Found in the living room!

The title says it all really!

Association mad!

Here in Reunion, and I assume in mainland France, they love their "Associations"!  An association is a formal group that is registered with the local government, as far as I can tell it can be set up of any reason (except sports) and can apply for subventions from the local government.  

In the last year we have become members of a few different associations, the kids do Indian dancing with one association (which I've mentioned before), Aurelie has been involved in the set up and running of another to run child minding at Sam and Ela's school before and after school hours.

But the association we have been involved with the most is "Les Coeur de Mont Vert Les Bas" (the Heart of Mont Vert Les Bas), it's an association to bring the people of the locality together in various activities.

A friend of ours, Isabelle, is the president (and founder) of the association and keeps it humming along.  

Arts and crafts for the kids

Over the last few months we've had: weekly kids activities over the school holidays, weekly games sessions (cards, Uno, Dominoes type games), seaside picnics, book and plant exchanges and a meal at a restaurant/smallholding (with complimentary pony rides!) and this week Aurelie has started a weekly English conversation meetup at our place!   Its been a wonderful way to get to know people beyond our little impasse* and to tie into the Mont Vert Les Bas community.

Bunny love at the smallholding

Sam's pony...

...and Ela's

* Oddly enough the French don't use the phrase "cul-de-sac" but rather "impasse" which makes me wonder why the hell we ended up using a French phrase that isn't used in French!

Reunionese parking

One of the things that I have noticed he Reunionese have a peculiar relationship with parking.  In addition that you will quite often come across people just stopped in the middle of the road having a chat with another car or pedestrian (even if there is a place to pull in immediately next to them the thought never seems to cross their minds!) the urge to park as close a possible to the final destination seems ingrained here to a degree that I've not seen in other places.  Whether that means on footpaths or across pedestrian crossings so be it, even if there is a car park just a few metres further away.

Cars parked on the footpath...

A couple of months ago on Bastille day I took a few photos of this phenomena in action.  On a narrow road with a footpath on one side the footpath was lined with cars, fair enough you might think, it was Bastille day after all...

...more cars on the footpath...

If it wasn't for the fact that there was an empty (and free) car park just 50m further up the road!

 

...and 50m further up the road (that's our car)

Two years!

Exactly two years ago we were in Lyon airport getting ready to board a flight to Reunion for the first time - my how time flies!

Exploreing Lava Tubes!

Over the summer we have become very friendly with another family, Damien, Isabelle and their three kids.  As well as going to picnics and kids activities together with one of the local associations our kids have stayed over in each other's houses and we have been on walks in the hauts (heights). 

 

A few days ago we decided to go and explore one of the many lava tubes in the old lava flows on the flanks of Piton de la Fournaise.  Most of the lava tunnels on the volcano require a guide as there can be dangerous gasses or risk of collapse but this one was from a lave flow in 1976 and is regarded as safe and so no guide is needed.  

 

Unfortunately we didn't take many photos as we were too busy wrangling kids (and making sure they didn't brain themselves on the ceiling of the tubes, next time bring head protection!).  However as it turns out another expat blogger had the same idea a couple of weeks before me and took far more photos of the actual tubes and the rock formations (I'm a bad geology nerd).

Sam and  Mathieu leading the way

 

The tube took a bit of finding even with instructions, there is no signs or other indications that the lave tube is there.  We had to hop over a wall at the side of the road and follow a little path between the wall and the forest until we came an entrance to the tube.  At that point the tube lead in two directions, back under the road and off under the forest.

Aurelie and Ela

So off we went to explore and it was cool!  The tube was fairly large but the floor was uneven and littered with scoria and at times we all had to stoop to avoid the ceiling, in fact there were a few occasions when the adults had crawl along!  There were occasional side tubes but in general one main tube.

Emerging from the darkness!

We explored as far as we could up the tube, about 400 - 500m to where there was another opening in the forest then returned to our starting point and explored in the other direction (600 - 700m).  This section was a good bit steeper and had larger chambers in the tube.  We stopped and turned about when we saw that the tube got much steeper, narrowed and became filled with wet (and slippery) clay.

 

All in all a successful mornings exploration all for the price of a few cuts and bruises all round!   

Dance Baby Dance!

Both Sam and Ela have recently taken up Indian dancing, twice a week they have two hour lessons at the local hall about 5 minutes walk from here.  They are enjoying it, especially when they get to put on a show (or spectacle as they are called here)!

Recently some of the local Associations (more on associations in an upcoming post) set up a big lunch with entertainment in for the less well off.  As part of the entertainment the dance Association that Sam and Ela are in gave a display.

