A Fierce Reality

An Old Bi'u (house) of Kindness

2018-03-21T13:42:00.001+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

"...I cope with the loneliness by reaching out to others by being a good friend.” Photo: Harold Maesulia.

His house, or Bi’u as they call it in To'obaita, is not the fanciest in the entire village. Constructed with traditional materials in a manner that mirrors most of the houses in the area, there's nothing extraordinary about his Bi'u. In fact to by passers, his Bi'u would definitely benefit from some kind of renovation just looking at how old some sections of the building appear to be.

But that's not the purpose of this article. I was moved to write about this house because it belongs to an outgoing happy sweet old man, whom I came to call my friend.

Meet David Sefe, a simple yet funny elderly man in his early 60s from Ngalifasi village in Malu’u. Known to almost everyone in the area as an old man who loves to ignite laughter with his stories, I had the chance to meet him in the December of 2016.

Well Sefe’s son Kevin is one of my best friends. I knew him since 2015 and we’ve been very close friends ever since. Thanks to Kevin, I had the opportunity to meet his charismatic dad when he took me to his village for a 2 weeks holiday.

Life at Sefe’s house will remind you of the simplicity that rural Solomon Islands living has to offer. From being a caring person to giving every single visitor to his home the freedom to feel part of his family, Sefe knows too well how to make visitors to his humble home feel welcome. An icing on top of that hospitality is that loveable character of his to connect with almost everyone using his infamous jokes.

Well Sefe wasn’t expecting Kevin to bring along a friend for that end-of-year break. And on my part, I wasn’t expecting to either meet such a funny old man like Sefe too.

So it was like we were all in for a good surprise. Well it all turned out to be a very exciting holiday after all and a start of a very close friendship with a very charming old man.

Everything at his place was very basic. We cooked our meals over open fire. Water for cooking was obtained from piped water. He has few pots and pans here and there and some plates and cups which we all gratefully put to good use during our 2 weeks there.

Sefe has been living alone since the early 2000s. He has four sons, and Kevin, my friend, is his third. He once married a woman from Mbaelelea, a neighbouring language group to To'obaita, his language group.

He settled at Ngalifasi after marriage, but decided a few years later to move with the entire family to Guadalcanal, to seek employment. But an ethnic uprising in the late 90s on the island of Guadalcanal forced him and the family to repatriate to Malaita in the early 2000s.

Life in the village at that time was so difficult that he had to adjust to the new environment to make ends meet.

But his problems didn’t end there. Soon after settling at home, hurdles beyond his control came up and his marriage had to be annulled.

And sadly, Sefe has been living on his own ever since.

From what I saw, these turmoils did little to dampen the spirit of this old man. People who’ve known him for many years testified of his very loveable character too.

“He’s a very fun person to be around and he’s been that same person since I could remember,” said a very lose friend of Sefe who still finds time to hang out with him today.

And I saw this also during our short stay with him. Although he told me that he should be in his early sixties now, he didn't know his exact birthday.

He accompanied us to swimming spots whenever we wanted
to beat the sweltering afternoon heat of Malu'u.
Photo: Harold Maesulia.

But Sefe doesn't look his age but he's old enough to say no to walking far distances. But that was not the vocabulary on his lips when we wanted him to take us to places. He accompanied us to swimming spots whenever we wanted to beat the sweltering afternoon heat of Malu'u. He sometimes went with us even to the market, which was about 3 kilometres by feet, to get vegetables.

When the weather is fine, he still paddles his canoe out to sea to try his luck with his fishing rod. And when he returns home, he sometimes roast his day’s catch over open fire or add coconut cream to make a juicy fish stew to go with his usual staple, rice.

And Sefe shares all of this with everyone who is lucky to be present at home at such times.

Sefe no longer has the strength to climb the hills of Malu’u to make a food garden, but he relies on the little money he earns from looking after the residence of a fellow villager, who now resides in Honiara, to buy food.

He obtains rice from the local shops using that money and uses what is left to get sugar and tea-the necessities which he sometimes use to help him stay awake during the evenings to share jokes with the men folk of the village-his friends.

I held my end of that friendship line by trying as much as possible to offer kindness in return to Sefe’s hospitality.

From accepting whatever the family has on the table to helping out with cleaning and other duties around the house, I felt at home doing everything that becomes a norm in his humble home.

Although I felt close to Kevin’s family during the visit, it was not until we got to Auki, on our way to Honiara, that I heard something extra kind from Sefe during a cell phone conversation we had with him, “thanks a lot Kevin and Harold for paying me a visit. I didn’t expect to see both of you. Ku liothau ana kamaroa (I love both of you).”

I could sense a long silence after those words.

It was kind of funny, if you think about it. I said funny because in the Solomons, men don’t normally openly tell other men that they love them, even if they’re close friends.

But the way Sefe said that was kind of serious, that’s if I read the tone of his voice correctly, and I knew he meant it.

I knew he was delighted to see both of us during our two weeks with him. And what he told us over the phone just confirmed that he enjoyed our company just as much as we enjoyed his.

Well, I forgot to tell you that after his wife left, Sefe took the responsibility of looking after his family upon his own shoulders. Most of his boys were little at that time. But most of them stayed with him for a good number of years.

But recently, all of his boys had moved to Honiara in search of work. The last of them left around 2014, and his reason was to attend school. So Sefe had to live on his own ever since.

From cooking to washing, he has to adjust himself so that he'd be able to look after himself.

I asked him how he’s coping with the absence of his boys all this time but he smilingly said, “You’ll get used to it. It becomes odd during the first few months but I cope with the loneliness by reaching out to others by being a good friend.”

And he is such a good friend. I could tell that from his parting words to me when we were about to board the truck from Malu’u to Auki, “you’re always welcome to come back whenever you want.”

We left that day feeling sad. I knew Sefe woud be alone again. But Sefe had his humble Bi’u to return to. We knew he would definitely miss our company. But on that day, I had one wish, and that was for Sefe to find solitude in the quietness of his Bi’u.

I still call old Sefe on my cell phone today whenever I have time for a quick chat. And every time I ask him how he’s doing, he always reminds me of the comfort of his Bi’u. “A’i bo. Ku to bakua la bi’u nau neri. (Not much is happening here. I’m just resting at home)"

Walking-A New Honiara Phenomenon Which Could Save Lives

2018-03-15T12:07:00.000+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

"The story of catching a bus...in today's Honiara is not an exciting
one. Photo: SIBC Online.

The story of catching a bus from the Central Market to KG IV in today’s Honiara is not an exciting one.

One Social Network user was very straight forward about it, saying that “the struggle is real”. In fact he also had a photo to go along with his post, and you might have already guessed its content-a countless number of frustrated people waiting in vain at a bus stop, which seemed to be overwhelmed with people but vehicles.

Some people blamed it on the numerous potholes dotting Honiara’s only highway, while others would probably like to point fingers at Bus operators for allegedly deciding to make life difficult for the public commuters of Honiara by scaling down their services to destinations with very deplorable road conditions such as KG IV.

While this may have been an abrupt result of a lot of factors, it’s heart-warming to see that many Honiara faithful are deciding to adapt to the frustrating life by acquiring a new lifestyle- walking to and from work.

The practice is gaining so much popularity that before and after work, you will find more people on the sidewalks than the weary-looking vehicles braving the frustrating potholes of the city roads.

“I know it’ll take forever to wait for a bus at the Central Market so I started walking to my work place at Kukum from the City Council area,” one public commuter told FR.

“We’ll probably have better roads towards the end of the year, but while waiting, I’ve decided to come to work this way for now,” he continued.

Far from the complaining attitude, the same commuter however sees an upside from his decision to switch from boarding the bus to commuting by feet.

“I work five days a week and I sometimes attend to other duties during the weekends. You see I rarely have time to even exercise so I see this situation as my chance to stay active,” the commuter told FR.

But others are not seeing things through this commuter’s lenses, “it always take forever to wait for a bus along the main road of Honiara and who has the energy to walk from Point Cruz to Ranadi in the morning? It’s ridiculous!” another commuter complained.

While the issue of walking to and from work is a matter of personal choice, FR decides to investigate why choosing to do so is the best decision that any Honiara resident can make.

Ok let's face it! The 2015 WHO Steps survey for Solomon Islands evidently shows that the issue of Non Communicable Diseases is fast becoming a crisis in this country.

Yes you heard it right. We do have a crisis in Solomon Islands! Yes, there's a fight going on here. But we're not fighting against other human beings, we are tussling with NCDs!

