fiji? san yun?
20 Apr 2010 1 Comment
in beach, holiday, resort, tradition Tags: fiji, fiji water, history, resorts, scuba diving, surfing
this is the most faq i get since i got here.
btw, i think the only reason my husband was attracted to me the first time we met was of all the girls he met so far in the philippines, i was the only one who knew where fiji was. admit it, ado…
so here’s a little fiji islands 101:
the republic of the fiji islands is a nation located in the south pacific flanked by vanuatu, new caledonia, tonga, tuvalu and new zealand. i bet you only recognize new zealand. perhaps tonga too, but only because you know asi taulava.
from fijibeachouse.
it has over 300 islands and over 500 islets. which is not a very remarkable fact for you, i’m sure, because you’re accustomed to over 7,100 islands (“high tide or low tide?”).
native fijians are of melanesian descent. they account for about half of the population. indo-fijians account for almost another half. then the rest: europeans, asians, arabs.
fiji children. from johnny jet.
the islands became a british colony in 1874. they brought in contract workers from india to work on the plantations (there was a policy then wherein native labor wasn’t allowed to keep from disrupting the culture). thus the large chunk of indo-fijian population.
fiji indians in 1953. from te ara.
they were granted independence in 1970, but became a republic only in 1987. it’s a young nation.
they operate under a parliamentary system where the prime minister is the head of government and the president is the head of state.
speaking of population, fiji has less than a million. imagine: the philippines has over 80 million, about 11 million in metro manila alone.
of course, in the world over, fiji is best known for its resorts…
…and surfing…
from surfers village.
…and scuba diving.
from le grand bleu.
oh, and… well, fiji water.
playing tourists on christmas evening
29 Dec 2009 Leave a Comment
in denarau, entertainment, resort, tradition Tags: christmas, denarau, entertainment, fire dancing, resort, sheraton, special event, tradition
ado and i decided to just pop into a resort last christmas and go around as if we were tourists. we might as well have been, ado himself hardly recognized the place since a big part of the sheraton’s lobby and pool area was remodeled.
tourists abound, as you might expect during the holiday season, and it wasn’t too hard to blend into the throng of foreigners.
we made it to a live show of fiji history, though i hardly listened to the narrative as i flit from spot to spot for a better view. i could tell it was extremely interesting when i caught enough key words like “cannibals” and “tribe wars”. i should get around to dropping by again and watching it properly.
the actors would occasionally walk straight into the audience (standing on the edge of the lobby going into the pool area) and wave the torch at our faces which elicited yells of fright and amusement combined.
then there’s the fire dancing. nothing like seeing the real south pacific do it.
he even put the torch baton ends right on his feet…
…another twirled two flaming batons at the same time…
…and performed blindfolded.
when the “chief” called on the performers and the guests to “feel free to take photographs”, cameras just clicked and buzzed away like nobody’s business.
especially the ladies…
…including me, of course.
hope everyone had a wonderful christmas!
one of the best beaches in the world and a seven-star resort
25 Oct 2009 2 Comments
in beach, resort Tags: beach, best beaches in the world, fiji, intercontinental, natadola, resort
forbes magazine classified natadola (pronounced natandola) among the 25 best beaches in the world. natadola is now home to the intercontinental fiji golf resort and spa, a fantastic 7-star resort that made my jaw drop.
here’s what the publication had to say:
One of the world’s best beaches is now home to the pinnacle of luxury resorts, with the June 1 opening of InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa on Natadola Beach, the pride of Fiji’s Coral Coast.
Spread across 35 acres of tropical gardens, InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa is the sole destination resort on Natadola Beach – the only stretch of natural, white sand beach on the main island of Fiji, Viti Levu. Protected by a reef to create an aqua-blue ocean facing lagoon, Natadola Beach was voted by Forbes Magazine in 2008 as one of the 25 best beaches in the world.
“Before the InterContinental resort, visitors to Fiji had to travel to the outer islands to find the archipelago’s beautiful beaches, which can add up to a couple of days of travel to the journey. InterContinental Fiji brings that authentic Fijian outer-island experience to the mainland,” said the resort general manager, Neil Houghton. “This is a pristine location that InterContinental Fiji will protect, celebrate and share with the world.”
A true destination resort, InterContinental Fiji has been created to provide a luxurious pacific retreat for discerning travellers seeking more than just a beachside getaway. From the overall design and layout of the resort itself through to the smallest details, InterContinental Fiji is a visitor’s gateway to authentic Fijian experiences.
this year, forbes also included the resort in its 25 sexiest beaches in the world.
the first time we went there last month, it was quite overcast, so please excuse the photos.
train tracks run through the resort.
the chapel.
the boys bodysurfing.
absolutely fantastic.
a walk down the isle (i did not misspell this) part 2
12 Oct 2009 Leave a Comment
in beach, resort, special event Tags: beach wedding, fiji, special event, wedding
the wedding ceremony.
the choir of fijian ladies sitting on the sand. how cool is that?
the flower girls.
one of them is looking under the table…
…probably at the priest’s nike trainers.
a toast to the newlyweds as the sun sets.
the newlyweds with the best man, maid of honor and the flower girl.
as the sun descends…
…a distant drum announces the torchbearer going around the resort to light the tiki torches.
the men head back to the bar, of course.
the bride can finally take a breather.
such a dreamy, romantic atmosphere; almost as if we pulled the scene straight out of our imaginations.
the host breaks the ice, provides the program and makes us laugh.
there were lots of dancing…
…and singing.
the surprise of my life: when a slow islands song came on, some of the gents just suddenly yelled as they got off their seats from the dining table, took off their shirts and danced around the bride and groom. it’s a samoan thing.
a wild and wacky, completely wonderful wedding!
congratulations and best wishes, fred and romy! hope you liked our gift!
a walk down the isle (i did not misspell this) part 1
11 Oct 2009 1 Comment
in beach, resort, special event Tags: beach wedding, fiji, resort, sonaisali, wedding
fred and romy’s wedding at sonaisali beach
got ready for fred and romy’s wedding at home. ado wore a formal sulu.
to get to sonaisali, we had to take a boat from this small port.
arriving in sonaisali.
the “fiji warriors” getting ready.
meeting the groom in the lobby. he is samoan, now settled in auckland, nz.
mother of the groom.
father of the bride. he is kailoma (meztizo, more like the insulares. they are of british lineage) from fiji.
the priest with the groom and the best man. to the right is the choir of fijian ladies. the altar is in a bure.
guests waiting for the bridal party. guests came all the way over from samoa, new zealand and australia. and i, well, came from the philippines.
mother of the bride. she is from new zealand.
the bridal boat now in sight.
the drummer beats the lali signaling the arrival of the bride.
and the choir takes its place by the boardwalk to meet her with songs.
while the guests look on in anticipation.
and the father of the bride anxiously awaits to walk his daughter down the sand.
here comes the bridal party.
the flower girls.
the maid of honor.
and the bride.
marching to the altar.
(part 2 next entry)
this is where i am
09 Oct 2009 7 Comments
in beach, denarau, manila, resort
i used to live here:
now i live here:
i used to hang out here:
now i hang out here:
i am a filipina in fiji.
i am a fijipina.
say a little something