LB's Final Week

Last week was LB's final week in Palau and for me it was a crazy nonstop activity filled week. Monday was Erin's first day at work and she alternatively spent the day filling out paperwork and having us tell her about the job. We introduced her around the court and helped her figure out how the court functions. I feel a little bit like an upperclass student showing the freshman around, but I'm happy to help her adjust because I remember how helpful Todd and Meghan were for me. We all went out to lunch to a fresh noodles place and talked more about life around the court. After work was another spirited game of frisbee highlighted by a supernatural sunset that ringed the field in the reds and yellows. After that I went to a birthday party for Jirka. He had attempted to hide the fact that it was his birthday, but Phil "borrowed" his wallet and found his date of and organized a small surprise party. It was a low key event, but he was surprised and it was a nice evening. There was a great birthday cake, something you might not initially think is readily available in Palau but are well made here.

On Tuesday, I was able to fit in a little work when not talking to Erin about the job or LB about leaving. We all met Justices Miller and Materne for lunch at the Taj. With Justice Miller also planning his departure, there was plenty of discussion about comings and goings. After work I played frisbee. That night was the full moon and a total lunar eclipse. As the moon finally rose above the treeline towards the end of the game the eclipse was just beginning. When we first saw it, my team all stopped and momentarily forgot the game while the other team easily ran down the field and scored. Once it got too dark to play, LB and I sat at the end of the field and watched the shadow creep over the moon until it was a complete eclipse and turned red. After a quick stop at home, we met up again at Kramer's where there another going away party for a departing expat dentist. The lunar eclipse lasted a few hours and was amazing from their patio.

On Wednesday, the reality of LB not being at work anymore settled in as she began clearing out her office and off-loading her projects. She added to my already sizable workload which has only increased the closer I have gotten to the end. I had lunch with Justice Miller and we talked about the recent Yankees-Tigers series. After work was the final night for our basketball team in the bar association's league. I didn't play all the well and tweaked my ankle again, but while basketball was not as fun as frisbee it did have a few good moments. After basketball I played cards with LB.

Thursday was my last day with LB as I planned to take Friday off of work for a trip to Kayangel. To say goodbye to LB, Justice Materne and her father had prepared a barbecue lunch for the court staff. The pork was fantastic and there was plenty of Palauan staples like sashimi and taro. After work, LB had arranged for a final kayak trip. We were joined by Erin and Ben, the Hannah family, and all the of Associate Justices. With such a large group we didn't move that fast, but it was a beautiful late afternoon for kayaking. We went from Sam's and meandered through the coves heading towards Pincher's. A true Palauan, Justice Materne had brought snacks, and we paused in Jellyfish Cove for a snack. We made it out into the open channel and saw the sun dip behind the islands before turning back for Sam's. It was a lovely evening and LB enjoyed her final time out on the water. For dinner we went to a Japanese restaurant near her house with Paul and Karen. After dinner, LB and I said our goodbyes and farewells. Life won't be the same here without her as she has been a true friend, but there is still plenty of experiences and adventures left for my final month.