Kokorako

We have these neighbours. They live across the street. (And by street I mean, the little dirt road in front of the SWIM base) They come from the Republic of Kiribati, which is made up of many islands in the South Pacific. Some of these islands are sinking (possibly somewhat due to the ice caps melting and all the fun stuff climate change brings) which has forced many to flee to find new homes.

The Kiribati people love to sing and dance. There is nothing wrong with this of course, singing and dancing is a beautiful thing. I mean, I love to sing and dance (although when I sing and dance it's not exactly a beautiful thing). And in their singing and dancing they are worshiping God and that's an even more beautiful thing. 

But there is this little problem. They sing at STUPID hours.

What do I consider to be stupid hours? Well, take the other night for example. It was someone's birthday. (We knew this because at 10pm we heard the "Happy Birthday Song" in their language, every word was in their own language except for the actual words "Happy Birthday" and "Hip, Hip HORRAY!", it was fun to listen too.) At 10pm they started singing.

And for the record when I say singing, I mean SINGING. The kind of singing that comes from your gut. The kind that is really yelling and screaming to a melody. I mean that in the best way possible, they really do have lovely songs and voices, they just have tons of power and volume to go with it.

The "leaf house," where I am currently staying.

I went to bed around 11 or 12pm, and somehow at some-point, I managed to fall asleep. Only to be awoken  at 3am the sounds of the Kiribati people singing away. I lay awake for awhile. (this partly had to do with the singing and partly to do with the fact that somehow, for the first time in the 4 or 5 years that I've had my nose pierced, I managed to pull out my nosering when I woke up in the night. And then I had to spend half an hour in front of the mirror trying to force the dang thing back in because I didn't want to lose the ring or have the hole close too much and make it even more difficult. So THAT was fun.) I was relieved when the singing ceased and the party seemed to be over and I rolled over and fell asleep. But, their party was not over and either a new group started singing or the old one just took a little break and carried on. Whatever the case was, I was again awoken and when I looked at my clock, it was 5am. 5AM! And they just kept on going 'till morning. Needless to say, I didn't get a ton of sleep that night.

THAT is what I mean by stupid hours. Oh, and this isn't just like a one time occurrence. They will be singing at stupid hours at least once or twice a week. 

So, don't tell me that climate change isn't a problem. It is because of it that I don't get a good sleep at night. And that's a problem, and not just for me, for the people around me. Both because they aren't getting sleep either AND that I get cranky with lack of sleep. 

So, PEOPLE, listen up! Reduce, Reuse and Recycle;  don't pollute; play nice with our earth and everything in it; ride a bike; hug a tree. It's important for many reasons, but right now it's important so I can get some freekin' SLEEP!

I have managed to acquire a nice pair of earplugs, which has been a wonderful blessing. I can actually get a bit of sleep now! Yet, there are times when I can still hear the singing and I have still been woken up! It's ridiculous. But such is life I suppose.

My Nemesis

While I'm on the subject of sleep, or rather lack there of, I have to briefly rant about roosters. There is this myth that roosters crow at dawn. I say myth because it is implied that roosters ONLY crow at dawn and that they only crow three or so times. (At least that is what I have been led to believe all these years) And they DON’T. Roosters crow any freeking time they WANT TO. Yes, they will crow at dawn, AFTER they've crowed at 4am and 5am before and then they will CONTINUE for the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. I hate roosters. Fortunately, I have only encountered these fowl beasts (pun most defiantly intended there) when in Dadala village and not here at the SWIM base. So that has been a blessing at least. But I still want to make sure that the myth of Roosters is all cleared up for anyone who has been in the dark on this most solemn subject. O ya, and while i'm on the subject of annoying animals, I shouldn't leave out the dogs. They, like most dogs around the world, love to start barking JUST when your at that fragile halfway point between being awake and asleep. And it's even better when a female (I will refrain from using the proper word for it here lest I offend a fragile soul who may be reading this...)is in heat, 'cause then all the males have to fight and that's another fantastic thing.

I should probably end on a positive note, because I don't want to be a downer and complain. Wait... I'm NOT trying to complain, I just simply wish to INFORM. There's a difference. Anyways,I'm going to tell you one of my favourite things about the pijin language. There are a number of things, but one is the word "save," meaning know. It is pronounced like 'savvy' or 'savie' or 'savey'… as in the way I imagine pirates say it. Needless to say, whenever I say "save" I feel like a pirate. It's awesome.

PS "Kokorako" is pijin for chicken. Just so you "save". ARRRRRRRRRR!!! (that is my attempt at typing out a pirate's fearsome call)