NCDs or Non-Communicable Diseases (diseases which cannot be passed from one person to another), have been around for sometimes now. Someone told me that in the 80s, the sight of NCDs is a rarity. People hardly heard of foot ulcers slowly becoming gangrenic. People hardly heard of dozens of leg amputations per week. People hardly heard of stroke.

Yes, people hardly heard of these complications because NCDs were not that common at that time.

But now quite a good number of people admitting at the National Referral Hospital have NCDs-diabetes, heart attack and stroke just to name a few.

NCDs have reached a crisis level in this nation today because, more than anytime in the young history of our nation, more and more people being succumbed to the detrimental risk factors of NCDs. This is evident by the ever increasing influx of NCD patients in our main hospitals, a trend which seem to exhaust the limited resources we have at hand to care for our sick ones.

This alarming trend clearly shows that people are either engaging in poor dietary practices or they're more sedentary (inactive) in nature-two of the many factors which are found to be strongly associated with NCDs.

While we may immediately want to scout for means to equip our main health centres with the right resources to look after our NCD patients, we must equally render the same attention to finding ways to help people abandon the factors that may predispose them to NCDs.

And while we think of ways to prevent these diseases, the good news is NCDs can be prevented.

The findings of a 2006 study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology show that “overall physical activity levels are an important determinant of longevity, and that health benefit can be obtained through an active lifestyle, exercise, or combinations of both.”

This study found that those who lead an active life and who at times involve in certain forms of exercise are more likely to live longer than those who do not.

What does this mean? Well it means that exercise, which can be in different forms like walking, cycling or running, can help keep doctors away from us. Simply put, exercise do help lengthen our lives.

The Diabetologia reveals another insightful finding about physical activeness. For those who still have an early stage of type 2 diabetes, “long-term intervention in the form of diet and physical exercise is feasible even on a large scale.”

The study further adds that with proper diet and exercise, “substantial metabolic improvement can be achieved which may contribute to prevent or postpone manifest diabetes.”

This means that even if you have type 2 diabetes, physical exercise and a proper diet can help you manage your diabetes.

Yes again you heard it right, a good diet and staying physically active can give you power to avoid or even postpone the sight of diabetic complications like blindness, amputation of limbs, impotence (lack of erection for males) just to name a few.

It is obvious that we do have a lot of good reasons to get into the habit of walking. Not only does it help lengthen our lives but even if we already have some form of diseases, our decision to stay active will help us manage our physical conditions.

So the next time you find it hard to catch a bus to get you around town, why not buy an umbrella to shade off the sweltering Honiara heat, and just enjoy a good long walk.

We will do ourselves a lot of good if we never underestimate the benefits of walking.

The Sincerity of West Guadalcanal

2016-09-26T14:50:00.002+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

A beautiful afternoon at an uncrowded beach at Doma. Photo: Harold Maesulia.

While many tourists flocked the streets of Honiara from the Cruise Ship "Dawn Princess" on Saturday (24th Sept, 2016), quite a number of us decided to escape the heat of the city and headed down the western end of the island of Guadalcanal to enjoy the entire day.

While I used the occasion as a way to recharge my batteries, I found time to bond with my friends and catch up on incomplete conversations left over from our previous outings.

Unfortunately our ride down west was spoiled by the many potholes dotting the only highway that connects the area to the city, but that uncomfortable experience was quickly compensated for by the beautiful scenery outside.

"...and the beautiful beach was ours for a couple of
hours." Photo: Harold Maesulia.

And of course one needs to be reminded that the environment on that side of the island only gets better the further you drive.

From the uncrowded beaches to the beautiful towering hills in the backdrop, there's a lot of interesting things to satisfy your adventurous eyes while you're out there in rural Guadalcanal.

Some of my friends who went as far as the Visale area said that they've never met any group of genuine people on the island who are just so excited about talking to us total strangers.

And it makes sense when some people say- "if you want to see the real beauty of Solomon Islands, you have to forget about Honiara."

We had lunch at the old Doma station and the beautiful beach (pictured) was ours for a couple of hours before we headed back to town.

Redressing the Kukum Highway

2016-09-14T13:34:00.002+12:00

Very soon, KITANO–WKK JV of Japan will begin work to upgrade the Kukum Highway. Photo: Harold Maesulia.

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

Finally, the long wait is over.

Very soon, KITANO–WKK JV of Japan will begin work to upgrade the Kukum Highway. A ground breaking ceremony that officially marked the start of the project was held in Honiara this morning.

In the weeks leading up to this morning's ceremony, busy workers could be seen erecting a fence that was later dressed in KITANO-WKK JV slogans at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) yard besides the Honiara City Council Roundabout.

Although the area (MID Yard) is expected to be cleared later to make way for the expanded HCC Roundabout, unconfirmed reports state that the site will at this stage be temporarily used to house machineries for the million dollar project.

The Japanese Government has signed over $213 million for the much needed upgrade and it is anticipated that its completion will bring great relief to both business owners and dwellers of Honiara who continue to be affected by the ongoing issue of congested traffic in the city.

A document seen by this blog blames the congested Honiara traffic on the bottlenecks that have been created by the 4-lane highway as it narrows into the 2-lane New Mataniko bridge at China Town.

Besides that, the presence of the many traffic intersections at the Honiara City Council Roundabout seems to contribute a lot to the hustle of driving through the area.

The document also states that the lack of adequate crossing facilities in front of the Central Market is another factor that contributes to the traffic nightmare in Honiara.

As the project begins to kick off, A Fierce Reality is delighted to enlighten its faithful readers about some exciting things that this latest development will bring to the face of Honiara city.

The Design Policy of the Project

Because of its deteriorating condition, the road section between the Honiara City Council Roundabout and the Ministry of Fisheries will be totally repaved.

The report further adds that drainage ditches are to be installed at both sides of the highway and road sections which often suffer from inundation will be improved to prevent the flooding of the highway during wet conditions.

In particular, the junctions at Vura and the Central Hospital areas are to be improved to also ease traffic flow.

With the issue of bus stops, the upgrade is expected to improve bus bays so that they are stationed outside of the carriageway, reducing the possibility of disruption to traffic flow.

The project is also expected to widen the new Mataniko bridge to be able to accommodate 4-lanes while the old Mataniko Bailey bridge will be replaced with a permanent 2-lane bridge.

Traffic signalization or grade separation is an effective method which is expected to solve the traffic congestion at the Honiara City Council area, however that idea was abandoned due to cost and maintenance reasons.

An artist's impression of the newly designed HCC
Roundabout. Photo: MID.

So in order to improve the traffic capacity of the Honiara City roundabout, authorities suggest that the ring road diameter is going to be enlarged and the number of lanes will be further increased.

Equally important, the number of connecting roads to the HCC Roundabout will be reduced to do away with unwanted congestion.

Because of that, the storage yards belonging to the MID besides the current HCC Roundabout will be used to increase the capacity of the roundabout.

According to the same report, the Central Market area will also see a lot of improvements.

Improvements are expected to come in the form of better crossing facilities and wider bus bays.

A median fence will be installed at the Central Market area to prevent free crossing and a crosswalk which will be controlled by traffic personnel will also be made to control the movement of pedestrians at the busy area.

There is also plan to give the current underground pass, in front of the newly built Central Plaza, a facelift for easy access to both sides of the road.

The Kukum Highway was last upgraded
in 1993. Photo: Kramer.

Bigger bus bays too will help the flow of traffic in that busy part of the city, the document further adds.

Once completed, the project is going to be a major facelift for Honiara in a very long time.

Public Views

A lot of Honiara residents spoken to by this blog have very nice things to say about the project.

One commenter says that Japan is a true friend of Solomon Islands saying that this is a great gift for Solomon Islands as we are preparing to host the 2023 Pacific Games.

Another person comments that she can't wait for the completion of the project as that will make travelling to and from work easy for her.

The last time that the 3 Kilometer Kukum Highway had undergone a total make over was in 1993.

At that time, A Fierce Reality understands that Kramer, in association with Kumagai Gumi, was commissioned by the Solomon Islands Government in 1992 to undertake the Engineering Survey, Designing and Documentation stage 1 of the Kukum Highway Road project.

Hello from Honiara

2016-08-24T13:48:00.000+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

During one of my trips to one of the islands outside of town. Picture: Martin Maesulia.

I must apologize to you my many readers for leaving you in the dark for quite a while now. Well, so much has happened over the years and I guess I am kind of settle down now to start writing again.

For your information, I am back in the Solomon Islands. It's almost two years now since I came home.

The joy of being with my maternal side of the family is terrific. I am currently living with my uncle and I just love everything about his family. Apart from being a small family, they're very kind and I've come to learn lots of things about life just by associating with them.

I've found work in Honiara and I look forward to sharing with you some of my experiences.

