30 September 2010
Mon 27-Sep-10 (Fiji - 7th/last full day)
Time with dear friends from Canberra....watch this space...
Sun 26-Sep-10 (Fiji - 6th full day)
Today is another scorcher! It’s the kids dinner time (just after 5:00pm) and I’m in the room typing the day’s events as Gabi rests. She had an accident a little while ago, hitting her nose and mouth on a fountain in the pool, which caused some bleeding. After I administered first aid and settled her down in the room, she fell asleep a short time later.
I noticed my stomach has not been 100% today, but I feel otherwise okay. With the late finish to last night we struggled to get out of bed. I was dragging Ben out at 9:45am as breakfast finishes at 10:00. More pool time for us all. I did some more water-sliding, but this time with Gabi in my lap. It is a fast slide so our combined bodyweight was like a torpedo hitting the water at high velocity. We met a couple with a seven year-old girl who live near my parents and where Ben was born. The lady even worked at the hospital at the same time as Maria but didn’t recall her name (a long time ago). Gabi and their daughter Myah seem to be getting on well and spent hours in the pool together today.
Gabi and I had an “Aussie BBQ Lunch” and a "mocktail" each, while Ben stuck to his usual, which is provided for the kids.
We’re one of 4-5 families remaining from the time we arrived. It’s interesting to watch people come and go and feel like we’re part of the furniture. I’m getting to know more of the staff. I was chatting with another staff member (Laite) and she asked about what music I listened to. When I told her Hillsong, this sparked another faith conversation.
I was chatting with another “long time” family and the mum and one of the sons went to the Methodist church in the local village this morning. That opened the door for me to share that I had a faith and was interested in her motivation for the church visit. She put it down to “something spiritual” she couldn’t clearly define.
I had hoped to do a few more local cultural activities with the kids, but they have just loved what they’ve been doing and my motivation has been a bit lacking...maybe next time...
Ben has just returned to the Bure after dinner and Gabi is still asleep. I’m planning an early night for the three of us. I’m hoping this little nap of Gabi’s doesn’t drive her to a second wind later...to be continued...
...later that evening...
After an hour or so I had some trouble trying to wake Gabi. I knew she was exhausted but apart from not wanting her to sleep I wanted to ensure she hadn't been concussed. As Gabi missed the kids' dinner she and I dined together before she went off to watch a movie with Ben. We ended up watching a live Polynesian dance evening, which included fire dancing, which the kids and adults "conga'd" down to. The guys were very impressive.
We had some photos taken with the performers and I got the kids back to the Bure a lot later than planned (just before 10pm), but fortunately before the "frog races" started.
I noticed my stomach has not been 100% today, but I feel otherwise okay. With the late finish to last night we struggled to get out of bed. I was dragging Ben out at 9:45am as breakfast finishes at 10:00. More pool time for us all. I did some more water-sliding, but this time with Gabi in my lap. It is a fast slide so our combined bodyweight was like a torpedo hitting the water at high velocity. We met a couple with a seven year-old girl who live near my parents and where Ben was born. The lady even worked at the hospital at the same time as Maria but didn’t recall her name (a long time ago). Gabi and their daughter Myah seem to be getting on well and spent hours in the pool together today.
Gabi and I had an “Aussie BBQ Lunch” and a "mocktail" each, while Ben stuck to his usual, which is provided for the kids.
I was chatting with another “long time” family and the mum and one of the sons went to the Methodist church in the local village this morning. That opened the door for me to share that I had a faith and was interested in her motivation for the church visit. She put it down to “something spiritual” she couldn’t clearly define.
I had hoped to do a few more local cultural activities with the kids, but they have just loved what they’ve been doing and my motivation has been a bit lacking...maybe next time...
Ben has just returned to the Bure after dinner and Gabi is still asleep. I’m planning an early night for the three of us. I’m hoping this little nap of Gabi’s doesn’t drive her to a second wind later...to be continued...
...later that evening...
After an hour or so I had some trouble trying to wake Gabi. I knew she was exhausted but apart from not wanting her to sleep I wanted to ensure she hadn't been concussed. As Gabi missed the kids' dinner she and I dined together before she went off to watch a movie with Ben. We ended up watching a live Polynesian dance evening, which included fire dancing, which the kids and adults "conga'd" down to. The guys were very impressive.
Sat 25-Sep-10 (Fiji - 5th full day)
We’ve just been chilling in the pool, shade and playing pool. I’m sitting by the bar in the shade with the occasional breeze coming through. I got chatting with one of the Activities staff (Tuli) who is a Christian and loves Hillsong music (and worship generally). They seem to have a lot of the older stuff. As I have all my music on my laptop and iPhone she can have a listen so I can see what she likes. When I get home I can buy a selection and send it. It sounds like some of the youth in their church like Christian “rap” so I might be able to sort them out too.
