Living in debts could be one of the worst feelings that one could have, I didn't say the worst but one of the worst. Now that I have been ridden with it and trying to fight my way out of it, I felt it was my own negligence that has gotten me this way. Laziness, negligence, disregard and slackness seemed to be the order of the day for sometime now a trait which I have felt has crept in. From this experience I would rather not go through an ordeal such as this again. I know I'm not the only one, after appying for a refinance I was somehow surprised at the amount of files stacked with declined written on the paper band that held those file. It was thick enough that I knew if that girl carried it, she might have back cramps, that brought a little relief but still the thing is I didn't care about the debt but how I ended up to be such a wimp with that debt makes me doubting myself........
Monday, 26 November 2012
Monday, 5 November 2012
The Wicked Man
“I am a wicked man... But do you know, gentlemen, what was the main point about my wickedness? The whole thing, precisely was, the greatest nastiness precisely lay in my being shamefully conscious every moment, even in moments of the greatest bile, that I was not only not a wicked man but was not even an embittered man, that I was simply frightening sparrows in vain, and pleasing myself with it.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground
Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Customary Proceedings
I could have chosen a better topic to accompany the change in name of my blog but I felt this was worthy enough. Sometimes it feels as though I'm looking for a tool that fits the job.......hmm
It is a talked about issue nowadays for the Itaukei communities how we are coping with our traditional obligations as opposed to our domestic or family responsibilities. Nowadays the main factor is how hard one is able to cope with the costs of attending to these obligations and upholding our traditions. This has lead to the attempted reseaches by various institution to bring to light the issues surrounding these complications of the Itaukei way of life. The question is, are traditions based or governed by a set of rules that determines its acceptance in a society or is it made to depict the nature of that society and its surroundings or is it a divine structure that we adhere to with strict attention to its details. Sometimes I ponder and realise this is just our doing.
During a talanoa session we had a discussion on how difficult it is to find a Tabua(whales tooth). To those who don't know, it is an item of great reverance in the Itaukei culture and holds its status in the hierachy of Fijian traditions. The gravity of the gathering or traditional obligation would determine its presence and sometimes how one perceives it to be. So we talked about how at different Itaukei customs the presentation of tabua would also allow the other side to return the gesture. In doing so every one goes back with something unlike in other customs as in mine the Tabua once presented does not anticipate such gesture. Though a marked difference it is still the Itaukei tradition and one would notice the difference in traditions even within Fiji.
After that small talanoa session I thought long and hard of why do we have that difference. Well heres my attempt in trying to shed some light on this subject. The presentation of the Tabua back to the presenting party is a show of respect and acknowledgement of their presentation. On the other hand there's the possibility that certain traditions are sometimes associated with their geographic location. It would be reasonable to note if Fijians from inland, the mountanous regions, would derive such tradition to avoid the scarcity of Tabua and ensure it's presence, hence the question Tabua could only have found their way up there if there was trade in exchange for big timbers that were used to build big bures and war canoes with the coastal tribes or those who have lived out in the islands with their links intact to the mainland and links which was as clear as day in those times for the frequency of their travel and visit.
Lets end there for today...
It is a talked about issue nowadays for the Itaukei communities how we are coping with our traditional obligations as opposed to our domestic or family responsibilities. Nowadays the main factor is how hard one is able to cope with the costs of attending to these obligations and upholding our traditions. This has lead to the attempted reseaches by various institution to bring to light the issues surrounding these complications of the Itaukei way of life. The question is, are traditions based or governed by a set of rules that determines its acceptance in a society or is it made to depict the nature of that society and its surroundings or is it a divine structure that we adhere to with strict attention to its details. Sometimes I ponder and realise this is just our doing.