From the exciting bus rides to the busy fruit markets, Honiara is a slow-paced city. Excitingly, almost everything revolves around "Solomon Time."-which means we love to slow down and savor the precious moments in life. And you just have to be here to fully understand how rewarding "Solomon Time" can be at times.

Thank you for dropping by and please do check again later for more updates from this side of the world.

Lukim iufala behind (See you later).

Medals for mothers

2013-04-09T15:19:00.002+12:00

Posted by Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

I just come to realize that I haven't posted any thing on this blog for quite a while now. Today I've decided to post the lyrics of one of my favorite country songs. I like this song because it actually talks about how important mothers are and I know I owe my mother a lot of thanks for the many things she has done for me since I was born.

Thank you mom.

Rhonda Vincent - Medals for mothers

I dreamed mama walked up
Those heavenly stairs
And medals for mothers
Were given up there

They mentioned the million things
Mom did for me
Things I took for granted
And never could see.

If there's medals for mother
For all of the deeds they have done
If there's medals for mothers
Mama you'll win everyone.

A medal of honorThey pinned on her there
A medal for patience
And kind loving care.

A medal for duty
She won up above
But the biggest of all
Was the one for her love.

If there's medals for mothers
For all of the deeds they have done
If there's medals for mothers
Mama you'll win everyone.

Yes, Mama you'll win everyone...

The Consequences of Drug Abuse in the Solomon Islands

2012-10-10T15:35:00.000+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

Betel nut is widely chewed around the Solomon Islands. Picture: google.com

This is an essay I've written as an assignment for one of my uni courses.

Drug abuse is a worldwide problem. Pacific islanders are now exposed to many different forms of drugs and their popularity among the people continues to create problems. Solomon Islands is not immune to the problems that come with the abuse of drugs. Drugs that can be smoked, drunk and chewed continue to have a place in many people’s lives. This essay will examine some of the consequences of drug abuse through social problems, burden to the government and a dull future for the drug abusers.

The abuse of drugs in Solomon Islands has caused many social problems. In the communities, it continues to bring disharmony to many families. Many women become victims to drunken husbands who turned violent after consuming alcohol. As revealed by Buchanan (2012), a Temotu man had to be imprisoned for heavily assaulting his wife and son when he was drunk. In some homes, parents are troubled with the task of controlling their children. (Island Sun, 2011) comments on the worry of seeing a lot of school age kids lazing around in public places during school hours, consuming alcohol. These kids disregard their parents’ good counsel, and step school during school hours to indulge themselves in drug-related activities (Island Sun, 2011). These stories demonstrate the damage that drug abuse is inflicting on many local families.

On a much bigger scale, the abuse of drugs continues to nurture the growth of crime. The consequences can even be felt in the more peaceful areas of the country. Palmer (2010) writes about a killing in the Western Province that clearly shows this. The diseased is a Rendova man. He was bashed to death during a drinking party in Munda. An issue which is supposed to be solely dealt with by police ended up in the hands of angry relatives who retaliated by ransacking properties. Solomon Star (2010) documents another assault to a man by two drunken males at Kukum, in Honiara. And the news does not please the Assistant Police Commissioner who fears that things can “lead to more serious offences such as robbery, assaults or even murder.” And murder is a familiar crime on the streets of Honiara. Recently, Solomon Star (2012) reports the killing of a local diplomat by a group of Beligas (a local drug-driven gang in Honiara). He was stopped and knifed in the centre of the city, sparking fear among the city dwellers. Drug abuse is certainly turning people away from right. Solomon Islanders who are driven by its detrimental powers continue to inflict fear among their fellow citizens

Furthermore, drug abuse also burdens the government. The emergence of problems associated with drug abuse is becoming costly for the state. The limited available resources are strained just to ensure that law and order is maintained. (SIBC Online, 2012) reveals a “Weekend Zero Tolerance” operation mounted by Police to combat the illegal sale of alcohol and the local homebrew, “Kwaso”. With the current economic hardships (Mamu, 2012), it will be a daunting task to provide care for those who are mentally challenged from smoking the “harmful cannabis chemical in the marijuana plant” (SIBC Online, 2011). According to health authorities (Solomon Star, 2012), they are under resourced to keep the health services at the National Referral Hospital afloat. The government will have to search for more money to cover the extra cost of caring for these patients. These revelations clearly show the burden that drug abuse continues to add to the shoulder of the government.

Another load that the government is dreading is the negative image that the abuse of drugs paints of Solomon Islands as a tourist destination. Instead of looking at the beautiful beaches Solomon Islands can offer, potential tourists will be shun away by the negative publicity about drug-driven crimes. A travel advice for Solomon Islands recently warned travelers to the islands to avoid certain places in the capital city, stating that “there is a potential for trouble owing to both civil unrest and drunken behaviour” (British Foreign & Commonwealth office, 2012). This is a living proof of how drug abuse can cost a country the economic benefits it supposes to receive.

Another consequence of drug abuse is a dull future for the abusers. The health of those who take drugs is becoming a concern. Lumukana, R. and King,T (2003) confirm that betel nut chewing causes oral cancer and is killing many in the Solomon Islands. (Griffiths 2004, p. 247) comments that alcohol is associated with one of the areas of risk taking that kills disproportionately more young men than women in road traffic accidents. He further states that the commonest causes of death among men who smoke are heart disease and lung cancer. A recent survey (Solomon Star, 2012) reveals that Solomon Islands have “one of the highest youth smoking rates in the world.” With the many drug related problems, it is fitting to suggest that the future of many of these Solomon Islanders is not bright.

Many youths who are hooked on drugs loss the interest to go to school. They find pleasure in hanging out with their peers. Basi (2008) comments that they often take out their uniforms and indulge in smoking during the time they are supposed to be in school. If students continue to behave in such a manner, they will not thrive in their education.

This essay has examined some of the consequences of drug abuse through social problems, burden to the government and a dull future for the drug abusers. The discovery that drug abuse can lead to a lot of trouble within a society implies that it is truly an issue which must not be overlooked. Appropriate measures must be taken now by the responsible authorities to help lower the rate of drug abuse. If we do not act now, the problems will continue to haunt us.

Driving out of Honiara’s Traffic Jam

2012-03-07T18:38:00.002+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

"So here I was in a RAV-4, stuck in the heart of Point Cruz, in the middle of a sweltering afternoon
when I began to wear my mind out in search for answers." Photo: Courtesy of Sammy Batini.

Traffic in Honiara is truly a nightmare. The experience is frustrating during the busiest hours of the day.

It’s unbearable when you get stuck trying to get to work when, in front of you, vehicles of all kinds compete for space on the only road that connects both town ends.

The number of vehicles on the road is growing every year - a situation being worsened by the increase in car importation. Importers of motor vehicles are feeling the pressure to keep up with the demand for this luxury item. And taxi and bus operators cannot keep pace with the growing population’s need for more public transport.

Making matters even worse is that the only highway in Honiara is littered with potholes. In fine weather they are a nuisance. But when the floodgates of heaven open, as we saw in recent days, these pesky depressions may as well be the size of volcanic craters; making the road hazardous for driving and near-impossible to navigate.

With no alternate routes to get from the eastern to the western end of the town, it is easy to isolate some of the root causes of this problem.And so with traffic inching along at a snail’s pace, one simply cannot help oneself from pondering the possible solutions to this mounting crisis.So here I was in a RAV-4, stuck in the heart of Point Cruz, in the middle of a sweltering afternoon when I began to wear my mind out in search for answers.

My thoughts wandered back to the past, to a time when I was at my uncle’s home - who, at that time, served as the Director of the Government Information Unit. On the table, I spotted short hand notes of a parliamentary session on comments by one of the members of Parliament. Interestingly, the notes documented the issue of having an additional thoroughfare running the entire length between the east-west town boundaries to serve as an alternate route during times of disaster.

I do not remember the date of the meeting, but it was probably during the pre-independence years. I completely agreed with the idea set forth in that proposal but wondered why the government back then did nothing about it.

Honiara is said to be one of the poorly planned cities in the South Pacific. The facts supporting this are surfacing now. With the traffic growing at an alarming rate, we can only wish that the government of the day seriously consider laying down an alternative route. We can only hope also that as reported by Island Sun “the tons of money framed for infrastructure in the city this year by NCRA” will do something more than just refilling the same old potholes.

