Failed Paradise » fiji http://www.failedparadise.com Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:33:09 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Flash Mobs. Now in Fiji. http://www.failedparadise.com/2011/11/flash-mobs-now-in-fiji/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2011/11/flash-mobs-now-in-fiji/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:21:10 +0000 Wilson http://www.failedparadise.com/?p=941

There’s a certain barometer to judge the progress of a country’s awareness to pop culture and the like. Inserting ‘lol’ in your conversation, Chuck Norris jokes, hating on Twilight, Jersey Shore quotes, and Star Wars in all its prequel and original glory. While certain points of awareness pass without much fanfare and/or recognition, with the advance of the internet, it’s becoming easier to crow about your achievements to the (online) world.

Flash mobs are a particularly tricky feat. There’s people to organise, a venue to be chosen and scoped out, security to be noted, a crowd to appreciate your antics and not least of all, not having someone crash your carefully rehearsed play.

Vodafone has stepped up and claimed the country’s ‘first’ ever Flash Mob title, if ever there was one, done at the 2nd floor of MHCC in Suva City.

Using what looks like a combination of Zumba dance swings and country step movements, the ‘brought to you by Vodafone’ flash dance squad catches the MHCC food floor crowd by surprise when a girl initially starts the action, prompting worrying glances of ‘Friday Night party rockers still on the loose’. Thankfully when the rest of the mob joined in (albit a bit too quick I reckon, the video does stretch for awhile when the whole group forms up) it became a bit more obvious this was something planned.

Although, if it wasn’t for the ‘VODAFONE!’ screaming at the end with their shirts ripping open to reveal (thankfully) Vodafone shirts, then it could have been a Bollywood movie come alive. Now that’s a proper flash mob.

]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2011/11/flash-mobs-now-in-fiji/feed/ 3 Blast from the Past: A Photographic Past http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/06/blast-from-the-past-a-photographic-past/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/06/blast-from-the-past-a-photographic-past/#comments Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:00:00 +0000 Wilson http://failedparadise.com/?p=189

Blast From The Past is a weekly (or somewhere around that timeframe, as I claim ‘Fiji Time’ as my defendent) post of scans from a 1969 Fiji Times paper which also doubled as a 100 year anniversary issue look back at 1869. Every week one page scan will be posted, allowing you to have a read of issues, politics and topics that was the Fiji of the past.

Most of you may be aware of one of the oldest photography studios in Fiji (it was opened in 1904), Caines Jannif Limited, located opposite Suva Central in town. But what I wasn’t aware of was another photography company that operated back in pre-independence days, and seemed to be the major photo studio of its era. Of course, I say seemed to since buying a full page advert is as expensive as it was back then as it is now. If your company can afford a full page ad, then its safe to say that you’re a big player in company circles ;)
Stinsons Ltd comes out with all guns blazing in this ad that’s meant to pull at your ‘old is gold’ heart strings. Starting in the old days of 1869, thanks in part to Fiji Times, they’ve come a long way, photographing historic moments and places of Fiji, with their most prolific era around the 1940s and 50s, where they were official photographers for the movie “His Majesty O’Keefe” as well as the devastating hurricane that left 35 people dead, and 1,109 people injured.
Here’s one of their pictures of Victoria Parade in Suva. For more of their pictures, check out the Just Pacific’s website.
]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/06/blast-from-the-past-a-photographic-past/feed/ 0 Blast From The Past: Fiji and 1969/1869 http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/05/blast-from-the-past-fiji-and-19691869/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/05/blast-from-the-past-fiji-and-19691869/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000 Wilson http://failedparadise.com/?p=184
1869 is a very long time ago. A very, very long time ago. During that time, celluloid was invented, the Suez Canal is opened in a grand ceremony, and Night at the Museum’s playground ‘The American Museum of National History’ is founded. More closer to home, the Fiji Times newspaper had just started out, a fledgling little newspaper, and as newspapers go, had much to report on, with history in the making. In those days, Levuka was still the centre of Fiji, Civil unrest is on the rise, Britian starts to take a very strong interest in the islands, and powerplay amongst the chiefs reached new heights with the introduction of weapons and foreign powers.
Pretty heady times indeed.
While being of long ago, copies of the papers have been kept over the years, and as luck would have it, I’ve managed to secure a scanned copy of an issue of the Fiji Times all the way from 1969, which is still quite a long time ago. As in, I wasn’t even born long time ago. In this particular issue, they’ve brought out the archives and reprinted the Fiji Times as per 1869, and as such, have granted the readers a chance to peer into the past and see what Fiji was like, in both 1869 as well as 1969.
Blast From The Past is going to be a new weekly (or somewhere around that timeframe, as I claim ‘Fiji Time’ as my defendent) post, and will go through 1 page a week, allowing you to have a read of issues, politics and topics that formed the news in those days. To read the page in detail simply click the picture to load a close up version.
]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/05/blast-from-the-past-fiji-and-19691869/feed/ 3 Fiji is cool…really http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/03/fiji-is-cool-really/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/03/fiji-is-cool-really/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 06:54:00 +0000 Wilson http://failedparadise.com/?p=169
Yet another abuse (or free marketing? You decide!) of our country’s name.

