Week 2! I can't believe I'm almost halfway through!

Okay, POP QUIZ...what's wrong with this picture?

HA HA! Nothing according to the Cook Islands. Yes, the driving wheel is on the right side of the car and we are driving on the left side of the road. They keep laughing at me because I keep going to the right side of the car to get in. Even the minivan that our director Debi drives only has a sliding door on the left side and I keep standing on the right side and she always asks, "Do you want to drive today?"

And, boy are weekends relaxing. I have already finished all four of the books that I brought. Bad planning on my part. Good thing they have a library of books that other people that have stayed here have left behind for people like me.

If only the rain wasn't falling so much on Sunday and Monday. We are talking BUCKETS! These two pictures were taken within a half an hour of each other. It just suddenly started POURING.

and the wind got really going...it was really a storm. We started to really get a little down yesterday thinking that the rain would continue today, but ta-dah!!! It is a beautiful and sunny day.

So, some of the kids didn't show up for school on Monday since the only way for some of them to get to school is my scooter, they just don't come. I don't blame them, I don't like it and I ride on the bus and in a car.

Instead, we got to make pockets and library cards for some books that were donated to the school. It's funny, me being me, I immediately was thinking of a better solution for this and was thinking how we can make the pockets better and then somehow put it in a program so that when we put in the information about the book, ( the title, author, ISBN, etc.) we will just have to print up the card that goes in the pocket instead of writing it out.

Of course, I remember what we are here to do, and that is what they ask of us, not no to improve it, change it or anything else.

Here are some more of the kids I read with: Mariana, Memory(a very popular name here), George and finally I met Fariarii!!! He had missed all of last week and finally showed up on Monday.We read a book about Christmas decorations and there was a lantern, so we ended up making a paper lantern for him to take home.

One thing I wanted to show you was that the kids brush their teeth after their lunch. It is a very cute sight. They each have a water bottle with their toothbrush inside it and someone is in charge of the basket of brushes/bottles and the dispensing of the toothpaste and they all go out to the water spout and brush their teeth.

Something you hardly ever see in American schools, huh?

As promised, here is the "spread" we get at dinner from a local Cook Islander who cooks our dinners unless we go out to eat. Look Mom, RICE!!!

Tonight, we are going to the Rarotongan and will enjoy an Island show too. Hopefully the weather is good enough for the fire show too. You know, when they dance with fire on the beach.

So, this I had to take, don't ask me why. I was using the bathroom in a local restaurant and saw the sink.

Don't know why the rocks are in the sink, but I guess it adds to the look of it all. What do you think?
I hope all is well with everyone and I am missing you all.

Sharon