Thursday 29 September 2011

Lizzie Hayes' Magical Christmas Travels- Part 3

Heeeeeere's Part 3! See the top right-hand side of the blog for the other 2 parts. Where's Lizzie off to this time?...



Lizzie Hayes' Magical Christmas Travels

Chapter 3

So- the last time we left Lizzie,
She was in a little tizzy-
It was crazy, strange, bizarre, absurd--
The night before…it HAD occurred!
There WAS a bracelet on her wrist!
OK, I think you get the gist-
Her and Chumps HAD gone to Nepal…
And now she heard her mother’s call:
‘Lizzie my love, it’s Christmas Day!
Looks like Santa’s been round our way!’
So Liz went down to gifts galore-
Dolls and sweets and games and more!
But her unwrapping was too swift-
She had just one unopened gift
From Granddad Steve, who wore a look
That said ‘I read you like a book!
I know you found the globe last night!’
But Granddad kept his lips shut tight
And passed over his gift instead,
‘Liz, you might need this soon,’ he said.
Intrigued, Liz tore the gift apart
And found a COMPASS at its heart!
Poor Lizzie’s mum looked quite confused
As Steve said ‘Liz, know how that’s used?
If unsure where you should head forth,
Just look at your compass and head NORTH!
Follow that rule and you will go FAR…’
Lizzie thought this advice bizarre
And did not think of it again
Until that night at half past ten
When she was all tucked up in bed
And thought of all that Steve had said.
That day had been a real treat
With lots of tasty food to eat,
But this is what she’d waited for-
The chance to travel round some more,
And it just wouldn’t be the same
If Chumps was not part of the game!
Holding her breath, her eyes shut tight
Liz spun the globe with all her might
And stopped it at…well, just you wait!
First comes the part that Lizzie hates-
That dizzy feeling, falling fast,
Hoping, praying it wouldn’t last…
Then it stopped. Liz opened her eyes,
Looked around, and to her surprise
Found just sand, and MORE sand on the ground,
For miles, nothing else around!
Chumps ran this way, and then ran that,
Chasing an illusional cat,
(The heat made him hallucinate
And sweat at an alarming rate!)
Lizzie had not learned from before-
A nightie was all that she wore
But THIS time she held up her sleeve
A present from her Granddad Steve.
She held the compass in her hand,
Preparing to walk ‘North’ as planned,
So her and Chumps walked northward way
And seemed to walk day after day,
Nothing around but MILES of sand
And heat that Lizzie could not stand.
Chumps became too tired to bark
And it was starting to get dark
So Liz and Chumps laid down to nap,
All that she knew- until a SLAP
Of water hit her in the face
That made poor Chumps run round the place!
      Liz looked around- to her surprise,
      There was a beautiful sunrise
      With orange, purple, pink and red-
      Strange noises made Liz turn her head-
Clump-clump-clumps and trumpetty-trumps,
That frightened both Lizzie and Chumps.
Lizzie followed the doggy’s stare-
A small-sized ELEPHANT was there!
Just him alone- did Lizzie DREAM
Or just behind was there a stream?
Lizzie did not give time to think,
Her and Chumps ran quickly to drink.
Then she felt something hit her head-
‘Where’d that come from?’ young Lizzie said,
She didn’t expect a reply
But then it came: ‘Just look up high!’
Lifting her head, she saw a BOY
Sat on the elephant with joy.
‘You like my elephant’s smart trick?
Now come with me, and please be quick!
In Namibia, LIONS rule-
They’ll eat us if we act like fools.
Come follow me, to these thick trees
And keep your dog hushed if you please.’
Namibia? She didn’t know
That place, but knew she had to go
And follow this boy to the trees--  