Both Ben and Gabi have been enjoying time with friends and on their own. Either the chlorine has intensified or the kids’ eyes have become more sensitive to it as they are both now wearing their goggles. Ben popped out for a slushy and headed straight back in.
A group went to the local rugby derby, but I was too heat sensitive to take the chance. I hung around the bar chatting with a few people with their own interesting stories before the AFL Grand Final (Magpies -v- Saints) kicked off. There were two very passionate Magpies supporters and the rest of us were barracking for the Saints. Amazingly the game finished in a draw. Of all the things I have positive to say about AFL, on this occasion I have an alternative view as it puts the sport back a century behind all other sports. The players, coaches and crowd were gutted, To come back in a week’s time and do it all over again is a huge ask when they left their all out on the field with the expectation of a result. The ticket sellers will be happy with another 100,000+ crowd next weekend, but in terms of corporate boxes and sponsorship, it’s hard to know what effect that will have.
Gabi got to play the drum after the firelighting ceremony with a friend, so she was chuffed!
My stomach started playing up late afternoon, which has been a trend speaking with a few others. I’m hoping mine is more heat-related.
Fri 24-Sep-10 (Fiji - 4th full day)
As I sat to type this entry, one of the staff (Lita) sat with me and chatted about what I was up to. We chatted for a little while about her life and work here in the resort. I was also joined by my mate “Will”, who is Ben’s age (the middle of three boys). He is a special needs child who has such a beautiful nature and is rightly adored by everyone. The staff really look after him. He is fascinated by the laptop. We have been having a chat, with me reminding him how popular he is here. He enjoyed my comment.
I woke at 3:00am in some pain as I now realise I have developed an allergy to the Aloe Vera gel I bought to sooth the sunburn. This happened in Israel three years ago and it all suddenly came back to me. I feels like my neck and shoulders have rubbed on stinging nettles.
Just as I was settling back to sleep, I got a call at 4:00am from one of the families who accidentally confused our room number for reception to gets their bags collected. I jokingly said I wasn’t in a position to travel down and help out and wished them a good trip. I left the phone off the hook and may do that for the remainder of the trip.
This morning we did the pool/water slide again and Ben was off with his mates. Gabi would let me know when she was ready, and for those of you familiar with Israeli hand gestures, would also let me know when she wasn't.
As my skin condition was becoming more unbearable I needed to get into Sigatoka town (FJD 50 return) to get sorted at a pharmacy.
Before heading into town, after lunch, Gabi made her own necklace and did a fantastic job. After having some difficulty tracking down Ben we were on our way. One of the staff had just finished his shift and hopped in with us for a ride. We chatted about the major semi final of the provincial rugby, which will take place tomorrow. They are going to organise a bus for people who want to come and support Sigatoka -v- Lautoka. The ground is apparently hard and dusty. With the size of these guys, it should be a match worth seeing. It will be a busy sports day as after the game there will be the AFL grand final and NRL (Rugby League) preliminary finals to watch back at the resort.
There was always the occasional pedestrian that you keep an eye out for.
The last time I was in Sigatoka was 20 years ago with Maria. We spent a short time here and it was all a little vague. We wandered the streets and I took some photos as well as visit the pharmacy. Unfortunately some of the products are imported from Australia and cost a fortune compared with back home. Regardless, cost was not an issue, especially when the alternative is ongoing pain and suffering.
Upon our return to the resort Gabi checked out one of the lady’s handiwork (jewellery). We got chatting and she has 7 kids! They have no electricity in their village but are blessed as her husband is a carver and the kids are learning the craft as well. We picked out a beautiful necklace and bracelet set, which will be part of an early birthday gift for "Gabs".
The kids watched a movie/TV in the room set up with beanbags. The plan was for an earlier night but the NRL (Roosters -v- Titans) was on live. As we’re two hours ahead, it meant that it didn’t kick off till nearly 10:00pm locally and finished by about 11:30pm. The kids ended up watching another movie during the footy so we ended up in bed after midnight.
I woke at 3:00am in some pain as I now realise I have developed an allergy to the Aloe Vera gel I bought to sooth the sunburn. This happened in Israel three years ago and it all suddenly came back to me. I feels like my neck and shoulders have rubbed on stinging nettles.
Just as I was settling back to sleep, I got a call at 4:00am from one of the families who accidentally confused our room number for reception to gets their bags collected. I jokingly said I wasn’t in a position to travel down and help out and wished them a good trip. I left the phone off the hook and may do that for the remainder of the trip.
