Category Archives: Meet the locals

Wobbly mattresses

Full title of this article: Wobbly mattresses and other things to keep you busy on your first day of the school holidays. Main protagonists of the story:the aforementioned wobbly mattresses (two),a broom,a door,a curtain,a wall,little boys (three),an unimpressed dog,(a photographer). It’s the first day of “les vacances”on the island of Lifou. Well, strictly speaking, schoolContinue reading “Wobbly mattresses”

Christmas in the lagoon

We have already established two important facts with regard to Christmas 2019 in New Caledonia: Firstly, yes, they do know it’s Christmas. And secondly, I had the huge privilege to spend a wonderful Christmas Eve among complete strangers (now friends). But that’s not even the whole story! More miracles were to happen. Ever since myContinue reading “Christmas in the lagoon”

Friends old and new (part 1)

One evening, a few days before Christmas, I happened to wander around Noumea’s Place des Cocotiers. I had met with Kane (my fellow traveller) and another guy called Jérémy to eat a falafel (slow and expensive, but delicious). Afterwards Kane was searching for some yoga friends in the crowded square, and I kind of followedContinue reading “Friends old and new (part 1)”

Particular parrots

In Germany, not many people will know the meaning of the words ‘endemism’ or ‘endemic species’. Well, not unless they’re biologists or at least interested in natural history. I guess the same applies to the rest of Europe as well. An endemic species is one which only occurs in a particular restricted area, e.g. anContinue reading “Particular parrots”

What´s in a name?

I have a new name now. Call me ouah-ouah. Last week, as you know, I spent a couple of days on Lifou island. I stayed with Ferdinand and his family (they merit an article of their own, yet to be written; so please be patient). They speak a wonderful mixture of Drehu (their local vernacularContinue reading “What´s in a name?”

Nolly´s birthday

Last Saturday (last week, i.e. before my trip to Lifou island) I was invited to a birthday party. My friend Larissa, whom I got to know back in June 2014 and with whom I’ve kept contact ever since, organised a party for her son Nolly’s fifth birthday. All the family and many friends from theContinue reading “Nolly´s birthday”

Part the waters. Or take the Betico 2

I wanted to travel to Lifou to spend some time on that island. There are basically two ways to get there from Grande Terre (if we leave aside for a second the biblical option), one being the airplane, the other the large catamaran „Betico 2“. I chose to take the latter. The disadvantages are theContinue reading “Part the waters. Or take the Betico 2”

Joseph and the coconut

Several things are not quite accurate about the title of this article. “Joseph” is fine, and so is the word “coconut”. But it should read either „Joseph and the coconuts“, or „Sebastian and his coconut“, or perhaps even „Joseph, the vanilla garden, and the coconut tree“. I don’t know why, but for some reason IContinue reading “Joseph and the coconut”

AAAA

You might know that AA stands for the Automobile Association of Great Britain, the UK’s largest motoring organisation. And then there’s AAA, of course, the American Automobile Association, a federation of motor clubs throughout North America. But AAAA? I admit that, until very recently, I also hadn’t the faintest idea that this could possibly beContinue reading “AAAA”

Alice

(Yes, I can resist the temptation to add the subtitle: ‘Sebastian in Wonderland’. Definitely too silly a pun…) Weimar, Germany, August 2004. First day of the ‘Weimar Summer Courses’, my first major task as newly employed project assistant at the Bauhaus University within the EU funded project HERMES. It’s a huge event with more thanContinue reading “Alice”