During a talanoa session we had a discussion on how difficult it is to find a Tabua(whales tooth). To those who don't know, it is an item of great reverance in the Itaukei culture and holds its status in the hierachy of Fijian traditions. The gravity of the gathering or traditional obligation would determine its presence and sometimes how one perceives it to be. So we talked about how at different Itaukei customs the presentation of tabua would also allow the other side to return the gesture. In doing so every one goes back with something unlike in other customs as in mine the Tabua once presented does not anticipate such gesture. Though a marked difference it is still the Itaukei tradition and one would notice the difference in traditions even within Fiji.
After that small talanoa session I thought long and hard of why do we have that difference. Well heres my attempt in trying to shed some light on this subject. The presentation of the Tabua back to the presenting party is a show of respect and acknowledgement of their presentation. On the other hand there's the possibility that certain traditions are sometimes associated with their geographic location. It would be reasonable to note if Fijians from inland, the mountanous regions, would derive such tradition to avoid the scarcity of Tabua and ensure it's presence, hence the question Tabua could only have found their way up there if there was trade in exchange for big timbers that were used to build big bures and war canoes with the coastal tribes or those who have lived out in the islands with their links intact to the mainland and links which was as clear as day in those times for the frequency of their travel and visit.
Lets end there for today...
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
A City Indeed
During our photo control work around western Viti Levu, it was the first time for me to see and set foot back in a place where a lot of stories of Fijian history resides. That place is Rakiraki or the yasana of Ra. All of my preconceived ideas and wrong expectations about the place was quickly transformed into curious questions as to why this beautiful and breathtaking place had so many negative attachments to it. The stories of the Kalou ni Draki, the witchcraft pratices, criminals and the recent disappearance of the Lata sisters somehow draws my attention back to a conversation I had with this man from Nakorotubu in Ra about a statement that Ratu Madraiwiwi( Ratu Sukuna's father) made during his term as the 1st Roko Tui Ra; this people or their land is never to be a strategic part in Fijis development now and in the future. Then it reminded me of the exile of the Na Vosa Vakadua from Drauniivi a Fijian history not seen by our educators as worth teaching, I for one feel disgusted about all this nonsense, this Fijian history which needs to be taught in school of what reality is and what really happened to the changes in time and how those changes affected us Fijians, if it had been taught I cannot even imagine how differently our young ones would seen dvelopment and advancement. We don't need weak educators, if can't bite the bullet on certain issues then we will continue to be a whining nation whining and whining. Back to Ra. The first impression of the place and the many islands floating beside it just made me realise of how blessed our ancestors was, if this was truly the first place they settled in.
Recently the story of the girl found in a yacht bound for overseas led me to question as to how they got caught now and not then, is this political, why did they get caught now, I thought of calling my friend in Rakiraki Mr George Shiu Raj who might be able to lend a few insight as to why this is happening in Rakiraki but no I just went with my gut instincts on this and something surely wasn't sitting right in my stomach.
While there during the field work I saw just how magnificent the place was, we went to a trig next to a Telecom substation and all I could see was breathtaking, every story that I used to hear has just been put to shame. It was just perfect, the weather was fine, clear sun, less clouds and I could only imagine if that was how it looked when it was settled, those blesssed people. Nakauvadra laid on the right and the array of islands laid along the coast. Then we went inland nothing seemed to change, fertile land, healthy people and boisterous children. I have never seen a place so blessed that I felt that this people have been denied something for so long.
Its location, the close proximity of it to Vanua Levu makes it an ideal place for a central port in Viti Levu or link between the two islands. Not only that there is even closer links between the people itself they could have been traversing those waters daily back in the days as Bua is visible from Rakiraki. I believe a city is to be built there, Waila is to close to Suva can't have that. If ever there was a place to initiate the Look North policy Rakiraki would be the platform for that. Rakiraki has the potential to sustain its new development.
If ever there was a time to put Bauan supremacy aside and really think about the advancement of ITaukei and our nation as a whole then this is the time for those who really care about their land and start thinking about this in the long run and seriously for the furtue of our nation.
Don't choke on that.
