A letter from Fiji...

where in the world are we?

Sadly the title is not a competition with rich prizes, so for everyone except Wilson who has already recognised it the answer is we spent 4 nights last week in... Suva! For the rest of the world Suva is the capital of Fiji, and is around 3 hours drive south of Nadi (where the international airport it).

Our stay in Suva is remarkable for the fact that although we have now lived in Fiji for 3 1/2 years I have never spent more than 2 hours at a time there, generally driving in, going to the apple service place and "cost-u-less", grabbing a quick coffee at Bulaccino Raiwaqa, and heading home, taking the obligatory photo of Korovou (here and here) on the way out. What this means is that everything I know and believe about Suva pretty much comes from blogs:- Paradise not found, Oceanic, Awesome Cake, and Lunch in Suva... Yes that's right, I went to Suva expecting hoards of intelligent witty folks who make erudite comments while dining in quirky restaurants, even though I was wary of muggers and hepatitis (yes thanks for that Albie). 

The first thing we discovered while trying to get to the school convention (which is the reason we were in Suva) is that Laucala Beach is not in Nausori. Yes that's right the two are not even close. Don't ask. We still got to our destination in time by some miracle... Second in Suva they have lovely water front housing...NOT! The above image just fascinates me, these are squatter houses built illegally as far as I can gather from the locals (feel free to chime in) over some pipes by the river. But it's looks quite picturesque no? This is just down from the KFC which marked our turnoff. Why didn't someone just say "turn right at the KFC"?!!!!!?!

While the kids were in convention, which was by the way extremely good, and will feature in another post (yes, still not sticking to the chronological thing, sorry Lee; also I will still post about Udu, trip home etc); I sneaked away a few times for a bit of tiki-touring. Suva downtown is fascinating, a real mix of old colonial buildings and new shiny ones, including the big-box style MHCC which even has escalators! I looked up "lunch in Suva" for dining ideas, and would have offered my services to go and dine with them and take photos, however I sensed that having an overweight 40+ year old kaivalagi with a huge camera tagging along would have completely and utterly blown their street cred... instead I simply read and appreciated the run down on the hibiscus festival food (as we were staying just up the hill)...

The idea to photograph the contrasts in downtown Suva is not actually mine, Neil Stollznow was the one who originally started taking these sorts of images showing the old colonial Suva contrasting with the new high rises. But I had to continue the tradition, even though I didn't feel inclined to wander too far incase I never found my car again. Note that the streets are quieter than usual- it's after 5pm, so everyone's heading off home... 

 

To finish I will shamelessly post something er... lifted from one of the above blogs, her reaction (aieeeee it burns!) reminds me of me eating with the other parents at Vivrass MH foodcourt (and nearly snorting water out my nose); though I did have to buy it myself. Someone please syndicate this guy immediately! We need to see more cartoons like these...

Times they are a changing...

Or should that be the more things change the more they say the same?! Who was it said that anyway?

Anyway apologies for having lost my blogging mojo, yet again... I continue to struggle with my portfolio review for my website, or rather to put it in plain english I currently hate all my work and am having a small crisis of confidence (a big one would take too much energy and I need to save that for the wii fit). But things keep on happening, so letters home must be written!

The country of course has been hard hit by the floods and the consequent loss of tourism business. Even out here has been quieter, though not last week when we entirely stopped participating in the recession and had the resort so full we nearly ended up with guests in "bure 67" (Amy's room). But prior to that it had been quiet. Actually AJ asked why John Travolta didn't stay here on his trip to Fiji? Well we were already full of course!

For AJ's birthday in March (which coincided with Prophet Mohammed's Day, a public holiday over here) we went back to the Hard Rock Cafe in Port Denerau. Amy had a lovely time, her presents were JUST FABULOUS (!) and we made party favours with really funky little coffee cups from one of those chinese shops in Lautoka filled with little goodies (I don't favour lolly bags, so very little sweet stuff in them). The kitchen at Treasure Island created the sweetest little two story cake with love heart shapes, just so cool, Vula and Bogi are very clever...

{story board action from Dress it up Photo}

The only damper was the Hard Rock itself. Previously birthdays there have been lively special affairs with staff singing and having fun with the kids. This time the waitress couldn't even get someone to help us sing happy birthday! I have never ever in all my time in Fiji seen that... Don't get me wrong, we had a great fun time. But all the HRC provided for that was a place to sit and food to ear (albeit yummy food). Here's my opinion. I know that times are tough. But don't drop the special points of difference that cost little and make the experience for your customers. 

