The last two months have taken a couple of twists and turns, for the better and for the worse…but mostly towards the better. Firstly, this period of time has been dominated by illnesses and injuries:- I was hospitalised for a viral infection that hit me very hard for 24 hours and then decided suddenly that it’d had enough excitement for one person (my compassionate housemates found my curled-up fingers to be quite amusing);
- I gashed my foot while swimming in a crater lake. Four weeks later and this is still in the process of healing;
- A dry cough has been a companion of mine for three months now, and not even two courses of antibiotics and regular lime and garlic drinks can shake it;
- Stomach knots, lack of appetite and regular toilet visits have interspersed the latest week, which given my previous incidents, has been a relatively minor inconvenience.
Nevertheless, my spirits are still high, and I look forward to soon developing a resistance to all forms of tropical disease and pestilence.
The second turn has come from an unexpected source, in the form of an Australian diplomat. No, I haven’t been requested to leave the country or invited to be ASIO’s Samoan informant (though naturally I couldn’t tell you even if I was), but I could well be detained in Samoa slightly longer than originally planned. Her name is Heather and she’s been posted to Samoa with AusAid for 2-3 years. For the last two months, we’ve been engaged in more personal diplomatic relations, though it’s yet to be confirmed whether this is linked in any way to my sickness. 
Her dengue fever and tonsillitis are considered unrelated. I can reveal that the current status is considered to be very positive and the accompanying photo is attached. In order to preserve Australia’s close ties with Samoa however, further comment is withheld at this present time.One other happening worth mentioning is the trip of my good friend Tim Harris. We spent almost two weeks exploring four of the Samoan islands; relaxing, snorkelling, chatting to both tourists and locals, hanging out with the Australian volunteer community and (as is our custom) tasting the iced chocolate. Some of the highlights included playing touch footy and cricket on the
beach with a couple of local kids, an incredibly welcoming meal from a family in Savaii, hermit crabs on Namua Island, interesting chats with tourists on our first few days and a walk/swim at an upland crater lake. It was also a wonderful opportunity to relax and reflect on the last 6 months or so with a close mate. Great memories!
