books I am reading or loved

  • among the cannibals
  • extreme birds
  • pacific patterns

Sunday, December 17, 2006

The Pearl

Stan's cousin has a beautiful pearl ring that inspired me for this ring.

Bowling Party

Our annual Christmas party, this year we went bowling then we went to Lily's for dinner and games.


family photos

Just some random photos of mom and Erick doing what moms and brothers do plus a Christmas tree.


Boats boats boats

It seems both my dad and I love boats, he likes to fix and build them and I love to make them in pottery.


Surprise dinner!

Only Debra knew I was back so I was the surprise for the Christmas movie and dinner. We had a great night, it was like I was never gone! I have my first time back into the studio this upcoming Monday night, I am so excited. I have no idea what I am going to make, I just know it will have to be small, ideas that I can begin and finish in one night that would be ideal.

Me arriving to snow

Well it seems I have to keep up with the blog while I am here. These are pictures of the snow and the skytrain going to the airport.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

The plantation

The farming that Stan does. Stan loves planting and weeding and growing root veggies and bananas and mango's and all sorts of things. This is our little plantation, when I get back I will be planting carrots and tomatoes and green peppers....

me departing Fiji

I woke up Monday morning thinking it was going to be a regular day, little did I know that I would be on a plane heading home by 4:30 that afternoon. Stan felt it was best for me to leave asap and be safe. I have been home a couple of days now and the coup still is a possibility. Only in Fiji, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said he was going to take over the government on Friday but decided to watch the rugby game between the military and the police which was more important so he has now stated that he will overthrow the government Monday. The saga continues...

The latest version of the painting

How I left the painting

Our first attempt at a Polynesian Dinner

Josie and I decided to throw a dinner party! The day started early in the morning going to the market (the pictures I loaded earlier titled The Market). We then started cutting and preping for the dinner at 12 which was a good thing because we were still getting ready at 5:30 and the guests were arriving at 6:00. The food was great the company was fabulous and at the end we said we would not do it again, but by the next day we decided we would do it again and soon. We also made the decision to have Stan with us to help us cut all the veggies, he is a great sous chef.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Home

I have made it home and getting use to this time zone, and this freezing weather. I have been talking to Stan daily and we thought the government and the military leaders were making some headway towards solving their impasse. But tonight Stan called and let me know that tonight on the evening news Bainimarama announced that if his demands are not met tomorrow he will take over the government.

Fiji army chief's high noon deadline

Monday, November 27, 2006

I am on my way home

After a lot of waiting and waiting, and talking of should we or shouldn't we go or wait it out; Stan and I talked about it and we decided it is time for me to go home. A very hard decision to leave Stan and dear friends behind. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I got an email from Josie letting me know they are off to New Zealand. I am also disappointed that I will be not be going to Tonga for the much awaited and anticipated monumental event of Stan's brother being ordained as a Priest followed by a huge family reunion. I am saddened that I will not be able to attend and enjoy this huge family event and of course will greatly miss spending time with the kids and Brian. I am currently stuck in LA because of the snow in Vancouver my flight has be cancelled I should be on my way home tomorrow.

Love Jay

Thanks for the spell check Erick!

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Random photos 2

These are photos I like or things I want to share with you but don't really fit into an event, more like random occurrences.

Ok it's coup time again.

We here we are again folks and now Canada has issued a travel warning to Suva, Fiji. So I have packed my emergency bags and I am prepared to leave when the consulate tells me I have to. I am also looking into flights home on Monday just as a back up. Get the latest news at:

fiji times
stuff nz

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

mold and fungus

How you know it is too humid:

1. It takes 3 days for your clothes to dry, and if they are not dry in 3 days best to re-wash them (starting to get mouldy) and hope for the best.
2. The bread you buy fresh that day has mould growing on it in two days
3. That you have to use “swimmers ears” ear drops after your shower or you will get fungal ear.
4. That you have a slight sore throat and the doctor informs you that you have thrush from eating to much pineapple and mango's and because of the humidity and you now have to suck on fungicide throat lozenges.
5. That you sweat during your 7th shower of the day
6. That your sweat sweats



