You want me to pay how much???!!!
In preparation for my big move to Vanuatu on Monday, I had to make an emergency trip to the dermatologist to get something checked out. She decided that the best thing to do was to take a 6 month course of fluconazole (an anti-fungal, for those not in the know) and wrote me a script and a letter authorising me to carry so much medication with me overseas. She warned me that the pills would be expensive and quoted me approximately AUD$60 for a box of 28. As other treatments haven't fixed me up (damn my chronic condition) this seems to be my last chance to be "cured", rather than (possibly) having to live with it forever, so I decided the price was worth it and I could claim it back through my private health fund.
So off I trotted to the chemist and handed over my script. The pharmacist asked "do you know how much this is going to cost you?" so I told her what the doctor told me about the price and again settled back to wait for my prescription to be filled. The chemist then gave me what was either a coronary or a minor stroke by looking up the price of the meds and informing me that the dermatologist had led me up the garden path with the price she quoted me. I felt my blood pressure rise with apprehension as I asked what the real price was, and then I felt it go through the roof as she told me that the real price was AUD$170 per box of 28 pills!!!!!!! I didn't know whether to be sick or pass out from the shock!!
Mind you, the pills are so expensive thanks to the Australian Government and our Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme. If I had an immune disorder, rather than just this persistent, chronic, uncomfortable and inconvenient condition, the pills would be about AUD$20 per box. But NOOOOO!!!! Obviously I need to be a cancer patient and be severely immuno-suppressed to get my last ditch treatment for a reasonable price!!!! So stupid!!!!
Thank god my Dad came to my rescue and offered to pay the AUD$1000+ for my 6 months worth of pills. He will get some of it back from the private health fund (hopefully most of it) but without his help I would be up for an extremely uncomfortable life in Vanners. For 1000 bucks this stuff had better bloody work!!!
On the plus side... 4 sleeps to go!!!! Yay!!!!
P.S. What the heck is going on with my blogger formatting today? Blogger keeps removing the spaces between my paragraphs! Bloody Blogger.
Not long now!
Today is Saturday, 24th March. I leave to go back to Vanuatu on Monday, 2nd April. So close! So much to do, so little time!
I can't wait to get back to...
My supermarket.
My family.
My man.
But I'm still not sure where I'll live because, thanks to the riots earlier this month, it's not really safe enough for us to go back to our little green house at Blacksands.
I miss Vanuatu.
Self inflicted misery...
Kids, I'm officially recovering from the world's worst hangover!
I've spent much of the day in bed feeling like I was about to die (and kinda wishing that I had) and actually had to take anti-nausea medication (I love being a nurse) to settle my stomach long enough to drink water! Ewwwwww.
Note to self: making a decision to go out and get drunk whilst already half drunk at home IS NOT a good idea!
Meanwhile...
I was going through some more of my favourite photos from my last trip to Vanners and came across these great ones! (Apologies to any vegetarians!)
These were taken the day that Ben's family decided to throw what I was told was a big dinner in our honour. I later found out that they had neglected to tell me that it was an official "blocking" ceremony, which is their version of an engagement. For the occasion the family killed a cow and butchered it and then cooked up enough stew to feed the 150 or so people that came for the dinner from neighbouring (and some not so neighbouring) villages! What a wild experience!
The sight I was greeted by when I got out of bed that morning... The boys playing butchers.
Joely and the cows head.
Mmmmm... Steak?
People hanging out waiting for the feast to start.
Feasting island style... No washing up!!!!
Finally!!!!
Blogger has finally managed to upload my photos! Yay!!!
Because I'm too lazy to think of anything important to write, today I'm sharing with you some of my favourite photos of "my kids" in Vanuatu. See how gorgeous they are?!
The kids on a break from church.
My little sea cucumbers.
(So named for their tendency to lie in the water, floating around like the black sea cucumbers that live on the reef.)
Robin having a "bath".
Massil.
Sarah crying.
Too lazy to write...
But blogger isn't letting me post photos for some reason. Bastards!
I keep going to upload my pics that I want to show you guys and it says that they've been uploaded and then they don't appear! And this isn't the first time it's happened either!
Poo to blogger and their shitty service.
Any tips?
A post for Foxy!!!
Out of the blue Foxy has found me! And how lovely it is to see her name regularly on my screen again!
The beautiful Foxy and I go way back to my Rotary days, when we used to have great fun making clothes out of garbage bags for RYLA parties, dancing ceroc, and sharing rooms at RYLA camps. There may have also been one or two boozy nights thrown in there as well but neither one of us will admit to it (although a night on the central coast with too many drinks and a verandah pole still won't erase itself from my memory). And at risk of further incriminating myself and Foxy, I will stop writing now...
Foxy, it's so great to hear from you! You rock!!!
:o)
Insecure ambivalent attachment...
It's time to draw a line in the sand...
