Madame la Ministre, monsieur le President…
Only 2000 people live on Tubuai. The ring road going along the coast is only 24 km long – you can drive around all island in half an hour… So I thought that it is a joke when they told me that minister from Paris is coming to visit little and remote Tubuai. But this become true. Locals built a gate of flower near the “town hall”, local ladies prepared the feast of traditional food and there was full mobilization of army forces (12+1 soldiers inclusive 2 ladies). During the ceremony I liked most lovely school children with garlands on their heads. Guests arrived by plane. There were songs and ukulele music for welcome and Madame got as many flower garlands as she was able to carry. She was accompanied by Mr President of French Polynesie. Kids were singing funny anthem of Fr Polynesie and then anthem of France (sorry, no military band!). Then there were speaches and Madame la Ministre Outre-Mer promised to improve the level of life on the island. Then she got as a gift new chapeau made of pandanus (island’s speciality). And then we were eating all this tasty food (me too – as the only non-French correspondent on Tubuai) Oh, mniam, mniam! 🙂
Madame, monsieur, commanders, journalists and all their court departed 2 hours after the welcome ceremony. Lucky me, what a colorful event! Well… Regarding the islanders I saw them there (excluding school kids) maybe only 100 of 2000. What do you think?
