The Lantrip Family Blog

The Big 3!

2011-10-08T00:42:00.004+11:00

Isla turned 3 yesterday. The day was pretty low key. Happy Birthday on the bagpipes, a strawberry cake made by Erin, and a birthday doll (also made by Erin).

Thriving and Well

2011-10-02T00:18:00.000+11:00

It's a real blessing to see that, in all of our globe trotting, our children adapt, adjust, and fit in to life much more easily and quickly than we do. In our short time back, they've had an excellent time reconnecting with old friends, making new ones and playing with grandparents. Here's evidence that they even get along well together sometimes.

Sharkie!

2011-09-28T00:37:00.003+11:00

Erin had her first pre-natal appointment and we received great news about our newest member of the family. He/she is healthy large and growing. We've had hard times in the past with pregnancies, so it was a very real joy yesterday to see he/she alive and active. You may wonder why we entitled this post Sharkie. Well, that's the in utero name that Callum and Isla gave him/her. To be honest, Sharkie is a little better that he, she or it so we're going with it.

A Sweet Treat

2011-09-22T04:56:00.004+11:00

Rough Driver

2011-09-07T00:14:00.003+11:00

The wind on his face. The feel of rock and asphalt underneath his tires. A carefree life on the open road... Callum has his first bike! Christmas came a little early this year for Callum. Erin's parents gave him his very first bike and he is excited. We were surprised to see how well he took to it. In no time, he was cruising up and down the road. Here he is posing with his new hog.

Back Again

2011-09-02T22:15:00.002+11:00

Sorry that taking pictures hasn't been a priority in our travels lately. It seems like just making it from point A to point B with family is enough. We're back in the US and looking forward to seeing many of you during our time here. We're all in fine health and are all doing our best to recover from jet lag. It was particularly nasty this time. Callum and Isla were up for 11:30PM to 4AM our first full night back. Last night was an improvement though so we're hopeful.

What?! More Transition!

2011-08-22T13:21:00.003+11:00

God, in His infinite wisdom, must find great humor at us laying plans for our own lives. So, 6 months after returning to the Solomons, we ourselves, well, Erin, is pregnant. This was not a part of our plan, but that hardly matters now. Malaria poses a large risk to pregnant women and their unborn babies and Erin is unable to take the only efficacious malaria prophylaxis for this region. We consulted a physician and he said that the best action for us to take was to remove ourselves from the malaria area and not return until several months after the baby is born. So this, in conjunction with Callum's medical needs, means we'll be back in the States next Wednesday.

Rainy Day Pikininis

2011-08-15T08:40:00.001+11:00

The picture says it all... One of the kids' favorite activities is playing in the rain and mud.

Momma's Little Helper

2011-08-05T09:25:00.002+11:00

SITAG had its bi-annual conference over the past week, and we were happy to be able to meet with some folks that are not currently based in the Sols. It's nice to be able to meet them and hear their experiences as nearly everyone here has more experience than we do since we are pretty much still the new kids on the block. Isla was happy to be able to help Erin out in the kitchen as she prepared meals for people and treats for meetings.

Hot Chicks!

2011-07-29T20:55:00.003+11:00

Seriously. We're raising layers here in the tropics. It's rough paying $5 for a Solomon dozen (that's 10) eggs. With some help from the kids we came up with the names Buster, Penny, Urkelgrue, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail.

Lucha Libre Comes to the Solomons!

2011-07-18T08:17:00.004+11:00

Check out Callum's high-flying antics in this hip ensemble he picked out himself.

Bug Day

2011-07-13T13:32:00.001+11:00

We recently received a package from Juston's parents that had a jar in it for catching bugs, but the cool part is that it has two different levels of magnification for viewing your findings. Juston and the kids caught all sorts of interesting insects like small ants, giant ants, spiders, a Christmas beetle and a rhinoceros beetle. The two pictures here are both of the rhinoceros beetle. This is a really great tool to encourage a child's curiosity about the natural world around him (or her).

Here Comes the Sun

2011-07-10T12:53:00.002+11:00

So harnessing the sun's energy to accomplish everyday tasks is all the rage here in the Solomons. The conversion of the sun's energy to electricity is old hat, we're now cooking using the sun's energy in order to save on electric and gas prices. Some people are even making DIY water heaters by coiling large amounts of black hose and exposing them to the sun usually by mounting them on the roof of their house.

Our sun oven isn't DIY, but it seems to be more efficient than a number of the DIY models that we've seen. We haven't hit the 400F mark, but we've hit 375F and have held it steady around 350F for a long period of time. We've had a few successes and we're excited because we were a fairly skeptical, but we thought it was worth a try to save some cash.