Earlier I scoffed at the idea of placing a copyright symbol on “Fiji“, but after seeing this, I’m starting to get slightly nervous. If Fiji can be used with air conditioners, whats next? Fiji Woopie cushions? Fiji replica katanas? Or…God forbid – Fiji FijiansTM – Straight from the islands of Fiji!
Scary thoughts indeed.
PS: Yo dawg I heard you like fijians, so I put a fijian in your fiji, so you can have a Fiji while in Fiji. Dawg.
]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/03/fiji-is-cool-really/feed/ 1 Lost in Fiji http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/01/lost-in-fiji/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/01/lost-in-fiji/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:42:00 +0000 Allen http://failedparadise.com/?p=165 Yesterday I was involved in a discussion about the TV show Lost. I ended up mentioning how I “lost” interest in the show after Season 1, ok it was actually Season 3 but only because I was intrigued about the monster.

Further discussion led to myself staking claim that the survivors from the plane crash were actually stranded on an island in Fiji. Interestingly enough, I relied on google to help me search online for much needed evidence i.e. conspiracy theories from fans, to support my claim. It was through that search that I came across a band called “Lost in Fiji”, which is …a brand spankin’ new pop band based in London.

What a pleasant surprise, since it is a band from the UK and their sound is different to that offered by our popular local artists. The mainstay of music in this country is reggae.

I am not quite sure as to how the band’s name came about. Updates and information on the band can found on their MySpace and Facebook profiles.

As another google search bonus, I also came across a cool video which is a parody on Lost made on Natadola beach (in case you didn’t know) in Fiji.


]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/01/lost-in-fiji/feed/ 4 Youtube Video of the Month – Cannibals Incorporated http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/01/youtube-video-of-the-month-cannibals-incorporated/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/01/youtube-video-of-the-month-cannibals-incorporated/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:32:00 +0000 Wilson http://failedparadise.com/?p=164

Ah Fiji. Home to the king of rugby sevens, smiling locals, white, sandy beaches, and seasonal coups. It’s quick to get washed up in the hype that is living in today’s fast paced society, but one mustn’t forget one’s origins and what humble beginnings they had before Mcdonalds and company rolled in.

Sure you could visit the city library and catch up on your reading, but with today’s more visual-oriented society, who cares about stuffy old books and cramped up libraries when you can watch old videos of the Fiji of the past?
And what better to showcase Fiji’s past then this delightful video courtesy of James A. Fitzpatrick’s Traveltalks: The Voice of the Globe called Fiji and Samoa: The Cannibal Isles. Since this video isn’t time stamped, I’ll take a wild guess and place the making of the video around the 1940s, when stern, near patriotic voice overs where the common practice. Why the time stamp?
If you’ve ever wanted to see and find out what Fiji was like ‘back in the day’, this video has it all layed out for you. See the ‘savages’ in their natural surroundings of houses built from grass and topped with thatched roofs. Witness the spectacle of the natives indulging in what is ‘their only form of amusement, the mekimeki’. Marvel at the ‘bushy haired members of the Fijian Band’ as they play ‘the white man’s music’ on instruments that are ‘no longer strange to them’.
And that’s not all! Samoa is included in this accurate doco, and doesn’t miss much in way of detail. With Samoa’s fales being described as ‘mere cirlces of pillars, roofed by cones of thatch’, Samoa is certainly the picture of simple living, with ‘no gods swift to anger and strong to punish’ to disturb the tempo of life. Cute.
I have to admit, I do miss the old days. Thank God the gods for technology.
PS: Still trying to figure out why only Fiji and Samoa were singled out as the ‘Cannibal Isles’, since other Pacific Islands indulged in the diet of the ‘long pig‘. Perhaps it was something to do with our appetites.
]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2009/01/youtube-video-of-the-month-cannibals-incorporated/feed/ 1 Top 5 Posts of 2008 http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/12/top-5-posts-of-2008/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/12/top-5-posts-of-2008/#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:32:00 +0000 Wilson http://failedparadise.com/?p=163
Image source: www.theiia.org (Because I was lazy to find a more specific picture)

Ah 2008.