Amy's birthday went on for several weeks as she got more gifts, including having breakfast at Bulaccino (she won the January lucky draw)- that's the half size pancakes in the first picture; and a mother and daughter 3 hour spa pamper (mmmmm! thanks Senikai!!!). In fact it had really just wound up with a very cute present from Veronica, and during that time things had really picked up economically with more visitors, shops reopening and then... things changed again over here...

Most of you will know that Fiji has not been a democracy since Dec 2006, when a military c0up overthrew (is that a word?) the government. Well in the words of another blogger Fiji's interim government managed to ingeniously overthrow itself. I won't go over those events as I can post links to explain the whole shebang far better than I can, and I have no opinion beyond assuring our visitors it's still safe to come over. But my other favourite blogger quote was Wilson saying 

"In the meantime, Bainimarama has assured the public that there will be no "disruption to law and order". I quickly banished thoughts of looting the local shopping mall during the imaginary riots." 

Really despite the Fijians ability to laugh and joke it isn't any joking matter. The long awaited devaluation has lowered the Fiji dollar 20%, which will affect food costs as so much of it is imported, including wheat as the cartoon below shows... and fuel of course....though it will make it more reasonable for tourists to holiday here as they get more bang for their buck.

This of course isn't a recent cartoon. But it goes well with a comment from the letter to the editor here lately: food for thought:

Economic solutions

IT is common knowledge that Fiji is part of the global economic crisis. To solve this problem, we need to take some steps that will benefit the government and the public. Here are some ways in which Fiji's economy can be boosted:

Buy locally grown vegetables and products (e.g. butter, milk, garments, footwear instead of buying imported ones.

Export more products, that is, garments, tuna, kava, cassava.

Boost tourism industry through: a) organising art festivals or cultural events which will advertise Fiji's handicrafts, local dances. b) promoting eco-tourism through setting up endangered birds and animal parks in various towns across the country, and encouraging tourists to take tasks such as hiking or mountain climbing. 

Recycle plastic bags, bottles, papers and even food waste for de-composing so locals can buy local mad manure for growing vegetables in their own backyard. 

Plastic bags should be eliminated and reusable bags should come in place.

Encourage farmers to do more cash farming.

Encourage production of more local products and vegetables.

Try to improve human resources management.

Many people are getting unemployed because of this governmental factor and crisis while they can take jobs that improve standard of living and increase productivity. 

Any unemployed person can work as a street sweeper, rubbish collector, delivery boy, craftsman, artist, baby sitter, poultry farmer, private tutor, handyman, or carpenter to name a few.

I hope the public will make some changes in the economy so all of us benefit.

ANA MARIA ASIOLI
Suva

In the meantime as always life goes on as normal out here, the sun is shining, the sea is clear and full of fish, the people laugh and the cost of flour isn't yet stopping us from eating delicious Bulaccino pancakes; even if democracy is seemingly a first world luxury I still feel as safe standing at the money machine as in any city in NZ (ok safer than Rotorua, but then that's a whole other story)... Like the rest of the world we watch American Idol (on "Bollywood Xtra' channel!!) which frankly amazes us less than some of the sensationalised travel warnings we have read... though why does Adam where that black nail polish? The kids suggested he's a happy Emo? is there such a thing? Or does that make him simply a goth?

 

Next up: Earth hour photos... but first better get back to the task at hand (the dreaded website)(nb I have had a work permit for over a week now, yay! I'll post about that soon too)...

Cyclone Summer

Any way so where was I... that's right! So summer is the time of the beautiful blue clear days, and the monsoon rain, but also of course its "cyclone season". This year the mangoes (yum yum!) came early- in local folklore that means there will be cyclones; and also the sea water was very warm very early after a relatively warm winter- that also is a sure fire way to brew cyclones.

School wound up for the year with the school concert (1 pic for the moment!), shared lunches, final assemblies and reports while all the while we knew Cyclone Daman was approaching.

