Well what a little technological gun am I! Check me out being all digital-generation and trying to start a blog. So here goes my little output to the blog-world.
Let’s keep this simple. This is Kiribati (well Wikipedia’s version anyway). A wonderful country that is very much drowning in the Pacific.
First of all, let me make it clear that I am NOT an expert on global warming/climate change. This topic interests me a lot not only because it’s really kind of scary, but there have been suggestions that my mum’s country (the wonderful islands of Kiribati) may not be around in another 100 years! Just a tad shit if you ask me! So despite being half I-Kiribati, half Australian and living on the other side of the globe in the UK, it really gets my Islander blood boiling that these wonderful islands are being threatened – not just their way of life and culture, but their actual land and homes. How can a country just disappear? Although I am somewhat educated, I am not an expert on this topic. This blog is for me to learn more, for people to teach me and to share the knowledge I already have on this wonderful country. I promise you, I won’t go all fancy shmancy with technical terms that people won’t understand – I won’t lie, I’ll be kidding myself if I use them anyway. This is global warming explained in laymans terms. If people out there see the need to correct or educate me, please do – again, I’m no expert. I’m just going to ask questions, try and find answers that make sense and try and get an understanding of why they can build islands in Dubai but the fight for Kiribati seems impossible.
As for myself, I grew up in Australia and I won’t hide the fact that I haven’t spent as much time in Kiribati as what I have hoped. I have been there about 5 times in my life which I know is crap but I am planning to do a good stint there in 2012. My parents own a business on Tarawa and have 2 houses that they rent out. My grandma, aunties, uncles, cousins, second cousins, fifth uncles and fortieth sister mainly live on Tarawa. My grandma comes from the island of Marakei and my grandfather came from Tabiteuea north. I feel very much I-Kiribati even though I am far away and the locals laugh at me when I struggle with the language – I have even had my own cousins ask me if I was Indian.
So, as an ‘Imatang’ (‘white person’ – even though I’m a good colour of half-cast), here goes my blog that is dedicated to Kiribati and my pride of coming from the wonderful country. Here’s hoping I learn something on the way…
The Little Island That Could 