My eldest and his wife own and run Naia, one of the top luxury dive boats operating today.

Good for them, but bad for me; they live in Fiji. I seldom get to see my eldest grandkids, Wrenn and Brigg. But wait, there’s more. The entire family decided to go to Fiji for Christmas. That includes my daughter, her husband, and daughter from Portland, Oregon, and Rona, a 16 year old exchange student from Germany My next in line, Chess from near San Diego; even my former wife.

The Portland group arrived in Canyon Country (near LA). It seems their hired van did not show up, and they were lucky to get to the Portland airport. It was raining there. That being said, they arrived at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank in good shape. It was raining.

It is summer in Fiji, and with only a week’s notice the government decided DST was a grand idea. The problem? Nobody was quite ready, and Air Pacific had to adjust schedules quickly. When we arrived in Fiji, the cell phones still weren’t updated to the correct time. Good for us, though, as our flight left earlier than expected.

Tom Bradley International ticket counters and TSA baggage screening areas were jammed with people, bags, carts, and lines were long. Amazingly, Air Pacific had what amounted to a traffic director, and we were shunted to an empty counter and then to an adjacent, almost empty, TSA screening queue.

Flight FJ811 was delayed for an hour. Oh, I forgot to mention Jolly Old St. Mick, a major cyclone had arrived in Fiji. The Nadi (pronounced Nandi) airport was closed and Air Pacific personnel were constantly on the phone to Nadi asking technical questions like, “Is it gone yet?”

My son, Todd was on the phone to us and his house in Pacific Harbor was being blasted by wind and rain. The electricity was off in his whole area, and the Christmas turkey was in the now tepid freezer.

Mick split, and our 747 400 was up and away. We were in the top level of the plane, colloquially called “the bubble”. Air Pacific fed us a light dinner, and a nice breakfast. The ten hours in between were for sleep, movies, or music on individual screens.

Landing at Nadi was without incident,

and although we saw a few fallen trees,  lots of big puddles, and a few signs askew, at least here, Mick had done little damage.

Customs and immigration were a breeze and a few bulas later we were on our way.

About a twenty mile drive north to Latouka, Naia was waiting.

She is a luxury live-aboard dedicated to diving. Her Captain, Jioji, knows some incredible spots and this boat is in great demand by serious divers. Shortly, she’ll be on a 28 day charter with the goal of finally determining Amelia Earhart’s ultimate stop.

Although, diving was available, our first choice was the beach.

There are many different islands with lovely beaches, each with a nearby village. Each village has a Chief. At each stop, Naia’s spokesman (Not everyone can be a spokesman; that appellation is inherited, not bestowed.) went ashore to take the Chief a kava root.

They then do the saevu-saevu ceremony. The spokesman comes to the Chief on hands and knees, eyes downcast, and offers the root. A lot of Fijian goes back and forth; hands clap at the appropriate pauses; the Chief accepts the root, then kava is passed around. We now have permission to stay and loll on the sand.

I’m not sure exactly what happens at that ritual, but we’ll be attending one later this trip and I will report. I do know that drinking Kava is part of it, and as the eldest I must start the bowl around the room. I also know my lips may well numb out.

There is a singular scenic splendor that the fire, steam and smoke of the volcanoes left for us to gaze upon.

The skiff picks us up for lunch before the heat blasts us away.

Food on Naia is inventive and there are three choices for each meal that change every day.

Don’t miss the mahi mahi. It was the best and most perfectly cooked (moist and on the rare side) I have experienced.

I had the opportunity to dive and get a close-up of the multi colored coral, but, although certified, I took a nap instead. Don’t ask.

In the evening, when all were sharing photos, I passed mine around. Most were surprised as they hadn’t seen me in the water.

It was of one of the many photos on the lower walls. Don’t tell.

After our three day excursion we returned to Latouka, the Captain and crew not employees, but friends. As  said, we all are part of the Naia family.

My son Todd and his wife Alexx have a lovely compound in Pacific Harbour.

They are on a river that empties into the ocean about 200 yards around a bend.

From Latouka to Pacific Harbour is a three hour drive. The national speed limit is 40 mph. Trucks are limited to 36 mph. The trip south and then east passes sugar cane fields and some beautiful homes, but sadly, most of the villages are small cinder block boxes, some in worse shape than others. There is poverty, and many eke out a simple subsistence livelihood.

