It’s been nearly two years since I came and live in Fiji, but finally, the 
time for leaving has come.
The day after tomorrow, November the 4th, I will leave Fiji.

I could spend well-filled time for my work and my private life, and had a lot 
of time and opportunities to face to Fiji to get uncountable numbers of 
impressing experiences.

The strong points of Fiji will be summarized in following two points, I 
believe.

1. Climate
In most time of a year, the lowest temperature is around 20 degrees in 
centigrade , and the highest temperature is a little bit over 30 degrees in 
centigrade, so It is very easy to live in.
The air is very fresh and the wind in really comfortable. Sea water is very 
warm all through a year and is nice for swimming anytime.

2. Nature
The beauty of the green and the sea is just great.  There is no word to be 
able to express it.

I see many people is saying that the strong point of Fiji is “Fijians are 
very sociable and friendly” or “Commodity prices are cheap”, however, 
although they could show one aspect of the facts, saying it definitely is 
a “?” for me.

There is one thing that I learned from Fiji during past two years.
I learned it with a big impact.
That is a “Simple Life”.

When I was in Japan, I was always chasing goods. Whatever they are, like 
equipments for my hobbies or else I was always sticking to the goods.
But one I achieve to get one thing, I then come to earn to get even better 
things.  But no money. Then my feeling got poor contrary. 
I now have a feeling that living in a material world, I had been trifled with 
goods, and by spending a lot of money, I was getting poor with my feeling, 
and fell into the minus spiral.

Here in Fiji, there are not many valuable things to be mentioned.  In 
comparison with Japan, I can say that there is nothing here.
That is because even there were something good and valuable, those who could 
buy them are very limited.
However, I found that Fijians are living very richly.
Every day, they are enjoying their life together with their families and 
friends relaxing and richly.
I learned that the richness is not something that we can buy with money, by 
living here in Fiji.
After I get back to Japan, I will definitely change the life style in 180 
degrees, and I will devote myself to a simple life that does not have an 
obsession with goods and does not own goods

I have worked very hard to organize and summarize pictures that I have taken 
so far, to make a couple of new pages in this forum “Bridge to Fiji”.
This forum “Bridge to Fiji” has come to be my valuable treasure of my life.

Thank you very much for your attentions for those who had been visiting this 
forum with an interest.

As I have no time to take still pictures now although I have thousands of 
still pictures that I want to show you, I have been spending a hard time to 
work on  == Best shot for the week ==.

So, I recommend you to see my Time-lapse movies.

I have opend a new site "Eyes", and I am uploading movies constantly now.
The URL is here:

http://www.mafnet.jp/eyes/

One more picture this time...

This is a shot taken in the beach of a village where I was taking a Time-
lapse photo (movie).

Kids in Fiji are so friendly and pure!
Once they find me, they jumped to me and talk to me.
After that, they never try to go away!

To take a Time-lapse movie, I need one hour shooting with a timer, but what's 
happening is that I have to play with them, sometimes shouting "No,! No! 
Don't come in front of the camera! No, No! Don't touch the camera! Don't 
touch the tripod!"  
Oh, that's a big task!

Kids in this picture are all girls.
Kids in Fiji always play in a girls group and a boys group separatedly.
They are so cute, but when I need to concentrate in taking picuture, they are 
nothing more than a trouble.

However, as the thanks, compensation, tie-in task, and a tax?, for them to 
allow me to get a beautiful scenery of their village, I have to be willing to 
accept everything.

It's been a long time since I uploaded No.9, but this does not mean that I 
had nothing to report.
That was because I was entirely involved with the Time-lapse photography 
(movie) activity.
Due to that activity, I almost had no chance to take still pictures.

Meanwhile, I have one "normal" movie that was taken by my iPhone in my 
relaxing time in the balcony of my house.
That is a Bulbul which I intrduced in No.9.

They are so friendly, and at last, they came to ask me to feed them?!
They come to the guradrail of the balcony, and cry "Queltz! Queltz! Queltz! 
Queltz! Queltz!" looking at me leaning their head to the left and right. 
I then put the chips of cracker on the guardrail.
They jumped to the cracker, and eat them!

