Dilkusha girls winners with their choir

from w
Dilkusha Primary School celebrate after winning first prize in the singing contest, and best conductor at the Methodist conference at Furnival Park in Suva today. The Conference kicked off with a soli and children's choirs. The adult choirs will sing in Centenary Church in the daytime and Furnival Park at night. It's raining as usual!

Peceli and I have a soft spot for Dilkusha schools, orphanage and the little church near the river as we lived in Shantiniwas one year. The photo of the church was taken by Petere Williams.

And there were dozens of other winners though some choirs were only half-size because of the school term alteration and the children were all over the place being holidays. Some other winners (so far) were Jasper Williams, Delana, Lelean, Ballantine, QVS, Samabula East, Davuilevu, YPD, and even the military got at least two trophies. No matter that the 'official' position of the Methodist Church is to disapprove of the regime! There are no overseas this year - sometimes choirs come from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Wellington and not only sometimes win a trophy or two but give large soli donations. I wonder why the choirs did not attend. I don't expect many Vanua Levu choirs will be there this time as their members are too busy getting ready for the Conference in Naduri a week away.

Apisai Rokoduna and turtles

From Peceli,
I met with Apisai Rokoduna and took his photo when he came to Vatuadova. He is a committee member with Tui Macuata Ratu Osea Katonivere. We talked about conservation and turtles. Turtle breeding and mating starts this month and then December January and February the female turtles start laying eggs the size of ping-pong balls in the sand of Vorovoro and Nanuku sand beach near Vesi and Nasausau. After months the baby turtles about the size of 2 and half inches will come our from the warmth of the sand and go back into the water. Later the female turtles will come back to the same breeding grounds to lay eggs again. So that Auntie Timaima's song about Rovete is still true about the turtles of Vorovoro and Mali Islands. The photo of Vorovoro Island was taken by Ben Keene of tribewanted.







from w.
What's with the pink paint on the house? Was there a special on bright pink at the hardware store in Labasa? I liked the pale green better!

Preparations for a funeral

from w
Peceli told me that the Vatuadova village is full of people. Yesterday a large group of people related to Suliana's husband, Samisoni, arrived from Bua and Tavea Island with their gifts, as well as relatives and friends from Labasa. There are now many cows and pigs brought by the visitors. The vakatunuloa sheds are up and the houses are filling with people, some arriving on the ferry and bus from Suva and other places, including lots of children. More will come by plane today. Everyone knows their responsiblity - the cooking, speech-making, preparation of kava, prayers, singing, crying. The funeral will be tomorrow.

My tribute for Suliana

I have known Suliana Sigani for over forty years. We first met in Lautoka when she lived with Peceli in a household with three generations. Peceli was one of the ministers attached to Wesley Methodist Church then.

But Suliana's early life had been spent in Labasa (where St Mary’s hostel now is) and when her father died Suliana nd Peceli went to live with older relatives in Naseakula village while other brothers and sisters went to Mali Island. After schooling finished, and as a teenager, Suliana worked for an Australian family in the Colonial Sugar Refinery as their housegirl and she moved with them to Suva and then Lautoka. She married Samisoni who is from Bua and who was working with land surveying.

After a family tragedy in Naikoro, Suliana took over raising two little girls, Ulamila and Ateca, and the family moved back to the family land of Vatuadova starting with a small bush hut. This was reserve land but no one was living there at the time. Peceli and I were living in Lautoka then.

Suliana and Samisoni and Irimaia and Evia developed a cane farm and gradually the farm grew into a village as more wooden houses were built. Peceli and I lived there for three years and all the childen had an idyllic life in Vatuadova. At one time we lived in bamboo bures beside the sea at Nukutatava, but Vatuadova was the base for the family which was related to Wailevu so there were always many visitors coming, and visits to relatives in Wailevu, Nakama and other places.

At that time Nau Levu (Peceli and Suli’s mother) lived with Suli’s family and when she died, she was the first to be buried on the little hill at Vatuadova. Nau Levu came from Vesi village in Mali and always there has been a strong connection with Mali Island.