7. That gold bond powder has become your best friend
8. That you don’t want your own skin touching your own skin let alone someone else’s skin touching you
9. That you didn’t think it was humanly possible to have that much sweat going down your back as you wash the dishes
10. That you pray for rain so it does not feel so humid.
11. That you have created a new dance called the bunch and roll, which is what your clothes do when you are trying to put them on, especially entertaining after going to the bathroom

I guess you can tell I feel a bit overwhelmed by the moisture right now. I went to the Doctor yesterday to have my ears and throat checked and it is confirmed I do have a very mild case of thrush. It seems that the Canadian bodies start to fall apart after about 6 months of living in Suva due to the climate and dietary changes. So no more pineapple and mango's for me, for a bit and I now religiously put drops in my ears after my shower(s). Thank god I have a mild case of thrush and I can treat it with fungilin lozenges, mass quantities of non-sugar vitamin C and probiotic friendly bacteria! As for the skin I put Gold bond in any place that skin touches skin it seems to be helping for the first 10-15 minutes!

The glories of living in a humid tropical country, the things you never have to experience on a 2-week vacation in Paradise.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

The market

Every Saturday it feels like all of Suva goes "marketing" This is just a taste of the beautiful sights at the market. Watch for upcoming pictures of the spice market.



Josie and I we hosting a dinner party on Sunday night, we had a lot of veggies to get at the market. We cooked all day Sunday creating some amazing master pieces (tbc with the pictures they are on Josie's camera) the dinner was was a success. A few bumps along the way, like forgetting veggies for the vegetable kabobs but at the end of the day we had tons of food and tons of fun.

sushi sushi sushi

We decide to finally to go out for sushi with Josie and the family. We gorged on a selection of sushi and teriyaki it was fabulous. To busy eating to take photos of the dinner.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Pot holes of Suva

The pot holes in Suva are enormous and make driving a sport. I don't drive here but I certainly experience whiplash on a constant basis. Watching and experiencing cars swerving and make wild maneuvers into on coming traffic and crossing all over their own lane makes being a passenger in Suva an exciting event. This is just a very small sampling of the what we call the "lovo pits" of Suva. (A lovo pit is an underground oven that Fijians cook there meals in) One must take extra care not to run over the families using the bigger of the pits on Sundays when they cook their feast.(just kidding!)

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

political unrest plus racism plus lack of hope equals...

Well it seems to have happened in Tonga, riots. I have been telling friends that the one thing that I love about Tonga vs Fiji is that I feel safer in Tonga, now political unrest is happening there as well. Check out the following link to see photos of the riots.

www.matangitonga.to
www.tonga-now.to

Here are the latest

Here is where the painting is as of this moment. I am starting to really enjoy the process of painting, I usually start my day with painting for a least one or two hours before I run off to do shopping or lunch with friends. Today we had a thanksgiving lunch with the American womens association AWA for short. It was very good, not at all like one of the other groups that gets together here and is very clicky and not interested in getting to know you if your husbands income bracket is too low. I am off to my Polynesian dance lesson, more to follow....

Sunday, November 12, 2006

the start of our garden

Stan and I both love to garden, he loves planting food crops and I love the flowers, the perfect combination.

Friday, November 10, 2006

oil painting

My classes are finished now, my teacher is moving back to the US. After much struggle, especially with the background, I now feel I have a little understanding on how to move forward with the paintings. Neither of these pictures are done, I will continue to take pictures so you can watch the progression of the work.

Not ready to go home!

On our way home from Sonasali we decided to stop at Sandy beach and stay there a night! I finally got some pictures of the pumice flow that came in from TONGA! It was first thought it came from an underground eruption from the Solomans but now we know it is from an underground volcanic eruption from Tonga. The pumice in these pictures is maybe 5% of the total of what was washing up on shore at Pacific Harbour.