Look at the picture! They come and approach to just about 15cm from my foot 
being stretched on the table right below the guardrail!
This is what a wild bird does!
What a wonderful country Fiji is!!

As they leave the guardrail, they cry "Queltz! Queltz! Queltz! Queltz! 
Queltz!" again, as if they were saying "Thank you! Thank you!".

I have been crazy about taking time-lapse movies like in No.8 recently, and 
as a matter of fact, I wish I could pick up the one for the Best shot for the 
week here. 
However, I just can not disregard this one before that....

The bird that I came to love most in Fiji, Bulbul.
This is a bird a little bit smaller than a Japanese sparrow, and I have never 
seen such a cute bird in my life.

Their hair style is something like so-called ducktail, so in the beggining, I 
used to call them "Mr.Ducktail" (In Japanese, "Mr.Regent")
They have beady eyes which are so cute.
They have a black and thin bill which is so cute.
They have brillant red hairs at their backside, which looks alike cute red 
panties being glimpsing, and that is absolutely cute and sexy!
Their gesture coking thier head on the side and moving around is so cute.
They have so much curiosity and keep on wathing at me, and sometimes I feel 
as if they were showing an attitude to talk to me.

This picture was taken when a Bulbul came to the wooden rail of the balcony 
of my house to eat pices of crackers being left on it.
I took this pciture within one meter away.
They come approach to me within such a short distance, if I do not move a 
lot. 

I have hundreds of pictures of Bulbul already, and it is so difficult to 
choose one from them, but anyhow, I chose this one...

Mynah is the most popular bird in numbers in Fiji, but their body is large as 
twice as a Japanese spparow, and they have orange legs and bill, with the 
eyes black ball in orange, and nothig cute at all.
Their behavior is very impudent, and take and steal the food that Bulbul is 
eating without any hesitation. On the other hand they are always cautious of 
people, and never try to come and approach.
They are 180 degrees opposite to Bulbul and for me they are nothing to pay 
attention to!

Bulbul is the bird that taught me the pleasure of bird watching since I came 
to Fiji.
They are so cute, and I will never be boring even if I kept watching them all 
day long.   
We can always see number of Bulbuls anywhere in this country.

I was late to upload this shot, but this is the Best shot for the last week.

Finally, the interval-timer was arrived from Japan, and I am now able to get  
time-lapse movie in the right way.

This is the one I took after I got the stuff. 

A scenery in the Nalovo village which is located about 40minutes by car from 
Nadi, where I am living.
This is a movie consisted with 360 pictres take in 5second intervals.
As this is a semi-HD movie, it is good to see in the full screen mode.

The day before yesterday, I met a wonderful scene at the Vuda Point, about 
10Km North of my home in Nadi.

The sun setting down beyound a small island floated over the horizen by a 
mirage.  This is not something that we can get trying to do so.  I was just 
lucky!

This is a movie by time-lapse photographing.  As I still can not receive an 
interval-timer which I ordered via internet from Japan, so I had to push the 
shutter by a finger for 150 times with the same intervals for the camera 
being set on a tripod.

I took this eating a dinner in an outdoor restaurant putting a tripod atthe 
side of the table.

It is cute to see a boat crossing the horizen, too.
I am feeling a rich possiblity to find wonderful objects in Fiji.

You may be able to enjoy shit very short movie by clicking the icon at the 
bottom right to get it a full screen size, nad replay for a few times.

It's been one and a half year since I came to Fiji, but I had no chance to 
look up the night sky at all as the life here is so relaxing, and on the 
other hand, my job has been so busy.

I brought an equatorial mounting (an equipment to follow the movement of the 
stars automatically, so that a camera being mounted can get a spot star image 
despite a long exposure.) from Japan, but I even did not touch it. 

Today, I went to the beach right close to my home to get a time lapse 
pictures of sun setting, so after the sun set, I waited till the sky get dark 
to take a few pictures of the stars at the first time.... However, 
unfortunately, there was the moon almost the full in the sky, and the sky was 
very bright for taking a picture of the stars!

