and paid
agents to solicit investors and created MX Factors promotional literature.
Investors were promised returns of up to 14 percent every two or three
months, at which time investors could either receive their investments back
or roll over their investments into the next investment period. The vast
majority of MX Factors investors were “reloaded,” meaning that they were
convinced to invest money more than once. At trial, several victims
testified that Harkless and his co-conspirators encouraged potential
investors to try out the MX Factors program, investing in one 60- or 90-day
cycle and then withdrawing their money to see if it worked. Once victims
felt more comfortable with the program, Harkless and his co-conspirators
encouraged them to invest even more and to get their families and friends
to invest as well.

Villagers gathered as men used their bare hands to slowly and cautiously
pull corpses from a tangle of roots and grit. The bodies were bloated and
mutilated, some unrecognizable. One man’s body was found because his hand
was sticking out of the mud. Women wept silently as bodies were placed in
bright yellow bags. Aid also had not reached Agam district, which is much
closer to Padang. Laila, a villager in Agam district, said she and hundreds
of others had no food, clothes and clean water. “Our house is gone …
everything is gone,” she sobbed. She said a helicopter dropped some instant
noodle packets. “But we need clean water to cook it,” said Laila, who also
uses one name. She said the local river had become dirty as people were
using it to wash. In Padang, rescuers have all but given up hope of finding
any survivors in the rubble of the 140-room, Dutch-colonial style Ambacang
Hotel. Some 200 people were in the hotel when it collapsed. Search teams
have found 29 bodies so far, and no one alive. “After four days … to find
survivors is almost impossible,” said Lt. Col. Harris, the chief of the
50-member rescue team, which comprises military, police and Red Cross
personnel. “The smell of decomposing bodies is very strong,” said Harris,
who uses one name. According to the National Disaster Management Agency,
83,712 houses, 200 public buildings and 285 schools were destroyed. Another
100,000 buildings and 20 miles of road were badly damaged, and five bridges
had collapsed. Meanwhile, hundreds of doctors, nurses, search and rescue
experts and cleanup crews arrived Saturday at the Padang airport from
around the world with tons of food, tents, medicine, clean water,
generators and a field hospital. But with no electricity, fuel shortages
and telecommunication outages, the massive operation was chaotic.

Suspected insurgents killed three people, including a toddler, and wounded
at least 34 in a grenade, gun and car bomb attack on two restaurants and a
hotel in Thailand’s south. The brutal violence brings the death toll over
the past two days to four and the number of casualties to more than 50 as a
result of militant attacks in the troubled Thai south, which is gripped by
a bitter five-year uprising. The rebels, travelling by car and on three
motorcycles, hurled a hand grenade into a restaurant at lunchtime in Sungai
Kolok, a border town in Narathiwat province, wounding four people. They
then opened fire on customers, shooting dead a Buddhist police officer and
injuring another four people. A three-year-old boy who suffered gunshot
wounds later died at hospital. The gunmen then began shooting at another
nearby restaurant, killing the owner, a 45-year-old Buddhist woman, and
wounding four people. A car bomb exploded in front of one of the town’s
hotels soon afterwards, wounding 23 people.

Rates of sexually transmitted infections in the Pacific remain as high as
they were in 2004. A programme to prevent mother to child transmission had
substantially reduced the risk of an unborn child being infected with HIV
from his/her mother during delivery. The SPC public health team had
responded to the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 in partnership with the World Health
Organisation (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), and played a critical role in providing technical advice, services
and capacity building to Pacific Islands countries and territories (PICTs).
It was also involved in the response to the recent cholera outbreak in PNG.
TB control supported PICT’s in implementing the regional Stop TB strategy
in close collaboration with WHO and CDC. The HIV and STI section was
responsible for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of the
Pacific Regional strategy on HIV and STI’s in close collaboration with
multiple other agencies and countries. The very high prevalence of
noncommunicable disease risk conditions – diabetes, high blood pressure and
obesity – is amongst the highest in the world. Hypertension is the most
common condition leading up to cardiac arrest which is the leading cause of
death in the Pacific. The risk factors of smoking, alcohol, low levels of
physical activity and consumption of fruits and vegetables were the perfect
recipe for NCDs.

Climate change is already wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of small-scale
tea and coffee farmers in some of the world’s poorest countries. Research
across four countries – Kenya, Mexico, Peru and Nicaragua – showed that
growers are already being forced uphill to higher altitudes, at a rate of
three to four metres a year on average, as temperatures rise. A huge number
of growers are now experiencing increased instances of pestilence and
disease from rises in temperature. They are also facing prolonged drought
and changing weather patterns. The priority for developed countries should
be helping the world’s poor to protect themselves against climate change.
What’s crucial is that there’s an option of sustainable adaptation to
safeguard the supply chain. Climate change is affecting those least able to
deal with it. We can’t underestimate that. Smaller producers, who are
reliant on a single crop and often cannot afford to install costly
irrigation equipment as temperatures rise, are worst affected. Some farmers
could see their incomes fall by up to 90% in the next fifteen years;
worldwide 30 million farmers will be affected.

Lying injured in Vaiola Hospital, 65-year-old Sulifa Losalu mourns the loss
of her beloved husband Heneli Losalu (69) who died helping her to escape
the September 30 tsunami wave they saw rushing toward their Hihifo,
Niuatoputapu, home engulfing everything in its path. The mother of eight
children said the couple had just returned to their home after attending an
early morning church service when the earthquake struck around 6:00 am.
Sulifa heard her husband yelling for her to get out and she hurried out of
the house, but then remembered her little statue of Mary, the mother of
Jesus, and she ran back inside to get it with her handbag. Sulifa vividly
remembered she then heard a strong roaring sound “like a machine” and
Heneli shouting from outside to “run, there is a huge wave coming!” “My
husband waited for me and as I ran out I saw the wave, which was above the
coconut trees coming towards us. It was a horrifying sight and I ran, and
my husband kept yelling for me to run fast. As I looked back at him that
was the last I saw of him as the wave struck him, then me. “I was
underwater swallowing water and was thrown around like a thin stick,
hitting debris, trees that came in my way. I just remembered praying to
Mary to please help me.” Sulifa said she was then flung onto a rooftop and
held tightly onto it and managed to get up from below the surging wave to
breathe. “I felt the wave subsiding and I remained there until my son
‘Osika, who was in the bush when the tsunami hit, rescued me. “He carried
me down and the ocean was still up to our waist but the waves had subsided.
It was not until 4:00 pm that my husband was found dead, kneeling down, at
another area. I was shattered,” she said. “I feel this aching hole in my
heart after loosing my husband because I know he could have made it but he
waited for me to come out of the house before running. I love him so much
and being apart from him is devastating.” The village children later found
Sulifa’s statue of Mary and her handbag and returned them to her.

The primary objective of the people is to stage a peaceful sit in at the
Mataveri International Airport on Easter Island. No airplanes will be
allowed to depart or arrive to Rapa Nui until discussions are held and
resolutions are made. The parliament of Rapa Nui is asking for the
following: 1. To regulate the entrance of all Chilean persons from the
mainland as well as foreigners to the territory of Rapa Nui. 2. For Rapa
Nui to become an independent nation. The Rapa Nui people are asking for
these regulations due to a recent surge of immigration to the island
resulting in depletion of resources, weakening of the infrastructure and
rapid destruction of one of the world’s most treasured archeological sites.
The island is part of Chile’s national territory belonging to the
Valparaiso region which is over 3,500km away. Chile annexed the Polenesian
island in 1888 by way of some treaty at a time when a newly independent
Chile joined the fashion of having its own overseas colony. At this stage
there were very few Rapa Nui natives left, only a little over 100 as
between 1862 and 1871 some 97 per cent were either killed through smallpox,
TB and slavery or were moved off the island by Christian missionaries. Just
as well because that meant more room for sheep and so the remaining
survivors were herded into Hanga Roa, the only town on the island while the
Williamson-Balfour sheep company ran the show until 1953. (The Chileans
graciously allowed the natives walk their own island in the 1960s.)
According to Pamela Hucke, a native doctor, as late as the 1950s the
Chilean authorities actively discouraged contact with the outside world by
claiming the island was a leper colony, making this claim credible by
injecting some natives with the disease. This has never been reported in
the Chilean press as far as she knows. Locals also point out that the
airport was built by the US government while it was a Japanese firm which
resurrected the moais on the island which had been toppled. Perhaps as a
result of the general economic downturn or some other reasons, more
Chileans are coming to live on the island which is now only 60 percent
native. Islanders point to the increase in crime such as burglaries which
never happened before and the increase in hard drugs being smuggled on to
the island. Locals place full blame on the Chilean immigrants and they want
this regulated. Of course they stress that they have nothing against
tourists, Chilean or otherwise, who are welcome to stay temporarily and
enjoy the “open air museum” that the island is.