Suliana continued to be the strong matriarch of the family and a woman of great devotion to the church, community and family. She was a very strict woman, sometimes hot-tempered, and she always wanted all the mataqali children and young adults to behave according to her high standards.

She and Samisoni moved to Tuatua housing and the house there soon became filled with many young relatives as Suliana became the mother and grandmother to many children. Diuna, their youngest daughter grew up, married, and lives in Labasa. One day Suliana was surprised by visitors from Australia - it was the family she had worked with when she was a teenager and young adult.

After the eldest brother Pala died, Suliana was appointed head of the mataqali and she became the formal leader of the family.
However her health deteriorated in recent years. Isa lei, it was her time last weekend to leave us. We celebrate her life and remember her goodness, strength of will, smile and unique personality.

Vorovoro update and a hut for $250

from w
The tribewanted website has some new stories - one about the Mali children (on holiday because of the strike-breakers put school holidays forward two weeks) and an eco learning experience, and how to build a hut for $250. The stories are here.

Children, magic numbers & the use of power
Posted : Mon Aug 13 23:33:50 UTC 2007

o The $250 house
$20-$40 on scrap wood from the saw mill
$40 for transport
$150 for a 1-2 days skilled labour + tribe help
$40 Fijian mat brought from local village
Everything else we make with island materials (driftwood/coconut palms)


Compare this with the kind of bure design built for tourists at the resorts around Nadi, the Coral Coast, the Mamanucas and Yasawa Islands. Hmmm. And the tourists think they are having a taste of the South Pacific lifestyle!

A gift of a wheelchair and a computer

from Peceli
Here are two photos I took when I visited a Labasa family. The Geelong Donation in Kind had given this girl a wheelchair and a computer a couple of months ago. the girl is rom Bulileka village and also in the photo is the District Officer Northern.

From a happy day to great sadness

from Peceli
The Vorovoro trip was very good with Mila, Talei, Degei and the boys with Bameti. We were welcomed by the Tui Mali and Ben the founder of the Vorovoro project Tribewanted. It was such a happy day. Then there is a great sadness with the loss of my sister Suliana.

Back at Vatuadova everybody is busy doing their allocated jobs, building sheds and cleaning the compound in preparation for all the visitors coming. They built special room for me to stay in Boso’s house. The funeral of my sister will be on Friday.

Team Fiji ready for South Pacific Games

from w
The South Pacific Games will be held in Samoa from August 25 to September 8.

Men's: 100m: Iowane Dovumatua, Jone Delai, Jone Mudu, Timoci Momolevu, Filipo Delai (one to be chosen after Melanesian Champs); 200m: William McGoon, Niko Verekauta, Iliesa Namosimalua; 400m: Niko Verekauta, Waisea Finau, Iliesa Namosimalua, Gabireli Matavola; 110m hurdles: Jovesa Naivalu, Jone Wainiqolo; 400m hurdles: Jone Wainiqolo, Jovesa Naivalu; 800m: Isireli Naikelekelevesi; 1500m: Sanjay Kumar, Isireli Naikelekelevesi; 3000m stepple chase: Vishant Kumar, Kavitesh Behari (Reserve); 5000m: Sanjay Kumar; 10,000m: Rajendra Singh, Kavitesh Behari (reserve); marathon: Rajendra Singh, Vishant Kumar; Long jump-Eroni Tuivanuavou, Anasa Cakaunivalu, Filimoni R (reserve); Triple jump: Eugene Volmer, Anasa Cakaunivalu; High jump: Rajendra Prasad; Shotput: Solomoe Qisavola, Iosefo Vulaloa (reserve); Discuss: Iosefo Vuloaloa (reserve); Javelin: Leslie Copeland, Iosefo Vuloaloa (reserve); Multi events: Harold Nair, Iosefo Vuloaloa (reserve); Walk: 20/10km: Dip Chand; Walk 50km: Pradeep Chand (reserve); 4x100m: Jone, Iowane, Niko, Iliesa, William, (Timoci, Jone, Filipo); 4x400m: Niko, Waisea, Iliesa, Gabrieli, William, Isireli, Jone W.

