I am finished with my work at the Titikaveka school. The library is not in use by students right now, and it does not look as if it will be at any time in the near future, so all of my work may be for naught. I started working at the public library today, and I am currently updating the acquisitions list on a laptop. The library is interesting and filled with visitors. One of the Rarotongan natives sat next to me and in the course of our discussion, I discovered that he did his college degree at THE Ohio State, and also at Western Kentucky. He has a master's degree in sociology.

Yesterday, I rented a bike and my friend Yolonda and I rode completely around the island. It is about 18 miles, and we took our time. She did a little snorkeling as well, and reported that the fish were amazing. We have seen the whales several times now, and they were particularly acitve on Saturday morning. There are no native land mammals here, save for fruit bats. They eat them, and report them as "tender" and "succulent". We haven't been offered that at our dinners...yet. I always imagine bats to be rather crispy and leathery. I may find out! We have eaten a great deal of raw fish here, in a dish called ika mata. It's surprisingly good. I also learned that raw mussels are very tasty, but unlike oysters, you chew them before swallowing. There are some other interesting foods offered at the Saturday market that I have not been brave enough to try. One in particular: coconut in fermented crab juice. Maybe next time...

Chickens and dogs are everywhere, and roam freely. Pigs and goats are tied to coconut trees, but cows are usually in pairs and tied to each other. There is little dairy production here, so milk is usually boxed in those packages like rice or soy milk is in the U.S. If you want fresh milk, you must pay about $7 per liter. Few people eat cheese or yogurt here, for the same reason. It's too expensive.