Nuances of life in a developing country…Managing tech issues…

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Tom was engrossed in watching the ski movie on the projection screen in Baka Blues bar/restaurant in the Arts Village.

With another power outage last night shortly after dinner continuing well into the night after we’d gone to be, we lay there feeling hot and sticky with no cooling fan to lighten the air’s thickness, counting how many days we’ve been without electricity.

We’ll have spent a total of 119 days living on two islands in Fiji since arriving by prop plane on September 8, 2015 and soon to depart on January 4, 2016, only one week from today.

Running through all the days and nights we spent without power in Vanua Levu and now again in Viti Levu, in all we counted 11 days of our time in this developing country.

In the past, I’ve tactlessly referred to a few countries as “third world” and for that, I apologize to all the citizens of many countries for using this archaic expression.

In today’s world the term “developing” country is more appropriate in describing countries that may not have access to funds to provide the utmost in consistent, reliable utility and wifi services with Fiji falling into that category.

There were few diners at Baka Blues in Arts Village at our early arrival time.

Fiji, in its desire and intent in providing free medical care, good schools, and low taxes finds itself forfeiting some other aspects to life in their country; good roads, programs for the elderly, and certain assistance programs often found in other parts of the world in more “developed” countries, resulting in higher tax rates and costs of living.

I won’t get into the political climate of Fiji or other countries. Bottom line, the power has gone out on 11 different days since our arrival…10% of the time. We experienced a similar situation while living in Kenya a few years ago, frequent power outages at times lasting for over 24 hours.

Then again, living in the US, we experienced a few days of power outages every few years as a result of downed power lines from intense spring and summer storms, resulting in our eventual purchase of a gas-powered generator wired to the whole house. Those reasons for the outages may be different, although they were nonetheless annoying and inconvenient.

My biggest concern is always the food in the refrigerator and the power not being restored in time to salvage our entire cold food supply. Secondly, our concerns for running down the batteries on our phones and laptops to the point where we can no longer read or entertain ourselves, instead, sitting in the dark twiddling our thumbs, are not pleasing by any means.

The lack of fans to keep the air moving is the next concern when often the heat and humidity have contributed to the power outage when those with air-con are running their units and others, like us, running multiple floor and ceiling fans constantly.

Most diners don’t head out to bar/restaurants until later in the evening. It was quiet while we were there around 6:45 pm.

Of course, we’ve been thrilled to have screens in this more modern house in Pacific Harbour, a rarity in most developing countries. The locals seem to become immune to the bites of the mozzies and more comfortable allowing a wide array of insects and other creatures free access into their homes when leaving doors wide open. 

We’re not quite there yet and may never be. For us, it’s the mozzies more than other creatures that prevent us from leaving doors and windows without screens open all day to allow for more airflow.

When the power returned during the night, we were thrilled. We’ve learned to prepare before going to bed when the power is out; unplug the TV so it doesn’t come back on with the power; turn off lights and fans in living areas and turn on the fans in the bedroom to avoid the necessity of getting out of bed if the power is restored during the night.

There was that.  Then, over the past several days, my Windows 8.1 touchscreen laptop, purchased in Hawaii last year, developed some issues. I won’t bore our less-interested-in-technology readers as to the extent of the issues which were wide in scope. 

The only solution was to “refresh” my PC which always results in a loss of many apps and downloaded programs I use (such as MS Office) with the necessity of spending an entire day to restore these programs and apps. 

Tom enjoyed his fries and onion rings but said the beef had a spicy flavor he didn’t care for. We were in a restaurant that had a Cajun flavor most likely resulting in the use of a grill seasoned with the spices which he doesn’t like.  It was bo fault of the restaurant.

Over these years I’ve sweat bullets when either of us had what may have proven to be irreparable computer issues. Now, with more experience in repairing issues and with the experience of purchasing a new (inferior brand) laptop a few years ago in South Africa (I’d dropped and broke the screen making it unusable), I take these issues in stride. No longer do my palms sweat and no longer does my heart race while attempting to figure out a solution.

Using a cloud service to store all of our important files and documents and with our external two terabytes hard drive which we use frequently to back up our data, the bigger concern revolves around where and how to purchase a replacement if necessary.

If a new computer is to be shipped to us, there’s no way to avoid paying customs fees or such potential fees when exiting the country. In any case, yesterday, before the power went out, I was able to restore my laptop to 95% efficiency leaving only one touchscreen issue preventing me from performing the frequently used right to left-hand gesture swipe.

Need I say, I looked online for hours to find a solution for this remaining issue. Either the suggestions didn’t work or were impractical for my system. I even contacted Acer, the manufacturer, and “spoke” to one of their tech reps via a chat, requesting a solution to no avail. She said, “Do a refresh of the system,” which I’d already done.

I’ve decided to live with the remaining issues instead implementing a few extra clicks to perform a similar task, with a “workaround” for the rest. It will do for now. When we’ll be able to purchase new equipment remains a mystery at this point, most likely waiting until it’s absolutely a must resulting in our paying customs and shipping fees for a replacement for one, if not both of us.

My salad was fabulous with smoky flavored chicken and extra hard-boiled eggs. There was no dressing on the menu that worked for me so I ordered a side of sour cream, usually a good alternative.

On the agenda today?  It’s been raining 11 days in a row, soaking bursts, making walking and going out unappealing. The laundry I’d washed and hung two days ago is still damp. I may have to bring it indoors to hang it around the house, hoping it will soon dry from the airflow of the fans. 

Life in the tropics as we’ve known it over this past year including a tremendous number of rainy days, coupled with many days without power, leaves us feeling good about the next leg of our journey; easy days cruising; cool, sunny, and less humid 89 days in New Zealand; and then off to another tropical climate in Bali which by April, we’ll be ready to enjoy once again.

Photo from one year ago today, December 28, 2014:

This was one of our favorite photos while on the Big Island. The entire family took an evening trip to Mount Kilauea to see the erupting volcano and we captured this shot more by a fluke than anything. It was exciting for our kids and grandkids to see an erupting volcano with us. Who has ever had an opportunity to see an erupting volcano in a lifetime? For more volcano photos, please click here.

Day 10…No sunshine…Acceptance of conditions throughout the world…

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The guard at the gate to the Government Building in Suva, the capital of Fiji.

Since arriving in Pacific Harbour it’s been cloudy and rainy for no less than 17 out of 21 days. While in Savusavu, we experienced similar amounts of rain occurring almost every day during the three-month stay. 

As positive as we attempt to be about conditions where we’re living at any given time, it would be ridiculous to say we’re not looking forward to the coo, sunny climate of New Zealand, definitely not in the tropical climate category. 

At this point, it’s hard to believe our four months in Fiji are coming to an end. Overall, we’ve enjoyed Fiji, mainly for its friendly locals, beautiful surroundings, colorful vegetation, sparkling sea, and some of the finest organic produce, grass-fed meats and free-range chicken on the planet, all at affordable prices.

Recently, dining out on several occasions has been enjoyable with many options befitting my diet, which wasn’t the case in either Savusavu or Trinity Beach when most menu items included starches, sauces, and sugar.

Distant view of the Government Building in Suva.

Fiji is truly an affordable place to visit for the long term when staying in a vacation property and perhaps at different times of the year, it rains considerably less, making it all the more ideal vacation/holiday spot during those periods. 

We remind ourselves that literally everywhere in the world has aspects that may not be ideal to the average traveler or even the long-term resident. Years ago, we often discussed how many Minnesotans retired to Arizona and Florida for the great climate.  But, after visiting both states and watching weather reports over the years, we’ve seen and experienced that their winters can be cool with inclement weather.