Cases of both hemorrhagic dengue and classic dengue have been on the rise
in Nicaragua. A total of 1,706 cases of classic dengue and 46 of the
hemorrhagic variety have been registered in the Central American nation.
The figures were up sharply from the 1,480 classic dengue cases and 25
hemorrhagic dengue cases detailed in an earlier report. Eight people have
died in Nicaragua from dengue so far this year. Dengue is a serious viral
disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito that is characterized by
high fever, intense headaches, muscle pain, gastro-intestinal problems and
rashes. Hemorrhagic dengue, in addition to having symptoms associated with
classic dengue, like fever, headaches and joint pain, can also produce
internal bleeding. Children between the ages of 5 and 14 have been the
group most affected by the disease, with the outbreak being especially bad
in Boaco, Leon, Managua, Masaya and Rio San Juan provinces. Public health
officials are working to prevent the mosquitoes that spread the disease
from breeding. A door-to-door dengue prevention campaign is being conducted
in Nicaragua’s 153 municipalities.

Another ship, the Alakrana, was recently captured in the Indian Ocean.
Somali pirates have seized a Singapore-flagged container ship in the Indian
Ocean. The MV Kota Wajar was headed to the Kenyan port of Mombasa when it
was commandeered 300 nautical miles north of Seychelles. Twenty one crew
are on board the 24,637-tonne container ship. At least five vessels are now
in the hands of Somali pirates. Pirate attacks around the world more than
doubled to 240 during the first six months of 2009 compared with the same
period in 2008. The rise in overall maritime hijacking is largely due to
the increase in Somali pirate activity.

A ground breaking ceremony to redevelop the Anuha Island resort in the
Central Province is being scheduled as well as announcing a tender for the
design and construction of a four star resort. “The island is a jewel of
the pacific and we want to build a resort that does Anuha and the Solomon
Islands justice,” the SITC said while working with local authorities,
international partners and key stakeholders to develop a resort that drives
tourism development and also takes into account local needs. As part of the
development, the runway on the island will shortly be cleared as the first
part of the early construction works process. Following on from the success
to date with developing a world class resort on Anuha Island, Solomon
Islands Tourism Company is now seeking an additional land site for its next
development in the Solomon Islands. Anuha Island is located 54 kilometers
or 12 minutes flying north-east of the international airport at Honiara.

The House of Representatives passed the fishery bill into law, effectively
allowing marine patrol boats to shoot at vessels poaching in Indonesian
waters. The ministry required the harsh law to legitimize a “shoot and
sink” policy against poachers to deter any future poaching. “*Shoot and
sink’ can now be ordered under certain conditions, and we will immediately
draw up standard operation procedures to enforce the measure,” said Aji,
who also chaired the government’s working committee for the fishery bill.
However, for human rights reasons, Marine patrols would only be allowed to
shoot at ships, not sailors, he said. Indonesian waters in North Sulawesi,
Maluku, Papua and West Papua have been prone to illegal fishing by foreign
fishing ships. “The implementation of the ruling should not breach human
rights or international laws,” Aji said at a press conference on the newly
endorsed law. The policy was needed to protect Indonesia’s sovereignty, he
said. Poaching has been a chronic problem for Indonesia, which loses an
estimated Rp 30 trillion (US$3.26 billion) to poaching each year. In the
past five years, Indonesia has seized more than 700 vessels, most of them
from Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, with a few from
further afield, including Taiwan and China.

At least 1000 people were killed and hundreds were trapped under collapsed
buildings after a powerful earthquake struck Indonesia’s West Sumatra
province. Vice President Jusuf Kalla said the mayor of Padang, the capital
of West Samatra, told him that the quake left at least 75 people dead. “The
number may increase because many are still trapped in buildings and
hotels,” Kalla said. Rustam Pakaya, the head of the Health Ministry’s
disaster centre, said hundreds of people were trapped under rubble in
Padang, where a hospital among other structures had also collapsed. The
state-run Antara news agency reported that hundreds of people were believed
to have been trapped in collapsed buildings and shops in Padang’s business
district and Chinatown. A hospital official in nearby Pariaman district
said that eight people in the district had been killed and hundreds more
hospitalized with serious injuries. The quake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter
scale, struck off the western coast of Sumatra at about 1016 GMT. A 6.2
magnitude aftershock followed about 22 minutes later. A medical team was
being dispatched to West Sumatra, the region worst-hit by the quake.
Telephone communications to Padang and nearby Pariaman district were cut
off following the quake.

As the scheme began to collapse, Harkless diverted millions of dollars of
investor money to Belize and Mexico. In the final months of the scheme,
once Harkless knew that he was under investigation by various state
regulators, he accelerated his fundraising and accelerated the transfer of
funds to his own accounts in Belize. During the scheme, the bulk of the
money raised from investors was used to pay off earlier investors, to pay
agent commissions, to fund Harkless´ crabbing business in Ensenada, Mexico
and to pay for various personal expenses. Over the course of the scheme,
approximately 600 victims invested and lost money with MX Factors. Harkless
fled to Mexico shortly after the Ponzi scheme collapsed and federal
authorities executed search warrants in February 2004. Harkless was
arrested by special agents with IRS-Criminal Investigation two years ago
when he traveled to Phoenix. At this summer´s trial, Harkless represented
himself in court. Three of Harkless´ sales agents—Daniel Berardi, Thomas
Hawkesworth, and Randall Harding—pleaded guilty and received sentences of
up to six years in federal prison. The investigation into MX Factors was
conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal
Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Deliveries came on C-130 cargo planes from the United States, Russia and
Australia. Japanese, Swiss, South Korean and Malaysian search and rescue
teams scoured the debris. Tens of millions of dollars in donations came
from more than a dozen countries to supplement $400 million the Indonesian
government said it would spend over the next two months. The U.N. said
there are sufficient fuel stocks in the area for four days, but with the
road to a major depot cut off by landslides, gasoline prices had jumped
six-fold. Areas with “huge levels of damage to infrastructure were in need
of basic food and tents for temporary shelter,” it said. The quake
originated on the same fault line that spawned the 2004 Asian tsunami that
killed 230,000 people in a dozen nations. A 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook
the eastern province of West Papua. There were no reports of casualties.
The quake’s epicenter was 128 kilometers northwest of the provincial
capital of Manokawar, the only major center of inhabitation. The region is
about 3,500 kilometers from Sumatra.

The explosive weighed 30 to 50 kilograms and was hidden in a Honda Civic
with a fake licence plate, which had passed a screening by a bomb detection
machine. The bomb was hidden in the passenger car and detonated by radio
signal. Two of the wounded were in a serious condition. An explosive hidden
in a motorcycle went off in Pattani province close to where Buddhists were
attending a festival, wounding 17 — five of them seriously. Earlier in the
day, four gunmen on two motorcycles opened fire on a 34-year-old Muslim
rubber worker as he travelled to work in Narathiwat province. He died at
the scene. The bloody rebellion has claimed more than 3,900 lives since it
erupted in Thailand’s Muslim-majority southern provinces, bordering
Malaysia, in January 2004. The shadowy rebels, who have never publicly
stated their goals, target Muslims and Buddhists alike and both civilians
and members of the security forces, usually with shootings and bombings.
Recent attacks echoed a serious blast in August, which ripped through a
restaurant in Narathiwat packed with government officials, wounding at
least 42 people. Tensions have simmered since the region, formerly an
autonomous Malay Muslim sultanate, was annexed by predominantly Buddhist
Thailand in 1902.

The Healthy Pacific Lifestyle (HPL) section at SPC provides an integrated
approach in the promotion of tobacco and alcohol control, physical activity
and good nutrition. The SPC-WHO joint 2-1-22 (two organisations, one
programme, 22 countries) approach funded by AusAID and NZAID was being
implemented under the Pacific Framework for the prevention and control of
NCDs. In January to June 2009, grants amounting to 23 million CPF
(approximately US$270,000) were provided to three PICT’s in support of NCDs
national strategy implementation. It will feed into a high-level,
multi-sectoral regional food security summit in early 2010. Meanwhile,
relatively neglected diseases in the Pacific were dengue and other vector
borne diseases like leptospirosis (except malaria), rheumatic heart
disease, mental health and environmental health. There were also funding
gaps for secondary prevention for noncommunicable diseases such as
diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure. Gaps were also emerging in
maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, on the
consequences for health of climate change, urbanisation and poor housing,
and on infant diarrhoea, water and sanitation.