The sun oven did come with a warning to use sunglasses when working around it, so here's a cute picture of Isla who was taking proper precautions.

Move to Munda

2011-07-04T14:10:00.005+11:00

It looks likely we're going to move to Munda. We've accomplished a bit here in Honiara, but for the project to progress it's in our best interest to move on. Our house in Rano isn't yet completed and it doesn't look like it will be for some time, so this is a good next step for us. There are Touo speakers in Munda Juston hopes to work with and it's close enough to Rendova to make short trips without separating the family for 10+ days every time. We're excited about this development, and look forward to being there.

These Are The Stranger Things

2011-06-27T07:41:00.004+11:00

It was a weird Sunday, yesterday. It began with Isla walking around the house yelling, "Sooie!!! Pig, pig. Sooie!!! Pig, pig." She has this year's Solomon Island Annual Hog Calling contest in the bag. Then, as church ended, a number of people exited the building and then immediately walked across the road to join a growing crowd who were all staring into the sea. We heard it was a mermaid (seriously, but we're not sure what that means), and then found that it was a crocodile. We all did get a look at it, but it was far away so we only caught a glimpse of its eyes and nose just out of the water. That was our atypical Sunday in Solomons.

Had A Falling Out With A Friend...

2011-06-24T13:05:00.003+11:00

But we kissed and made up...

then we ate him for lunch.

We've recently started buying fresh fish at the city market. I think we waited so long because we were ignorant about the varieties, preparation and even freshness of the fish. We're glad we did, because there are some tasty fish here in the Sols. You can check out a pic of some of the varieties in this old post, http://lantripfamily.blogspot.com/2009/12/going-to-market.html.

We apologize for the kitschy post.

A Boy and His Coconut

2011-06-20T07:49:00.001+11:00

Just a nice photo of Callum out and about sucking down a green coconut.

...Another man's treasure

2011-06-14T07:38:00.000+11:00

For several years I (Erin) have hoped to aquire a vintage sewing machine in good working order, a Singer Featherweight to be exact. After some searching on the web, I quickly discovered that these little guys are way out of my price range. On Saturday, while looking through our group storage area here in Honiara, what should I come across sitting in the "Free, please take" pile, but a 1964 Singer Featherweight! It's going to take cleaning, oiling, and a new driveband to get it working, but we are pretty confident we can do it. It runs, and it looks like it was well taken care of. I'd love to know who this originally belonged to. Any of you past SITAGer's out there know?

Goodbye iPod

2011-06-10T11:37:00.006+11:00

While out running yesterday morning, three drunks decided to relieve me of my iPod. It was really nice of them because it had been feeling really heavy since about mile 6. I hope they enjoy the Alistair Begg sermons.

Bright!

2011-06-06T11:23:00.001+11:00

Callum surprised us this morning by building this series circuit with a switch in an educational program we have. Albeit, it's a simple program and a simple circuit, but that's seriously sweet at the age of four. Juston's shown him how series circuits work before with just a single bulb and battery, but this was all of Callum's own making!

Haiku for Parrotfish

2011-06-03T21:18:00.005+11:00

Iridescence swims

Beneath the waves full of life,

Tasty for dinner.

Genesis 1:27, Part 3

2011-06-03T14:41:00.000+11:00

This is the last of the series of photos taken by our friend that we'll share with you. We hope you enjoyed this small glance at life on Rendova through eyes of someone's photography other than our own.

Genesis 1:27, Part 2

2011-05-31T08:00:00.000+11:00

Just some more photos taken by our friend.

Tortillaria De Lantrip

2011-05-27T08:30:00.005+11:00

Living in the Solomons means making a lot food items we're used to eating from scratch. What's a quick and easy meal in the States, is not so here in the Solomons. It's not as convenient, but it nearly always tastes better. One of our favorite 'quick' meals is bean burritos. Here's Erin and Isla rolling out some tortillas, the beans just having finished cooking. You'll notice Isla is making Isla-sized tortillas, and her rolling pin is small crocodile.

Genesis 1:27

2011-05-24T09:57:00.001+11:00

When Juston was last out on Rendova, he gave a friend our camera because he had shown interest in taking some photos. It turns out that he's a natural so to speak and he took close to 200 photos. Nearly every one of them was really good. We'd like to share a few with you so you can see a little more of life on Rendova.

Solomon Starbucks

2011-05-20T09:10:00.005+11:00

It's relatively cheap, there are shops selling it on every corner, it gives you a little pick-me-up and it even stains your teeth... it's betel nut! On Rendova, nearly everyone chews betel nut. You can see signs of it everywhere. Big streaks of fire engine red spittle unceremoniously spewed across your path. It has the effects of a mild stimulant, though I've heard and read that it's a low-level narcotic. You have to mix it with some other ingredients to produce the chemical reaction which gives the mild stimulant effect. Frequently, people smoke while chewing it doubling up on their mild stimulants to produce a wildly mediocre effect.