She had to fight the urge to freeze.
When they reached there, the boy slid down
His elephant, wearing a frown.
‘You’re not safe here- you must go home.
This is not a good place to roam.’
‘But how do I leave?’ Lizzie said.
With that, the boy just scratched his head.
‘Where are you from? Why are you here?
Why are the clothes you wear so queer?’
‘I spun a globe…’ young Lizzie said
Then felt a SLAP against her head!
The boy looked angry: ‘Not so loud!
We must not make these lions proud!
I don’t know why you’re here today,
But I’ll protect you all the way.’
Liz watched the elephant with awe
As she’d never seen one before.
It sat so calm, patient and still-
While Liz felt drained, confused and ill.
‘This is Kichaa, my only friend,’
Said the young boy. ‘We have to fend
For ourselves- our parents have gone,
But we both must still carry on.’
Liz looked at this boy with his shawl
And could not imagine at all
Never having her mum around—
But then she heard a RUSTLING sound.
‘Oh, what was that?’ Liz said with fright,
Chumps whimpered and ducked out of sight.
Liz’s tummy started doing flips,
Holding a finger to his lips
The boy whispered: ‘You must not move.’
Poor frightened Chumps did not approve
Of this advice, starting to BARK,
So fed up of this hiding lark.
Liz tried to hush him, with no luck
The boy said ‘It’s too late to duck,
But Kichaa can hold everyone,
Climb onto her, and then she’ll RUN
And so they did- Kichaa was small
But her strong back could hold them all.
And so she RAN- with many bumps,
But this was too much for poor Chumps
(Hard to hold on without a hand)-
So he fell off onto the sand,
And it was then that Lizzie spied
The thing from which they’d try to hide,
Creeping through trees with great finesse—
A golden, stalking lioness.
Preparing to pounce, wiggling her bum,
Petrified, Lizzie was struck dumb,
The lion’s eyes were black with cunning-
Just before she started RUNNING!
Lizzie screamed ‘Run as fast as you can!’
And so the doggy ran and ran.
In Swahili, ‘Kichaa’ means ‘mad’
Kichaa was not usually bad
But she was fed up of this game
And started to live up to her name.
She trumped and clumped, lifting her feet-
Liz and the boy both lost their seats-
Now they’d ALL be eaten up!
What Lizzie needed was a cup
Like in Nepal, to send them back-
Alas, this was a major lack.
The lioness was coming near
Now death was close, she felt great fear
And cried. But THEN! Out of nowhere
A TRUNK lifted them out of there!
All three of them, then Kichaa RAN
Faster than any beast or man—
You’ve never seen a thing so fast!—
The lioness stood there aghast!
Stunned by this young elephant’s speed
The lioness forgot her greed
And turned back towards the dense green-
Hopefully never to be seen.
The boy and Liz both gave a cheer
‘We live, all thanks to Kichaa here!’
‘Thank you!’ said Liz, ‘Err, what’s your name?’
‘I’m Akida, which means the same
As ‘belief’ in Swahili tongue.’
‘You know so much for one so young,’
Said Liz, ‘but where’s a cup of tea?
It’s the only way home, you see.’
Akida said ‘Your heart’s your home,
No matter where you choose to roam.
Now, I’m afraid I have no tea,
But I DO have this flask on me
That I filled when we passed that stream-
It had a special kind of gleam…’
Grabbing Chumps’ paw, Liz sipped away…
And woke up early the next day
Back in her bed, next to her dog;
She felt like she’d slept like a log.
First thing, she grabbed the globe to see
Just where Namibia could be
And found it was in AFRICA!
She thought of her friend Akida
Who she wanted to see one day-
Course, the GLOBE did not work that way.
Liz spins and points- that’s where she goes.
Where’s she off to next? Who knows?  

