edition 2
Hi everyone
Further observations:
A Non government legal organisation here (like Legal Aid) where another volunteer works is fighting to have the Vice President put back behind bars. He was sentenced to gaol just last year for his role in the 2000 coup. He has served 3 months of his sentence and has been released. The public reason is that he is in bad health while privately it is known he has people in the right places to work to get him released.
Another volunteer who works at Suva Grammar which is a well known government high school in Suva (my Dad went there) says that all the Indian teachers have not been paid. It is now 3 weeks into the school term and all the Fijian teachers have been paid as they have been given their employment contracts. When an Indian teacher went to talk to the Principal (he is Fijian) about the struggle to live on no money he said “ you are not going to die are you?”.
An Interpreter who works at the Gospel school for the Deaf is also in the same situation and has not been paid as she also has not been given an employment contract.
Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama is the head of the Military in Fiji and also played a big part in restoring law and order after the 2000 coup. He has been in the papers alot as he constantly criticises the government which is trying to restore the country back to a democracy of some sort. He is seen as being arrogant and sticking his finger in where it should not be. He is an employee of the government but is not seen to be loyal to the government. He was given a warning this week by the Government for blowing his budget by 3 million ( lots of money by Fiji standards). He then responded by withdrawing security for the Prime Minister saying it was a cost cutting measure. The Prime Minister is now using the Police to provide security for him.
Now to more lighter observations:
hot water is too expensive for most people including me so we use only cold water for showers and washing. It is surprisingly easy to get used to and cold showers are more refreshing than swimming in the sea.
I have not been bitten by a dog yet.
I have found out that “taliban” is not a Hindi word and does in fact refer to what I thought!
It is hard to share an office with two of us working full time and only one desk and one computer. The Deaf Association got its first ever computer thanks to the Australian High Commission in Dec last year.
As I walked to the pool today to swim (this is in the heart of the city) and sweat while swimming, I saw coming towards me two gorgeous blond tanned white girls with bikinis on, hair wet from being in the water and with towels wrapped around them and nothing else on. No local person would dare do that in the middle of the city and in any other city of the world I bet it does not happen.
My flatmate told me that last year while a cruise ship was in town, there was a white woman walking around with a top on (thankfully) but a g-string for the bottom. It caused so much offense that a photo was taken and it was printed in the newspaper and locals gagged over it. White people can be so sensitive eh?
When you shake hands with someone for the first time, you shake in the Western way but with one firm shake only. When you shake hands with a close friend you clasp the other person’s hand and then slide hands to the fingertips and then you slightly bend the hand and finally let go as if you have fallen off a cliff and are unable to hold on with your fingertips any more.
Suva has a McDonalds. Bugger!
For Valentines Day, there was an advertisement in the newspaper saying that you could book a special table at KFC where the children’s play area had been converted to a lover’s corner and where you would receive a free bottle of non alcoholic champagne (apple cider). Romantic eh?
Smells of Fiji:
Sweat (my own and everyone else’s)
Diesel fumes (from cars and buses)
Coconut oil
Burning off
Rotting rubbish
Sweat
Diesel fumes
Chicken curry
Sweet air (when not getting whiffs of diesel)
I went to see a Hindi movie on the weekend. Unfortunately I walked out at intermission as it was in Hindi with no English subtitles. It was also the first time I have seen a Hindi movie that had very passionate wet kind of kissing. Worse than watching that TV show “days of our lives”. Even though I could not hear, I am sure they were making lots of noise - it was that kind of kissing if you know what I mean. I have never seen a film where the sole purpose was to titillate the audience. The shots, the closeups, the non plot and the terrible acting gave it all away. I stayed as long as I could more out of disbelief that it could be so bad! Hope I choose better next time.
I am gradually learning Fijian Sign Language. Day by day. A lot of the signs are derived from Auslan, ASL and lots of Signed English (ughhh!). The Deaf don’t call their sign Fijian Sign Language but rather “broken English” or “broken sign”. I have slowly talking to people about the difference between the English language and a Deaf Sign Language. Interpreters here even tell the Deaf that their sign is not that good because it is not English enough! So I have a few challenges! Today we decided to set up a group who will meeting regularly to start discussing Fijian Sign Language and what that might be. The understanding by the Deaf was that I would tell them what Fijian Sign Language is or that I would make up the signs for them. But that is not how language develops and that would just mean another white person has come in and decided how it’s going to be. It’s only day 2 at work so I still need to just observe. It is very easy to just jump in and start making decisions and pronouncements about what I have observed.
I want to write so much so that I remember as much as I can. I hope this email has not gone on for too long. There is so much to take in and observe.
Till next time eh?
