Halloween in Fiji

Halloween in Fiji.  I didn't even know they celebrated Halloween here til the morning of.  A friend called and said there was a gathering for the kids at a local pool, then an adult event at a snazzy resort close by.   So, we rallied!  After school we scambled through what we had available.  Jonah got a pair of shorts and shirt that we tattered for a pirate costume.  Alina borrowed fairy wings, and I made ears and cuffs to be some kind of leopardy cat.  Off we went.  The kids event was Fijian style in every detail- the entrance was a long tunnel made from palm leaves, lined with carved, lit pumpkins.  Tiki torches all over, and to our surprise a bouncy house.  In the first 3 minutes ALL 20 kids got in the bouncy house, it toppled right onto the tiki torches, the house folded on the kids and there was a mad panic to get all the kids out safely.  Unbelievable and yet not surprising!  By minute 5 they all changed out of their costumes and went in the Tiki pool.  There's a water slide, and beach area too, they played the night away.  Not one piece of candy!  

Zip and Dip

Zipling yet again.  We've gotten to be good friends with the owners daughter and he invited us out for another run. This time when we were done we walked down to the river we had just zipped over and went for a swim. There was a local family who live in the hills at the river bathing - they bring buckets down with soap, sponges, shampoo and laundry.  

Dewali - Festival of Lights

There is a large Hindu population here in Fiji and there was a huge celebration for Dewali day - Festival of Lights.  This is akin to Christmas for Christians.  It's a time of gift giving and festive meals.  Candles and lamps in generous quantity adorn each Indian house.  It's a time when the Hindi people clean their houses, open their windows and welcome Laksmi, the goddess of wealth.  Wealth is viewed as a reward for good deeds done from a past life.  The goddess of strength is also worshipped and this rids people of laziness and evil.

Our neighbors invited us to go with them to a nearby village to see the lights.  The car ride alone was a wonderful luxury - it's been a while for us.  The village was ALIVE.  All of it's people were out walking, talking, sharing treats.  Even at the late hours the kids were up playing.  The houses were strewn with lights.  Christmas type lights but done very differently then we do it.  It felt spiritual and incredibly personal.  My favorite houses were the one's with many, many candles and lanterns.  I was so in awe of the night, I didn't pull my camera out.  An interesting observation for me was as we drove into the village -  it was obvious because of the decorations which houses were Fijian families and which were Indian.  They live peacefully in integrated communities, but they have very different religions and beliefs.  

This is a picture of a boy from Jonah's class making a powder painting.  Like many families here, his family owns a restaurant and their house is in the back of the shopfront. He drew the chalk outline first and then used different spices for color.  The yellow is Curry Powder, the pink is Tumeric mixed with white flour, and of course you can make various shades depending on the quantity of flour.  He dedicated himself in earnest and spent the entire day making a few of these decorations around the property.

Golf Lesson #1

One of the benefits of the amazing resorts here is the Golf Pro - Jimmy.

Welcoming and a great teacher.  A small group of kids from Jonah's school are training for an upcoming golf tournament.  Jonah and Alina have been included in their lessons and are quite good at this new sport.  

Girls night out

Wahoo!  We went to the ritzy resort up the street.  The kids played in the pool and we all swam at the beach.  Then we changed into fancy clothes and had a yummy dinner - in the outdoor dining room, SERVED to us.  It was luxurious.  For the first time in I can't tell you how many months I had a couple drinks, really cut loose and had a good time.  :)

Tapa Cloth Field Trip

Tapa is a fibrous paper made from bark.  It's mostly made in the South Pacific.  The bark is softened and then pounded to spread the bark into sheets.  Printing plates are made by carving into huge logs. The paper is spread over the log and the tapa is rubbed with dye to stain the sheet with a design. The raised area creates the design.

It's an incredible process I got to see in action at a faraway village.  I took a day trip to when the kids were in school.    These aren't my pictures however.  

I love the look of this paper!  I have been working with a local company to create a number of sheets of tapa with a cool design that includes the Petroglyph logo.  I am bringing a bunch home with the hopes of figuring out how to use this tribal decor at Petroglyph.  

Socks and G-d

I have one pair of socks here with me.  I wear them with my walking shoes.  And I wear them a lot. It often rains on my runs and my socks get soaked.  When I return from a run, I leave my socks in the sun to dry.  10 days ago my only pair of socks disappeared.  Gone.  I thought either the pool guy took them or the dogs couldn't resist their lovely aroma. 

