25 January 2009
About 17:00 I decided that despite the rain I would try to burn my garden rubbish. I managed to break off some of the rattan which was not too wet and using a bit of my paper and a lot of blowing I managed to get the garden rubbish burning. I then started to pull more of the dead rattan off the bushes. Some of my neighbours were out and commented on my tidying the garden; then one said I really should use a parang (chopper) – I said I did not have one and an order was sent out for one; which came along with a pembatu (maid) to use it. She cut back all the big rattan bush, quite a bit of the small bush and then all the other bushes as well. The later was a bit of a shame as I actually wanted to keep them. At the same time another couple of neighbours were sweeping up leaves in front of their house and used my fire to burn them. It really felt as if I was part of the community and was nice as the conservation group would have been starting to burn at the same time. Two of the very young children were playing on my porch and wandered into
my house much to the concern of their mother. I said it did not matter but she went to sit by my door to prevent them doing it again. Once the tidying had been finished at about 18:45 I sat with her and showed he pictures of Steve and Sonya and explained when they would visit and how long I was here. The fire continued to burn for a long time and flared up in the wind for several days more.
About 17:00 I decided that despite the rain I would try to burn my garden rubbish. I managed to break off some of the rattan which was not too wet and using a bit of my paper and a lot of blowing I managed to get the garden rubbish burning. I then started to pull more of the dead rattan off the bushes. Some of my neighbours were out and commented on my tidying the garden; then one said I really should use a parang (chopper) – I said I did not have one and an order was sent out for one; which came along with a pembatu (maid) to use it. She cut back all the big rattan bush, quite a bit of the small bush and then all the other bushes as well. The later was a bit of a shame as I actually wanted to keep them. At the same time another couple of neighbours were sweeping up leaves in front of their house and used my fire to burn them. It really felt as if I was part of the community and was nice as the conservation group would have been starting to burn at the same time. Two of the very young children were playing on my porch and wandered into 
my house much to the concern of their mother. I said it did not matter but she went to sit by my door to prevent them doing it again. Once the tidying had been finished at about 18:45 I sat with her and showed he pictures of Steve and Sonya and explained when they would visit and how long I was here. The fire continued to burn for a long time and flared up in the wind for several days more.
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