Tis the season to be jolly...

'Sarf & West mate, Sarf & West'
Pete Bernfeld
Thu 15 Dec 2011 22:59
Deck the things with wotsits of holly
and watch out for flying grass!
Yes folks, it's grass cutting time in Suva. Maybe it's a Christmas clean-up, or maybe it's getting rid of foliage where mozzies might be lurking in the comming wetter season, but regardless the place is positively heaving with chaps in full 'hazgrass' gear wielding industrial-sized strimmers with enthusiasm. Slight less enthusiastic 'little helpers' follow them around with rakes and tidy up. They are all so polite and stop work when you walk past, say 'bula' then carry on. The place is looking really spiffy, apart from discarded plastic bottles, but then there aren't that many public rubbish bins.
At this time of year, there are an awful lot of emails doing the rounds 'wot we did last year'. Well, you all know 'wot I did last year', so I won't bore you with a recap. Let's just say that things are looking a little rosier than they were a week ago, updated news as soon as everything is confirmed. Speaking of updated news,
m_PC156595.jpg
Yes Virginia, the old 'Jimmy Chews' are
m_PC156596.jpg
cream-crackered. 8c a kilometre before you ask, but they have had a hard life. The new route 'down the hill' is more of an alternative than a short-cut, although it does save a massive two minutes thirty seconds off the walk. I cut through the mental health hospital (sometimes I've felt like stopping off for a break from reality), and then walk down a fairly rough track for about fifty or so metres. That's what's 'done for em, Jim Lad.'
The Mac Lapdancer saga continues (sigh). The new chip and board arrived, but Rizwan is having trouble getting ONE screw out (thought that only happened on boats). In the process of trying hard not to graunch the head, he damaged the fan. Replacement on the way (at his cost) and many apologies. Perhaps this will be a Crimbo present, my faithful old ally back?
It all seems a bit strange at the moment. As I said, lots of emails full of plans for next year and recaping the last year.
To all my friends in the Pacific, I wish you a safe cyclone season, hope you're all squared away in pleasant anchorages for the next five/six months. See you somewhere/sometime in the coming season.
To those 'stay at homes' who are in the Caribbean (or those newly arrived) and just coming into the season, safe sailing and remember it's supposed to be fun. It's not that long ago, but the old memory's not quite what it was, how on earth did we manage to sail upside down?
Finally,  especially for Beez Neez, I will get a photo of this, but there's a chain of stores out here called 'Rupps Big Bear'. I tried explaining that it should be 'Pepe's Big Bear', but they just didn't get it!

--
http://roastbeefonsundays.blogspot.co