 (Unfortunately, I have not yet been to Africa...so thanks to sunsafaris.com for the pic.)

Monday 26 September 2011

Why Volunteer? F-COSS I Want To…


Well, this weekend didn’t turn out to be the adventure I hoped for…I came down with man flu, i.e. a little sniffly but basically debilitated for 2 days. Hopefully we’ll make up for it this weekend…

Onto a brighter note! Two weeks ago, I wandered into the offices of the FCOSS National Volunteer Centre, looking for volunteer work. After speaking awhile to a very kind-faced man, who turned out to the Executive Director of FCOSS, he agreed to take me on! Last week, I designed two newsletters from the comfort of Patrick and George’s office, but this week I have been working in the FCOSS office itself. I’ve not only been introduced to the lovely staff (one of whom, Ro Iva, has already offered to make Patrick and I traditional Fijian outfits!), but am learning so much more about this fantastic NGO.

What Patrick and I will look like in our sulu and chamba...maybe.


So, let me tell you a little about FCOSS, or the Fiji Council of Social Services. One of their main goals is to help Fijians- especially young people- find employment. Through their various volunteer schemes and workshops, they essentially help people to help themselves, by developing of key work and life skills. However, encouraging employment is not where the work of FCOSS ends; they also provide support for senior citizens. I was fortunate enough to have lunch with the attendees of a Senior Citizens Workshop at FCOSS HQ, and have a chat about their thoughts and feelings. Both of the cheerful gentlemen that I spoke to agreed that the younger generation is losing respect for their elders, and as a result there is a vital gap of knowledge between generations. It’s funny, maybe Fiji and the UK aren’t so different after all…



Sales pitch over! So that’s FCOSS…will hopefully be volunteering for them until I head home at the beginning of December. I only stumbled across them because of the big red banner outside their office building, but it’s opening my eyes to the NGO sector; a world I might never have encountered otherwise. I was almost too shy to walk in, sure that I didn’t have any ‘social service’ skills like care-giving or teaching that I could offer…but it just goes to show, you never know until you try. That’s become my general philosophy in life; never assume you’re not strong enough, skilled enough, clever enough…find out for yourself.

What I’ve especially loved about volunteering at FCOSS is how much they have involved me already. In the space of a week, I’ve been invited to three weddings, the staff Christmas party and a staff ‘Sport’s Day’! The latter- just a fun staff event with Fijian kids’ games- is happening tomorrow…should be a lot of fun! Always good to act silly once in a while! I’m becoming more and more convinced that Fijians are among the friendliest and craziest people in the world…

P.S Apologies for the exceptionally bad blog-post title. It's been a while since I posted one that cheesy...

Thursday 22 September 2011

Lizzie Hayes' Magical Christmas Travels- Part 2


Presenting Part 2 of my children's rhyming story serial...here's Part 1 if you'd like to read it. Hope you enjoy it!