While we were walking the beach we decided to take a look at the Outrigger resort, which is right next door to Sandy Point. We were looking at the beautiful sunset and the pumice; when I heard the woman next to me say to her husband "what is that scum on the ocean" I explained to her about the eruption and that it was pumice not scum.

I don't understand why the hotel, where the guests are paying a lot of money, did not take 10 minutes to write up a page about this very cool event that occurred in Tonga, and floated to Fiji. Take what some would think as a negative and make it positive by using it as an educational opportunity and make it an interesting, exciting event. Instead their guest are left thinking that the beaches of Fiji are covered in "scum" just what we want them to tell their friends when they get home!

Check out this cool article about the possible new island! and more amazing pictures of the pumice.

pumice from tonga

To see and read more about Fiji check out Josie'e blog at www.bulafromfiji.blogspot.com she has links to the Fiji times and their coverage of the possible coup. Also some great pictures and thoughts about the garbage problem in Suva and other parts of the country, and much more.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

coup schmoo holiday

Sonaisali resort on the western side of the island.

Our adventure at Sonaisali resort:

With the recent tension in the Capital, is the coup happening? Is the military going to take over the government? Josie and I decided we needed a break; so we booked 2 nights 3 days at Sonaisali Resort.

Since getting home I have been asked by friends how our little holiday was and if I would go back too/recommend Sonaisali resort and the answer after much contemplation is NO! There was a series of little mix-ups and attitude that added up to a whole lot that was too much to over look. Here is a list of the “little mix ups”

1. We arrive early; check in is not until 2, no problem we go have lunch. Josie hears one staff member say to another “their room is ready but don’t let them in till 2”. That’s fine; maybe one should talk quietly so we don’t over hear you, at 2 they proceed to give us our room number and we have to lug our bags to the room. Other guests seem to get a porter to help with the luggage? We get to the room, and as we look around we realize something is not right. The sink has toothpaste in it, there is a wet used face cloth beside the sink, garbage in the bins, the room has not been cleaned at all! We trudge back to reception; did I mention it was really hot? And now we are in a full sweat! We are given another room; thank god it is a bit further away so we get to take a golf cart. All is great in this room; off to the beach we go!

2. Next we get ready for our dinner, our dinner reservation is lost, and we have a dinner that ends up taking 2 ½ hours to be served. That would be fine if it was just Josie and I, but the kids were starting to get restless and sleepy by now it is almost 10pm. So we ask for our desserts to be wrapped up and Josie takes the girls to bed and I wait, and wait, and wait.

3. The used plates from the dessert and the cockroach (see pictures) are put outside our door Saturday night (we don’t want to attracted more creatures) and they stayed there till Monday and I can assure you creatures came and visited the plates.

4. The bottom of the pool is so ruff that our feet looked like they had a major case of road rash.

5. 3 sets of towels in the room, when you offer the room as 2 adults and 2 kids, am I wrong that adds up to 4?

6. There are other little things; I think you get my point. We decide to talk to the manager to voice our concerns, how else do you improve your service but by listening to your guests. He actually said to Josie that because we were paying the special rate/local rate (they have been advertising in the local paper to the local community to come to their resort on a special 189.00 per night plus 40.00 a day for food, for the family, family being 2 adults, 2 kids) we should not be complaining! We told them we would pay the bill in full and we felt that comping us for a future night would be fair compensation they refused and took $100 dollars off our bill.

Note to all resorts!

All your guests and especially your local cliental are your ambassadors, when we have friends and family coming to visit us or when we finally move home and people ask us our advise about: where to stay, what to do, what are must sees, in Fiji we tell them. We are invaluable because we have lived in Fiji and we know!

So guess what Sonaisali you are not high on my list or possibly not even on my list of places to stay, I was willing to over look the little things but your "your local" attitude pushed me to the NO recommendation. Shame on you for your lack of respect to your local cliental; with the event of a possible a coup and travel advisories happening the tourist industry is precarious at best, don’t piss off the locals you need our business and especially our recommendations.

Check out recent article in the
fiji times

Saturday, October 28, 2006

very cool pictures

Mom and Erick saw this owl across the street and took these amazing photos!