When we first left Minnesota to travel the world, we spent our final two months in Scottsdale, Arizona, a beautiful desert community, a haven for many retirees, making final preparations to leave the US long term.

It was warm when we first arrived in Scottsdale in early November 2012 but quickly became cool requiring we wear jackets most days. We never had an opportunity to use the pool outside our condo door. It was simply too cool.

The long fence surrounding the Government Building in Suva.

During our Scottsdale trip, we rented a vacation home for a week in Henderson, Nevada for a family gathering over Christmas. There too, it was very cool and we never used the pool in the backyard. 

On many earlier visits to son Richard in Henderson, Nevada, we recall very cool weather in the winter months. Tom and I easily recall waiting outside a casino after a show for the valet to return our car, freezing while we waited 20 minutes.

Where is the ideal year-round warm climate? Does it even exist anywhere in the world?  If it’s warm, it’s usually humid. When it’s humid, there are usually mosquitoes and a wide variety of insects and…lots of rain.

The more we travel the more we accept these realities, especially when we’ve spent such a huge portion of our travels living in a tropical environment. Over the past 12 months, we’ve lived on four islands of Hawaii, Trinity Beach, Australia, and Fiji, all considered tropical climates, all of which included clouds/rain at least 50% of the time.

The top of the President’s house in Suva.

In the past 12 months, we’ve only spent 18 days cruising. Although we spend a lot of time discussing and planning cruises, some years we spend little time actually doing so. 

In other years it’s much more such as in the upcoming 12 months, beginning on January 5, 2016, during which we’ll be sailing on five cruises encompassing 76 days, approximately 21% of the year. 

Most often, conditions on cruises are highly satisfactory with little inconvenience and adaptation required; no insects, air-con comfort throughout the ship, comfortable beds and seating, relatively good food, no shopping or cooking required, no housework, and frequently, good enough weather to spend a little time each day lounging by the pool. 

Sure, we’ve experienced rough seas on several cruises and a few bouts of “cruise cough” a harsh inevitable reality on some sailings. Once it starts it’s difficult to avoid, especially when one of us “catches” it and transmits it to the other. 

The beach in Suva has several seating areas.

Illness is a downside of cruising for which we’ve promised to be even more mindful of in our upcoming cruises.  No handshaking, touching, and too close proximity to others.  Plain and simple. 

There were a few occasions we excused ourselves as graciously as possible to leave a dinner table when upon being seated near or next to a coughing passenger. This is an awkward must-do. Even so, we’ve fallen prey to the cough on three or four occasions. 

We wash our hands no less than 12 times a day but need to increase the frequency and beef up other methods we’ve implemented over these past 11 cruises. More on that later.

Why cruise? Mainly, the opportunity to visit many parts of the world in a short period, the highly pleasing social interactions, and the relatively easy living onboard a ship continue to provide a tremendous draw for both of us.

ANZ National Stadium in Suva mostly used for rugby and football, popular sports in Fiji.

As we begin the countdown to departure and the end of 2015, not so much anxious to leave Fiji as opposed to looking forward to the next leg of our journey, we reflect on this past year as being one of considerable enjoyment, personal growth, and discovery. 

With many plans and new countries on the horizon, we hold onto our seats for yet another enriching “ride” in the awe-inspiring world in 2016.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, December 27, 2014:

Family day at the beach park on Christmas Day, posted one year ago today. Although it was raining, Vincent and Miles (not shown in this photo) were more interested in looking for fish in the shallow tide pools than stopping to eat. For more details, please click here.

Merry Christmas to all on the opposite side of the International Dateline….Pigging out at the buffet…

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Hmmm…prime rib and spice drops. Tasty combination, Mr. Lyman!

It proved to be a good day although it was rainy, hot, humid and we were without power. We decided to bring our laptops, an adapter and one set of plug ins so we could recharge our laptops while at the resort, if at all possible.

The band was excellent singing many familiar songs.

As soon as we walked into the lobby of the Pearl Resort in plenty of time for our 1:00 pm buffet reservation in the Riviera Restaurant, I scoped out the plug in options finding there were plenty of possibilities. 

This was my entrée and dessert…delicious seafood.

Asking at the front desk if we could sit in the lobby and plug in our equipment after our meal, they happily obliged saying we could use the outlets and stay as long as we’d like.

Octopus, a favorite, although rather chewy.

The thought of relaxing with power after the upcoming big meal was appealing, especially with the massive doors opening to the bay offered a cooling breeze. 

The meat station had prime rib, ham and turkey. Tom had all three but I chose only the prime rib.  Tom said the ham was great.

After checking in for our reservation, I wasn’t thrilled with the table selected for us with our name imprinted on a plastic coated card. It was too near the entrance to the dining room, the band and people coming and going out to the deck. It was noisy, making it nearly impossible for Tom to hear a word I said, with his bad hearing made worsened by background noise.

Check out the size of those slabs of prime rib and prawns. It was the most tender beef we’d had in months.

We decided to make the best of it and kept the selected table when we noticed the only other available table was too tiny for two diners, my camera and our computer bag on the floor. 

This was my single plate, piled high. I didn’t eat the relatively uncooked green beans but found everything else terrific.

Immediately after we were seated, I scoped out the buffet for photos and to check my dining options. A white hatted chef was behind the food stations happily pointing to each item I’d be able to eat that didn’t include starch, sugars, grains or flour. There were more options than any buffet we’ve visited since the onset of our travels. I felt like a kid in a candy store!

Tom sure enjoyed his first plate and every other plate to come.

Back at the table, I suggested Tom get his food first while I stayed behind to watch the camera and laptop bag.  In no time at all, he returned with a small plate of meats from the carving table and alas, a large pile of candy spice drops. I couldn’t stop laughing. All of those wonderful dishes and desserts, and he had meat and spice drops!

Yum, baby octopus. Those heads are a bit tricky to chew. I ate four of these, less one head.

Of course, he went back many times sampling more and more meat and seafood items and eventually a few desserts. But, each time he went back to the buffet he returned with more spice drops. Love that guy! Five plates of food and candy? I didn’t say a word, smiling over how well he does at “home” when our daily meals deprive him of many foods he loves and yet, keeps him lean and healthy. 

I didn’t feel the least bit embarrassed when my plate was piled higher than any other diners as they left food stations. However,  a single plate was my plan piling everything I could possibly eat to fit on my plate. (I savored almost every morsel leaving only one small octopus head that was particularly chewy and several undercooked green beans, too crunchy to get down).

Tom’s second dessert plate with caramel and apple pies, brownie and more spice drops.

It was a wonderful meal. As it turned out, half of the food on my plate consisted of a variety of fish shells and I wasn’t overly full and uncomfortable. When eating only veggies and protein I never seem to get uncomfortably full, nor do I eat until a point of feeling miserable. That’s never been my thing, nor is it healthy for me when too much protein or vegetables in a single sitting can exacerbate inflammation and raise blood sugar.

A portion of the dessert table. Tom must have eaten one of those entire containers of spice drops.

Once we finished our meal, we sat quietly at the table for a while sipping our water (Tom didn’t order a cocktail when he doesn’t drink alcohol with sweets) while he munched on his spice drops.

Notice the yellow pudding to pour over the brownies or whatever else one may choose.

Finally, we asked a waitperson to find our server. After 15 minutes, we asked again. Finally, after a total of 40 minutes, we managed to see our server who experienced difficulty having us pay when all the other guests were staying at the hotel and had only to sign the slip. Service at this bar and restaurant was certainly less ideal than the impeccable service we’d experienced in the Seduce Restaurant on Tom’s birthday. Fiji time.

