Bought Chevy Damas Van - Nov. 13, 2008

My Dad and me are in our new 7-seat mini van. It is a popular vehicle in Port Vila with its small 0.8 litre engine and 12 inch tire rims. It is small but useful. One of my favorite things is holding on to a rail on the inside and pretending to surf.

Flowers in my Garden

There are many trees, plants and flowers in my front and back yard. Here is a nice flower in front of my house. Unfortunately it always gets hit by my soccer ball. It is a good thing there are so many flowers there.

Road Trip through the Jungle

My Dad went on a work visit to a rural village surrounded by a jungle. He rode in the back of a 4x4 pickup truck to get there.

Ministry of Internal Affairs

My Dad works as a Planning and Management Adviser in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Department of Local Authorities (Provincial Affairs). He works most of the time on the Rural Economic Development Initiative.

Vanuatu National Council of Woman (VNCW)

This is where my Mom works. She has a six-week contract as an Organizational Development Adviser with VNCW.

My Dad is Holding Lucky

This is Lucky. He is my favorite kitten. The kittens are really really soft and playful.

Kittens are Getting Bigger

My cat named Tiger is feeding her three kittens. There were four kittens but one is missing. These kittens are named Snowy (left), Lucky (middle), and Junior (right). They are so cute. I like to play with them.

Red Tongue Twisties

This is a snack that makes your tongue red. A lot of kids like it. I like it too but it has MSG, but I didn't know that before I bought it.

I Like My School

I'm standing outside my classroom with two classmates. The kids in my class are really nice. There is me, one Australian boy and the rest are ni-Vanuatu. We wear a school uniform, green shorts and a white shirt. I play sports every day at lunch time, usually football (soccer).

Central School, Port Vila

I go to Central School. I'm in grade 4. In Vanuatu they say class 4. There are 31 kids in my class. My first day of school was the first day of the third term, September 8, 2008. The school year starts in February and goes until December.

Beaches are Beautiful

The beaches in Vanuatu are beautiful and the water is clear.

Pray for Grandma

Here is a prayer for the departed: "O my God! O Thou forgiver of sins, bestower of gifts, dispeller of afflictions!
Verily, I beseech Thee to forgive the sins of such as have abandoned the physical garment and have ascended to the spiritual world.
O my Lord! Purify them from trespasses, dispel their sorrows, and change their darkness into light. Cause them to enter the garden of happiness, cleanse them with the most pure water, and grant them to behold Thy splendors on the loftiest mount."
- `Abdu'l-Baha (Baha'i Faith)

My Dad and Uncle

My Grandma's two living children, my Dad and Uncle Steve, took some time at the end, alone, at Grandma’s resting place.

Prayers for Grandma

We said a lot of prayers for Grandma. The funeral was in the morning, and it was very hot. A lot of people held umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.

Remembering Grandma

There were about 40 people at Grandma’s funeral in Fiji. Only a few of those people knew her personally since she is from Canada and she had never been to Fiji before. On September 6th there was a large memorial gathering for Grandma in Canada.

Family and Friends at Grandma's Funeral

This is Uncle Steve, Auntie Carren and my cousins. One family friend flew with his wife and children from New Zealand to be at the funeral. Most of the guests were from Fiji, and seven of us flew from Vanuatu.

Getting Ready for the Burial

Grandma's burial plot is on the slope of a hill with several terraces. We stood on one terrace above waiting for the grave diggers to finish their task, then Grandma's coffin was buried and we said prayers for her.

Grave Diggers

My Dad and Uncle hired the grave diggers to prepare for the burial. The spot for Grandma's grave had a lot of rocks so it was very hard work to dig, and it took longer than expected. The grave diggers are Fijian prisoners doing community service. They were kind and hard working. They were supervised by a Sargent from the Loutaka Prison.

Funeral for Grandma Pat - Sept. 4

Grandma had a beautiful funeral. It was Fijian style. Her coffin had a hand-made tarpa (patterned cloth) draped over it, and two hand-made mats under it. We all wore Fijian clothes (island shirts). Uncle Steve and Quentin also wore Fijian skirts for men.

Trip to Fiji - Aug. 29 to Sept. 5, 2008

We stayed in Fiji for one week at a hotel on the beach called Mammas - Tropic of Capricorn. Fiji is beautiful just like Vanuatu, but it is more developed and has a lot more people.

Grandma Pat will Rest in Fiji

On August 29th Grandma was on a flight from the United States to Fiji. She was coming to Vanuatu from Canada to visit us for three months, but on the flight she died peacefully in her sleep. Me, my parents and relatives all flew to Fiji the same day.

Happy Birthday Quentin!!!

Today is my cousin Quentin's 6th birthday (August 28th). He is ready to ride my uncle's motorbike. We all went for bike rides today with my uncle and my dad. Tonight Auntie Carren comes from Santo, and we will have a birthday party for Quentin.

Tiger had 4 kittens today (August 27, 2008)

I was at a Bislama language class this morning when Uncle Steve text messaged us at 8:52 a.m. to tell us that our pregnant cat, Tiger, was giving birth. Me and my dad ran home and saw two of the four kittens being born. Me and my cousins named the cats right away. The kitten's names are: 1st is Snowy (light brown), 2nd is Tiger Junior (calico colour like her mother), 3rd is Lucky (black with stripes, and named Lucky because we thought there were only two kittens), and 4th is Whippy (black with stripes). We are all very happy.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!!!

Me, my cousins (Erin and Quentin) and our parents wish Grandpa Ron a very happy birthday today (August 26, 2008). We love you!

Climbing Down on Pele Island

Most of the journey was through a jungle, down very steep hills. We had to hold on to strong plants, vines and trees, whatever we could grab.