Week one in the can!

Well, what a first week it has been here at the Cook Islands News.


Fuelled by doubt and emotion in the opening three days, these last two have definitely been a lot easier for me – I think I’ve now got the hang of the newsroom and the intense environment that comes from any newsroom.

It really has been a remarkable turnround. Monday and Tuesday were so difficult that a bit of Wednesday was spent searching for flights home to Wellington!

Regardless, the last two days have filled me with enough smiles for me to realise it could be working out after all.

The other journalists are great and all hard-working. Went and had a couple of bubbly brews with a couple of them on Thursday night and it was just good to see a social side to them as well.

You’re all probably wondering what Raro looks like such is my lack of photos, but never fear! From next week I’ll be doing mini videos weekly to show you all what it’s like to be a journo in Rarotonga rather than just the cheesy blog posts!

It has been an interesting week here in Rarotonga. The new secretaries for the ministries were announced – with four new HOMs (that’s the term for Heads of Ministries). I had the privilege of interviewing the new Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Transport, two relatively low receivers of government funding.

I went to the first guy – Dr Matairangi Purea – and interviewed him at his house. We just sat on the deck, chewed the fat for an hour and just got into minor details. Here’s a snippet:

MW: Oh, I see in this CV here that you play soccer?
DMP: Oh yes! I used to play in the international team when I was at the University of Queensland (in the 80s)
MW: Oh choice – what position did you play?
DMP: Halfback.
MW: Aye? Halfback?
DMP: Yeah, halfback – number 4! (Meaning right back haha)
We continued to spin yarns and as he was talking I (rather rude in hindsight) looked over at the work vehicle that said Cook Islands News on the side, then looked at the mountain range in front of me on a clear blue sunny day and realised: This is my job.

Moments like that are frequent, now. Clouded by self-doubt in the first few days, I’ve since been able to really get my head around certain rounds I’m doing (agriculture, infrastructure and the ports) which makes me feel a lot more confident.

Chief reporter here is Matariki Wilson. She’s a character – she can be tough at times but always very fair and a good laugh outside the office. I know I'll get on with her very well. Like she says, “there’s a time and a place to work.”

The motel I’m staying at for the first two weeks is the Central Motel. Located not far from the local courthouse she’s a funny place run by an Englishman named Malcolm. Great guy, to be fair.

Haven’t really done too much discovering so far here in the tropics. There have been some nice nights out but they’re expensive after a while.

One of the big positives is my new drivers license! I’m officially allowed to drive scooters and cars here on the island. Some strange observations – nobody wears seatbelts and/or helmets here. While I guess they only go 50km/h max around here the fact there have been three scooter deaths in two weeks (alcohol related number: 2) you would have thought you’d HAVE to have one. Nope.

Editor is John Woords and as I suspected, a firm but fair boss. Haven’t really had much to do with him outside of work but sounds like he’s a good man so I will stick to that story.

Next mission for me is finding a scooter and a flat. Now that I want to actually stay here it’s probably not the worst idea? And on that note, I better head home for a feed.

Thanks for reading, hopefully those videos will start coming up from next weekend!

Matiu

Initial thoughts on life abroad..

After four weeks of chattering fingernails, scratching my head, and questioning the decision, I have finally arrived in Rarotonga :)

Having only finished up at Sportal NZ on Sunday morning at an unpleasant 2.30am, there hasn't really been enough time for me to realise just what I have got myself into.

Needless to say, the many hours I'm sure to spend strolling the streets, soaking up all of the sun, sand and beautiful sounds of the Pacific will ensure that what I've done is the right thing.

It's funny, really. People called me brave for venturing out of my comfort zone, for 'stepping into the unknown'. The fact of the matter is sometimes you need a little adventure in life, a little reminder of how decent things are back home, wherever that may be.

And it hasn't taken me long to realise how well I had it in Auckland.

Wasps. I'm not usually a fan of anything that has the potential to introduce me to a new level of pain and the Rarotongan wasps are no different. In fact, they almost look like the overweight uncles of their Kiwi counterparts which has me nervously thinking about my imminent sleep.

I managed to track down my editor at the Cook Islands News - John Woods - at Auckland International Airport. A wonderful man, he introduced me to his family before we all went and waited at the Koru Lounge.

The flight was fantastic - 21 Jump Street was fantastic by the way - and we arrived ahead of schedule. Weary, I got off the plane only for immigration to ask me for a proof of purchase or warranty for my computer, which I brought over. Seeing as I didn't have such thing - it's four years old so the warranty has since become void - I had to unpack the computer - as well as the clothing inside the box that couldn't fit in my bag - as directed.

It was my first drama, all after an hour of being in Raro. 

Still, from there it was a smooth sailing, complete with two fragrant leis that are acting as my air freshener at this stage. 

It's all still a bit surreal. Part of me feels like I'm back in Tahiti, when I went on exchange there in 2004. Yet another part senses this really is the start of a whole new adventure.

It will take a while for the whole experience to sink in, no doubt, but for now there's no time to settle in and chill out for a few days - I start tomorrow morning.

From one rush to another, but so far I'm doing well.

My first poem :)

I have never really written a poem before. Haven't really had the desire to be honest, but I felt it fitting for a city that has given me so much,

So here it is:


An Ode to My Home

The lights are dark and gloomy,
But these Wellington hues consume me and my naivety,


The rock has eroded; the sands in my Kiwi hourglass on the Kapiti Coast have neared their end,
Pictures of sand-decorated dances, walks and self-fulfilling prophecies
Are memories relived by nature’s melancholic chant,
Wintry, whistling wind,


Lights sprinkle across the district, people succumbing
To demands and actions from the technological attention-seeker,
Pre-pubescent children line stations waiting for attention from buses,
Ensuring lipstick doesn’t fall too far from their trotters,


A man whose roots have been severed at the hands of the Super City,
Friends come and go oft like handshakes not known for more than pleasure,
While Port Nicholson beacons hold strong the light that guides the erring ship,
Able to ensure comfort is at hand when called upon,


This city draped in scarlet-tinted yellow is a place I am thankful for,
A kowhai tree grew strong under the midsummer gazes, the sub-antarctic embraces
That put the region in a frost-induced deep sleep,
A Kiwi hourglass nears its end, and Rarotonga's cry emerges,


Awoken, no time to slumber,
The time for a curious traveller to explore the world has begun,
A prodigal son ready to distribute the wealth of his toil is to return,
Legacy forthcoming,


Farewell, Wellington.