Grocery Store Playground. Yes, this qualifies as a playground….and, yes, it is about as corny as it comes, but look at that smile. Hence, this needs to be factored in for every grocery store trip with the kids:
Suva Point playground. We have about a 10-15 minute walk to the ocean where there is a lovely playground next to the bike/walking path along the water. As we head into summer though, this playground is good for about 10-15 minutes of product fun before quickly descending into a cascade of sweaty meltdowns followed by a desperate walk up the hill home or an even more desperate run/walk to the grocery store referenced above for treats, rides and some air con….:)
Below are some pics from a lovely walk home with Salote and Josey:
Trick or Treat. Little did we know that our neighborhood was a trick or treating hotspot. With no Target or Pinterest to lean on, Daddy’s last minute attempt at a My Little Pony outfit was quickly rejected so Lucy and I sat on our front steps to give out candy. After 5 minutes it was clear that we underestimated the numbers and had about 5 pieces of candy left so Daddy decided to leave the bowl on the front steps and ‘scram’….or head out trick or treating with Lucy against her will. We came back when the coast was clear and quickly ripped down our sweet pumpkins and locked the gate. 🙂
Cut me Mick! Will woke up with this shiner, so we decided that it was the day to check out the daunting health care facilities in Suva. Our first call / landlord Tanya got us in at the Suva Private Hospital where daddy was a bit unsure of the treatment plan (lots of meds) so we took to a well regarded pediatrician, Dr. Kim which gave us a much less intense regiment which I had to get cleared by the boss which was not easy since Abby’s colleagues were recommending the antibiotics or else blindness would quickly ensue. WE decided to go with Dr. Kim’s treatment plan (anti-allergy medicine) for 24 hours and thank god, it worked…:)
Suva Market. The Suva market is an open air market where farmers and middlemen have every fruit / vegetable and spice that we could ever want…..2-5 x the amount of food for a fraction of the cost. Daddy hits this 1-2 times per week to keep fruit in the bellies of our kids and dinner on the table.
Naked Picnics. Our furniture doesn’t arrive till mid-December so now and then when we need to change things up from the kitchen nook, we go with naked picnics…and they never disappoint!
Morning with Mommy. Yup…as good as it gets y’all!
Coffee issues. So, we are running low on the beans that we brought on the plane (which are borderline disgusting at this point) and the below image of the best option available at our most western grocery store (ie, the one that carries Huggies wipes)…..which makes Abby’s trip to Bangkok in 2 weeks a crucial supply run for one thing…..coffee.
The absence of an US level of consumerism is certainly refreshing, but it does highlight the complicated relationship that most of us have with Starbucks. 🙂
Our new rig. We bought a 2005 Hyundai Terracan which to me is Hyundai’s answer to the Landcruiser. It is diesel, 60,000km’s on it and the seats were still wrapped in plastic so our butts were the first to touch the fabric seats which is pretty important when buying a 10 year old car with fabric seats in Fiji.
..and yes, that is Ganesh on the side and we are pretty conflicted as to what to do about it. 🙂
Glad to hear that you and your family made it there safe, and you are settling into your new environment. I don’t envy your long trip with two small children. Been there, done that. All the trip planning can be thrown out the window, when somebody is fussy.
Kids adapt faster than adults, so you were probably wise to throw them right into school on day #3. Your digs look spacious/comfortable. A pool? Wow!
We had our first little blast of winter last night. 5″ of snow with cold whipping winds. Thinking of you, with your toes in the sand…a** hole. 🙂