We had just finished school infact and were still in town when Daman approached Fiji and headed straight for us. As we went to bed it was a category two and heading straight for the Mamanuca's. but when we woke in the morning it was bigger, yes, but it had turned a sharp right and was now heading straight for Labasa. We checked the satellite maps every few hours and the storm shutters went up out at the resort.

Miraculously it then kept turning and looped around almost completely missing Fiji, and thankfully not seriously injuring anyone on the one small island it did hit. In the Fiji Times one article did attribute the changing of the cyclones path to the power of prayer! The kids and I had been stuck in town when FiMSA stopped all the boats running (thanks for the hospitality Dot and Brian!) so we were pleased to be home even though home looked odd, the storm shutters up, the outdoor furniture packed away, just some pegs strewn around (ah well that's normal)...

(the second photo is the restaurant with the storm shutters up)
Thankfully (eh Mum!) we know the buildings have not only survived a few cyclones in the last 30 years, but also have recently been checked and passed with new engineers certificates... More fine weather and normal rain and then last week hullo Funa. This really didn't come anywhere near us but windy!! phew!! There's only a few days the boats can't run and that was two of them. The beaches have all changed, and the trees are dropping leaves from the 48 hrs of salt spray they took. Again we were all stuck in town this time, even the island's boat captains that had to borrow money to get home for the night! Anyway despite having no luggage we went to the Anchorage Resort and ended up having a nice night sitting having drinks out on the deck on the edge of the calm bay, in the distinctive yellow storm light... followed by a nice night in town staying at the Mercure Nadi. An enforced day off for mBosso....

So our pontoons have gone, one of our boats broke its mooring and ran away (but it got as far as Sonaisali before being sent back!) but we're back again to our clear calm blue days. Summer eh!!! I'll leave you with this pano which has no artistic merit what so ever. Its Treasure's beach (well one side- it is an island after all) on xmas day. and to quote Sarah "Meg, get a fish eye. shssss!!!" and "I'm glad you didn't include a picture of your hairy legs. ewwww.."

Odds and Ends...

just a little dictatorship joke from The Fiji Sun...

Just some odds and ends today, I finally finished Priya and Nilesh's wedding photos and will share them soon, in the meantime some other snippets... Firstly as you all know we have to spend a bit of time here on boats (the kids especially). We have a various collection of them, some attractive, some downright ugly, all quite functional -mostly. Tom came out with what was apparently quite a rude  word in Fijian one day, and a horrified staff member asked how he had learnt it. Tom replied that that was what the boat captains said each time the motors stopped... Still Tom often prefers to go on the more "manly" boat- that sounds odd, so here's an example. Its 4:30pm and the Albatross is about to depart. Some guests, myself, Estelle, Karen and Tom's sisters, and some female staff. The Seahorse one is still standing by waiting for cargo with Osea as captain, and some male staff members. Tom immediately opts to wait with the guys and come home on the Seahorse... Anyway it wasn't such a bad decision. The Seahorse one is not only faster, but also doesn't have to stop at Bounty Island on the way in. Tom waves happily as they roar past us...

 

Another time we were traveling back from a little excursion snorkeling at Bounty Island  (you have to remember at times to get out and do these things, and not waste the weekends, Bounty's beautiful after all), the kids were lounging around on the front of the boat and I thought hmmm. Where have I seen that before? Well this is what I was thinking of, a classic Sam Abell.

nb definitely not my photo! but taken from where I first saw it on "The Online Photographer" in a very very funny post called Great Photographers on the Internet . Well worth a read if you've ever looked at any of those online photo forums, or even been to some of the camera clubs around! So here's my version of the Sam Abell, with apologies to him and all who love his work...

Most of my friends know that although I have a tripod, I really don't use it as much as I should. But on new year's eve Alice came racing in from the beach just as it was getting dark to say there was a great rainbow above the beach. I knew it was going to need a tripod. But of course by the time I got out to the beach with camera and tripod the rainbow was gone... Still we put the camera on a really long exposure and the kids got a real kick out of moving around so they blurred or disappeared altogether. I call this series "another new year and the fleeting nature of childhood" (tongue in cheek of course) and here's three of them.

Thanks for looking and Bye for now!

The Happy New Year Post...

A reference to Commander Bainimarama's clean up campaign/coup from the The Fiji Times

Yes finally, the Happy New Year Post! I finally got a couple of pics downloaded, just snapshots, and received the one I had hoped for from Jane- too funny; so its time to wish you all a happy new year!!! See, you need lots of exclamation marks for that type of sentiment.

