It’s this time of the year again – Thingyan (water festival), so-called the joyest occation in Myanmar. For me it’s just boring…boring…boring.

It’s been a decade our family is away from Thingyan. We don’t celebrate proper Thingyan in Fiji as there are very few Myanmar families, most of them caring only about work and daily routines that they sometimes did not notice Thingyan at all. The best we could do for Thingyan is to make lots of food and send to friends’ places.

We came here since we were too young age, (Me – 13, bro – 11, sis – 7), that we don’t have much memories about Myanmar Thingyan. The only thing I remember was throwing water at neighbours and whoever pass in front of our house. About two, three times we went to play water at a mandut built by my dad’s ministry. Since we are too young, our parents only let us play for a few hours then we were to sit and watch the shows quietly. We didn’t have an experience of driving around in city to get soak or fooling around with friends. Our Thingyan were mainly about food and play water with friends for specific time frame. So we lack certain feelings yet this time of every year we miss Thingyan…just miss it, don’t know why.

I was gonna write properly about Myanmar Thingyan and the traditions for my foreign friends but I feel very lazy rite now. We got a lunch party today, so may be I’ll continue later. For now you can read Thingyan round up post I wrote for GV here: “This week on Myanmar Blogosphere: Myanmar Thingyan 2007″.

Anyways hope you guys have a wonderful time.
Happy Thingyan and Prosperous Myanmar New Year 2007!!!

Scenario: The gangs are talking about salaries at USP (University of South Pacific).

X: These gangs at USP, their base salary is 80K.
Z: They are ripping off students. Filthy rich.
X: What if all of us salary is 100K?
Y: Fiji is not that rich.
X: I’m just saying…what if our IT team salary is 100K? Everyday pizza…”Z” will be twice that size.
Z: How Rude!!
(* Chuckles *)
X: Haha I’m just joking.

Thought: The higher the salary, the better/more food in take, the bigger your size will be.

I got this message from my contact form this evening.

Fiji Military really threatening me? For what? Just because they see my link on one politic blog? If it’s for real then send it as a formal letter with proper military seals. Come get me at my office since you know where I work.

I want a proper explanation from Military or whoever behind this nasty email. I strongly feel this as a serious harassment and would like to take action against it. This is a form of terrorizing the public. They are trying to demolish freedom of speech, most importantly shutting up bloggers’ voices, and leave people in terror to suck up to them.

Or is this some bad joke? Whoever playing this kind of sick joke will get caught one day and get punished. But to threaten someone like that, is just unbearable. If you wanted to make other people miserable then you just succeeded. I couldn’t have my dinner in peace and ate very little, you damn arses #@$%!

Feed Back Message from Mayvelous.com – 9 March 2007 5:26 pm

RFMF – Webmaster wrote:
This is to forwarn you that your site is among those listed on http://vakaivosavosa.blogspot.com/. The site is listed in our records as one which contains inciteful material. Please note that we are aware of your current work location and your link with Datec Pacific. We urge you to contact the author(s) of the above mentioned site to have your site removed. Failure to do this will be taken as an indication of your support for such sites and this may result in arrests of you and your family members under the current State of Emergency decree’s

Website: http://www.rfmf.mil.fj
IP: 210.7.5.151

The more they do this kind of threats, the more they’ll be degraded by countrymen and there’ll be no place for Fiji in the international/public eyes.

Politic is nonsense. Fiji politic is shit hole. I’ll be damned if I know how to spell the president’s name right or know who the vice president is. You are messing with someone who don’t give a shit about politic. So bite me.
Some freakin’ arses spoiling my friday evening! @#%!$ Garr GARRRRRRR!!

I have a great dislike, rather a phobia, for long eerie looking creatures namely, earth worm, leaches, snails, snakes, caterpillars etc. I remember back in high school (Form 6 Bio Lab), we have to do experiment on earth worms. We have to search for earthworms and found heaps of them near the creek at the back of our school. I almost vomit looking at the size of those earthworms. They were so healthy, huge, twisted and piles of it once you unearth moist rubbish dump.

My classmates (mainly guys and some daring gals) were picking them up with their hands and throwing around. That was so gross yet we have to endure it and took the best looking big, fat, long worms back to the lab. We then boil them up in hot water. Gosh the smell was indescribable. It stinks the whole lab and near by classrooms too. Once you boil them up, they changed in color and their size too. Before they were reddish brown and changed into dirty pale pink.

We then dissect them from head to tail. I didn’t touch a single thing. I just watched and examined from the sideline. It was quite an experience to study my greatest fear – the worms. Though they seem to be very harmless and have many worthy means for the environment, they are the most annoying, ugliest, yuckiest, good-for-nothing, useless creatures for me.

The once and only time I encountered an earthworm was while I was digging soil for a vegetable plant. I cut them half in the process. The cut parts got twisted and jumped up on my foot; I run like hell and never dig the moist soil again. It was my 1st and last association with earthworms as well as helping mom garden.