Normally, when we have no moon in the sky, the back ground of the sky is very 
dark, and the numberless of stars are shining like a diamond, but tonight was 
just terrible. 

This is the shot that I took knowing it can't be.
Oh, Fiji is great! Even though I any how could get a interesting picture.

Spread nebulas at the right bottom is a Carina Nebula.
Upper left of the nebula, the Southern Cross is very clear!
A somewhat yellow small spread star is the Oemga Nebula of the Centaurus.
All of these are longing objects that we can't see from Japan!
At last I could meet them!.

Now I am excited enough to do this again with more equipments to support the 
system when we have no moon in the sky.

Please don't feel bad looking at this picture! 

This Gecko is very popular anywhere in Fiji, no matter where it is at home or 
at office.

I have never heard a Gecko cries in Japan, but the one in Fiji cries with a 
very loud voice, which is hardly believe to be out of such a small body.

They cry "Kyuttz! Kyuttz! Kyuttz! Kyuttz! Kyuttz!" all day.
In my first days in Fiji, I used to belive they were birds.

Geckos eat mosquitos and gnats, and there is nobody in Fiji who hates and 
dislike them.

Watching this carefully, he has a nail in each fingers.
The thick of each fingers seems to have specila wrinkles and they can walk on 
the ceiling being upside down without any problems. (I initially thought that 
they had suckers.)

This picture was taken when he is on the ceiling (Not the vertical wall) of 
the balcony of my cottage.

He was running agilely and fast on the ceiling with being upside down. 

Wathcing him carefully, his has pretty beady eyes??

This is a shot with the No.1 of Fiji, His Excellency the President of Fiji, 
Mr. RATU EPELI NAILATIKAU!

If it were in Japan, he is equicalent to the Emperor.
He is a man of humor and is a very frinedly person.

There was an opportunity for him to visit the school managed by my company, 
and I had a chance to be with him.
I was so lucky and happy to be able to meet him as a representative of 
Japanese in the school, and this will be never unforgetable as one of the 
destination points in my life. 

I really appreciate my company to let me have this chance.

Here in Fiji, a drink called "Kava" is extremely popular among adults.
Crushing the roots of Kava tree (Yangona) into powder, and then put the 
poweder into a cloth bag.  Put this bag in a bowl of water and rub manytimes, 
so that the water finally turns in like a muddy water.
This liquid is a Kava. 

This is a very unique drink, as this is drunk just like alcohol very night, 
but the effect to the human is absolutely oposit to it.

As we drink alcohol, our voltage goes up and excited, but Kava has sedative 
effect to calm us down.  The feeling is similar to the alcohol as we come to 
feel intoxicated as alcohol, but Kave make us to think more logical, calming 
down, not like the alcohol get us excited.

In Fiji, at many homes, people enjoy drinking Kava in the garden at night 
taking many hours till midnight.

At the first drink, we will feel out mouth and tangue came to get numb like 
we do when the dentist shoots us the anesthesia. 

In Fiji, driving is prohibited not only after taking alcohol but also taking 
Kava.

I was not interested in Kava till just recently, as I did not like its 
concept that it calm us down.  However, as I had so strong stress from my 
job, I happened to get starated.

Kava is served in a heavy wooden bowl being hollow out whichi is 
called "Tanoa", and is drunk in a small bowl made of shell of Coconut.
We just scoop the Kava with the shell from the Tanoa.

Tanoa is placed on the floor, and Fijian men sit sorounding it and drink Kava 
one by one in order.  They drink and talk spending many hours doing like that.

I bought small Tanoa at about US$60. (This is a very expensive expenditure in 
Fiji)

The picrure was taken at the balcony of my cottage.
I have just started Kava-party? alone.

Now, I really become addicted to Kava.
Looking around full of greens outside even it is dark at night, breathing 
fresh air, 2 horus or 3 hours easily pass and go.

I now recognized the fact that I never had a time in my days in the past to 
think over anything relaxing for a long time.

