whereas the may Fijian readers this blog has will know, look you see, for those not blessed with a knowledge of the intricacies of the Fijian language, i am quite happy to confirm that "bula", as you may have assumed or blindly guessed, means hello. or, at the very least, close enough.
the world, or realm, of translating words, phrases and general texts from one language to another is complex. it is a tricky, spooky, murky business. it is very rare indeed that one word in a language translates directly as the same in another. consider the result of 2+2 and 3+1 to illustrate - same basic result, or meaning, but contextually a rather different approach and implication.
but, let us not get distracted by the (limited) infinity of philosophical consideration of such. instead, here is a rather splendid card what i, or rather my family, got off of Fiji.
yes, that's in Commodore 64 mode and no, it did not arrive in the greater good and glory of Commodore 64 mode, rather all more conventional. also yes, the card was indeed sent by my sister and her family, off of their most recent reconnaissance, or fact finding, trip to Fiji. well, it is not like they would randomly purchase me Fijian cards in New Zealand. that i am aware of.
indeed, now it is appropriate for Grant enthusiasts to get all delighted if not quite as extreme as excited, for there is a picture of him. the whole family, for that matter, as well as a couple of random strangers. well, i could not be bother to edit them out, and in my view it is so that if they had no wish to be in the picture then they should not have been on the plane.
consider that a bit of an early Christmas gift, then, Grant enthusiasts. unless, of course, you are only reading this on or around Christmas, which would be at a time appropriate to get such a gift. going further, should you be reading this slightly after any given Christmas, then you would be reasonably right to assume this is a belated gift. apologies, if so, and if you feel are required.
for what reason are they off fact finding in Fiji? Gillian insists on it. i believe that she believes it is entirely possible that, one day, Grant shall be approached with a view to taking on an ambassadorial, or potentially consular, role in Fiji, for and on behalf of an unspecified nation. in order to best fulfil this curious destiny, it is then important for them to visit every year or so, ensuring that they are familiar with customs, traditions and various processes. such as lying on the beach, for instance.
after some contemplation i can think of no reason why you would wish to see my (our) most splendid postcard off of Fiji not in the greater good and glory of Commodore 64 mode. but, then, i have been wrong in the past, and look forward to being in error in the future, so for the above there you go, just in case, as it were, or so to speak.
is there any chance of me every visiting, which is to say setting foot on or in, Fiji? a quick, somewhat rudimentary "google" search thing gives every indication that cigarettes, in particular Marlboro, are most agreeably priced there. so, provisionally, yes. however, i suspect that if it is the case that my travels gave it loads in that direction, then it would be more likely i would visit family and friends, if i have any of the latter left, in New Zealand and Australia. where, i believe, cigarettes are most disagreeably priced, but there you go.
well, anyway, enough. many thanks for the postcard, all of you but in particular Daniel, for the fine penmanship scribe displayed across the card.
dau uasivi sara vei ira!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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