Random photos

Here are some photos I like, check out Ericks cool stuff on his web page www.sprocketsandcoggs.com he has some new tables that are amazing.

The beginning of my oil painting journey

I am just starting to enjoy working with paint, I still miss pottery and I don't think painting will ever come close to how I love working with clay. I miss the tactile nature of pottery. I am still looking into figuring out how to do my style of pottery on the island.

Pacific Harbour

About an hour west of Suva is Pacific Harbour, which was trying to be an exclusive resort town. Never seemed to make it, though I have heard it has a great golf course. Josie and the girls and I went for the day to play at the beach. If it is raining in Suva you can be assured it is almost always sunny everywhere else. So to escape a lot of people take off to Pacific Harbour. When we arrived at the beach we realized something was very wrong. We soon found out that the Solomon Islands had an underground volcanic eruption and all the lava flow which is now pumice was carried by the tides and finding its way to the coast line of Fiji. I wish I took pictures it is an amazing site seeing a beach covered in feet of pumice. I was a bit concerned about swimming in it, but the water prevailed and I am still picking out very fine pumice out of my dreads!

New toy

Since I have decided and applied to the textiles and apparel program at USP I figure I should start sewing again. I was also thinking I could do the craft market that happens every month here is Suva. So this is the beginnings of my little girl dresses! The most fantastic models are Stephie and Freya.


Dewali

Stan and I were invited to Romila's Dewali, which is the Hindu festival of lights where you bring in the light and prosperity and all good things. We had a fabulous meal and got to know our neighbours better.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Even the birds are tired of the rain!!!

October 14, 2006

Hi, well let me tell you about this week in Fiji, RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN and can I say it again! RAIN!!! And gray. We have booked our tickets to Tonga, we are going back for Stan’s brother’s ordination and the family reunion leaving Dec 5 and returning to Fiji Dec 16th. I will have to work at getting some color back since it is all gone because can I say it again RAIN!

The painting classes are going well, I am finding it difficult to deal with the backgrounds of the drawings can’t get my mind to deal with them, not an issue with pottery. Met a most fabulous potter from Vanuatu during the Melanesian festival, I thought that he threw his pots on a wheel and then added a decorative rim, only to find out that he coils his pots, truly amazing.

Have had a bit of a cold the last few days just a cough, and a wee bit of a headache, seems to be finishing. Currently reading The sex lives of Cannibals, very funny and I can totally relate to his experience, only his was worse. Looking forward to reading his next book Getting Stoned with the Savages. Also had my fill of dancing and gymnastic videos care of Josie who kept me in supply of movies while I was resting.

Well that’s about it for this week, more pictures to come of the finale days of the festival!

Jay

Here are the final pictures of the festival

Friday, October 06, 2006

Cooking with Nita

Josie told me one day she was having a woman to come teach her how to cook curry, I asked if I could tag along and all of a sudden we had a party!

cooking with Nita
Sep 27, 2006 - 22 Photos

the melanesian festival

Our house and the dog

Here are some more pictures of the outside of our house and the guard dog Rexy. Rexy now follows me down the street and barks and lunges at anyone that gets near me, I guess I am part of his pack now and he is protecting me.

our house and the dog, rexy
Sep 27, 2006 - 9 Photos

Sunday, October 01, 2006

October 2nd

Well we finally got our stuff on Thursday! How wonderful to go thru all the things you packed almost a year ago. Finding treasure that you forgot and realizing those knives and forks are still in Canada waiting to be shipped. Stan and I spent the weekend unpacking and organizing. Last night we went to the Holiday Inn to watch the final rugby game between the Storm which Stan's cousin plays for and the other team, which I honestly don't remember their name. The other team won but it was a really close and good game. Yes it is hard to believe I like rugby!

My first painting class was good, a lot of time spent on prep work, which I expected. Putting together the stretcher bars, cutting canvas discussing materials. I hope this week we put brush to canvas.