Dancing ladies

Ela isn't actually supposed to be in this particular dance but decided to join in anyway!

Sam, looking good!

The older kids arrived to rehearse at 7.30am, we fortunately didn't have to be there until 11.30am as the younger kids dance routines are a lot more limited than the older kids (all girls, Sam is the only boy).  There was lots of excitement getting ready with costumes and make up, though Sam refused all offers of make up, and ice cream and anticipation. 

 

As is usual here no one was quite sure when things were going to happen but they kids kept themselves busy getting ready and running about the place and they eventually started a bit after 3pm (one of the main things we have come to accept about life here (mostly) is the idea of island time, things generally don't happen quickly and that's not necessarily a bad thing).  The dancing was great, though Sam was a bit upset that he missed a cue and didn't get to do all of his dancing, otherwise a successful day all round.

 

 

Happy Bastille Day!

Today is Bastille day and yesterday the annual parade was held in Saint Pierre.  The parades for Bastille day here consist of the military and the local associations for all different types of activities (biking, chess, football, marital arts etc. etc).  Sam and Ela have both been involve in Indian "Bollywood" style dancing so they joined their association (along with Aurelie) in the parade.

Local military units leading the parade

Wardogs!

Blue, white and red trikes!

 

The parade route itself was only a few hundred meters long (which was a good thing for little legs that had already been hanging about for over an hour prior to the parade starting) but it was great to see all the different associations getting involved, in fact considering the numbers marching in it there were probably more people in the parade than watching it! 

 

It was interesting to see the differences to the Paddy's day parades in Ireland that I am used to.  There was a military ceremony prior to the start of the parade, which I have never seen in Ireland, French flags and hats in the French colours were distributed to all marching in the parade an there were no floats, just association marching, oh and a lot less drinking!



Sam on parade...



...and Ela...

...and Maman

We headed home after the parade but went back into town in the evening as there was a stage set up for music and dancing as well as pretty spectacular fireworks which we watched from the town beach (I got to keep my hands over Ela's ears for the entire time as the fireworks were too loud for her, the things we do for our kids). 

All in all a good first Bastille day in France for me (this time last year I was away in Africa for work).

The family that slays together stays together!

Most people who know me outside of my working life know that among other things I'm a gamer.  I have been ever since I was introduced to roleplaying games as a 10 or 11 year old on a visit to my Dublin cousins (thanks Karl).  Boardgames, roleplaying games, LARPs, wargames, computer games, I enjoy playing them all. 

 

Of course nowadays what with having a young family and living 10,000km from my usual gaming crew I don't get to game as much as I used too (though with roleplaying via Skype and boardgaming over the internet I manage somewhat).

 

So one of the things I have been looking forward to is getting the kids into gaming (Sam is already Star Wars mad, see this post by Aurelie) as;

 

a) It's been such a big and enriching part of my life (the games themselves and especially the people who play them) and;

b) I'll have some one to play with.

 

So the last time I came back from Ireland I brought back a copy of Catan Junior a simplified version of the hugely popular Settlers of Catan boardgame for ages five and up.  We've played a few different card games like Mow (apparently French cows go mow, not moo) with the kids but this would be the first board game that they could play.

 

Sam took to it straight away and wants to play it pretty much every day, Ela wasn't too interested at first but joined us for our most recent gaming session, playing by herself for the first time rather than "helping" Maman or Daddy and enjoyed it, winning her second ever game!

Catan Junior is a great introductory game, the kids love it and it's fun for the adults too.  Now I'm looking forward to introducing them to roleplaying with Faery's Tale and more boardgames like Mice and Mystics!

For the record Sam has the most wins so far, a short lived "go easy on him" policy was ditched when he kept thrashing us.  The Geek is strong in this one!



Sunday gaming at chez nous



Ela tastefully celebrating victory (Sam is ill not sulking!)

Mess is fun!

 

by Aurelie

 

I was surprised how quickly my kids had developed their own personality and taste. Even with my very anti-stereotype education, Samuel has mostly "boy" interests (except for bracelets currently), and to my despair Ela has very girly interests...

 

I hadn't thought much about it until Ela went to play to a friend house and discovered make up. She has probably seen me about 4 times in total wearing makeup, and not even that much of it. Suddenly I got worried that we would be missing the whole mother/daughter bonding with all the make up, hair thing, jewellery and fashion normally involved. I don't wear make-up, I can't do any hairstyle, not really into fancy jewellery, and well fashion.... Not only this, but I cook and I shop only when I have to, and especially NOT with the kids.

