FIJI & AMERICAN SAMOA

When we docked at Fiji we were advised to leave our jewellery in the safe and given lots of does and don’t.  Like “if you take a taxi make sure that he waits for you and that you don’t pay him until he returns you to the ship”.  Unsurprising really as the island inhabitants are only 200 years away from being cannibals!

Indians were brought in to work the sugar plantations because the locals were not interested in physical work.  Now the Indians make up about half of the island’s inhabitants, dominating the commercial and professional fields.  They also produce most of the islands’ crops and in elections gained most of the seats in government. The Fijians eventually rebelled and staged the South Pacific’s first of 3 coup d’etats resulting in Fiji becoming a republic. 

I went to an “arts village” which entailed sitting on an uncomfortable, rickety bus with no air conditioning.  Not good in temperatures in the 30’s and high humidity.  On the 45 minute drive along the horrendously potholed “main highway” we passed the poor ramshackle shacks that the local habitants live in.  It’s obviously very poor subsistence living here. 

At the “arts village” we were treated to a display of their ceremonial war and courtship dances.  The war dances culminated in the enemy being eaten! Quite scary. And then the main billing, the firewalkers who come from members of the Sawau Tribe of Beqa Island.  I thought that they would just skip lightly over the hot stones, but no, they stood on them!  Amazing! 

After leaving Fiji we passed over the international dateline, gained a day and had the 25^th April twice.  Now instead of being +13 GMT we are -11 GMT.  Bizarrely enough Western Samoa has decided to remain on +13 GMT. For commercial reasons they prefer to be in line with Australia.  So here you have two adjacent islands with different dates.  Now that really is confusing!

Somerset Maugham’s “Rain” was appropriately set in American Samoa (where we are).  This island has 200 inches of rain a year.  They say that a day never goes by without rain.  It sits on the Pacific Rim of Fire and in 29^th September 2009 there was a tsunami killing 200 people.  This ship arrived the day after and passengers donated money and clothing to the local population and the Red Cross used the ship’s showers and facilities.  

American Samoa is culturally completely different to Fiji.  It is a matriarchal society where the men bring up the children and cook the meals and their ceremonial dances are about love not war.  We were taken to a village to take part in the Ava ceremony. Ava is a non-alcoholic drink that makes your mouth go numb and if you drink too much makes you squiffy.  Go figure (as our American friends say). 

Unlike the tourist village in Fiji this was a real living village.  The ladies toilet was actually in the family bathroom where two village ladies were in the bath showering a child (behind a shower curtain I should add).  While I was in there they asked if anyone was there I said “yes, but if you want to come out we will wait” “no, you all finish first, we are fine”.  That child must have been like a prune by the time we had all finished.  We had a great time with the villagers and I actually felt sorry to be leaving. 

Our guide told us that the main island employer is a tuna canning factory.  There used to be two factories but the Samoan government demanded that they pay the minimum US wage. They refused, closed the factory and moved operations to another island resulting in something like 6000 people losing their jobs.  It tore the heart out of the economy.  The government is still demanding that the remaining factory pays this minimum wage and now this factory is under threat of being closed too.  Apart from this the only other employment on the island is the Government.  We really don’t know how lucky we are.  

TO SEE MORE POSTS AND PICTURE OF MY TRIP AROUND THE WORLD SIMPLY CLICK ON THE CRAZY LADY WEARING THE HAT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE BAR! 

GOODBYE AUSTRALIA, HELLO SOUTH PACIFIC

My time in Australia is about to come to an end.  Tomorrow I join the Sea Princess for a 4 week cruise through the Polynesian Islands to San Francisco.  If you would like to follow my progress don't forget you can read all about it by clicking on the strange Aussie lady on the right sidebar.  This will take you to my travel blog.

To my dear blogging friends, please excuse me for not keeping up with you, I have limited wifi time on this trip and I'm anxious to record all the experiences so that I can re-live them at some later time when I'm old and frail..

So ....here's my cruise itinerary:-

SUN 04/15/12         SYDNEY, BARANGAROO WHARF 5   CHECK IN 2:30PM-5:00PM DEPART 6:00PM

MON 04/16/12        AT SEA

TUE 04/17/12          AT SEA 

WED 04/18/12        FIORDLAND NATIONAL PARK, NEW ZEALAND (SCENIC CRUISING)

                               ARRIVE 8:00AM DEPART 6:00PM

THU 04/19/12         DUNEDIN (PORT CHALMERS), NEW ZEALAND

                               ARRIVE 8:00AM DEPART 6:00PM

FRI 04/20/12           AKAROA, NEW ZEALAND

ARRIVE 8:00AM DEPART 6:00PM

SAT 04/21/12          AT SEA

SUN 04/22/12         AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 6:00PM

