Okay, so you remember the old nursery rhyme but what about the short story by the same name? Here it is for you to read on a day when your outlook on the world is as 'Venetian' grey and wet as in the photo above. (Of course, you can also all-knowingly nod next time somebody quotes you 'Rain, Rain, Go Away' and reply, 'Yes, good old Asimov; great story, isn't it?' You'll have them scratching their heads for days! ☺ )
A chap called Dave phoned from Canberra asking if the Cottage was available for the weekend. I told him it was raining and not to go away. How's that for a bit of honest marketing?
Another inquirer had sent me an email which read, "We are interested to view your place and stay for next Saturday evening. Can you confirm availability?" I told him that even though he may be interested in buying the place, he'd still have to pay for his stay. It's perhaps not what he expected because I haven't heard from him since.
One person I have heard from is Horst Berger in Tonga who's sent me a short thank-you note to pass on to all those who so generously donated money. He will write to them individually in the months to come but right now he's busy getting a roof back over his head.
I also read a newspaper article which suggests that the top end of Foa Island, which has two small resorts, took a direct hit. "It's pretty much a total right-off, I mean the resort's completely destroyed," says Darren Rice who owns Matafonua Lodge. "There are 10 fales and bungalows on the beach and they are all gone." Mr Rice says it will take at least 12 months to rebuild. The nearby Sandy Beach Resort was also hit, but the owner, Boris Stavenow, who's lived in Tonga since 1986, says he'll rebuild. (The article also includes a video clip which you can view here.)