Now my girl may like pink and princesses, but she also like mud. So when most kids would be horrified at the idea of putting something like cow poo on their head, that smells weird, to leave it there for a while and that the whole process may change the hair colour, Ela said YES. I even mentioned that it would required extra hair washing, but no she was determined to do henna with me. Since I read it help preventing head lices (a lovely issue that we've been having this year) I was all in favour of it.

So we did, and it was great. I could never have enough of her laugh. A wonderful bonding time that we can't wait to do again, except next time, she really wants to get red hair... poil de carotte.

 

Electric Cork!

Apologies for the lack of updates for the last while, as most people who read this know my brother passed away recently after a long battle with cancer as a result I've been in Ireland for that last couple of months not posting.  So this is just a quick post to say that normal services will be resumed in the near future, I'm heading back to Reunion in June where Aurelie and the kids have been enjoying life in my absence (more on that in a future post).

 

Anyway while in Cork I came across this for the first time:

CCC van getting recharged

 

Its an electrically powered Cork City Council van getting recharged from a roadside power station.  Go Cork City Council, welcome to the 21st century!  It's things like this that make me realise more and more that the future of my childhood is now (but with less spaceflight, though it's coming).

 

 

 

 

Saint Patrick's day

I'm in Ireland at the moment while Aurelie and the kids are back on Reunion.  While I'm here I've been going through some of our recent photos that we (actually Aurelie, they're from her camera) took before I left.  So now I hoping to post a few items over the next couple of days that should have been posted ages ago!

For Saint Patrick's (never Pattie's day!) a friend of Aurelie's was kind enough to send us a Saint Patrick's day package containing badges, hair ties, clips etc. (thanks Orna).  So for the big day we dug out any green clothes we had and the kids finally got to wear all the goodies!

Flying the colours!

There were some rumblings of possible Saint Patrick's day events in the North of the island but nothing down South so we had a pretty uneventful day - no parades here!

Sam - a serious smile!

Ela - the cheery bunny!

Where there are no roads

Last week we went to the hauts (the heights) for some cooler weather and were able to look down into the Cirque de Cilaos.  The photos below are of one of the villages in the cirque, Grand Bassin, and of the only means by which the villagers get stuff to and from their village (other than carrying it by foot!).  One of the other three cirques on the island, Cirque de Mafate, is entirely only accessible by foot so it's like a lost world in there!

When I suggested to Aurelie that it might be cool to live in a isolated village like that, she looked at me and said in avoive that brooked no argument "for a weekend perhaps, just a weekend", spoilsport.

The village of Grand Bassin

How stuff is delivered to the village (and the rubbish collected)

The sign says "Transport of people strictly forbidden" 

Regulations for the packages that people are allowed to send (max weight and dimensions and no people or animals)

Timetable

Fairy tale views

A little while ago while the kids were at school Aurelie and I went to one of the view points overlooking one of the three extinct calderas.  Looking at the photos it like looking at fairy tale towns in some sort of lost kingdom!

 



Ilet de Cordes

Cilaos

 

The two settlements in the caldera

Garden Beastie!

We've been doing some gardening lately and came across this little fellow.  I'm afraid the pictures aren't great (my old iPhone isn't the best for close ups!)

He (or she) is Liocheles australasiae AKA the Malaysian tiny brown scorpion, not very dangerous but the sting can cause intense local pain for up to an hour!

Odd thing was that he (or she) kept going towards me when ever I tried to take a photo, most beasties usually try to get away as fast as possible.  I guess scorpions are just more badass!

My new best friends.

Since I have been here I have been diving and occasionally snorkeling with my Aqualung Caravelle open heel fins.  However open heel fins require the use of boots and aren't really suited to snorkeling so I deceided it was time for some new fins.  After looking about to see what was available locally and looking up the online reviews I decided on a pair of Mares Volo closed heel fins and picked them up at the local Decathalon (a big sporting goods chain in France).



My new best friends! Mares Volo closed heel fins.

 

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to use them straight away as I developed a head cold which kept me out of the water for a few days but eventually I was able to get to play with them.  Our local town, Saint Pierre, is the second town of the island and the town is built on a beach with a lagoon which is a good safe place for swimming and snorkeling (it's Sam's favorite place to go snorkeling).  Being right on the town means that it's a popular place so much of the coral is damaged or dead but a bit further out from the shore there is some nice coral and fish life.

The lagoon at Saint Pierre

 

I spent about an hour tootleing about getting used to the fins and exploreing for the first time the further parts of the lagoon.  I'm continually amazed how much I love being in the water, being privy to the underwater world, exploreing and the freedom that the water allows us.