A man selling betel nut and cigarettes at a soccer match.

It's hard to see, but the man in the above photo has bright red teeth from having just chewed betel nut.

Introducing Kira

2011-05-14T08:00:00.003+11:00

Here's a pic of our new dog, Kira, with Callum. She isn't 'new' so to speak, she's actually really old, but she's new to us. She's been a guard dog on another property here in the Solomons for years, but that property's empty, so we are wathcing her. She has turned out to be a really great dog. She's gentle, friendly, loves children and still likes to chase thrown balls every now and again. Callum and Isla are really enjoying her and it helps us feel as though we're providing a little bit of something 'normal' in their lives here.

A Home of Our Own, At Least A Bit of One

2011-05-09T08:02:00.004+11:00

I promised some pictures of our home-to-be, so here they are. This is a view from the living room, looking towards the sea and out over the northern end of Rano.

This one is looking at our house from the center portion of the northern part of the village. We're assured it won't be long now so we hope to be moved in after the SITAG conference in July.

Men At Work

2011-04-22T08:53:00.005+11:00

It's been a huge blessing that these past two weeks Juston has had the opportunity to work with a Touo speaker here in Honiara. There's been a lot of data collection aimed at gathering information about the pronoun system, demonstratives and simple verb morphology. The highlight of the week was working through a story Juston had recorded last year from an elder on Rendova. It's a custom story, or we might call it a folk tale, about how the seven Touo speaking tribes came into existence. Juston really loves his work...

Just A Nice Photo of the Kids

2011-04-16T10:27:00.001+11:00

Tropical Luge!

2011-04-04T16:43:00.004+11:00

It's a real joy having a boy that is just that... ALL boy. We went outside the other day to investigate some mischievous squeals of delight and this is what we saw, Callum and his friends were using toy trucks to luge down the drive!

This series of pics is great, capturing Callum's mixed look of terror and delight. Below, Callum is explaining to Juston how the axle of the truck heats up as he rides his truck down the drive. He was pretty pumped about it.

All over again!

Training Center Dedication

2011-03-26T08:17:00.004+11:00

This past week, SITAG celebrated with its local partners, the completion, opening and dedication of a new training center for building capacity for Bible translation in Solomon Islanders. Government officials, NGO's representatives, members of SIBLTP, the national led Bible translation movement, SITAG members and representatives from a number of denominations were present including United Church, SSEC and Catholic, all affirming our efforts to place God's Word in the language which people understand it best.

Catholic Archbishop of Honiara, Adrian Smith, also the chairman of SICA, Solomon Islands Christian Association, dedicates and blesses the new training center.

A Bit of History

2011-03-20T13:05:00.006+11:00

The large metal object in the water is a piece of a sunken military transport from WWII. The story, as told to me, is that there were a number of ships caught in the bay when bombers came overhead and began releasing their payloads. The ships, caught in the bay, tried to run ashore to offload their men before being bombed. This ship, maybe 30 yards offshore, can easily be swum to where parts of the deck and other machinery can be seen. Now it's a haven for tropical corals and fish. The name of the bay, Iron Bottom Sound.

A Sunday Afternoon

2011-03-13T20:28:00.005+11:00

Slowly cruising out of town on the main drag. Callum singing, "Going to the beach, going to the beach!" over and over again loudly enough to be exuberant but not quite loudly enough to be obnoxious. Isla smiling, sitting in her carseat being rocked to sleep by the swaying of the van as I dodge the intimidating potholes. We pull over and order some chicken cooked over an old drum on the side of the road from three women with teeth stained red. They smile and laugh and hand me three baskets woven from palm leaves, each lined with a banana leaf and all containing a single piece of chicken, a few pieces of cooked cassava, a mountain of rice and a sprig of green onion. Now it's off to the beach!

Home Sweet Home!

2011-03-03T14:48:00.002+11:00

Not really... but we are glad to be back in the place God has called us to serve. The family is adjusting well and Callum and Isla are happy to be reunited with friends. We went into town today to stock our pantry and picked up some treats special to the islands here. Here's Isla enjoying the water of a green coconut. Hemi gud tumas!

Feeling Nostalgic

2011-02-19T02:39:00.004+11:00

Check out those hand knit toques! This photo is from a few years ago. It's always been one of our winter favorites. One last photo of snow before go.

Nomads!

2011-02-15T15:39:00.003+11:00

Not sure what to pack next, Callum and Isla climb into a box and contemplate the fast approaching move overseas while eating carrots (like rabbits as they say (whole)).