Recently the story of the girl found in a yacht bound for overseas led me to question as to how they got caught now and not then, is this political, why did they get caught now, I thought of calling my friend in Rakiraki Mr George Shiu Raj who might be able to lend a few insight as to why this is happening in Rakiraki but no I just went with my gut instincts on this and something surely wasn't sitting right in my stomach.
While there during the field work I saw just how magnificent the place was, we went to a trig next to a Telecom substation and all I could see was breathtaking, every story that I used to hear has just been put to shame. It was just perfect, the weather was fine, clear sun, less clouds and I could only imagine if that was how it looked when it was settled, those blesssed people. Nakauvadra laid on the right and the array of islands laid along the coast. Then we went inland nothing seemed to change, fertile land, healthy people and boisterous children. I have never seen a place so blessed that I felt that this people have been denied something for so long.
Its location, the close proximity of it to Vanua Levu makes it an ideal place for a central port in Viti Levu or link between the two islands. Not only that there is even closer links between the people itself they could have been traversing those waters daily back in the days as Bua is visible from Rakiraki. I believe a city is to be built there, Waila is to close to Suva can't have that. If ever there was a place to initiate the Look North policy Rakiraki would be the platform for that. Rakiraki has the potential to sustain its new development.
If ever there was a time to put Bauan supremacy aside and really think about the advancement of ITaukei and our nation as a whole then this is the time for those who really care about their land and start thinking about this in the long run and seriously for the furtue of our nation.
Don't choke on that.
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Keeping Up Appearances
I liked this sitcom when it came on Fiji One a long time ago. I felt sorry for the husband every time I watched it. Well watching the Miss Universe final judging, there was a category which would require the contestant to elaborate on humanitarian projects that they have taken up, the category being Beauty with a Purpose potrays a very important role that women play in society. Could we have that for our Hibicus Queens in the coming years? Sitted at the judges table was Nelson Mandelas son, who is also a strong advocate of humanitarian projects in his own country and around the world I presume. South Africa nowadays takes the leading role in terms of development in Africa and they have a very solid structure, thanks to the mixture of people in their country. The recent mining incident in South Africa has somehow given the world a different view of other developments in the country. The order to give the permission shoot to kill must be investigated as to how it led to that decision. The police are supposed to be protecting the law and working within it to prevent or limit the loss of life if it can. The miners had no guns but were shot down like dogs, was the situation assesed before acting leaves a lot of doubt into the execution of their duties as police officers. Not long ago Australia was highlighted as a country which had police officers who were either trigger happy or not trained well enough to tend to certain situations deemed combustible. I thought those shooting were the companies security..........I could be wrong maybe the government didn't want any interference in the mining.
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Who is willing.
Something funny just happened something must have taken my old post away. Let me just try and get this up and running again. I mentioned that in ancient Fijian history there lived extraordinary men who conquered and extended their territory with brains and brawn(known back then as a QAQA). I tried to compare this story with our current situation, the common name bickering. I have always believed that history is always worth a look at to draw lessons from. Characters of such men are hardly seen in our country nowadays which we had plenty of in those days. Many say that they were possesed by dark forces, I totally disregard that claim made by some of our very own Fijians that all of them were. Some of them were truly daring and fearless men, if it was so the fighting spirit of the current generation could be said as such. Yes I'll admit that their beliefs was different but our (human being) inquisitiveness has always led us to explore and adapt. But we are living in an enlightened era. Which leads me to my former post as to the true meaning of the existence of Fiji. What was Fiji? Was there a greater vision for Fiji? Who created Fiji? Is Fiji only a tiny speck in the Pacific submitting to the current state of affairs not of our choosing? Are there traits about its people that will need our history to be revised and meticulously rewritten. I asked in my previous post if we were once a powerful force in the Pacific worth of mention within the echlons of great empires of ancient times and with the current developments of the present.