MON 04/23/12        AT SEA

TUE 04/24/12          AT SEA

WED 04/25/12        AT SEA

WED 04/25/12        SUVA, FIJI

ARRIVE 9:00AM DEPART 5:00PM

WED 04/25/12        CROSS INTERNATIONAL DATELINE

THU 04/26/12         PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA

ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 4:00PM

FRI 04/27/12           AT SEA

SAT 04/28/12          AT SEA

SUN 04/29/12         BORA BORA, FRENCH POLYNESIA

ARRIVE 8:00AM DEPART 5:00PM

MON 04/30/12        TAHITI (PAPEETE), FRENCH POLYNESIA

ARRIVE 8:00AM OVERNIGHT

TUE 05/01/12          TAHITI (PAPEETE), FRENCH POLYNESIA

DEPART 4:00AM

TUE 05/01/12          MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA

ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 4:00PM

WED 05/02/12        AT SEA

THU 05/03/12         AT SEA

FR I05/04/12           AT SEA

SAT 05/05/12          AT SEA

SUN 05/06/12         AT SEA

MON 05/07/12        HONOLULU, HAWAII

ARRIVE 6:00AM DEPART 11:00PM

TUE 05/08/12          MAUI (LAHAINA), HAWAII

ARRIVE 7:00AM DEPART 4:00PM

WED 05/09/12        AT SEA

THU 05/10/12         AT SEA

FRI 05/11/12           AT SEA
   
SAT 05/12/12         AT SEA

SUN 05/13/12         SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
SFO CRUISE TERMINAL PIER 35
FISHERMAN'S WHARF
THE EMBARCADERO
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111
ARRIVE 7:00AM

PARAPROSDOKIANS

PARAPROSDOKIANS (Winston Churchill loved them) are figures of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous.

1. Where there's a will, I want to be in it.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.
3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.
5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
8. They begin the evening news with 'Good Evening,' then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
10. Buses stop in bus stations. Trains stop in train stations. My desk is a work station.
11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.
12. In filling out an application, where it says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'
13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.
17. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
18. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
19. There 's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.
20. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.
21. You're never too old to learn something stupid.
22. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
23. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
24. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
25. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
26. Where there's a will, there are relatives.

And don't forget my travel log while I'm in Australia/USA.  You can read it by clicking on the funny woman in the right hand side bar.  xxx

JUST A REMINDER

Just a quick reminder that I am currently in Australia. To follow my travel blog and see photographs simply click on the mad Oz logo on the right hand side bar.  We have been here for nearly 2 weeks  and have travelled from Noosa to the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Toowooba, the Great Barrier Reef and now we are in Sydney.

This is the view from our apartment at Manly Beach, Sydney

Tomorrow my granddaughter and 2 greatgrandaughters depart for chilly England while I stay on for an adventure trip in the camper van with my grandson.  I think that this is going to be quite "challenging" in asmuchas some of the sites along the way look a little primative!  Like, no water, not even a loo!! But there might be a nice 5* hotel in the vicinity to catch my attention.  I wish! 

Talk soon.  Love, Ann xxx

THE AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE

Just to remind everyone that I've made several posts on my travel blog.  To read them simply click on the funny woman wearing the cork hat on the righthand side bar.  xxxx

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

At first I thought this was  funny....Then I realised the awful truth of  it. Be sure to read all the way to the end! 

Tax his land, tax  his bed, Tax the table at which he's  fed. 
Tax his work, tax his  pay, he works for peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow, tax his goat,  tax his pants, tax his coat.
Tax his tobacco, tax his  drink, tax him if he tries to think.

Tax his car, tax his gas, find other ways to tax his ass. 
Tax all he has then let him  know that you won't be done till he has  no dough.

When he screams and  hollers; then tax him some more, tax him  till he's good and sore. Then  tax his coffin, tax his grave,
Tax the  sod in which he's laid.

When  he's gone, do not relax, it's time to  apply the inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax, Airline surcharge tax,
Airline Fuel Tax, Airport Maintenance Tax,

Building Permit  Tax, Cigarette Tax,
Corporate Income Tax, Goods and Services Tax (GST) 

Death tax, Driving Permit Tax,
Environmental Tax  (Fee), Excise Taxes 

Income Tax, Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax, Petrol Tax (too much per litre)

Gross  Receipts Tax, Health Tax
Inheritance Tax, Interest Tax Heating Tax

Lighting Tax, Cooking Tax,
Liquor Tax, Luxury Taxes 

Marriage License Tax, Medicare Tax 
Mortgage Tax, Personal Income Tax  

Property Tax, Poverty Tax, 
Prescription Drug Tax, Real Estate Tax 

Recreational Vehicle Tax, Retail Sales  Tax
Service Charge Tax, School Tax 

Telephone Tax, Vehicle License  Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax, Water  Tax

Workers Compensation  Tax, and now they want a
blooming  Carbon Tax!

STILL THINK THIS IS  FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed in the UK 100 years ago, & our nation was one of the most prosperous in the world...

We had  absolutely no national debt, had a large middle class,
a huge manufacturing base, and Mum stayed home to raise the kids. 

What on earth happened?

Could it be the lying parasitic politicians wasting our money?
Oh, and don't forget the relatively new bank charges....And we all know what we think of Bankers. 

ONLY DAYS TO GO UNTIL WE TAKE OFF FOR AUSTRALIA

THESE TWO BEAUTIFUL LITTLE BOYS
(MY GREAT GRANDSONS)
 HAD NOT BEEN WELL THIS WEEK -
GREAT TO SEE THEM CHIPPER AGAIN.

That's the worse thing about going away - I miss my family and friends so much.  I remember after I returned from my trip last year little Leyton (on the left) got so excited when he first saw me and went hyperactive, hitting and throwing things at me.  This is so unlike him.  I'm not sure if he wanted to punish me for being away so long or if he was overcome with excitement. 

I've started up my new travel blog for anyone that's interested.  Same routine as last year, simply click on the side bar link and it SHOULD (fingers crossed) take you through to it.