Women's: 100m: Alena Vadrasamu, Sera Tuinalase, Makelesi Bulikiobo; 200m: Bulikiobo, Anameli Navuki-tu, Alena Vadrasamu; 400m: Makelesi Bulikiobo, Torika Odro, Paulini Korowaqa; 100m hurdles 400m hurdles: Salote Niulevu; 800m: Torika Odro; 1500m: Akesa Drotini, Nohela (reserve); 3000m Stepple chase: Akesa Drotini; 5000m: Drotini; Long jump: Soko Salaqiqi, Makelesi Tumalevu; Triple jump: Soko Salaqiqi; Shot put: Milika Tuivanuavou; Javelin: Sisilia Lau; Multi events: Milika Tuivanuavou; 4x100m: Alena, Makalesi, Sera, Soko, Anameli; 4x400: Makelesi, Pauline, Laura, Torika, Anameli, Salote.

Farewell Suliana

from w
I received the sad news today that Peceli's beloved sister Suliana passed away last night in Labasa, so the clan will come together to re-affirm relationships and farewell Suli at a funeral later this week. Here is a picture from the archives when Suli was the mother and aunt to many children at Vatuadova farm. The children in this photo are now grown up and some have settled far away from Vatuadova, to places such as New Zealand and Australa.

Cane season in Labasa

from Peceli
I am in Labasa town and the weather is fairly good. This morning I woke up at 4 am with the sound of a cane truck when the driver came to pick the boys to go and load the cane from Teca's cane farm next door. As I was trying to put my thoughts together I was disturbed by the singing of the Toatagane roosters and every 15 seconds they were crying ko ko yoo continually till daybreak. The houses in Vatuadova look very good with the repairs and new paint. I took some photos and here are two of them.

Vorovoro and green power

from w
In the tribewanted website there is a new article about the beginning of green power in Vorovoro with solar panels and a wind turbine. This sounds a major step forward. Go to this link

Ecotricity energise tribe as power comes to Vorovoro
Posted : Mon Aug 06 03:18:54 UTC 2007

The power and the glory: a landmark day for Vorovoro
Tribe get green power solution on Vorovoro and enjoy a perfect day of weather. The ever changing island community will now be able to run its HQ from a couple of laptops in a thatched hut amongst the coconut palms, thanks to green electricity company Ecotricity.
My question: Was this a gift to tribewanted on Vorovoro? Or did someone have to pay for it? As far as I know solar energy is very expensive in Fiji to set up. So...

Painting with mellow yellow

from w
It's my birthday but there are no cakes this time, only the task painting the kitchen, Junior and me, white cupboards, brown ochre trim, and bright yellow walls. The kitchen is looking good so far, but I'm going crazy boiling the kettle next to the piano, buttering bread with a vegetable knife, junk everywhere but in the kitchen. We hope to finish tomorrow. When relatives called this morning I was in a tizz because I couldn't cook a meal for them.

Anyway my grandkids remembered this special day and sent pictures this morning and some minimalist art this evening. Good to see someone is carrying on the art tradition in the family.

Journalists and the environment

from w
I googled fiji news topix and found this article from New Zealand via 'Scoop' and the Fiji Times and Fiji Post ran similar articles yesterday.
To me, this is just as important as news of nurses on strike being arrested with their signs.

Journalists Should Boost Ocean Awareness
Tuesday, 7 August 2007, 9:20 am
Press Release: Pacific Media Watch

Journalists Should Boost Ocean Awareness, Says Educator
The health and wellbeing of Pacific Islanders are inextricably linked to the health of their ocean, which is under threat from internal and external sources, says a journalism educator. Shailendra Singh, divisional head of journalism at the University of the South Pacific, said journalists as guardians of the public interest should be at the forefront of creating awareness about ocean conservation.
Singh was guest speaker the opening of this year's SeaWeb lecture series for journalists in The Fiji Times board room in Suva.

