Fiji Showcase 2006 opens Saturday, 1 July, in Suva

Showcase, Fiji's largest trade and entertainment event, gets underway at the FMF Dome, Laucala Bay, tomorrow, Saturday 1 July, and ends Saturday 8 July. It is a much looked forward to annual event and features a wide range of exhibitors showing off their retail goods from clothes to cosmetic products, food, technology and so many more. Entertainment also plays a big part in this great family escape and children and adults alike get to enjoy a whole week of fun, entertainment, shopping at greatly reduced prices with lots of tasty food. Fiji Showcase originally started out as the Home and Leisure show in 1986 and since those early days has grown considerably shifting from the Suva Civic Centre to the National Gymnasium and in 2003 to the FMF Dome where it is hosted from again tomorrow. Visit in during the course of the week from Saturday, 1 July, to get a good bargain.

Pacific Islands Art Exhibition starts Friday in Suva

The Alliance Française along with Ema Tavola, the Pacific Arts Co-ordinator for the Manukau Arts Gallery at the Manukau City Council in New Zealand, is bringing the work of six Pacific Island contemporary artists to Suva. The artists' work will be on display for two weeks starting Friday, 30 June and will run 'til Friday, 14 July. The display will be held at the Alliance Française, 14 McGregor Road, Suva. Check the list of "Upcoming Events in Suva" for details.

Pacific artists gathering in Suva next week

One of the biggest gatherings of Pacific Islands artists, musicians and scholars is set to take place during the first Pacific Epistemologies Conference in July. Hosted by the University of the South Pacific at its Laucala Bay Campus in Suva from 3 to 7 July, the conference dubbed Vaka Vuku-Navigating Knowledge, brings together 150 delegates from New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the Northern Pacific region. Aside from the presentation of papers, a Pacific film and arts festival will be among the highlights of the week. Conference director, Larry Thomas, said the idea emerged in 2004 when former head of USP's literature and language department, Professor Subramani and other academics raised the need for a forum to discuss issues relevant to the Pacific. Assistant director, Josefa Tuwere, said the event would allow Pacific scholars to discuss different ways and manners of approaching Pacific knowledge as compared to European knowledge. The forum sponsored by NZAID will coincide with the Pacific Arts and Film Festival. A play called Vula, directed by Fiji New Zealander Nina Nawalowalo and a film, No 2 by Samoan New Zealander writer and director, Toa Fraser, will be shown along with other Pacific-based films. Malanga, a music by Samoan New Zealander Igelese Ete which explores religion, identity and movements in a creative style will also be among the highlights. Note from GV : July and August has a lot of activities scheduled for Suva. For those that may need accommodation in Suva, pls click on the links on the right hand side of this blog for details on a two bedroom furnished rental in Suva. Note, however, that the home is booked up to and including 26 July 2006. Any bookings past that date can be accepted. Our direct contacts are telephone +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj.

Upcoming Events in Suva (Updated 29.6.06)

The following events are scheduled for Suva: One-off Events:

• Japanese Film 'Begging for Lover', Thursday, 29 June, starts 5.30pm, Embassy of Japan, 2nd Floor Dominion House, Suva (Free admission);
• Darts Competition, Thursday, 29 June, starts 7.30pm, China Club, Nasese;
• Women's Eye on Peace, IWDA's Photography Exhibition, Friday, 30 June, from 10am to 6pm, FemLinkPacific Community Media Centre; Suva;
• Pacific Island Art Exhibition, Friday, 30 June, starts 7pm, to Friday, 14 July, Alliance Française, 14 McGregor Road;
• Athletics Competitions (to feature Athletes in Action Club from USA and local competitors), starts 5pm, Friday, June 30, and Friday, July 7, Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay;
• Fiji Secondary Schools Basketball Competition, Saturday, 1 July, starts 8.30am, Suva Grammar School Outdoor Courts, Nasese;
• Suva Rugby Club Games, Saturday, 1 July, from 9am, Albert Park, Corpus Christi grounds, Army camp and Cathedral school grounds;
• Fiji Showcase 2006 (entertainment and art show with displays and discounts by traders), Saturday 1 July to Saturday 8 July, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• Fiji Golf Club Competition, Saturday, 1 July, from 12pm, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• Suva Hockey Association league competition, Saturday, 1 July, starts 1pm, National Hockey Centre, Laucala Bay;
• Suva Netball competition, Saturday, 1 July, from 1pm, Multi purpose courts, Laucala Bay;
• Tabu Soro Triathlon National Open Championships, Sunday, 2 July, from 7am, Pacific Harbour, Deuba;
• Fiji Arts Club Choir Concert, Sunday, 2 Jul, 7pm, Playhouse, Selbourne Street (Free admission);
• Vaka Vuku-Navigating Knowledge Conference for Pacific Islands' Artists, Musicians and Scholars, 3 to 7 July, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay;
• Pacific Documentary Film Festival, Tuesday 4 July and Wednesday 5 July, from 7pm, USP Anthopo1 Theatre; University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay;
• Exhibition: New Wave XXXI (art exhibition), Wednesday 5 July, from 5pm, to Wednesday 12 July, Oceania Centre for Art and Culture, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay;
• Malaga, A Journey - A choral celebration featuring a cast of over 100, composed by Igelese Ete, choreographed by Alan Alo and directed by Ian Gaskell and Larry Thomas, Wednesday, 5 July, 7.30m, and Thursday, 6 July, 7.30pm, Suva Civic Auditorium;
• Ratu Sukuna Ex-students Suva Association soli of annual subscriptions of F$100.00 per ex-student and Cadet Passout Parade, Friday, 7 July, Ratu Sukuna Memorial School, Nabua;
• Fiji Music Day, Karaoke Audition, Sunday, 9 July, 2pm to 5pm and Monday, 10 July, 3pm to 6pm, Dragon Music, Suva (Entries close 4pm, Friday, 7 July);
• Fiji Women's Golf Open, 11 July, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• International Schools Swimming Meet, 11 July, National Aquatic Centre, Laucala Bay;
• Benefits of Coconuts - Public Lecture by Dr Bruce Fife, a leading world expert on coconuts and health, 13 July, University of the South Pacific;
• Fiji Council of Social Services, Consultation Forum on The Pacific Plan for Civil Society Organisations, Thursday, 20 July, 9am to 4pm, Fiji Council of Social Services Centre, Suva (Register with Ben Lutua on telephone +679 3312649 or e-mail fcoss@connect.com.fj);
• Fiji Awards for Media Excellence 2006, Saturday, 22 July, Tradewinds Convention Centre, Lami;
• Fiji Arts Club art exhibition 2006, Monday, 24 July, to Saturday, 29 July, Suva; World Netball Championships Oceania Qualifiers, Tuesday, 25 July, 3.30pm, Fiji A vs Samoa, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• World Netball Championships Oceania Qualifiers, Tuesday, 25 July, 5.15pm, PNG vs Cook Islands, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• World Netball Championships Oceania Qualifiers, Tuesday, 25 July, 7.30pm, Africa vs Fiji, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• Fiji Audio Visual Commission Open Day for Telecom Fiji Limited Kula Film Awards, 28 and 29 July, Suva;
• Fiji Audio Visual Commission Launch of the Inaugural Telecom Fiji Limited Kula Film Awards Night, 29 July, Suva;
• National Youth Week Celebrations, Saturday, 12 August, various venues in Suva; Suva Hibiscus Festival, 17 to 26 August, Suva;
• Fiji FA Interdistric Soccer Competition, August 12 and 13, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay, Suva;
• Annual Methodist Church Conference and Choir Competition, mid August. Choir competition at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori, while the meeting will be held on Bau Island;
• Air Pacific/ATS Fiji Seniors Golf Tournament, 11 Sep, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• Melanesian (Countries) Festival of Arts, 2 to 11 October, Suva;
• Fiji Golf Club Ladies Open, 11 October, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• Bulafiji.com Under 18 Rugby League Competition, 1 to 30 November, Suva;
• Fiji International Volleyball Tournament, 27 November to 2 December, Suva;
• World Netball Championships, 10 to 21 July 2007, Suva.

Recurring Events:

• Music, dance and yoga classes, new term starts 4.30pm, Monday, 15 May, Suva Multi-Ethnic Cultural Centre, 94 Waimanu Road, 1st Floor Lala’s Building;
• Learn English, Hindi and Fijian, new term starts, Monday, 22 May, Alliance Francaise, 14 McGregor Road;
• Suva Orchid and Horticultural Group Meeting, from 5.30pm, every first Monday of the month, Wesley Church, Butt Street, Suva;
• Karate Classes, Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, 4.30pm to 6.30pm, China Club, Nasese, Suva;
• Latin Fitness Class, 6pm to 7pm, every Tuesday, The Playhouse, Selbourne Street;
• Pottery demonstrations, every Tuesday and Thursday, and daily every first week of the month, Fiji Museum;
• French Conversation Group to practice your French, every Thursday, 1pm to 2pm, Language Lab, Media Centre, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay (admission required - contact rankin_s@usp.ac.fj);
• Jazz at the Holiday Inn, every Thursday, 6pm to 10pm, Holiday Inn;
• Kids creative dance classes, starts 2.30pm every Friday, until 4 August, for kids from 2 years to 12 years, Alliance Francaise, 14 McGregor Road;
• Tom Mawi plays jazz at the Holiday Inn, 6pm to 9pm, Fridays, Holiday Inn;
• Soul, funk, disco and classics DJ music, from 8pm, Fridays, Traps Lounge, Victoria Parade;
• Velocity Cycling Ride, from 7am, every Saturday, leaves from The Roc, FNPF Dolphins Plaza;
• Arts Village Firewalking Show, starts 11am, every Saturday, Grandstand, Arts Village, Pacific Harbour;
• Waitui Cycles Ride, starts 6am, every Sunday, leaves from Waitui Cycles, Garden City;
• Sunday Church Services, 8am or 10.45am, Wesley Church, Butt Street;
• Jazz by the Beach, Sundays, 1pm to 5pm, Pearl South Pacific, Pacific Harbour;

Also see the list of aerobic exercise programs available at the Hyndai Fitness Centre, National Sporting Complex, Laucala Bay.