 

There was quite a bit of fish life once you got away from the shore, most of which I have seen many times before, not that that lessens how much I love to see them!  This time there was somthing different though, while pottering about I came accross a large spotted brown flying fish, I think Cypselurus sp, I've not been able to find any good images of it online but how wonderful to be just wander from the town into the water and suddenly, unexpectenly be within a meter of such a creature.  I spent a bit of time watching it flex it large fins, and getting ocasional glimses of it's colourful pectoral fins before decideing that I had better let it be and continued on my way.  I did however resolve to buy a good underwater camera (I'm thinking a GoPro) so that I can record the next time!

Random plastic rubbish I put in my pocket during my hour long snorkel

I've mentioned before on this blog that I hate plastic and whenever I am in the water I have gotten into the habit of picking up any pieces of plastic that I notice and putting them in my pocket so that I can bin them later.  Above is a picture of the plastic that I picked during my hours snorkel.  I'm in two minds about it, as far as I'm concerened any plastic in our oceans is too much but then again considering that this was just off a busy beach and the second largest town on the island mabey it's not so bad considering I covered a lot of lagoon, I don't honestly know. 



The sun setting over Saint Pierre lagoon

A break from the sea!

On Sunday a couple of weeks ago after tropical cyclone Felleng passed us by it was hot hot hot, so we decided to head to a nearby river at  Langevin to see how high the water was after the storm as to see if it was safe to swim (usually it takes a while before its safe for swimming in the sea or the rivers after a storm passes by).

Sundays here are really big family days for picnics at the beaches, in the heights and by the rivers (everywhere really!) so there were plenty of people about.  However in the past we were lucky enough to have been shown a large rock pool higher up the river that is usually quieter and we headed there.  Sure enough while there were some people about it was a lot quieter and while the river was high it looked ok for swimming so in we went.  And my was it worth the trip, I love swimming in rivers, its very different swimming in a river than in the sea, for one thing its a lot cooler.  For another the fresh water isn't as harsh (or buoyant) as the salt water and waterfalls even the small ones are lots of fun and surprisingly powerful!

So note to self, more trips to Langevin!  It may take 30 - 40 minutes to get there instead of the 10 - 15 it takes to get to the beach but when its hot hot hot its worth it.

Langevin river

Sam, Ela and I, exploring the shallows.

Enjoying the waterfall.

Felleng passing by!

Tropical cyclone Felleng passed between Reunion and Madagascar over the last few days.  It was closer to Madagascar so it missed the Island by 100's of km but we still had three days or so of heavy rains and high winds (not as bad as Madagascar where four people died).  It was the first cyclone near miss that we were on the island for and its given us an idea of the power of the storms even when they miss the island by 100's of km.

 

For us it was lazy family time together as we weren't able to go out much and the kids are off school on Wednesdays, there was a teachers strike on Thursday (no idea why) and the schools were closed on Friday due to the weather. 

Sam and I in the sea at Grand Anse just before the first of the heavy rains, it's not very obvious in the picture but the waves were very high (and lots of fun) due to the storm.

Take a look at the clip at the link below:

 

http://www.clicanoo.re/356148-500-000-euros-emportes-par-les-pluies-de-felleng.html

 

The link above goes to a local news site which shows the road from Saint Pierre (the main town near us) to Saint Louis being washed away and gives an idea of the power of the floods. That same section of road was washed away during the last near miss about a month ago and cost €500,000 to repair that time!  In the clip you can see a shiny new bridge that is supposed to replace the old road (I guess they were getting of replacing it), it has been under construction since before we arrived on the island and will be completed soon (hopefully!).

 

The fact that the topography of the island is so steep means that all the rain water get funnelled into ravines and you get huge amounts of water flowing down in short periods of time and there can be flash floods as well as regular flooding.  All over the island where roads cross these ravines or other low points in the local terrain you get warning signs and barriers that can be lowered when the roads are flooded as cars have been washed away in the past.

 

Water still flowing over one of the local roads almost two days after peak of the heavy rain.

 

Luckily Reunion being France it has the construction standards and infrastructure that means that casualties and damage here from cyclones is a lot less that on nearby Madagascar (I still feel guilty though because as a storm fan I'm looking forward (if a bit nervously) to seeing the power of one close up when one does hit the island).

Back home again!

We've been back home again for the last week and a half after spending a month in Ireland and France for Christmas and the New Year.  We had a wonderful time with family and friends and the kids really love spending time with their cousins but it's good to be back home with it's warm weather!

Its been busy since we've been back.  The first few days were taken up with getting the house and garden into shape after our month away.  While we got away lightly with the cyclone that hit while we were away everything grows like crazy here in the wet season and between Toffee being shut into the house during the cyclone, beasties invading and having forgotten to empty the fridge before we left (and the power going out during the cyclone) there was enough to keep us going for a few days!

