I was squeezing one last (alright one of the 5 last) Christmas shopping run in-between lunch last Monday and had dashed into a Woolworths near work to see if they had the salted almonds that the Woolies near my house had run out of. I mean it’d make life easier if everyone liked the same things but one parent of mine likes almonds and another … Continue reading Magic
As if setting your wedding date isn’t a hair-tearing of a mission enough, try adding the Hindu calendar in the mix as well. Apart from ensuring that your fua, Canada aunty, childhood nanny’s daughter and the HMU artist who has 20.1K followers on Instagram can make it, you must also ensure that the Hindu Gods and Goddesses can make it to your wedding too. According … Continue reading Wedding
I absolutely hate vinegar. The smell of it makes me gag. But then Salt & Vinegar is my favourite chips flavour and I practically drink Tabasco sauce (which is like 80% vinegar) by the gallon. I’ve always put it down as a gemini thing but mostly it’s a gawning exception to my publicly declared hate for vinegar! A local Italian joint I frequent in Sydney, … Continue reading Exception
I was just getting the hang of it when they changed the bloody bin labels at work again. I don’t know about you but it’s quite a task separating out trash at work. Heavens forbid the days I decide get a Guzman y Gomez’s burrito bowl. Their box is cardboard, the fork/spoon/wrapping plastic, the napkin’s paper, the Diet Coke can aluminium and there’s always this bits … Continue reading Plastic
This past week has been a bit of a face-palm kind. But the kind that causes deep migraine throbs through the sections of your brain you’d rather kept shut. Two things this week. One the public holiday last Monday to mark Fiji’s Constitution Day (something only a few countries in the world observe) and a vigil organised in Suva to remember women lost to domestic … Continue reading Constitution Day
This week it was in the middle of a meeting when it snuck up on me. Somewhere in between the variance tab and the actual spend and the budget columns, the word “Forecast” rolled off someone’s tongue right into the pit of my stomach. If there ever is a word I absolutely detest, it is ‘forecast’. I even hate the shop named Forecast ‘cause nothing … Continue reading Forecast
Dear Reader Something about Sunday mornings, isn’t there? It has always been my favourite day of the week. Growing up, Sunday mornings used to be an ear-splitting affair at my parents house. My father would always tune in the weekly Hindu bhajan program at 10.00.am. Precisely the exact moment the indian AG church opposite our house would start their service even though the iTaukei AG … Continue reading Sundays with Shyamni
I’m sitting here in causal talanoa after a traditional welcome kava ceremony in the cool, dim village-hall of Nabutautau but my mind’s hardly on the conversation in the room. I am staring out the low doorway of the bure at what looks very much like a sacrificial rock alter and encircled open space where perhaps once-upon-a-time chiefly tribal ceremonies took place. This remote (remote as remote gets ’cause we’re smack-bang … Continue reading Fiji Mountains & Yam Samosas For The Soul!
We’ve all been there. Sitting around an airport on the brink of tears from boredom in between flights especially if it’s a hole like LAX International or a domestic air terminal in the middle of nowhere with a broken vending machine and 3 plastic seats bolted to the floor (because they tend to disappear!). With Fiji (Nadi) being “thrown-in” in many RTW issued tickets these days … Continue reading Long Layover in Fiji? Try A Thermal Mud Bath!
This tenant was supposed to move out last Monday. Having not heard from him by 3pm, I dropped by to ‘just see how he was going’. He was going alright. There was a fully loaded 2 ton truck sitting on the driveway. He asked if he could handover the keys the next day as he had a ‘few loads’ more to go. A text on … Continue reading Something You Should Know Before You Go Travel The World
Where is Shyamni? 