12:09 p.m. - 2003-04-07
Marriage Proposal on Aitutaki
2003-04-07 - 12:09 p.m.
I've just come back from Aitutaki. On our cruise we went to Moturakau where they filmed the reality show 'Shipwrecked' it's really tiny and VERY hot. I could not spend 10 weeks there. Then I went to 'Honeymoon Island' which had huge plains of white sands. It was quite surreal. After walking across there we were taken to a good spot for snorkelling. It was so much fun and the water was crystal clear. I made friends with a curious fish. The most amazing sight was the giant clams - up to 3 feet in diameter. I wish I'd bought an underwater camera now.
After an hours snorkelling we all went to the island Tapuatei (or One Foot Island). We had a lunch laid out for us - fresh tuna, starfruit, salad and cakes. They even had a small post office where I got my passport stamped and sent some postcards.
On Saturday night I went to the bar on the beach and sat with the other guests from my hostel. A Canadian woman was talking about the Solomon Islands; she was planning to visit. Apparently they speak Pidgin English and say things like Mixmaster-belonge-jesus-christ, which means helicopter. Prince Charles is Number-one-piccanicca-belonge-Mrs-Queen i.e. first child of the Queen. All sounds rather unbelievable to me. Later we were all ordered by the barmaid to join the locals. I partnered Jose from Madrid in doubles on the pool table. We were thrashed. I hadn't heard Jose talk much before, except for a brief moment when he got quite excited talking about Antonio Banderes. He loves him:
"Eezsa rilly rilly cool guy, rilly, rilly nicesa!"
We chatted about our travels and Madrid and London and got drunk. He told me to do a bungy jump in New Zealand. He was quite persuasive actually. After the bar shut we were invited to a party at the golf club. Everyone else from the hostel had gone back and I quite fancied bed myself, but figured why not? I need to cram as much into this trip as possible. We got a lift with a couple of Kiwis who were working on the new International Airport (Marti was a sexist git and Eddy was the quiet one). The party was a quarterly event, the only place to party on the island on a Saturday night after midnight, as Sunday is a holy day. I met the owner of The Crusher Bar, he was a character, and he told me he once worked with Cilla Black. He said she was difficult.
Anyway, I pulled! A local guy called Tiki, not that I wanted to pull him. It got quite serious, I even got a marriage proposal from him. Just because I gave in to his demands and danced with him. He obviously didn't mind that I kept stepping on his toes. He asked me how long I was staying and I told him I was leaving first thing Monday morning. He looked mortified. "No! Stay! I don't want you to go, I like you"
I told him there was no way I could stay.
"I miss you, I want you to stay - MARRY ME!"
For a nanosecond I almost considered it. It would be nice to stay. But of course common sense prevailed (for once) and I had to turn him down. He kept trying to give me his ring, but luckily his fingers were like sausages and it didn't even fit my thumb. I could have done with a big stick that night, because when Jose and I got back, he started showing signs of interest. He was drunk and I think I charmed him when I read aloud an interview with Antonio Banderes (of all people!) in a Woman's magazine I�d found. When I pointed it out to him he got so excited "Oh Shit, Oh Shiiiit!" He started reading it himself, but became overwhelmed and I had to take over. After I finished he started making advances but I made it clear that I wasn't interested and went to bed. He took me by surprise actually. I hadn't picked up any vibes and I assumed he was gay, judging by his reaction to Antonio. I found out the next day that he was bald too, as wasn't wearing his bandanna. Ew!