Needless to say, a highway without potholes makes for a smooth and very pleasant ride. But it won’t increase road-space.We can regulate the import of cars, as suggested by an editorial in the Island Sun, but how long can that last for? Businesses need to operate, and as a growing city it must prepare for this growth. Each year, new businesses are being opened and old ones being expanded. Both of which require additional manpower; thus increasing the labour force and, with it, the number of commuters. When all these are allowed to operate on the current roadway, the result is a lot of inconveniences to businesses and commuters alike. And everyone will fight for space on a road that is already clogged with more vehicles than it can accommodate.

If we want to see meaningful change then more resources should be targeted at clearing way for expansion of Honiara’s network of roadways. There are millions of dollars spent each year by the national government on efforts to improve the city’s existing roads. A huge portion of this money is often spent on filling up the potholes. But not a cent towards easing traffic congestion. It is now time for our government to realize this city’s need of adding another major highway and seriously allocate funds for it.

We were once trapped not being able to move even an inch on Mendana Avenue.
So aiming to escape the madness, my uncle decided to take a detour through Chinatown.

We were not even a meter past the Town Council round-about when we got wedged yet again. The old one-lane bridge at Chinatown quickly foiled what was supposed to be our quick escape route.

It was such a long wait. It was supposed to be a ten minutes drive only but by the time we got to our destination at Kola Ridge, the sun was setting already.

Three hours spent crawling along in rush hour traffic on the only highway that serves an entire city leads to only one conclusion: this place is in desperate need of another highway.

I dream of that day when this will be realized for my city.

The Day I Defined Admiration

2011-10-28T18:00:00.000+13:00

We often take hours thinking about people we envy. Here
is what I wrote after meeting a person who is now a
very good friend of mine. Photo:Goggle.

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

A sight of you reminded me of the $2000 worth canon camera I saw at PROUDS*the other day. I’ve always wanted to own a camera that can capture my everyday life in style so that I’ll have a store of memories to look back to in the future. Do I have that amount to give me the title to that high tech cam? Poor me, now I just have to settle down with the wish that one day I’ll get to have that substantial amount so that I’ll get to pay that stunning canon product.

You have the smile of a down to earth girl. You appear to have no problem falling in a conversation with anyone-just anyone at all. Those were my first impressions of you. When I first sighted you, I decided not to allow myself to fall for your beauty. People say looks can be deceiving. So I took a stand on the way side to give myself time to see you in person.

The girl that my eyes were set on has a magnetic aura around her. Her ways are worth dying for. She has a good sense of humor. She talks and laughs in a friendly way. She’s natural. She doesn’t choose to enhance her looks with make ups. Donned with a pretty smile, she was quick to get on the wagon when our topic flew from our usual island way of introduction to the tones of jokes I had in store. I’ve decided to act as if we’ve met each other before. Hence I resort to man the conversation with more jokes. She contributed nicely and I could see the calmness in her eyes.

Somewhere in each person’s heart, there are wishes. One of those is the wish to find someone you’ll get to share your life with.

I ran into you by accident, but after settling down to have my eyes see for themselves the beauty within you, I knew I had something to say about you. Was it love? Well I opted to again take the stand on the way side. I have a reason for doing that-what if the person I’m eyeing is already taken? It’s shameful to come in unexpectedly between two people, isn’t it?

We can’t stop events from appealing to our minds, but even though how much you admire them, face the reality. Not all of them will be yours no matter how much you wish. I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to own such an iconic camera. May be a year or 2? Oh perhaps not at all. Well it’s not wrong to admire something when it looks good. I’d be happy if I don’t get to have the camera after all. At least I was fascinated by the amount of wonders it can do in the world of photography. May be I am meant to go with my laid back SUMSUNG brand that is laying around at my Waimanu* flat.

The accident I went through by coming across you was indeed an exciting one. I knew I met a kind hearted person. Thanks for nourishing my life with all those smiles. We own the key to our own hearts and the task of opening it is only done when the person who is knocking is the one you want him in. I don’t want to knock at your door today because I don’t want to draw your attention from the one you already have inside. I’m just passing by your dwelling to admire its architecture. Thanks for inspiring me. I will always keep a smile inside to remember the day I met you.

Bye,

Mr. Aimless Admirer (Harold Maesulia)

*PROUDS is a one of the world class shops in Suva.

*Waimanu is the name of the street I live in at Suva.

Outside My Window!

2011-08-31T09:14:00.006+12:00

Some of the things I enjoy seeing from my window every day. Enjoy!

My Malaitan Song

2011-08-17T20:28:00.005+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

The children of Malaita.
Photo courtesy of corbisimages.com

Malaita.You have so many children!

Out of the lot, some strive to become tradesmen. Others find themselves in government offices working as public servants while others become key figures in private companies. I can see pride in your eyes when your children excel because not only do they create new lives for themselves but in their on ways, many are making an impact in others' lives.

Oh how I wish we have the power to reverse time. We want to go back and wipe the tears from your loving eyes brought about when some of us took the law into our own hands. The deeds of the black sheep portion of your family often bring you disgrace. And look at the names people are calling you now!

Oh how forgiving you are Malaita. You have children who've turned against you with their disgraceful attitudes but never at any moment did I see you disallow them from stepping on your shores. Many run away from you to other islands where life is lived with ease, but you forget them not and when they stepped out from the MV Pelican Express on their return home, you still have your small but bustling Auki awaiting them to shop and mingle with their own kind.

We could only pray that people out there don't judge your entire family from the naughty acts of some. There are still kind hearten people in your villages. So kind that they can still smile and give anyone food without asking from them any money. I can still see people who doesn't return wrongs with wrong in some of your villages because the love of God has mold them into peace makers. Oh how I wish that others would come to see the genuineness of the love that thrives in the hearts of some of your children. They take the other road. The road you want all your children to take. The road has Malaitans who have no discrimination in their hearts. In their eyes, Malaita, Guadalcanal and all the islands that make up Solomon Islands doesn't exist, because everyone is a brother and a sister to them.

Who will question the self reliance that exists in the hearts of your Polynesian decents? On the atolls of Ontong Java and Sikaiana, you still houses people who ask little from others let alone their will power to strive for a living with the little that they have around them.

Malaita, as you celebrate your 28th birthday we could only wish that the good found in some of your children will flourish, become infectious so that it'll get to infect everyone.

Happy birthday Mala!

A Slice of "Fijian Hospitality"

2011-08-15T20:49:00.008+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

Bogivitu and Sainimili at work during our screening
night.

Matailobau, a highland village in the Province of Naitasiri has been our home for half of last week. We were on a mission to assess the health status of the community. After analysing the data we've collected, we came up with priority areas selected by the villagers on which we based our intervention program on.

The villagers chose to have a community water tank after learning from our presentation that their water source is unsafe for drinking.

Our visit last week was probably going to be our last to the village. So we brought with us our educational health materials which we used to provide health education on selected nights.

I always look at this project as a small way in which we can reach out to the needy communities around us. But, when we got to the village, the warmth and hospitality offered by the Matailobauns deeply touched us. They gave us more than what we were there to give them. From the togetherness of the women taking time out to prepare delicious meals for us to the friendly smiles we got hanging around the neatly set village, all of my group members, even the Indo-Fijians, felt part of the community.

My host family regarded me as their son. I was made to call the head of the household dad and his lovely wife mum. They spoke little English but I spoke with those who can and shared a lot of jokes.

We made it to the Wainimala river for a swim and gosh it was cold. But the excitement brought about by the Bilibili ride was second to none.

...and then the bilibili ride.

We were given a bundle of dalo each when we left and as we waved the lovely villagers goodbye I said to myself, "this is what real hospitality is!"

Goodbye Matailobau. See you soon.

My Soccer Fear

2011-08-08T17:41:00.004+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

"We need a team which can score goals..."
Photo courtesy of centralmalaita.blogspot.com

The Pacific Games is just around the corner. But look at the development so far by our men's senior soccer team.

I can't agree much with the belief that we have a big pool of talented players who can give us something to cheer about. The recent S-League has unveiled some.

But I have a fear that even with this pool of talents, we won't be able to make it in Noumea this year. We need a professional coach who can direct the boys with a form of play that can help us win. We need a coach who can read another team's style of play and make appropriate changes so that the boys can score goals.

Yes, we need a team which can score goals because that's how we will win. It only takes a professional coach to pick the best out of the best to make the 11 member army.

Some one needs to tell me what Jacob Moli has achieved so far because I have a fear that we're going no where with a national squad under such a person's wings.

A Song of Happiness

2011-08-01T12:52:00.004+12:00

Post written by Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

..dad is a simple happy man
because he loves the lord.

If dad has a way to tell us what true happiness is, it's surely going to be his choice of song. An old man who has toiled all his life doing classroom teaching in the primary schools in the highlands of Central Malaita should be weary at the age of 53. But that is not the song on daddy's lips.