Ok, enough about my earth worm adventures and back to the main story. I want to talk about another long eerie looking creature called “Duna”, the eels. A few days back, my friend forwarded two great photos of Duna caught at Monasavu Dam. The eels were enormous. I was surprised by the way locals caught them. They seemed to be using some bamboo and a few spears which I find it quite small to catch that big eels.

Check out the way they handle the eels. Slice up the head and poke a bamboo in to carry around.

I never seen an eel in real life but only seen some small ones on books and TV. I don’t know much about eels but I’ve decided that they are surely not in my desirable animal list. I wasn’t sure of whether there are lots of eels in Fiji so I did a bit of research for my own satisfaction. Turn out that, Fiji is a good place for eels culture since they like tropical climates with temperature around 23-28C.

Here are some facts about eels.

True eels (Anguilliformes) are an order of fish, which consists of 4 suborders, 19 families, 110 genera and 400 species. Most eels are predators.

The flat and transparent larva of the eel is called a leptocephalus. A young eel is called an elver.

Most eels prefer to dwell in shallow waters or hide at the bottom layer of the ocean, sometimes in holes.

Depending on their species, eels can reach from 10 cm to 3 m, and weigh up to 65 kg.

In Micronesia, eels are believed to hold the souls of one’s departed relatives. As such, killing eels is a grave offence and was once punishable by death.

Wiki information on Eels: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eel

Don’t you think it’s just so big and ugly? (I meant the eel) Those Fijians seem happy, may be a good meal for them.

This is an abstract from SPC article:
Catching Eels in Pacific Island Countries and Territories [ pdf ]

Pacific Island countries offer a good environment in which to culture eels, as they grow rapidly in tropical climates, preferring a temperature range of 23-28C, and a pH rane of 7.0 – 8.0. In Fiji, when the word “duna” or “bham” is used, it is certain that the fish referred to is the so-called common eel, Anguilla, which occurs in most of the islands.

For pond-based aquaculture, the best site is one with a constant water supply. Eels are consumed in PICTs and particularly in Fiji, where it is an important source of protein for the rural indigenous population. In some localities, high demand has led to the collection of young eels from the wold for culture in tilapia ponds.

In Fiji, elvers and juvenile eels are caught from estuaries, mountain tributaries, swapms and ditches using various types of local gear. These eels are grown to marketable size in ponds designed for tilapia culture and solic live at Fj$ 10.00 per kg at Suva and Nausori markets.

In PICTs, eels are caught with hand lines, spears, cane knives and push nets. This gear is designed to capture a wide range of fish and crustaceans and is not specific to capturing eels.

Eels feed on a variety of feeds such as fish, molluscs, crustaceans, and terrestrial and aquatic insects.

Fishing methods and gear
The catching of eels in Fiji and other Pacific Islands normally involves inexpensive and very simple gear, which includes: baited hook and line, spears, push nets, hollow bamboo piece or PVC pipes, baited trap and seine nets. There are 3 commonly used methods, depending on materials available in villages, to catch eel.

• Baited line
• Eel spears
• Push net

And here are the famous Japanese Eel (Unagi) Recipes.

# Unagi – Japanese Eel Dishes
# Unagi (eel) Salad Recipe
# Unagi (eel) Stir-fry Recipe

I guess, that’s enough facts about eels. Interesting isn’t it? Well, at least it is interesting for me. Thanks Jachin and Alisi for the photos, my bossy sis for some fixes and you can read the prologue too.

This is the prologue of “Dura – The Eel” story which will be posted soon.

Talk 1: The Source of The Story
Conversation between Jachin (my friend) and May (me). Alisi – Jachin’s mistress.

Jachin: Alisi sent me a couple of photographs this morning
I’ve forwarded them to you. Very big eels
May: Oh g8 thanks
May: Duna means eel?
Jachin: Yes, Fijian word
May: they r huge!

Talk 2: Information Gathering
Conversation between Win (my bossy sis) and May (me)

May: what do u know about eel?, i’m writin about eel, getting facts
Win: slippery slimy snakelike finned water creature i see on exotic menus. Write about squid
May: no, writing about eel. I got 2 great photos
Win: there is recent catch in ross sea, by NZ of the largest yet caught squid
10m, 450kg
imagine, 10m long
May: it can long up to 10cm – 3m says in wiki
urs is too long
r u sure that’s m or cm?
Win: sobo latest news
May: show me the source, url, proper link.
Win: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21269279-30417,00.html
May: 10m is…how many ft?
Win: colossal squid
30, duh
incredible
May: I said EEL! not Squid!!
Eel yar eel eeeeeeeel!!!
Win: n i said write about squid
May: anyway that too is a good story, may b i’ll link it up
Win: oh n also a dolphin dying of a broken heart
May: what!?
Win: coz trainer murdered, its refusing to eat n lost 50kg since
May: oie! he’s in love with the trainer?
Win: female trainer
May: yah I said he = dolphine
see i’m a good guess
Win: if u want to write about environment, flash news on reef destruction due to erosion of pesticides with proof
May: no no that’s enough about marine life. Not writin environment. may b later.