Small-scale growers in Peru have seen yields fall by 40% since last year,
compared to 30% across the country as a whole; small producers in Mexico
have seen yields halve, against a national decline of 7%. Tea and coffee
are on the climate change front line because they only grow in a relatively
narrow temperature range. All four of the countries involved would see the
quantity and quality of their crops decline sharply over the coming years.
In Kenya, growers diversify into new crops such as passion fruits; in Peru,
farmers were able to use their land to sell carbon credits; and elsewhere
they planted native tree species to help bind the soil and prevent
mudslides. The government said that it will donate £12m to the Fairtrade
Foundation, with the hope of doubling the number of developing country
farmers who are awarded the Fairtrade mark. Fairtrade products pay a
premium to relatively small-scale growers, helping to protect them from the
vicissitudes of global commodity markets and the buying power of vast
multinationals. The Fairtrade mark is celebrating its 15th birthday, and
now covers a wide range of products, from bananas to chocolate. Sales of
Fairtrade products were up by 43% in 2008. The Fairtrade market as a whole
is expected to treble, to £9bn, by 2013. In the current economic climate,
it’s the poorest communities who are hit the hardest, and so positive
business models like Fairtrade, which deliver increased development
benefits from trade, are more important than ever.

Sulifa was one of the first four patients that were first flown down to
Nuku’alofa for urgent treatment. “Most of my children live here in
Tongatapu and some overseas, they are all here now and we are having a
memorial for my husband tonight in Puke where my son lives.” The mother
said when she gets better she is going back to Niuatoputapu. “Although
there is nothing there with no house left, I want to be with my husband who
is buried there,” she said. Sulifa is doing very well in the hospital and
can manage to sit up and stand up on her own for a few minutes. But she
mainly uses the wheelchair to get around while her knees are healing.

Greenlight Radio is a pirate radio station that has been broadcasting in
Boulder for just over a year. G-Girl arrives at the interview. She looks
tiny with her arms so full: a laptop, a hand mic, a notepad and pen. She
leans over the keyboard and begins pecking the keys, her cell phone stuck
to her ear. She speaks with a relaxed, almost surfer-girl accent. She
doesn’t look like a criminal. And she’s not, as far as she’s concerned;
she’s one of the last free American radio journalists. But as far as the
Federal Communications Commission is concerned, she’s an airwave thief.
Unregulated and against the law. A pirate. “Connected,” G-Girl announces to
a mysterious voice on the other line. It’s a bit “Charlie’s Angels;” we’ll
never know who this voice is. We won’t know G-Girl’s real name either, or
the names of the other KGIR radio personality “Helix” interviews Ian Nissen
about unlicensed radio at Bart’s CD Cellar. They hope they don’t have to
hide forever. After all, they say the ultimate goal of their illegal
Boulder radio station is to connect the community, and that’s hard to do
when you’re a shadow. But for now, they hide. Greenlight is still young.
This month marks its first birthday. Boulder’s airwaves aren’t new to
poaching. Boulder Free Radio, KBFR, has been stirring up the scene since
2000, in between the FCC occasionally shutting down the signal. KBFR,
started by a notably more antagonistic voice known as Monk, touted “B.S.
Free Radio,” with unedited, uncensored — and uncommercialized — music and
opinions. KBFR’s radio waves are once again static. But Boulder Free
Radio’s ship hasn’t sunk. The station has a live stream at
boulderfreeradio.com, and active Myspace, Facebook and Twitter pages.
Greenlight Radio isn’t associated with KBFR — or Boulder’s third
occasional techno-music pirate who pops up occasionally on 103.9 FM.
Greenlight is also not connected with a Fort Collins-based religious pirate
— who sometimes steals Greenlight’s stolen airwaves during the day.

Tired of not being listened to, they occupied the airport runway to grab
the attention of Santiago, causing all flights between the mainland and
Tahiti to be postponed for two days. During the protest there were many red
and white Rapa Nui flags visible, symbolising their desire of independence
for the island. Whether the island could actually survive full independence
with a population of under 4,000 is open to debate. Listening to the
locals’ concerns but also seeing the standard of life on the island we are,
however, reminded of the Monty Python satirical comedy Life of Brian where
the character Reg, urging resistance against the Roman occupation, admits:
“All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine,
public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health,
what have the Romans ever done for us?” For a start the Rapa Nuis don’t pay
tax – so don’t expect a receipt for anything you buy. They also get
generous grants to study on the mainland at any university of their
choosing. The island also does not know poverty and the gap between rich
and poor is minimal. In part this is because almost all of them own land
(Chileans are not allowed buy land here), while the state provides a large
number of administrative jobs and wages are high. For example a Chilean
teacher said that she could make almost three times as much on the island
as in Santiago. But on the cultural front, they probably do have to worry a
little more. Their own language Rapa Nui is spoken about 50 50 alongside
Spanish and while most can speak the native tongue there are some younger
people who can not. Many of these people too prefer the sights and sound of
the mainland and prefer the new to the old. The island is also not immune
to the effect of globalisation which may be more of a threat than the
Chilean State in the long run. Plastered all along the main street is Coca
Cola’s image of the moais as part of its marketing strategy for the island
or the sight of Jennifer Tuku, a cultural ambassador for the island
sporting two mobile phones around her neck. Agriculture and fishing remain
strong on the island, although tourism provides some 80 percent of the
local economy and the sheer numbers of tourists arriving every day has
ensured that the modern world is firmly entrenched in Rapa Nui.

The Papua New Guinea stock exchange again surged, this time by huge 11 per
cent, as two big firms – probably responsible for the rise in confidence –
had big wins. Papua New Guinea’s biggest gold company, Lihir Gold, is
suggesting the precious metal could rise to $US1,500. And the Bank of South
Pacific took over Fiji’s 130-year-old Colonial National Bank and associated
firms.

The central bank of Bangladesh has relaxed its rules and allowed money
changers to sell a maximum US$350 to a Hajj pilgrim this year. Under the
existing regulations, each pilgrim, who will go to perform Hajj through
both public and private agencies, can take a maximum US$350 or equivalent
of other foreign currencies, if he wants. “The money changers, for the
first time, are allowed to sell the foreign currencies to pilgrims that
will help achieve their annual transactions limit, fixed by the central
bank earlier. The central bank re-fixed yearly transaction limit to
US$350,000 from $500,000 earlier for the money changers, which are
operating business across the country, excluding Dhaka and Chittagong
metropolitan areas. However, the annual transactions limit of money
changers, located in two metropolitan areas, remain unchanged at $500,000.
The money changers license will not be renewed for the next tenure if they
fail to fulfill the yearly transactions limit. Currently, 240 money
changers are operating across the country.

The fisheries ministry has been working with the Navy and the National
Police to keep poachers out of Indonesian waters. The ministry had long
sought legal endorsement for the “shoot and sink” policy, saying poachers
had shown a clear disdain for Indonesia’s outnumbered and poorly equipped
marine patrol boats. Aji added that shooting and sinking poachers’ vessels
while at sea would be more feasible than seizing their boats and towing
them to land. “Can you imagine these small, plastic patrol boats dragging
large fishing vessels to shore?” he said. “Sometimes the vessels are made
of wood and are in very poor condition, bringing with them diseases; the
locals protest against having them near their beaches.” The newly revised
law also authorizes the ministry’s civilian patrols to investigate alleged
poaching in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone. That task previously fell
under the Navy’s authority. The need for fishing vessels to secure
operating permits before sailing is another new aspect of the law. While
lawmakers had previously rejected the policy fearing illegal fees, the
government had managed to convince them that the ruling was necessary to
control fishing activities in Indonesia’s sea waters, which were suffering
from declining fish stocks as are other parts of the globe. The law
provided clearer time limitations for investigation, prosecution and trial
processes for poaching cases, and allowed the ministry to make use of
confiscated vessels.