One of my best girlfriends (you know who you are) just got through with a pretty nasty divorce. She commented the other day that through this last two years of difficulty, she has prayed a lot. She confided that everything she has prayed for in this hard time has come to fruition - in all different manners - guidance, a lovely house to live in, a loving man, financial stability.  She's been pretty amazed.

So, here I am in this beautiful land of many religions and lots of prayer.  And I thought... I'm going to give this a try.  I'm going to say a prayer, in earnest.  I have lots of things I would like to manifest in my life and I could sure use some help.  I thought I'd start out small.  I prayed for my socks to please come back to me. I really did.  

Now, I know this is hard to believe, or maybe it isn't, but the very next morning there was one sock in my yard. I was astounded.  It was absolutely a sign that somebody was listening.  I almost felt G-d giggling when I walked outside.  I was giddy.

Evidently returned by the dog, angels come in all forms.

I certainly never thought I'd have a complete pair of socks again,  I was content with a divine message and demonstrative gesture of support.  

You know the end of this story.  

The next morning, there it was.  

My second sock, sitting in the green grass at my front door.

Facts of Life - 4 things I really don't like

1. 1.  Head lice and frequent lice checks
2. 2.  Squished frogs on the road - driving at night there are tons of frogs on the warm concrete peel.  They seem to freeze in the headlights.  Squishing is inevitable, and really gross.  By day, on our bikes, a flattened frog is a common sight.  I'll spare you the picture on this one.
3.  3.  Boils - boils are a staph infection.  They are very contagious and common on the kids at school. Preventative care is taking a shower and washing down every day right after school.  Alina can unfortunately tell you how painful they are.  And again, medical care here isn't like it is in the states.  
4. 4.  Lizards - Mostly they are cute, harmless animals eating house bugs.  There are two things I really don't like about lizards.  One is that they leave little droppings all over the house. The other is that I keep finding them in my banana's.  They creep in to eat them and it's just disgusting to peel a banana and find a lizard in there having breakfast.  Yuck.  

Doggy Love

This is the first dog we adopted.  Beqa (pronounced Benga).  Then we found Fanta.  Then Fanta went into heat, and our yard became home to an additional 7 male dogs.  We had dog fights every night outside our door and quite a lot of scrambling.  I actually liked bearing witness to  nature at her unbridled finest.  Fanta is now pregnant.  I have a hunch which dog is the dad.  I continue to watch nature's cycle happening all in my back yard.  I feel like a researcher carefully observing every detail and trying not to interfere.  It's amazing and beautiful to witness.  I wish I were going to be here long enough to see the puppies.  

Heading back to our Villa

Our time here in Fiji has definitely had it's challenges and hardships.  And my relationship with Rikki has gone through many openings, shut downs and adjustments.  We had a great weekend together.  It was restful, fun and very healing.  That's me at the entry door to our Villa.  

Potatoes, Ice Cream and Wild Seas

The boat ride to Beqa was 'interesting'.  We were on the supply boat that provisions the resort, so we were packed up with huge bags of flour, potatoes, carrots.  And ice cream.  It was windy and the waters were very rough, tossing our boat in rather large rolling waves.  At one point the boat turned sideways to the waves and we really got wet and roughed about.  I tumbled downstairs to check with the captain, who, to my surprise was not attending the wheel.  He was standing among the ice cream with a spoon.  Evidently he just couldn't wait.  Boat be damned.

Frolicking with friends

Going on holiday

Rikki and I and the kids went away for the weekend to a little island just off the shore from where we live.  Beqa Island (pronounced Benga - the isle that inspired our dogs name).  From the time we stepped off the boat, I felt a wash of relaxation and ease.  Like most of the resorts here, the people are warm and welcoming, the food is deliciously tropical, and time seems to slow to a point that there is enough to do everything - including nothing.

Boys Fijian Meke Dance

While away on holiday, there was an evening planned with a Fijian Meke Dance show performed by the residents of the local village.  The women were graceful and synchronized. Their dance was subtle in its gesture and each dance told a story about their village life.  The boys (ages 7-11) did 3 different dances - each more incredible then the next.  Feisty, spirited, pulsing, masculine.  They danced with their warrior clubs: waving them in mock battle, slamming them to the floor to create rhythmic percussion, and even poking at us in the audience.  Other parents, younger brothers and sisters sat on a mat behind the dancers playing instruments and singing - creating the music for the evening.  Every villager had a role, a contribution.  And man, did they all know how to move freely and with abandon.  Truly inspiring night. 