2008 was many things to many people, but to this blog, some things never change, especially in Fiji. Sure, we’ve got dark times ahead with our somewhat soured relationship with New Zealand, but then again, when were we ever good friends with them to begin with? The way I saw it, we were always enemies, since Rugby brings out the worst in their devoted followers ;) Also, the world economy took a hit, and soon we’ll be all feeling the familiar pinch of tight pockets and careful budgeting.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom you know. In terms of the much under appreciated sport of rugby league, the Fiji Bati fired up the hearts and minds of fijians everywhere when they made a surprising run at the Rugby League World Cup in Australia, showcasing a quality of rugby that echoed the awesome performance of the Rugby Union World Cup 2007. Fiji also took a step towards Hollywood popularity when they designated the pacific as “Bulawood“. Oh. And we got another hurricane.
And throughout all the posts (or the lack thereof), you’ve always commented, letting us know just what you think of whatever was posted, agreements, disagreements, flames, trolls, the work. Here are the top 5 posts of the year by feedback:

It was all about 2007 apparently. The mandatory lookback at our humble beginnings, our noobish attempts at blogging, the unwittingly popular posts about crazy air hostesses, 2007 was a year that heralded a new local blog into the somewhat sparsely populated blogging scene (save for the contraversial, army hating regulars). It happened. And there was no turning back.
OMG a dilemma! It was the weekend of weekends, with a showdown between two events that locals were preparing to follow and adhere to. Earth Hour, the initiative to save the world from its eco-gulping inhabitants, was going to be started around the same time as our beloved Hong Kong 7s matches, and a pros and cons list had to be drawn up to decide who was the ultimate winner. Of course, a cursory glance at the game times revealed that Fiji’s matches were roughly 2 hours ahead of Earth Hour. So in the end, both parties won. Rare.
Fiji has only just being exposed to the West and all its ways in the past few centuries, and seems to haven taken most of the influence in its stride. Franchise in all its glory has not been left behind, and has taken residence with an almost enviable ease. However, a few have since hiccuped and closed shop, due to either near impossible competition (all hail Comsol the mighty dvd distributor of pirate dvds), bad business decisions, or just plain bad luck.
Heh. Best photo of 2008 in my humble opinion, which is mostly overrated, and never paid any attention, but I digress. Vodafone and Digicel, both warring business houses in the field of easy phones and bright splashy full page advertising, go out of their way to grab the consumer’s easily lost attention, though Digicel went one step further, and brought in chubby R&B crooner Sean Kingston on their opening day. Of course, never one to lose sight of any opportunity, Vodafone staff somehow managed a photo with the star when he landed, with the digicel staff nowhere to be found. Lols ensured.
In a very pote kind of way as well. World famous magician and all round slick haired Harry Houdini visited our shores back in 1910 and upon seeing some locals perform a diving trick, bested them at their own game. I can just picture it. The local divers, after being made to look like fools, scratch the back of their heads, grin, and swear silently before going off to town to shoot a few games of billiard and curse at all tourists in general. At least that is what I’d do. Early 1900′s or not.
With that behind us, I’m certainly looking forward to what surprises 2009 has in store for us all. Stay safe this festive season.
]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/12/top-5-posts-of-2008/feed/ 0 Out with “Bula” and In with “Assalam Alaikum” http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/12/out-with-bula-and-in-with-assalam-alaikum/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/12/out-with-bula-and-in-with-assalam-alaikum/#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:48:00 +0000 Allen http://failedparadise.com/?p=154 I was searching online for cheap flights to Fiji (don’t ask ><) and then I came across this website – www.bookcheapflightsonline.com

What caught my eye is the picture chosen to depict the island paradise Fiji.

Gone are the white sandy beaches and coconut trees on a sunny day, that we are so used to seeing when promoting Fiji to the world.

I guess a change is good.