Decorations and imprinted name tag at our table.

The bill resolved, we headed to a seating area in the lobby, close to outlets while Tom proceeded to set up our laptops enabling us to send more Christmas wishes to family and friends throughout the world. We’d recharge the laptops sharing the plug in back and forth with a plan to head home by 5 pm when hopefully, the power would be back on.

Most diners were hotel guests, not outsiders like us.

We only lasted until 4:00 pm. The cushion-less wicker chairs cut into our legs and backs making sitting nearly impossible. We decided to call the taxi and head home, although Tom’s laptop wasn’t yet charged. My was at 98%. If we had no power throughout the evening, at least we could watch a few shows in the dark.

Tom wrapped up his meal eating a couple of candy canes. 

Walking into the house we were thrilled to see the fans whirring. The power was back on. The power also went out twice during the night awakening us both each time, lasting for a few more hours, making sleeping fitful without a fan or the wall AC unit running.

Tom didn’t have any dinner last night, although I had a few items ready in case we were hungry. By 7:00 pm, I ate a cup of salmon salad while I spotted Tom snacking on a paper napkin filled with spice drops he’d placed in his pocket. I laughed. 

The deck on the bay at the Pearl.

It was a good Christmas Day especially when we had a chance to talk to some of the family on Skype with more today, had a good meal and managed to end the day with electricity.

Today, Christmas Day in many parts of the world, we wish everyone a blessed holiday season and New Year.  May life bring each you the fulfillment of your goals, dreams and wishes, all filled with love.

Photo from one year ago today, December 26, 2014:

This was one of our favorite scenery photos taken on the Big Island, so clearly illustrating the power of the surf at the houses we rented for the family visit.  For more details, please click here.

Power outage…Christmas Day in the South Pacific…Dining out midday…Merry Christmas to all..

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Another boat heading down the Qaraniqio River.

Oh, another power outage…on Christmas Day. Wonder when it will come back on. 

In yesterday’s post we failed to mention the cost of the fine dinner at Seduce Restaurant at the Pearl Resort on the evening of Tom’s birthday. Including the meal, the gratuities and the bar bill for his Margarita and my bubbly water, the grand total was FJD $256, USD $106. 

Had we been dining in many other countries such an evening could easily have cost well over USD $200, $FJD $427. As the Fiji dollar changes daily as is the case for currencies worldwide, our round trip taxi fare was FJD $4.68, USD $10 including a 20% tip. When we leave Fiji in 10 days, we’ll give Alfaan a more substantial tip as we often do when we have an opportunity to work with one special driver.

The pebbly road for part of our walk later turned into a paved road.

Yesterday afternoon, when the rain stopped for a period, we ventured out on an ambitious walk through the neighborhood. A dog living two doors from us, followed us during the entire almost hour-long walk, making every turn we made continually watching us for our next move.

A house in the area with a commonly seen stucco-type exterior and tin roof.

It reminded me of our old lives when walking our two dogs (Tom didn’t walk in those days) on a vigorous walk in the neighborhood often every day, including the cold winters unless it the temperature was too cold for their little paws walking in the winter’s snow and ice. There was more than one occasion during which I had to carry one or both of our little dogs home when the tiny pads on their feet were too cold to continue on. 

The walk, in addition to working out almost daily at the local fitness club provided me with ample exercise.  Now, with pelting rain most days and no access to a fitness center, a good walk as often as possible brings considerable energy and a sense of well being. 

A vacant lot in the neighborhood collecting debris from an adjoining building site.

In a mere 12 days I’ll be working out on the ship in an attempt to rebuild my fitness level after this lengthy hiatus without much exercise. I haven’t belonged to a fitness center since living in Trinity Beach, Austalia from June to September, 2015.

Another vacant lot behind this neighboring house.

Soon, living in Taranaki, New Zealand with several nearby fitness centers (within 20 minutes), I’ll be back at it again for another three months. At this point, I have no idea what I’ll do once we arrive in a remote area in Bali, there again, perhaps unable to find a fitness center which has been the case in Fiji.

Today is Christmas Day here in the South Pacific. After a delicious dinner and  movie last night, we wandered off to bed, content for another good day. Sure, it doesn’t feel like Christmas without all the festivities associated with the holiday celebrations we experienced in our old lives. 

Finally, we reach the paved road making walking easier.

There are no twinkling lights on the houses in the neighborhood, no front lawns littered with lighted snowmen, reindeer and Santas and few Christmas trees visible through living room windows. We’ve become used to the lack of hoopla, decorations and festivities as a normal part of our life, without disappointment or a sense of loss. 

A fairway on the Pacific Harbour/Pearl Resort golf course only steps from our house.

Instead, we revel in the spiritual aspect of Christmas easily appreciating life, our good health and the health and well being of those we love and the many blessings we’ve been given.

At 2:00 am this morning, we were startled out of bed by outrageously loud fireworks in the neighborhood. Fijians sure love their fireworks, day and night. Wide awake after the heart racing awakening, I decided to listen to a podcast on my phone to lull me back to sleep which often works better than reading.

We’ve often seen these boats heading to scuba diving on the reefs.

Yeah, yeah, yeah…I know about “sleep hygiene” that bespeaks reading and listening in bed impedes quality sleep. I tried over and over again to break the habit, often spending night after night lying in bed wide awake unable to fall back to sleep. Ultimately, the total combined amount of sleep seems to suffice to keep me alert all day.

There are many homes in the area with Qaraniqio River frontage property, docks, and boats.

When I couldn’t connect to the house wifi to download a podcast, I got out of bed to reset the router, necessary every four or five days. Once back in bed I was able to get download a few podcasts and listen to two 40-minute broadcasts. Finally, I fell back to sleep awakening at 6:30 anxious to get the day underway.

With solar power here and no sun in well over a week (its raining now as I write), its not unusual for the shower to be cool in the morning. Susan, the owner, explained there’s a switch on the wall in the master bedroom to turn on the electricity to heat the water heater. We often turn it on for an hour in the late afternoon when the water is cold for Tom’s shower and for washing dinner dishes. 

The bridge over Qaraniqio River we cross on our walk.

Preferring to shower upon awakening and not wanting to waste power overnight, my showers are often cooler than I’d like. So it goes. I guess its part of life living in the tropics, including the near-constant rain often preventing us from daily walks.

As many walks as we’ve taken since our arrival almost three weeks ago, we’ve yet to experience a single walk on a sunny day, as shown in our cloudy day photos.

A scuba diving boat heading out to sea via the Qaraniqio River in Pacific Harbour.

With today’s upcoming buffet lunch at the Pearl at 1:00 pm, we hesitated about making tonight’s dinner. I rarely eat during the day and most likely won’t feel like eating again later in the day. This low carb way has a tendency kill the appetite, only feeling hungry every 24 hours or so.

Tom, back at the carbs again during today’s buffet and perhaps after eight more slices of bread or bread-like items, most likely will be hungry by 7:00 pm. With this in mind, I’m making a few items just in case. By 1:00 pm, when Alfaan picks us up, I’ll have everything prepped and ready to complete later in the day when we return from the Christmas lunch.

Hibiscus, prolific year-round are the most commonly seen flowers in tropical climates.

Its a good day, this Christmas Day 2015. The love we feel from family and friends from afar, the love with share with one another, and the joy we experience each and everyday, making this day as special and as meaningful as all the rest.

May all of our readers and their family and friends have a joyous Christmas Eve and Christmas Day filled with love and wonder. We feel all of you with us, each and everyday. We appreciate each and every one of you for sharing this life with us. Have a beautiful Christmas!