My not-so-kind anonymous commenter pointed out the other day that I have "complete and utter control" of this blog. I am now going to exercise that complete control, starting by posting an "open letter" to Anonymous from the gorgeous Neats (Just in case you missed it in the comments section Anon).
BTW Neats has given her permission for this to be posted.
Dear Anonymous,
Firstly, as you seem to be new to the cyber and blogging thing, the idea of the comments section is that they are all published. If you did not intend your words to be read by all, I suggest in future you let the recipient know that. In light of Yael's attitude towards sharing her experiences so openly, perhaps it did not surprise you that she posted your comment.I felt your frustration in how badly Yael took your message, when obviously your only intention was to wish her well for her birthday and wish her a fantastic marriage and a wonderful life in Vanuatu. How could Yael have taken your message the wrong way...
Your message pointed out, very clearly, that Yael was:
In need of being centred
Had made hurtful mistakes
Had hurt you
Had hurt many others as well
Had things she perhaps should feel regret about
Has demons
Is tortured
and needs forgiveness
Gee, and she took that the wrong way? Go figure.
If you really knew Yael, you would know that she does not have regrets or guilt about her life. And that is part of her charm and passion for life.
In all honesty writing "how wonderful you are (and you may be- to them- but they know shit) but you are still the same", "fuck you", "Its not like you never hurt anyone" "Humpme Dumpme", I am not convinced that you have forgiven Yael. In fact I think the real reason that you wrote to Yael was because deep down you cant stand the fact that despite all the things that believe Yael to have done in the past (to you and others) that don't live up to YOUR expectations of what makes a "good, centred and secure person" Yael still has many people in her life (both cyber and non-cyber) that care about her and offer her support, love and friendship. That must really suck for you huh? Perhaps the reason that you do not have such friendships is because, despite your best intentions, you still come off sounding Bitter, Superior, Patronising and unable to work out your internal conflict about how you really feel and how you have been lead to believe a "good" person should act towards others.
So congratulations to you on not re-entering Yael's life (in future you will find it easier to not re-enter if you simply stay away and keep your kind thoughts to yourself) and I dont think that you are really so important that Yael can not have a wonderful life without your blessing.Finally, "may your marriage be a happy and secure one" - who the fuck says "secure one?" really think twice about your double meanings before writing such dribble and on that note, stop with the Anonymous crap and tell Yael who you are. If you can be man enough to tell Yael how you truely feel about her (after all this time) then grow a real back bone and put a name to your comments. Take a note out of Yael's book, "Bitch and proud"!!
Yours in truth and healing :-) Neats
Anon, you may think that in this way I am making myself the center of attention (once again, on my own blog... How tedious!). But in fact I am finally giving you the attention that you are so clearly craving.
As for drawing that line in the sand... If you choose to post one of your delightful coments again on my blog it will be deleted. I have greater things to worry about than dealing with you and your passive-aggressive games. If you have something to say to me (and we all know that you don't want to air dirty laundry in public) then contact me PRIVATELY via e-mail (novel idea, I know). You obviously know how to use myspace to track me down, therefore it stands to reason that you'll know how to use the myspace mail feature. Of course by following this course you will no longer be able to remain anonymous and you'll have to put your name to your comments. The decision is yours.
To everyone else... What do you think of Anonymous's behaviour? (see previous posts for a bit of background as to what's been going on and to read Anon's comments) The nature of blogging is that one talks about one's life and things that one is interested in. Is blogging only for extroverts who want to be the center of attention? Discuss.
Kind thoughts needed please...
You may or may not have heard about the riots of the last week in Port Vila between the people from Tanna and Ambrym.
Unfortunately these riots have had a disasterous impact on my partner Benson and his family. Benson's brother's house at Blacksands was burnt down on Sunday night and our home at Blacksands was broken into and all of Ben's clothes were taken (strangely enough my things were left untouched).
Ben and his family are now hiding in the bush, sleeping on banana leaves with only the clothes on their backs and no protection from malaria or rain. They are scared to get on buses into town because there are apparently men from Tanna riding on the buses with knives and they are scared that they are going to be attacked.
Ben's brother, James, has 3 children who cannot go to school as the school is in the area where fighting has been occuring and their uniforms and books were burnt in the fire. It now looks like the family will have to send the kids to the island for their safety and until James can rebuild their home.
The mens carvings were all burnt as were their chisels and other tools that they use to create the carvings that provide them with money to live off. The family also lost a large amount of money that they had been putting aside for a sisters wedding next month.
I am looking at freighting over some emergency items this weekend and will send at least one more "care package" via freight before I go over to start my new job on the 26th March.
Please keep Ben and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Ohhh crap...........
It's moving day... Once again the day has come that reminds me just how much crap I own and just how dirty my place is despite many, many cleanings. I feel like such a dirty pig!!!!
As an added bonus I also have the buyers of my furniture coming to pick up the bits and bobs that they have so wisely purchased on Ebay...
Please share your sympathy with me!!!
