Leaving at the End of the Year

Paul and I have made the decision to leave Pitcairn Island at the end of this year. We will not take up the option of renewing our teaching contract for another year. This will mean the new postings on this blog will carry on only until the end of the year.

Many people out there in the world have a completely idealistic view of life here on Pitcairn.  The Miscellany newsletter only portrays the positive aspects of life here and so it is not a true and accurate reflection of this community at all.  Pitcairn Island community has all the usual ups and downs of a tiny isolated community, plus some extra factors as well.

Paul and I have enrolled in a course in Bangkok Thailand beginning on 6th January 2013. Our course is a YWAM course called "Children at Risk". The course will have an academic component and also a practical aspect of working out in the community with children in slum areas.

We will begin a completely new blog for our next adventures.  The purpose of this blog was to inform family and friends of what it is like to live on Pitcairn Island and to show all the various aspects of the island.  We looked for up to date information like this about Pitcairn before we came.  Maybe this Blogspot will help others who travel here.  

I have appreciated all the feedback and comments.  So far there have been 5936 page views so someone somewhere is reading all these postings. 

School Cooking Lessons

Cooking Lessons
At Pulau School there are just eight children that come from only two families.  They are spread in ages from 5 – 13 years.  This term I (Ruth) have been bringing the eight of them up to our house to cook once a week.  Each child has formed a recipe book from a school exercise book and divided it into sections.  We are aiming to make something from every section.  Last week we made Lemon Honey which is like a creamy lemon jam to put on bread.  It was delicious.  Today we made a Chow Mein with minced beef.  By the end of each lesson my kitchen is sticky and the floor needs a wash.  But we are all having a good time and the children are learning valuable skills.

Making jars of Lemon Honey

Lemon Honey

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
1 Cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 lemons (grated rind and juice)

Method
Melt the butter and sugar.
Add eggs and lemons.
Use a microwave or double boiler to cook this.
Boil until thick. If cooking in the microwave put it in for 10 minutes
then remove and stir and then microwave for a further 10 minutes for a
thick lemon honey.
Store it in the fridge. This can be made in bulk and frozen until you
are ready to use it.

First Aid Refresher course held on Pitcairn Island

First Aid Refresher course held on Pitcairn Island

Dr Kevin Donovan has begun teaching a First Aid refresher course.  We have had the first session on Sunday 5^th August with twelve people attending.  Of these twelve, seven were from the professional team and just four were resident islanders.  In New Zealand a refresher First Aid course costs more than $100 and yet this course is offered for free.  We are lucky to have such a capable doctor on the island at present.

                                    Dr Kevin Donovan explains the best techniques of CPR

Pitcairn Island Health Centre

                                                      Pitcairn Island Health Centre

Pitcairn Island has a well resourced Health Centre.  The current doctor is Kevin Donovan who came here to Pitcairn Island in 2011 to complete a one year contract with his wife Sharon.  The Pitcairn Island Government finds it difficult to recruit a suitably qualified doctor.  Doctor Kevin Donovan will be replaced by Doctor Peter Carden in September this year. Peter and his wife Maria have lived and worked on Pitcairn Island before. 

Reception area

 

                                                              Doctor Kevin Donovan

 The Health Centre has an x-ray machine and a room that is kept at a cool temperature for storing the medicines.  There is all the usual surgery equipment and dental facilities.  In terms of waiting lists and availability to be seen, Pitcairn Island provides better services than you get back in New Zealand.

Aerial view of Health Centre

 When I applied for the job of coming here to Pitcairn Island as a school teacher one of my first questions at our interview was “Is there a doctor on Pitcairn Island?” When we lived in a remote area of the Highlands of Papua New Guinea I had a burst appendix and peritonitis set in.  I nearly lost my life as Paul did all he could to evacuate me to safety.  From that point on I have not wanted to risk living in an area with no health facilities.

