Weather in Nouméa: Sun, Sun, Sun!

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

When we moved to New Caledonia over a year ago, I could not believe our luck. Every morning, we woke up to sun and blue skies. I went swimming in September. Never was there a grey day. Here it is a year later, and we have gone from beautiful weather to even more beautiful weather (guidebooks say the best time to visit New Caledonia is September through November, but December was heavenly as well). In February and March it grew very hot (around 38°), rainy in April and May, cooler in June and July, a sunny August and now we are moving back into September. It will start getting warmer and warmer now and we will not see much rain. Like I said, I could not - and cannot - believe our luck!

As for sun, we basically have 12 hours of it a day. The sun rises around 6 and sets around 6. For an interesting graphic on our amount of daylight, see http://www.gaisma.com/en/location/noumea.html. You'll note that there isn't much variance: constant sunshine is the name of the day.

Nouméa's Opening Hours

Sitting waiting for a pharmacy to open the other day, we were amazed when we looked at the opening hours:

7.30-12.30
14.30-19.30

Who in heaven's name gets up and goes to a pharmacy at 7.30 in the morning? Well, Nouméa does. I've mentioned before that the island folk rise and set with the sun. We do. This morning I received a phone call at 7.45. The sun had been up since 6.00 or so, so no problem. (I have to say, though, that it has been hard getting used to early morning phone calls and visits!)

All this being said, I was a bit perplexed earlier this week with regard to how people get things done in this country. Case in point: we had to purchase a "vignette" (sticker) for our car. People do this every year. You buy it at the post office. It is on sale Monday through Friday from 7.45 to 14.00. So I went after lunch, thinking things would be calmer then. How long do you think I waited in line, in tiny little old Nouméa (population: 91 386)? 40 minutes! So how does a working person buy a vignette here? You know, a person with an office job? You can imagine what it must be like at lunchtime when the demand is highest and the postal workers go to lunch leaving only one window open. I have to say, I stood there scratching my head in wonderment. It wasn't the first time. Nor will it be the last.

Cowboys à la Française (or Nouvelle Calédonienne)

We recently spent a day at New Caledonia's largest "foire" (fair): the "Foire du Bourail", about 2 hours north of Nouméa. It was a four-day extravaganza of cowboys, rodeos, Tahitian dancers, cows, pigs, fresh oranges, local art, leather goods and cowboy hats. Who knew that in addition to being the home of thousands of Melanesians, New Caledonia also has its very own cowboys (cowpeople?)? I was stunned - and amused. I am so used to the American cowboy (e.g. George W) that I found the French version intriguing.

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

The Crazy Things They Do in Water

Photo by Laurent Guiader, 2006.

I was horrified to see scores of military boys plunging into the sea, fully clothed and equipped for battle, just outside my window recently. We live in a relatively peaceful place in the middle of the South Pacific for heaven's sake! Why on earth are we being invaded? Laurent laughed a belly laugh (unheard of in the French) and his "Silly Julie" look flashed across his face. "They are just training," he explained. "They are required to do that every day for two weeks. They are on a 'stage'. They have a 'parcours' they have to climb, jump off from, swim to and back from. They have to carry heavy logs and hit each other." What in the world for, I ask. "Just in case," he explained. In case, what, I ask. "You never know," he said. Know what, I ask. No answer. Do people ever die doing these exercises, for it certainly looks dangerous, I ask. "They sure do. All the time," Laurent smiled.