So what did we do? Well we just stayed here on island, but we had a great time, and best of all, visitors. Brian and Dot came over from Nadi with their kids who go to school with ours, Grubby and his friend Peter from Melbourne came over (with excellent wine it must be said), and the Koens (Karen, Tony and kids) came over from Beachcomber and stayed at ours, which I loved as it gave the house a real air of celebration and camping feel.

Traditionally at New Year the island holds the "Big Bula Games" where the guests join either the Islanders (those staff from the islands) or the Mainlanders (those from Viti Levu, mainly those from Viseisei or Lauwaki) depending on their room number. Then there are a range of competitions all day, from coconut and spear throwing, spoon diving, eating icecream with hands behind the back to golf, volley ball and tug of war. Our team (the mainlanders) lost overall, but the triumph of dragging the other team around the park in the tug of war despite us being punier was enough for us!

Scenes from the sack racing

A good time was had by all, even I suspect the Aussie who walked around with a look on his face like he was in a nightmare where he woke up in an episode of "hi-de-hi" (yes Raphael, I mean you!). By dinner everyone knew everyone too. First prize was three bottles of bubbly and trophy and a sulu. Second/ runner up prize was... three bottles of bubbly, a trophy and a sulu (no that's not a typo- everyone was a winner on the day)!

It was good to have lots of people coming over, despite the travel warnings, and the resort full again for a few weeks. I'd like to thank Tui Beer for the extensive advertising they did for Fiji all over New Zealand with their bill boards (this one snapped on the Washdyke straight at Timaru)(photo from the Gill Family Holiday Archive). I mean they say any publicity is good publicity!

 

As for new year resolutions? I didn't make any, I mean so much to improve where to start? I read some other people's with several promising themselves to spend less time at the computer. Didn't go for that one either, though hmm, that may explain why my shoulder gets so sore!

Anyway have a great new year all, feel free to tell me your resolutions; and here's a challenge for my friends and family- you could finish the 100 things about me (leave in comments section)?! Just be gentle, ok? bye for now...

Mad Dogs and Englishmen...

While my photog buddies in the Northern Hemisphere struggle with low light we have the opposite problem. Activities lately I've wanted to document have been in full...blazing...sun (and you know I'm too lazy to carry the SB800 all the time for fill flash).

So this is a recap of our long hot weekend. But first of course the cartoon (the Fiji Times), again so true.

The long hot weekend was full of activities and left us all tired and sun burnt. First up was the Hotel's Volleyball tournament, a hard fought annual battle between the staff of the hotels (and anyone else good they can persuade to play for them unfortunately!). Treasure came third, a noble effort in blazing 34C heat. Well it certainly was hot for us anyway. We didn't go our earlier, but headed out in the long boat just before midday to cheer and take some photos. Of course the sun was full strength over head...

the mens games had avid spectators...

able coaches Meli, Siteri and Mika

and awesome players...

but the photographer had to give up and go home. Next day was not much better, yes it dawned beautiful (that sounds a bit dodgy grammatically) Treasure Island style...

but by the time the kids went banana boating (and demanded photos of course) it was all bright sunshine again...Mad dogs and Englishmen may go out in the midday sun, but I think photographers should stay inside...PS GB says Meli looks a bit like a pimp (!) but I LOVE those orange shirts...

Yes we're fine

They call it the coup by stealth, though many here (especially those who believe the government is corrupt as lots do) still call it the "clean up campaign". We have been waiting to see what happens for a while now. The first deadline came and went while they played rugby.

(the Sukuna bowl is the yearly Army vs Police rugby game. Cartoon from The Fiji Times December 3)

On Monday the ISN school concert was shifted from a hall that night back to the school at lunch time, amid reports of the military taking all the police's guns from their armoury in Suva. The Xmas concert was heaps of fun, even though more difficult to see in the smaller venue...

On the Tuesday morning school run we noticed soldiers at Vuda (little old Vuda, of all places), they were guarding the oil terminals of course. They smiled and waved as we drove past. Checkpoints popped up all over town, and I went out on the boat to meet the kids off the bus after school, but all was very calm and quiet. Actually Vuda was more a buzz with the sad news a helicopter had gone down just off the marina and First Landing resort. Police and divers from Subsurface were looking for the wreckage. The girls were still singing their christmas carols on the boat on the way home...