When work commitments call, the dark skinned highlander can still gets up early as 4 to take the long 2 hours walk down the jungles to Busurata where a pick up truck could be boarded for a rough ride down the gravel road to Malaita's bustling capital, Auki. On his way home via the same route, he can still shoulder a bag of rice up the rain forest-covered hills to where our Okwala nestles.

He is full of hard work. Incorporated into his daily chores is a sense of calm which seems to be his tool of choice when ever he's in business either teaching his heart out in the classroom or just spending the afternoon away in his vegetable garden.

He's not so into clean looking clothes. But when he has the chance, he gives little attention to the luck. He, however, loves to act as if there's no possession to his name at all. He jokes just like any body in the village. And when it comes to community work, he's one of the center machines. I couldn't get to where his heart is not until he told me to repeat this song, which he said was his favourite, on my CD player.

Now every time I turn my ears to this song, something tend to tell me that dad is a simple happy man because he loves the lord.

While the world looks upon me

as I struggle along

They say I have nothing

but they are so wrong

In my heart I'm rejoicing

how I wish they could see

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me

Chorus:

Cause there's a roof up above me

I've a good place to sleep

There's food on my table

and shoes on my feet

You gave me your love Lord

and a fine family

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me

I know I'm not wealthy

and these clothes they're not new

And I don't have much money

but Lord I have you

And that's all that matters

though the world may not see

Thank you Lord for your blessings on me

Chorus:

There's a roof up above me I've a good place to sleep

There's food on my table and shoes on my feet

You gave me your love Lord and a fine family

And I thank you Lord for your blessings on me

"Thank You Lord for Your Blessings on Me"-Jeff and Sheri Easter

Celebrating a Hard Life

2011-07-29T16:39:00.004+12:00

Post written by Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter

It doesn’t feel that different at all being thirty three.

Pay a visit to the remotest parts of Solomon Islands and get to see the real life out there.

In villages that nestle amidst lush tropical vegetation, many Solomon Islanders still rely on their environment for a living.

Visit a heathen village in the jungles of east Kwaio and you’ll witness people who are still walking around with hardly a thread on.

Jump on MV Isabella and pay some of the remotest highland villages up in the mountains of Maringe and Hograno and you’ll get to see young Isabellians who’ve never been to Honiara yet they are happy with the simplicity that thrives in their communities.

In the far eastern Solomons, an island continues to shear the detrimental forces of nature giving life to its inhabitants. Described by BBC as one of the remotest islands in the world, Anuta still nurtures life on its shores despite the fact that it rarely gets shipping services from the capital Honiara.

How these people came to survive is in deed a story to tell and hear. Over the years the difficult life on the island has equipped the islanders with specialties which range from unique fishing techniques to special arts of catching birds at night for consumption.

The happy face of kids surfing on waves and the sun tan men in their lavalavas pushing a canoe to the shore from a fishing trip speak volume of the care free life that thrives on this remote island.

The only way to get to urban centers for some of our 900 plus islands is either by a day’s walk down the rugged hills across rivers that retain their pristine beauty over the years or by hours on the water rowing man made canoes to get their produces for sale in centers which in turn will enable them to purchase kerosene and perhaps soap– a few of the things we regard as basic needs in a typical rural village. A truck lift is evident on islands like Guadalcanal and Malaita but that’s a rare fantasy on islands like Temotu, Choiseul and even our longest chain Isabel.

Getting one’s child to school is not always pleasant. Sometimes the poor parents have to sacrifice most of their earnings for just a single kid when he reaches the higher stages of secondary education. Do you think $4000 is attainable for a rural man who calls gardening his trade?

What could be more rewarding than taking time out to appreciate how things can be quite complicated to handle on our scattered islands. Nothing has shown up to dethrone the contentment in the hearts of some of our people. They are out of line when you talk about fashion. They go with simple stuff that they can afford. But do you find them overwhelmed with anxiousness? Get time to watch them the next day, they’ll be up and running again. Some will be out tending their gardens while for others it’ll be another day out in the sea fishing.

As a country, we haven’t got much to shout about development wise but there’s one we should embrace. And that is the infamous struggle we face each day.

It may look fitting to call it the survival of the fittest, but I always like to look at the positive side of things. The struggles have turned many into self reliant people. And you can see that in the eyes of many parents who've toiled their hearts out to see that their kids get the best out of Education. As a student, that is my reason to celebrate this year's 33th Independence Anniversary.

An Emotional Story of Muana Primary School

2010-11-05T11:55:00.007+13:00

A view from Patuboma mountain looking across to
Kolomola village (behind the green hills)
Photos: Courtesy of Osborn Cains.

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

If you had a hard time feeding on a dry piece of cassava (a kind of local root crop) when you’re at boarding school, rethink the idea that that’s when one gets to experience life at its worse away from parents because that’s the very life of primary school children at Muana Primary School-a remote highland boarding school in the Hograno district of Santa Isabel, the longest island in the Solomon Islands.

Seven communities that sourced the school with children have to send their kids for boarding as early as pre-school as the distance of the school is stationed to be at the centre where all the communities will have equal walking distance to it.

Because of the distance, children are sent to be housed at the school throughout the week for classes. There they are subjected to be trained the hard way with an aim that appears to be a move to mold the children into independent individuals who’ll fear God and rely on hard work to earn a living.

Hicks Bule, whose late dad taught at the school when he was in Primary school and part of his secondary life, recalled his experiences at Muana in a moving story.

Life at Muana Primary School for children around the area started when they reach pre-school age. Sad and bitter as it sounds, they have to leave home and become part of a new life at a boarding school, undergoing discipline suggested to be of good to them.

Class 5 and 6 students are expected to be leaders and some are chosen as prefects to look after the little ones.

And looking after the flock of kids is as mandatory as being the one who must sleep close to the door so that whenever one wants to visit the Lo in the night, he or she will accompany him or her.

And apart from that they do have the duty of following a roster which they have to cook for the little ones in their different bush hats, which consist of children of the same community. Everyone is expected to be obedient and coming to church services is a must.

And so when Fridays come, lunch no longer finds a place in the minds of the children, because that’s the time they’re going home to spend the whole weekend with parents.

Some villages are well into the interior and one can get there by night fall if he or she starts from Muana at 1 pm.

But these robust kids sometimes travel in group of friends to meet their parents in their food gardens where they would travel home together later in the evening.

Spirit of Independence

A sight of a little kid armed with a bush knife bending down to trim the grasses in the huge school campus as part of a morning work session can wear you out of your imaginations. In fact, questions like, why does life has to be experienced at such an age which tender care and love should be offered at home by parents should have rightly toppled the rest, but one thing became eminent in the kids.

Hicks Bule, a living example
of Muana

When a group of mandated girls wake up at 5:30am on selected days to do a motu (a traditional food oven) for that day’s lunch, one can clearly pick out the spirit of self reliance from the innocent hearts who have to leave home at a young age in the name of classroom education.

When the Kaipito river floods and they have to cook using the dirty water to boil the Kumaras (sweet potatoes), a diet which appears to be what they have daily, perseverance can be clearly isolated from the young hearts.

Sometimes emotional stories of these kids finding their own way through the bushes along the river to find Kasume (a type of wild fern that can be eaten) to make an evening meal tasty can be too hearty to hear but strength and acts of self reliance are again shown in class there.

A spirited choir sprouted from the Muana green hills recently and earring oneself to these young voices will steer one’s soul in admiration. Innocent and childish as they are, the young hearts carry their innocence in the hymns that are perfectly curved by their unworn voices showing the Christian upbringing that they are mandated to bend themselves to.

Parents and Students

Children of Alualu village (one of the catchment areas of
Muanaschool) in the Farigae river.

It is easy to guess what a young age kid would feel like being away from parents and when it comes to the Muana kids, the scene on Wednesdays is an emotional one. That’s the day of the week when parents are allowed to bring food for their children. It’s sad to witness the departure of parents after delivering food, “the little children sometimes cling to their parents crying and sometimes its hard to console them as they watch their parents depart in tears,” recalled Hicks, who stayed at the school when his dad was a teacher there.

According to him, parents had a hard time thinking about their children, “At such a young age, you just don’t know what will happen to your kids.”

But what could be more inspirational as the heart of the parents, despite the pain they feel inside, the desire to see a future for their children cost them that step of faith to give their kids to the care of a place like Muana where a child is never too young to be taught like an adult.

The quest of good things in some areas, said Hicks, is a trade en route in style and comfort but when it comes to my area, it is difficult and overwhelming.

The 23 year medical student from Kolomola, one of the villages that is served by Muana, said that struggle is always part of their lives, but it has turned them into hardworking people.