Lizzie Hayes' Magical Christmas Travels

Chapter 2

Where was I? Oh yes! Lizzie Hayes-
A girl quite difficult to faze-
Spun her new globe like Santa said
And felt a PAIN inside her head
That made her feel sick and dizzy-
Truly baffled was our Lizzie!
Poor Chumps was feeling the same thing,
He kept on howling and barking!
Liz closed her eyes, prayed it would stop,
Then fell to her bum with a PLOP!
Feeling sore, she opened her eyes,
Looked around; much to her surprise
Her and Chumps had taken a ride
To a strange, snowy mountainside!
She rubbed her eyes hard to make sure,
But saw the same scene as before.
A turquoise blue sky overhead,
‘Where on earth are we?’ Lizzie said,
‘How did we get here- also, why?’
Chumps just barked loudly in reply.
Hearing a noise, Liz turned her head-
A yak came from behind, who said
‘Namaste Lizzie and doggy friend,
This is tricky to comprehend,
But you’ve taken a hefty fall
And now you’re standing in NEPAL!’
‘NEPAL?’ said shivering Liz, ‘HOW?’
‘Something I can’t explain for now,
Just hope on me, and be prepared-
I run quite fast, but don’t be scared!’
The maddest dream Liz ever had,
Or was she simple going mad?
But her and Chumps still climbed aboard,
One second later, the yak SOARED
Along the snow, towards his herd-
It really was rather absurd,
Liz, dressed only in a nightie,
With Chumps, on a yak so flighty
She struggled to stay on the back
Or see lovely views on their track.
Then they finally reached the herd,
Slid off the yak, who said ‘My word,
I have not told you my name yet!
I’m Surya- you can’t forget,
Just look up, tell me what you see,
‘Sun’ in Indonesian is me!
This is my wife, her name is Arti.
Arti, these two are Steve’s party.’
‘You mean Grandad Steve?’ Lizzie said,
Surya said ‘Let’s see Ahmed,
He will explain all this to you.’
‘And why you can speak English, too?’
The yak laughed at Lizzie’s query,
‘Oh yes, he’ll tell you that theory.
Come up on my back, if you please
Or Lizzie, your poor toes will freeze!’
(Liz had no slippers on her feet-
In the snow, they were losing heat.)
Liz was too dazzled by the views
To care about her lack of shoes,
Aside from grunts, there was no sound-
Just snowy mountains all around.
Liz had not seen mountains so high
That the tops seemed to touch the sky!
Soon Surya came to a stop
At a small hut with snow on top.
Surya said ‘Here Ahmed stays,
Now seek his wisdom, Lizzie Hayes.’
And with those words, the yak had gone
Back to his herd, so Liz walked on
Into the house to find Ahmed-
‘So much like your granddad,’ he said,
‘He told me you’d be here one day-
Steve often used to come and stay.
You must be cold, please take a seat
By the fire to get some heat!’
Ahmed, a Nepali, was short,
His hair was grey but skin was taut,
His tunic and trousers were green-
The brightest green Lizzie had seen-
Lined with gold, and on his head
Perched a strange hat of patterned red.
Seeing Liz stare at what he wore,
Ahmed smiled. 'Seen this before?
Dhaka topi- a national hat.
Care to join me for dhal bhat?
It’s lentil curry,’ said Ahmed,
‘That you soak up with roti bread.’
Liz tentatively took a seat,
As Ahmed gave Chumps bones to eat.
‘How did I get here?’ asked Lizzie,
I remember feeling dizzy…
Oh wow!’ she said, trying the food,
‘That really does taste rather good!’
'Dhal bhat’s popular in Nepal.
Now, I guess you remember a fall
When you stopped the globe with your touch,
And then you landed here, as such,
And met Surya.’ Ahmed said,
‘Yes!’ said Liz, ‘It’s hurting my head
To think I’ve met a talking YAK!’
‘Yes, he has always had the knack
To speak the tongue of those he meets
Really an incredible feat!
No-one in Nepal believes me
Except you and Steve.  Please have some tea!’
Sipping, Lizzie said ‘You’ve explained much,
But why am I here through my touch?’
‘That’s not hard to explain at all-
Your finger landed on NEPAL!
When you reach the end of your cup,
All will be a dream; you’ll wake up
So before you go, please come with me.
Please bring Chumps and your cup of tea.’
‘But…’ said Liz, ‘how did Grandad Steve…’
‘I know dear, it’s hard to believe
But since he saw your newborn face
He knew you had to take his place.
Now hold onto Chumps- when I sip
My tea, we’re going on a trip…’
And with one sip, they began to fall-
Were she and Chumps leaving Nepal?
But no, they fell down with a PLOP
On a rough, snowy mountaintop.
‘Where are we?’ said Lizzie with fear,
Ahmed said ‘Mount Everest, dear!
You can’t get closer to the sky-
No other mountain is as high.’
Now, Lizzie was afraid of heights,
But this was quite a special sight
To see those mountains down below
AND she felt warm despite the snow.
Ahmed said ‘Liz, look left and right,
Isn’t it a beautiful sight?
This magic tea makes you feel warm
Even in the coldest snow-storm!
Because we rushed up here so quick,
This height should make you feel sick
But the magic tea helped that too-
When you go home is up to you.’
Liz looked down, and was shocked to see
She still held a HOT cup of tea!
‘I guess I’d best be on my way
As after all, it’s Christmas Day!’
‘Right’, said Ahmed, ‘before you leave
I need you to raise up your sleeve.’
Young Lizzie did as she was told
As Ahmed weaved thread green and gold
Around her wrist, and said ‘My dear,
Remember all that happened here.
Now drink your tea in one- don’t stop,
Drink every bit to the last drop!’
Next thing she knew, she’d woken up-
Besides her was an empty cup.
Lizzie didn’t know how to feel-
Had it all been a dream, or real?
Poor Lizzie did not understand…
Then saw the bracelet by her hand.

Sunday 18 September 2011

A Weekend Out West at Natadola Beach...


Natadola Beach- only 3 hours away from Suva, but somehow a whole world away. Deciding that a weekend by the beach was in order- surprisingly, we haven't seen a whole lot of sun so far over here on the Eastern side- I started looking up the best beaches on Viti Levu, the main island that we're living on. It seemed that most people thought the beaches on the smaller islands were much better- except a beach on the West coast of Viti Levu called Natadola. After finding reasonable rates at Natadola Beach Resort, we decided to head over there to check out this 'exception' for ourselves.

I didn't find much information on the net about how to get to Natadola Beach from Suva, so booked the expensive, touristy Coral Sun Express. In hindsight, I would have definitely gone for the local Sunbeam or Pacific buses- more regular (every half an hour) just as comfortable, much cheaper. For anybody that might stumble across this blog hoping to go to Natadola for the weekend from Suva, just pop on a Sunbeam/Pacific bus from the main bus station, get off at Natadola Junction (clearly signposted and literally a junction), and wait there for a taxi ride to the beach (FJ$10 at most). Don't worry if there aren't any taxis straight away; one should be along shortly. Alternatively, you can contact the cheerful Biren at (+679)9263869; he lives locally and knows the area, and resort managers, very well.