(eagle eyed boaties might notice something odd about our twin engines... the "twins" are clearly not identical, we joke they are fraternal)

Then last night at six of course was the commander's live address on TV.  But still everything calm and quiet, Graeme made his way home from the airport waved through checkpoints later in the evening.

So of course we offered the kids the day off school, something they normally would've jumped at, but they refused flat- today is the shared lunch and christmas party! We arrived in Vuda to find the other kids too had opted to go to the xmas party (except Tiare who has chicken pox), though when the bus pulled up at the stop it was actually pretty near empty (until our 9 including Stuart the GAP student piled on board).

So I'm off now to meet the kids home from school, I'll finish by posting some pics from the school christmas concert (kids are a bit camera shy at the moment. Occupational hazard) and reiterating...we are all fine!

 

There are many stories in Fiji

Continuing the catch up of recent events today's post is about Alice's school camp at Abaca (which is pronounced Ambatha). But first, not that we should joke about coup's today of all days, here is the cartoon from yesterdays Fiji Sun Newspaper yes that's right- more Diwali jokes. You can't beat the Fijian sense of humour.

Anyway so Alice had her year five camp, up at Abaca village in the Koroyanitu National Park. This amazing place is about 30 minutes up in the mountains behind Lautoka. You drive off past Kavatubu (a suburb/village/cemetery/police post) in Lautoka, then up windy gravel roads including  3 fords. The class went up in a 4wd bus operated by Tourism Transport Fiji, accompanied by one of tourism transport's 4wd Prados and our little Hyundai Tuscan stuffed to the brim with mats, food, toilet paper etc etc with Hannah our Gap student and myself. We pulled into Abaca village and had to firstly go and present some Kava. Of course we had to wear sulus- oops! Luckily as usual I had one in the car from the boat trip out in the morning (yes you may be surprised to learn I do try to dress modestly), and we managed to find a shorter one which Hannah borrowed.

Abaca was in the old times a large village of more than 200 people. Then one Sunday in 1931 a huge landslide came down, and buried the entire village. Only 3 brothers survived. They restarted the village across the road on the hillside, and it now has around 80 members. There are no cars in this village, but they do have horses.

The kids got to see the preparation for mat making, and also had to walk down the hill to the village and help weed the cassava patch. Good stuff I say. They also did team building games. Thats Alice on the right...

The lodge was further up the hill from the village, with two bunkrooms coming off a main room. No power and no hot water was a novelty for the kids, with our cooking by gas and lighting via kerosene lamps. The adults slept in the main room. Infact it was Hannah's first time in a sleeping bag. As the teachers were handing out reward cards throughout the trip Hannah of course received one for being open to new experiences!

 

The scenery up there was stunning, and with lots of ferns and tree ferns; even looked almost like NZ (except the banana trees which told me I definitely was not in the Catlins). Dot commented on the similarity to the Waitakeres too. We spent most afternoons at the river, where there was a swimming hole. It was just beautiful- but as you look at these pictures remember it was 30c or more... Actually there was even a tree a bit like the Rata or Pohutukawa, but pink??

(sorry about the big leaf in the front, I was hanging off the path to catch the pink flowers).

Scenes from the river...

 

That's the "Ben Bomb"!

The kids loved washing up- at last they knew why they had to bring a bucket each. They filled their buckets and happily washed and rinsed, finishing with Aseri (the teacher) rinsing them off with the hose! One girl came back twice. When Aseri asked her why she said "my mum told me always to use conditioner"...

I tag teamed with Dot, and left early on the last morning to get back to the island and finish some photos I had taken to send back to NZ the next morning (as it turned out I was up all night- but that's a story for another time). Bola (Alipate Bola, back here on the island) told me that the Abaca people are part of the Vuda tribe, indeed related to some of the Nakelo (who own the islands we live on- I guess the three brothers had to go somewhere to get wives). The three brothers had survived he said, because they were partying on a Sunday. He said "Marama you will find out- there are many stories in Fiji"...

(Camp photos all taken with my new lens...nikkor 18-200VR a pretty versatile lens for school camp purposes, and a big thank you to Digna for bringing it over for me. I only had one memory card, so all were shot in jpegs.).