Addressing journalists attending the series, he said that in developing countries such as ours, journalists could play a vital role in informing the public and helping it influence how their governments balance economic growth with sustainability.

Singh added that externally, threats such as over fishing and fishing piracy posed a grave danger given the commercial pressures on the world's tuna fisheries.
Internally, the run off from indiscriminate use of fertilisers, land clearing, deforestation and unregulated coastal and inshore fisheries were destructive.
"You the reporter cannot dismiss stories about the environment as not being of interest to the reader as maybe before," he said.

"The environment has always been a major public interest issue, it is becoming more so nowadays. As a journalist, you are duty bound to start taking notice of and reporting about the environment simply because the health of environment has a big impact on the health of our nation and people," Singh said.

The positive role that the media could play was demonstrated by its coverage of the locally managed marine areas, Singh said. Under this scheme, fishing is banned in some places for a period. "The amount of fish that was harvested after the close of the taboo period in some areas had not been seen by many people in living memory. The publicity created awareness and influenced a lot of villages to join the programme."

Singh said in April a report by USP journalism students probably halted plans by the Fisheries Ministry in Fiji to release an invasive species such as tilapia in new waterways. He added that because the media was the primary source of environmental information for most people, it had a heavy responsibility in keeping the public informed. He said environmental stories had to compete for space and airtime with politics, entertainment, the economy and business and usually lost out.
At the time of instability, such as the coups in Fiji and the civil unrest in the Solomon Islands, the environment was put on the back burner, and it was up to the journalists to keep the public attention focused by ongoing coverage, he said.
Internationally, Singh said the public mood was changing towards news stories about the environment.

"Studies have shown that public demand for these stories is high. You can see and sense this in the media, if not locally and regionally, then in the overseas media and online. One reason is that as the environment deteriorates and people's health and livelihoods become adversely affected, they are becoming more concerned and hungrier for information." Singh added that journalists themselves had fuelled concerns by reporting on the environment, creating awareness and causing the public to demand answers. Singh added that environmental issues such as sea level rising were global issues and as such, international stories.

He added that environment stories often encompassed many other issues. For example, the economies of many Pacific Island countries depended on the fisheries sector, which because of the huge sums of money involved, had become hotbeds for corruption, Singh said. "A story on logging in the Solomon Islands is also about the economy as the Solomons economy, while the fastest growing in the Pacific, is based on just one rapidly growing natural resource, timber.

"It's also about governance as successive governments have mismanaged the Solomons' Forestry," he said.

The SeaWeb lecture series is a crash course in marine science for journalists. The course was first introduced last year.

SeaWeb's communication analyst, Vasemaca Rarabici, said the Course will include a series of marine lectures presented by marine experts from Government; NGO's and the private sector. She said the purpose of the lectures was to provide members of the media with the foundation of basic science knowledge they need to report on complex ocean stories.

"Lecture topics range from fish biology to ecosytem linkages to the climate. Participants will also meet local ocean experts and explore their research during fieldtrips specially designed to enhance understanding. The Course will take place over a period of six months where Journalists will meet twice every month," said Rarabici.

Seaweb is an NGO, a US-based Communication Company that helps bridge the gap between marine experts and the media

Suva diary Sunday and Monday

from Peceli
It's a beautiful day in Suva with the sunshine shining. Yesterday the church service in Coloisuva went well, the monthly service and the singing was excellent. Tauvu, the late Saimoni Kete's brother is the Choir master of the Church and it brought back the memory of the Labasa Choir in Kete's time.
I went to the Centenary Church at 4pm to attend the monthly combined service and then we had food and kava and then I came home.
I am really busy with looking after three boys because of their unexpected
school holiday so we went to the Swimming Pool in Laucala beach and it was very good. Tonight we are having kava at home. Bale went to the funeral of some distant relative. My regard to the DIK team tomorrow.