Anyway, onto the beach itself! We were lucky to arrive on a beautiful day...the sea and sky were both an almost too-perfect turquoise blue. Within minutes of stepping onto the beach, we were approached by a man offering us horse-back rides along the beach. At $10 for a ride, it's not a bad deal. However, we were too tempted by that sea, with the constant waves rolling into shore. For all my surfer pals (Emma, I'm talking to you!), it's a great place to surf if you're ever down this way; Patrick's got his surfing itch back after watching all the surfers there! So, we spent most of the afternoon playing in the waves, and the majority of the evening watching the Fiji vs. South Africa rugby game. Poor Fiji got annihilated, 49 to 3; I was SO hoping that Fiji would win! Everybody in the Intercontinental bar seemed to be on their side too. Even after only three weeks here, I'm hugely attached to their rugby team, and really rooting for them to go into the next round. It's clear how proud the whole country is here of the team; let's hope they can go a little bit further in this competition. I still have faith in Canada too (and England, obviously!!).

Quick note on our resort, the Natadola Beach Resort- it really did live up to all the positive reviews. Fantastic value for money- a sizeable villa with veranda and bath robes (I'm pleased by the strangest things!) for FJ$175- CA$90, GBP 60- and the staff were all very friendly. With only 11 villas available, it seemed incredibly peaceful, especially compared to the Intercontinental, which had 10-year-old kids everywhere. I might sound miserable when I say this- I love kids, I really do, I want to be a children's writer after all- but having 8 kids in a pillow-fight next to you at the bar is never ideal. On a lighter note, the lunches at NBR were also great, especially the fish and chips! Free breakfast, too- always a bonus (especially for a breakfast-obsessed person like me!)

I'd also recommend the resort next door, Yatule Beach Resort. FJ$150 for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom villa with kitchenette and free breakfast- baaaaaaargain! Sorry, I'll try to stop sounding like a Lonely Planet. We'd wanted to watch the game in their beachfront bar- it was just us and the Fijian staff- but their screen turned a weird colour the moment the game started!! A real shame, because it was probably the best bar out of the three resorts; they gave us flowers to put in our hair to keep with the Fijian spirit!

All in all, a beautiful beach that we'd love to go back to. You know a beach is good when the locals head there as well; we saw a few groups having picnics and setting up open fires by the beach. Despite it's popularity with locals and tourists alike, it never seemed too crowded- incredible, really! As lovely as the resort was, I'm looking into possible homestays to stay in next time in the nearby village of Samasama; it would be great to experience real Fijian life.

So it's another manic Monday, na na na, I wish it were Sunday, na na na, 'cos that's my fun day etc etc...special thanks to the Bangles for summing up how I feel. Am currently looking up a few things: a) where Patrick can buy a surfboard in Suva, b) nearby surfspots for Patrick, c) fun activities around the island. Maybe we'll head North- or to the Yasawas, a group of islands off Nadi? We'll just have to see...







Night fishing by the Intercontinental. Another picture to add to my ever-growing collection of fishermen across the world!

Photos That Were Almost Forgotten...

We've just got back from a lovely weekend away at Natadola Beach on the west side of the island...lots of sea, sand and luverly stuff. But I'll tell you all about that later. Remember that frozen almost-whole chicken that I told you about a few blog-posts ago? Well, here's some amusing photos of Patrick pondering how to cut its legs off...enjoy! Oh, and look away if you're squeamish...








Thursday 15 September 2011

Lizzie Hayes' Magical Christmas Travels- Part 1


Here's Part 1 of a serial of a children's story/poem that I'm going to be posting up on my blog from time to time...hopefully the last part will be around Christmas time! I know I'm perhaps not appealing to the right audience on my blog, but I hope that you enjoy it...


