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29th March 2015, 11:51 AM
#21
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
Originally Posted by
gray_marian
After Richards #15 fire walking post there is an excellent clip called "The Pacific Way Story" afterwards, along with others, all most informative
This is very sad. The Americans and the French in particular annexed their conquests, others behaved from moderately paternal to brutally barbaric, raped their 'possessions' and walked out when they lost interest leaving an unprepared community at the mercy of predators within. Britain was not free from blame as history reveals but in my travels and domiciles from just on seventy years ago I am of the opinion that Britain was one of the better administrators. Of course there is the slave trade, slaughter in India, brutal penal colonies such as Australia to where my M's great-great (maybe another great?) grandfather was sent to Botany Bay two hundred years ago at the age of fifteen for nicking some small amount from his local church. His seventeen year young accomplice was hung. I suppose the poor bloke had a chuckle, or perhaps a groan, when our daughter and son; born in the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva, Colony of Fiji, had for godparents the British civil servant Director of Civil Aviation and Contoller of Transport and his wife.
But I digress. Fiji ran like a Swiss watch. It was clean, the population were, generally happy, well fed, there was none of the miserable conditions displayed in the attached video. The Indians were hard working, prosperous and the outgoing. Happy, friendly, fun loving Fijians kept their villages of woven grass homes (m) Bures and vegetable gardens in pristine condition. Children were effectively schooled. Their British protectors gave them land rights and (see Fiji during the time of Cakobau - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) they were enabled to maintain the dignity of their heritage. Britain can be be praised for their agreement to protect Fiji in the 19th century. The decision to bring in indentured Indian labour is debatable, but there is no debate that that indentured labour made Fiji rich to all. The Fijian tura(n)ga loves to sit around the tanoa (kava bowl) sharing the (m)bilo (half coconut shell) of yaqona (Yanggona) as it is passed around, drinking it all down as everyone claps and "Mac(th)a!" (it is finished), chatting and laughing. Their maramas busy themselves with the children and the food preparation and the scent of blossom and wood smoke is intoxicating.
My sister is a great grandmother and is proud to have Fijian blood in many of her descendants and I know that they have pride in calling her "Bonnie".
Independance. Squabbles. Brain drain. Poverty. Misery. Who remembers what a beautiful country Southern Rhodesia was. The Middle East when women dressed modestly as they wished.
On a lighter note: In a small community one can be privileged. Bothers Ratu George and Ratu Edward Cakombau (Cakobau), descendants of King George Cakobau were regular Friday night imbibers at the Fiji Defence Club. Ratu Edward was President for quite a while and his sense of humour was infectious. He always had something to say and a couple of memorable ones were that when his grandfather, the king, was on the ship going to Britain to meet Queen Victoria at the time of the 'Deed of Cession' the steward tried to show him the menu. He waved it away and asked for the passenger list. He also said his grandad was religious -"Always had a bit of a missionary in him". Brother George Cakobau became he first Fijian Governor General of Fiji. On the Friday after our daughter was born 53 years ago, knowing only a Fijian is a Fijian, "Ratu Edward, my baby girl is born in Fiji. Is she Fijian?" "Well , Richard", he responded, "if a cat has kittens in a banana box, are they bananas?'
My chief clerk in QI Suva from '59 to '68 now lives in New Zealand. M and I went to his wedding and his grandson has just helped him get us on to Skype.
Here is how we, two families, coexisted on one block of land in the good old days.
I reiterate. This video makes me very sad.
Richard
Last edited by Richard Quartermaine; 29th March 2015 at 12:03 PM.
Our Ship was our Home
Our Shipmates our Family
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29th March 2015, 02:48 PM
#22
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
Very interesting story Richard, You must have had some really good life experiences out there,
I liked the sentence, where the steward gave the King a menu and he waived it away and asked for the passenger list.
Very good humour of the King.