Went to the IWA (International woman's association) bazaar. One or two of the women are really talented, but the space was small and cramped which is not the best environment for displaying your wares. The gods and goddess did smile on them and we had a very humid but not raining day! I have been drying my laundry for 3 days now and they basically tell you after 3 days that's as dry as it is going to get. It is just wrong to put clothes away that are cool to the touch because you know something is going to start growing on them.

Josie and I also went to the spice market, so cool and the smells so amazing. I have been invited to Josie's house Thursday to have a cooking lesson from Josie's next door neighbor. I am looking forward to learning ethic local cooking.

tomorrow starts the week long Melanesian Festival; food, arts and crafts, indigenous medicine, storytelling and ton's more from Papua New Guinea, Solomans, Fiji, and New Caledonia.

I will try to get pictures of the festival,


Jay

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Suva

where we live
Jul 31, 2006 - 1 Photo

Flowers

70 CENTS!!!

flowers of fiji
Jul 31, 2006 - 5 Photos

Our home

I have been told our stuff will arrive tomorrow, we will see!

Our house
Jul 31, 2006 - 21 Photos

Jungle jim jeff

Jeff and Tua ofa kindred spirits
Jul 31, 2006 - 5 Photos

Ode to the cockroach!

The start of the Tongan Holiday

The start of the holiday in Tonga
Jul 18, 2006 - 9 Photos

off to school

The kids school
Jul 18, 2006 - 19 Photos

Church

Church
Jul 18, 2006 - 5 Photos

The Tonga tour

Our imfamous island tour
Jul 18, 2006 - 23 Photos

The bat cave

The Bat Cave
Jul 18, 2006 - 10 Photos

Happy Birthday!

Well here in Fiji it is my dads 60th birthday!!!! So he gets at least two days to celebrate, today here and tomorrow in Canada! You look great for 60 dad keep up the good work!




As you can see I got the picture thing working, I went to Stan's office on sunday and worked on his computer and viola pictures!!!. God it is so nice to work with a computer that makes everything so easy and as you can see picasa has a new feature I love, called web albums. Makes doing the blog so easy, thank you thank you to who every created web albums with picasa. More pictures to be downloaded soon. Stan and I are going to another book launch at usp tonight and then hanging out in his office. What a great date!

Had a very busy previous week. Dinner at Josie's, guests were usp staff and their other halfs, plus kids. We had a blast, Josie and I found out we both had Ben Kingsley on our list, to weird. Then dinner out Friday night to celebrate Stan's cousin Ane passing her Bar exam!!!

Today I am going to my first Auction ever to see if I can get a book shelf for all my books that are still sitting on the dock. Yes that is right no stuff yet. I really want to make chocolate chip cookies, especially since I figured out how to light the oven. Oh well.

Tomorrow my first official oil painting class!!!!! I can't wait, I got all my supplies on Monday. I was given a name of a man that brings in supplies from
Australia so I contacted him to place an order and low and behold he is from Halifax! We Canadians rock! Josie suggested having a Canucks party with the expats here on the island. Serving pancakes with Maple syrup, hotdogs and playing street hockey, I think it is a great idea.

Off to enjoy my day!

Love Jay

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Blowholes at Houma

Houma
Jul 18, 2006 - 32 Photos

Bingo!

BINGO!!!!!
Jul 18, 2006 - 9 Photos

coconut milk and chilis

Check out Ericks growth (ganglion), yuk!!!

FaFa Island

Snorkeling and eating and walking the island. Our first trip to an Island that is about 1 hour from the capital.

Fa Fa Island
Jul 18, 2006 - 27 Photos

The Capital Nukualofa

Michelle was smart she brought a book to read while waiting for the bus, Erick took pictures of the Catholic church across the street. Jeff and I sat and waited and waited and waited!


Nukualofa
Jul 18, 2006 - 10 Photos

Still life and creatures

Ericks still life and creatures
Jul 18, 2006 - 10 Photos

Swimming with the whales!!!

Click on photo to see album.

Swimming with the whales! in Vavau
Jul 18, 2006 - 23 Photos