Lizzie Hayes’  Magic Christmas Travels

Chapter 1

Have you met young Lizzie Hayes?
She’s quite the traveler these days.
Of course, she didn’t used to be-
She’s never even seen the sea
‘Til her mum said one Christmas Eve
‘We’re off to see your Grandad Steve!’
Lizzie had not met him before
And feeling shy, was quite unsure.
(She usually spent Christmas Day
With Grandad Den and Grandma May
But fed up with all England’s rain
This year, they’d scampered off to Spain!)
She'd heard things about Grandad Steve,
Crazy things she could not believe
(From her cousins Adam and Rob
Who loved to make her scream and sob),
Like how his white beard reached his toes
And how he had a big fat nose
And how his dog was quite a fright
With big sharp teeth and twice her height!
So while they drove up to Steve’s house,
Liz was as quiet as a mouse,
And as the rain came thrashing down,
Liz thought to herself with a frown,
‘Wish Grandad Den and Grandma May
Had not gone off on holiday!’
Just as she began to feel ill
She saw Steve's house up on the hill-
The roof shaped like a wizard’s hat,
The house-front looked just like a cat!
Lizzie had never seen before
Whiskers painted next to the door
To make it look like a cat’s nose
With two bright, cat-eyed shaped windows!
Grandad Steve, with a flaming torch,
Was stood there waiting on the porch.
There he was, just like Liz had feared
Stroking a floor-length wizard beard,
Wearing a bemused sort-of frown
As well as a green dressing gown,
And with that HUGE dog by his side-
Well, Lizzie really could have cried.
‘Come in!’ he said, ‘it’s been twelve years
Since I last saw you, Lizzie dear!’
‘Dad,’ said Mum, ‘Lizzie’s only nine!’
‘Well then,’ said Grandad Steve, ‘that’s fine!’
All furniture was rife with grime
And from another place or time.
Each wall had a map of the world
Stained with age, and all corners curled-
Candlelight gave them an evil glare
Yet Lizzie could not help but stare.
‘You’ll be up in the attic with Chumps,
Don’t worry if there’s a few bumps,
There's just some ghosts that live up there-
You’re a big girl so you won’t care!’
Poor young Lizzie was terrified,
‘I’ll go instead!’ her mother cried,
‘No no,’ said Steve, ‘it must be her-
‘It’s a room she really would prefer.’
‘OK’ said Mum with huge sorrow,
‘Liz, I’ll swap with you tomorrow-
It’s getting late’ continued Mum,
‘Off to bed, or Santa won’t come!’
Reluctantly, Liz said goodnight
And went upstairs with candlelight.
Her cousins had indeed been right-
Chumps the dog WAS twice Lizzie’s height!
Lizzie was scared in the first place
As Chumps came right up to her face…
But when he just licked Lizzie clean,
She realized that he wasn’t mean.
As she laid down to rest her head
She saw a box behind her bed
Wrapped up in paper shiny and red
With a snowman label that said:
‘Dear Lizzie- Please do not delay
Don’t wait for this ‘til Christmas Day,
The magic will GO if you pause
So open NOW!- Love Santa Clause’
Lizzie felt a little heady,
Santa had been round ALREADY?!
She looked at Chumps, whose bright eyes said
‘Open it, Lizzie! Don’t go to bed!’
Well, if Santa Clause told her to
There was nothing else she could do!
So she ripped it open to gape…
At a tatty box with duct tape.
She reached inside, felt something round
And tried to work out what she’d found.
Too curious, she pulled it out
And gave a little surprised shout!
A globe, yellowed, very dusty
And smelling a little musty.
Why a globe? Liz rightly thought,
What a strange present to be bought!
I have never been out of the UK,
Ah well, I’ll love it anyway.
With the candlelight nearly dead
Liz spun the globe once before bed
And saw a NOTE round Italy
She peered closer- it read ‘Turn me
And with your finger, stop the spin-
Then allow the fun to begin!’
So obeying, with fingers flexed,
She spun and stopped; what happened next
Made Chumps bark and poor Lizzie shout-
What was it? Read on to find out!

Wednesday 14 September 2011

REVIEW: STARTER FOR TEN- David Nicholls


After reading novels about the Holocaust, slavery and attempted suicide recently, I felt it was time for a light-hearted read...and who better to turn to than One Day author, David Nicholls?

I think I related to the protagonist Brian Jackson a little bit too well- and not just because he is an English Literature student. Starter For Ten documents Brian's first term at university, and the lead up to his appearance on his favourite show, University Challenge. For my non-British readers, UC is a TV gameshow whereby there are two teams from two different universities, each with four members, who try to answer as many general knowledge questions as possible. It has always been Brian's dream to be on the show, and when he makes the team, along with the beautiful, blonde Alice, he thinks life can't really get much better. Cue one catastrophe after another, as Brian tries to contend with the pressures of unsavoury characters and situations in his lovably geeky way.