For accommodation for any events, please check out a two bedroom rental home with seaviews in Suva on links at the right hand side of this blog or contact telephone +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj directly. Those that wish to have their events included can contact me on the e-mail address provided above.

August opening for new Rewa Bridge

The opening of the new Rewa Bridge, Nausori, should take place in August according to the Public Works Department (PWD). PWD said all the groundwork for the project was nearing completion and everything was on schedule for the opening in August. The new bridge will have four lanes, two lanes each way as well as pedestrian walkways, two meters wide on both sides of the bridge. The European Union contributed F$23.6 million towards the F$30 million project, with the balance coming from Government. It is not clear what will happen to the old bridge. I am sure that it will remain as it is and will be a good tourist attraction. The opening of the new bridge will help further boost Suva's potential as a tourist and business centre, coupled with the planned expansion and upgrade of the Nausori airport to cater for more international and domestic flights. August brings a lot of activities to Suva with two being the Annual Methodist Choir Competition at Ratu Cakobau Park and the Hibiscus Beauty and Charity Pageant (returning after a few years of being a non-feature on Suva's social and fun calendar) at Albert Park. Please read the list of "Upcoming Events in Suva" on this blog for more information on what is happening in and around Suva.

Tabu Soro Triathlon National Open Championships this Sunday

If you are in Suva, and you are an avid follower or participant in triathlon events, you might note that the Tabu Soro Triathlon and Multi Sports Club will be hosting the PUMP Triathlon National Open Championships this Sunday, 2 July, at the Pacific Harbour, Deuba. Entry fees are F$10.00 for individuals and F$15.00 for teams. Registration is at 6am with the actual event kicking off at 7am. Juniors, individuals and teams are all invited to attend. Contact Ian Curtis on telephone +679 9995625 or Sam on +679 9929287. If you have nothing to do on Sunday, drive down to Pacific Harbour to watch the event. Take your picnic baskets and enjoy the public beach which is just a few 100 metres from the Arts Village or go into the Arts Village itself or the Pearl South Pacific. The Pearl has Jazz by the Beach from 1pm to 5pm every Sundays.

Upcoming Events in Suva (Updated 26.6.06)

The format of this list is now changed to first list "One-off Events" then followed by "Recurring Events". The following events are scheduled for Suva: One-off Events:

• Suva Diving Club Meeting, Wednesday, 28 June, 7pm, Traps Upstairs Bar;
• Athletics Competitions (to feature Athletes in Action Club from USA and local competitors), Fridays, June 30 and July 7, Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay;
• Tabu Soro Triathlon National Open Championships, Sunday, 2 July, from 7am, Pacific Harbour, Deuba;
• Vaka Vuku-Navigating Knowledge Conference for Pacific Islands' Artists, Musicians and Scholars, 3 to 7 July, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay;
• Malaga, A Journey - A choral celebration featuring a cast of over 100, composed by Igelese Ete, choreographed by Alan Alo and directed by Ian Gaskell and Larry Thomas, Wednesday, 5 July, 1pm for schools and 7.30m, and Thursday, 6 July, 7.30pm, Suva Civic Auditorium;
• Ratu Sukuna Ex-students Suva Association soli of annual subscriptions of F$100.00 per ex-student and Cadet Passout Parade, Friday, 7 July, Ratu Sukuna Memorial School, Nabua;
• Fiji Women's Golf Open, 11 July, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• International Schools Swimming Meet, 11 July, National Aquatic Centre, Laucala Bay;
• Benefits of Coconuts - Public Lecture by Dr Bruce Fife, a leading world expert on coconuts and health, 13 July, University of the South Pacific;
• Fiji Council of Social Services, Consultation Forum on The Pacific Plan for Civil Society Organisations, Thursday, 20 July, 9am to 4pm, Fiji Council of Social Services Centre, Suva (Register with Ben Lutua on telephone +679 3312649 or e-mail fcoss@connect.com.fj);
• Fiji Awards for Media Excellence 2006, Saturday, 22 July, Tradewinds Convention Centre, Lami;
• Fiji Arts Club art exhibition 2006, Monday, 24 July, to Saturday, 29 July, Suva;
• World Netball Championships Oceania Qualifiers, Tuesday, 25 July, 3.30pm, Fiji A vs Samoa, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• World Netball Championships Oceania Qualifiers, Tuesday, 25 July, 5.15pm, PNG vs Cook Islands, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• World Netball Championships Oceania Qualifiers, Tuesday, 25 July, 7.30pm, Africa vs Fiji, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• Fiji Audio Visual Commission Open Day for Telecom Fiji Limited Kula Film Awards, 28 and 29 July, Suva;
• Fiji Audio Visual Commission Launch of the Inaugural Telecom Fiji Limited Kula Film Awards Night, 29 July, Suva;
• National Youth Week Celebrations, Saturday, 12 August, various venues in Suva;
• Suva Hibiscus Festival, 17 to 26 August, Suva;
• Annual Methodist Church Conference and Choir Competition, mid August. Choir competition at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori, while the meeting will be held on Bau Island;
• Air Pacific/ATS Fiji Seniors Golf Tournament, 11 Sep, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• Melanesian (Countries) Festival of Arts, 2 to 11 October, Suva;
• Fiji Golf Club Ladies Open, 11 October, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• Bulafiji.com Under 18 Rugby League Competition, 1 to 30 November, Suva;
• Fiji International Volleyball Tournament, 27 November to 2 December, Suva;
• World Netball Championships, 10 to 21 July 2007, Suva.

Recurring Events:

• Bird Paintings by William Belcher, currently on daily, Fiji Museum;
• Yoga classes, every Monday, 5pm to 6pm, Fiji Girl Guides Headquarters, Malcolm Street;
• Music, dance and yoga classes, new term starts 4.30pm, Monday, 15 May, Suva Multi-Ethnic Cultural Centre, 94 Waimanu Road, 1st Floor Lala’s Building;
• Learn English, Hindi and Fijian, new term starts, Monday, 22 May, Alliance Francaise, 14 McGregor Road;
• Judo and Jujitsu Self Defence Classes, 6.30pm to 8.30pm, every Mondays and Wednesdays, Fiji Judo Academy, Nabua;
• Suva Orchid and Horticultural Group Meeting, from 5.30pm, every first Monday of the month, Wesley Church, Butt Street;
• Latin Fitness Class, 6pm to 7pm, every Tuesday, The Playhouse, Selbourne Street;
• Pottery demonstrations, every Tuesday and Thursday, and daily every first week of the month, Fiji Museum;
• Beach Volleyball Club League Competition, every Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5.30pm, National Beach Centre, National Sporting Complex, Laucala Bay;
• Cine night, every third Wednesday of the month, Alliance Francais, 14 McGregor Road;
• French Conversation Group to practice your French, every Thursday, 1pm to 2pm, Language Lab, Media Centre, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay (admission required - contact rankin_s@usp.ac.fj);
• Jazz at the Holiday Inn, every Thursday, 6pm to 10pm, Holiday Inn;
• Kids creative dance classes, starts 2.30pm every Friday, until 4 August, for kids from 2 years to 12 years, Alliance Francaise, 14 McGregor Road;
• Ultimate Frisbee Exercises, starts 5pm, every Friday, QED Grounds next to Suva Bowling Club;
• Tom Mawi plays jazz at the Holiday Inn, 6pm to 9pm, Fridays, Holiday Inn;
• Soul, funk, disco and classics DJ music, from 8pm, Fridays, Traps Lounge, Victoria Parade;
• Velocity Cycling Ride, from 7am, every Saturday, leaves from The Roc, FNPF Dolphins Plaza;
• Suva Archery Club weekly competition, starts 1.30pm, every Saturday, St Josephs School Grounds;
• Arts Village Firewalking Show, starts 11am, every Saturday, Grandstand, Arts Village, Pacific Harbour;
• Waitui Cycles Ride, starts 6am, every Sunday, leaves from Waitui Cycles, Garden City;
• Sunday Church Services, 8am or 10.45am, Wesley Church, Butt Street;
• Jazz by the Beach, Sundays, 1pm to 5pm, Pearl South Pacific, Pacific Harbour;

Also see the list of aerobic exercise programs available at the Hyndai Fitness Centre, National Sporting Complex, Laucala Bay.

For accommodation for any events, please check out a two bedroom rental home with seaviews in Suva on links at the right hand side of this blog or contact telephone +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj directly. Those that wish to have their events included can contact me on the e-mail address provided above.

