Fiji - maps and context

Fiji from space (www.wired.com) shows Vanua Levu (north) and Viti Levu (south).  I like this image because you can see the relief and vegetation, the islands that constitute the nation,  and the reefs.

This image shows more of the political context of Fiji.  Unlike the Caribbean with the gravity of US hegemony, Fiji feels the political and economic weight of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, and Korea, with emphasis on the anglophone nations, which share a British colonial history.

The British colonial influence is evident in the Fijian currency and flag, both of which have undergone transition to represent a post-independent future.  While the Queen's portrait has been replaced by Fijian icons on the currency, the flag is still to be revealed sometime this year.  Former naval commander, Frank Bainimarama, assumed power after the 2006 coup and was elected as Prime Minister by large majority in 2014. 

20-27 June 2016 - Vanua Levu Bulileka Village; got sick; laptop died

I left for Vanua Levu, Fiji's second largest island, on Monday June 20th.  I was a tag-along on a geomorphology fieldtrip with the environmental science students (a class of 38).  The students and I stayed in a village of just under 50 households.

On the third day, I became ill - I was cold and shivering and couldn't keep down any food. 

On return to Viti Levu, Suva, I discovered my laptop wouldn't boot. 

I am now relegated to the Departmental laptop until I have an alternative.

Consequently... no posts for the time being.

Squatting - Play, pay, and pray in Suva environs of informal settlements

Child's play in a parkette near to an informal settlement in greater Suva, Fiji.

Coconut vending at the roadside of an informal settlement in greater Suva, Fiji.  It is uncommon for women to sell water coconuts because of the strength required to safely trim and open them for customers.  The male-dominated coconut picking and vending is overlooked by the male-dominated yard in the vendor's background.  Approximately five men relax at the front of a friend's dwelling and one man appears to be holding open a bag for the group.  Coconuts perhaps?  The waste has a place it belongs, the large yellow bin at the left, but the shaky structures and lives within the settlement seem, at least momentarily, strewn and displaced.

Women stop and men walk by.  Second hand clothes vending is a common form of income for many urban women.  Some are known for selecting the best quality only from the containers that arrive from Australia (and New Zealand possibly), others are known for their wide variety; some sell online, but others, less privileged, sell on the pavement for the less privileged.  Purchase of second hand clothes is not exclusively the domain of poorer women, in fact while on the bus I noticed a car stop and an Indian woman (put together well) get out while her male driver idled, impatiently.  She was looking for a jacket, and seemed to find a blazer that was acceptable to her tastes.

Veiquwawa Seventh Day Adventist - located in an informal settlement in Greater Suva.

Squatting - taken from the bus on the way into town via two different routes - Fiji

This photo and the two that follow were taken about 5pm in the afternoon on Saturday June 18th on the bus heading back to Nabua.  You can see the river clearly in the google link provided which also shows the haphazard unplanned settlement on the flood plain.

Clearly depicting a demolished dwelling, whether it is turned to tinder by nature or design is unknown.

The density and proximity of the precarious dwellings leads one to ask the question whether there is a density of social and kinship ties in the surrounding homes.  What does 'community' mean in a squatter settlement, and when does the settlement become a neighbourhood? 

Rickety start for youth born into these conditions.  Site 2, includes this and the two photos that follow.  Indeterminate location for now, but I will edit when facts present themselves.

Relatively large, private, but precarious living due to a combination of insecurity of tenure and inadequate construction with poor materials.

Strewn garbage worsened by a lack of facilities and service provision.

Vehicles cooperating for time efficiency - Fletcher Road bottleneck (Vatuwaqa Bridge - The journey to school - Central Transport Co. Ltd - The Yellow Bus (70cents one way, or 1dollar if you continue to town!)

On the way to school in the morning, we pass a few squatter settlements that appear on the right -- the dwellings are not strong, and they may not last long - but the population endures while there is little alternative for affordable housing.

I don't quite know what the different buses mean yet i.e. deecees (disease? jk!), Cityline in the distance etc.  I'd be grateful if someone could comment.  This is the central bus depot in Suva city centre.

Vehicles cooperating for time efficiency - Fletcher Road bottleneck (Vatuwaqa Bridge - The journey to school - Central Transport Co. Ltd - The Yellow Bus (70cents one way, or 1dollar if you continue to town!)

On the way to school in the morning, we pass a few squatter settlements that appear on the right -- the dwellings are not strong, and they may not last long - but the population endures while there is little alternative for affordable housing.