Photo from one year ago today, December 25, 2014:

I wish we’d taken more family photos last Christmas when family was visiting. When I was preoccupied with everyone being there, I just didn’t take many photos of “people” always one of my photo-taking downfalls. We all spent Christmas Day at a picnic at a beach park in Hilo, Hawai’i, on yet another cloudy day. For more details, please click here.

A birthday celebration in Fiji…Memorable for both of us!.. My faux pas at dinner!…

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Tom in front of the tall Christmas tree at the Pearl Resort in Pacific Harbour, Fiji on the evening of his 63rd birthday. 

Last evening at 6 pm, Alfaan picks us up for the short taxi ride to the Pearl Resort and Spa, a popular resort in Pacific Harbor known for excellent dining options including Seduce Restaurant, where we’d arranged an early  dinner reservation.

The lobby at the Pearl Resort.

It’s not that we prefer dining early as is typical for some seniors. We’ll easily wait to dine until 8 pm on cruise ships and when dining out with others. However, when we’re alone, with a goal of taking photos before dark, we often opt for an earlier reservation.

My amuse-bouche of prosciutto-wrapped asparagus with truffle mayonnaise with dollops of balsamic sauce.

As has been the case over the past few weeks, it’s been raining almost every day, often all day and night with no sunny breaks in between. We haven’t used the pool in over a week when the sun peeked out on two extremely hot and humid days when only by lounging in the cool water did we experience a little relief.  

Tom’s amuse-bouche of sushi with raw fish and truffle mayonnaise.

Once we arrived at the resort, taking a few photos inside and out, we stopped for a drink at the main entry area bar for less than optimum service. It took 15 minutes for Tom to get his papaya Margarita after placing the order. I ordered bubbly water with lime. Fiji time. 

At this point we wondered if the Seduce Restaurant would be the five star establishment as claimed by many reviewers in TripAdvisor. As it turned out we weren’t disappointed at all. 

He ate two plates of bread.  I didn’t say a word.

As a matter of fact, we experienced some of the finest service we’ve had in a long time, readily leaving a generous tip for our server. Impeccable!  Perfect timing!  Warmth and kindness! Attention to detail!. All elements of great service by most diners standards.

Complimentary wines with dinner.

The food? With weekly menu changes, the options were limited with four starters (none of which worked for me or that Tom would like), four entrees and four sides. The entrees included small portions of potatoes of one variety or another which I swapped for a few cut spears of delicious crunchy asparagus.

We both selected the same entrée, a platter of garlic butter, grilled seafood including mussels on the half shell, prawns, lobster tail, scallops and local tender white fish. The portions of each item were small, although together the servings were adequate. 

My fresh plate of food after the previous lobster tail went flying off the plate.

Tom’s platter included the roasted potatoes and, get this, he ate eight slices of a baguette dipping it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar! Guess he’s had his bread fix until we head out again tomorrow for the Christmas lunch buffet back to the Pearl Resort for the buffet in the Riviera Restaurant.  

Tom’s similar seafood platter with roasted potatoes.

Our meal began with a complimentary amuse-bouche, Tom’s a sushi roll as shown in this photo (first time he tried sushi, didn’t love it, ate it anyway) and mine was tailor-made asparagus wrapped in prosciutto with a truffle mayonnaise…small…delicious. I could have made a meal of that alone.

The entrée was buttery and delicious. I’d handed over my phone for the food list before ordering leaving me unconcerned that my meal would be perfect, and it was.

Tom was served this flourless chocolate cake with raspberry coulis and a scoop of coffee-flavored ice cream. 

As soon as our plates arrived stacked with seafood, our waiter asked if we’d like a photo taken of the two of us.  Tom started to stand saying he’d come over to my chair and crouch down next to me for the photo while I grabbed the camera off the table. 

My rumpled lobster soiled clothes were a sight to see after dinner when our waiter took this photo.

As I picked up the camera to hand to the waiter, the strap caught the shell portion at the end of my lobster tail and alas…my lobster went flying in the air landing on the floor with pieces on my lap and upholstered chair.  Oh, my.

If we didn’t have an audience I’d surely have gone into hysterics. Tom surely would have joined me. After all, it was a precious lobster tail over which my mouth had been watering.

The commonly seen  Fijian lali bell, used to announce special events was located near the entrance to the resort.

Our kindly waiter wiped up the mess and brought me a totally fresh plate. I could tell it was an entirely new plate of food when I noticed the numbers of the items and the arrangement had changed.

Cleaning up my clothes luckily all dark with a moistened linen napkin, we proceeded to enjoy our meal and each other. Complimentary wines were included with the meal and my adorable piglet, drank both the red and white after downing his Margarita, leaving only a few sips in the sizable glass of white wine, once the beautiful complimentary birthday dessert arrived unbeknown to either of us.  He always stops drinking alcohol when he has a dessert.

Christmas décor near the entrance to the resort.

I’d mentioned it was his birthday upon making the reservation and once again as we were seated.  One never know what treats a fine restaurant may have in store for an unsuspecting birthday celebrant. He wasn’t disappointed when the luscious complimentary plate arrived after the table was cleared and cleaned. Chocolate cake. That had been a while.

He didn’t weigh himself today nor did he care. Once the Christmas buffet is over tomorrow, he’ll be back to eating low carb with me and will drop any gain in a matter of a few days. Last night, he fit into a dressy pair of shorts he hadn’t worn comfortably in a few years. 

Fresh flowers in a Christmas display in the lobby.

Back at home by 10 pm, we got comfortable and watched the finale of Survivor Cambodia, which we’ve saved for this particular evening. With Cambodia on our itinerary in less than seven months, it was particularly fun to watch that series. Not that we’ll be living as they do on that show. Ha.

With the humidity rampant making sleeping uncomfortable lately we’ve turned on the wall air con unit when we’ve gone to bed. With the comfortable bed, good blanket and cool room, we’ve managed to get some decent sleep these past nights, for the first time in many months after the heat in Savusavu.

Unusual display table in the lobby. Lots of legs.

OK, folks, that’s the story of the birthday celebration.  Tom expresses a heartfelt thanks to all of the good wishes through email, comments, and Facebook. He had a great time reading and responding, appreciating every birthday greeting. 

Today, Christmas Eve on this side of the world, we’re staying put in the pouring rain, sending Christmas greetings to family and friends. I’ll cook a lovely dinner, nothing special, just a nourishing good meal…minus bread, potatoes and dessert. 

For those on this side of the International Dateline, Merry Christmas!  For those celebrating Christmas Eve tomorrow, Merry Christmas!

Photo from one year ago today, December 24, 2014:

The photo was taken from our lanai in Pahoa on Christmas Eve day. With 12 of our family members having arrived on the Big Island, everyone busily scrambled to unpack, prepare for Christmas and partake in exciting Big Island adventures. Tom and I stayed home busily spending the day preparing home made pizza for Christmas Eve dinner and food to pack for the Christmas Day picnic at a beach park in Hilo. For more details, please click here.

Happy birthday, Tom…Letter to my husband on his special day…

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When we played bingo at the Princeville Senior Center last March while living in Kauai  Tom, as always had a great time.

To my dearest husband on your birthday,

This is your fourth birthday since we changed our lives on October 31, 2012. Each year, without gifts, without parties, without the usual hoopla, you stand only with me, your wife, your lover, your travel companion, and your friend. 

As much as I’d like to have a stack of beautifully wrapped gifts to present to you, not only would I be unable to find appropriate items in Fiji befitting your taste but, there’s no room in your solitary suitcase for superfluous items.