20 or 10 yrs ago we wouldn't have dreamt of other races being called Fijians for whatever reason. Now we have got a decree that has enforced this over the land. No one is willing to put something solid on the table. I said that this was unchartered waters for Fijians and will only be perceived as a threat rather then an advancement of Fijian ideals. Rightly so as we put it our land is our identity. A man once told me if don't have courage to change and move on you'll create a bottle neck for advancement, you will not discover new things or ideas and you in turn become territorial of your status and avoid developing your family, people, community and your country. To be honest our current mindset creates a stagnant environment. The institutions that leaders of the post colonial era have created have some advantages and also disadvantages.Its advantage is that we have something we can call our own hence the name I taukei, Itaukei Land Trust Board and so on or take ownership of. In retrospect those ancient men of the past never lingered long within the comforts of his surroundings or rested on their laurels, it is not a trait of extraordinary men.
I guess you're all waiting for this one. Yes, I still stand by my earlier post. A mataqali or Yavusa to be created for and ownership of land for other races which will also bring some meaning and belonging to the common name. Religious denomination should not be a factor but we must still acknowledge the fact that it is also an integral part of our recent status, the acceptance of Christianity. There is a big difference between hostile takeover and conservative adaptation. I guess I've covered all the angles, what do you think.... Now, the lali of conservative adaptation is to echo throughout the land.....
Jeremaia.Buinimasi
EZEKIEL 47: 21-23
21 “So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God.
20 or 10 yrs ago we wouldn't have dreamt of other races being called Fijians for whatever reason. Now we have got a decree that has enforced this over the land. No one is willing to put something solid on the table. I said that this was unchartered waters for Fijians and will only be perceived as a threat rather then an advancement of Fijian ideals. Rightly so as we put it our land is our identity. A man once told me if don't have courage to change and move on you'll create a bottle neck for advancement, you will not discover new things or ideas and you in turn become territorial of your status and avoid developing your family, people, community and your country. To be honest our current mindset creates a stagnant environment. The institutions that leaders of the post colonial era have created have some advantages and also disadvantages.Its advantage is that we have something we can call our own hence the name I taukei, Itaukei Land Trust Board and so on or take ownership of. In retrospect those ancient men of the past never lingered long within the comforts of his surroundings or rested on their laurels, it is not a trait of extraordinary men.
I guess you're all waiting for this one. Yes, I still stand by my earlier post. A mataqali or Yavusa to be created for and ownership of land for other races which will also bring some meaning and belonging to the common name. Religious denomination should not be a factor but we must still acknowledge the fact that it is also an integral part of our recent status, the acceptance of Christianity. There is a big difference between hostile takeover and conservative adaptation. I guess I've covered all the angles, what do you think.... Now, the lali of conservative adaptation is to echo throughout the land.....
Jeremaia.Buinimasi
EZEKIEL 47: 21-23
21 “So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God.
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Inclusive State
Since class six I learnt this three systems or principles, segregation, integration and inclusion in our social science classes and it somehow has stuck with me till today. Maybe it triggered something in me as a young Fijian boy, learning and discovering the way the world is and how we lived in Fiji, to be honest up until today whenever I think of it, it stirs my imagination and has somehow given me a perspective through the years of the discord that we face as individuals and as a society. I started to grasp the way things were back then and now as we embark on a journey that some of us are fortunate or ill-fated to be part of which will be decided by time is only left for the imagination to ponder upon its likely outcome then its prefered one. I for one am a firm believer in the uplifting of the human state to achieve its intended purpose for whatever field or life that he or she dreams of and aspires to be. Could we create a perfect system for that? If heaven is what it is compared to, creating a heaven on earth is the probable intention. We can only have something similar to it but never the original version. The capability of mankind is only exact and cannot be futher then its limits. But our frailty has always been the defining factor that leads us to unsettle the balance set out by the MASTER himself. I believe in general consensus for the betterment of the whole but the shift of significance is worth a pause and a long and tedious consultation.
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