Follow the river upstream a mile and there is a bay perfect for waterskiing.

Home prices around the bay are rising, and for good reason. It is simply beautiful and, as a whole, Fijians are the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. “Bula” is the greeting and it comes at you from all sides. People walking along the road wave a hand and say it, people in stores say it. Bula is a national trait.

Of course living in a third world country does have a few hang ups. Because of the cyclone we lost water pressure a couple of times. The Fiji Meteorological Service chastised citizens for not paying attention to warnings about Cyclone Mick’s approaching damage. BUT, the Met Service was closed on Sunday, so no info about the immediate approach could be gathered. All this aside, perhaps the most bothersome in this beautiful country is the price of Cuervo Gold Tequila. One hundred dollars!!! That’s US dollars. It’s 170 Fijian. Better if you augment your visual splendor with vodka.

Christmas with the family, now in the books as FFF, Fijian Family Festival, was a special treat, nevertheless the Lovo was certainly equivalent. Food is cooked in an underground oven of heated rocks.

Expect a variety of foods wrapped in banana and palm leaves, covered with earth, and coming out after a few hours as tender meats, chicken, seafood, root crops, and tasty greens cooked in coconut cream. Coconut cream is not easy to come by. 48 coconuts were shredded

and then the shredding mashed and squeezed to get the milk.

When the food is unveiled it is pretty, pretty hot. Buna, who is part of the Fiji family, refuses to use gloves to snatch it, so cold water is there for her between grabs.

Next we all gather and the saevu-saevu begins. Kava is squeezed into a big bowl,

then transferred to a smaller bowl to be offered to the eldest on down. When the bowl comes to you,

you clap cupped hands once. Then it all goes down the hatch. Next, cupped hands clap twice, and a word that sounds like “motha” is spoken or shouted depending on how much kava you have already had.

Now a bolt from the blue. The drink that has had ceremonial usage for thousands of years in the pacific islands has hit the US, Mary Jane’s Relaxing Soda with kava, sugar and passion flower extract is now on the market.

Get down.

If you don’t know the Edwards in Pacific Harbour, there is a charming hotel, The Pearl, within walking distance from their home.

It’s on the beach and a lovely place to HQ when you visit Fiji

Thoughts;

I loved the sign that said “Beware of Gravity Fed Coconuts”.

Most Fijians do not wear shoes. The bellman at the hotel will most likely be barefoot. Both men and women can be seen walking down dirt roads barefoot. And that makes me wonder if, after walking on the dirt, they have to put on shoes when they enter the house.

We’ll miss Fiji and the Fijians.

Have you seen the film Flightplan? Well, it is a pretty appealing film from producer Brian Grazer. Ireally admired the plot of the film and the actors who were in it especially Jodi Foster. Haha

Well, can you see the connection of the film from my post?? Probably far enough though but somewhat related because I am posting pictures that are in connection with airplanes but not close-ups but while they are still on the runway.

Enjoy!! =))

SHINee arrived 10:50 pm, November 26,2009, Thursday @ the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 NAIA -(Philippines)

thanks Ailene Bacungan for the fotos ^^

some fanvids:

thanks to annajaneena, bamwagon, Chunryz,  nyuritori13 and jamkkodae for the vids

` waaa~ no Taeminniee ( curse the swine flu..

Welcome to Civil Discussion, where I, Ed Honcho, discuss some of today’s hot button issues with an esteemed contemporary. And I have a treat for you, loyal readers, for my very first installment. That’s right, none other than the legendary Secretariat Jones has agreed to a duel of words. Typically, Mr. Jones and me tell each other fairy tales, which we have a deep passion for, along with Mad-Libs, Hummel plates and steins of mead. But not today. Today we discuss the BCS. And despite the fact that we share given names of equine origin and regularly finish each other’s equations, we fall on very different sides of this dispute. Exactly opposite sides, in fact. Let’s see which one’s better.

Ed Honcho: Good evening, Mr. Jones, and thank you for joining us today.

Secretariat Jones: It’s my pleasure, really. I’m just happy to be included.

Ed Honcho: Of course you are. Now, let’s get right to it. You believe the B(C)S is fine the way it is. Can you explain yourself?

