Unwanted Suprise Visitor

The power went out during Sunday School - while Sister Thorne was giving the lesson.  The fans and the air conditioners all stopped, so things began to warm up a little too much during the last part of the Sunday block meetings.  When we returned home the power was still out.   I went into the bathroom and lifted up the lid on the toilet and found we had a visitor.  Fortunately, it was during the day time so we were able to spot the intruder.   The pincher's on the crab's legs looked way to large for comfort.  I have teased our grand kids by giving them the "craw" for years, this would have been sweet revenge on their part if I had received the "craw" from the crab.

The next challenge was how to get our friend out of the toilet and back in the ocean.  I had the brilliant idea, to take a garden spade and try to put the crab into a bucket - then carry it to the sea wall to return it to its home.  However, as soon as it was touched, it made a hasty retreat back into the drainage pipe.  After a series of  flushes, it went back to where it came from, hopefully!!! 

You can be sure we will turn on the light as night before we use the lavatory.  The couple who lived in the apartment before us (The Pulsiphers) had shown us a photo of a crab in their toilet, so we have been cautious, but this is our first and hopefully, the last sighting of marine life in our bathroom.  We are really thankful, there are no snakes in Kiribati.

Like the old Kingston Trio Song, "The Cat Came Back the Very Next Day" - 

So did our crustacean friend!!! A new version of this popular song might be:
"The Crab Came Back the Very Next Day"  Maybe our grandchildren can work on a music version of the song for our next family gathering

Despite the best laid plans, at 2:30 am the crab had returned, apparently the flush - flush - flush and more flushes theory did not work.  This time it was not about to return down the pipe, so I used a diversionary tactic by flushing and as it was scrambling to stay in the bowl, I was successful in getting the garden spade under it and then into a dust pan - lifting our visitor out of the toilet and quickly placing it into a bucket.  The crab then began doing every thing it could to get out of the plastic bucket, so a very quick decision became essential and needed to be done quickly so it didn't escape and I would not have to chase it around the house.

The crab appeared to be much larger when viewed in the bucket and it seemed be quite angry with me as it was trying to get out of the bucket.  It began reaching each pincher threateningly toward me, it became survival of the fittest or the smartest.  Not having time to put on a pair of shoes and still half a sleep, I decided to take it out the front door to turn it loose.  As I tossed it onto the grass it quickly scampered away or however you describe a crab crawling at top notch speed to get as far a way from me and as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, the door shut behind me and I was locked out of the house with only my underwear covering me, thankfully October on the equator is much warmer than in Utah.  Also fortunately, there are not many people out-and-about at that time of the morning.   By using the handle of the garden spade, I was able to knock on the door loud enough that it eventually woke my lovely wife from her deep sleep and she let me back into the house.  She quickly returned to her bed to resume her beauty sleep.  For some reason she didn't seem to be smiling very much as she opened the door for me, perhaps in a few days or months or perhaps a year from now she may see the humor in the situation. As for me, the adrenaline rush was not conducive to returning to bed for quite a while so I updated this blog post.

Anyway  now I know why people hide an extra key to the house outside for such emergencies.

A More Welcome Visitor

We did have a more friendly visitor a few weeks ago, from one of the neighbor girls, Rusila's daughter "Katie".  Her father unexpectedly passed away of a heart attack recently, he was beloved by the youth particularly those playing tennis every morning.  Katie had heard I was ill and brought me some flowers she had picked.  It was a very sweet gesture on her part.  We had a very nice visit with her.  She is a a very bright and beautiful girl, who speaks very good English.  She is still in Primary School, but will be a top notch student when enters Moroni High in the future. 

Katie wearing the hat  Bwereia made for Sister Thorne during our retreat a year ago

Form 1 - Student Performance

While sitting in our office earlier this week, one of the first year teachers said his students were putting on a skit and asked if I and Lita would observe them.  There were four different groups who all performed the same skit but each with a different twist.  The made their own costume and had a lot of fun performing the skit in English.

The story is of a king who was glutenous and developed head and stomach aches from over indulgence.  He blamed his doctor for not giving him the right medicine to cure him, and the doctor was told to heal him by the end of the month or be executed.

A wise man from the village developed a plan to help the doctor by visiting the king, partaking of his food and drink and then feigned the same illness.  The wise man blamed it of eating too much, so the king realized the error of his ways thus the doctor was not executed.  The students really got into their roles and performed very well in the first English speaking play.

Let There Be Light. but not for 24 hours every day!

The light in our living room has been an ongoing adventure for several months.  It was not working so finally one of the service center electricians repaired it.  Unfortunately, after he left the light would not turn off,  so for about a month we had continuous light in the living room 24-7.  Another repairman eventually came to repair the light but, after he replaced the switch and worked for several hours, he left and then the light would not turn back on, so darkness reigned.  After waiting another month to get it repaired, the electrician again returned and worked for several more hours to fix it,  but he failed to check the switch when he left, so now the light again will not turn off. 

Now we are into week two of continuous light.  We are on the waiting list again to have it repaired.  Hopefully, another visit from the repairman will get it to turn off and then on again.  It was out for a few hours Sunday, but that was because the power was out on the whole island.  But when the power came back on, so did the light.  It is a two way switch and it doesn't appear he knows how to repair it or there will need to be some new wiring.  

We are learning patience - 

We have seen the light (continuously) as well as the crab

 who like Arnold Schwarzenegger said as it scurried away "I be baaack"

So don't worry - be happy!!  Things will eventually, work out and please have a