My trip to work...

As part of a creative writing workshop that made up one of the conference sessions we were asked to write a short story about our daily trip to work… I thought I would share mine with you… now that I’m finally back at making one (a daily trip, that is…)

My journey to work changes each day. Depending on the work location I may find myself from simply walking or taking public transport to participating in more of a triathlon…

To go to Bunaken Island for instance… Because of the limited public transportation options, we are forced to start the journey the day before we actually teach at the school. I pass through our local neighbourhood with it’s manicured churchyard and houses with high gates behind which a few people can be seen working in their gardens.

I ride the cramped blue bemo jostling through the busy streets of Manado city to arrive at the seaside market from where the public prahu (boat) to the island departs.

As I saddle down the darkened alleyway at high noon, it is a test to see how long I can hold my breath. The mingling scents of fish and rotting mango with the salty sea air are the perfume of this dockyard.

I descend the harrowing stone steps that have been all-but completely eroded by the tides, and hesitantly step onto the wooden gangplank. I tentatively put one foot in front of the other while gripping the prickly rope above my head for extra support.



I straddle the sacs of rice while trying not to crush an old woman’s already wilting water spinach, and I’m into the cool, shaded haven of the prahu… the boat is over-crowded with people, their children, and their fish. It is a slow, rolling trip through the wavy sea to Bunaken Island. But the trip isn’t over upon reaching the island of course, because this boat only goes as far as the village, and the Education Centre is on another beach. It is possible to walk, but it is at least 45 minutes fast hike, and usually the prahu pulls in to the village just before dusk; I’m not usually up for a night time bushwacking trip!

So, as the last leg of the journey, I hop onto a local ‘ktingting’ (a tiny narrow boat carved from a single tree trunk, with two bamboo wings out the sides for stability, and powered by a compressor motor with a propeller the size of my travelling alarm clock!). The brightly painted 3-seater is the perfect place to watch the sunset from; this is my favourite part of the trip to the Environmental Education Centre where I work.