Transparent:

Free from guile
Candid and open
Diaphanous
Shining through, as light
Translucent
Permitting the uninterrupted passage of light

Sarongs and Bare Feet

The Solomon Islands. When did they first cross my radar? Over two years ago, I sat with my uncle, Anthony, and my mother on the verandah, sipping wine and looking at my uncle's photographs. He had just returned from many weeks working pro bono with the Public Solicitors Office in Honiara. Anthony had fallen for the Solomon Islands. He'd always had an ardent relationship with the ocean and the iridescent blue water in his photographs went some way to explaining why the Solomons had become a special place for him. Inside my uncle's copy of Theroux's "The Happy Isles of Oceania" (which I am now reading) is a dog-eared photograph of a beach in the Solomons, marking his spot in the novel.

Anthony and I were not close, but I found him inspirational. He had the fearsome intellect and logic that comes with taking silk. He looked very sharp indeed in a suit and even more so in a wig and gown. He had the soul of a surfer and in his spare time would lose the suit for a sarong and bare feet. Most importantly of all, he did things...
He took action on his beliefs. He went to the Solomon Islands and used his skills to assist people who were in need of help.

So it came to be that I, having freshly graduated from a Bachelor of Social Work, applied for a job as an Advocacy Support Officer in the Solomon Islands. Much to my surprise - I got it. I am now absolutely terrified, completely unprepared and thrilled to bits about the twelve months that lie before me.