Olympics at Robinson River

Wednesday 22^nd August

There was great excitement at school today. Finally we were able to hold our mini Olympics. This much anticipated event had been cancelled twice due to a lack of students. Funerals and rodeos take preference over school attendance up here. Some families follow the rodeo circuit to many different towns and are missing from the community for weeks.

Those that attended school entered into the festive spirit with gusto. We had been divided into four countries and the students spent many afternoons making flags and banners, and rehearsing songs, chants and dances.  I was part of the Kenya group and felt quietly confident that we would ‘blitz’ our opponents.  Our confidence in ourselves had been given a boost by an Assistant Teacher who was also part of the Kenya group. He had taught the children some fearsome chants, which sounded more like NZ Maori Hakkas than Kenyan Warrior calls. He then turned up to school in a sari and had the children paint his bare chest.  Looking for a prop he found two boomerangs, which I suggested he swap for a spear. We hastily made one from a stick and paper. (It’s easy to get cultures confused!! )

The whole school, well those who attended today anyway, carried their banners proudly as we shouted, waved, banged drums and paraded around the roads of Robinson River. The ten-minute march brought people out of their houses and workers out of the shop and the council office to clap and cheer for us. It was such a joyful feeling to be part of this happy group, knowing that for many of these children this would be a highlight in their school year.

Back to school we marched, for the opening ceremony, races, and a sausage sizzle lunch. At the end of the day was the medal presentation…. London couldn’t have done it better.  

David walked alone to the stockyards late this afternoon and as I went to meet him I noticed many children playing on the road ahead. Take my photo miss, please take my photo…. a continual plea which amuses me greatly, because they are never interested in the finished result. Two games were going on. One I related to very well. ‘School-school’ they called it. Several of the older girls had the little ones lined up ready to start their lessons. Further along the road one of the boys called out to me. “Don’t come here Miss, we have a ‘vomit situation competition.’ You won’t want to see it.” They certainly weren’t kidding. It was distressing and concerning to see all the young boys deliberately making themselves sick. They stopped when I appeared and decided to run off into the long grass which worried me even more having seen snake tracks there. One of the mothers was coming and I mentioned I was worried about the snakes. “Snakes aren’t around in winter, it’s cold,” she replied. (It was 32oC today !!)