Rugby with the Village boys

Rikki took the boys for a walk into the local village.  It was pouring rain.  She said they all greeted each other rather tentatively.  Each party intrigued by the other but not sure how to connect.  Then, they discussed a rugby game - tackle or touch?  Rikki chimed in and said "Touch!".  And the games began, on the field, in the rain with great verve and enthusiasm.  T'kai and Jonah were elated and exhausted when they got home.  

Church on Sundays

Now this is religion.  Every Sunday there is a non-denominational service in an open air bure on the sand.  It starts with drums, keyboard, guitar and singing.  Then there is Children's Church.  The kids all gather on a mat. The Pastor, Chris, is animated, engaging, and connects with the kids asking questions and talking - gently leading them to his lesson for the day.  More songs just with the kids, then he leads a short prayer.  When Children's Church is over, they are dismissed and go frolic behind us in the sand or over in the grass and the adult portion of the service begins.  The pastor speaks beautifully and with a broad knowledge of many religions.  I feel uplifted, focused and thoughtful at the end.  It's really a lovely way to spend our Sunday mornings.

Rain, Flooding, Puddles and Swollen Rivers

Major rains here. Deep. deep puddles, flooding in the local villages.  A number of schools are closed as are portions of the main highway.  The rain here is huge!  The drops are big, heavy. They come in weighted torrential downpours.  I washed my hair standing outside.   The thunder is loud and forceful.  No lightning.  The deluge makes the river outside swell and travel swiftly.  They are brown with mud and debris.  Swimming is not safe for obvious reasons, but also because of newly stirred up bacteria.  We always check the clarity of the water before we decide to swim.  

Here's an article to give you a flavor of the local news.
Just click below where it says LABEL.

Post Dive Briefing

Rikki got the book out again and confirmed all the creatures we saw in the water.  Jonah listens intently and has an eager curiosity for this.  He found a book about Scuba for kids and read through it every night with such a genuine interest - reading excerpts out loud...  "mom, listen to this..."

Scuba Diving at Beqa Island

We went to explore the reef.  Rikki and Tkai had scuba gear and Jonah and I snorkeled right above them.  Rikki gave Jonah her octopus (spare regulator) and took Jonah under her arm ... down they went.  Jonah's first time breathing underwater in the ocean and going deep enough to look up close at the coral and it's many critters.  It was great to have the view from above watching them explore.  Who better then a Marine Biologist to take us scuba diving.  She is competent, informative and excited to teach.  Rikki had spent some time with us before the dive identifying fish in a book.  Then as we dove, she pointed them out and we could recognize them. Warm water, beach entry, colorful reef 20 yards out, 50' visibility.  Couldn't have asked for better.

More Fiji Day

Fiji Day Celebration

Fiji Day is a celebration of Fiji's independence from the British Crown.  All the cultures celebrate.  The kids school had a great day of costume and dance.  Article below.

Evening Prayers

We have friends who faithfully attend "evening prayers" every night for 2-3 hours. I finally decided to ask if we could attend.  This week was very special.  There is a statue of the Virgin Mary that travels around the island.  It happens to be in Pacific Harbour right now.  She comes to honor her devotees by spending the night in their house.  It is a great priviledge and pleasure for the family.  It is customary to clear your living room of furniture, and create a beautiful altar.  Families bring out their fine linens, fresh flowers and sacred objects to decorate the altar... The statue (She) stays for one or two nights, and can not be left alone through the evening hours.  The family whose house She stays keeps her company by sleeping in the same room. The evening program began with an hour of praying and singing.  What I like about religions other the Jewish, is the simple fact that the services are in ENGLISH.  After prayer, She is moved to the next house. There was an amazing procession with each follower carrying flowers, 4 boys with guitars leading prayer, candle holders lighting the dark walk, and about 40 devotees walking slowly, beautifully singing hymns.  Alina got to hold a flower bouquet and lead the entire procession to the next house where the Virgin Mary would reside for the evening.  After we arrived, there was another hour of prayers and then a festive dinner for the whole group.  It was quite a night.  Amazing to know that the following evening, the group repeated the entire extravaganza to land at yet another house.  And that this would continue for two weeks. Halleluyah.