So much has happened at Muana recently but it is still a boarding school.

Major changes like the addition of a secondary school at Muana is a mile stone which has been a benefit for the locals around the area. But perhaps the biggest milestone of all is seeing former Muanans ending up in tertiary institutions like Hicks Bule. It must be a great sigh of relief for the locals. Perhaps, parents of those who made it to that level, have at last acknowledged the role played by Mauana in the life of their children.

But on the other side of the coin, the silent cries of the little ones at Muana must not be forgotten. Perhaps the task for the current government is to ensure that these children have access to education close to their homes where they won’t be deprived of the daily loving care of their parents.+

Only if I had listened...

2010-09-17T11:28:00.025+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

"[Leonard] was groomed to read and write at the village school."

Author's note: The name used in this story is fictitious and any relation to any living person is coincidental. The author observes true experiences of a number of people and compiles them into a single story. Set in in his own local Malaitan village in the beautiful isles of Solomon Islands, it takes place with an imaginary family scene to herald what sometimes happens to local kids when they break free from the watchful eyes of their parents to attain higher education in distance schools. Its sole aim is for education and should be portrayed as such.

The sweaty break he had within minutes of gasping for breath, as if he's a frightened child yelling for dear life, told him that he is heading up that way again.

It’s been a rough 6 months. All these months life was nothing but half-filled plates of white rice and noodles, lonesome nights of aching empty stomachs, and days of swaying oneself to the tough school rules.

Surely those tribulations will now be put to rest for some refreshing 4 weeks for it’s yet another school break from the tiring secondary school life he's been carving himself to for the last 5 years. The way up the stiff bush track was once exciting to him as a child but now it is seemed like vinegar forced down his throat. The thought of his peers from school overrode the joy he once had for life in the village.

Everyone knew the green hills and have come to call it the “sweaty highway” for its steepness had in it litres of sweaty sessions because of the energy that must be shed before one gets home. Whether one likes it or not that's the only way to get to his highland habitat because truck-accessed road is not a fantasy there.

He was born and bred in Okwala, a highland village in central Malaita which is many miles from where he’s resting now. Even at the tender age of 5, with barely a thread on his body, he had walked his gut out yielding to life the way it is done up there and groomed to read and write at the village school before finding himself where he had just come back from.

Now 17, Leonard Maefasia (not his real name) had grown some muscles which he confidently offered to have them on show by half covering them with an sleeveless t-shirt. He cut the long sleeves off so that his biceps could enjoy the attention of others, which to him would be the young girls in the village. You should see how much effort he had put into developing those, from press-ups to lifting bricks at the school. He was determined as if that was going to be life for him.

When he set off for form one at Su’u National Secondary School in 2000, his tearful parents fare-welled him with a hearty lecture loaded with stern warnings. Just as hard as seeing their only boy depart for boarding school, finding ways to keep him at school would certainly be a job they would sweat their guts out to attain. An old bare-footed gray haired man, bare-chested and sun tanned to a highly brown color came up to him and spoke softly into his right ear, “Son this is our investment for you, I will do all I can to find ways to earn money to keep your a-thousand dollar plus fee paid each year.”

He was childish when he set out from home, he cried bitterly like a helpless piece of ice in the steaming sun. The comfort he received from fellow roommates didn't hit him with consolation. And it was a month long transition for the country boy as he found his way through the burden of missing home.

But succumbing to the might of puberty came with little notice and he easily found himself becoming drawn to peers of his age. They entertained themselves with topics to excite their vulnerable minds that they frequently butted heads with the school prefects.

Although he managed a few A grades during his early years in secondary school, something startling emerged and gripped Leo, shaking him to step on and put behind him the values he learned as a little kid. That was the day he thought to himself that the world was his and he could step off the barrier he is barred as a son in the village based on the new found ideologies the light of classroom education handed him.

With the combination of modern thoughts peppered with some traditional lifestyles sprouted self-attained freedom for young Leo to explore on new talking habits.

In June 2004 the highlands of central Kwara’ae was unlucky. There was mud everywhere because rain has been falling for weeks.Not much had changed in the village though; you could still appreciate the intricate sky and flocks of morning birds singing noisily in the morning. But he had little appreciation for the quietness in the village. Because of his changed morals, he is no longer a fun little boy mom used to know, he now talks like a master and loves flirting with arguments that he always comes up with a lot of bizarre ideas making himself look like a power-hungry prime minister on a sprawl trying to win the attention of parliament. His illiterate parents knew little of the fact that Leo is trying to tell everyone that education to him is better than the custom ways.

Dad's smoking pipe was used to be a piece of iron to Leo, but now when the gray haired old man smokes around him, he would get up and leave.

But dad’s world has never been any better. From sharing an evening joke with old village folks to working tirelessly like a busy ant alongside mom on the family food garden, he still remains the same happy old man well known to everyone as the joker who never goes without a smile on his face.

Mom’s no different either. She still wakes up at cockcrow to cook a pot of Kumara for everyone to break the night long fast with. And at around 7 am, she’d be off to church for morning devotion, comes back and sets everyone for the same old Kumara morning feed before hitting the road for another day at the vegetable garden.

Leo used to be a small boy who accompanies his two sisters after school to help his parents in the garden. But now he feels more grown up and thinks that he should be allowed to decide on what to do. His holiday job now starts at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. He would start off with a few press ups in his room to wake up his biceps, and then off he goes for an evening game of soccer.

Time for the family now tussles with his puberty-driven life.An exciting time for him now is a big gathering in the village like a Saint Day because nearby villagers would come and join the celebration. When the evening segment of the program is in progress, beardless Leo would be seen standing at the dark corners eyeing the young girls.

Standing alongside gray-haired old men like his dad is something he now dislikes becasue he thinks he is better looking than them.

Gradually, the much talked about charming attitudes Leo used to has as a kid didn't catch the eyes of fellow villagers. From his ignorance of wise counsel from parents to being more close to the Maruana users of the village, he continues to be regarded as a good boy who decides to wreck his own life with the fantasies of life.

Four weeks passed and SIBC carried the service message for the return of students at Su’u. He received it with much excitement because finally he would be away from the watchful eyes of his parents. Childhood life was hard and he used to get it from his parents when he did something wrong but now that he has grown up, such moments are less frequent.

When the delight of returning to school glossed his mind like a colorful paint, news got home 2 days before departure, Agnes a girl in his class got pregnant and the Principal advised Leo not to return to school.

“Leo, what we've given you is supposed not to be given back to us. It’s yours to keep,” his dad regrouped himself to out pour his disappointment.

“I was so afraid to let anything happen to my one and only boy but in the course of doing so I just couldn't bear seeing my dear son being engulfed by the pressures of a young man’s life. I had tried my best to offer counsel from my poor man’s seat, but the son born of my very own blood has already driven miles away to even lend me an ear. I've tried to catch you but the song of becoming a father has finally done so,” said the tearful daddy.

The shocked Leo felt as if nothing was there to hide his body. He might be thoughtless before but that day something punctuated his life with regret for being stubborn.

His life now will be the norm he mastered during childhood. The dream of becoming a journalist now rests in the gutter. He will now work hard to earn a living. He felt as if he has operated a machine without reading the manufacturer's manual.

Now when sweat comes from trekking the hills finding his luck to grow something in the gardens, he knows too well that the load will be doubled because someone else is there for him to support.

He knows too well now that he is no longer single and that life is now on the serious part.

The thought of being a father as a teenager brought tears to his eyes. The tears felt more bitter than those he had when he first left home for Su’u.

“Only if I had listened at the first place, I wouldn't be sitting here crying!”

Special thanks to Jane Kanas for editing part of the story.

When Culture Becomes a Barrier: Selu Maezama

2010-09-10T10:15:00.005+12:00

Selu Maezama
Photo:Solomon Times.

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

Everyone has a downside in life.But it is advisable not to dwell on your weaker side of life when you want to make that leap in life. The feeling you'll get if you do so is discouragement. That brought to my mind one question, should I point someone in the eye to tell him his wrongs? I guess no because I might be worse in some aspects compared to him.

I always believe that. But there is one exception. When the old talk some sense into me for doing wrong, I prefer to listen than giggle. I believe that the old knows too well the experiences on this journey and they should be well armed to focus on what we should expect in this life.

My perception of Solomon Islands scholarship officers was never given this insight until yesterday when the director of the National Training Unit (NTU) Selu Maezama, gave an eye opening counsel on his visit to the Solomon students at the Fiji School of Medicine.

The soft speaking man from Western Province has never shown such a class in any of his meetings I’ve attended and while I listened attentively during his explanation of SIG’s role in the local scholarships, his take of what the role of students in the cycle was the portion that took me by storm.