We don't know how it happened, but eating carrots like this, i.e. not peeled and cut, is a 'treat' for our kids... their words, not ours!

Hard to Believe

2011-02-05T10:15:00.005+11:00

We have seen snow in Dallas before, but never would we have believed that all the school systems in the area would be closed for 4 days. Ice and snow has slowed the city to a halt.

As we went out today for the first time in a few days, we realized how little the people here see weather like this. It's been in the teens all week and most people only have hooded sweatshirts and use random bits of boxes and rubbish to clean off their car windshields (not very effectively).

We did see some pretty great makeshift sleds today as we went about town. We saw a pool toy, a clothes basket and a cookie sheet all being used as sleds. It was great. We are loving the snow and cold!

Diversity Today

2011-01-30T09:43:00.006+11:00

We really appreciate other cultures. We like to learn about their their beliefs, customs and ways of life. Oh, I almost left out, "and eat their food". We love seeing the multi-faceted face of God in the diversity of His creation.

Below is a photo of a shawl Erin knit in the Estonian tradition. Behind that tradition is a story that tells about the people who made it. It's a part of their culture.

Isla's First Haircut 2

2011-01-23T10:59:00.003+11:00

A number of people have asked what Isla's first haircut looks like, since the photo in the first post was of the haircut in progress. Here's a photo that shows the outcome.

Callum didn't want to be left out, so he has a shirt on his head. You can't see it, but he is also wearing a shirt for pants. One leg through an arm the other through the neck. He's a dapper guy.

Isla's First Haircut

2011-01-16T09:17:00.002+11:00

And it was in a fire engine! That's right. Check it out.

Starting Young

2011-01-09T06:51:00.004+11:00

Slight or compliment, Callum hits the ball as well as Juston.

Nostalgia

2011-01-04T15:43:00.006+11:00

This photo of Callum and my brother, Mason, brings to mind many good memories of my childhood. Every winter I looked forward to a good snow so that I could go sledding behind the four-wheeler. In fact, one of my friend's and I liked it so much, that one summer we decided we just couldn't wait until winter came so we tied some carpet samples behind the four-wheeler and drug each other around the yard. There were a few of flaws in our plan, like the fact the we lacked soft, cushy snow to fall into when we fell off our makeshift sled, but the one I remember the best is when we decided to take our act on the road. It didn't take long to wear a hole through the carpet and then there was nothing left between us and the road but a pair of old jeans.

Don't Give Up On Us!

2011-01-01T01:43:00.004+11:00

Apparently, this is our one and only post for December. It's been a busy month full of travel, seeing family and friends. It's been both good and hectic. Our travels here end in a few days, but there is still much to be done before we return to the Solomon Islands in February.

It's not much, but here are a couple of photos from our travels.

Keep checking back for new posts! We promise to return to at least weekly postings.

The Perfection and Sovereignty of God

2010-11-30T00:00:00.000+11:00

As I, Juston, went for a run this morning in just shorts, a t-shirt, knit hat and gloves, it was below 40 degrees. I find great happiness in the slight burn of the cold air in my lungs and the gentle sting of a cool breeze on my face. I came home later to see my kids all decked out in knitted items made by Erin, and she was sporting one of the sweaters she knit. Callum and Isla were running around in the chilly morning air having a great time. It was a beautiful morning.

It strikes us as odd that God would call us to serve in such a perpetually hot and humid place. It's a small inconvenience we endure, but it does serve as a reminder to us that we are not placed here on earth for our own pleasures and desires, but to glorify God in whatever circumstances he has placed us in and to enjoy Him forever. And for those days when the heat and humidity of the Solomon Islands finds us a bit grumpy, who are we that we might question God's plans for our lives. Praise be that we serve a Perfect and Sovereign God!

Morning Routine

2010-11-27T10:29:00.003+11:00

This photo struck us as amusing. It looks like Callum is reading the morning paper, but it's a Lego® catalogue. The stuffed dog that looks like he's eating cereal was just a bonus.

Tree in a Box?

2010-11-17T00:44:00.003+11:00

We bought our first 'large' tree this year. Previous years have seen us with hand-me-downs and the small, gangly variety reminiscent of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. The kids are extremely excited to put up the tree, but I think it has more to do with the candy canes that we said they could have when putting up the tree.

Cleared For Takeoff

2010-11-09T06:00:00.000+11:00

Yet another potential future occupation for Callum. In case you can't tell, that box he's sitting in is an airplane and Callum is a pilot for and the owner of Air Callum. This particular flight sees Callum flying delicious(his description, not ours) pomelos, the giant citrus fruit, from the Solomon Islands to New York.

After reading this post to Callum, he corrected Juston and told him the story that he relayed to you was about his Lego® airplane, not the cardboard one pictured here.