Fiji is still the best place on earth, a Chinese woman said to me. She is the owner of a cafe and she said this to me comparing it with Sydney.

Changing Fiji school holiday dates

from w
What are some of the consequences of changing the dates of school holidays suddenly?

Boarding school students somehow have had to find fares to go home earlier than planned.
Parents have to make sure the children are supervised in the next two weeks and perhaps change their own holiday plans.
The schools that provide accommodation and hospitality for the Methodist Choir Competition have to make different arrangments.

The Hibiscus Festival dates cannot be brought back to provide entertainment for families. (Well, there will be less money spent I guess.)
The South Pacific Games in Samoa is scheduled to co-incide with school holidays in Pacific Island nations and many of Fiji's athletes are young and of school age and now they will go away and miss school.

Some of the problems have been pointed out by the Methodist Church but so far the answer is no change to the altered dates.

State rejects church's request

1644 FJT Fiji TimesMonday, August 06, 2007

Update: 4.44pm THE Methodist Church of Fiji plans to seek an audience with the interim Prime Minister on the Education Ministry's revised term two holidays. Church General Secretary, Reverend Ame Tugaue, said the ministry's plans will affect the church's annual choir competition, which is usually scheduled for the start of the second term holidays in mid-August.

During the week-long competition, participants are billeted in schools around Suva.

Last week, the church had requested that 10 schools in the capital remain open this week so students can continue classes and take their holidays next week, freeing up the schools to accomodate choirs.

This was rejected today after the ministry initially gave its approval last week.

Reverend Tugaue said, based on last week's approval, the church made radio announcements during the weekend that the festival would still go ahead on the planned dates.However, today they were informed that all schools will be closed from 6th to 17th August. The choir competition had been planned for 18 August.

Susan Kurosawa's Fiji Resort Test

from w
The Australian newspaper has an excellent travel writer, Susan Kurosawa, and I have enjoyed her articles for a few years because they are usually informative, quirky, humorous. But... what was she thinking in the Bula Groove article yesterday! As a guest of Fiji Beach Resort & Spa aka Denarau, managed by the Hilton chain, she relaxed on the beach or in a villa with all the luxury offered to tourists who can pay $545 a room.

I quote: 'You can call in a chef for $50 an hour and do the barbie for you.' 'Babysitting charges are a low $F6 an hour.' The article does not of course mention coups, strikes, Momi Bay, the normal pay for a hotel staff member as about $2.50 an hour, and what the Fiji papers are currently saying. Here is 'political/tourist brochure' correctness without the full story.

She writes: 'greeted by the customary bula by everyone I pass. I ask one of the housekeepers how often she says the word each day. She finds my curiousity amusing. 'Too many times to count, ' she giggles. 'We Fijians say Bula all day long, probably in our sleep.''

I read this article soon after posting about poverty in Fiji. The Fiji Bula test, now the Fiji Resort Test. Hmmmm.

Suva Diary

from Peceli
Today I went for a walk with Andrew, Ilaitia and Pinky down Ragg Avenue and it was very enjoyable.
Our visit to the Father Law Retirement village today was very good because lots of the people we know were there doing the catering and selling items for the bazaar.
The Retirement Home is built on the foot of the hill past the Cement Factory in Lami area on the Queens Road highway. Three Catholic sisters are there and a part European from Savusavu from the Simpson family. They were happy to see the kids and they took special attention of Wendy Junior. Bale introduced the kids to them. Bale had been working there as part of the course she took last year. The photo below is of Margaret Simpson, Mary Fong and Sunita, and the othera above are of some of our family in Suva.

Government and Welfare in Fiji

from w
Further on my thoughts about care and welfare, I found a recent Fiji Times article about what government can do for needy people. However it is the South Pacific norm (or was) for families to care for their elderly men and women and not send them to institutions nor expect a cheque every month. Times are changing though and it is good that very poor senior citizens can be helped financially - though few would access this offer - especially those in distant rural or island locations. Many would have pride too, that they are not 'poor' but their families have the responsibility for their daily needs.

