Reflections of my life on Naifaru

Does anyone remember The Sunscreen Song? It's pretty old!  It starts:

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99 

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be  it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now"

So in the same spirit as the original version...here is my sunscreen song...

1. I need very few things around me to be comfortable and content. People are so much more important

2. Talk to people. Even if you don't speak the language, there are ways to communicate. (And a smile goes a long way!)

3. Learn the local language. It helps with making friends, being accepted into a community and finding out what is going on around the place

4. Keep going, even when you're tired or hungry or grumpy

5. Get involved in everything that comes up. You never know if an opportunity will be the only one

6. Wander around aimlessly and explore hidden streets. The are all sorts of interesting people, random shops and cute animals hiding in unexpected places

7. Be aware of all your actions and make sure you do what you say you're going to

8. Find exciting and interesting and new ways to expand people's minds

9. Don't judge other cultures against your own

10. Do what the locals do

11. Turn off the TV

12. Try the local food...exactly the way the locals do. Even if it means trying something you have never thought of as 'food', eating with your hands, dealing with a constant onslaught of flies and having mealtimes at completely different times

13. Politics are everywhere. Find ways to get your work done anyway

14. Be flexible with your time, with your priorities and with your expectations

15. Be patient with others. Not everyone has had the same training or experiences as me. Likewise, I need others to be patient with me too

16. Take loads of photos (and sort them as you go!)

17. Give your camera to someone else for a day (who you trust). You'd be amazed at some of the cool pics that come back

18. Respect others beliefs. You don't need to agree with them, just remember everyone is entitled to their own personal beliefs

19. Sleep when you can. All-nighters watching for nesting turtles take their tole

20. Take time out at least once a week to reflect on what you've done and learned

21. Keep a diary - or better yet a blog (chrysalismegan.blogspot.com)! It's fun, an easy way to keep in touch with loads of people and fab to look back on and see how your experiences shape your mind and actions in the future

22. Take cooking lessons and learn to cook the local cuisine

23. Relax in your own way

24. When you muck up, find a way to fix it, decide what to do next time and keep going

25. Don't take yourself too seriously

26. Try something new everyday...like climbing a coconut tree without a ladder, playing football on a coral pitch or sleeping under the stars

27. If your actions are not giving you the results you want, do something different (anything different!) and see what happens

28. Wear sunscreen! Your face and body will love you for it in the years to come

29. Adapt to the local ways of doing things

30. Back up your photos and work to multiple places/ devices often

31. Have fun! And find new ways to have fun (like playing a game of tackle rugby on a deserted island sandpit at 2 am!)

 

Bye Naifaru and all my wonderful friends there.  I will miss you but you will always have a special place in my heart. xxx