The High Cost of Low Decibels

2010-11-07T11:42:00.004+11:00

Animated trains and cinnamon raisin bagels on the couch buy approximately an hour of peace.

Kon Tiki II

2010-10-30T05:05:00.003+11:00

Preparing for what promises to be harrowing adventure, explorers Callum and Isla pack a brown sack with plenty of food and toys, enough to circumnavigate the living room in their home-made boat constructed of 2 dining chairs and an old comforter.

Doppelgangers

2010-10-26T06:23:00.006+11:00

For a fun activity today, we went to the Lego store. It was all Callum had dreamed it might be. There's a workstation there where you can assemble Lego people from various assorted pieces and then purchase the completed product. Callum made a farmer and Isla made a nurse. It was determined later that it was Uncle Mason and Aunt Missy since these are their respective professions. In the car on the way home we heard Callum explaining to Isla that the Lego people were not the real Uncle Mason and Aunt Missy, but just pretend ones.

Home Is Where You Can Color On The Walls

2010-10-22T01:47:00.006+11:00

We found this DIY, cardboard toy house, that can be colored after assembled. We spent a long time on the project last night and woke up this morning to, "Get up mom! Get up dad! Where are the markers?"

Rockin' Out While Mom's Away!

2010-10-17T00:31:00.000+11:00

Since Erin's still gone, I've taken the kids to some interesting places around our area for entertainment purposes. One of the places was an 'apothecary', but it's more of an eclectic general/odds & ends store where you just happen to be able to fill prescriptions as well. There's even a toy section that carries a number of really neat 'old-timey' types of toys. I found a jaw harp there which I couldn't resist picking up for a few dollars. You can listen to me try and play it if you have nothing better to do!

Home Alone... Kind Of

2010-10-16T03:44:00.003+11:00

With Erin out of town for a number of days, I, Juston, am left at home to care for the kids. We've only had a few snags (in less than 24 hours), but nothing I can't handle. One of these 'snags' occurred this morning when I decided that Callum and Isla were preoccupied enough that I could squeeze in a quick shower. As I finished up and was stepping out the shower, I asked my self, "What's that sound? It sounds like running water." To my chagrin, when I stepped out of the shower onto the bathmat, Isla was sitting in the bathroom sink, the sink overflowing with water, filled with hand soap and Isla happily watching the water spill out onto the floor with a huge smile on her face... I'm confident we'll all survive until Erin's return... 90% sure... at least 75%. Yeah, that sounds about right. 50% worst case scenario.

Isla's Baby Doll

2010-10-13T01:35:00.000+11:00

Isla really likes the newest doll that Erin knit for her. Isla is not quite as creative as her mother as she named her doll, '(My) Baby Doll'.

More Autumn Photos...

2010-10-12T01:29:00.000+11:00

Isla enjoyed riding in the combine almost as much as Callum!

Autumn Photos From the Home State!

2010-10-10T01:26:00.000+11:00

Isla's 2!

2010-10-08T05:53:00.003+11:00

Isla's quite the big girl now. Independent, persevering, single-minded... all great traits... in an adult.

We love fall colors so we themed Isla's birthday cake and decorations accordingly!

On The Farm

2010-09-29T02:15:00.007+11:00

Preparing for a long day in the field.

Callum cleaning up after a day of riding in the combine with Uncle Mason.

Callum Graduated...

2010-09-10T01:00:00.005+11:00

From Duplos (little kid blocks) to legos (big boy blocks)! It was a fine day to celebrate the momentous moment. Callum played with his legos for hours and Isla was so fascinated that she watched, buying ourselves (the parents) some time of relative peace and quietness. Callum continues to spend hours with his legos, Isla continues to watch and we continue to enjoy.

Breakfast and Ballistics

2010-09-04T02:48:00.003+11:00

We found some Construx(from the late 80's!) at a donation place for missionaries the other day. Juston grew up with these and loved them. After breakfast he and Callum set out to lay siege to the living room building an onager, a sort of Roman catapult. It's fully functional but lacks the destructive power they(Juston) were(was) looking for...

Potential Perturbing Parasites

2010-08-27T06:00:00.001+11:00

Prior to breakfast, we gathered in the living room as Erin passed out the tiny pink pills. "You have to chew them up completely before swallowing them," she reminded us. We always take the tablets after leaving the village, it's nothing new, but it's never pleasant to consider the reality of why we take them. A little while after breakfast, Callum ran up to Erin, Magna-Doodle in hand, and said, "Look mom! I drew a tapeworm!" So goes life when you work in a village.

Flashback!

2010-08-27T00:48:00.002+11:00

We were cruising through some old pics this morning and we couldn't help publishing this one. It's been a long time favorite of ours. Erin knit the bear suit when Callum was just a baby, and while she probably doesn't consider it one of her more challenging projects, it's certainly one of the cutest!

