EXPLORATION OF TUBUAI

I woke up at 06:00am. Breakfast at 07:00am.

After breakfast, lesson of tifaifai (Polynesian patchwork). I chose to make a pillow cover with a khaki background and a big white flower.

To make a tifaifai, you have to choose first the pattern, then the fabrics. You have to trace the pattern. Then put a carbon paper between the tracing paper and the fabric. Then you need to press hard a pencil on the pattern so that the outline appears on the fabric. Then you have to cut the pattern out of the fabric. Then you have to pin the pattern on the background. Then you have to put a crude hem to keep the pattern on the background. Then you have to sew the pattern on the background putting a few stitches. You can also embroider patterns using different stitches of embroidery.

After the lesson of tifaifai, I went for a walk with Juliette and Raitere (her grandson).

Then we went to the beach to have a swim. It was the Bloody Beach (in reference to the Mutiny of the Bounty). Then we came back to the Pension to have lunch: raw tuna marinated in coconut milk, fried fish, rice and coffee. After lunch, I took a nap.

At 3:00pm, I went for a long walk (about 3 hours) to take pictures of Tubuai.

Then I came back to the Pension, took a shower and had dinner: raw vegetables, pâté, lamb chops, potatoes and pineapple flan.

I told Juliette that so far Tubuai was my favorite island, the island where I would like to live. We talked a lot. She said that, if I was interested, I could work for her as her personal assistant. I told her also that I would like to open a small fabrics shop. She advised me to do several jobs: shop, computer lessons, help on Internet, tutoring for kids, help people to fill in all the administrative forms... Juliette can also lend me commercial premises and had many houses to rent (about 500€ per month for the rent). I was very excited and I didn’t expect to have all these information and proposals at the same time!!!

I returned to my bungalow at 8:45pm. Then I went to bed with even more dreams in my head!!!