This morning we did the pool/water slide again and Ben was off with his mates. Gabi would let me know when she was ready, and for those of you familiar with Israeli hand gestures, would also let me know when she wasn't.
Before heading into town, after lunch, Gabi made her own necklace and did a fantastic job. After having some difficulty tracking down Ben we were on our way. One of the staff had just finished his shift and hopped in with us for a ride. We chatted about the major semi final of the provincial rugby, which will take place tomorrow. They are going to organise a bus for people who want to come and support Sigatoka -v- Lautoka. The ground is apparently hard and dusty. With the size of these guys, it should be a match worth seeing. It will be a busy sports day as after the game there will be the AFL grand final and NRL (Rugby League) preliminary finals to watch back at the resort.
Upon our return to the resort Gabi checked out one of the lady’s handiwork (jewellery). We got chatting and she has 7 kids! They have no electricity in their village but are blessed as her husband is a carver and the kids are learning the craft as well. We picked out a beautiful necklace and bracelet set, which will be part of an early birthday gift for "Gabs".
Thu 23-Sep-10 (Fiji - 3rd full day)
The morning started with breakfast and the kids straight into the pool, as is the ritual. It was a very overcast day and the breeze was down a bit, which is a bad sign. Sure enough the rain hit us, but that wasn’t going to stop the pool activities. All it did do was make everyone move their towels and extras under cover. I got right into the water volleyball, which was enjoyable. It was good to exercise a bit.
As the day went on the rain set in and the adults started to congregate around the bar. It was a great opportunity to meet with a few of the families. Everyone is so down-to-Earth and the more feedback I hear about some of the other places in the region, the happier I am with the choice we made to come here.
They had games including guessing the songs. While myself and a couple of other guys did okay, there was one family (been coming here annually for the last seven years) who either work for a record company, or just know the tracks so well by now as they blitzed it.
We had booked in to see the ‘fire walkers’ in the evening. The rain petered out by then, which was a good thing. The kids were very impressed by the performance. They followed it by a traditional kava ceremony. I didn’t think we’d get to take part so I was joking about the effects of it. Anyway, when we were given the opportunity, I started to make my way forward and Gabi clung onto me for dear life. After I quelled their concerns, not only did I partake, but so did they. Out tongues and palettes were numbed, but there were no other effects (that I recall, anyway). I dined with a couple who I had been at the bar with and drank again with them after our “Lovo” feast. I should clarify that most of my drinking involved coca cola and water, with the occasional beer, spirit and margarita in between, so I was fine by the end of the night (faring better than others).
The kids and I played some more pool and table tennis before bed.
As the day went on the rain set in and the adults started to congregate around the bar. It was a great opportunity to meet with a few of the families. Everyone is so down-to-Earth and the more feedback I hear about some of the other places in the region, the happier I am with the choice we made to come here.
They had games including guessing the songs. While myself and a couple of other guys did okay, there was one family (been coming here annually for the last seven years) who either work for a record company, or just know the tracks so well by now as they blitzed it.
We had booked in to see the ‘fire walkers’ in the evening. The rain petered out by then, which was a good thing. The kids were very impressed by the performance. They followed it by a traditional kava ceremony. I didn’t think we’d get to take part so I was joking about the effects of it. Anyway, when we were given the opportunity, I started to make my way forward and Gabi clung onto me for dear life. After I quelled their concerns, not only did I partake, but so did they. Out tongues and palettes were numbed, but there were no other effects (that I recall, anyway). I dined with a couple who I had been at the bar with and drank again with them after our “Lovo” feast. I should clarify that most of my drinking involved coca cola and water, with the occasional beer, spirit and margarita in between, so I was fine by the end of the night (faring better than others).
Wed 22-Sep-10 (Fiji - 2nd full day)
Gabi decided (in her sleep) that she liked my side of the bed, so she kept lying up against me or pushing me to the edge. I woke a few times as I was nervous we’d sleep in and miss getting Ben to Kids Club and Gabi to her hair braiding session.
The kids woke gingerly––a combination of the day’s events and late finish. Ben happily went off to Kids Club, making some mates on the spot. Gabi and I clandestinely met with our Fijian friend and walked up a hill to his home. There was a little open Bure area overlooking the water. “Mana”, who would braid Gabi’s hair asked, “Do you like the million-dollar view?” He was right about it. Apart from braiding, he has a massage table up there as well so you can enjoy the view while looking out over the greens and blues of the Coral Coast.
The braiding took over an hour and a half. She now has 30 braids in her hair, which led to some tears towards the end as she was over it and the hair-pulling does hurt (not that I can remember that far back). Gabi looks really cool.
In fact she reminded me of “Dre” from the Karate Kid, which I watched on the plane on the way over.