Pacific movies go on show in Suva

New Zealander, Toa Fraser, is among a group of Pacific Island movie directors whose films will be shown at a film festival in Suva in the first week of July. Fraser's debut feature film, No. 2, which won the World Cinema Audience Award (Drama) at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival in January, will be screened at Village 6 Cinemas along with some other acclaimed movies. They include two short films - O Tamaiti : The Children, and Still Life by award-winning Samoan-born Kiwi Sima Urale. Fiji-born Vilisoni Hereniko's The Land Has Eyes, the first feature film made in Fiji, will also make a return to Suva during the festival. The festival is part of the first Pacific epistemology conference that will be held in Suva from 3 to 7 July. Hosted by the University of the South Pacific's School of Language, Arts and Media, the conference, dubbed Vaka Vuku - Navigating Knowledge, brings together about 150 delegates from New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the Northern Pacific region. Conference convener, Larry Thomas, says the event gives artists and musicians a change to participate in the academic forum. The likes of Mr Fraser and other leading Pacific Islands moviemakers were invited to display their work. Fraser's movie revolves around an elderly Fijian widow, Nana Maria, who shares her ramshackle house with two grandchildren. The lead role is played by Afro-American screen legend and activist, Ruby Dee. Like Fraser, Urale is an award-winning writer and director. Note from GV : For accommodation in Suva, a two bedroom furnished home is available. Please check details and photos on the links at the right hand side of this blog. We can also be contacted directly on telephone +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj for enquiries and/or bookings.

Fiji Media Awards - Call for Entries

The Media Council of Fiji Limited has called for entries for the Fiji Awards for Media Excellence in 2006. There are 4 categories and two special awards. The categories are : For Print:

• Best news report;
• Best feature article;
• Best sports report;
• Best series of three headlines;
• Best photograph;
• Best locally produced advertisement

For Radio:

• Best news report;
• Best sports report;
• Best personality;
• Best locally produced program;
• Best locally produced advertisement

For Television:

• Best news report;
• Best sports report;
• Best locally produced program;
• Best cameraman;
• Best presenter;
• Best locally produced advertisement

Online:

• Best local news/information media-based website

Special Awards:

• CMDA Award for Best Business Reporting
• UNAIDS Award for best reporting on HIV/AIDS

Three major awards of Print Journalist of the Year, Television Journalist of the Year and Radio Journalist of the Year will be selected from the entries in each section. All submissions must contain full contact details of the applicant, including address, telephone and where applicable, fax number and e-mail address. They must be endorsed by a senior company manager at chief of staff level or higher. Entry forms can be downloaded from www.fijimediacouncil.com.fj. Entries close at 5pm, 5 July. The winners will be announced and prizes awarded at a ceremony and dinner at the Tradewinds Convention Centre, Lami, on Saturday, 22 July. For accommodation in Suva, check out a two bedroom furnished home which is available for visitors to Suva, on links at the right hand side of this blog. To book, call +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj.

Plans for Rugby Test against Wallabies

The Fiji Rugby Union is in the process of getting test matches against Australia and Scotland next year. Apart from this, Australia A is expected to join the Pacific Five Nations series from next year. The FMF Flying Fijians played its last test on home soil for 2005 on Saturday winning 23-20 against Samoa. Fiji has matches against Japan and Australia A left, which will be the last two games for our national side. There is no end of the year tour as the Pacific Islanders will be touring the Northern Hemisphere. Fiji is pooled with Australia in the RWC.

Inaugural Fiji Film Awards set for Suva in July

The Fiji Audio Visual Commission announced last week Telecom Fiji's exclusive sponsorship of the TFL Kula Film Awards. The film awards theme is "Finding Fiji's Future Film-makers". TFL said the theme indicated that there were talents in our communities waiting to be discovered and the search for these talents was a journey that it was proud to be part of. The TFL Kula Film Awards is created to raise awareness of the audio visual industry in Fiji and also realise the untapped potential of future film-makers and movie talents in Fiji. The Fiji Audio Visual Commission has approached various schools in Fiji to make a short film of any topic that interests them. The films will then be judged by both a panel of judges and by the public. Representatives of the local audio visual industry will be on-hand to provide technical assistance such as film editing. The Commission has so far received applications from 12 schools for the awards and 15 for the Bollywood dance competition awards running concurrently with the film competition. Prizes for grabs include those for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Most Popular Film. The movies will be screened on Fiji TV for public viewing and voting and will be hosted on-line on the Connect website, http://www.connect.com.fj/, where the public can log on at anytime and vote for their Most Popular Film. The Commission has planned an open day for 28 and 29 July to complement and launch the inaugural gala awards night on 29 July. For accommodation in Suva, check out a two bedroom furnished home which is available for visitors to Suva, on links at the right hand side of this blog. To book, call +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj.

Cold front covers Fiji

A cold front which has been passing through Fiji will leave after another week of plummeting temperatures according to the Meteorological Office. Apart from a few light showers, the weather is expected to be fine but will bring colder nights. Temperatures last week around most of the country averaged about 20 degrees Celsius.

Remove derelict ships, owners told

Owners of derelict ships in harbours around the country could have their licences revoked if they do not remove their ships, says the Transport Ministry. The comment was made by the Transport Minister, Tomasi Vuetilovoni, after an increasingly popular lobby for a clean capital city. Usually the owners of the boats are overseas. Abandoned and derelict ships are those that had run aground on reefs and the rusty ones that had been impounded. A non-governmental organisation was formed to lobby for the removal of these boats from Suva Harbour because the boats were becoming an eyesore and an environmental hazard.

World Championship Netball Oceania Qualifiers to be held July in Suva

A few World Netball Championship Qualifying games will be held in Suva on Tuesday, 25 July. The games scheduled will be as follows :

• Fiji A vs Samoa, 3.30pm, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• PNG vs Cook Islands, 5.15pm, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• Africa vs Fiji, 7.30pm, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay.

For those that wish to see some of the buildup to the World Netball Championships in July 2007, that would be a good opportunity for you. Suva will also be hosting an art exhibition during that week in July as a round up to the Fiji Arts Club Art Competition and Exhibition as well as an Open Day and Inaugural Launch of the TFL Kula Film Awards for the Fiji Audio Visual Commission. See more on the "List of Upcoming Events in Suva" in this blog.

For accommodation, a two bedroom furnished home can be booked through links at the right hand side of this blog or calling +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj.

An Chef from India in Suva

Amrad Lal Dhanki was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, India 52 years ago. He developed an interest in cooking by watching his uncle do it in his own kitchen. When he decided to learn the trade, his first cooking job was at the age of 26 in a small cafe in Gujarat. He came to Fiji in July 2005 to work to look after his wife and two children in Gujarat. He speaks Gujarati and has difficulty understanding Fiji-Hindi. At Govinda Restaurant, Amrad works from 7am to 7pm every day. He does not tire of his work because he knows that his family in Gujarat depend entirely on him for money. He has not had any formal training in the kitchen and all that he knows is by learning on the job and by experimenting. Amrad likes Fiji and says that people are very friendly. He has adapted well in his new environment and gets on well with the rest of the crew in the kitchen. He likes Fiji food and has learnt how to cook food the Fiji way. He has worked in various resorts in India and at a restaurant in Auckland, New Zealand, for two years. If you want to try out one of Amrad's dishes, visit the Govinda Restaurant at Marks Street or at the Sports City complex, Laucala Bay, both in Suva. Govinda Restaurant serves various types of Indian dishes. They are open six days a week.

Flying Fijians wins over Manu Samoa 23-20

Fiji kept its chances alive of finishing second in the inaugural Pacific Five Nations tournament beating Samoa 23-20 at the Post Fiji Stadium in Suva yesterday. This was the FMF Flying Fijians' first win in the competition after having lost to the Junior All Blacks 17-35 and Tonga 23-24. The Juniors have already won the title after thumping Japan 38-8 yesterday but the battle is between Fiji and Samoa to take the runner-up spot. Samoa plays Tonga while Fiji will battle Japan in the last round on Saturday. Fiji must beat Japan and hope Samoa loses to Tonga to take second place in the Five Nations tournament. After Japan, Fiji will take on the Australia A team, the last major assignment for the year in the absence of an end-of-year tournament.

Malaga - The Journey

A choral celebration featuring a cast of over 100. Composed by Igelese Ete, choreographed by Alan Alo and directed by Ian Gaskell and Larry Thomas. There will be three performances only at the Suva Civic Auditorium:

• Wednesday, 5 July, 1pm for schools;
• Wednesday, 5 July, 7.30pm; and
• Thursday, 6 July, 7.30pm.

Tickets are on sale at The University of the South Pacific's Bookshop from 10am, 26 June at the following prices:

• Premium, F$10.00;
• Standard, F$5.00; and
• School students, F$2.00.

Fiji Netball lost second test match to England

The Fiji national netball side went down fighting 22-60 after a much-improved performance against world third ranked England last night at the FMF Dome at Laucala Bay, Suva. Before the test matches, England Coach Margaret Caldow had stated that her side was here to showcase how a commonwealth netball bronze medal team plays. And that is what they did and what the Fijian combination would expect at the World Netball Championships next year. The World Netball Championships will be held in Suva, Fiji, in July 2007. As Suva will be full of visiting teams and tourists during that time, those that wish to come to Suva might like to book a two bedroom furnished home in advance. Pls follow links to the right hand side of this blog for details and photos of the home or call/e-mail direct to +679 3396427 or gilbert@connect.com.fj.

Today's big rugby showdown in Suva

The FMF Flying Fijians will host Samoa in an IRB 5 Nations series fixture at the Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay, Suva. The match will be the last test for Fiji at home and the side will be looking at breaking its losing streak in the inaugural competition. The game kicks off at 3pm local time and will be controlled by Wayne Barnes of England. Admission is F$25.00 for adults, F$10 for the embankment and F$2 for children under 12.