There are no birthday cards for sale at the stores or anything that could be construed as wrapping paper or a bow. As a result, on our first birthdays after we began our journey, we both agreed that birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas would be celebrated over a good home-cooked meal, a night in a nearby resort, or dinner in a great local restaurant.

Tonight, we’ll do just that with a reservation at TripAdvisor’s top-rated restaurant in Pacific Harbour, Fiji, Seduce, at the Pearl Resort. Then again, with only ten possibilities listed in the sleepy town, number one may not be that special. We don’t care. We’ll be together, celebrating you, celebrating us.

To say I’m grateful for being together with you can’t possibly express the depth of my gratitude for having you in my life, in this life, on these unusual terms; homeless but not poor; without a car but not without a means of transportation; without personal possessions other than a laptop, phone and bag of clothes; without a bed or sofa we can call our own, never knowing how comfortable the next one will be, and without a kitchen stocked with gadgets and food befitting a foodie like me. 

Instead, we are rich, not so much in a monetary way although we afford our lifestyle with a budget and careful planning, we’re rich in a life we never dreamed possible; the ability to travel the world, to feast our eyes upon some of the earth’s greatest treasures, to see nature as we never imagined, to meet people who’ve enriched our aging spirits with new thoughts, often inspiring us to reach for more, not greedily, but with grace and dignity.

You’ve allowed me to fulfill my personal dreams of having an opportunity to express myself in the written word and now adding the pleasure of taking photos along the way, always attempting to perfect my limited skills. 

Had I painted a picture of what I’d have dreamed life could be at this stage, I’d have painted a picture with much less than I have now with you. To have this sense of freedom to travel anywhere in the world with you, is beyond any thoughts I may have ever fashioned in our old lives.

And you, my love…your gentle and loving demeanor, your patience with me for all my quirkiness, your never-ending sense of humor has taught me to laugh at myself, your ability to make the best cup of French press coffee on the planet and your sharing equally, if not more, in all of the daily tasks. 

As a determined and independent businesswoman for most of my adult life, it’s refreshing at this point in life to feel free from always being in charge. Sharing the responsibilities and joys of this life with a competent, dedicated, and skilled partner has only enriched life in so many ways.

And, the playfulness…and the good humor…and the sudden bouts of laughter…and the never-ending hugs and kisses that could easily, in this 24/7 togetherness, waft away due to familiarity and somehow doesn’t, after all this time.

Happy birthday, my love. May you spend this next new year of your life and many years to come, filled with awe and wonder of the world we’re experiencing now, the world we’ve yet to experience, and the world in which we live blissfully together. 

You are dearly loved, appreciated, and admired,
Jess


Photo from one year ago today, December 23, 2014:

The sunrise in Pahoa, Big Island, on this date one year ago. The remainder of the family members were arriving later in the day. For more details, please click here.

The summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere…Longest day…Fijians forgo political correctness and celebrates Christmas..

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Christmas tree on the set of FijiOne news channel.

Today is the Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere,  the longest day of the year. It’s the first day of summer to those of us south of the equator and the first day of winter to those north of the equator. 

We never paid attention to this phenomenon in the Southern Hemisphere in our old lives, never giving it a single thought. Living south of the equator gives us another perspective of the massive size of the earth. Here are a few facts:

“Northern Hemisphere Summer Solstice

June Solstice 2015:
June 21, at 16:38 UTC.


Southern Hemisphere Summer Solstice

(Australia, New Zealand, South America, Southern Africa)

December Solstice 2015:
December 22, at 04:48 UTC.


First Day of Summer?

The first day of spring, summer, fall, and winter can either be defined using astronomical events like solstices and equinoxes, or they can be determined based on meteorological factors, average temperatures.

In the USA and some other areas in the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice marks the first day of summer. However, the official date for the first day of summer varies depending on the country’s climate.”

There are no poinsettias or Christmas cactus plants in the stores, only colorful flowers blooming year-round.

As well as our observation of the massive size of the earth and its many differences, it’s a good time of year with the holidays imminent to acknowledge that the Christmas season, although celebrated by no less than 32% of the world’s population, obviously isn’t celebrated by all. 

Many other non-Christians celebrate the Christmas season as a time to acknowledge their own faith with the accompanying festivities and gratitude. To speculate that 50% of the world’s population observe the Christmas season in one manner or another is not impractical by some estimates.

With “political correctness” seeming more important than good wishes for those who do celebrate, we all struggle with to whom to say “Merry Christmas” and to whom we say “Happy Holidays” when in fact many of those who do not observe Christmas have no particular holiday they’re celebrating at the moment. It’s perplexing.

Saying “Happy Holidays” to a person who’s not celebrating a holiday is comparable to saying “Happy Birthday” when it’s not their birthday. Duh?

Suva Market’s Christmas Celebration
This year’s Suva Market vendors’ Christmas photo. (Not our photo)

In Fiji, they toss political correctness aside and say “Merry Christmas” to all. Fijians are warm and friendly people, kind and generous, never with an intent to offend or hurt anyone of any nationality or religious affiliation. 

Banners flew over the downtown area in Suva with “Merry Christmas” proudly emblazoned with a “no worries” attitude (a popular expression in the South Pacific and the UK) as to who this may apply to or not. If it doesn’t apply, “no worries,” look away, ignore it and move along.

Fijians don’t purchase and decorate trees for Christmas. They have all of Nature’s bounty to celebrate every day of the year.

What if we all simply expressed our holiday greeting of the moment to those we’d like to address with our own celebratory expressions such as a lofty, “Happy Chanukah,” or “Happy Diwali” responding to those offering their personal heartfelt message with a simple, “And to you as well!”

When Diwali, the Hinduism holiday and five-day Festival of Lights celebrating good over evil, occurred while we were in Vanua Levu signs were posted all over the village announcing the upcoming celebrations. 

No doubt, signs celebrating Christmas are scattered throughout the village now. No one is offended. Let those who chose to announce and celebrate their special holiday and we can all choose to observe it or not. It’s not that complicated.

No, I won’t go into a tirade about PC behavior in many parts of the world and how it’s become difficult to speak without careful forethought on what may spew out of our mouths to avoid “offending” someone. 

As a child in a public venue in the 1950’s I don’t recall hearing anyone spewing derogatory comments about any religion, people, or faction. They were kind. Overall, aren’t people still kind 60 plus years later? 

It takes only a moment to stop to appreciate the colorful surroundings in Fiji.

Well, at least while we’re in Fiji this Christmas season we can say “Merry Christmas” and if someone says “Happy Bodhi Day (on Bodhi Day, Buddhists from the Mahayana tradition celebrate the Buddha’s attainment of enlightenment), we’ll simply say, “And, to you as well!”

The heat, humidity, and pouring rain have continued for five days and five nights. Our laundry didn’t dry after three days so I brought it indoors hoping it will dry.

Today, we’re off to the Arts Village for a few supplies and chickens. Two weeks from today, we’ll be boarding the ship to New Zealand. Sixteen months from today, we’ll be boarding the ship to Seattle. 

Tomorrow, in this part of the world, on December 23rd  is Tom’s birthday which we’ll celebrate. And, I’ll say, “Happy Birthday” only to him but…in this case, he won’t reply, “And, to you as well!” 

Photo from one year ago today, December 22, 2014:

One year ago today, we moved into the house next door which we’d continue to share with TJ, Sarah, Nik, and Jayden while our other two families, arriving the next day, shared the house next door. For more photos, please click here.

