Another Couple of Encounters

Two other memorable (to me anyway) encounters was tracking down and catching up with two very dear friends from my old days in Fiji. The hotel I used to stay in, where they worked, closed down a few years ago, so all contact was lost. But while I was lazily chatting with a total stranger in the streets of Nadi she surprised me by saying she knew both the women I had lost contact with, and gave me the cell number of one of them. An excited meeting ensued and I ended up spending the night with the first contact and her husband way off the Nadi Back Road. This friend also told me of the whereabouts of the other woman I was looking for, my Fiji BFF since 1991.

I found her now working as the pool bar supervisor in a luxury hotel on Denarau Island. When I walked up to the bar she looked up, said my name three times in ever increasing decibels, then nearly threw the drink she was mixing for a hotel guest all over him as she screamed (security popped out to see what was going on), and rushed out from behind the bar. A round of almost hysterical hugging and laughing and crying took place, setting another staff member off into a flood of tears as well, while the guests around the pool looked on in amazement before breaking out laughing and clapping. The thirsty but drink-less customer was as excited and happy by the display of hysterics as we were.

Thank heavens for the modern age, we are now connected on Facebook (I have finally come to grips with FB). My only regret is that all this happened on the last week of my visit. But now the invitations to go back and stay with them will probably mean I will make a 16th visit to Fiji, sometime before I end up having to use a zimmer frame.

Hi,

Cracking story, thanks for sharing.

Hi Watsoff,
When I started reading this I was thinking Facebook. I have contacted so many of my former students in Solomon Islands and other friends, once I discovered that the school I taught at has a Facebook page. They are all in their 30s now, and many of them have really important jobs.

Ozzie - I started using FB to find friends 'lost' during the Solomons troubles, very successfully, too. One SI friend had moved to PNG, so without FB we would never have made contact. But I don't use FB for communicating, it's too public, so once someone is found our contact goes e-mail. However, my friends in Fiji don't use e-mail, it's too costly, which means we will be in touch via FB.

Fabulous Watsoff - I am sooooooo delighted for you :)

Hi Watsoff,
I find wth my SI friends, FB messages are good. I was sent some photos from "home" that way today.