Pitcairn Island Prison 2012

                                            Aerial View of Prison complex

Pitcairn Island Prison 2012

It seems that one of the buildings of Pitcairn Island’s empty prison may get a new lease of life if the current proposal for a Community Cultural Centre goes ahead.  The prison is a substantial building close to the main hub of Adamstown.  At present it sits behind the high fence neglected by all.  Chickens and children squeeze through the gap in the gate and gather the fruit that is wasting on the tress within the confines.

Passionfruit now grows over the gate

A document outlining possible uses for the prison complex has been created by the tourism co-ordinator and distributed to the residents of Pitcairn Island.   Comments and feedback from the community are welcome.  A craft market, library, sailing club and community meeting room are all put forward as being legitimate uses for the deserted building.

The dining room would become a craft market area

Disused existing bedrooms would become the new library, sailing club, community meeting room

When visiting yachties arrive they could use the sailing club facilities for relaxing, laundry and internet.  The craft market could be used as a semi-permanent set up for locally made crafts and products such as honey.

The lower building is the one proposed for use

These ideas are all in the planning stages and will be put to council for consideration. 

Pitcairn Island School

View of Pulau School from below

Pulau School is situated at the end of the Adamstown main road on Pitcairn Island.  It is a well appointed school with a pleasant sea view out towards the north. The grounds slope steeply, however there is a small concreted area at the entrance which is used extensively for play.  The lower dirt field has very little grass.  A trampoline sits under the mango tree.  A long veranda extends the length of the school and provides welcome shade. The grounds are surrounded by mature trees and a banana grove. The Eco Trail out to Christian’s Cave passes the lower boundary of the school.

View of the rear of school from the entrance driveway

Inside the school, the main classroom is spacious with an adjoining library, storeroom, and a kitchen which doubles as a pre-school. 

Fans, children's desks, filing cabinets, stage seating, teacher's whiteboard station, flat screen TV

The door to the rear leads into the library. 

Pre-school table and pre-school resource shelves

Kitchen and Art area share the pre-school space

The school has a good range of resources built up over the years by past teachers.  There are ample art supplies, numeracy and literacy resources and children’s reading books although some of these are getting quite dated. 

Junior Readers and School Journals

Computer Bay

In the computer area there are five laptop computers for the children’s use.  Internet access is difficult and expensive and children are only allowed on-line with permission for essential projects. 

photocopier

In addition to the teacher publications and pupils’ books, desks, tables and shelves, the school has a small HP Laser jet photocopier, a large flat screen TV, a small CD player, filing cabinets, whiteboard, ceiling fans, guillotine, laminator, binder and a moveable teaching station.  All of these resources make for pleasant teaching.  If additional resources are required it has been easy to put in a request and there seems to be sufficient in the budget.  Teachers need to think well in advance of supplies needed for specific projects and order them to arrive on the previous supply ship.

2012 Art work taught by Ruth Shelling

Pitcairn Island General Store

Pitcairn General Store

The general Store is operated by a team of four.  Olive Christian and Brian Young are usually to found serving behind the counter. Steve Christian and Ariel Brown work on administration and accounts.

After the arrival of the supply ship every three months, the shelves are bulging with the usual array of goods you would find in any New Zealand supermarket.  The freezers are full to the brim and the chiller cabinets are topped up with cheeses and delicatessen items.  As the weeks go by, the items on the shelves slowly diminish.  There is a good range of items but you will not find endless brands of any one product. 

Wine and Cheese and confectionary

If you require specialist goods you need to order these on your own private order and wait for the supply ship to come again.

You can buy all kinds of canned goods and dry goods, household cleaners, drinks, frozen items and hardware. There are no fresh vegetables for sale. Some frozen meats and chicken are available in the freezers. Butter, cheese and eggs are usually available for the first few weeks after the supply ship but these tend to run out before the dry goods.

Pay at the counter using cash or have an island account

The Pitcairn General Store opens 8:30-9:30am three times per week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.  This coincides with the other businesses that open these days; the Post Office, Finance department, the hardware Warehouse and the Divisional Managers Office, which also houses the Library and loans out DVDs.