Fires also broke out in Padang. Padang’s Minangkabau airport was ordered
closed because roofs were damaged. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
issued an Indian Ocean tsunami alert after the quake, but later cancelled
it. The quake was also felt strongly in North Sumatra, Riau in eastern
Sumatra as well as Bengkulu province in southern Sumatra, residents.
Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, sits on the so-called Pacific
‘Ring of Fire’, the edge of a tectonic plate prone to seismic upheaval. A
major earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck in December 2004, leaving
more than 170,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia’s Aceh province and
half a million people homeless. This quake occurred along the same fault
line. Geologists have said that Padang, a low-lying city of 900,000 people,
risks being swallowed by a tsunami in the event of an earthquake similar in
size to the one that triggered the giant waves of 2004.

In a case of “serious administrative error”, an Australian resident was
locked up in a detention facility for three years. An egregious error
highlights the need for a revamping of federal laws, which have unlawfully
deprived this man of his liberty. Wrongful detention for over three years
is a matter of grave concern, and it is equally a matter of concern that
the legal framework does not confer powers necessary to address problems
and disadvantage of this kind. In 1989, Vietnamese-born Van Phuc Nguyen was
granted refugee status as an 18 year old, after fleeing Vietnam and
spending four years in a refugee camp in the Philippines. Sydney airport
immigration officials failed to recognize his visa in 2002. As a result,
he was detained from November 2002 to February 2006 in Villawood
Immigration Detention Centre. Nguyen’s residency was inadvertently
cancelled upon his return to Australia from a trip to Vietnam in 1995, when
an immigration official issued him a one month visa. Located in the suburbs
of Sydney, Villawood serves mainly as a facility for any individual who has
over-stayed his visa, failed to comply with his visa, or has been denied
entry to Australia. It has been at the center of controversy over human
rights abuses over the last several years. The Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission found the Centre’s conditions deplorable and
“inhospitable” and recommended that it be closed immediately.

Malaria in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu has been dramatically reduced
through an effective control strategy. There were 50,000 fewer cases of
Malaria in the Solomon Islands in 2008 compared with 2003. An effective
prevention and control strategy comprising of long lasting insecticide
treated bednet distribution, focal point indoor residual spraying, early
diagnosis and treatment and active case detection has had dramatic impact
on the annual incidence rate of malaria in both the Solomon Islands and
Vanuatu. The annual incidence rate (which is a measure of number of
confirmed cases of malaria per 1,000 population) has been reduced from 198
/1,000 to 84/1,000 in the Solomon Islands over the five year period ending
December 2008, while in Vanuatu it has decreased from 74/1,000 to 14 /
1,000 in the same period. Parr said both countries had now been able to
move from control to pilot elimination as a result of the success of the
Global Fund financed programs implemented co-jointly by both countries’
national vector borne disease control programs, WHO and SPC. The capacity
of both countries to scale up interventions has further been improved as a
result of AusAID’s support to the national malaria strategies, particularly
in the area of elimination and treatment. The measures in place resulted in
a significant decrease in the number of confirmed malaria cases in the
Solomon Islands compared to 2003, easing the burden on the national health
systems and budget, and reducing production time lost due to malaria, which
is a contributing factor that constrains economic growth.

Greenlight started as Internet radio, which is not regulated. The two
Boulder brothers who founded it eventually built their own transmitter and
figured out how to poach one of the few unoccupied frequencies in the area.
Their belief: The broadcast spectrum belongs to the public — not
corporations and media conglomerates shaped by strangers who know nothing
about Boulder. By nature, radio waves are only strong enough to span a
small geographic community. So the station founders said that it only seems
logical that each community has control over what appears on its waves.
They’re not talking about anarchy, or even about the desire to spout curse
words on the radio without being bleeped out. They’re talking about
“relocalization.” “Bringing resource and regulation control back to the
local community,” says one DJ and Boulder native who goes by the on-air
name Rocky Flats. He says a community radio compliments the trend of
increasingly more people growing their own food, shopping at local farmer’s
markets and co-ops and setting up online blogs and personal Web pages. “The
world is going through a huge shift right now. Boulder is doing well in
this recession because we localize a lot,” Rocky Flats says. “Localization
is the key to survival.” Rocky Flats thinks it’s also the key to overcoming
what he calls the current “media crisis,” where Paris Hilton gets
precedence over political turmoil in Pakistan, and a handful of
corporations control the news and views that Americans are fed. Rocky Flats
says he’s passionate about politics, as well as music and information. When
he’s not volunteering at Greenlight — none of the 30 DJs and members are
paid — he works in a customer service job. Rocky Flats looks clean-cut and
well put-together, and his tone is focused and professional. “Our direction
is for the community to believe the airwaves are a local resource,” he
says. “We try to provide an example of that. Eventually through enough
actions, we can take the airwaves completely back.”

Oceanic Airlines is the fictional airline that operated Flight 815 which
crashed on the Island. According to Oceanic Airlines’ website, the company
was founded in 1979 and served other destinations such as Costa Rica,
London, and Seoul. After the events of Flight 815, it ceased operations due
financial difficulties. But the company was returning to the airways. It
was established that Oceanic Airlines had cancelled all flights whilst
conducting an investigation into Flight 815’s disappearance. After failing
to find anything, the company was pushed to close the case so that they
could resume flights and recover from loss of business. This decision to
conclude all passengers dead with no solid proof resulted in opposition
from individuals such as Sam Thomas, the main protagonist in the second
Lost alternate reality game that focused specifically on Oceanic Airlines,
Find 815. A video advertisement aired at Comic-Con 2009 ostensibly stated
that Oceanic Airlines had been running since 1979 with a 30 year perfect
safety record. The canonical status of this video, and how it contradicts
all previously established fact, is presently unclear.

President Hugo Chavez’s government has begun taking over management of a
Hilton-run hotel on Venezuela’s Margarita Island. A 20-year concession
granted to the company had expired and the government “has taken legitimate
control of an asset that belongs to all the people of Venezuela”. Mr Chavez
issued a decree last week ordering the “forced acquisition” of the
Margarita Hilton & Suites and its marina. A Hilton Worldwide spokeswoman
said the company was analysing the move to determine how its interest in
the hotel would be affected.

It now seems that passengers flying in and out of Papua New Guinea are
being terrorized by an underpants thief. Women travelers who are flying
with the national carrier Air Niugini are fed up with one or more baggage
handlers taking their underwear. Four women, who do wish to remain nameless
due to the nature of the event, said that some of their best undergarments
have been stolen from their luggage while traveling on domestic flights
when leaving the capital Port Moresby. It may come at no surprise that some
reports point out that only “attractive” women have been hit by this so
called thief, and the ones that are hit only have their sexier
undergarments stolen. Another tourist that was on a brief stay in Papua New
Guinea said that her bag has a lock on it; however, when she got it back
the lock bad been broken. The only items that she found missing from her
bag were her lace hipster briefs and her g-strings. She went on to say that
she just could not believe it. She noted that she has traveled all over the
world, and this is the very first time something like this has ever
happened. In a different case, a woman that was visiting her mother in
Papua New Guinea was shocked to find that her favorite pair of pink panties
were missing. She went on to say that what is so weird about the whole
thing is that she had much more valuable items in her bag besides her
underpants, and those remained untouched. Despite all of this, Air Nigugini
said that they will get to the bottom of the women’s undergarments thief.
One spokesperson said that they were unaware that such particular items
were being targeted.

Travelers to Southeast Asia beware: there’s a new strain of malaria in
town. Researchers have recently figured out that the Plasmodium knowlesi
strain of malaria, which used to be confined to Malaysian macaque monkeys,
can kill humans too. The especially nasty part about this new human strain
of malaria is that doctors have a hard time recognizing it. Symptoms and
disease progression look scarily similar to other less serious forms of
malaria, so you might end up dead before the doctors realize they should’ve
done something differently. You can pick up this malaria from mosquito
bites across the region, but especially in Borneo and Malaysia. You should
be extra sure to use mosquito repellent in these areas to prevent bites,
and head straight to the doc if you get fever and body aches and pains.