The photo of the beggar in Suva was taken by Peter Williams.

From Fiji Times

Welfare to help 25,286 families through scheme
Saturday, July 21, 2007

A total of 25,286 families will be assisted through the Family Assistance scheme this year, says media liaison officer, Ministry of Social Welfare, Frederick Elbourne. Mr Elbourne said the above was the number of approved applications for family assistance allowances. The Family Assistance Scheme provides assistance to the poor and disadvantage families. It is a supplement cash allowance paid on a monthly basis.

"We have been receiving numerous applications for assistance but not all who applied for family assistance allowance qualify or meet the criteria to receive it," said Mr Elbourne. He said the Welfare Ministry staff had also carried out a review and visited homes of the family assistance allowance recipients."We are also in the process of conducting an assessment of all the recipients in a form of a rapid assessment survey under our Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign," he said. "This is all part of the exercise in our change of payment mode for the family assistance allowance," he said.

Upon carrying out an audit in 2006, the department did not come across any case whereby assistance was given to a family that had not applied for Family Assistance Scheme, he said. "All families that are assisted are listed. We can not give family assistance allowance to someone who is not listed," said Mr Elbourne.

The Ministry of Social Welfare has been allocated $18 million for family assistance funds. Minister for Social Welfare, Adi Laufitu Malani said $9million would be used in the first three months of the year and the other $9million would be used in the later six months. She said they were re-looking at the applications so those who needed help more than the others are assisted first.

The elderly and single mothers are paid $60 to $100 a month. The scheme is meant for those who do not have the means of support and the ability to cope.

The Bula Fiji Test

from w
Peceli emailed and said they will probably go to the Father Law Home bazaar today so it made me think about how a society like Fiji cares for needy people such as any elderly or disabled persons who are not cared for by family.

To my way of thinking, the test for a fair and just society is how that society cares for its disadvantaged people. Well, it is one of the tests. Fiji looks as if there are institutions and some welfare but there is still a long way to go.

Who is Facing Hardship? Certain groups are suffering more hardship than the rest of the community such as single mothers with little or no means of support, widows, elderly people neglected by family members, , mentally challenged and physically handicapped people, orphans, jobless people, people who only eat one full meal a day, and beggars. I found an interesting list in a goverment website.

Public Facilities
School and Vocational Training Center

1 Ba School for Special Education
Provide education and training to children with disability.
2 Diocese of Polymesia/Saint Christopher Home
Care for Orphans, unwanted, disabled
3 Early Intervention Center (Suva)
Educational and medical assistance to children from 0-8 years of age.Early development and improvement programs.
4 Father Law Home (private under the Catholic Church)
• Provide medical services
• Private assistance and care of old people
• Social gathering
• Exercises
5 Fiji School for the Blind (Suva)
• Educational and Vocational training to visually impaired children.
• Also accommodation to those who come from far.
6 Fiji Vocational and Technical Training Centre for the Disabled Persons (Suva)
• Agriculture science
• Computer Training
• Woodwork Skills
• Home Economic
• Screen Printing
• Indigenous Craft
• Sewing and needle craft
7 Gospel School for the Deaf (Suva)