Foreigners buying real estate in Fiji…Chinese gaining a foothold…

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Upon seeing this ship from the fast-moving taxi in traffic, we were curious as to the purpose of this vessel. Upon returning home we discovered this: “The Yuan Wang 3 is at the Suva Harbour. The vessel is used for tracking and support of satellite and intercontinental ballistic missiles by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of the People’s Republic of China.”

Fiji is fast growing as a desired tropical paradise in which to own real estate. A recent headline:

“November 27, 2015, 1:24 pm

Fiji’s political stability spurs buyers to seek piece of paradise

The country’s return to democracy and growing economy are attracting more foreign investors to its idyllic shores

It may be several thousand miles from Hollywood and Silicon Valley but Fiji is a partial home to some of California’s more notable residents. Google co-founder Sergey Brin has a superyacht, “Dragon Fly”, lapping the crystal clear waters while film star Mel Gibson owns an island just a speedboat ride away.

The attractions are clear: a tropical climate, some of the world’s best surfing, and a dazzling array of beaches. Yet while Fiji is a playground for the super-rich, it is also fast becoming a magnet for property investors.”

To continue with the remainder of this news story, please click here.

Moving quickly in traffic, it was impossible to focus on clearer photos of the satellites on this Chinese ship in the Suva harbor. For more details on this ship, please click here.

To single out China as a major player in the development market, is not unrealistic. As we drove along the highways, we saw flags flying in the breeze one after another in groupings over massive plots of oceanfront property, all indicating future development.

With a minimum of readily available experienced labor and many Fijians already serving the needs of their own people, developing these properties may be challenging with the necessity of bringing in laborers from other parts of the world.

With the abundance of hotels and vacation homes we’ve noted on the two most populated islands, Vanua Levu and Viti Levu, we wonder how much in demand houses built on large tracts of land will appeal to the general world population as a preferred retirement or vacation’/holiday property, especially during these times of uncertainty.

Many homes are offered for sale.  Here’s a link to homes for sale.  Here’s a link to a money converter where you can convert these prices to your country’s currency.

Many times, in these past almost four months in Fiji, we’ve discussed how ideal Fiji maybe for the retiree on a limited budget. With reasonable rentals and housing prices, free medical care for all including visitors and expats, the low cost of purchasing groceries, vegetables with fruit for the picking on most plots of land, it could actually be the ideal environment for those on a fixed income.

A single person on standard US Social Security most likely couldn’t afford it alone, but a pair living together with some back up funds possibly could make it renting a modest home, living a lot less frugally than necessary in the US with its medical care and dental care, prescription costs, housing and food costs over the top.

That’s not to say, we’re considering it. We’re not. Although, everywhere we live, we engage in many conversations as to whether the current location would be a possible place to live out our days, if we ever needed to stop traveling. 

Many homes appeared to be built ten to twenty years ago, prior to the economic crash.

For us, we’d only stop due to health concerns.  In that case, we may prefer to be close to top-notch medical care as opposed to the limitations of the availability of the most current medical technology and procedures, such as in Fiji in the free hospital.  We’ve heard the care is good, although many tourists and ex-pats choose private hospitals for a fee, as opposed to the “free” hospitals. 

Fiji is an island paradise.  The areas in which we’ve lived are more remote than many popular tourist locations.  Living in a house as opposed to a hotel creates an entirely different sense and feel.

Living in a house isn’t luxurious or romantic when we cook, clean and fen for ourselves most days.  Here, a weekly cleaning person for three hours reduces some of the work, but day to day, we live like the rest of the world; making the bed, doing dishes, sweeping the floor, cleaning the bathroom and on and on.

Pacific Harbour is exactly one of those types of neighborhoods the Chinese and others will be developing in the future with homes in varying price ranges.  Some communities may be more upscale for the more affluent.

Owning a home wouldn’t be a lot unlike how we’re living now, except those doing so may afford full time household help for all cooking, cleaning and daily tasks. For us, even if that were possible, we imagine that in time we’d become bored and antsy.

We’ve lived in more upscale homes in our travels. We’ve lived in modest homes in our travels. For us, it’s basically the same. Once the familiarity of the lush surroundings settles in, it becomes the familiarity and joy of “how” we live our daily lives that make it rich and rewarding. 

With a pool, if possible, working wifi, a comfortable bed and furniture, and a few screens on windows, an ample size refrigerator, we feel as of its all the luxury we need. If we have an amazing view, its a bonus. Ants? Bugs? Mozzies? They’re everywhere regardless of the amenities or value of a property. We’ve learned to live with them.

A private drive to an upscale home in our neighborhood.

For buyers of vacation property and travelers throughout the world, Fiji fulfills all of their dreams and expectations. Thus, the purchase of real estate will continue to appeal to both individuals and large corporations.

Two weeks from today, we fly away to our next location grateful for the experience of living in Fiji on two islands for a total of four months. Once again, on our last day, we’ll include the expenses for the month in Viti Levu and a grand total for the four-month period.  Perhaps, for those considering a long-term stay in Fiji, this information may be helpful.

Tom’s watching the clock so he can begin watching today’s Minnesota Vikings football game from the NFL GamePass app (only for use outside the US) on his computer using the HDMI cord plugged into the flat-screen TV. It’s funny that having a TV has become a luxury! Oh, good grief, I was just flicking through the channels for news and found today’s Vikings game, live on Fiji TV! Go figure.

Happy day to all during this holiday season and always!

Photo from one year ago today, December 21, 2014:

Tom and TJ looking out at the sea for whale blowholes, a common sighting in the area of our two vacation homes. In another day, the rest of the family would begin to arrive. For details, please click here.

Credit card compromised…How to handle…Out to dinner with friends in Fiji…

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Danny, Samantha, me, and Tom, standing outside our house in Pacific Harbour, Fiji.

Handling our five credit cards requires a certain amount of attention other than merely paying off the balance each month. The vast amounts we charge on the cards often including rents for three months, full cruise fares, pricey airline tickets, long term car rentals, groceries, and dining out. The new statements can be well into the thousands in a given month.

Keeping an eye on these expenses for their accuracy and for any potential unknown expenses, excess fees or instances of fraud drives me to check online every few days. 

With a tile for each credit card company on my touch screen desktop in Windows 8, it takes only seconds to log in and check each of the five cards with the fact they’re all from only two banks making the process easier. We seldom find an error.  When we do, we contact the toll-free number on the card and get to work to solve the problem.

Last year around this same time, one of the credit card companies had contacted us by phone and email to notify us of fraud charges that hadn’t yet posted in “pending transactions” making it impossible for us to see online. 

Danny’s curry dinner, which he said was good.

The credit card company’s system is sophisticated enough to be able to pick up “test” charges used by credit card fraud companies and individuals to determine if they will in fact be able to use the card for larger purchases.

Over the past year, most of our cards have been replaced with the supposedly more secure cards containing “computerized chips.” However, having these cards with chips hasn’t prevented fraud on the cards.

A few days ago, we received a fraud alert to which I immediately responded with a phone call. Yes, Tom’s card number with a chip that replaced his compromised card last December was compromised and charges had started rolling in, first in “test” charges for $1 and then hotel bills and fuel charges in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. 

How did this happen? This occurred both last year and this year (in December) on the card, we use most often when Tom usually handles the checking-out using that particular card when we’re dining out and purchasing products and groceries. 

We’ve been in Fiji for almost four months. Most likely at some establishment where we’d paid using the card, the number was noted and “sold” to those who conduct such illegal behavior across the globe. 