The world’s eighth largest economy is still finding its feet after
suffering multiple economic shocks, including a housing slump, mortgage
crisis and recession. Employers in California, the most populous US state,
are expected to keep cutting staff in 2010 as the wider US jobs market
recovers. As industries in other US states prepare to rehire on signs of
recovery, firms in California are still waiting for their economy to
rebound. The state has 12.2 percent unemployment, above the national US
level of 9.8 percent, and at odds with California’s image as an oasis of
opportunity in hard times. California’s economic engines – Silicon Valley,
Hollywood and gateway ports to Asia – remain the envy of other US regions
but seem incapable of reducing Rust Belt-like unemployment rates. That is
largely because of the Golden State’s housing and home building crisis. In
the 12 months through August, California’s construction industry shed
142,000 jobs, or 18.5 percent of its work force, marking the largest
decline on a percentage basis over the period of surveyed industry groups.
Those workers are struggling to find new jobs in construction or other
trades, according to analysts. House prices soared higher in California
than in most other US states earlier this decade and have crashed harder
amid the credit crunch. Developers are trying to unload unsold new homes
and real estate agents are relying on selling foreclosures for a large
share of business. Tight credit and steep job losses have slimmed ranks of
prospective home buyers, with many waiting for prices to drop further. At
the same time, a number of other states are beginning to see home prices
stabilize.

Featuring old Papua New Guinea necklaces of human teeth and ivory
nose-rings as well as the extravagant designer suits paraded in poor Congo
by today’s “sapeur” movement, a show opening in Paris revisits men’s finery
through the ages. In Brazzaville and Kinshasa, as well as in the slums of
Paris and Brussels, men who barely eke out a living have been forking out
their savings since the 80s on the most luxurious, elegant and expensive
menswear on the market. The craze known as “Le Sape” was introduced by pop
star Papa Wemba’s throwback at the time to a look of 1930s elegance —
tapered trousers, brogues, trimmed hair and tweed hats worn at a rakish
angle — but in a wider brighter range of colours.

Nguyen’s is the longest case of wrongful detention in recent history. This
“bureaucratic bungle” caused Nguyen to suffer unnecessarily, as he is now
burdened with severe mental health issues. He witnessed many traumatic
events, from stabbings and suicide attempts to widespread drug abuse, while
inside Villawood. The situation was a “very bad event, a serious
administrative error and a terrible circumstance”. In its settlement
discussions, the government has offered Nguyen’s $70,000, a sum which would
be reduced to $58,000 once the Government’s legal fees are taken out. This
amount breaks down to less than $50 a day for each day that Nguyen spent in
Villawood. A attorney for this Sydney resident, has rejected the
Commonwealth’s offer as inadequate. The Government admits only that
officials made a mistake with respect to 108 of the 1137 total days that
Nguyen spent in detention.

Responding to the needs of Pacific Islands countries and territories and
recognising that there are wide social determinants in health, SPC’s health
division is modifying its strategy from a disease-based approach to a
whole-of-health approach. A particular emphasis will be on strengthening
health systems in Pacific Islands countries and territories (PICTs). Rates
of sexually transmitted infections in the Pacific remain as high as they
were in 2004 and a comprehensive review of the strategies was being
commissioned. A programme to prevent mother to child transmission had
substantially reduced the risk of an unborn child being infected with HIV
from his/her mother during delivery. The SPC public health team had
responded to the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 in partnership with the World Health
Organisation (WHO) and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), and played a critical role in providing technical advice, services
and capacity building to Pacific Islands countries and territories (PICTs).
It was also involved in the response to the recent cholera outbreak in PNG.
TB control supported PICT’s in implementing the regional Stop TB strategy
in close collaboration with WHO and CDC. There is a very high prevalence of
noncommunicable disease risk conditions – diabetes, high blood pressure and
obesity – being among the highest in the world.

Pirating unregistered radio waves is surprisingly simple. All DJs need is a
microphone, Internet connection and computer. They broadcast their reports
and stream their tunes online, to greenlightradio.com, according to another
DJ, who goes by an especially pirate-y name, Treeson Bloodbeard. “Anyone
can do Internet radio. Anyone can listen to Internet radio,” he says. “In
our case, a separate computer is also listening, with a headphones jack
plugged into the transmitter.” Of course, he can’t disclose where this
transmitter is stationed. Rumor was that Boulder Free Radio used to
broadcast out of a van, but Treeson says that’s unlikely because the signal
would fluctuate too much. “We have a hot air balloon,” he says with a
smirk. Treason, who has lived in Boulder for eight years, calls himself a
“techno-shaman, actively trying to bring spirituality to the new punk,
now-apathetic generation.” Greenlight typically broadcasts FM 4 p.m.-4 a.m.
weekdays and wall-to-wall weekends, with no commercials. When the station
isn’t shut down, that is. In its first year, the FCC has already canned
Greenlight three times. When the FCC triangulates Greenlight’s signal, the
FCC leaves a warning saying Greenlight must shut down because it’s not
registered. But the DJs aren’t hostile about it. They say it’s part of the
game. “We don’t hate the FCC,” Treeson says. “The laws they’re going by are
just outdated, and they need help changing them. The FCC was created in
1934.” Treeson believes there should instead be a modern Boulder
Communications Commission, to distribute and protect the airwaves. DJ Rocky
Flats agrees there is a need for a radio regulation commission; the FCC
finds out what is wrong with signals and helps stations clean up. In fact,
the FCC has helped Greenlight improve its signal each time before shutting
it down. “Instead of fighting fire with fire (like Boulder Free Radio),”
Rocky Flats says, “when the FCC pushes, we pull and redirect their energy
where we want it to go.”

Photos and video clips of rival sapeurs doing battle, flashing labels and
stripping down to their silks socks and underwear, are on view at the show
at Paris’ Dapper museum, titled “The Art of Being A Man, Africa, Oceania.”
The sapeurs underline contemporary man’s taste for finery. They revisit the
western suit through African eyes. One non-sapeur fashionista visitor, a
tall poney-tailed African in a red tartan skirt carrying a helmet, was
stunned by an old Dinka corset from Sudan, a torso-sized piece made of red
beads, metal and fibre. “It just shows,” he said. “Men’s corsets are now
coming back in fashion yet existed long ago.” From corsets to penis sheafs
from the Pacific, as well as pendants, ear-rings, nose-rings and bracelets,
the exhibition brings together some 150 pieces from specialist museums from
across the world. These objects help show how men develop their male
identity. Some were used in sexual and social rituals or to provide
protection, others were worn to show a man’s status, or underline his
position through finery. The porcupine hat from Cameroon accessorises a
porcupine tunic, highlighting the sacred impact of different animals or
materials in different societies. Other show-stopper head-pieces include
hats in cat-teeth, tiny antelope horns or scaly anteater and leopard-skin.
Hair-cuts too vary from place to place as does body art practised to
accompany mutilation and circumcision rites.

In another instance of wrongful detention, the Commonwealth paid
German-born Australian Cornelia Rau $2.6 million. She was locked up in 2004
for 10 months. Even more recently, the Supreme Court of the Australian
Capital Territory last month awarded $55,000 to a man who was wrongfully
detained for 29 days. Nguyen’s situation has prompted officials to consider
an overhaul of the system, acknowledging there are major deficiencies with
current legislation. The Migration Act lacks a “safety net provision”.
Accordingly, the Department of Immigration lacks the express power to
remedy earlier decisions. In Nguyen’s case, the Department engaged in heavy
legal debate, thus causing significant delay in resolving the matter.

Hypertension is the most common condition leading up to cardiac arrest
which is the leading cause of death in the Pacific. The risk factors of
smoking, alcohol, low levels of physical activity and consumption of fruits
and vegetables were the perfect recipe for NCDs. The SPC-WHO joint 2-1-22
(two organisations, one programme, 22 countries) approach funded by AusAID
and NZAID was being implemented under the Pacific Framework for the
prevention and control of NCDs. Grants amounting to 23 million CPF
(approximately US$270,000) were provided to three PICT’s in support of NCDs
national strategy implementation. Meanwhile, relatively neglected diseases
in the Pacific were dengue and other vector borne diseases like
leptospirosis (except malaria), rheumatic heart disease, mental health and
environmental health. There were also funding gaps for secondary prevention
for noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and high blood
pressure. Gaps were also emerging in maternal and child health, sexual and
reproductive health, on the consequences for health of climate change,
urbanisation and poor housing, and on infant diarrhoea, water and
sanitation.