Moce (bye)
Kate
Further observations:
A Non government legal organisation here (like Legal Aid) where another volunteer works is fighting to have the Vice President put back behind bars. He was sentenced to gaol just last year for his role in the 2000 coup. He has served 3 months of his sentence and has been released. The public reason is that he is in bad health while privately it is known he has people in the right places to work to get him released.
Another volunteer who works at Suva Grammar which is a well known government high school in Suva (my Dad went there) says that all the Indian teachers have not been paid. It is now 3 weeks into the school term and all the Fijian teachers have been paid as they have been given their employment contracts. When an Indian teacher went to talk to the Principal (he is Fijian) about the struggle to live on no money he said “ you are not going to die are you?”.
An Interpreter who works at the Gospel school for the Deaf is also in the same situation and has not been paid as she also has not been given an employment contract.
Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama is the head of the Military in Fiji and also played a big part in restoring law and order after the 2000 coup. He has been in the papers alot as he constantly criticises the government which is trying to restore the country back to a democracy of some sort. He is seen as being arrogant and sticking his finger in where it should not be. He is an employee of the government but is not seen to be loyal to the government. He was given a warning this week by the Government for blowing his budget by 3 million ( lots of money by Fiji standards). He then responded by withdrawing security for the Prime Minister saying it was a cost cutting measure. The Prime Minister is now using the Police to provide security for him.
Now to more lighter observations:
hot water is too expensive for most people including me so we use only cold water for showers and washing. It is surprisingly easy to get used to and cold showers are more refreshing than swimming in the sea.
I have not been bitten by a dog yet.
I have found out that “taliban” is not a Hindi word and does in fact refer to what I thought!
It is hard to share an office with two of us working full time and only one desk and one computer. The Deaf Association got its first ever computer thanks to the Australian High Commission in Dec last year.
As I walked to the pool today to swim (this is in the heart of the city) and sweat while swimming, I saw coming towards me two gorgeous blond tanned white girls with bikinis on, hair wet from being in the water and with towels wrapped around them and nothing else on. No local person would dare do that in the middle of the city and in any other city of the world I bet it does not happen.
My flatmate told me that last year while a cruise ship was in town, there was a white woman walking around with a top on (thankfully) but a g-string for the bottom. It caused so much offense that a photo was taken and it was printed in the newspaper and locals gagged over it. White people can be so sensitive eh?
When you shake hands with someone for the first time, you shake in the Western way but with one firm shake only. When you shake hands with a close friend you clasp the other person’s hand and then slide hands to the fingertips and then you slightly bend the hand and finally let go as if you have fallen off a cliff and are unable to hold on with your fingertips any more.
Suva has a McDonalds. Bugger!
For Valentines Day, there was an advertisement in the newspaper saying that you could book a special table at KFC where the children’s play area had been converted to a lover’s corner and where you would receive a free bottle of non alcoholic champagne (apple cider). Romantic eh?
Smells of Fiji:
Sweat (my own and everyone else’s)
Diesel fumes (from cars and buses)
Coconut oil
Burning off
Rotting rubbish
Sweat
Diesel fumes
Chicken curry
Sweet air (when not getting whiffs of diesel)
I went to see a Hindi movie on the weekend. Unfortunately I walked out at intermission as it was in Hindi with no English subtitles. It was also the first time I have seen a Hindi movie that had very passionate wet kind of kissing. Worse than watching that TV show “days of our lives”. Even though I could not hear, I am sure they were making lots of noise - it was that kind of kissing if you know what I mean. I have never seen a film where the sole purpose was to titillate the audience. The shots, the closeups, the non plot and the terrible acting gave it all away. I stayed as long as I could more out of disbelief that it could be so bad! Hope I choose better next time.
I am gradually learning Fijian Sign Language. Day by day. A lot of the signs are derived from Auslan, ASL and lots of Signed English (ughhh!). The Deaf don’t call their sign Fijian Sign Language but rather “broken English” or “broken sign”. I have slowly talking to people about the difference between the English language and a Deaf Sign Language. Interpreters here even tell the Deaf that their sign is not that good because it is not English enough! So I have a few challenges! Today we decided to set up a group who will meeting regularly to start discussing Fijian Sign Language and what that might be. The understanding by the Deaf was that I would tell them what Fijian Sign Language is or that I would make up the signs for them. But that is not how language develops and that would just mean another white person has come in and decided how it’s going to be. It’s only day 2 at work so I still need to just observe. It is very easy to just jump in and start making decisions and pronouncements about what I have observed.
I want to write so much so that I remember as much as I can. I hope this email has not gone on for too long. There is so much to take in and observe.
Till next time eh?
Moce (bye)
Kate
posted by kate at 10:41 pm
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