The upper portion of my plate contained the salad with the entrée on the bottom right. There was a tiny portion of squid, perhaps a tablespoon. To balance my meals carbs and protein, I must eat a larger portion of protein at least 6 ounces. Thus, I ordered a small steak, which worked well. (The plate appears larger in this photo).

The fact that we’re in Fiji didn’t necessarily create a greater risk. This transpires throughout the world with billions of dollars each year. No one is exempt from the potential risk.

It may surprise some, but when this happens, it’s not a personal serious situation. It is definitely not as serious and destructive as “identity theft” when a person’s entire credit profile is compromised, which may result in the life-changing destruction of one’s entire creditworthiness. A compromised credit card is a simple process for the customer:

1.  Immediately respond to the email and/or phone card from the credit card. Those with late payments or a poor credit card history may hesitate to return the call when they may assume the call is for collection purposes. Failure to respond to the inquiry can, in fact, create a more difficult situation after the fraudulent charges have been posted.

2. The quicker one returns the call, the better, using the phone number on the back of the card (for added security). The bank’s fraud department wants to decipher which charges the customer actually made as opposed to those charges made fraudulently to avoid further fraudulent charges. When doing so, the customer will not be charged any amount for the fraudulent charges. The concept that you’ll only be charged the first USD $50 is not true unless you are aware of some obscure stipulation in the bank’s regulations that allows for such a charge.  It’s unlikely.

3.  Carefully review all the charges you’ve made with the fraud department representative We’ve read online that there have been a few rare instances whereby customers of less than ideal ethics attempted to pass off some of their own purchases as fraudulent when they were not, hoping they’d “go away” during this process.  This behavior, in itself, is fraud and may result in termination of the card, bad credit ratings, and possible legal charges. 

4.  Upon the bank’s recommendation destroy the card from which the charges were made and any other cards with the same number. The card will no longer work after the company has posted the number as compromised. We usually cut the card into tiny pieces and dispose of the pieces. Even if the card could be pieced together as in a puzzle the fact the number has been flagged, it would never work anyway.

Tom and Samantha had the burger topped with egg and fries.

5.  When the new card arrives in the mail, immediately sign and activate the card which has a new number.Visit every website where you may have stored the card for frequent purchases, and change both the number and expiration date which will also be new, or the next time you make a purchase it will be declined. The three or four-digit number of the back near your signature will also have changed. Use your best judgment, only releasing this number of highly secure and reputable sites.

Done and done. When chip technology is used on a shared account, Tom and I each have a separate number as opposed to sharing the same card number. Thus, my card, a different number, wasn’t compromised. Until we receive the new card in an upcoming supplies shipment while in NZ, we’ll use other cards or my same card for this particular account.

While traveling, every 60 days, we contact the credit card companies either by phone or online to notify them of “travel alerts,” specifically in which countries we’ll be using the card including when we’re in the US in May 2017. The alerts only last 60 days. This information prevents the card from being declined when rightfully making purchases while traveling. This must be done each time one leaves their home country to avoid the resulting embarrassment and delays.

Feel free to contact us if any of this is confusing, or better yet, your credit card provider with specific personal inquiries.

On to the second part of today’s post. First off, our newly made friends, Samantha and Danny (he’s from Minnesota, she’s from Wisconsin, small world) have left Fiji to return to their new home in Seattle, where Danny returns to his medical residency (sure, Tom asked if Danny worked at “Seattle Grace”) and Samantha to her social work practice.

We noticed the lily pad flowers close at night as darkness fell while we dined at Oasis Restaurant.

You may ask, “How do we refer to people we met for short periods as “friends? Doesn’t a friendship require time and nurturing?”

In this life, with access only to short term relationships, we prefer to call those with whom we especially connect and interact in social settings, as friends. For us, these short-term interactions possess a special meaning often staying in touch for years to come. 

Dinner at the Oasis Restaurant at the Art Village was enjoyable with the lively conversation between the four of us. Tom enjoyed his burger, as the best of the three burgers he’s had to date in Pacific Harbour. 

My entrée was tricky; the portion tiny although tasty, a spicy squid and vegetable stir fry (no sugar, starch soy sauce or rice). It was no more than one cup of food with a small side salad without dressing. 

As an “intermittent fasting” advocate consuming one meal, no snacks a day, a one-cup portion of food with a salad without dressing won’t cut it. After the small entrée arrived, I ordered a steak, which was quite good, cooked to perfection. 

We shared a taxi ride home, hugged goodbye, and had the driver take today’s main photo of the four of us, once outside our house. It was wonderful to spend time with this lovely honeymoon couple and we’re grateful to our host Susan who encouraged our meeting.

Last night, we dined at Baka Blues in the Arts Village, which we’ll share photos and stories in an upcoming post in a few days. For today, we’re content to stay in on a rainy, hot, and humid day preparing enough of a dish to last for a few upcoming meals and to freeze the balance for a later date, as we wind down the time in Pacific Harbour, Fiji.

For our readers, take a break from the busy activities of the holiday season, grab a cup of coffee or tea and read our posts as they’ll continue through each day of the season with Tom’s upcoming birthday celebration on the 23rd, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Photo from one year ago today, December 20, 2014:

Tom is at the far left.  TJ is in the middle and Jayden is on the far right after they decided they also needed haircuts. Three generations of Lymans having haircut simultaneously. Too cute! This was the last day, the hair salon was taking customers. They were closing the next day for the arrival of the lava flowing from Mount Kilauea. For more info and close up photos, please click here.

Another cultural story of life for Fijian people as shared by our driver…

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Often houses are tightly packed onto a smaller plot of land.

Spending the better part of a day with Alfaan proved to be a perfect opportunity to hear about life for many locals of both Fijian and Indo-Fijian descent on the island of Viti Levu, the largest island in the Fijian chain.

Although Alfaan is quite shy, he readily responded to my endless inquiry of his lifestyle after receiving his permission to ask him questions that may be construed of a personal nature. 

Fijians are a humble people, never to brag or to seek acceptance or popularity in their daily lives other than the joy derived from family life and the exquisite nature surrounding them, provided by the Almighty per their personal belief system.

For our previous story of life for the local Fijian people, please click here.

His ancestors immigrated from India to Fiji in the 1800s, not by choice, but by force of British rule to live as indentured laborers, in essence slaves, mainly to farm sugar cane and also as laborers in other fields. 

Fruit is readily available for picking in most villages saving the locals the cost of purchasing fruit.

“The contracts of the indentured labourers, which they called girmit (agreements), required them to work in Fiji for a period of five years. Living conditions on the sugar cane plantations, on which most of the girmityas (indentured labourers) worked, were often squalid, degrading and brutal. Hovels known as “coolie lines” dotted the landscape.

Public outrage in the United Kingdom at such abuses was a factor in the decision to halt the scheme in 1916. All existing indenture was cancelled on January 1,
1920.”

His family has passed down sorrowful stories through the generations of the difficult lives they’d lived, the horrors they experienced without freedom which didn’t fully occur until Fiji gained its independence in 1970, a great day of celebration in Fiji during which this year we were living in Savusavu, Vanua Levu.

Alfaan never knew his great-grandparents although he heard their stories from his grandparents who were born in Fiji.  To say the Fijians are “a proud people” is a misnomer. The intense humility they possess has made them “grateful people.” Above all, they value family, friendships, caring for one another, and hard work.

As mentioned in our above previous post (see the link), there are no governmental subsidies or handouts in this country. One must earn a living and in doing so, at minimal wages are able to care for those who cannot work.

(Some of our photos are blurry, taken from the fast-moving car through the windshield). Locals waiting for at the bus stop.

