Ohana, Havina

(needs editing, but if I don't start posting blogs now, I never will)
Took a quick trip to Nosy Be (Big Island) post New Years. It's actually a tiny island, with a big understanding of family. People really look out for each other. The local population is completely dependent of tourism and any type of theft is punishable by murder (ok, maybe not really, but maybe).

We were walking back from the bars one evening, and we saw two men chasing down another men. Being women, we all backed up and did not try to interfere with the chase (we were scared?) the chasers were yelling "Thief! Thief!" and within seconds dozen of other men joined their chase with machetes and big sticks. Moments later we see the accused thief tied up and being carried somewhere to await his judgment. After things calmed down we walked down towards where the man was captured and asked what happened. One man proudly said that he was the one to wrestle the thief to the ground.

Last July I was awoken at 3 am by church bells and the slight crackle of wood. It took about 5 minutes to hear the fire, but I rushed out. My neighbors kitchen was in flames. Dozen of men stood around, several with buckets to carry water from the rice fields to the house. I went back to my house and grabbed every bucket I own and brought them to help, only instead of fetching the water myself, I gave it to the young men around me to help the cause. When one kid got tired another would grab the bucket and take his place, this continued for 2 hours until the flame was completely put out.

My last night in Nosy Be I remember groggily being awoken by screams for help. Several voices yelling out for help, meaning that people had already come to help, and they were just calling for a mob. But I didn't help. I didn't leave my bed. I just kept sleeping.

In general I feel safe all the time. But sometimes things do happen, your purse gets snatched, someone tries to break into your house. When we yell for help, we expect it. When we hear help, we should.