Invitation to participate in the 3rd Melanesian Arts & Cultural Festival

Participation in the 3rd Melanesian Arts & Cultural Festival, 2 to 11 October 2006, Suva, Fiji. Invitation is extended to all of those who are interested in participating in the following two categories and be part of the Fiji Delegation Team. All entries for Categories 1 and 2 will be closed on 14 July.

• Category 1 - Fashion Design and Fashion Show (Contemporary and Tradition)
• Category 2 - Contemporary Dancing

If interested, please contact Mr Vena Komai and Mrs Tulia Seduadua at the Fiji Arts Council office on telephone +679 3311754 or e-mail fijiartscouncil@connect.com.fj. For accommodation during your stay, pls check out links for a furnished two bedroom rental in Suva on links at the right hand side of this blog or call direct +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj. Selections will be made upon auditions.

Fiji Music Day - Vocalist Talent Quest

The Alliance Francais in partnership with Dragon Music and coordinator James Bhagwan are organising a "Talent Quest" for the Fiji Music Day on Saturday, 15 July 2006. Eligibility :

• 9 years to 20 years
• not a professional
• has no audio recordings

"Karaoke" Audition will take place at Dragon Music on Sunday, 9 July (2pm to 5pm) and Monday, 10 July (3pm to 6pm). Registration forms available at the Alliance Francais and Dragon Music and are to be submitted by 4pm, Friday, 7 July. Candidates to include three of their preferences of songs (from a huge list of songs played on Bula FM to choose from). Selection of winners:

• voice quality
• costume
• overall presentation

Prizes :

• 1st prize - F$300.00;
• 2nd prize - F$200.00;
• 3rd prize - F$100.00.

Contact Alliance Francais on telephone +679 3313082 or e-mail allifra@connect.com.fj.

Book a Rental Home at 20% Discount for remainder of Southern Winter

The Southern Winter season has another two and a half months, or so, to run. Want to enjoy some sun and warmth in Suva, Fiji? Why stay in one-room at a hotel when you can pay much less and book a two bedroom rental home for you and your friends or family. A discounted rate of 20% is now offered for those that wish to book for the period up to end August 2006. Please follow the links on the right hand side of this blog to get more details on amenities and photos or call direct on +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj.

Upcoming Events in Suva (Updated 22.6.06)

The following events are scheduled: Recurring Events:

• Bird Paintings by William Belcher, currently on daily, Fiji Museum;
• Yoga classes, every Monday, 5pm to 6pm, Fiji Girl Guides Headquarters, Malcolm Street;
• Expressive Dance Classes, 5pm to 7pm every Mondays until 19 June, Oceania Dance Studio, University of the South Pacific;
• Music, dance and yoga classes, new term starts 4.30pm, Monday, 15 May, Suva Multi-Ethnic Cultural Centre, 94 Waimanu Road, 1st Floor Lala’s Building;
• Learn English, Hindi and Fijian, new term starts, Monday, 22 May, Alliance Francaise, 14 McGregor Road;
• Judo and Jujitsu Self Defence Classes, 6.30pm to 8.30pm, every Mondays and Wednesdays, Fiji Judo Academy, Nabua;
• Suva Orchid and Horticultural Group Meeting, from 5.30pm, every first Monday of the month, Wesley Church, Butt Street;
• Latin Fitness Class, 6pm to 7pm, every Tuesday, The Playhouse, Selbourne Street;
• Pottery demonstrations, every Tuesday and Thursday, and daily every first week of the month, Fiji Museum;
• Beach Volleyball Club League Competition, every Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5.30pm, National Beach Centre, National Sporting Complex, Laucala Bay;
• Cine night, every third Wednesday of the month, Alliance Francais, 14 McGregor Road;
• French Conversation Group to practice your French, every Thursday, 1pm to 2pm, Language Lab, Media Centre, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay (admission required - contact rankin_s@usp.ac.fj);
• Jazz at the Holiday Inn, every Thursday, 6pm to 10pm, Holiday Inn;
• Kids creative dance classes, starts 2.30pm every Friday, until 4 August, for kids from 2 years to 12 years, Alliance Francaise, 14 McGregor Road;
• Ultimate Frisbee Exercises, starts 5pm, every Friday, QED Grounds next to Suva Bowling Club;
• Tom Mawi plays jazz at the Holiday Inn, 6pm to 9pm, Fridays, Holiday Inn;
• Soul, funk, disco and classics DJ music, from 8pm, Fridays, Traps Lounge, Victoria Parade;
• Velocity Cycling Ride, from 7am, every Saturday, leaves from The Roc, FNPF Dolphins Plaza;
• Suva Archery Club weekly competition, starts 1.30pm, every Saturday, St Josephs School Grounds;
• Arts Village Firewalking Show, starts 11am, every Saturday, Grandstand, Arts Village, Pacific Harbour;
• Waitui Cycles Ride, starts 6am, every Sunday, leaves from Waitui Cycles, Garden City;
• Sunday Church Services, 8am or 10.45am, Wesley Church, Butt Street;
• Jazz by the Beach, Sundays, 1pm to 5pm, Pearl South Pacific, Pacific Harbour;

One-off Events:

• Snooker AUSAID Referees Clinic, June 21 to 23, Fiji Club, Selbourne Street;
• Life in the Spirit Seminar with Pastor Benny Hinn, Thursday, 22 June, from 3pm, World Harvest Centre, Kinoya;
• US Foreign Policy toward the Pacific - Public Lectures by Ambassador (ret.) Charles B Salmon Jr, Friday, 23 June, 1pm, Marine Studies Lecture Theatre, Lower Laucala Campus, University of the South Pacific;
• Athletics Competitions (to feature Athletes in Action Club from USA and local competitors), Fridays, June 23, June 30 and July 7, Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay;
• Fiji vs England Netball test match, Friday, 23 June, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• Veterans Snooker Tournaments, June 23 to 25, Merchants and United Clubs;
• Suva Club Rugby, Saturday, 24 June, from 8.30am, Albert Park and RFMF Grounds;
• Beach Volleyball games, Saturday, 24 June, Beach Volleyball Centre, Laucala Bay;
• Fiji Golf Club Juniors Individual Stableford event, Saturday, 24 June, from 7.45am, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• Olympic Day Fun Run, Saturday, 24 June, Suva;
• Rugby League Eastern Conference, Saturday, 24 June, from 12pm, Sukanaivalu Grounds, Nabua;
• Suva Hockey League Competition, Saturday, 24 June, from 12pm, National Hockey Centre, Laucala Bay;
• Suva Netball games, Saturday, 24 June, from 1pm, Multi-purpose courts, Laucala Bay;
• Fiji vs Samoa Pacific Rugby Series, starts 3pm, Saturday, 24 June, Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay;
• Australian High Commission Staff and Social Club's Fundraising Ball for Charity, Saturday, 24 June, from 7pm, Tradewinds Convention Centre;
• Suva Diving Club Meeting, Wednesday, 28 June, 7pm, Traps Upstairs Bar;
• Vaka Vuku-Navigating Knowledge Conference for Pacific Islands' Artists, Musicians and Scholars, 3 to 7 July, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay;
• Malaga, A Journey - A choral celebration featuring a cast of over 100, composed by Igelese Ete, choreographed by Alan Alo and directed by Ian Gaskell and Larry Thomas, Wednesday, 5 July, 1pm for schools and 7.30m, and Thursday, 6 July, 7.30pm, Suva Civic Auditorium;
• Ratu Sukuna Ex-students Suva Association soli of annual subscriptions of F$100.00 per ex-student and Cadet Passout Parade, Friday, 7 July, Ratu Sukuna Memorial School, Nabua;
• Fiji Women's Golf Open, 11 July, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• International Schools Swimming Meet, 11 July, National Aquatic Centre, Laucala Bay;
• Fiji Awards for Media Excellence 2006, Saturday, 22 July, Tradewinds Convention Centre, Lami;
• Benefits of Coconuts - Public Lecture by Dr Bruce Fife, a leading world expert on coconuts and health, July 13, University of the South Pacific;
• Fiji Arts Club art exhibition 2006, Monday, 24 July, to Saturday, 29 July, Suva;
• World Netball Championships Oceania Qualifiers, Tuesday, 25 July, 3.30pm, Fiji A vs Samoa, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• World Netball Championships Oceania Qualifiers, Tuesday, 25 July, 5.15pm, PNG vs Cook Islands, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• World Netball Championships Oceania Qualifiers, Tuesday, 25 July, 7.30pm, Africa vs Fiji, FMF Dome, Laucala Bay;
• Fiji Audio Visual Commission Open Day for Telecom Fiji Limited Kula Film Awards, 28 and 29 July, Suva;
• Fiji Audio Visual Commission Launch of the Inaugural Telecom Fiji Limited Kula Film Awards Night, 29 July, Suva;
• National Youth Week Celebrations, Saturday, 12 August, various venues in Suva;
• Suva Hibiscus Festival, 17 to 26 August, Suva;
• Annual Methodist Church Conference and Choir Competition, mid August. Choir competition at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori, while the meeting will be held on Bau Island;
• Air Pacific/ATS Fiji Seniors Golf Tournament, 11 Sep, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• Melanesian (Countries) Festival of Arts, 2 to 11 October, Suva;
• Fiji Golf Club Ladies Open, 11 October, Fiji Golf Club, Vatuwaqa;
• Bulafiji.com Under 18 Rugby League Competition, 1 to 30 November, Suva;
• Fiji International Volleyball Tournament, 27 November to 2 December, Suva;
• World Netball Championships, 10 to 21 July 2007, Suva.

