Norch's 15 Minutes of Fame in Fiji

Squints McGee & Cousin It (Fiji)

Bula Bula! We've arrived in New Zealand sun burnt yet refreshed on the heels of our Fiji adventures to find the "spring season" is closely akin to a rainy winter day in the states. As soon as we got off the plane we had to bust out our fleeces and are still half considering returning to Fiji to wait out the good weather. Fiji was awesomeness afterall. And Norch is a local celebrity after getting quoted in the newspaper by a sports writer saying Fijian rugby makes American football (or grid-iron as they call it) look like it's played by little girls. While visiting we caught the biggest game we caught the biggest game of the year where Nadi challenged Nagro for the cup. Neither of us had ever seen rugby live (or really understand the rules to be quite honest), but it was an exciting game with a lively crowd that kept roaring "boom". Norch has decided he's man enough to learn to play. I just want to learn how to make roti stuffed with curried potatoes which was sold at the game and tastes like heaven.

As I'm writing Norch is driving along in NZ and almost just killed us for the 10th time while making a turn into the right hand lane instead of the proper left. Perhaps one day he'll get the hang of it. At least he didn't turn on the windshield wiper blades instead of the turn signal again. And I just saw a sign for sheep poo for $5...curious.

Back to Fiji. One of the highlights of our time in Fiji was the local market where we bought delicious fruits, veggies and spices from farmers. And had our first taste of the infamous Kauva. Kauva is a traditional drink made from grinding up the Kauva root and adding water. It was described to us as medicinal, which we can only assume is the fancy way to say it numbs your tongue. Norch tried to capture the excitement of the market with lens, but was quickly asked to stop by some young street pharmacist who said that we were making those buying and selling weed uncomfortable. So much for the classic market photo.

The most educational part of our trip was getting to know the locals and realizing despite our western perceptions they were genuinely kind and never had an agenda such as selling us something or asking for money. Whenever we needed directions or other assistance no matter who we approached they were welcoming and overly helpful. The Fijians still have a tribal lifestyle with more of an emphasis on day-to-day happiness than working hard to save money to buy stuff down the road. They can live off the land after all with plentiful seafood, bananas, coconuts, papaya, etc. all around and have close knit villages full of large families and neighbors. It's quite the life in a beautiful country.

Our near future plans include my on-going quest to hug a baby lamb and Norch's desire to reenact Lord of the Rings L.A.I.R.E. style. Oh and our accents are coming along quite nicely.

Cheers!