Personally it was a hit in the heart and I would say that it was one of the inspirational thoughts I’ve ever received since coming here.

It was short, simple but straight to the mark. Blended with his English style of pidgin, he spoke of cultural changes.

From what I perceived of his talk, culture to him means the way you do things on a daily basis. And it makes you the person you're and people around you understands you by it because that's your way of life. He opened the door for us to realize that sometimes people change their in-built morals when they're exposed to a new environment, bringing along new found cultures which always doesn't cling in well with the way life is supposed to flow for them. I arrived at the point with him when he got there and I realized that his lesson was, sometimes the little attitudes that we call life to us are the very things that will stand in our way from attaining what we're supposed to in life. Ranging from little concern for time management to over socializing, he added with jokes that student life can sometimes ends in turmoil if one fails to realize the need to prioritize wants from needs.

Life at University especially here in Fiji could almost not equal what is in your mind if you’ve never been here or never told an honest story of life in a city like Suva.

While it is nonsense to dwell on what is honestly everyone’s personal issue, the blindness that comes with these endeavours is what I’d like to acknowledge Mr.Selu for. He somehow opened my eyes to see somewhat clearer.

When I personally take the merry ride, enjoying the view and all the splendour that surrounds me, Selu’s words came just in time to tell me of my humble calling and that is to stand up and take stock of the long gone song sung to me by someone I forgot. When he tried to elaborate on his point, the song came fresh to my mind that every move I make here is supposed to be a leap to take me closer to the point of standing in the place of someone who is holding the post of my dreams, but who is now old and needed a lift.

I was thinking at the end of the short session, what is there within me that can possibly become a block in barring me from aspiring any further? And if you're reading this, what is yours? What could be more rewarding like a look into our own lives as individuals? Sometimes what you fail to spot in your life can be clearly picked out by a neighbour and that's why I was grateful for Selu's advice. But change, why is it necessary? Perhaps the change we are going to make now is going to be a life safer for someone in the future. So don't give into the second thought when there is a must for you to make that much needed change in your life.

The Passion for Music in the Happy Isles

2010-08-17T15:11:00.012+12:00

One Tox- Solomon Islands' well known RNB band.

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on twitter.

I've seen Radio Australia's Pacific Break Competition as another step on which our home grown artists can stand to portray their music, and perhaps our passion for music, to the world out there.

Solomon Islands has recently been through a lot. The ordeal brought about by the ethnic tension in the late 90s crippled most of the income-earning sectors of our beloved nation. Sadly, we're economically wrecked. On the other hand, the good name we used to have was tarnished. And from the "hapi isles" we were dubbed by others as the "troubled isles".

But amidst these troubles, two aspects of life that many seem to hold dear to their hearts continue to thrive. To many it's their way of life and I can't imagine a Solomon Islander without these two-soccer and music.

The following that our local music is having both locally and regionally is tremendous. Our local hit songs are no strangers to cities like Port Morsbey and Suva.

Sharzy is one of the local stars who gain stardom in PNG over the years. Recently, Kekene plus other bands in the likes of One Tox and the stylish Door Man's Project a.k.a DMP stamped their own names in the music industry of the neighbouring nation.

Culturally, Solomon Islands is a diverse country. The chain of archipelago houses Melanesians, Micronesians and even Polynesians. The diversity interestingly comes with some unique ways of making music. The most famous is the renowned traditional bamboo bands which uses bamboos to produce music. Some local groups who master this art have recently acclaimed international firm taking their music to nearby countries and as far as Europe.

But how did modern music start in the islands? Western-influenced music started a humble journey in the 60s. It was born as "local string bands." Inspired by country pioneers like Hank Williams, String band pioneers like Fred Maedola produce songs in pidgin and the local languages. With his guitar, he went on to make a name for himself in PNG and the New Hebrides now called Vanuatu.

The trend developed interestingly. One of the interesting twist was Tom Stranger's take of Charlie Bright's style of singing.

With the emergence of modern musical instruments, music then took another turn in the islands. Aspired to reflect their international idols, many local artists came up with rock n roll records which became big hits among the locals.

The evidence of what has started long ago is showing today. Every time I listen to a melodious local tune on the local radio stations, I marvel at the amazing talents some of these locals have. With the aid of technology, some artists are creating for themselves new names. Today songs from Santa Isabel are hitting the airwaves in style. People dance to their beat to celebrate events. And even on islands like Malaita, you'll get to see people who find it pleasurable listening to the "Gema" hits while having a cold beer.

Like soccer, music has a way of uniting the people. When a favourite band plays in town, people will flock the concert in numbers to watch it live. Music appears to be part of people's lives. Some love to knock the day off armed with a guitar and a song on their lips while the sun beautifully sets behind the horizon. On public buses, local songs can be heard playing. While in the rural villages, even the kids can be heard singing along to the words of the latest local song on the airwaves-thanks to the promotion these songs are getting from our local FM stations.

You have to come to the Solomons to experience this passion.

My Mum Still Matters

2010-05-10T15:10:00.013+12:00

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This post may have come a little late than expected but it has in no way equal its lateness.

I woke up on Sunday feeling the need to talk to my beloved mum but the inconvenience of inaccessibility communication wise has denied me the right to do so.

I however, remembered my mum silently in a reflective way that got me thinking what I must do to repay all the hard work she has done to see me this far.

Dad has an influence in my life too but since this is mother's day I give mum the chance today.

My mum is an absolute delight. I grew up under her loving wings to experience how to love and be loved.

Her childhood was a sad tale. She narrated how things had inconveniently happened pushing her and the siblings to the limit of staying under a single parent roof.

" I grew up under a tense environment...I learned to act when told because my father was a strick person and resorting to getting you wiped was the first option. So we avoided it by being obedient," said mum one day as she pushed us to realize why we should comfortably take advantage of our relaxed environment (with not so much wipes to come by) to listen to the good counsel of her and dad.

Mum's words entered my childish brain way back then only to exit the next moment. I realized their importance not until I had my proper thinking caps on, but by then lots of avoidable traps got me already.

If there is going to be anything I'd tell mum today, it's going to be a huge sorry. I heard from her in person that I'm her favourite which however doesn't put me in any position to over run the right of my siblings to as well call her mum.

Mum, your expectations from me are not always lived up to, that's why I'm wearing my true-self coat today to tell you that in spite of whatever you're always dear to me.

No one can't substitute your place in my heart and I know you'll always remain deep within no matter what happens.

When the world turns against me, you're next to God. How deserted sometimes I become when you're so far away for me to hear from you.

You're comforting and loving and I wouldn't trade you for anything else-no, no, not even money.

On such a special day like this I'll pray for you to have strength to keep keeping on the good fight. Mum you still matters in my life.

Your dearest son,

Harold

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Photo: My mum and grandpa (dad's uncle). Copyright©2010, Harold.

A War Lession at Ghaobata

2010-05-05T16:43:00.022+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on Twitter.
I never grew up in Honiara, but at the age of 11 towards the end of my staggering primary years, my father decided to have us moved to Honiara for a reason which I think was a way to forget the sad death of my older sister who died a teen ager in 1996.

We settled in an outskirt community behind Honiara where my father had engaged an uncle to build a three bedroom house for us while we were still on Malaita.

My father was a primary school teacher and although I pretty much hate it, he was never stationary and year after year we would be toasted here and there in different villages just to allow him to do his work.

When we came to Honiara in 1997, the trend continued unstoppably. Although that wasn't new, I had a hard time chewing it because Guadalcanal would never be Malaita and I need a lot of adapting at that time cos even pidgin was still a tongue twister for the country boy who spent all his childhood years grazing with the Kwara’ae language.

My father’s first Guadalcanal post was at Ghaobata Primary School-a 10 minutes drive towards the sea away from the then CDC 1 SIPL substation now called GIPPOL 1.

Isolated and laid back as it was, I came to learn of what to expect from my dad before we moved in for he went there by himself during the first few days to see where we’d be staying.

Getting to bath from the well wasn't a strange thing at all cos we were forewarned by dad. And it took no time at all for us to be acquainted. We mastered the art of pumping water from the ditch to keep life going for the family in just days-a trade which we all shared enthusiastically as a family.

The school lies beside the flowing Ngalibiu River and is home to students from the surrounding grass covered areas as far as Koli Point.

The Guadalcanal planes gave birth to a wonderful piece of flat landscape for the well arranged Guadalcanal school. As we drove into the school’s green driveway on our first day, the piece of cement housed by a locally thatched roof besides the road snapped my attention.

What possibly that could be was my adventurous thought. It was not long when dad offered us that much needed orientation.