Alfaan has a wife and two boys, ages 4 and 7. He lives in a small house he owns, passed down through generations.  His income is minimal working for the tour company as a taxi driver, using company-owned vehicles.

He doesn’t own a car and walks 20 minutes each way to catch a bus to the tour company to pick up a vehicle for the day and returns home, often after 12 to 16 hour days, by bus and another 20 minute walk..  He lives in a neighboring village approximately 9 kg, 5.7 miles, from Pacific Harbour.

He’s paid FJD $21, USD $9.75 per day, six days a week. He’s allowed to keep tips he earned, turning in all the taxi fares at the end of the day. His tips may be minimal on many days when few tourists tip generously in Fiji, especially when they’ve read online on numerous websites that Fijians don’t expect tips. 

Goodness. Their humility keeps them from “expecting” tips, but they certainly need them and in most cases deserve them. We’ve made every effort to be generous with this in mind, not only in Fiji but in many other poverty-stricken countries.

An upcoming round trip taxi fare to the Pearl for Tom’s birthday on the 23rd only requires a taxi fare of FJD $6, USD $2.79. Would a meager 10% tip, the maximum most tourists pay, be of any benefit on top of his FJD $21, USD $9.75? Hardly. 

Rarely, do native Fijians live in houses such as these with pools, manicured lawns, and a variety of amenities? Most of these homes are owned by foreigners from the US, Asia, and Europe,

An extremely frugal and modest life is the only option. To accomplish this Alfaan has a garden which he maintains daily able to harvest all the produce needs of the family of four.  There are multiple fruit trees offering luscious fruit year-round which his children, particularly love, often walking about with a slice of fresh-picked pineapple or mango in their sticky little hands.

Alfaan has 10 egg-producing free-roaming chickens plus an additional four roosters. They are able to collect 10 eggs per day. They don’t slaughter their chickens. Occasionally, a wild dog will kill one of their chickens, which is disheartening for the entire family.  They purchase chicken and beef from other locals. 

Each week, early in the morning he goes fishing, often able to catch ample fish to feed the family for many meals. Having a refrigerator enables him to freeze fish for future meals when he’s been able to catch larger species. Sadly, the reef fish may contain toxic chemicals and bacteria which has prevented our purchase of local fish while in Fiji.   
 
For one another, the locals offer affordable prices on other meat which allows them to include a variety of protein sources. With four grass-fed only milk-producing cows on their land, they’re able to acquire enough milk for the family with his wife making other simple dairy products for the family. Alfaan arises at 5:00 am each morning to milk the cows and tend to the garden. 

Here again, he never slaughters their cows instead appreciating their ability to provide their children with nourishing fresh milk without chemicals, preservatives and processing.

Local successful business owners may own modest homes on land such as this.

They rarely go to a grocery store other than for rice, sugar, flour, and a few household goods and never frequent a farmers market. With this type of income it’s impossible to indulge in grocery shopping.

Diabetes and obesity are rampant in Fiji. Why? Flour, sugar, and rice are cheap and the Fijian people eat considerable amounts of home baked bread and baked goods to offset hunger and supplement meals. 

“The rate of diabetes in Fiji is among the highest in the world. Estimates range between one in five and one in four people are affected by the disease. A diabetes-related amputation is carried out by surgeons in Fiji every 12 hours. It is estimated also that 33% of patients on the surgical wards are people with diabetes.”

These statistic are frightening for these hard-working people and easily understood when the one major benefit provided by the government, free medical care, has multitudes of Fijian people heading to the hospital for their free medication and insulin injections.

When asking Fijians about diabetes, they easily acknowledge the prevalence relaying horrific stories of amputations and ancillary disease as a result of diabetes in their family members and friends. The natural solution for remedying this fast-growing worldwide disease through diet is costly and impractical for those living in poverty.

Building and renovated homes in Fiji provides work opportunities for the locals.

They can hardly afford a diet of fresh meats, low starch vegetables, no sugar and grains, comparable to my way of eating. This problem only continues to grow in poverty-stricken countries such as Fiji. And yet, a lucky few, somehow are immune to the ravages of diabetes living well into old age. 

Smoking is common in Fiji with the cost of making cigarettes relatively inexpensive. Kava, the intoxicating beverage, is also popular among locals often provided among family and friends who are able to harvest the kava plant readily grown in these parts.

Alfaan explained he does have a TV, stove, refrigerator, and washing machine all of which he purchased second hand by saving his meager tips over a period of a year. He happily shared this story and if for only a glimmer, I saw a sense of pride, it was over this fact…making life a little easier for his wife and family bringing him great joy and happiness. 

Of course, he has no computer, no smartphone, and only a flip-type phone provided by the taxi company. He’s been able to browse online on a few occasions through public services and friends.  Surprisingly, he has a good understanding of the Internet.

He watches world news on TV and is well versed on local and world affairs as well as customs in some other countries, much of which he derives from tourists who share their stories with him. He’s never traveled outside the island but has experienced flying in a four-seat prop plane with a friend a few years ago. He loved being able to see his homeland from above although he was terrified during the one-time experience.

The Fijian people appreciate the sea and lush vegetation in their homeland, welcoming rain for enhancing the water supply and growing their produce. 

Many make assumptions that local workers are unkempt with little regard for personal hygiene. We’ve yet to notice a single Fijian worker smelling of body odor or shabbily dressed.  Even the outdoor workers appear in tidy clothing which most often is old, maybe worn, or recycled which doesn’t prevent any locals from a keen desire for cleanliness. They may have access to a makeshift outdoor shower or a simple shower inside their homes.

Alfaan explained how grateful he is to have electricity and running water, neither he had growing up. Evenings were spent reading by candlelight, telling stories, and playing simple games. Today, when time allows they watch TV, play games, and read. There are no iPads for children in Fiji. 

Alfaan’s story is different than the last cultural story we posted while living in Savusavu for three months. He earns over three times (with tips) the monthly income of the household help in Savusavu, FJD $200, USD $93. 

His meager monthly income of roughly FJD $525, USD $248 (plus tips) is hardly sufficient income to support a family of four. And yet, his joy and appreciation for his life are evident in his demeanor and kindness. His eyes twinkle when he speaks of his family and his lifestyle.

Crab holes are commonly seen close to the beach. Alfaan explained he fishes for crab often able to bring dozens home for his family and friends.

How fortunate we are to have the opportunity to interact with these gracious people. We treat them with equality, kindness, and patience, even if on a rare off-day when we may have a less than ideal experience.

Alfaan hesitated when I asked him how he is treated by most tourists. After careful thought, he finally shared that many tourists, not all, will complain about a variety of things most of which he can do little, if anything, to remedy; the weather, the heat, the bugs, the occasional delay for a pickup (Fiji time), a disappointing trip or venue and on and on.

Long ago, we decided not to be “those tourists” which has become easy for us. Then again, we’re often in a location for an extended period, not on an expensive one week vacation where a sense of urgency may prevail for some tourists.

Now, as our time in Fiji winds down, we relish in the gift we’ve acquired over this past almost four months offering us a greater understanding of life among the Fijian people. 

Once again, we’re in awe of our surroundings and its people, even with the unimportant nuances we encounter each day; extreme heat and humidity, power outages (yesterday), ants, mozzies, limited products at the market, and of course, “Fiji time.”

We have all the time in the world for these special people.

Photo from one year ago today, December 19, 2014:

This is a news-generated photo from the lava crossing Apa’a Street (in our neighborhood) taken on October 25, 2014, shortly before our arrival. Visitors were prevented from getting close to the lava although we were able to do so on a few occasions during our stay on the Big Island. Please click here for details.