Sadly, not as good as One Day- but then was it ever going to be? However, it is still a brilliantly funny read that keeps you wanting more and more. Even though many '80's references went over my head, I could definitely relate to the characters met at university- and felt his pain. Also made me realise that British universities really haven't changed that much since the '80's...scary thought.

Am in the mood for Dickens next...don't ask me why!! Somehow am feeling the need for classics in my life (probably the most pretentious thing I've ever said). Think it was Brian that got me in the mood with his love of literature...

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Ten Random Suva Facts...

So, it's been three weeks (four weeks for Patrick) since we landed in Fiji, and we're slowly easing ourselves into the Fijian lifestyle. Here are ten things that I've noticed in my first three weeks here:

1) The four things you can find in abundance in Suva are aubergines (eggplants), Gloria Jean's coffee shops (the Aussie 'Starbucks'), places to top-up your mobile phone (including booths especially for this purpose), and taxis. I thought Bangkok had a lot of taxis until I came here!

2) The three things that are pretty much impossible to find are legal DVDs/CDs, Vonu beer, and decent cheese. We've found some places that stock Vonu now; we're still hunting for the cheese. 

3) Unlike in our Western cultures where special opening hours are almost obsolete, Sundays in Suva are truly a day for relaxation and family time. The only things open in the city centre are the two malls, a few cafes and the swimming pool. Though the city centre is dead, you'll see many smartly dressed Fijians around the suburbs heading to church. A lot of Fijians take their religion very seriously; behind every door in our apartment is a black and white picture of Jesus.

4) In terms of where to eat in Suva, I'd recommend the boat restaurant Tilo's Steak and Seafood House. I had to hobble to get there (football injury from the beach), and felt ever-so-slightly from the constant rocking (yes, I'm ridiculous), but it was worth the acute agony and sickness for their grilled prawns and baby octopus with basil- mmm mmm MMM!

5) Coming from somebody who is directionally challenged, it's pretty tricky to get lost in Suva when you're walking- it's not big by usual city-standards- but very easy when you're driving (I would imagine).

6) Remember how much I love Australian TV and adverts (she says sarcastically- except when it comes to Masterchef, which I actually do love)?? Well, Aussie TV seems fantastic compared to Fijian terrestial TV. OK, so we shouldn't be watching that much TV anyway...but the best shows we've found so far are an English-dubbed Chinese soap about a 'human wolf' (not sure if this is different from a werewolf), and Glee. Think that says it all, really. Though that might be a little unfair when it comes to sports- the Rugby World Cup coverage has been pretty good, and the Pacific Games helped me add to my limited geographical knowledge. Who knew Norfolk Island was a country? Everybody, probably.

7) Clothes-shop assistants are very, very attentive. As in follow-you-around-the-shop attentive. I understand; there's about 50 shops on the same street selling similar things. But it's still a little unnerving!

8) Food that's cheap to buy here- fruit/veg at the market, potatoes at the supermarket, bottled water, Tim Tams (cappucino ones- didn't even see them in Oz!). Things that aren't so cheap- other vegetables at the supermarket (FJ$8 for 1 red pepper!!!!), pasta.

9) They don't seem to be prevalent, but there is the odd 'truck tuk-tuk' as we lovingly called it in Thailand. Taxis still seem the popular way to go.

10) When out with Hasneet and others from Entec Engineering (Patrick's company), Patrick and I learnt a Fijian style of drinking called taki. This involves a jug of drink- in our case Kentucky whisky and coke- and one glass. One person drinks- or should I say downs their drink- at a time, continuing around the circle. Good times...

Ah go on, I'll throw in another cheeky fact for luck...

11) The Suva bus station looks chaotic, but is surprisingly easy to navigate. We caught our first 'public bus' on Saturday morning for the hour-long journey to the nearest beach at Pacific Harbour (where my foot had an unfortunate collision with Patrick's). Cheap, pretty comfortable- definitely a good way to get around the country! And it seems that you can hail them at any point along the road.

That's all I can think of for now! We're off to Natadola Beach this weekend, staying at Natadola Beach Resort...will be nice to spend overnight at the beach! Will just be a little less vigorous in my football-playing this weekend. Until next week!...

Tuesday 6 September 2011

REVIEW: BEATRICE AND VIRGIL- Yann Martel



I've literally just put this book down, and had to write about it straight away. Like the novel itself, I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. There's actually not much I can say without giving the plot away.

