Here’s what a power cut means when you live in Tokelau!!

Last Friday the power cut out first thing in the morning – affecting the whole of Fakaofo. Apparently a transformer or something gave out at the solar power plant which is a hundred metres behind our house.

That meant that we were without our electric fans all day in 35-36^oC heat which was very unpleasant, but the bigger concern here is that frozen food in freezers doesn’t last all that long in that heat.

Fortunately for us – the power came on again at about 4pm – but only in Fenua Fala where the electricity is generated. Fale had to wait until about 4pm the next day when a ship that was here had made it to the next atoll and back for parts.

After about 36 hours with no power, the decision was made to inati (distribute – see my previous post about inati) a good portion of the food in the huge store freezer that had begun to thaw as the doctor deemed it not good enough to sell.

Here’s a picture of the huge quantity of chicken drums, chicken quarters, burger patties, pork, bread and carrots that we received as our share of the inati. (Side note, since the first experience of inati in my previous post – we’ve also had a ‘cash’ inati and a fish ‘inati’ and now this meat ‘inati’. You can just about live off inati in Tokelau it seems!! The generosity of these people know no bounds!