This is now the most valuable time for me to examine myself for my 
immatureness.

At last, I wore this!

This is a sulu which Fijians males are found of most.
This is a wrap skirt for male!

They normally wear Bula shirt (like Aloha shirt) with this, (Its hem should 
be over the sulu, not under the sulu like this.) but as this is the most 
formal costume in Fiji, the syle should be like this.
As a male, this is the best full dress.

As a Japanese, it is kind of ashamed as I feel as if I came into a woman, but 
Fijian people loved this so much and every one gave me cheers as I was 
walking around there, saying "Looks nice!", "Wonderful!" and "Looks 
professional!".

It is very much impressive to find it very comfortable and cool as the air 
comes in.  It seems that there was a reason why this clothes was welcomed in 
this country.

The place where the picture is taken is a Senior Hig school (Secondary 
school) which my company is managing together with the English language 
school for the students from abroad. 

It's been one year and four months so far.

Although this Home page should have been full of Fiji's picutres and 
articles, my job here has been extremely busy, and especially recently, I 
have no time to add new articles and pictures in Fiji forum.
On the other hand, I now have a bunch of articles and pictures, and I have no 
way to work for them at all! 

There are many blogs which are showing owner's diary and pictures daily, but 
it is to much to do for me, and even doing so, I maybe frustrated with the 
situation that I can not show you all what I have experienced here.

So, I decided to make it a rule to introduce you only one picture for the 
weel, and therefore I will not introduce you any more pictures.
I am going to introduce you only one best shot with which I am impressed most 
inn that particular week. (It may passible to get out of the order for a week 
or so..)

The Canon reflex digital camera (Kiss Digital) came to be mess recently, I 
just bought a new Canon reflex digital camera 40D.
I am now able to get better images than before, and this encouraged me to 
this as well. 

--------------------------------------

So, the No.1 is.....

Oh, this maybe nothing special for you, just a pictures of vegetabels that I 
could get here.
However, for me, as a Japanese, this is a great thing!
I finally could get Japanese radish! (After 1 year and 4 months, at the first 
time in Fiji!)

I found it being sold in the local market in Nadi Town, and got it.
There live many Chinese here in Fiji, and some of them cultivate Japanese
(Chinese) radish, Japanese Moyashi(vegetables artificially grown in the 
shade. One in a black plastic bag in the picture.).

Even a Welish onion is sold although they are so thin as in the picture.

I cooked boild Japanese radish with Miso, and overjoyed myself with eating it!

Este año voy a cumplir sesenta años. Y este año en japonés se llama "Kanreki".
Kanreki se considera como un momento en el que vuelve desde un viaje por toda 
vida, y reflexiona sobre el pasado de su vida. Ahora, es también un momento 
de considerar y decidir cómo va a vivir en el tiempo que le queda en su vida.

He elegido un desafío de hacer un trabajo en Fiji para dar la última mano a 
mi vida en todos sentidos.  Y mañana será el día de marcharme.

He establecido este nuevo forum hoy.

No sé que contenido se va a salir por aquí, teniendo muchas expectaciones y 
intranquilidades están mezcladas.

De todas formas, lo que es muy claro es que no pudeo parar ni volver.  La 
única posibilidad es adelantar y nada más.

Sé que lo que voy a encontrar es todo para mi vida, y eso es mi vida si mismo.
Bueno, nos verémos desde Fiji, entonces!

This year for me is to celebrate my 60th birthday, which is called "Kanreki" 
in Japanese which means the year in which one comes back from the round trip 
to the life and think over one's life.  Now, it is also the moment in which 
one should think and decide how to live the rest of one's life.

I chose the challenge doing a job in Fiji to finish up my life in all the 
meanings. And the tomorrow will be the time for departure.

I hereby opened a new forum just before that moment today.

I am wondering what kind of contents will be recorded here, with expectations 
and anxieties being mixed up.
However, what is very clear is the fact that I can not stop or get back now.
My only choice is to go ahead, and not anything else.

I know what I will get there is all and that is my life itself.
Well, see you all from Fiji, then!!