It took 52 years but I finally made it to Fiji. When I was an Anthro major at Berkeley, I applied for a grant which was denied on the basis that Fiji was too dangerous for a young, single woman. If I had been older and married with an accompanying husband, well............But, I wasn't and didn't have so I went to Iowa instead. Much safer for a young woman, especially at a Presbyterian college.
The dream to go to Fiji was dormant but not dead and I got there this year.
 |
| Wake up call provided by the police band |
 |
| Securing the lines |
 |
| On the bus, on the way to a village |
 |
| A bleak prison |
 |
| Notice the clouds - a portent of things to come |
 |
| The community meeting house |
 |
| I look like a large piece of wet pink bubblegum |
 |
| A greeting in song |
 |
| The chief |
 |
| Young men preparing a kava ceremony |
 |
| Some of the village women with their handicrafts |
 |
| No wonder everything is green! |
 |
| The village primary school, at the back of the community center |
 |
| An explanation of the handicrafts |
 |
| The Chief, the tour guide and I - 3 Happy Campers! |
 |
| Phoebe, my guide during the walk around the village. We walked around the village first, visiting the church (always the tallest building) and the chief's house (always the 2nd largest building). After 2 minutes of monsoon rain, we didn't bother with unbrellas. | |
 |
| We are both soaking wet. Each guest received a necklace of woven rattan with fresh flowers. But, I got to join in singing Isa Lei, the national farewell song of Fiji - a song I learned 52 years ago at Berkeley. Last photo taken in the village. |
|
 |
| Bus station - it rained too hard to take photos many outside - on the way to downtown Suva |
 |
| Typical of much of the day |
 |
| Second stop - the Suva Museum of History |
 |
| Each of the boxes had a quotation, sometimes very difficult to read. |
 |
| "I am held back by my fear of risk taking" - well, not anymore |
 |
| And, suddenly, a collection of Japanese dolls! |
 |
| Teenagers performing in front of the shopping center in downtown Suva. |
 |
| Never give up a dream! |
