The Native Iowan

I am an unrepentant LDC Junkie.

LDC = Least Developed Country… LDC most commonly means Least-Developed Country, referring to nations with low income and severe structural challenges, identified by the United Nations to receive special support.

A recent report listed these Solomon Islands as the 100th most corrupt Nation – out of abut 200 nations.

I was just explaining to an uninitiated friend that these Islands take some time to understand. Ive been tramping these beaches and raised-coral hill sides for 44 years, and I’m still figuring things out.

Thats why I am here… to work with my family business partners. I started our business sin 1987. These days we have over 100 employees. I feel constantly frustrated, delighted and maddened by the business. It do keep things interesting.

I was saying to a friend: I enjoy the scent of wood fires, rotting vegetation and excrement that fills the air. I like the varying skin and hair tones of the islanders. From blue-black to Scandinavian fair skin with blond hair. I luv the smiles on the faces that come so readily when you wave, smile, nod or otherwise catch a pedestrian’s attention.

A layer of dust covers most everything. The closer to town the thicker the dust is. The roads and walk ways and general “CBD” area of town is always clouded in a floating layer of fine, talcum like, dust. You can see it at times, hovering above the town like a living entity, a blanket of consciousness, holding everything down, together.

I am up on the ridges, above the roads and people that is the “Town”. Its not bad at all here… the dust… in fact it very nice here. The cool of the morning, the freshness of the air, the sound of the fauna… The sound of people starting their day… The feel of the day’s heat building, the humidity rising, the coming blistering equatorial sunlight hitting the roofs and causing the buildings to crackle n pop…

My view form where I sit…

And life is good… for this old LDC Junkie…

Smiles