We walked back to the Resort and found Ben in the pool. The kids lunched and then were in the pool again. The day feels hotter than yesterday (which I thought was hot enough). I kept putting cream on the kids. Ben seemed to be burning a little, while Gabi is starting to go dark brown already!
When I went to change one of the kids towels I noticed a Bible in pigeon sitting in front of one of the staff (there were three there are the time chatting). We engaged for a while and I had a flick through it. The staff said it was there for staff to look through to draw inspiration from. It was well worn and marked with different highlighters. There are some churches in the nearby village (AOG, CMF, Methodist) so we might try one out on Sunday.
I stayed out of the sun for most of the afternoon, trying to overcome my own sunburn. I did another 2km run, but this time my leg muscles burned and I sweated a lot more. I might have a day off tomorrow unless my legs pull up ok. Not stretching yesterday didn’t help.
The kids made their own friends and swam with them while I laid on the sun lounge. At one point I noticed Gabi swimming past other kids playing in the water with their mums, looking at them longingly. I decided it was time to get into the pool myself for a while. She seemed to pick up.
We went back to the room and the kids quickly dressed and off they went to dine with their new friends. It gave me time to have a shower and lazily make my way to check on them. I got to chat with Gabi’s friend’s (Michaela) parents, who seemed quite nice. The dad works at the SCG for Cricket NSW and the mum has done work with the McGrath Foundation, inspired by the loss of a friend to breast cancer two years ago. Their friend left two young kids behind. I can’t seem to escape meeting people who have had or been closely involved with someone going through a journey like ours.
As the sun sets the wind picks up and the temperature drops (not cold at all), it becomes really pleasant. It’s nice now to have my routine of sitting at a table looking over Fiji’s Coral Coast, while I reflect on the day and journal/blog it.
Gabi came down with Michaela and a group of kids who ran in line behind the fire lighter, which they enjoyed immensely.
The kids watched some cartoons as part of the Kids Club evening session before table tennis.
A couple from Newcastle that I met by the pool yesterday invited me to sit with them during dinner so I didn’t have to eat alone. We had a nice chat and got to learn about each others’ families. Elaine had ordered a lobster, which came as three halves. They said (jokingly) that perhaps Fijians had trouble counting, whereas my view was that everything here (including the people and their smiles) is 50% bigger.
The kids woke gingerly––a combination of the day’s events and late finish. Ben happily went off to Kids Club, making some mates on the spot. Gabi and I clandestinely met with our Fijian friend and walked up a hill to his home. There was a little open Bure area overlooking the water. “Mana”, who would braid Gabi’s hair asked, “Do you like the million-dollar view?” He was right about it. Apart from braiding, he has a massage table up there as well so you can enjoy the view while looking out over the greens and blues of the Coral Coast.
The braiding took over an hour and a half. She now has 30 braids in her hair, which led to some tears towards the end as she was over it and the hair-pulling does hurt (not that I can remember that far back). Gabi looks really cool.
I stayed out of the sun for most of the afternoon, trying to overcome my own sunburn. I did another 2km run, but this time my leg muscles burned and I sweated a lot more. I might have a day off tomorrow unless my legs pull up ok. Not stretching yesterday didn’t help.
The kids made their own friends and swam with them while I laid on the sun lounge. At one point I noticed Gabi swimming past other kids playing in the water with their mums, looking at them longingly. I decided it was time to get into the pool myself for a while. She seemed to pick up.
We went back to the room and the kids quickly dressed and off they went to dine with their new friends. It gave me time to have a shower and lazily make my way to check on them. I got to chat with Gabi’s friend’s (Michaela) parents, who seemed quite nice. The dad works at the SCG for Cricket NSW and the mum has done work with the McGrath Foundation, inspired by the loss of a friend to breast cancer two years ago. Their friend left two young kids behind. I can’t seem to escape meeting people who have had or been closely involved with someone going through a journey like ours.
As the sun sets the wind picks up and the temperature drops (not cold at all), it becomes really pleasant. It’s nice now to have my routine of sitting at a table looking over Fiji’s Coral Coast, while I reflect on the day and journal/blog it.
Gabi came down with Michaela and a group of kids who ran in line behind the fire lighter, which they enjoyed immensely.
The kids watched some cartoons as part of the Kids Club evening session before table tennis.
A couple from Newcastle that I met by the pool yesterday invited me to sit with them during dinner so I didn’t have to eat alone. We had a nice chat and got to learn about each others’ families. Elaine had ordered a lobster, which came as three halves. They said (jokingly) that perhaps Fijians had trouble counting, whereas my view was that everything here (including the people and their smiles) is 50% bigger.