As soon I saw this book on the shelves, I just had to buy it. If this book was even half as good as Life of Pi, Martel's debut novel, then I was in for a treat. Sure enough, the Canadian author did not disappoint! It does not have any chapters, yet never feels laborious; I was hooked on Henry's tale from the very beginning.

In a nutshell, Henry, a one time novelist, decides to abandon the idea for his second novel after much discouragement. After this bad experience, he struggles to rekindle his inspiration, until he receives a parcel from a reader, containing a short story by Flaubert, and the reader's own written play, Beatrice and Virgil. As Henry pursues the reader's plea for help with his play, he discovers that the reader is a strange, aloof taxidermist that only reveals himself through his play. Despite everything and ignoring all warnings from others, Henry is drawn back to the chilling atmosphere of the taxidermy to hear more from Beatrice and Virgil, and from the taxidermist himself. If you will excuse my unoriginality, I'm going to steal the blurb at the back of the book, because I cannot think of a better way to describe the essence of the novel:

'This is the story of a donkey named Beatrice and a monkey named Virgil.


It also the story of an extraordinary journey undertaken by a man named Henry.


It begins with a mysterious parcel, and it ends in a place that will make you think again about one of the most significant events of the twentieth century.


Once you have finished reading it, it is impossible to forget.'

What's best of all, I thought I knew where the story was going, congratulating myself prematurely, before Martel yanked me sharply in the opposite direction. Another fantastic book from a fantastic writer. There are some that don't agree with me (see this link). That's his opinion; my impression was of a subtly written novel which conveyed a significant twentieth century event in a completely unique manner. Considering the nature of the event (I don't want to reveal which event it is for fear of spoiling the book!), an original stance is very difficult to achieve. I had no idea what I'd be reading about when I first started out; then again, I love delving into a book not quite knowing what you're getting yourself into! By the end of the novel, I think it's made crystal clear why Martel has chosen to expand on some aspects and not others. Anyway, enough harping- I'd love to know what you think!

Monday 5 September 2011

A Brief Introduction To Kava...

When Patrick and I came home one evening, our landlords presented us with a light grey liquid in a shallow bowl. 'Kava', they explained as they handed it over, 'the national drink of Fiji'. So we both took a sip; first came what can only be described as a bitter tastelessness (though I know that doesn't make sense!), then a bizarre tongue-numbing sensation.
   We'd had no idea what 'kava' was when we'd been given this taster, but soon began to see the name everywhere! Surprisingly, considering its ‘acquired’ taste, it is NOT alcoholic. It is in fact from the root of the piper methstyicum plant, part of the pepper family. Here is how the website KavaRoot describes it:

“A soothing drink with proven medicinal effects, kava is now available to anyone seeking to calm nerves or ease stress as well as anxiety while combating fatigue the natural way. Its special anti-depressant components fight the "blues" and bring on a happy, tranquil state. Kava is amazing for treating ailments like migraine headaches and cramps but best of all, it keeps the mind alert as the body relaxes. This traditional drink still plays a key role in Fijian, Samoan, and Tongan societies where it is drunk in ceremonies meant to honour visitors, unite participants and validate their social identities.”


That's the effects in a nutshell...but the really interesting part of kava- also known as 'grog'- is the way it is prepared. First of all, you find the nearest grog shop; this could be anything from the top floor above the fruit market to a little shed in the middle of nowhere that says 'Grog Shop: Open 24 Hours'. I cannot speak for the latter yet- will keep you posted when I visit one of these little shops- but if you visit the bigger 'grog' market, you will find dozens of stalls that look like trees are growing out of them. These are the 'roots' from which kava originates.





Just next to these will be lots of little paper bags with 'kava' scrawled across them; the powdered form of the roots. According to this link, pounding one's own kava root is the preferred method for Fijian village dwellers. Traditionally, the kava root is a gift given to a village chief in order to enter his village; giving powdered kava is considered as cheap and impolite. I asked one stall-holder how we'd turn this kava 'powder' into the mouth-numbing drink...he said to 'place the powder into a cloth, dip it into 2 litres of water, then wring it'. Never had such an interactive drink before...can't wait to try it! We'll let you know how our first attempts go...

This was more than a drink; it’s a source of national pride. In the words of Tom Harrison in Savage Civilisation (source shamelessly borrowed from KavaRoot.com once again):

"Your head is affected most pleasantly. Thoughts come cleanly.
You feel friendly...never cross...You cannot hate with kava in you."