Malé fish market

Next to tourism, fisheries is the second largest economic activity in Maldives, followed by shipping.

Activity in  Malé's commercial hub on the northwest shore picks up during the mid-afternoon when fishing dhonis (boats) come in to sell their catch, primarily tuna. Tuna is a main staple in the cuisine here and finds its way into most dishes. Dishes are often hot, spicy and flavored with coconut. A traditional meal consists of rice, a clear fish broth called garudhiya and side dishes of lime, chili and onions.  I found a little place on our island called Candle Garden that serves a version of this soup for around $2. Yum, it is heaven.

Salt Cafe

Some great views to be had here.... Hard to believe this place was empty at 2pm & they let me just sit here and hang out while I wait for my late meeting arrivals....

If I didn't have a meeting here I'd never know this great spot existed. You enter on a small side street into an entrance housing an elevator. 

open water diver

So I started a scuba diving course last week with some adventurous colleagues at work. 

On the first day we practiced some snorkeling off the island of Villingili and much to my delight and surprise it was loaded with some of the most colourful and interesting fish I've only seen on TV and in encyclopedias-And that was just a few feet off shore!  (I used to stare at the scary illustrations of fanged scary monster fish at inhuman depths in my Encyclopedia Brittanica back in the 70's. For a prairie farm kid, the sea seemed out of reach and bit dangerous!) 

We also watched a tutorial video, and learned about exploding lungs, illustrated with a balloon to dampen the anxiety, right, and decompression chambers. Ahhhh!

While purchasing my own mask and snorkel at a dive shop in Male, I was pleased to learn by the dive masters there that our teacher, Amzee, at Ninestar Diving is one of the best around, they also took his courses and I couldn't be in better hands! That helps ease my confidence. 

My biggest fear, besides scary monster fish, is not being able to equalize my air cavities, including possible trapped air under my bunk crown over a lousy root canal. I had no idea this could be an issue in a decent. I'll have to wait and see. Even more scary is expanding air during the ascent, mostly in the lungs, but there are other issues that can arise... We are advised not to eat food that causes gas (yes, laugh for those who know me, but I won't be laughing when my guts are expanding!) and I guess the most obvious is fear of running out of air from breathing like a maniac. Gotta stay cool...

The courses will keep us busy most weekends through the end of October.  All in all, I'm thrilled, excited, will learn the material carefully and will certainly grow from this lucky experience I have access to. 

daily

 

breadfruit!

A fibrous, subsistence fruit of Maldives, breadfruit boasts many healthy properties. It keeps your pipes clear and working, is loaded with vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin B complex, protein in the seeds, and acts as an anti-oxidant.

They grow on a large type of evergreen tree and can also be found in Sri Lanka, south India, Philippines and Indonesia.   This is the first time I have come across the fruit and plan to enjoy it. A much easier new taste to acquire than the extremely pungent durian fruit I enjoyed in many forms during my time in Hong Kong.

I have not tried it raw yet, but one of my colleagues brought in a bag of breadfruit chips she bought on her recent field visit to Laamu atoll. These are mild, and quite delicious. I can see how they might get addicting. I cannot be sure if these were baked or fried-- they are not greasy at all, just light and crunchy.  (Probably fried, sigh.)

Damage Control

I enjoyed taking part with UN staff to support the young and inspiring team behind Project "Damage Control" to clean a beachfront area this weekend.  The group has been raising awareness about pollution, refuse control, and have been cleaning waterfront areas in and around Malé and Hulhumalé for quite some time.

When I arrived here, I was saddened to see the amount of garbage strewn here in public places, in an environment of such beauty. I am inspired now to support the efforts of this group on my home island.

It is great to witness youth empowerment and leadership in relation to issues here that run so much deeper than what we see on the surface.  Civic engagement at its finest- and through the most effective demographic to create and demand real change!

lunch with inasha

Ina is the only World Bank representative in Maldives and shares office space with the UN Resident Coordinater team, just a desk over from me. As such, she wears multiple hats including providing political analysis of Maldives to the Colombo office and overseeing all Workd Bank missions to the country and so much more... She took me for a great lunch today on her wicked red scooter.

 

Ending with a palette cleanser of thinly sliced roasted nut, cardomom & clove wrapped in a fragrant leaf that you fold into a little package and chew in one bite. 

Maldives' Largest Food & Hospitality Event

What a treat to attend Maldives' largest and most prestigious culinary event! In addition to the trade show component, it drew top chefs from the country's world class resorts for knowledge exchange and competition. Maldives is known for its exclusivity in the resort sector, boasting as high as 8 star accommodation, drawing on the finest talents in the culinary world. Not sure what 8 starts really means because I'll never get near the high end resorts, but I got to witness and sample what one might consume in them!

 I was particularly intrigued by some of the elaborate pastry displays and fruit and vegetable carvings.

And something new: I sampled a pomegranate balsamic reduction... wait for it, in Italian soda. It was supposed to be refreshing with antioxidental properties.  It was like drinking bubbling salad dressing. So wrong. But when no one was looking I dipped some bread in it and that was not too bad (likely because I've been surviving on rice, papaya and short eats for days now.)

http://www.fhamaldives.com/index.php

world's largest flag

To mark the 5oth year of Independence, one of the many festivities includes the Maldives' attempt to erect the world's flag! This picture does not give justice to the true scale of it in real life! For more info, a local story about it can be found here. 

Flags and coloured lights continue to adorn every corner of the city.

off the beach

The islands spread over a span of 820km from north to south. Out of 1,200 islands, about 200 are inhabited, the majority quite sparsely with some housing as few as a hundred people. The most dense and highly populated is Malé.

Though the city island is just a few kilometers long and wide, I continually marvel over how much is packed into the narrow winding streets. I imagine I will continue to discover new things as long as I allow myself to get lost here.

When one thinks of Maldives, a vision of pure white beaches and tranquil turquoise water is what comes to mind... with 90% of GDP accounting for exclusive beach resort tourism, this should indeed come to mind, but for those who work off the resort and off the beach, this is how and where most people move through their daily lives.

Close eyes, jump

 UN Maldives is a relatively small country office, so people work long and hard and things move fast. I've just finished my second day and my brain is bursting at the seams. 

A new colleague in Peace & Conflict told me he only started a month ago and already he's in the fold like it's been a year. He advised me not to think too hard, just jump in and 'do' - now. 

So here is my schedule of meetings for my first week:

Working on a Resource Mobilization strategy during this very fragile political time poses some serious challenges. Donors apparently have put Maldives on the list of 'watch, wait and see' before committing to much. I perhaps should not discuss the reasoning on a public blog at this time, but let's just say I'll have my work cut out for me here.  

all moved in

Here is our new home, top corner.  Signed the lease this morning, had to barter hard to pay only one month's deposit and first month. Some places ask as high as six months deposit that is not refundable until termination of the lease. Bartered down the rent by a few hundred as well. Though there is room to move, the paperwork was very official- giving both parties peace of mind. 

Moving was a challenge from boat to taxi to boat to taxi, but Maldivians in general are quick to lend a helping hand. People are conservatively friendly. Kind, but not overt about it. 

Like rent, household items here are also very expensive which is frustrating. We found what is equivalent to our dollar stores- poor quality junk, but still over priced. We grabbed only the very bare minimum. Which is fine as there will be less to donate on the backend. It's going to feel a bit like camping, but in a nice apartment!