Also take time to critique the information

]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/12/out-with-bula-and-in-with-assalam-alaikum/feed/ 6 New Shiny Happy Blog 2.0! http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/11/new-shiny-happy-blog-2-0/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/11/new-shiny-happy-blog-2-0/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:31:00 +0000 Wilson http://failedparadise.com/?p=148
So today I decided to browse around the back end of the blog and see what new things I could tinker with to add to this mess of literacy we call ‘local blogging’. Granted I’ve yet to change the banner (and last year I couldn’t seem to settle on one for very long) but as the famous Rabuka would always say, “No Other Way.”
No idea how that relates to the new website changes, but I needed a quote from someone local, and fast.
Right.
First off, you’ll notice the nice and slightly edited introductory text has been moved to the top of all the posts. For the newcomers so that they’ll get a fairly quick if somewhat confusing idea of just what the hell this blog is all about, why there’s a coconut with a modem in the banner, and what ‘va kils‘ means. And just for the record, not all of us locals drink grog. At…the same time that is.
On the right side where most of the action is happening, you’ll discover a few new blog gadgets that should satisfy most gadgetphiles, if they do indeed exist.
A new poll! After their great win over the Irish, the Fiji Bati are going to taking on the current rugby world cup holders, Australia! Pray tell, how do you think the Bati are going to fare in the upcoming battle of the ‘massive, massive underdogs’ David and Goliath? Do we break the odds and achieve rugby history or go down fighting like the warriors that we are? Vote in the poll and let us know what you think. And be quick. Mr Impulsive put up this poll with only a few days to the game. Smart.
Oh. And ignore the old poll. For some reason only known to Elvis, I can’t remove it, button mashing the ‘remove’ button or not. Fail. Fixed due to the Firefox powers that be ;)
Fijians @ Heart displays who is following this blog, either via RSS or email. Because all blog owners need some sort of ego boost. Money payment or not.
After that we’ve got the awesome Fiji Calendar. Which, is supposed to show holiday dates and school terms native to Fiji courtesy of Strange Pants. Except that it doesn’t work. Because I don’t know how to set the RSS feed to subscribe to the calendar already laid out by Strange Pants. Help? Fixed, thanks to Strange Pants strange progamming h@XxoR 5k1lL5.
The list of local blogs of interest has been given a massive overhaul, thanks in part to the mod that allows you to display your own list of feeds from your RSS reader. So basically, what you see on the right is what I have in my reader under ‘local blogs’. Each blog has its own title (which is a link) as well as its latest post (which is also a link!). Of course, there are quite a few out there that are local but either (a) haven’t been updated since the original Star Trek series or (b) don’t have that much to say in way of the way Fiji is. Of course, I have missed out on some other local blogs out there that show other aspects of Fiji and its life, so if you know some that would be good to put on the list, leave a comment saying how silly I am to miss out on blog X because it’s awesome and to make sure I brush my hair properly the next time I go for work.
More updates, changes, hissyfits about components not working as they happen.
]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/11/new-shiny-happy-blog-2-0/feed/ 3 Rugby League – Fiji Bati Vs Ireland – Live Blogging http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/11/rugby-league-fiji-bati-vs-ireland-live-blogging/ http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/11/rugby-league-fiji-bati-vs-ireland-live-blogging/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:00:00 +0000 Wilson http://failedparadise.com/?p=145 Live blogging this real quick – You owe me a beer for this Sharky ^_^
For those not in the know and reading this at the time of publishing, press F5 now and then to refresh the post to get an update of the game as it progresses.
3:27: Holy crap a score to Fiji! Awesome run from the middle, score right near the posts.
Fiji 6 Ireland 0

7:37: Damnit. Crappy tackling along the wing from Fiji results in a quick score by Ireland on the far right side of the field. Conversation was surprisingly accurate.
Fiji 6 Ireland 6

11:42: Ooooh Hayne’s eyes weren’t on the  ball, resulting in a forward ball right near Ireland’s scoreline. Eyes on the prize mate ><
14:50: Heart-breakingly close! Short chinese looking guy (i’ll get the name later i promise) for Fiji makes a break for the scoreline but gets held up right like 1 metre before the line and looses the ball to the Irish. More greens, more height XD
22:34: A knock on ball from Fiji right infront of the Irish scoreline again! Fiji’s got to stop with the silly mistakes if they want to move beyond the 6-6 scoreline that haunts my waking moment.
25:32: Talking about those silly mistakes, Fiji just gave away a penalty to Ireland after one of our players decided to wipe his elbow all over an irish player. Infront of all those cameras. And the referree. Smart. Penalty attempt was amiss, so scores remained the same. For now.
29:30: Golden boy Uate makes an absolutely brilliant try, slicing through the Irish defense and scoring right next to the posts. Wes converts the try easily.
Fiji 12 Ireland 6