Also see the list of aerobic exercise programs available at the Hyndai Fitness Centre, National Sporting Complex, Laucala Bay.

For accommodation for any events, please check out a two bedroom rental home in Suva on links at the right hand side of this blog or contact telephone +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj directly. Those that wish to have their events included can contact me on the e-mail address provided above.

An American Professor's experience in Fiji

Associate Professor, Josh Boyd, who is in Suva with a Texas-based group to help locals with English conversation skills has already been to the country before after visiting Fiji on a holiday 13 years ago. Professor Boyd said "when I was informed of our coming over, I was excited. Thirteen years ago I came in for a holiday enjoying the sea and the other sites. Visiting Fiji again now in an educational way will be more fulfilling than just seeing sites and enjoying the great weather and the friendly people." Apart from visiting countries, Boyd says they learn new things about the places they are assigned to such as the local language, the way people live, the culture and the local people's daily chores. The group that Boyd is part of hopes that in leaving Fiji they would have met and made more friends. The group leaves Fiji on 24 July with another group to visit in October. For those that wish to visit Fiji, perhaps an option would be a working visit such as that by the Texas-based group. That will definitely enable you to interact on a more personal level with locals and learn more than you would staying on holiday at a hotel/resort.

America group on working visit to Suva

A Texas-based group is in Suva to help locals with English conversation skills. The group said that they "are here to help locals wanting to better their spoken English". The leader of the group, Josh Boyd, is an associate professor in communications at Purdue University in Indianapolis. The group arrived in the country last Tuesday and take classes in a house at 29 Duncan Road, Suva. Since starting classes on Monday morning, the group has attended to more than 20 locals visiting the home to receive tutoring. The group will be here for 6 weeks and locals interested in attending one of their sessions can contact Bimlesh and Nalish Prasad at 29 Duncan Road or contact them on telephone +679 9348555. The sessions are free of charge and fall from 3 to 7pm on Sundays and 10am to 7pm from Mondays to Thursdays.

Tourism on track to deliver promise

The tourism industry is on track to become a billion dollar industry by 2007, according to the Fiji Visitors Bureau. The Bureau said Fiji had an average annual growth rate of 12% for visitor arrivals from its popular markets in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom and continental Europe. Provisional statistics on visitor arrivals in 2005 stated that almost 550,000 international holiday makers came to Fiji and the Bureau said that this was expected to increase to 600,000 in 2007. The Bureau added that an unrivalled growth in new inventory and a boom in international investment which were happening were important factors in achieving the tourism industry's objectives. Currently there was about F$700 million worth of foreign investment in new tourism developments and several major tourism projects were now on-line by investors who had been encouraged by the positive growth of tourist arrivals. With several big brand hotels opening in 2006 and 2007, the Bureau said there would be sufficient infrastructure in the country to enable the massive growth projected. A snapshot of properties under development include a Hilton Hotel, The Westin Hotel, Radisson Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel, JW Marriott and an Intercontinental, to name a few. Every new hotel has a conference facility which will establish Fiji as a serious contender for Australia, New Zealand and other international markets in the area of hosting conferences and meetings. Note from GV : Foreign investors wishing to set up business or invest in Fiji can use our company, Gilbert & Samuels Company Limited, to facilitate all necessary licences, permits and approvals required for setting up. We provide other business advisory services as well. Our contacts are : telephone +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj.

Fiji netters lost first test match

Superb defence by England saw the visitors wallop the Fiji netball side 68-17 in their first test at the FMF Dome in Suva last night. A new look Fiji side saw half its players make their first debut in the international arena and found the England defence far to strong for them. The next test match will be played on Friday, 23 June.

Athletics competitions on again

After a long layoff, Athletics Fiji kick starts its weekly competition at the Post Fiji Stadium tomorrow. The program, to include all sprints, distance and field events, will feature former athletes aiming to make a return on the international arena. Elite athletes selected from the secondary schools' Coke Light Games have also been training for the competition. Competition standards is expected to be high and selectors will be scouting for potential athletes for a training squad to prepare for the Oceania Grand Prix and the 2007 South Pacific Games in Apia. Special guests at the competition will be the Athletes in Action club from USA.

Princess Anne to visit Suva in July

Princess Anne will be on a private three-day visit to Fiji next month after visiting the Emerging Pacific Leaders Dialogue, a gathering of potential Pacific Island leaders, in Australia. Although a private visit, Government said that the Princess's visit will be given the same quality of security as a visit by any other VIP. Princess Anne will be a guest of the President, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, at Borron House. Read more on the Princess and Borron House via google search.

Wingers face off

Lome Fa'atau will face-off with Rupeni Caucau when the FMF Flying Fijians take on Manu Samoa in an IRB Pacific Five Nations Test this Saturday in Suva. Samoan pace ace dazzled in the Super 14 this year with the Hurricanes finishing as top try scorer with 10 touchdowns. He is a class act himself but reckons Caucau, who topped the chart in France with Agen is a better winger. "I am not that good", Fa'atau offered. "But I am happy with the season that I've had. Caucau is one of the best wingers in the world alongside the likes of Joe Rokocoko and Lote Tuqiri. He's one player who can change the game around at anytime". Twenty three players from the 26-member Samoa squad are overseas based players including the likes of Highlanders Seilala Mapusua and Loki Crichton. The game will be played at 3pm, Saturday, 24 June, at the Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay, Suva. Tickets to the grandstand are selling at F$25.00 each while embankment tickets are F$10.00 each. For those that need accommodation, pls check on links at the right hand side of this blog.

Bobo joins Caucau in lineup for Fiji-Samoa 15s Rugby match this Saturday

Sireli Bobo will be joining Rupeni Caucau in Fiji's lineup for the Fiji-Samoa 15s rugby match this Saturday. Pacific rivalry between the two island neighbours will be on again and the game expected to be intensely physical. Playing in front of the home crowd has contributed to which way the game goes so Fiji will definitely benefit by playing on home soil. The Samoa side has some Super 14 players which include Otago Highlanders' Seilala Mapusua, Hurricanes' Lome Fa'atau, and Waikato Chiefs' Loki Crinton. The Samoa team is already in the country and had two training sessions yesterday with a gym weight session at the Hyndai Fitness Centre in the morning and a run at Nasova grounds in the evening. The game kicks off at 3pm at the Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay, Suva, with grandstand tickets selling at F$25.00 and embankment tickets at F$10.00. For visitors who would like to watch some good Pacific rugby at much less what you would pay to watch them overseas, can go down to the Post Fiji Stadium on Saturday.

Fiji Netball coach to name her lineup tomorrow

National netball coach, Megan Simpson, will name her lineup to face England in the first test early tomorrow. Simpson will be reviewing individual performances when the side comes up against the men's side tonight before making up her mind. Expected to start in tomorrow afternoon's clash are Australian-based Talei Bari and Simone Nalatu. The team in their training run yesterday went through defence play and will be viewing footage of their Commonwealth Games pool encounter with England. The first test against England is at 6pm tomorrow with the second test on Friday. Fiji is currently ranked 9th on the world rankings for netball compared to New Zealand being the 1st and Australia the 2nd.

Week of international sporting activities in Suva

This week sees a host of international sporting activities in Suva. This starts Wednesday with the Fiji vs England Netball test match with a second test to be held on Friday. Friday also sees the first of three competitions for Fiji athletes who will meet up with an Athletes in Action Club from the USA. The other two competitions with be held on Fridays over the next two weeks. Saturday sees a rugby match between Fiji and Samoa, continuing with the current Pacific Cup series. Fiji 15s rugby is on a roll after the team won the match against Italy last weekend, 29 to 18. There are other national sporting fixtures around the city. If you're a keen sports person, go down to the Post Fiji Stadium during those days to watch Fiji players pitch themselves against some well-known international players. Have a good week! For those that need accommodation, please follow the links on the right hand side of this blog to see details of a two bedroom furnished home with contact details.

F$200,000 for city festival

The 2006 Vodafone Hibiscus Festival will cost about F$200,000 to get off the ground. The Organising Committee said preparations for the even were being organised as far back as January. There will be close to 200 stalls at Albert Park. Apart from good and clothing stalls, there will be public awareness stalls by the Red Cross, St John's and Land Transport Authority. The event will also have Bollywood and local shows and sports competitions. A special fire walking ceremony has been organised for the end of the event. The festival will be a nine-day event starting from August 17 with a torch relay. Miss Hibiscus flies to Los Angeles as part of her prizes.

Sunday markets prove a success for local products

The monthly ROC Market in Suva is good business and has proven popular with people. Market organiser, John Philp, said it was a tremendous success since its beginnings in 2000. There are 50 stalls at the market and local products are actively encouraged. Mr Philp said many stall offers were turned down because they wanted local-based products as much as possible. Amongst the most popular are handmade jewellery and other decorations. A coconut art seller, Donald Bruce, said he had a staff at the market in the spirit of the ROC Market event that brought people together promoting local artwork. Mr Bruce does not really care if he made money, saying he decorated coconuts by inserting other plants into them as a hobby. The ROC Market in Suva is held on the third Sunday of every month. Visit it the next time, it is on.