I don't quite know what the different buses mean yet i.e. deecees (disease? jk!), Cityline in the distance etc.  I'd be grateful if someone could comment.  This is the central bus depot in Suva city centre.

CARPIMS Mobility, International Office, University of the South Pacific, official welcome tea - Friday June 17th. Picture below, left to right: Dr. Kissoon visiting from the Department of Geography, University of the West Indies; Mr. St. John; USP International office; Ms. Priyadarshani, USP International Office; and Mr. Anthony, USP International Office. All three staff members of USP are Fijian, indicating the country's ethnic diversity.

Fuel for two hours of stimulating conversation from culturally knowledgeable local experts at the International Office, USP.  Thank you Mata, Alfred, and Archana.

USP Main Campus with Tsunami warning. A botanical haven to relax and regenerate young minds. A short shuttle or 10 minute walk from the south campus.

Rest and relaxation areas for staff and students across campus.  Roof in the thatched tradition is depicted here, but lost in most residential dwellings.  The Fijian roof  and resting places are good examples of the marriage of indigenous technologies in a contemporary age.  The materials and the height of the roof keep the area cool and breezy.

The main campus library.  Note the towering palms and the open louvered windows.  There is no air-conditioning.  The building also has cyclone shutters for the stormy season.

Move inland to higher ground - away from this picturesque picnic pit - in case of Tsunami.  In Trinidad and Tobago, it is common to see assembly area signs in communities in case of earthquake; however, the hazard that places Fiji at risk is cyclonic activity and, it seems, seismic sea waves.  Comparing the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) of TT and Fiji, the former is "extremely vulnerable" while the latter is "highly vulnerable".  Fiji's vulnerability, according to the EVI comes from cyclones, landslides, and isolation, amongst other things.  Click here for more information on the EVI.

The Administrative building is, according to Kara a friendly custodian, the seat of the Vice Chancellor and other important offices.  The building is stunning in its integration with the natural surroundings.  This waterfall feature allows rain waters to flow into a rock-garden just in front of the building's main entrance.  In the photo below, you can see that the building welcomes with cascading bougainvillea , and tightly woven vines have overtaken the concrete in many places, thereby camouflaging much of the brutalist architecture with nature's own assertive tendencies. The effect is a tropical "ivy league" version of the highest feelings of academic capacity, where both students and their infrastructure feel as imperative to the sense of place, history, and future of the Pacific, as the natural landscape.

Showcase facepainting and Japanese paper balloons: My cheeky 8-year old housemate!

Puf, puf, puffed!  Origami training with my little friend after she had a wonderful day at the Showcase, Vodaphone Centre.  She received a very pretty face-paint and felt very happy.  She was impressed by the Japanese paper balloons, and picked up the folding with little difficulty.  Maybe a future Origami artist?  One never knows.

Hannah the dog, and two of the three resident cats, bright-eyed Leo and sleepy Garfield (siblings).

Doggie sense-of-place.  Is there a way to tell that this is a Fijian dog and not a TT or CAD dog?  I suspect, though cannot verify empirically, that she understands native Fijian spoken by one of her first-mates on this journey through life.  ... but that might mean she is also multi-lingual, as English is often spoken, and maybe also the occasional German command or endearment.  What about her food preferences? - well unlike my personal raised-by-a-vegetarian doggies, this dog is not too much into bread... unless there's a fat/oil on it -- this is a meat-mouth.  This may not be characteristic of Fijian dogs only.  Hannah socializes with cats.  Also not exclusive to Fijian dogs, particularly if they are raised in a cat-dog-human household.  She is more of an equatorial dog compared to a 44deg north dog since the culture here is not one of dog walking.  Rather, Hannah is a yard-dog.  Therefore her typical behaviours are defensive, guarding, welcoming, and seeking affection - but I have not observed her at play or on a leash, both of which are typical of northern doggies and their companions.  Any reader comments on this distinction between global south/north pets are welcome.  The cats and their behaviours seem more in a "league of global-felines" that has fewer distinctions between regions and economic status.

Euro Cup 2016 - Leo tries to help France score a goal against Albania.  France wins 2-0. Update:  Leo had no interest or opinion on the final game, supporting neither Portugal nor France.  I think, therefore, Leo was actually supporting Albania in this image. 

Lower Campus (South), School of Geography, Earth Science and Environment. The front and back yard views from my office. Inspiring vistas that excite attendance and sustained thought.

Laucala Bay, USP - Click here for a google map of Laucala Campus and Laucala Bay

Laucala Campus, USP - North West