You may also have noticed it was also an entirely computer-free holiday so you haven't heard anything about it yet. And yes, I will be telling you the best stories, only not today. You have no idea how stinking hot HK is at the moment and this computer-room is broiling so I want to spend as little time in here as I can.
Ooh, must tell you immediately that on my arrival back here I walked straight into Jackie Chan being 'papped' at Lap Kok Airport so I can now say I've seen Our Mr Chan in person and not just handing out prizes at HK7s. Everyone always asks me "Do you see much of Jackie Chan around HK?" and in the past I've always had to say "No, except at HK7s when he's on-show.", but now I can nod and say "But of course I do." and feel all smug and sophisticated.
Anyway back to our fabulous holiday: first a week with Baby Jane and Talei at good friend Joyce's ...
Joyce.
... timeshare at Musket Cove Resort ...
... on Malololailai,
...an island in the Mamanuca Group in Fiji:
Map of the Mamanuca Group of Islands.
This was truly lovely only so very cold - Fiji hardly ever varies from temperatures ranging from 24 to 28 centigrade but here it was daily between 7 and 15c - bluddy Antarctic wind - that despite me buying everyone a week-long pass to use all the watersports and sailing equipment, none of us wanted to go anywhere near the water and Talei and I both didn't want to go anywhere near the beach.
This was then followed by a week in Nadi, staying first in one of the magnificent apartments at Worldmark Resort on Denarau Island for five days and then two at Molly's place. Molly was outraged that we'd got ourselves an apartment for most of the stay in Nadi but Baby Jane said it was so stupidly cheap that it was ridiculous NOT to get it. However immediately after we arrived we discovered why they were practically paying us to be there ...
Building a whole new set of apartments.
... but since they didn't work at night and we weren't there during the day this wasn't remotely a problem. By the way, the apartments are huge and beautiful and are also timeshares so I wouldn't mind getting into this deal somewhere down the line.
And how lovely was it that Little Brother (who doesn't wish to be named in my blog) flew in with his lovely family from Dubai to share the week with us, and also check out if his farm's caretakers are actually doing what they're paid to do.
Little Brother's cane farm in the hinterland of Nadi.
Which they are! The farm looked lovely, as did the hill behind his farm that is currently for sale and which Keith asked me to check out for him ... although I did prefer the other hill in front of their place which I believe is also for sale. And no, I won't show you photos because I really don't want anyone else to know about these sales until Keith has made a decision.
OK, I'll just show you one so you'll understand why I don't want to risk losing it to someone else:
Isn't Fiji beautiful!
It was so lovely being back home but Baby Jane and I were talking about how we didn't feel any excitement. Odd, yes, until we realised that what we felt was an ease and a familiarity and the sense of "Ahhhhhh!" like we were sliding into a comfortable hammock in the shade. Fiji really is the home of my heart and I'd love to go back after we finish up the stint here in HK.
Realised a lot of things about myself during the fortnight in my Vanualoloma (that's Fijian for Homeland) but mostly that I'm actually Kai Viti (Fijian) through and through and it's only here that my soul feels like it belongs.
And after that lovely week with my family in Fiji, I flew out to Sydney where, after the usual massive mix-ups, I finally caught up with Keith - who'd just flown in from HK arriving only a few hours before I did, so I assumed he'd wait for me there ... and the messages he'd sent by text and computer that he'd go straight to the hotel and then wait for me at the train station I naturally didn't get because I had neither a computer nor use of my HK SIM card - so we snarled at each other for an entire day before his family flew in for a birthday party and that's when things went back to being lovely.
His family is just gorgeous and I enjoyed every minute of sightseeing around Sydney with them, despite the Weather Gods deciding to throw in constant rain with that freezing Antarctic wind just to show us just how much worse things could be. (And how mean is Jean telling me that the weather in Sydney has been warm and lovely ever since our week there!)
After Sydney, Keith and I flew up to Cairns hoping finally for some winter sun, and instead discovered that the Antarctic winds weren't ready to go yet and there was still no reason to pack away our winter gear. After the horror that is Cairns new airport, you'd think the least this city could do was throw in a bit of warmth but NOOOOO!
Then after a weekend shivering in Cairns, and several days with Baby Jane in Innisfail, I went down to Townsville to stay with Richard and darling Ella for a week while Keith went out to the Outback, to a place near Mount Surprise with the unfortunate name of Buggery Bend, in a quest for absolute Nature and the silence and stillness that he always finds he needs after a year in the noise and bustle of HK ... but instead went off chasing wild pigs with the Hell's Angels ... something he discovered that his soul needed even more than silence and stillness: a great giant dose of BUTCH!
Then after a week without him, and in the always pleasant company of Richard, Ella and Talei, Keith rejoined me in Townsville intending to get around to doing all sorts of around-the-house jobs only to discover they were already done. I'd like to say I did them myself only that wouldn't be true. I have no idea if decking oil has got better in the last few years or if Richard did it before I arrived, but those decks and other wooden surfaces we returned to Townsville to oil simply didn't need it, and so we didn't have to do anything other than enjoy ourselves, despite those pesky and unending freezing winds.
I must confess it was so cold I spent all our time in Far North Queensland in Ugg boots. How awful is that?
Proof!
Luckily, everyone up there is so hippy and ugg-booty themselves these days that I doubt anyone actually noticed.
And then back to Cairns for a weekend at our favourite motel - Bellview, right on the Cairns Esplanade - and lots of rounds of live music venues before Keith flew back to HK to start another school year and I stayed on for another week with Baby Jane in Innisfail, working on her garden with Shu, her latest WOOFER from Japan; a total darling, who Baby Jane says is now pining for me shockingly, the poor honey. We did have so much fun together and getting filthy dirty in the garden was exactly what my soul needed. Keith may need silence and romping with Hell's Angels but I really really NEED to get my hands into soil and greenery. And doing it in the company of a Japanese tax accountant - whose soul obviously needed dirt and greenery as well - made it very special indeed.
This was followed by another weekend with Baby Jane in Cairns doing the live music venues because we'd decided previously that we'd stalk the local musician Dave Cooke, following him around to all his gigs because he was so outstandingly good. Whoever knew that Leonard Cohen songs would sound so magical with the addition of a didgeridoo.
By the way, Dave Cooke does his own original music and Baby Jane bought all his CDs but there's nothing that matches his live gigs. Can I find you something on youtube so you can see for yourself?
Not a Leonard Cohen but still amazing:
After that, it was back to Hong Kong and, yup, walking straight into Jackie Chan at Lap Kok. Yes, I know I've already told you that but it was so cool I feel the need to tell it twice.
And finally I've got away from those Antarctic winds ... but truly this heat is so very much worse. Honestly, there's just no satisfying me, is there.
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