The garden after a month.

The kids had last week off as it was the summer holidays here.   While we had the time Sam took up snorkeling.  Our collection of children's snorkeling equipment has grown as we tried to get the right kit, a mask from one set and a snorkel from another.  So we've been to all our local swimming haunts, during their week off last week and popping down after school this week.  Its hard to convey just how fantastic it is to snorkel with him and to see his excitement discovering the underwater world, the fish, the coral, just being able to explore a new world.  Of course now Ela wants to try too, at least we have the kit for her, so it looks like she'll be trying it out on our next visit to the sea!

As mentioned its the wet season here at the moment (Reunion has two seasons, wet and hot and cooler and dry) and while it doesn't rain every day, more like two or three times a week, the wetter weather has lead to an explosion in the mosquito population.  Mosquitoes are wily little feckers and while we have been getting most of the buggers which get into the house some escape, leading to night time biting and many itchy bites. Today while looking for something else entirely we came across an electrical mosquito swatter, already the kids (and Aurelie) have been patrolling the house zapping the little miscreants.  The war continues....

Our new best friend - an electrical mosquito swatter!

Red Alert on Réunion!

Right now all of Réunion is on Red Alert as Tropical Cyclone Dumile made landfall this morning. So hopefully all our friends at home (and Toffee the cat) will have a safe storm and get through it safe and sound!



Of course this means that we still have not been on Réunion during a Tropical Cyclone, I'm not sure if that is a good or a bad thing.

Happy New Year from Lyon

Having spent Christmas in Ireland with my family we have just spent New Years (or second Christmas as the childern have dubbed it due to their second tranch of presents!) in Lyon with Aurelie's.

We've had a largely wonderful 2012 given the usual ups and downs of life so here's to 2013, may it bring everyone both what they are hoping for and what they need.

Rugby days - Aurelie's post on Sam's first day of Rugby matches

So Samuel now plays rugby. It's his choice, not mine (maybe a little influence from Stephen, but that's it). Of course when I chose his name (I did) I had in mind a little of Samuel Beckett, I mean it's the first name of an intellectual, or an artist, certainly not of a rugby player. On top of that he's way too handsome and rugby men are not (at least after playing for a while).

Anyway he likes it. Actually he loves it. He is playing at under 6 level, which mostly to get an idea of rules, teamwork and training. No scrums, no upper body tackles: I can still watch.
And yesterday after 4 weeks the day finally arrived: playing matches, not just training! There is local tournament where they play against several teams every month, each time in different places on the island.

Samuel was very excited about it, I mean he could finally prove he was the fastest, strongest, of all the other players. Personally I thought rugby was about putting the ball behind the opposing team, while passing it backward, but hey what do I know.

Our first tournament happened to be in St Benoit which is quite the opposite side of the island. This meant meeting at 8.00 at the club in town. This meant leaving the house at 7.30. This meant waking up at 6.20. On Sunday. Because obviously for the first match we were all going.
Thankfully we had no need for the alarm as Samuel woke up even before it went off asking “are we going now?”

We arrived at the meeting point early, trying to get some info as where we were going (there are 2 stadiums in St Benoit). After some confusion we got an answer and even a map, so we left Samuel going on the bus as we headed with little miss car sick on the long journey to St Benoit. The trip was fine, beside the fact that the map given was totally outdated and the stadium mentioned was wrong.  It was ok though, we still arrived before the bus. Who needs organisation anyway?

Getting ready

After so much expectation leading up to the big day drama had to happen and it came about the playing strip of the club as the Under 6s did not get them 'cos there were not enough of them to go around (they got the blue training strips. Huge disappointment, avery sad face and a few tears. It's tough but to be honest, blue is a lot better than black and yellow.

Obviously he ended up playing on the furthest side of the pitch away fromour “camp” so I went first on the pitch to watch him play and take pictures. They play 5 against 5 (or 4) and good thing it's simplified rules 'cos as I saw Samuel running with the ball I was afraid he was going the wrong direction when he was actually scoring his first point. Glad he did not hear me saying “no, the other way!”. I should probably refrain from shouting instruction.

Sam with the ball

Running to support his team mate

Anyway he had a great day. He played 4 matches (I think) though it gets confusing as they take kids from other teams when a team does not have enough players. He was just a bit disappointed that he did not play “real” matches, so we explained that he has to start like this to learn, and that trying to not pass the ball forward would be a good next step.  He was so tired from the matches (and getting up so early) that he slept in the car on the way back home.

Guess it was the first on many other rugby Sundays... as long as I can watch.