Talk 3: Unresolved Argument
Cont- conversation between Win (my bossy sis) and May (me)

Win: oh, abit of eel related, almost, its snakes, do u know, they, like turtles n salmon return to site of their hatching place to lay eggs interesting or what?
May: that i know
what about snakes?
Win: what about them?
May: u said abit of eel related – snakes
what u talkin about
aww aww, gotcha.
Win: well, snake is almost eel related,
May: snakes return to lay eggs like turtles etc.
my bad.
Win: but snaes return to their hatching place to lay eggs
thats the story
May: hey! snakes doesn’t lay eggs
they go live snakes
Win: oh my god
May: no eggs
Win: u stupid
May: u stupid!
Win: so stupid
May: u r!
the big snakes, i seen them, never lay eggs
Win: look, only marsupils n mammals bear live babies
May: they give birth to live tiny snakes, plenty of them
Win: snakes are reptiles, like turtles, crocs, lay eggs
u remembering old indianajones movies
May: but some snakes exceptional
Win: stupid
May: yah i seen from there!!!
they cut open the big snake stomach on the meal table
Win: crazy
May: n all small snakes come out
n they pick up to eat those raw
Win: thats a bloody movie for heavens ssake
May: that’s true
Win: snakes=reptiles=lay eggs
May: i still don’t think so
Win: omg
May: where r the facts?? show me the proper facts
Win: google it
May: U google it!
Win: search in any science txt bks.
hey whatever
May: whatever! snakes birth small baby snakes
Win: u write that snakes give birth to baby snakes on ur blog n wait for a stream of comments of ur mistake to come ur way
then u’ll face the embarrassment
ur reputation on line
May: oh yah!! I’m still writing!
Win: good 4u
May: GOOD!!!

-:: Prologue Ends Here. ::-

I watched 6 o’clock news about yet another new PM swearing-in. This time it’s the big guy himself. I thought last time Bainimarama was accepting some applications for PM post. I guess no one cares to apply for it so he fills himself in.
Moreover, he is now taking two positions?? – PM as well as Military Commodore. I wonder how he will manage that.

Army commander and coup leader Voreqe Bainimarama has been sworn in as Fiji’s interim prime minister.
Via: FijiTimes

At a press conference, Cdre Bainimarama said he will hold on to the RFMF Commander’sposition while he discharges his duty as the Interim PM.
Via Daily Post.

I’m wondering how are they going to address him – “The Honorable Commondore Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, Sir”. Whoa, what a long title. I need some water.

Mean while, military checkpoints are still in action and it’s kinda fun watching those soldiers standing in the rain. I think they got pay hourly rate or something. I think people around the country feel more secure with soldiers on the road as it reduces crime rate and more good night sleep.

It’s a mix feeling among people. Some approve of military take over (quite alot actually) and some don’t (more like international media and relations). What about my feelings? Hey who cares what I feel or think right? I’m ok as long as there is no shooting or bloodshed. But it’s not so cool if this affects country economy and reputation. Come to think of…ditch reputation, cos’ every country has the goods and the bads so yes only economy to consider. So I still disapprove of the pay cut policy! Humph!

Whoa! Now, Fiji’s becoming more like some country I know of. (wink*) Shall I say copy cat (whisper*) again? LOL

PM is in house arrest and Military taking over the government as well as public/media freedom of speech. Ouch, that’s just so mean.

Fiji Times shuts under censorship threat

The Fiji Times Limited has suspended publication after the Fiji military ordered the paper not to publish any “propaganda” against the new political leadership.

Yianni and Kakaivalu argued that a free press meant any and all opinions should be published in a balanced way. The Army said it would not tolerate the newspaper publishing any views that opposed those of the Army. Officers said the Army would instead close the newspaper.

Mr Yianni then ordered the newspaper closed himself. Yianni last night said the military’s demands breached the Constitution of Fiji, which specifically protects freedom of speech.

Yo Mr. Sheehy, if they don’t allow to post on Fijitimes, you can always put it up on strangepants. Most welcome on mayvelous too. haha

Well, one thing I can say is, although PM is under house arrest, international media and the public can reach him. He can communicate with outside world quite easily. Not like some house arrest in some country I know of. So I guess, it’s still not that bad. (trying to be optimistic)

I don’t know anything about politics and how this Fiji coup started, but from the look of it, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama is too ugly to be in the “good guy” position. I guess Mr Qarase is much better looking to act as a good guy. LOL You bet, I’ll go for the good look to judge since I have no idea what/why they on cat-fight. One is throwing mean threats all over the places and another is crying for help. Mean while, I don’t know what the big-fat-old guy in the big house is doing. I guess he’s confusing himself over which side to take. Oh well he’s too old to keep awake and amuse himself while those people on cat-fight.
Oh the PM position just been filled. My friend didn’t get it, too bad.

…former Fiji Medical Association president Ratu Jona Senilagakali as the interim prime minister.
Military dismisses Fiji government

I’m learning how to spell “Democracy”, cos’ I kinda forgot that word these days.

D-E-M-O-C-R-A-C-Y…..D-E-M-O-C-R-A-C-Y…..D-E-M-O-C-R-A-C-Y.