On the price of things....

The price of things can be measured many ways - money, time, aggravation, frustration. Here are a sample of Aitutaki prices:

• Petrol: $2.40 per litre when there is gas on the island; priceless when all the pumps are empty...(add a big aggravation and inconvenience tax on that one)
  
• School Fees: $10 per term (admittedly the school has a few less resources than most NZ schools...)
• School Uniform: $10 per shirt (white, button up), $7 per shorts (khaki) - beats $35 per short sleeve in NZ, in fact I got Bailey's entire uniform for $68!
• Doctors visit: $10 plus 1 hour waiting time.
• Antibiotics: $2 plus 15 minutes for the dispensary to find the change for my $20.
• Milk: $4 per litre UHT or $2.15 powdered (chocolate milk on special $2.50/l).
• Cruskits: $11 plus aggravation levy upon finding they expired 6 months ago and are totally stale.
• Family sized block of Cadbury's: $9 less delight bonus upon finding the last block of Caramello.
• Child with fever not responding to Pamol and no medicine cabinet in the fridge full of other stuff, nor fully stocked chemist down the road: pretty decent level of frustration.
• Being bumped to the front of the queue at the doctors clinic in front of the 10 other locals there just because we are "papa'a": well no cost there yet...and my concience will get over that pretty quickly, besides Sienna's cute factor always gets us something.
• Sleep: More that I can afford, right now hot, sweaty Sienna wakes all night because she feels crappy; before that is was the rain on the roof...
• Missing Marcus and Debs' wedding in Tauranga: pretty darn huge, though there was a slight rebate after chatting with Marcus and seeing the photos and vows. Congratulations guys - we love you!
• Missing yet another wedding in Melbourne with Jo & Fred: aaiiieeeeeeee no wedding invitations in years and then two in the same month when we are miles across the ocean! Have a fantastic time this weekend guys.
• Rain filling up the water tank: free, plus a massive credit for keeping the temperature down.
• Fresh baked sandwich loaf: $4.50 - not much for than Tip Top!
• French stick: $2 - cheaper than the Warkworth Bakehouse!
  
• Cheese Bread: $2.50 at the petrol station and $4 at the Heinekin shop
  
• Power: $50 per week so far......Yikes! And that is without any aircon!
• Custom made pareau (island print) dress for Sienna: $15, plus a bonus for the end of the nag nag nag...
  

So it has been a long week. I have had the flu since last Wednesday - interestingly it has progressed without the Codral/Night & Day as it would have without it, and it is much cheaper! Then Sienna started sleeping in our bed as she is scared of the rain at night and lo-and-behold she comes down with the bot. Except after 1.5 days of low grade fever she started to go downhill, looking quite spaced out and untogether.

So off we went to the hospital where the doctor (some days 2 doctors) have their clinic. (At the same time we were trying to get money together for our car which would hopefully have some gas in it). Into the full waiting room, the nurse takes temperatures (glass mercury thermometer under the arm!) and issues records cards. Our little girl get bumped up the queue (past the German/Austrian with his 8 year old who has had a sore throat for half the day). Into the doctor, same old drill as in NZ (thank heavens I pay attention to these things) and some big lymph glands behind her ears. We didn't get a look in her mouth but went down the antibiotics route anyway. So today, she is still hot and sleepy but has started eating which is nice (and seems happy to sing along to Play School). I think we have a few crabby days ahead, but fingers crossed she'll settle down before the heat starts back up.

xxJen

PS 1MORE DAY UNTIL THE BOAT ARRIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!