Bula Spirit

One would think that during this Covid-19 pandemic the need to host a ‘Soqo’ or family functions/celebrations would be less or rather toned down, but that does not seem to be the case for us Fijians. We love a good family get-together.

Over the last 5 months, our family has had ten funerals, 3 weddings, two 4 nights, one 50 nights, 2 one hundred nights, and 3 birthday celebrations. It’s now November and we just finished another 100 nights with another wedding in two weeks.

In the midst of all this, parents are still required to send their children to school, prepare school lunches and contribute to school activities. Food is still a necessity that has to be budgted with all utility bills that arrive like clock work at the end of every month. The pandemic also brought about little 'pandamic projects' - home gardens, home renovations, buying a house, moving to a new place.

All this with some family members have lost their jobs while some are on reduced hours.

If there is a thin line between being blessed or being crazy, I along with most Fijian families would be living on that line. For a country with very little exports and our major income earning industries badly affected, we wake up in the morning with hope in our eyes, joy in our hearts, and a big BULA smile on our face. We still dream of a better tomorrow.

For those of us who are lucky to still have a job, we either budget wisely or live each day as if it was our last; reciting the bible verses ‘ tomorrow is a promise to no-man’ or ‘ tomorrow has its own set of problems’.

Sales during the Fiji Day celebrations were probably one of the best for the business’s around Fiji and maybe now every household in Fiji owns a national flag.

Christmas is just around the corner – while the rest of the world is staying indoors, wearing masks and taking every precaution not to come in contact or spread the virus, while pharmaceutical companies work tirelessly to create a vaccine, I can only imagine what my fellow Fijian families have planned for Christmas this year. TAKI!