“This school had sprouted from the American’s World War II base,” said dad as we entered a galvanized-covered house, which looks to be tattering in age and looks but which would be ours for the whole of 1998.

I missed my rural Malaitan life already but childhood ego got me into discovering and it was from there that I came to know the story of the big piece of cement that stunned me earlier.

A close gaze saw two openings beneath the platform which then was merely a store of coconut husks and a breeding place for mosquitoes. It wasn't at all anything of little significant, although my childish mind then wasn't able to come to that term.

As we piped inside, someone told me that it’s an underground hideout for US soldiers back in the war days when they were in full force securing their airfield known as Koli Field just across the road but which by then was overgrown by grasses already.

As I piped over, a half cylindrical wear out steel depicting something like a house,which seemed to stand all the tests of times, remained upright among the swaying grasses in the cool welcoming Galekana (pidgin version of Guadalcanal) breeze.

Small strips of butamen marking the Koli field could still be visualized back then and while it stood there aimless and seemingly unworthy to most, its treasure was made known to me one day by an adventurous tourist. He came on a bike to the school and requested my dad if he could take a look at the field which seemed to stress as far as Koli point where the sea was.

We followed him noisily as he enjoyed a ride through the beautiful grassland much to our innocent delight.

According to history the airfield was built for b-24 Liberator heavy boomer operations, primarily by the Thirteen Airforce. The single strip run approximately NE to SW (parallel to Carney Airfield) and had several taxi ways off both sides. Surfaced by butamen with metal, Marsden Matting-like material for heavy aircraft it was completed in the middle of 1943 and was an added aid to America's campaign against the Japanese on Guadalcanal.

When we left at the end of the year, my childish mind was happy to escape the weird environment where not much was happening around to entertain a growing child. But now when I look back into history, I am more than glad to have a little bit of taste of what WW II remains look like.

I’ve slept on the very concretes laid by the 1940 soldiers (remember the school houses were just built on top of the original WW II concrete slaps. Not much has been done to change their shapes and sizes) and had come to see some of their neglected aminations which then were obtainable in the coconut plantations.

Whether Ghaobata has seen some sort of changes lately or not is but a thing which is beyond my reach to confirm now. I however wonder whether the locals in the area have ever taken any steps to preserve the historical sites for the future children to see because that's history in a making!

Photos: Top:Courtesy of Guadalcanal.com Above: Koli field today. Photo courtesy of http://guadalcanal.homestead.com/index.html

My Interview with bloginterviewer.com

2010-04-28T14:22:00.018+12:00

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I recently entered a competition for bloggers by a way of an interview. Although my expectation was not to win, I was so grateful to http://www.bloginterviewer.com/ for posting my interview online where others have come to read thus directing a few vehicles from the traffic to my blog.

I'm publishing the interview for any of my interested readers who may want to read it.

Blog Interviewer: What is your blog about?

Me: This blog carries stories, experiences and features with an added aim to inspire readers with inspirational thoughts behind the shared ideas.

Blog Interviewer: What do you do for living?

Me: I am a medical student who blogs as a hobby.

Blog Interviewer: Why did you start blogging about this?

Me: I always love writing, and thought that blogging will help get my stories to other people.
Apart from telling people about local stories in my country, I’d like to inspire others with the good thoughts that I have in mind.

Blog Interviewer: How long have you been blogging?

Me: I started in February this year.

Blog Interviewer:How many people visited your blog each day?

Me:I’m a new comer and I hardly get visitors but I have linked my blog on a local website wwww.lifhaus.com.sb and that has sort of helped me get something like 1 or 2 vistors in the recent days. But I’m optimistic of winning readers over as a keep blogging.

Blog Interviewer:Does your blog generate income?

Me:Not really although I have signed up for an AdSense account lately. But my hope is to try and earn some income from my blog in the near future.

Blog Interviewer:Who would be interested in this blog?

Me:People who wants to read of inspirational thoughts about life from a perspective of a medical student.

Blog Interviewer:How long do you blog each day?

Me:Less than 2 hours when I do have something to write.

Blog Interviewer:Why should we subcribe to this blog?

Me:I don’t guarante everyone all the answers to any issues, but my blog is a simple one and it carries simple thoughts which will to some extent inspire anyone who is willing to spend time reading it.

Blog Interviewer:What advice to you have for bloggers?

Me:Try to be yourself and blogging will be made easier.

Vote for this blog now!! Click on the "VOTE NOW" button after clicking here.

A Seasonal Lake in the Interior of Malaita

2010-04-11T14:01:00.014+12:00

By Harold Maesulia. Follow me on Twitter.

The famous Ongi, in East Malaita. Photo: H. Maesulia.

On a fine day, it's just a beautiful green grass land, surrounded by thick rain forest which seems to line the stiff surrounding like an array of armed soldiers on loyal duty, but when the rain comes and don't want to go away for days, the beautiful scenario will be turned into a sea of water, giving birth to a green lake.

The place can be found in the interior of Malaita, one of the islands that made up the beautiful laid back Solomon Islands.

The locals called it Ongi (pronounced OO-NGEE) and it's a popular spot to play when it rains. A popular scene during such times is a party of excited locals trying their luck on hand-made floating rafts, trying to enjoy paddling through its cool waters.

A fast finishing building and a happy head master

2010-03-26T11:33:00.007+13:00

Reports reaching "A Fierce Reality" has revealed the full extent of the progress on Okwala's new classroom complex.

Our sources from Okwala has given in pictures of the progressing work and currently according to the report, two groups have been assigned to complete the building.

Add caption

"We're planning on getting the whole thing completed by June," said the happy head master Mr. Albert Maesulia, who states that they're still in with the idea of building the best classroom facility around the area. Picture: Albert Maesulia

Author's Note: For the sake of my over sea's readers, Okwala is an interior village on the island of Malaita, a province in the beautiful island state of Solomon Islands, a country in the Pacific Ocean.

Okwala is Giving the Best to its Children

2010-03-23T19:24:00.023+13:00

By Harold Maesulia

Okwala Primary School, an interior school in the middle of Malaita, is a living testimony of how human ambition can be rightly driven to fruition. The first generation to be educated trekked mountainous bush tracts to access the closest school to acquire classroom-given knowledge which back then was taken as a heaven-sent opportunity.

The age of school then wasn’t an issue and many, mostly boys, flocked the schools to take up the opportunity at an age of a modern-day secondary school dude. Girls then were rarely given a chance to join the excitement as the distance of schools on many occasions only allowed for the boys as they’d leave home to stay at the villages where the schools were located.

That trend was more or less forced to remain unchanged not until the need was locally realized for a school to be built. That was in the mid 1980s. In 1987, the World Bank realized the same need and provided materials for a more permanent building to be built, but it took a hard earned 5 years before the materials got to the site of construction as they had to be manually shouldered over the stiff mountains by the local villagers.The contruction, which was done by the Housing Authority of Honiara, then commenced tiringly but its fruits could somehow be seen with a more close to equality in gender education wise.

The building has however, outlived its intended purposes, with run down corridors, falling walls, and limited space for both students and staff living a not so conducive environment for the children to be taught.

But that’s not going to be the case anymore when a locally driven project, which is a new building, goes up as a completed complex in a few months time.

With government grants and a little backing by the community members, a two storey complex is humbly finding its way up off the grounds thanks to a dedicated locally assigned group of carpenters who under the direction of the school committee, representing the communities around Okwala, and an ambitious school head master Mr. Albert Maesulia, are working to meet the dead lines.

The community has, since day one, been quite active in fetching building materials from the head road to the school which is situated about 10km from a truck-accessed road.

“We are doing everything in our means to build the best ever facility in the area for our children,” said Daniel Iroasi, the foreman of the group of carpenters as he reiterates the need to join hands as a community to see the success of the project.

For the about –to-retire 54 year head master, it’s a project that he’d like to say goodbye to his dedicated years of teaching with. “Being one of the pioneer teachers of this school, I felt that I’ve travelled so much from my home that I didn’t have anything to contribute to my community and I just want to settle down with the task of coordinating everything as my way of giving back to the community,” said Mr. Maesulia who had to leave his work as a fishery officer in the mid 1980s to be trained as a school teacher to head the just-opened primary school at his village.

Reports reaching “A Fierce Reality” state that currently two groups have been mandated with the task of finishing the project and work is expected to finish in June.

With its completion Okwala should expect some more empowering as it is expected that the commitment by the community will encourage its inhabitants to be more serious about their children’s education. “Involving everyone in the project will perhaps change people’s idea of education,” said a local villager who believes that"people will now send their children to school to pay off their sweats."