The Greenlight DJs make great effort to present themselves in a
non-confrontational light. So why break the rules at all? Why not just be a
donor-funded community radio station, like Boulder’s KGNU, 88.5 FM? Beyond
simply the principle belief that the FCC needs reshaped, DJ Treason says a
station like Greenlight is even more independent than KGNU. A donor-funded
station can’t upset too many listeners, because the station needs their
donations. “They do a necessary part of the battle by playing by the rules,
so they can do things we can’t do because we don’t have money or
licensing,” Treason says. “But we are doing our part of the battle by not
playing by the rules, and there are things we can do because we don’t rely
on donors.” Like Greenlight’s newest show, “Reefer Madness,” all about the
positive aspects of pot. Plus, as another DJ who goes by The Hair puts it:
“There’s too much going on out there to not need multiple stations.” The
Hair gets his name because he has long blond hair. He says Greenlight has
its own unique music tastes and opinions. “And we’re pirates, so we have to
speak like sailors,” The Hair says with a laugh. It’s true, DJ Treeson
admits. Greenlight is “raunchier” than KGNU. “But there is a distinction
between free speech and responsible speech. Responsibility comes with the
consequences,” he says. And he accepts that. “There’s a level of danger in
what we do,” Treason says. “But no American has ever been sent to jail for
this.” The real crime is turning on the transmitter, he says. When the FCC
shut down Boulder Free Radio, the warning was shut down or be punished by
up to $11,000 per day and one year in jail. Greenlight has never been
fined. So Treason says he refuses to be clouded by fear. “Fear distracts
you from your ultimate goal,” he says. “If you define yourself in
opposition to something, you’re not defining yourself, period.” Yet still,
he hides.

Another home invasion, this time in Belize City. It is getting apparent
that burglars are getting more abrasive and their new trend is to invade
while the victims are still inside. There were home invasions in San Pedro
and another in Hattieville where an elderly Canadian woman was also raped.
Two African men living in Belize City were the next victims to experience
the terrifying ordeal. Twenty-six year old Samuel Benguna and twenty-four
year old Ismail Conteh, both of Nigeria, were at their apartment on the
Northern Highway when they were surprised by three men with rags covering
their faces. These two African gentlemen were at home when they heard a
knock on their door and they were accosted by three men who robbed them at
gunpoint. Stolen from them were computer accessories and cell phones and an
amount of cash in both US and Belize currency. There are no suspects yet as
police investigations continue into this matter. With the increasing number
of Aggravated Burglaries that we are witnessing is concerning and the
police will be delivering pamphlets shortly advising residents on measures
to protect themselves. The ultimate protection is the neighbourhood watches
and the community policing that the police department is trying to promote.
The cash stolen from the men totaled four thousand, two hundred dollars.

A passenger train bound for Bangkok derailed in Thailand’s Hua Hin coastal
resort district in heavy rain, killing at least five people and injuring up
to 50. About six of the train’s 16 cars went off the tracks and some people
were believed trapped.

Seven new glowing mushroom species have been discovered in Belize, Brazil,
Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia and Puerto Rico. Four of the
species are completely new to scientists, and three previously known
species were discovered to be luminescent. All seven species, as well as
the majority of the 64 previously known species of luminescent mushrooms,
are from the Mycena family. Within Mycena, the luminescent species come
from 16 different lineages, which suggests that luminescence evolved at a
single point and some species later lost the ability to glow. The new
discoveries might help scientists understand when, how and why mushrooms
evolved the ability to glow. Luminescence might attract nocturnal animals,
which would then help the mushrooms spread their spores. Mycena
silvaelucens (forest light) was collected in the grounds of an Orangutan
Rehabilitation Center in Borneo, Malaysia and was found on the bark of a
standing tree. The mushrooms are tiny with each cap measuring less than 18
millimeters in diameter. Mycena luxaeterna (light eternal) was collected in
Sao Paulo, Brazil and was found on sticks in an Atlantic forest habitat.
These mushrooms are tiny with each cap measuring less than 8 millimeters in
diameter and their stems have a jelly-like texture. The species’ name was
inspired by Mozart’s Requiem. Mycena luxarboricola (light tree dweller) was
collected in Paraná, Brazil and was found on the bark of a living tree in
old growth Atlantic forest. These mushrooms are tiny with each cap
measuring less than 5 millimeters in diameter.

The Solomon Islands police chief and his wife have been robbed in a
frightening home invasion by 12 young men in the capital Honiara, where a
spate of similar burglaries has occurred recently. New Zealander Peter
Marshall, the Solomon Islands police commissioner, and his wife Pamela
barricaded themselves in their bedroom after being woken by the thieves at
1am. They were not targeted for political reasons. “It was pretty
frightening,” he said. “We barricaded ourselves into the bedroom with a
cupboard and wardrobe against the door. There was a fair bit of commotion
and kicking against the door,” he said. “There has been four similar
robberies like this in the last six weeks,” he said. Laptops, cash, a
digital camera and other personal effects were taken but most of the goods
had been returned. “The suspects were arrested shortly afterwards and are
now in police custody.” The attack is part of a growing trend among
unemployed youth in the lead up to Christmas. “We’ve identified who it is,
there is a trend of robberies by the same unemployed youths who live in
squatter settlements.” Honiara mayor Andrew Mua said he feared rising crime
and unemployment was a threat to peace and security in the city. But
Marshall rejected those claims, adding that crime rates had dropped 12 per
cent during 2009 and most crime in the Solomons was petty. “We’ve had no
firearm incidents in two and a half years, we’ve had a scattering of
burglaries,” he said. The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomons Islands
(RAMSI) is made up of Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Islands police,
troops and public officials, who arrived in 2003 to restore law and order
and good governance following years of ethnic unrest.

October 15, 2008

Tok Pisin = English

Filed under: global islands,language,png,solomon islands — admin @ 3:19 pm

wok = work / job
de bilong wok = workday
hatwok = work hard
man bilong wok = good worker
wanwok = fellow worker
wok kaikai = work for board and keep
wok long = busy (doing something)
wok sip = stevedore
wokim = build (something)
wokim glas i go antap = wind up a window
wokim gut = repair (vb)
wokim / paitim bret = knead bread
wokman = worker / workman
woksop = workshop
loia / loya / loman / saveman long lo = lawyer
tisa = teacher

October 5, 2008

Tok Pisin = English

Filed under: global islands,language,png,solomon islands — admin @ 2:55 pm

haus / long haus = home
haus = building / house / hut
haus bilong king = palace
haus bilong pisin = nest
haus bilong tumbuna pasin = museum
haus bilong wasim klos = laundry
haus kuk / hauskuk / kisen = kitchen
haus lain = long house (Highlands)
haus lotu = temple / church
haus lotu bilong ol mahomet = mosque
haus luluai bilong longwe ples = embassy
haus moni = bank
haus marasin = pharmacy
haus marit = married quarters
haus pamuk = brothel
haus pater = monastery

September 16, 2008

Tok Pisin = English

Filed under: language,palau,png,solomon islands,trobriand islands,tuvalu,vanuatu — admin @ 5:18 am

tok baksait = gossip about
tok bilas = ridicule
tok bilong bipo yet = fable / myth
tok bilong ol tumbuna = tradition of ancestors
tok bokis = secret language / parable
tok grisim = flatter
tok gude = greet
tok gumi = tall tale
tok hait = secret
tok insait = conscience
tok pait = controversy
tok ples = local language
tok tru = speak the truth / truth
toktok = talk / conversation
tokautim sin / confess
tokim = tell
toksave = advertisement / information / explain
tok save long = explain
toktok long = talk about
toktok wantaim = converse with
tokwin = rumour

June 10, 2008

New foundation seeks to preserve rare Vanuatu language

Filed under: global islands,language,vanuatu — admin @ 1:40 pm

France’s former president, Jacques Chirac, has launched his new foundation,which will support projects aimed at promoting sustainable development and cultural diversity, with a special focus on languages and cultures threatened with extinction.

One of its first projects will be a programme to preserve what is left of the Araki language, now spoken by only eight people on one island in Vanuatu.

April 28, 2008

Higher Education on Nicaragua’s Multicultural Atlantic Coast

Filed under: belize,global islands,language,nicaragua — admin @ 4:36 am

http://209.200.101.189/publications/csq/csq-article.cfm?id=1718

The University of the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua (URACCAN) is a pluri-ethnic university located in the Caribbean region of Nicaragua. The university provides higher education to some of the country’s most marginalized peoples, including the indigenous Miskitu, Mayanga, and Rama, and the Afro-Caribbean Creole and Garífuna, all of whom live in the eastern half of the country. While comprising only four percent of Nicaragua’s total population, these coastal groups represent most of the country’s cultural and linguistic diversity.

The idea for creating the university came about during an organizational meeting of young Caribbean Coast leaders in 1978, attended by most of the region’s college graduates. A major topic of discussion was the idealistic dream of a regional university. In the 1970s, most costeños, or Caribbean coastal peoples, had little access to higher education because their only option was to travel far to the west to the universities of Hispanic Nicaragua.