Education for children with hearing impairment
8 Hilton Special School
• Educational and Vocational training to children with all sorts of disabilities.
• Accommodation to children coming from far away.
9 Home of Compassion (Suva)
For PWDs above 60 years old.
• Care for the elderly and PWDs.
10 Labasa School for the Handicapped
Provide education and training to children with multiple disability.
11 Lautoka Intellectually Handicapped School
Provide education and training to people with intellectual disabilities.
12 Lautoka School for Special Educaion
Provide education and training to children with disability.
13 Levuka School for Handicapped
Provide classes for disabled children
14 Methodist Church in Fiji/Dilkusha Home
Family support, hospital chaplain support, health care, education and care for orphans and disabled
15 Nadi Centre for Special Education
Provide education and training to children with special education needs.
16 Naroro Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled (Sigatoka Nadroga)
Courses on coffin boc building, sewing, tie craft, and other handwork
17 Nausori Special Education School
Education and training to children with disability.Boarding facility
18 Old People's Home (Suva)
• Outing
• Medical services
• BBQ (Beaches)
• Factories/loose cutting
19 Pearce Home (Suva)
For PWDs above 60 years old.
• Sewing handicrafts
• Book selling
20 Ra Society School for the Handicapped
Education and training to children with multiple disabilities
21 Saint Christopher's Home (Naulu/Nausori)
For PWDs between 4-17 years old
• Outings, picnics, normal Housework
22 Savusavu School for the Handicapped
Provide education and training to children with disability.
23 Seventh Day Adventist/Dorcas Relief Society
• Home visits
• General Relief Work
24 Sigatoka School for Special Education
Educational and training to children with special education needs.
25 Suva Intellectually Handicapped School
Provides education and vocational training to children and youth of intellectual disabilities.
26 Suva School for Special Education (Lautoka branch)
School for persons with physical and hearing impairment.
27 Suva Vocational Training Centre Brown Street
Courses on agricultural science, computer, woodwork, home economic, screen printing, indigenous craft, sewing and needle craft
28 Tamavua Medical Rehabilitation Unit
Medical services and equipment to people with physical disabilities
29 Veilomani Boys Home
Primary and vocational skills
30 Veilomani Boys Home and Association
Primary and vocational skills
31 Veilomani Rehabilitation Centre (Ba)
• Provide normal school programmer for handicapped and vocational programmer
• Woodwork, light engineering, mechanical engineering, mechanical engineering
• Offset printing of stationery, book binding, metal work, screen printing, sheltered workshop, comput
32 Western Disabled People's Association
Persons with disabilities in Lautoka City

Hospital/Rehabilitation Centers

1 National Rehabilitation Medicine Hospital (Suva)
• The Unit offers rehabilitation for people with many types of disabilities but with emphasis on spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation, head injury, neuro-degeneratifve diseases, orthopedic and development problems
• The unit actively promotes Community based rehabilitatio and sports for people with disabilities
2 Saint Giles Psychiatric Hospital (Suva)
• Psychiatric health services
• Occupation therapy
• Psycho-social rehabilitation
• Counseling
• Substance abuse
• Forensic psychiatry

School holidays start early in Fiji

from w
So school holidays have been put forward two weeks because of the teachers' strike. As a consequence Hibiscus Festival will open earlier than planned so the kids can go along. So then, what is happening with the opening of the Methodist Church Conference? Will that be put forward so that choirs can join in their competition with full membership? Every move has a consequence doesn't it... The cartoon comes from the Fiji Times.

More on All Those Bright Crosses

from w
I finished the book in two days but didn't write much about it at the time. It's certainly an intriguing take on life in Suva, centering on the fictional Twilight Homestay where the protaganist has free board in exchange for a few chores and he also has a column in a Fiji newspaper. This I find hard to believe because of Fiji's work visa restrictions for foreigners. However the essence of the book is located in Sydney - a marriage breakdown after the death of a child, then a gambling addiction.

The title 'All Those Bright Crosses' has a simple explanation but so much more could be made of it - either as bright coins/dollars/or religious symbols. In Fiji there are crosses on roadsides after accidents, crosses in churches. The lure of bright coins of course could be applied to the Fijian man who was deported from Australia after seven years and he is introducted the first scene, also to the girl Tabua seeking a better life and the modern-day rascals. The Charlie Savage mysterious treasure is a bit of a goose chase.

The mix of modern day beachcombers however makes this an enjoyable book as the author has used his research and trips to Fiji to observe the various Australian, New Zealand, Chinese people who these days move and do deals in Fiji with little respect for either the Fijian or Indo-Fijian community.

This is not an academic treatise of course, but a piece of fiction in the picador imprint of Pan Macmillan and can be enjoyed by the reader who looks for drama, crime, detection, adventure, or a travel diary. Still though, it's a blokey book ... but I think it could make a good movie.