Another Polynesian island in the Pacific that was annexed by a foreign country is Easter Island or `Rapa Nui`, by Chile,
The Polynesians Do Not Like it, The official language is Spanish.
Last year I spoke to a lady in Spanish and she went berserk, Do Not speak Spanish to us, we are Polynesian NOT Chileno.
So I spoke in Tahitian, [Polynesian] and then she was happy. Again their customs and sacred land has been taken away from them by a foreign country. so not happy.
Once annexed they can never get rid of the invaders..
What I do not like is the double standards of Governments.
USA annexed Hawaii, Chile annexed Rapa Nui, France annexed the Society Islands, Marquesses and New Caledonia
but when Russia annexes a historical Russian part of Ukraine, Obama and Cameron start sending troops and jets up to the Russian borders and weapons to the puppet Ukraine regime there by risking another World War.
I enjoy your Pacific Stories Richard.
Cheers
Brian.
Last edited by Captain Kong; 29th March 2015 at 03:09 PM.
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29th March 2015, 06:30 PM
#23
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
Oh hum Captain, my last words too: Again!
Hawaiians are U.S. citizens. Hawaii is a state within the union of states which make up the U.S.. Any Hawaiian is free to speak their mind, they are Americans and protected under the constitution.
When I was in the Merch. on UCL there where quite a few "deckies" and "laundry women" from Stornoway aboard. They congregated together, ate together and only spoke their native language when together. They had no time for the "English," which meant the rest of the U.K.. I remember them well as I had the hots (from a far) for a wee lassie named Jeannie...who was heavily guarded by a fierce group of Outer Hebrides female warrior laundry maids, as they daily passed through the kitchen. One of the senior cooks was a Scot and taught me how to say good morning in Gallic. I practiced until I had it letter perfect and I plucked up enough nerve to say it to her as she and her guards passed by:
"Pock ma hone Jeannie," (sp?) says I, and the fecal matter struck the revolving parts of a ventilation system. The rotten s#d had taught me to say "kiss my ar#e Jeannie."
However, neither my disrespect to a virginal sweet lassie, or the UCL Stornoway contingents general dislike for the rest of the UK., can deny the fact that they are British, and subjects of the United Kingdome, or give them any hope that the Isle of Lewis could secede.
I heartily agree with your reference to the policies of President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron re. the Ukraine, and other countries for that matter.
I wonder how the India Rajahs and their subjects felt about the "John Company" annexing, and the Aborigines, Maoris, and the rest of the world that was annexed as part of the World's largest empire. And I might add the Sioux whose lands our respective countries both annexed in West Central America. That is what strong countries do, they annex, the latest example is Russia in the Crimea.
It's fun crossing pens with you Captain, I must say it I really enjoy it, but all good things must come to an end...but only on this one subject!
Cheers, Rodney
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29th March 2015, 06:49 PM
#24
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
Thank you Rodney,
It is good to see different opinions. Life would be boring otherwise.
Cheers
Brian.
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30th March 2015, 03:55 AM
#25
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
Hi Brian.
Don't forget to wear your asbestos socks when you fire-walk.
Cheers Des
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30th March 2015, 04:25 AM
#26
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
Fire walking, no worries mate easy as anything after my mother in law.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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6th February 2017, 07:21 AM
#27
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
It will be a exciting trip if we have voyage to south seas because south seas consists of exciting adventure we may never have before..I had that experience once in my voyage Waikiki beach..
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6th February 2017, 10:31 AM
#28
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
I am going back again in five weeks to the Tahitian, Cook and Hawaiian Islands.
Cant beat them,
Cheers
Brian
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6th February 2017, 11:16 AM
#29
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
That's cruel! Can I come too?
'Those were the days, my friend'.
Brian and Anne - ENJOY.
Richard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XhJnISIMWs
Our Ship was our Home
Our Shipmates our Family
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6th February 2017, 08:29 PM
#30
Re: A voyage to the South Seas
Last edited by Captain Kong; 6th February 2017 at 09:53 PM.
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