It was not until after the war years of the 1980s that the dream could be realized. URACCAN was founded in the early 1990s, and in 1995 was recognized by the Nicaraguan National Council of Universities (CNU), the council that regulates higher education. A year later, the university began receiving government funding. The university continues, however, to compete with older, more established universities in Hispanic Nicaragua to obtain a fair share of national funding. The university is located in a poor region where tuition is extremely low (U.S. $12 per semester). Even so, a large share of the university budget is devoted to student scholarships. Outside funding sources are important to the university’s success. For example, a National Conference of URACCAN Supporters and Support Groups met in Chicago in the 1990s to raise money for the university, but most of the university’s external funding comes from European universities and organizations.

Serving a Diverse Population

URACCAN is designed to serve all of costeños and to emphasize the region’s multicultural heritage. The mestizo population of 117,143 is growing rapidly through immigration from the western, Hispanic part of Nicaragua. It threatens to overwhelm the other groups, thus underlining the importance of URACCAN’s focus on diversity.

The major languages spoken at URACCAN are Spanish, Creole English, Miskitu, and Mayanga. Signs on the university walls are written in all four languages. Miskitu has been a written language since Moravian missionaries, who arrived on the coast in 1849, recorded it in writing and translated the Bible and other religious documents (Helms 1971). The missionaries also trained local lay preachers, or sasmalkra, who preached from texts in their own language. Today various competing groups, including the Church of God, the Catholic Church, and the Seventh Day Adventists, all work on the coast. Nevertheless, in many ways the Moravian Church remains the central religious authority in the region. Moravians have recently established their own university, the Bluefield Indian and Caribbean University (BICU), which now occupies the old Moravian hospital building in Bilwi. BICU is privately funded and thus provides a second option for higher education. Costeño leaders hope that the presence of URACCAN and BICU will encourage the most capable young people to earn degrees on the coast, and remain afterward to contribute their talents to the region’s growth.

URACCAN opened its first three branches in Bilwi, Bluefields, and Siuna, and now has extension courses in La Rosita, Bonanza, Waspam, Pearl Lagoon, Orinoco, and Nueva Guinea. Today, about 2,500 students attend the university, with 200 professors teaching courses. Continuing education and technical training courses are offered, as well as courses leading to bachelor’s degrees in sociology, agro-forestry, business administration, and education.

The university also has four research institutes—the Institute for Linguistic Research and Cultural Recovery, the Natural Resource and Environment Institute, the Institute for Promotion and Study of Autonomy, and the Institute for Traditional Medicine and Community Development.

The Traditional Medicine Institute maintains a medicinal plant garden at Krabu Tingni, in a beautiful rainforest location midway between Bilwi and Waspam. A Miskitu medicinal healer is in charge of the gardens, to which other healers also have access. The resident healer demonstrates plant medicines to students and other visitors.

During his Fulbright grant from 1999 to 2000, Philip Dennis worked closely with the institute. In 1999, an outbreak of grisi siknis, a dramatic culture-bound syndrome, occurred at the Luxembourg Teachers College in Bilwi, causing a crisis in which many of the college students left after 10 young women were possessed by evil spirits. The institute hired a well-known traditional healer who treated the young women successfully with prayer and medicinal herbs, while Dennis and the healer’s husband served as assistants. Two physicians were also involved in the treatment, which constituted a remarkable example of collaboration between biomedical and traditional practitioners.

URACCAN relies on visiting professors to teach many courses. During the 1999-2000 academic year, Dennis taught an anthropology of health course in URACCAN’s first graduate program, an intercultural master’s degree in public health (MSPI). Thirty-eight graduate students participated in the course, of whom about two-thirds were physicians and nurses. Other participants included a nutritionist, a dentist, a psychologist, and a community development worker. Most of the graduate students were mestizos from western Nicaragua, but there were also a number of Creole and Miskitu health professionals. The master’s of public health degree (MPH) is an important credential for anyone involved in health matters in Central America, as it is in the United States. In Nicaragua, the traditional MPH degree is given by the National School of Public Health (CIES) in Managua. But URACCAN organized the intercultural MSPI degree for the Caribbean Coast, in recognition of the region’s multicultural nature and the particular health concerns it presents. The MSPI degree is accredited by the CIES, and coursework covers all the material in a traditional MPH program, plus cross-cultural material relevant to the coast. Dennis’ course was an important part of the MSPI’s multicultural perspective.

Most of the other courses in the new MSPI program were taught in intensive one- or two-week blocks by mestizo professors from CIES who flew to Bilwi to give lectures. Because Dennis planned to live in his research community, Awastara, to the north of Bilwi, he was able to teach his course over an 11-month period, holding classes one week each month. The MSPI students turned out to be hard-working and interested in the material, and responded enthusiastically to the fieldwork projects.

The university is developing a new master’s degree in socio-cultural anthropology in order to train Native anthropologists on the Atlantic Coast. Drawing from her extensive field experience among the Miskitu peoples of Honduras, Laura Hobson Herlihy will teach a graduate course on ethnographic field methods at URACAAN-Bilwi in spring 2004, also supported by a Fulbright grant. URACCAN’s first rector, Myrna Cunningham, said that the course will be part of the core curriculum of the new master’s program, which will be coordinated by Georg Grunberg and emphasize the region’s autonomy. Students will work with Herlihy both in the classroom and in the field, doing ethnographic research in local communities. Herlihy and Dennis both hope to keep the U.S.–URACCAN connection strong through future Fulbright exchanges.

The URACCAN was organized by and for local peoples, and tries to give voice to all the ethnic groups on the Coast. Large numbers of Miskitu students attend URACCAN-Kambla, and Creole students are prominent at URACCAN-Bluefields. However, there has been little Miskitu representation in the university administration. During his year at URACCAN, Dennis suggested that Miskitu intellectuals such as Ana Rosa Fagoth and Avelino Cox be invited to participate more in university activities, and that academic courses be offered using Miskitu as a language of instruction. In part, the limited participation of Miskitu scholars simply reflects the limited number of Miskitu people with university training. In addition, the Moravian Church-supported BICU may attract Miskitu people interested in faith-based education. Nevertheless, it seems ironic that the colonial languages, Spanish and English, continue to dominate, and that indigenous language and worldview remain underrepresented in university activities and administration. Indigenous peoples are lowest in the scale of interethnic relations on the coast, and to some extent this situation is paralleled in the university. It seems clear that to be successful as a multilingual, multicultural institution, URACCAN must invite more participation by leaders from all the region’s ethnic groups.

Miskitu people have a complex set of ideas about health and illness, and traditional healers provide a large share of the health care in the region. Historically, biomedical professionals from the United States and from the western, Hispanic region of Nicaragua have viewed local beliefs with skepticism, and have not taken traditional healers seriously. Given this context, some Creole administrators predicted the mestizo physicians in Dennis’ class would be narrow-minded and the most difficult group to work with. In reality, they asked the most perceptive questions and showed the most interest in the intercultural perspective presented. When Dennis invited traditional Miskitu healers to the class to explain Miskitu concepts of health and to demonstrate curing techniques, the mestizo physicians were the first to volunteer to help in the demonstration.

International Collaboration

Library holdings at URACCAN-Bilwi are modest indeed—one room of books. This lack of reading materials for students is a serious problem, and by necessity many classes use Xerox copies of articles or book chapters for reading assignments. For his anthropology of health course, Dennis brought textbooks from the United States, including a thick reader of medical anthropology articles in Spanish and the Spanish-language editions of Where There is No Doctor and Helping Health Workers Learn from the Hesperian Foundation. Dennis hoped that these texts would serve as useful future reference sources for the health care professionals taking the course.

Dennis also organized a large book drive at Texas Tech University, during which many colleagues in different fields donated basic texts and other books for the URACCAN library. Of course, most of these books were in English and may be of limited use to URACCAN students and faculty. But where books are available, one can hope they will eventually be of use to an aspiring scholar. Unfortunately, due to changes in U.S. Postal Service regulations, the last carton of books sent in 2003 cost about $75. At this price, it will be impossible to continue the book donation program.

Despite financial problems, URACCAN has been successful at forming national, regional, and international ties. Besides having a press office, a Web site, and a liaison office in Managua, the university has bilateral agreements with two Canadian universities, four U.S. universities, and three universities in Spain. Almost 30 URACCAN professors are pursuing advanced degrees in York, Canada, and Girona, Spain. One anthropologist colleague, Miguel González, former rector at URACCAN-Bluefields, is now completing his doctorate degree in political science at York University in Toronto.