Secretariat Jones: Yes, but not without first pointing out that I found your reply to my original statement… you know, when I said “I’m just happy to be here”… to be most condescending, especially for a “civil” discussion.

Ed Honcho: Noted.

Secretariat Jones: Thank you. Now, my feeling is that the current system is no different than the playoff that you and others long for. It’s just that, rather than a postseason tournament, the tournament begins in week one. Now…

Ed Honcho: If I may interject for a moment. Were a tournament to begin in week one, then a loss would eliminate any team. And yet we’ve had many one loss champions.

Secretariat Jones: Then let’s call it a double elimination tournament.

Ed Honcho: Well, you know I’m going to bring up 2007’s national champion, LSU, and their two losses.

Secretariat Jones: A rare occurrence. So rare, in fact, that it’s happened only one time before, in 1960, when Minnesota won a title with two losses, despite losing the Rose Bowl.

Ed Honcho: “Rarely” and “never” are, as you should be aware, mutually exclusive. This clouds our perception of your viewpoint, but let’s move forward…

Secretariat Jones: I’m conscious of the difference between the words “never” and “rarely”. Somewhat patronizing the way you handled that, to be honest.

Ed Honcho: Noted.

Secretariat Jones: Thank you. Now, in addition to de-valuing the regular season, a playoff would also wreak havoc on the schedules and lives of those involved. They are, after all, supposed to be students first, and athletes second.

Ed Honcho: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. I see your point, and I raise. The students are there for an education alright… an education in how best to prepare oneself for the NFL. Especially at the elite college level. Some of them… maybe even most of them… come out of it with a complementary degree, but that’s not what they came for. They came to advance their careers in their chosen field… football, and who can blame them. That’s what college is for.

Secretariat Jones: I think you’re trivializing…

Ed Honcho: Shut up for a second. You also contend that a playoff would wreak havoc on their schedules. Then how, pray tell, do high schoolers do it? How do NAIA-level players do it? Division III-level players? Division II-level players? Football Bowl Subdivision-level Players? Football Championship Subdivision-level players?

Secretariat Jones: OK, so that’s how you want to do this? Two can play, my friend. Two can play. And to answer your question, the difference is in the element of exposure… that is, none of those levels have the amount of exposure or pressure that Division I players would face. They wouldn’t be pestered by ESPN, they wouldn’t have their every move scrutinized, they wouldn’t be nearly as distracted… idiot.

Ed Honcho: It’s all relative. A high school championship is every bit as important to the players and communities involved as a national championship. Moreso, in some cases. And to think that they wouldn’t be distracted? Only someone who’d never experienced high school success would say such a thing.

Secretariat Jones: I was All-District on our state championship team! I had the scholarship offers! You rode the damn bench!

Ed Honcho: Now, now, Mr. Jones. No need to resort to lies and facts just to scrape for bits of truth. This is civil discussion, remember?

Secretariat Jones: Uh-huh, well, OK. But you’re not being very civil.

Ed Honcho: I haven’t raised my voice once.

Secretariat Jones: We’re writing!

Ed Honcho: See, there you go again, yelling and exclaiming. Please, Mr. Jones, keep it together. Now, what say you on the issue of improving teams? Namely, those that come together as the season progresses to become a formidable force… sometimes the consensus best team? Why should they be shut out because they lost early when they were still coming together?

Secretariat Jones: Well, because they lost.

Ed Honcho: See, it’s this attitude that causes everyone to schedule patsies in the early season. Don’t risk losing as your team is coming together. It’s an unintended consequence of your beloved system, and it’s why we’re left with Oklahoma vs. Idaho St. and Florida vs. Charleston Southern.

Secretariat Jones: For most of the national title contenders, making it through their conference schedule is enough.

Ed Honcho: Utterly ridiculous. It’s that thinking that leaves us with Texas, who may enter the title game without having beat a ranked team (if Oklahoma St. loses to Oklahoma next week). Conferences can have down years at any time. And, it excludes teams from weaker conferences, like TCU and Boise St., from getting their fair shake, since no one will play them in the non-conference season.

Secretariat Jones: OK, Mr. Hotshot, what’s your solution?

