Blong 30 indipendens aniversi selebresen long port vila
22 July 2010 | Port Vila
Michael and Jackie
Vanuatans love a party. Friday 30th for those of our readers whose bislama (pidgin) is not word perfect, it's Vanuatu's independence day today. The only country in the world which gained independence from two countries at the same time, Britain and France.
The party officially started on Wednesday, but fireworks have been exploding since at least Monday. The official reason is that the fire works people needed practice. So they have been practising every night. Rockets and mortars exploding across the bay each night, in what is already quite a spectacular setting. Since Wednesday there have been parades, music and dancing at two venues adjacent to the parliament building. Our Bislama has been improved immensely by listening to the MC. The same MC has been indefatigably working the crowd for three days. Today he was really going since the crowds were much larger, Friday being a public holiday. The crowd women in colourful Mother Hubbard dresses, men in teeshirts and thousands of little children. The children, a crowd of ragamuffins, ragazzi, mob the stage regularly, when it rains, when a Chinese dragon appears, or when they think they can get away with it. The MC then says police get behind the line, no police appear and maybe the children go back behind the line, maybe they don't. How different from England, where are the bouncers! even more - here children play together in groups with minimal parental supervision. They tumble they say hello to strange English people they have an uninhibited good time.
The programme has its hiccoughs, kastom dancers don't appear or appear at the other venue. Australian Vanuatans make long speeches about discrimination which the crowd listens to in polite disinterest. People applaud the Kastom dancers and the young dancers from Tahiti with the independent swinging buttocks, maximum age 12 perhaps, but amazingly professional. However, the biggest enthusiasm is for the local hiphop bands and the karate groups. Modern music is the real flavour of the festival with a veneer of the relaxed Vanuatan on top.
Over at the other park the Australian High Commissioner is opening the new National Museum, a strikingly beautiful building. All the police who are supposed to be supervising the main crowd, ie chasing the children,are here hobknobbing (guarding) the distinguished visitors. Suddenly a bunch of men wearing nothing much but penis gourds, big mambas come dancing down the road. Yes, it's the prime minister. Actually he was wearing a suit. He's accompanied by various dignatories. The Australian High Commissioner, a young man of Chinese descent, gives an impeccable speech in public school English, then Bislama. It's obvious he's totally articulate in a lot of languages and situations. Sitting next to him is the prime minister, a tall distinguished man, and the governor general with his wife. The wife is obviously a clone of the queen, complete with hat. The dignatories applaud each other, and alongside the stalls sell local food, and clothing. We go for safety on the food front but do have an excellent cup of Tanna coffee, pure, organic Arabica coffee.
Eventually we return to the boat to prepare for the final fireworks display. I can only imagine that the Chinese are paying for them because the amount of ordnance is huge. Lady Kay is dressed overall, in respect. Most of the local boats are, as are a few cruisers, interestingly mostly British. The Australian and Kiwi boats choose to ignore the request.
From about 7pm in the evening, there were a few premature explosions, fireworks exploded over us. At first from the cliffs below the parliament buildings, and then later even bigger ones came from a different direction. In all the display lasted at least an hour. Then music, more music and more music. The final night the music finished at 6.00 am beating Friday's 5.30 am and Thursday's 2.30 am.
Needless to say the streets of Port Vila were pretty quiet on Sunday morning.
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