Fine Dining - Italian Style

L'Opera Italian Restaurant is a new addition to the dining scene in Suva. It is the 11th to be opened by long-time Italian business partners, Paolo Nesi and Moreno Mattel. Chef Moreno said that "the success and the competitive advantage of L'Opera have always been the food because [they] are a kitchen-driven organisation rather than a management driven operation." The restaurant offers both a set menu and ala carte. The restaurant also caters for any kind of occasion. To try out some authentic Italian cuisine, visit L'Opera at 59 Gordon Street, Suva. Their contacts are telephone + 679 331 8602 or e-mail: pnesi@loperagroup.com.

Expression of Interest - Lady Hibiscus

Have you always wanted to enter a pageant in your youth and didn't have the opportunity to do so? Now is your chance, give the Lady Hibiscus contest a go. For more information, contact the Hibiscus 2006 Secretariat on telephone/fax +679 3311168, e-mail aqela@hibiscus.com.fj or download the application form from www.hibiscus.com.fj. The festival returns to Suva after a few of being a non-feature on Suva's social scene. Other categories for contestants include Miss Hibiscus and Hibiscus Princess. The festival will be held from August 18 to 26.

Retailers support Air Pacific's local move

The Fiji Retailers Association has supported the move by Air Pacific to enter the domestic aviation sector. The comment after Air Fiji obtained a court injunction stopping Air Pacific from commencing domestic flights while earlier agreements between Air Fiji and Government are sorted out. The injunction is expected to delay Air Pacific's domestic flights commencement by a further three months from its planned July launch.

England netball team to showcase talent in two test matches against Fiji

The England netball team jetted into the country on Monday and are staying in Suva. They are here for two test matches which are scheduled next week. The tour here is part of the team's preparations for the World Netball Championships which will be hosted in Suva in July 2007. With the absence of the English skipper, Olivia Murphy, the team rounds up its year long tour after tests against Jamaica, South Africa and Australia. The team's coach said that the two matches in Fiji would be crucial as they help the team gauge their overall performance on the venue which hosts the World Netball Championships in July 2007. Please check our list of Upcoming Events in Suva for dates for the test matches.

Elections Audit 2006 Panel Discussion

An Elections Audit 2006 Panel Discussion has been organised by the Citizens' Constitutional Forum and the University of the South Pacific's Pacific Institute of Advanced Studies in Development and Governance. The panel discussion will focus on the following themes :

• voters participation and understanding of the elections;
• free and fair elections; and
• electoral reforms options.

Members of the panel will be made up of representatives from the Elections Office, political parties and EU election observers.

The discussion will be held on Saturday, 17 June 2006, from 8.30am to 6pm, at the Marine Studies Lecture Theatre, Lower Laucala Campus, University of the South Pacific.

Tailevu to host 925 delegates in annual Methodist Conference

Fifty villages in the Methodist Church's Bau Circuit will be billeting 925 delegates for the annual church conference on Bau Island in August. The conference will be opened by a soli by the Rotuman people and the choral competition starts after the official opening. The choral competition will be held at Ratu Cakobau Park One and Two and about 900 choirs are expected to take part. Note from GV : For those that need accommodation, book a two bedroom rental by clicking on the links at the right hand side of this blog. An availability calendar can also be accessed through a link there. Our direct contacts are telephone +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj.

Organisers look at having annual music festival

The organisers of the World Music Festival Fiji which was held at the Post Fiji Stadium last Saturday, 11 June, are now considering having similar festivals in future. This is after the event drew a good number of people to watch. Most of those that watched the event were tourists so it is likely to be a draw card for tourists to Suva. International acts that performed at the event included Boney M, Te Vaka, The Nail Factory and Aiysha. Local acts included Laisa Vulakoro, the Oceania Dancers and the Shobna Chanel group.

Celebrations today in Suva

Suva celebrates the Queen's birthday which has been put together with celebrations of the IRB 7s series win for 2006. The celebrations are happening at the time of this post at the Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay, Suva. Waisale Serevi, player/coach of the 7s Rugby team for this year, is the centre of celebrations as is the team that won the final leg of the tournament at the London 7s. The players and team officials share a F$160,000.00 prize set aside by Government to thank them. All players that played in the series this year will have a share of that prize money. In the meantime, Digicel Communications, the largest mobile telecommunications provider in the Caribbean, has recently agreed on a major sponsorship deal for Fiji 7s Rugby. The win in the IRB 7s tournament would certainly be a good boost to the company for sponsoring the Fiji team. Fiji's connections to Britain and the British Royal Family goes back to the time of Queen Victoria when chiefs of Fiji ceded the country to the Queen for protection under the crown in 1874. Even though Fiji was made a republic in events back in 1987, Fiji has not ceased to celebrate the Queen's birthday as a sign of our personal allegiance to the Queen and the Royal Family. One of the highlights today is the display by the brass band of the Fiji Military Forces which has always topped any such celebrations with their smart display and march formations. The band has participated a few times at the military tattoo, a march display by brass bands, in Scotland. There you go. If you are in Suva, you can still go down to the Post Fiji Stadium at take part in the celebrations or simply tune into Fiji One TV from your homes to watch live.

World Netball Championships in Suva, July 2007

The World Netball Championships will be held in Suva from 10 to 21 July, 2007. The event occurs every four years. In the build-up to the championships, the Fiji team will be playing warm up games against England in the next two weeks and teams from Australia and New Zealand in the next few months. As Suva will be full of visitors, those that intend to visit Fiji may well book accommodation in advance. Our two bedroom home is free, at present, during that time and we would welcome a booking in advance. Our rate during that period will be F$200.00 a night for a total limit of up to 4 people. The facilities will include a Personal Computer and Broadband Internet Access. Please check out more details/photos of the home on links at the right hand side of this blog. To enquire/book, you can e-mail us from any of the webpages on which the home is advertised or directly on gilbert@connect.com.fj. Our telephone contact is +679 3396427.

Fiji Arts Club art exhibition and competition 2006

Artists resident in Fiji are invited to enter the Fiji Art Club Annual Art Exhibition and Competition 2006. The competition offers prizes and prize money worth over F$2,500.00. The exhibition commence with the official opening and announcement of winners on Monday, 24 July, and concludes at the end of the public exhibition on Saturday, 29 July. Official entry forms with more details are available at any branch of the ANZ Bank. Registration of entries will be received at the Suva Playhouse, Selbourne Street, on Friday, 21 July, 2006 between 8am and 5pm. For further enquiries, please contact Rose Langford on +679 9286179.

Music lovers flock to festival

Hundreds of music lovers flocked to the World Music Festival at the Post Fiji Stadium in Suva yesterday. Organised by Sandjunes Management Group, the festival saw performances from homegrown artists like Bollywood queen, Aiysha. Other overseas live acts included 1980s disco fever group, Boney M, and Australia's The Nail Factory rubbing shoulders with vude queen, Laisa Vulakoro. The show started at midday with the Oceania dancers and the Shobna Chanel dance group. The crowd enjoyed the festival, saying there were varieties of non-stop music and it was something that did not take place often. Most have asked that it be done more often. The show organisers said the event was designed to boost the tourism industry.

7s Rugby Celebrations

A highlight of the IRB 7s series win celebrations is a specially composed song dedicated to coach/player, Waisale Serevi. The song will be sung by a Suva student before Serevi delivers his speech at the stadium on Monday. The program begins at 8am, Monday, with the float procession making its way to the Post Fiji Stadium from the Suva Flea Market. The team will make one stop at the Civic Centre for the mayoral salute before proceeding to the McDonalds eatery at Laucala Bay where they will be joined by school children for a foot march to the Post Fiji Stadium. The team is to arrive at the stadium at 9.30am and will be received by the Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase. If you want to be part of the celebrations, you can be along the route to the stadium at the time or, better still, go down to the stadium.

Stars roll into city for music festival

Music lovers today have 12 hours of heaven with the words and sounds and power of artists like Te Vaka and home-grown Bollywood queen, Aiysha. Other overseas live acts include 1980s disco fever group, Boney M, and Australia's The Nail Factory. The scene will be the World Music Festival at the Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay, from midday to midnight. Tickets cost F$25.00. Maria Barret of Boney M said she was looking forward to perform today as with Aiysha. Te Vaka is on its third visit to the country. Tickets can be bought at the gates.

Fijian Affairs Board plans model villages

The Fijian Affairs Board plans to develop model villages to showcase a typical Fijian village in operation. This will be developed in all 14 provinces. As part of plans announced by the Fijian Affairs Minister of State, a PhD scholarship award is also be established in memory of the late Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna to allow Fijians to pursue PhD academic studies.

A jeweller option

Sterling silver seems to be the rage these days and one shop that has these in abundance is Anita Jewellers situated at 60 Cumming Street, Suva. The reknown local jewellers have a wide range of sterling silver rings and necklaces to choose from. Anita Jewellers is currently selling the latest design sterling silver rings starting from F$25.00 a piece. Also check out the store's new arrivals of 22 carat gold necklaces, set with stones and in two-tones. Also available are 9 carat and 18 carat gold and diamond wedding and engagement rings. The store has a good selection of 9 carat gold bracelets and chains and black pearls in the form of rings, pendants, earrings and bracelets. I have bought jewellery before at Anita Jewellers and I have found them very reasonably priced compared to other jewellers in town. Check them out!