An Inconvenient Pair of Jeans

2010-08-26T01:23:00.004+11:00

Jim was a swell guy. We're not sure how it happened. Perhaps it had something to do with global warming... All we know is that one moment he was leaning against the kitchen table eating a bagel, and the next... he was gone! Only his jeans remained...

Stuff!

2010-08-21T10:00:00.000+11:00

It's funny being back in the States. We frequently struggle with what to eat at mealtimes in Solomons, and have problems creating a variety in our diet simply based on the fact that there is so little variety there. Then, coming back to the States, we walk into a grocery and are faced with 30 different options for a single product. Wow... It's difficult seeing the decadence here, but it is also easy to enjoy the variety and specialty items. It creates a bit of an imbalance in our thinking. We are grateful for the broader perspective we have gained, but with the gaining of this perspective and knowledge comes the responsibility to reconcile our knowledge with the way we do and will live our lives.

Gnocchi and Lemon Meringue Pie

2010-08-21T09:54:00.008+11:00

Ah... a wife that loves me ('me' being Juston) and that can cook. What a combination! The gnocchi was devoured too quickly to have its photo taken, but here's what's left of the lemon meringue pie. For the last number of years, I've requested a birthday pie instead of birthday cake (oh yes, it's my birthday today), mostly because I only really like the frosting part of the cake. I just endure the 'cake' part of cake. Frosting is basically just sugar and a fat... not too complex, but a good pie... That's another story all together.

As a testimony of the pie's goodness, you'll notice how little is left.

Mad Mudness

2010-08-20T03:35:00.002+11:00

I'm not sure how we failed to post this earlier (an oversight on Juston's part I'm sure), but here it is in all its glory. Here is Juston and a colleague of his after cleaning up a flooded building in Honiara. The best part of this photo is that it was taken at the airport where we went to meet some other colleagues who were flying in to the Solomons that day.

I'm Pretty Sure She's Baked On A Professional Level...

2010-08-16T08:12:00.002+11:00

We Thought Engineer, But Who Knows...

2010-08-13T22:41:00.002+11:00

Callum handles all our finances, and at a reasonable rate... about 3 jelly beans an hour.

A Day at the Zoo

2010-08-06T23:48:00.003+11:00

Lemurs, two-toed sloths and binturongs, oh my! So it doesn't flow quite like Dorothy's, but these were just some of the animals we saw yesterday at the zoo. It was a beautiful day and the children had a fine time. Callum's favorite was was definitely feeding the giraffes, and for Isla it was probably riding the pony.

Summertime

2010-07-28T06:00:00.000+11:00

There are some things that jog the memory in such a way as to evoke images so vivid that you feel like you are reliving that point in time all over again. Seeing my children snapping beans in the kitchen was one of those moments. -Juston

The County Fair

2010-07-24T07:44:00.002+11:00

A big day at the local fair with Uncle Mason and Aunt Missy did the kids in. I am writing this an hour and half after the fact, and the kids are still asleep. Thank you Mason and Missy!

Dinner, A Movie and a Good Night's Sleep

2010-07-14T21:52:00.002+11:00

How blessed we have been in our journeys. Callum and Isla have done fabulous. Sleeping in the airports... sleeping on the planes... entertaining themselves with minimal resources. Truly fantastic! I hesitantly write this glowing report because we are not yet at our final destination. One more to go!

Pre-flight Check

2010-07-13T09:20:00.002+11:00

Less than an hour before leaving for the airport, the kids are in good humor and Callum claims that he's excited to sleep on an airplane. We'll remind him of that tonight at 10PM when our 10 hour flight from Fiji to LA begins.

Family Portrait

2010-07-11T20:40:00.003+11:00

We just had a family photo taken so we thought we'd post it.

A Cacophonous Collaboration

2010-07-10T04:48:00.002+11:00

A spontaneous concert given by Callum and some of friends resulted in much dancing from the crowd... Isla. Callum is playing an egg shaker by the way, but due to his left-handedness and my angle, it just looks like he is shaking his fist in the photo.

Bad Spots

2010-07-07T10:09:00.002+11:00

Just a quick post to share with you Isla's latest funny "saying". Any bug bite she gets, she calls a "bad spot" like on a banana!

Favorite Meals

2010-07-03T16:53:00.002+11:00

While it may not seem very exciting to those of you in the States, we get pretty excited around here about burritos. You can buy imported tortillas and refried beans here in the Solomons, buy they are exceedingly expensive so we make them which makes them all the better. It just takes a little time, that's all. We fill ours mostly with refried beans, but sometimes when we are feeling extravagant we'll use ground beef. I say extravagant because gound beef is also very expensive here. Some days we'll use TVP, textured vegetable protein, but some of us, Juston, find it repulsive. We have learned to try and use TVP as a healthy meat substitute since we rarely get meat while in the village.

Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists

2010-06-28T23:26:00.006+11:00

Two young medical practitioners from America opened a new office in Honiara today. Many lined up to receive services, mostly from among stuffed animal and baby doll community. The two arrived just in time stem the tide of a recent ear infection outbreak.

2010-06-28T23:26:00.001+11:00

It's Salty, It's Savory, It's Spreadable...

2010-06-26T15:31:00.006+11:00

It's Vegemite! Admittedly, it's a very odd subject to write about, but working with and being around several Australians it was unavoidable our introduction to this delightfully yeasty culinary delight. The jar states that it's a, "Concentrated Yeast Extract." Imagine what you will, but we love it. Not a day goes by that Callum doesn't ask for buttered toast with Vegemite. Hhmmm... So good.

Isla's First Ponytail

2010-06-25T08:48:00.002+11:00

She and her hair are growing so fast!

Market Fresh

2010-06-22T18:01:00.002+11:00

Check out that huge banana Isla is chowing down on. It's gargantuan! Here's a photo of an average week's shopping at the market. On the left we have green bananas, which are actually ripe and they taste very much like what we would buy in the States. Behind those are two green coconuts which are used primarily for drinking, though there is some edible meat on the inside. Callum really likes them. Next to the coconuts are bush limes (similar to key limes), lychee, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes in a bag and maro. Maro is the thing that also looks like a cucumber but larger. If you've never tried a lychee we're not sure what to say about them. We all like them, but the insides look a but like eyeballs. We're not real sure what maro is, this was our first one but we stir-fried it. It lacked a taste of its own and just took on the flavors of the foods it was cooked with. At the back is a pumpkin. They come in all shapes and sizes here and most taste like what we have in the States. The large yellow bananas are called milk bananas and are almost too wide for our children's mouths, but they are really good with a creamy texture and a bit of a tart, apple taste. They're Erin's favorites. Then in the front are watermelon and an avocado.

Juston's Bread and Butter

2010-06-15T18:30:00.006+11:00

Erin named this blogpost because of Juston's love for linguistics.

It was a big week last week as Juston began working with the first bit of recorded language data collected during our first stay on Rendova. It was a word list of 190 entries, and he recorded three people speaking each of the items in Touo three separate times. Last week, Juston began transcribing these lists into IPA, International Phonetic Alphabet. The IPA is not intended to be the writing system used by Touo speakers for their language, rather it's a tool used by linguists to study and describe the sound system of the world's languages.

Below are a couple of screenshots from Juston's work last week. The first, a portion of transcribed data, and the second an acoustic analysis program Juston is learning.

(There used to be pics here, but Blogger claimed it can no longer find them on its server.)

Wild Kingdom: Episode 4

2010-06-10T19:44:00.003+11:00

This is a green tree skink. We found him inside Erin's skirt that was outside drying on the line. You can see these frequently in the mornings climbing on the trunks of trees often chasing other skinks playfully.

Englishless English Muffins and Verbalizers

2010-06-06T06:00:00.001+11:00

This morning Callum was mucking about and not eating his breakfast. Juston told him that if he wanted some cheese he needed to eat his muffin to which he responded, "Dada, there's English in it!" He was correct. It was an English muffin.

A little later Isla brought Erin her shirt and said, "Shirt me, mama." She's saying more things everyday now.

Watermelon Man

2010-06-05T08:43:00.003+11:00

Making Herbie Hancock proud...

A Small Walkabout

2010-06-04T06:00:00.000+11:00

We heard one evening that there was to be a market in a nearby village the very next day, so we decided upon the trek then and there. We set out early in the morning leaving plenty of time for slow travel and unforeseen incidents. Finally, we arrived over an hour late, exhausted, sweaty and in dire need of a rest. The market was finished and all we managed to get was some good exercise. It looked a lot closer than it was.

Wild Kingdom: Episode 3

2010-06-03T06:00:00.001+11:00

They're in your house. They're in your bedroom. They're everywhere. They're fun to watch, and Isla yells something that sounds like 'lizard' every time she sees one. They're geckos!

In The Beginning...

2010-06-02T06:00:00.000+11:00

In order to enjoy the lusciousness that is chocolate, you must first endure its ugly cousin the cocoa. We purchased these at the market in Honiara thinking we might try roasting them to make our own cocoa powder; however, a quick Googling of the subject showed that, for a number of reasons, it was not really feasible. Here, people cut open the pods and suck on the beans and the mucilaginous membrane that coats them, and afterward spit the bean out. If that description doesn't make you want to go out and try one today, then I don't know what will.