35:52: Careless hands from a lame catch by one of the Fijian boys results in a score for the Irish. Been noticing this guy make quite a few mistakes. The pressure seems to be getting to him, a fact that he himself seems to acknowledge after knocking on the ball now and then. At least the conversation missed. Whew.
Fiji 12 Ireland 10

39:21: My heart did a few skips when a bad pass from a Fijian player skipped a few players hands, and finally landing with one of the irish fellows, only to get hammered by a bati tree with a bandage around his head. Irish guy walks off the field with a bleeding nose. I make a fist at the screen.
Half Time: Fiji 12 Ireland 10

Half Time Thoughts: Fiji’s playing a tad bit more composed then their last game in the first half against Scotland, though their fatigue/carelessness/ego is starting to show, with mistakes, dropped balls and uncompleted sets showing through. Ireland on the other hand seems like the more composed team, but like Scotland before them, lacks that defining oomph to make the tries that Fiji has, but is failing to play. However, if Ireland hangs in there with proper structured rugby, and Fiji continues on their way of penalty giveaways, this game might just go their way. History has a wierd habit of repeating itself. Here’s hoping the half time break will allow the coach some time to knock some sense back into the boys. From my point of view, Ireland should be a walkover, less of a challenge then say, that French team that was defeated, nay, decimated awhile back.
Fingers crossed we’ll see  more of that infamous fijian flaire coming into play in the second half.
Second Half
43:23: Held up at the irish try line what a heart break! It looked like a score, but the fijian was gift wrapped all nice and proper – and holy crap Ireland nearly scored with a run from their half, if it wasn’t for the match saving tackle by Uate. God bless that kid. My heart can’t take anymore of this ><
51:23: Oooooh a chip kick from Fiji near the irish goal line and the ball goes rogue, defeating our chaser. Close one.
55:08: After a few false starts, and a few loose balls, Fiji finally adds a few points to the board! Fiji’s finally starting to show some builds, while Ireland’s starting to show a few cracks in their defense. Wes again with his precise kicking converts the try.
Fiji 18 Ireland 10

60:31: One irish player’s got his face mixed with blood and sweat. Gets sent off the field. Crunching fijian tackles are coming through, showing our spirit’s getting fired up.
62:53: A penalty from Ireland after trying to slow the ball down right near their scoreline results in a penalty kick by the ever sharp Wes. It’s on baby. On like Donkey Kong.
Fiji 20 Ireland 10

65:38: A beautiful, simply beautiful chip kick again through the irish defense, and golden boy Hayne grabs the ball, nearly tackles one of the goal posts, and makes the try. Video referring be damned ^_^ Wes again with the golden boot makes the conversion all too easy.
Fiji 26 Ireland 10

75:18: In the words of my uncle who was watching, “Uate ga me score,” “let Uate do the scoring”. And by jove he did, with several passes all the way to the wing where Uate was waiting, he managed to beat one defender to make it pass the scoreline. Aaaaand the conversion was denied with the ball seemingly on a one way trip towards the post. It’s safe to say that this match is pretty much in the basket.
Fiji 30 Ireland 10

79:30: With what looked like a forward pass by a fellow irish player, the Irish team makes a somewhat conselation try. The conversion misses AND ITS OVER!!!! HELL YEAH!!!! (Still have to get used to how prompt these rugby league referees are ><)
Final Score:
Fiji 30 Ireland 14

According to the commentators, we’re going into the semi-finals against Australia as ‘massive, massive underdogs’, but hey, at least we earned our passage to get there. A great game by Fiji, with their discipline, structure and support play, as well as good ol’ fijian spirit propelling them through to the much dreaded semi-finals against the All Blacks of Rugby League, Australia. Here’s to their impressive, if somewhat drubby win, and hope that they tie up the loose ends (loose tempers, messy passes, incomplete sets) before their game this upcoming Sunday.
GO FIJI GO!
]]> http://www.failedparadise.com/2008/11/rugby-league-fiji-bati-vs-ireland-live-blogging/feed/ 7