Aussie Style Chicken and Burgers eatery at Laucala Beach

Tucked away in the heart of the Vinod Patel Arcade at Centerpoint, Laucala Beach, is the new Aussie Style Chicken and Burgers eatery. The eatery is getting to be an attraction for customers given its unique taste, great service and clean environment. The bistro offers food lovers succulent juicy pieces of tender chicken, flavoured with a secret recipe. Hot crunchy chips, fresh pizza and vegetable and chicken wraps are also on the menu. There are also specials like fish and chips, chicken packs, salad wraps and Indian dishes prepared according to demand. Confined within this arcade, the eatery is an ideal location for a morning snack, a quick coffee or a steaming hot lunch. The close proximity of a DVD outlet, fashion shops, a photography studio and Internet cafe adds to the appeal of the eatery and the arcade. Fresh fruit, cakes and ice cream are also served. Also offerred are a variety of vegetarian dishes. Centerpoint at Laucala Beach is becoming a mini-town area with the construction and almost completion of a new KFC outlet and Pizza Hut at the area right next to the RB Patel shopping centre and right along the main Kings Road. Wishbone Chicken has been operating on the other side at the Vinod Patel building for years. Wishbone also has a fully stocked bar for those who wish for a drink. If you want to dine out or try something different, try out the eateries or the bar in the area.

Weekend of happenings in Suva

A full weekend of exciting events is coming up in Suva this week as the country looks forward to celebrate the Queen's Birthday Holiday next Monday. The activities start Friday evening with a "Meke" (Fijian Traditional Dance) Exhibition sponsored by the Trade Mission of the R.O.C. (Taiwan) at the Civic Auditorium. Saturday sees the hosting of the first World Music Festival Fiji at the Post Fiji Stadium with bands from overseas including Boney M and Te Vaka to perform with an assortment of local bands and dance groups. The Philippines community in Suva will celebrate their nation's Independence Day on Sunday with traditional dances, songs and food. On the Queen's Birthday Holiday on Monday, Fiji will officially celebrate its win of the IRB 7s Rugby Cup this year which our 7s team won after winning the London leg of the tournament. If you wish to be part of the celebrations and to watch the other events, come down to Suva. For accommodation, a two bedroom furnished home is available at F$95.00 a night for a limit of 4 people. Please click on the appropriate links at the right hand side of this blog to book it or call +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj directly. For more details and venues and the time of the events, please check our list of "Upcoming Events in Suva".

Upcoming Events in Suva (Updated 8.6.06)

The following events are scheduled: Recurring Events:

• Bird Paintings by William Belcher, currently on daily, Fiji Museum;
• Yoga classes, every Monday, 5pm to 6pm, Fiji Girl Guides Headquarters, Malcolm Street;
• Expressive Dance Classes, 5pm to 7pm every Mondays until 19 June, Oceania Dance Studio, University of the South Pacific;
• Music, dance and yoga classes, new term starts 4.30pm, Monday, 15 May, Suva Multi-Ethnic Cultural Centre, 94 Waimanu Road, 1st Floor Lala’s Building;
• Learn English, Hindi and Fijian, new term starts, Monday, 22 May, Alliance Francaise, 14 McGregor Road;
• Judo and Jujitsu Self Defence Classes, 6.30pm to 8.30pm, every Mondays and Wednesdays, Fiji Judo Academy, Nabua;
• Suva Orchid and Horticultural Group Meeting, from 5.30pm, every first Monday of the month, Wesley Church, Butt Street;
• Latin Fitness Class, 6pm to 7pm, every Tuesday, The Playhouse, Selbourne Street;
• Pottery demonstrations, every Tuesday and Thursday, and daily every first week of the month, Fiji Museum;
• Beach Volleyball Club League Competition, every Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5.30pm, National Beach Centre, National Sporting Complex, Laucala Bay;
• Cine night, every third Wednesday of the month, Alliance Francais, 14 McGregor Road; French Conversation Group to practice your French, every Thursday, 1pm to 2pm, Language Lab, Media Centre, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay (admission required - contact rankin_s@usp.ac.fj);
• Jazz at the Holiday Inn, every Thursday, 6pm to 10pm, Holiday Inn;
• Ultimate Frisbee Exercises, starts 5pm, every Friday, QED Grounds next to Suva Bowling Club;
• Tom Mawi plays jazz at the Holiday Inn, 6pm to 9pm, Fridays, Holiday Inn;
• Soul, funk, disco and classics DJ music, from 8pm, Fridays, Traps Lounge, Victoria Parade;
• Velocity Cycling Ride, from 7am, every Saturday, leaves from The Roc, FNPF Dolphins Plaza;
• Suva Archery Club weekly competition, starts 1.30pm, every Saturday, St Josephs School Grounds;
• Arts Village Firewalking Show, starts 11am, every Saturday, Grandstand, Arts Village, Pacific Harbour;
• Waitui Cycles Ride, starts 6am, every Sunday, leaves from Waitui Cycles, Garden City;
• Sunday Church Services, 8am or 10.45am, Wesley Church, Butt Street;
• Jazz by the Beach, Sundays, 1pm to 5pm, Pearl South Pacific, Pacific Harbour;

One-off Events:

• Meke Exhibition sponsored by the Trade Mission of R.O.C. (Taiwan), Friday, 9 June, 6.30pm to 9pm, Suva Civic Auditorium;
• World Music Festival, featuring world reknown bands Boney M and Te Vaka, Saturday, 10 June, Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay;
• Philippines Independence Day celebrations to include cultural songs, dances and food, Sunday, 11 June, from 4pm, Suva Civic Auditorium;
• Official Celebrations of Fiji's win of the IRB 7s Rugby Tournament for 2006, ;
• Rucksack Club Meeting, Gaetaen Austin of Pure Fiji talks about the origins of her company, Wednesday, from 6.45pm, St Andrews Church Hall, Corner of Goodenough Street and Gordon Street;
• South Pacific Bowling Carnival, 3 to 17 June, Bowling Club, Suva;
• Bra Art Competition & Exhibition, Saturday 17 June and Sunday 18 June, JJ's on the Park;
• Elections Audit 2006 Panel Discussion about the 2006 General Elections in Fiji, Saturday, 17 June, 8.30am to 6pm, Marine Studies Lecture Theatre, Lower Laucala Campus, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay;
• Life in the Spirit Seminar with Pastor Benny Hinn, Thursday, 22 June, from 3pm, World Harvest Centre, Kinoya;
• Olympic Day Fun Run, Saturday, 24 June, Suva;
• Fiji vs Samoa Pacific Rugby Series, starts 3pm, Saturday, 24 June, Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay;
• Vaka Vuku-Navigating Knowledge Conference for Pacific Islands' Artists, Musicians and Scholars, 3 to 7 July, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay;
• Ratu Sukuna Ex-students Suva Association soli of annual subscriptions of F$100.00 per ex-student and Cadet Passout Parade, Friday, 7 July, Ratu Sukuna Memorial School, Nabua;
• Fiji Arts Club art exhibition 2006, Monday, 24 July, to Saturday, 29 July, Suva;
• National Youth Week Celebrations, Saturday, 12 August, various venues in Suva;
• Suva Hibiscus Festival, mid August;
• Annual Methodist Church Conference and Choir Competition, mid August. Choir competition at Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori, while the meeting will be held on Bau Island;
• Melanesian (Countries) Festival of Arts, 2 to 11 October, Suva
• World Netball Championships, 10 to 21 July 2007, Suva.

Also see the list of aerobic exercise programs available at the Hyndai Fitness Centre, National Sporting Complex, Laucala Bay. For accommodation for any events, please check out available accommodation in Suva, and availability, on links at the right hand side of this blog or contact telephone +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj directly. Those that wish to have their events included can contact me on the e-mail address provided above.

Payout and Celebrations for team that won the IRB 7s Rugby title

Cabinet has approved a payout of F$160,000.00 to be shared among team members that won Fiji the IRB 7s title after winning the London IRB 7s tournament last weekend. The payout will be shared amongst all players and officials that had played during the IRB circuit this year. In addition, Cabinet has also approved official celebrations to be held for the win during the Queen's Birthday Holiday on Monday, 12 June. A program for the celebrations is being drawn up. In the meantime, the team will be arriving in Fiji tomorrow and are to be hosted at a village at Nadi. All villages along the road from Nadi to Suva have been asked to be ready to welcome the team members as they travel down to Suva after the welcoming celebrations at Nadi. The IRB 7s title win adds another plume to Fiji's crown after our team won the World Cup 7s tournament in Hong Kong last year. For accommodation, please check the appropriate links at the right hand side of this blog or call +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj. The two bedroom home with sea views is available at F$95.00 a night without the Personal Computer and Internet Connection.

New Pacific Bowling Mens' Champ tomorrow

A new South Pacific Bowling Carnival men's pairs champions will be crowned tomorrow. In the major upset of the 50th Air Pacific & Fosters sponsored event, defending champions Keith Godbold and Brett Clifford were bowled out in the post section eliminations by locals, Caucau Turagabeci and Sunia Lavaki. Turagabeci and Lavaki went onto book a spot in the semi-finals today by beating Semesa Naiseruvati and Terry Watson. The other semi-final match will be between Babu Khan-Graeme Kath and Samuela Tui-Vilisoni Vakatalai. In the women's competitions, sectional play was completed yesterday with the quarter-finals to be played this morning. The weather has been fine throughout the competition. The Carnival is being held at the Suva Bowling Club. If you do not have anything to do, go down and watch of the games.