That Is One Hot Cow

2010-06-01T09:19:00.007+11:00

There are precious few items that earn a space in our minuscule refrigerator. There just isn't room after we pack it full of cheese we bring from Honiara (is there life without cheese?). However, here's one of the kids' favorite treats in the village that doesn't require it be kept in the cold. Flavored (or flavoured if you must) milk from New Zealand. It's UHT (ultra-high temperature pasteurization) so it keeps out of the refrigerator, then you just "Chill It, Shake It and Drink It!" as stated on the side of the carton. It's perfect since we don't have to put it in the refrigerator until just a bit before the kids want to enjoy it. We find adults like it too...

Gagu Girls

2010-05-30T06:00:00.000+11:00

It turns out Isla has a friend who enjoys a fine pair of goggles every now and again as well.

Mitufala No Save Watnao Hemi Doim

2010-05-29T15:29:00.003+11:00

We don't know, but we thought it was cute. The flower is a frangipani and lots of women here wear them in their hair as decoration. They smell really, really nice.

The Seaside Road

2010-05-29T06:00:00.005+11:00

We just thought we'd include one picture of the beach proper, just to show how incredibly black the sand is.

Wild Kingdom: Episode 2

2010-05-28T06:00:00.001+11:00

While not rare in the States, this was the largest praying mantis we had ever seen!

Wollmeise on the Werandah

2010-05-26T06:00:00.004+11:00

Haiku for Erin
by
Juston Lantrip

Tropical climate

Torturous device of sheep
Knitting continues

Wild Kingdom: Episode 1

2010-05-26T06:00:00.002+11:00

We are going to start a running series entitled Wild Kingdom, in order to share some of the amazing plants and animals that we see here. Below is a photograph of a Crab Spider living just outside the house we are staying in. It's smaller than a nickel, and the red "crab" is simply a part of its back.

The Young Man and the Sea

2010-05-25T14:59:00.003+11:00

Callum was convinced the sea was going to "wash us away", so he held onto my head for dear life. Isla, on the other hand, was being held because she kept trying to sprint into the sea with reckless abandon.

A Cross-cultural Perspective of A 3 Year Old

2010-05-24T06:00:00.004+11:00

So here is a photo Juston's mother sent him of his dad on the farm in his "new" truck. Callum, looking at the grain bins in the background, asked, "Why is grandpa at the water tank store?" Erin told Callum that they were not water tanks and then he asked if grandma and grandpa had a water tank. Erin told him that they didn't and that their water came from a well in the ground. He asked skeptically, "So it's under the grass?"

Village Life

2010-05-23T06:00:00.001+11:00

Our day in the village begins a lot like a day in the States, with a cup of coffee and some breakfast. We have a very small, pre-owned LP-fueled oven/stove combo, but the oven part doesn't function currently and we also have a very small (think dorm-sized LP refrigerator). Breakfast is usually cereal, eggs, oatmeal, crackers or fruit. We have some very nice fruit in the village; pomelo, papaya and few different varieties of banana. In the morning I watch the kids and work around the house while Erin washes the morning dishes and washes our laundry in a small hand-turned laundry "machine". Since we are just beginning and setting up shop so to speak and living in temporary housing, our scheduled really isn't set after breakfast and morning chores. Juston recorded some traditional or folk stories and some word lists to transcribe in during our time back in Honiara. More on recording and transcription later. Lunch is up in the air as it is generally so hot that it can be difficult to eat much. Tuna salad, egg salad, fruit and cheese are some light meals that we frequently eat. The afternoon continues to heat up and most people are out of the village and hard at work either in their gardens, as they call them but we might more appropriately think of them as fields, or at sea fishing. We work around the house and put the kids down for naps and just generally try not to get too hot. We generally don't succeed in not getting too hot. At 4:30PM every day of the work week we have communication with the SITAG office in Honiara via radio so that they can be assured that we are doing fine. Shortly after this we eat. Supper, at least this visit, was given to us frequently and was such awesome things as wild boar hunted by the village young men to fish traditionally cooked in stone ovens. Oh yes, and everything comes with kassava and/or kumara. If unsure about kumara you can look at our earlier post on it. It's a staple here in the Solomons. After supper its bath time. Most people go to the river about a 1/2 kilometer away, but we use our rain tank and ran a tap inside so we have a shower of sorts. The people of Rano were nice enough to to give us a nice Western style bathroom, or 'smol haus' as it's called in Pijin. After baths and the kids are put to bed it's time to move as little as possible so you don't sweat before bedtime. Usually this involves knitting, for Erin, reading or playing our new favorite boardgame, Carcassonne.

Below is a picture from our verandah across the village.