Ed Honcho: It’s Mr. Honcho, and I’m glad you finally asked. Take the top 8 teams, and they can be decided by the BCS for all I care, but take the top 8 teams and throw them in a single-elimination tournament, beginning in mid-December and ending around the same time as the current bowl games. Make insane amounts of money, increase exposure to the game, everyone’s happy. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

Secretariat Jones: But the controversy over who gets the #8 spot will be intense.

Ed Honcho: Oh, less so than who deserves to be in the national championship game now? It’s better to have a squabble over the #8 spot than the #1 spot, wouldn’t you say?

Secretariat Jones: No

Ed Honcho: Now you’re just being contrarian, and dare I say, childish, just for the sake of it.

Secretariat Jones: Hey! I’m a guest here.

Ed Honcho: And not a very good one, if I’m honest. Quibble here, quibble there… oh, you’re not being nice to me, stop being so condescending, my girl-parts hurt, wah….

Secretariat Jones: YOU GO TO HELL, I WAS DOING YOU A FAVOR!

Ed Honcho: More like a disservice.

Secretariat Jones:  THAT’S IT! I’M ON MY WAY OVER THERE!

Ed Honcho: Bring it, douchebag.

And that’s been Civil Discussion! Special thanks to our guest Secretariat Jones, what a sport that guy is. I hope you enjoyed it, and keep your eyes peeled for our next installment, when my next opponent and I go toe to toe on matters of the gravest importance.

Y es que estos japoneses son la mar de graciosillos parodiando juegos…

Zombiies!

Tetris (Este me ha gustado aun más que el otro)

Saludos, Terrix.

Hillary won’t raise Visiting Forces Agreement review during visit 
By Pia Lee-Brago (The Philippine Star) Updated November 12, 2009 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines – The RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) will not be raised by the United States during the meeting of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Philippine officials, but the issue of human rights is expected to be discussed.

“From our side, we don’t actually intend to discuss any specific agreement we have with the Philippines, whether it’s the VFA, trade agreement, any of our other mutual defense cooperation,” US Ambassador Kristie Kenney told radio stationdzBB.

“Everyone has his own issue that they hope will come up in some way, shape or form and so I know there are people who want details of the VFA discussed,” Kenney said.

Militant groups calling for a review or scrapping of the VFA said the visit of Clinton to Manila for consultation with Philippine officials is an opportunity to deliver the message to US government to revisit the agreement.

“I’ll not speak to what message the Filipino people, the Philippine public, the Philippine Congress might offer to the Secretary of State. What is on her mind and what she hears from people here may be totally different,” Kenney added.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said she believed Clinton will visit Manila because of concerns over calls to scrap the VFA and seek assurance that the Philippines will stick to the accord.

Clinton’s visit takes place as the Philippines pins its hope on the State Department to delete the conditions Washington set on its military aid to the country.

The $2-million military aid to the Philippines in 2009 was withheld allegedly because of human rights abuses previously raised by groups and churches in the US.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said the Obama administration recently requested upon submission of its 2010 budget request the deletion of conditions on the US$2 million security assistance in the 2009 appropriations act in recognition of significant progress made by the Philippines in addressing human rights concerns.

During the Veterans Day ceremony yesterday at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City, Kenney said human rights, and how the two countries can work together on it, will be included in the subjects for discussion.

“Secretary Clinton is a strong advocate of human rights so I’m sure she’ll talk about ways that we can all work together on human rights and ways and the situation like Burma,” Kenney said in a chance interview.

Watchdog cites US responsibility

On Tuesday, a human rights watchdog urged Clinton to press President Arroyo to prosecute military members responsible for politically motivated killings.

Because of the historically close relations between the US and the Philippines, and the direct US support for the Philippine military, the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said there is particular responsibility on Washington to press the government to end the military’s involvement in human rights violations and to prosecute those responsible.

“Clinton should not waste this opportunity to raise human rights concerns in the Philippines,” said Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at HRW. “Clinton should make it very clear that the failure to seriously address unlawful killings could harm relations, particularly military-to-military cooperation,” she stressed.

HRW urged Clinton to raise several crucial human rights issues, noting that the Arroyo administration has not sufficiently investigated numerous extrajudicial killings where the military has been implicated.

It stressed that the government has yet to take strong action against local government-backed “death squads” in Davao City and elsewhere, and has tolerated unnecessary delays in investigations into these killings.

Tight security measures

Meanwhile, strict security measures are set for the arrival of Clinton at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at around 12:00 noon today.

