Big things and little things

Well at 6.00pm on 20th Sept it was looking like this according to the Fiji elections office

A fair few results still to come in as I write, but the Multinational Observer Group is upbeat about the process. Certainly anyone who's been kind enough or felt free enough to chat with me about their feelings and political choices - of whatever shade - has felt relieved that what for so long needed to happen (democratic elections) has now happened and looks forward to having a Fijian parliament once again.

Was something going on in Scotland? I heard a rumour.

In the world of PTC Education by Extension, it was great to meet for the first time some local Church members and leaders from in and around Suva who are taking extension courses but are able to get together 'in the flesh' each Friday for a tutorial. I'll be guiding these sessions and I hope the group will allow me to share a few photos and stories as the weeks go by. Most students studying by extension are churning it out on their own, especially in remote locations on small islands across the South Pacific - doing correspondence courses in effect. Each person studying is supposed to have a local mentor - maybe their Priest or minister? - with whom they can chew over ideas and receive encouragement, but early impressions suggest that this splendid idea in theory doesn't always translate into good practice... So that's food for thought. 

Being a great fan of the Trinity, I muse on how possible it would be - even in isolated places - to get study triplets going - holy threesomes slogging it out together? I'll see what people think and listen for practical wisdom from the grass roots - which I clearly don't have - about whether that's a practical runner or not. Interestingly, one of PTC's PhD students, Henri, was sharing about his work this week and talked of a three-ply plaited cord called firi nape which is important to Pacific Islanders, demonstrating in reality and representing symbolically something much more solid and un-detachable than a single strand. There's a tried and tested Biblical precedent of course...

Doing Saturday morning shopping in Suva (fruit and veg from the market, kitchen scales - finding those took a bit of detective work but mission accomplished, and a mat for the bedroom) - I wandered into an arcade just below Centenary Methodist Church. I glanced into a bustling little cafe and stood, momentarily fossilised and transfixed, taking in the sight of flowery plastic tablecloths, assorted large mugs and a lady sitting at one end of a long row of plated cakes dealing with customers and fiddling with small change in a little pot. I thought to myself, 'That's a group of Methodist ladies serving tea and cakes'. It was spookily instinctive. I backtracked to see if I could see the cafe's name. I couldn't, but spotted that I was in the Epworth Arcade. Bit of a giveaway there. I went in and a few minutes later was having a mug of tea and a buttered scone (a square buttered scone, and not a small one let it be said) with Arieta and Seini.

The cafe runs as a Church project throughout the week and on Saturday mornings, aiming particularly to engage and support those who've been widowed. Different teams do different shifts, and they offer outside catering too. If you were thinking of placing an order from the UK, let me know and I'll try to negotiate rates. Otherwise, try Dorking Christian Centre

Sala at the seat of custom...

Partial though I am to a buttered scone, the nano pineapple has become a huge favourite. Bought in little heaps at the market. 




With it's hat on, size of a teaspoon. 

Fits in the lunch box a treat.