Morning Reflections on Tropical Sunday Morning

February 3, 2008 @ 1115
South Pacific Dispatch / Suva Motor Inn, Suva, Fiji

Yes, I do love being able to write from a faraway place that I am not from. I am having coffee (from Papua New Guinea) and watching the BBC World News that absolutely puts CNN to shame most of the time. I do like CNN International and the special reports.

Things look on track for my departure. Weather is good and no cyclones on the horizon at this point in time. I’ll confirm with Air Pacific today or tomorrow and set up the transport to Nadi which is about a 3 hour drive. I have seen the bus and it is a huge and comfortable bus . . . a far cry from ‘back in the day’ (1985 – 1987) when it took 4- 5 hours in a cramped open air bus. The old buses are still around and I love the fact there are no windows. If it rains you simply roll down a vinyl tarp and everyone helps hold it inside.

That cooperation, at least for the most part is much of what typifies Fiji to the outsider. Some of this is of absolute necessity, i.e., it is a must to cooperate when unloading a container in the rain and mud and you do not have a forklift and a paved road to use it on. So when we unloaded the container of medical supplies in Nausori, we had to use the ‘human forklift’ and lift the pallets with people.

Some may find it interesting (others terribly boring!) or surprising that I am tired and yes, am actually looking forward to going home. I do have a deep love for Fiji but it is not my home and my mission here this time is complete for all intents and purposes. I have a life that needs tending to back in America, people that I love, mail being saved and my love for and addiction to the New York Times and other news. I can easily envision a life where I can live in America yet spend months at a time overseas doing medical work in different places. I could work at a hospital while in America and then work overseas too.

I just heard the BBC news call Indonesia’s ex-president a great leader. What a joke. The CIA and other various U.S. government agencies were completely complicit in assisting Suharto in a reign of terror. He was a joke to many Indonesians that I have spoken to. He personally enriched himself, his family and many of his cronies from the brutal repression of his people in the name of anticommunism. I don’t think he was an American puppet but probably very good at survival and manipulating the Americans into giving what he wanted. Much of my knowledge is based on a recently published history of the CIA. I would like to read a more specific history so eventually will have to look one up.

Thanks for reading.

David

Postscript: I remember sitting with the Fijian guys from Lalati and hearing them sing around the tanoa (the kava bowl). There was a song just about their island of Beqa and each village was mentioned in the song. Fijian songs are usually about connections, to their village, to each other, to the land. It is not usually songs about anger, or alienation. There may be sadness but it is about a broken heart from love, separation from a loved one, departure from home, an island that you have come to love. Other songs are simply about fun.