As a standard operating procedure, retired general Angel Atutubo, NAIA assistant general for security and emergency services, discussed the security arrangement for the official visit of one of the most powerful women in the world during a press briefing.

Aside from the airport’s various security personnel, which included the PNP-Aviation Security Group, Airport Police Department, Private security personnel, a special coordination with Southern Police District was also tapped for the arrival.

As early as Monday, US Embassy personnel conducted ocular inspection at the Ages hangar, a private aviation bay where top US and other foreign officials land their plane when visiting the country, as part of strict security measures.

Clinton is set to meet Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, US Ambassador Kenney, Philippine Ambassador to the US Willy Gaa, NAIA general manager Alfonso Cusi and some top government officials at the airport.

The US Secretary of State will stay in the Philippines for one day and will leave for Singapore on Friday. She will return to the Lion City to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting.

Militants are agitated

Clinton’s visit is expected to be marred by protest from militants calling for the scrapping of the treaty.

Some 30 members of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) tried to get past but were blocked by the police yesterday near the US embassy in Manila, a day before Clinton’s much-publicized arrival.

“The continuing permanent presence of US troops is a complete throwback to the days of US colonialism in the country. It is a proof that we remain under the beck and call of the Americans,” LFS secretary-general Terry Ridon said in a statement.

Ridon said Clinton’s visit is the best opportunity to show that the VFA had been an absolute affront to the Philippines’ national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He said the humanitarian work by the US military during the recent typhoons was just a ruse by US authorities to legitimize military intervention in the country.

LFS said yesterday’s lightning rally was just a prelude to an even bigger anti-VFA rally scheduled today.

Because of this, the Manila Police District will deploy some 300 policemen, backed up by at least 100 civil disturbance management personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office, at the US embassy as early as 7 a.m. today for the projected rallies.

Two fire trucks are also on standby near the embassy.

Ermita police station chief Superintendent Romulo Sapitula said he directed his men to exercise maximum tolerance against the rallyists, even as the Commission on Human Rights will send representatives to document the protest actions.

The rallyists will be prevented from marching to the US embassy, but will instead be escorted to designated rally sites in Manila such as the Liwasang Bonifacio, according to Sapitula – With Rudy Santos, Nelson Etolle, Paolo Romero, James Mananghaya, AP

Dennis Hopson Chicago Bulls 1990 Fleer

Before Ohio State’s Evan Turner recorded a triple-double in a win over Alcorn State Monday night, only one other player in school history ever accomplished that same feat.

Dennis Hopson recorded the only previous triple-double in Ohio State history on Dec. 4, 1986 against Ohio University during his senior season.

As a Buckeye, Hopson was named the 1987 Big Ten Player of the Year and a second team All-American pick. The Toledo native left Ohio State as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 3,633  points and the all-time steals leader with 319 swipes, a mark that was broken two years later by Jay Burson.

Hopson was selected with the third overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets. He was selected ahead of future stars Scottie Pippen, Kevin Johnson, Horace Grant, Kevin Johnson and Reggie Lewis.

Hopson struggled within a miserable Nets franchise that did not win more than 26 games in a season during his three years with the team. He averaged 15.8 points per game during the 1989-90 season, his final with the Nets.

New Jersey traded Hopson to the Chicago Bulls following the 1990 season in exchange for three draft picks. While with the Bulls, Hopson appeared in 61 games were he averaged 11.5 minutes and .5 points per game during the first championship season for Michael Jordan and the Bulls. However Jordan was not too keen on Hopson.

After just two games into the 1991-92 season, the Bulls dealt Hopson to the Sacramento Kings for Bob Hansen and a second round draft pick. Despite averaging 20.5 points for the Kings, Hopson’s NBA career was over in the summer of 1992.

With his NBA career, Hopson took his game overseas and played professionally in Spain, France, the Phillipines, Turkey, Isreal and Venezuela from 1992 to 2000.

Following his playing days, Hopson soon landed in the coaching ranks starting as the head coach of the American Basketball Association’s (ABA) Toledo Royal Knights, however the team folded after just four games. He joined Rollie Massimino’s staff as an assistant coach at Northwood University, a NAIA program in West Palm Beach, Fla. in time for the 2007 season. In 2009, he became an assistant basketball coach at Bowling Green State University.