The university also has ties with a vast array of non-governmental organizations, institutes, and foundations. Among them are Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbelt of Germany, Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigaciones y Enseñanza in Costa Rica; and the Rigoberta Menchú Foundation in Guatemala. These ties allow URACCAN to lead several important regional and continental initiatives, “especially regarding Indigenous, educational, health, and human rights networks,” reports the URUCCAN Update in 1998.

URACCAN and Autonomy

The Atlantic Coast region won constitutional autonomy in 1987 during the Sandinista revolutionary decade. The Nicaraguan government established two autonomous regions on the Caribbean Coast, the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN), and the South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS). The RAAN and RAAS make up over 50 percent of Nicaragua’s territory. The RAAN regional government is located in Bilwi and the RAAS regional government is in Bluefields. URACCAN’s Bilwi-Kambla campus thus serves a large Miskitu population, and the Bluefields campus serves the Creole population.

URACCAN’s new vision of indigenous education is not only to provide life-long education to costeños, but, according to the URACCAN Update, “to help fortify the autonomy process on the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast through training and professionalizing of human resources.” The university, for example, offers many outreach or short-term courses to improve the working populations’ technical skills. These courses have a community-based and participatory focus, and provide costeños with a way to contribute to their own self-empowerment. The goal is to no longer be dependent upon mestizos from western Nicaragua. Rather, through higher education, costeños hope to be able to control their own development process in the future.

Constitutional recognition was also given to minority languages in the autonomous regions. Since then, URACCAN has played a central role in developing the Intercultural Bilingual Education Program (PEBI) on the coast. Linguists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and from Europe worked with Terra Nuova, an Italian development organization, to develop new bilingual (Miskitu and Spanish) textbooks for grades one through four. These textbooks are now being used in a number of schools in the RAAN.

Unfortunately, the bilingual program has not been supported by conservative central governments in Managua in recent years. Teachers continue, however, to train at URACCAN.

The URACCAN main campus is in the town of Kambla, seven kilometers west of Bilwi. A breezy coastal city, Bilwi is the intellectual, economic, and political capital for the Miskitu people. Here, Miskitu culture is popular culture. One hears the Miskitu language spoken on the radio and television, as well as in discos, buses, and marketplaces. Due to its proximity to Bilwi, URACCAN’s main Kambla campus is strikingly dominated by Miskitu culture and language.

Transportation by bus is provided to Kambla-Bilwi students, along the red dirt road linking the campus and the city. Indeed, just getting to class is a challenge during the rainy season. The campus is remotely situated for a reason: it sits on land formerly used by the Sandinista army. The classrooms, administrative offices, and small library are in one-story buildings that formerly functioned as Sandinista military barracks. Pleasant and attractive, the campus is surrounded by pine trees with green grass and cement social spaces between buildings. The gym and auditorium buildings loom the largest on campus.

In 1998, Herlihy attended a conference for Central American indigenous people on URACCAN’s Kambla-Bilwi campus. The conference, “Central American Workshop on Territorial Rights and the Legalization of Indigenous Territories,” was sponsored by Native Lands, Centro Skoki, and URACCAN. Much of the workshop focused on the International Labor Organization’s convention 169, which deals specifically with indigenous peoples’rights. Indigenous representatives came from all the Central American countries, and from Peru and Mexico. A majority of the representatives and attendees were Miskitu, since the conference was held in their homeland. Miskitu participants in the meeting spoke first in their own language, and their statements were then translated into Spanish. The main topic of discussion among Miskitu participants was autonomy, or klauna, for the Atlantic Coast.

URACCAN’s concept of autonomy does not imply separatism. Rather, it emphasizes improving the quality of life for all costeños through education. Through inter-cultural higher education, the university aspires to build a better Atlantic Coast and a better Nicaragua. This university has so far been quite successful, especially given that the Atlantic Coast is a marginalized region in one of the poorest countries in Central America. Watching the crowds of students and faculty boarding the bus for Kambla, one cannot help but be infected by their spirit of enthusiasm and optimism. These young people see higher education as opening doors to the future.

Indigenous Peoples of Eastern Nicaragua and the Atlantic Coast

The 110,000 Miskitu constitute the largest indigenous population in Nicaragua. They live in rainforest and coastal-lagoon terrain from the Rio Coco border with Honduras to just south of the Pearl Lagoon area. This mixed group speak the Miskitu language, a member of the Misumalpan language family, and trace their ancestry to an Amerindian group that intermarried with African and European populations, starting in the 17th century (Helms 1971). While other Latin American indigenous groups experienced assimilation and culture loss due to the colonial encounter, the Miskitu have grown in population, expanded their territory, and developed a strong ethnic identity. Today, the Miskitu are the major indigenous group on the coast. They became internationally known for their struggle against the Sandinista government in the 1980s.

Mary W. Helms did ground-breaking ethnography among Miskitu people, and her ethnography of the community of Asang, on the Río Coco, has become a classic. Helms suggests that the success of the Miskitu is closely related to their relations with outsiders who have come to the coast. Indeed, the Miskitu have continually expanded their population and established their identity through their interactions with the British, North Americans, and other foreigners. The colonial Miskitu, called “Zambos-Mosquitos,” dominated other indigenous groups on the Miskitu Coast. Through their alliances with the British, they acquired firearms, which they used to build a successful economy based on raiding and trade. In the last 200 years, the Miskitu have been residents of a British Protectorate, evangelized by the Moravian missionaries, and employed by North American and other foreign companies. The companies extracted local resources including gold, bananas, sea turtles, and most recently, shrimp, conch, and lobsters. The interconnectedness of global and local social identities is not new to the Miskitu, who have participated in what Helms (1969) calls a “purchase society” since colonial times. The Nicaraguan Miskitu seem to have refashioned their social identities into new practices that have empowered them in a globalized world. The Miskitu response to global economic and geopolitical forces provides an interesting lesson in survival and adaptation.

The Mayanga (previously known as Sumu) occupied the largest land area in eastern Nicaragua before European contact, but their numbers and territory have been much reduced. The modern Mayanga peoples, with a population of 13,204, have three surviving linguistic groups: the Panamaka, the Twahka, and the Ulwa. These languages also belong to the larger Misumalpan family. Traditionally swidden farmers and hunters, the Mayanga recently have become involved in monetized economies as wage-earners. They continue to live along the upper reaches and headwaters of Nicaragua’s northeastern rivers, particularly in the large Bosawas Reserve. The Mayanga share similar cultural and linguistic traits with the Miskitu, to whom they are closely related. The indigenous Rama people lived on the Miskitu Coast before contact and spoke Voto, a Chibchan language of South American origin. The Rama, like the Mayanga, also fell victim to Miskitu expansion during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, their reduced population of 1,023 is centered on Rama Cay, a small island in Bluefields Lagoon. The Rama people have all but lost their language, and now speak their own version of Creole English (Barrett 1992). Atlantic Coast Creoles are descendants of British colonists and African slaves who have lived on the coast since the 17th century. They speak Creole English and practice Protestantism, and their population center is in the cities of Bluefields and Puerto Cabezas (called Bilwi in Miskitu). During the colonial era, Creole society included free blacks who acquired higher status and prestige than the indigenous groups on the Miskitu Coast, mainly because they were perceived as being more Europeanized. After the British formally left the coast in 1787, the Creoles stayed behind and became the dominant ethnic group, eventually displacing the Miskitu in the socio-economic hierarchy of the Caribbean Coast (Gordon 1998). Today, the Creoles number 50,000.

The Garífuna trace their ancestry to Island Caribs on St. Vincent of the Lesser Antilles. Here, the Caribs inter-married with African slaves and were later deported to Honduras in 1797. The Garífuna people’s Afro-Caribbean culture and their Arawakian language, called Garífuna, thrive along the coast in Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, but in Nicaragua are now represented by only two communities. Coming from Honduras in the late 1800s, the Garífuna settled on the western side of Pearl Lagoon and now have a population of 3,068 people. Their two villages are an enclave that remains cut off from the rest of the Garífuna culture area (Davidson 1979). Although the Nicaraguan Garífuna now speak Creole English, they still maintain strong beliefs in ancestor spirits and a distinct Garífuna identity (Barrett 1992). Some young Garífuna have embraced a racialized identity as Latin American Blacks and see themselves as part of the African American diaspora.

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