New fountain commissioned at Sukuna Park

A new fountain at Sukuna Park in central Suva was commissioned yesterday. The upgrading of the fountain was part of the Destination Suva Project. Sukuna Park is an important recreational centre for the city of Suva and the new fountain is set to be a major attraction to those that go to the park for lunch, listen to performances from a dome there, or for some R&R. The upgrading of the fountain cost between F$35,000.00 to F$50,000.00. Other initiatives at the park include lifting the memorial to the chief and statesman after whom the park is named and a planting of more flowers. Go and check out the new fountain sometime this week or during the coming long weekend.

World Music Festival to be held in Suva this Saturday

Boney M, Te Vaka, Aiysha and local group Black Rose are heading the line up of music groups performing at the first ever World Music Festival Fiji to be held on Saturday, 10 June, in Suva. The festival offers a vast array of musical genres : reggae, rock, foots, folk, dub, Indian and South Pacific styles as well as traditional South Pacific dance and music. The people behind the festival are Australians Andrew Grenenger and Mark Bruno, and Dirk Klein from Germany. The upcoming event is not the first big festival organised by the group. Two years ago they staged a festival in the remote Indian town of Leh in Kashmir. The two day event was created to "re-open Kashmir for tourism" and was attended by 20,000 spectators. So what has brought the group to Fiji? Mark Bruno said "We had good experiences on earlier visits to Fiji. It seemed to us that the people of Fiji appreciated music events of this kind; the UB40 concert in March proved that again. We found a lot of parties interested to support the festival like the Fiji Visitors Bureau, Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and the Ministry of Youth ...." The idea is to make the festival an annual event in future. As well as a full day of great music, the festival boasts good and beverage stalls, a beer hall and rides for kids. Paintings, carvings and sculptures will be on display in a show designed to promote local arts industries. The line up so far include : Boney M; Te Vaka; Aiysha; Blue King Brown; Black Rose; The Nail Factory; Laisa Vulakoro; Kulture; Tom Mawi & Friends; Shobna Chanel; FTA Choir; Oceanic Dance Group; 4 Jams; and DJ Notorious. The event will be held on Saturday, 10 June, at the Post Fiji Stadium. Tickets are selling at F$25.00 if bought in advance, or F$27.00 at the gates. Grandstand tickets are F$35.00. For ticket sales and general enquiries contact info@sandjunes.com, website www.sandjunes.com. For those that require accommodation, a two bedroom fully furnished home is available at F$95.00 a night for the entire home. Click on links at the right hand side of this blog for more details, photos and for contact or call +679 3396427 or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj.

England Netball team to play Fiji in Suva

England's Netball team, ranked third in the world behind New Zealand and Australia will tour Fiji over 12 to 25 June. The team will play various selections of local teams with two test matches with the Fiji team to be played in Suva. The two tests will be played on 21 and 23 June. Keep reading this blog for more information. For accommodation, please click on links to the right hand side of this blog or e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj directly. An availability calendar and a currency converter is also available through appropriate links.

Fiji wins first IRB 7s title in years

Fiji has secured its first IRB 7s title in many years after winning just a few minutes ago over Kenya in the Cup quarter final match at the London 7s tournament. Fiji won 33 to 14. The win will indeed bring many celebrations on this Sunday evening in Fiji and may, as in the past, mean a day of celebrations and festivity in Fiji when the team returns. Already, we can hear cars tooting their horns on the roads here. Keep it up, Fiji!

Currency Converter now available

A currency converter is now available through a link on the right hand side of this blog. Use the converter to convert foreign currency to Fiji Dollar equivalents or other currency as you desire. It would be useful also when calculating and converting the rental rate for the home accommodation in Suva into your own currency. The currency converter is also available on www.xe.com/ucc/.

Junior All Blacks wins over Fiji

The national rugby side lost to a fit Junior All Blacks team, 35 to 17, at the Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay. A crowd of 15,000 fans watched the game at the stadium with the whole of Fiji watching live on their TVs at home. The IRB Pacific Rugby Cup schedule of the remaining games is as follows :

• Round 1 - Sunday, 4 June, Japan vs Tonga, Honjo Stadium, Fukuoka, 3pm;
• Round 2 - Friday, 9 June, Samoa vs Junior All Blacks, North Harbour, NZ, 8pm; Saturday, 10 June, Tonga vs Fiji, Central Coast Stadium, Gosford, Australia, 7.30pm;
• Round 3 - Saturday, 17 June, Samoa vs Japan, Yarrows Stadium, New Plymouth, NZ, 2pm; Saturday, 17 June, Junior All Blacks vs Tonga, Yarrows Stadium, New Plymouth, NZ, 4.30pm;
• Round 4 - Saturday, 24 June, Junior All Blacks vs Japan, Carisbrook, 2.35pm; Saturday, 24 June, Fiji vs Samoa, Post Fiji Stadium, Suva, 3pm;
• Round 5 - Saturday, 1 July, Tonga vs Samoa, Central Coast Stadium, Gosford, Australia, 7.30pm, Japan vs Fiji, Nagai Stadium, Osaka, 7pm.

For Suva, the next match played here will be Saturday, 24 June, 3pm, with the game between Fiji and Samoa.

For accommodation, please click on links to the right hand side of this blog. An availability calendar is also listed on the links there.

New era of Pacific Islands rugby starts in Suva today

The first steps toward rebuilding Pacific Islands rugby starts in Suva today with the Junior All Blacks facing Fiji in the inaugural Pacific Nations competition. Joining these teams in the four-week competition are Samoa, Tonga and Japan. The three countries, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa are very keen with the new competition. In Suva, people are looking forward to the Junior All Blacks playing here. The game starts at 3pm and will be held at the Post Fiji Stadium, Laucala Bay. The team lists for the game are :

• Fiji - Normal Ligairi, Mosese Luveitasau, Epeli Ruivadra, Seru Rabeni, Rupeni Caucau, Seremaia Bai, Seveci Taka, Alivereti Doviverata, Aca Ratuva, Ifereimi Rawaqa, Simon Raiwalui (Capt), Isoa Domolailai, Apisai Nagi, Sunia Koto, Josese Bale. Reserves - Joeli Lotawa, Ravuama Samo, Netani Talei, Akapusi Qera, Emosi Vucago, Josevata Tora, Kameli Ratuvou.
• Junior All Blacks - Sosene Anesi, Anthony Tuitavake, Niva Ta'auso, Cameron McIntyre, Caleb Ralph, Stephen Donald, Jamie Nutbrown, Nick Williams, Josh Blackie, Steven Bates, Bernie Upton, Tom Donnelly, John Afoa, Corey Flynn (Capt), Saimone Taumoepeau. Reserves - Campbell Johnstone, Wyatt Crockett, Hoani MacDonald, Jonny Leo'o, Kevin Senio, Tamati Ellison, Viliame Waqaseduadua.

The game will also be shown live on Fiji TV.

Multi-million dollar deal for 7s Rugby

The Fiji Rugby Unio has secured a multi-million dollar sponsorship through a new partnership with international mobile telecommunications company, Digicel. Under the sponsorship agreement, the Caribbean based company will become FRU's telecommunications partner and sole sponsor of the Fiji 7s team. Included in the arrangement are financial bonuses to players linked to successful results on the field. Digicel's vision for Fiji is that it will become the headquarters of its pan South Pacific network as it expands across the region. Last month, Digicel, in alliance with the Ba Provincial Holding, received an initial approval from the Government of Fiji for the grant of a licence to provide mobile telecommunications services in Fiji. Over the past five years, Digicel has created the largest GSM network in the Caribbean with operations in 20 countries covering a total population of more than 15 million and employing over 2,000 people.

Schools Swimming Championships on today

The Fiji Secondary Schools Swimming Championships will be held today at the National Aquatic Centre, Laucala Bay. Schools participating will include Natabua High School of Lautoka, who will be out to reclaim the winners' title. The competition for primary schools started yesterday and finished today when the secondary schools competition will begin. If you wish to watch our budding swimmers competing, go down to the National Aquatic Centre to watch.

Availability Calendar and Guestbook for Home Rental on-line with links from this blog

The availability calendar for my two bedroom furnished home rental in Suva, Fiji, is now on-line and can be viewed at http://www.rentors.org/calendar.aspx?propertyid=65223. Our guestbook is also on-line and can be viewed at http://www.rentors.org/guestbook.cfm?pid=65223. Former guests are welcome to leave their comments on the guestbook. For easy reference, we have now included links at the right hand side of this blog under the links to the home rental itself where one can view details of what is provided, photos and rates. Please note that the Internet Connection and Personal Computer offer is optional at this stage. The rate per night, for guests up to 4, with Internet and Personal Computer is F$140.00. Without the Internet and Personal Computer, the rate per night is F$95.00. For further information or bookings, you can e-mail gilbert@connect.com.fj or call +679 3396427.

Tabu Soro Triathlon III 2006 to be held this Sunday

The third triathlon competition in the Tabu Soro series will be held in Suva this Sunday. Registrations begins at 6am with competition to start at 7am. The venue for the competition is the National Aquatic Centre, Laucala Bay. Events included in the competition include :

• Half Olympic distance – 750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run;
• Super Sprint distance – 300m swim, 10km cycle, 3km run;
• Junior distance (13yr or under) – 200m swim, 5km cycle, 1km run;
• Cycling Road Race – 40km cycle, cyclists only;
• Corporate Duathlon Swim/ Run – 200m swim, 3km run.

Entry fees are F$10 for individuals and $15 for teams. For details ring Ian Curtis at +679 9995625. If you do not have anything to do this Sunday morning, go there and take part in the competition or just to watch. The organisers are also calling for volunteers to help in the first two hours of the morning.