Bula and Byes: Holiday Spirits in Fiji
FIJI
In spite of the early hour, most of the resort guests got up for this. When the tour lead Simi said show up between 4 to 4:30 am, I set my alarm for 4:30, knowing that when I arrived at 4:35 am, I’d still be early. After all, it’s island time. Just before 5 am, the staff bellowed a big “Bula!”, the typical Fijian welcome and led us through a back trail. We zigzagged in single file through big water tanks like a maze for adults, knowing that seeing the sunrise from this angle would be worthwhile. The navy sky was giving way to streaks of silky peach and the wild winds were begging to taper, even if it was just a tad.
Rainy bleak skies and cyclones had welcomed me when I met Fiji for the first time, now a cold front was sending me off. Atop the lookout, we could see the smaller concave ‘back beach’ with its hints of green patches become more pronounced as the sun rose.
Why can I not (routinely) rouse to revere the dawn in my daily life? I am a believer, I see the value in the early morning meetings and moments yet somehow, I’ve not committed to structuring schedules to allow this kind of regular Bula! I wondered about if and how we mark our mornings, knowing that they invite fresh starts to welcome in whatever serves us.
Near the brink of the pinnacle, they had set up a little pit stop. The man with the machete flashed me a smile, his few gold teeth glinting as he handed me a cut coconut. The water was sweet and refreshing, making nature’s debut of a new day even more spectacular as rays peeked out from around the rocky outcrops of nearby islands. The pastry chef had made us individual cakes and the staff had woven baskets. I initially tried to transport all these holiday souvenirs, but eventually gifted them away as I started my transition homebound.
Amidst the stunning surroundings, we were serenaded. Often on call during milestone moments of the masses, I’m acutely aware (and appreciative) of what it takes to be serving strangers when your heart may be elsewhere.
How fascinating it is to see how holidays are honoured. Yes of course, there’s the hallmark of festive costumes and consumer culture to which many submit, subscribe to on their own terms or simply standby on the sidelines. What’s always piqued my curiosity are the plethora of practices, particularly those that are on the periphery.
Regardless of where holiday affiliations lie, I’ve always been in awe of this season’s grip. That folks make flying in for family time a fervent focus is, undoubtedly, my favourite part. While there are many ways to spend any holiday season, lazing on a sandy beach will always remain on my top ten list (for how else would I be DocAtTheBeach?). Here I did that, and a bit more.
The summit hike was a short and rewarding ascent, akin to the guided sunrise climb, where wonderful views of the island’s topography and slim northern tip and wider southern base came easily into sight.
With Daring Greatly whispering its wisdom into my ears as I ascended, the panorama that greeted me seemed to suggest that indeed, there are plenty of paths to engage with transformation.
On the decent, I picked another path and ended up at deserted beach. My toes greeted the sand like university roommates reunited. When safety’s not a critical concern, I love wandering down whatever way seems to find me. I studied the area as if an old school map was flung open in front of me, then sat on some stones with my eyes gazing at the straight line in the distance.
For how many years were a plethora of people convinced that the horizon was straight. I wondered how we process pivotal discoveries that demand a different line of understanding. What is Truth, when do we revisit it in ourselves and our lives, and how do any realizations, micro-epiphanies or moments of clarity move to transmute action? On holidays, carving out time for these wee or weighty wonders seemed worthwhile.
Seven audiobooks, many unplanned expeditions, eight countries and 30,281 km later, my Oceania adventure was winding down. While I’d not crossed the international date line, I’d let myself do what few folks could fathom: being up close with vulnerability on the shark dive (with some epic underwater shots).
Back on land, there were many feasts and festivities to be had. I loved that the design welcomed the outside world to decorate the ‘inside’ spaces. It made it feel like a holiday home, balancing being practical while also inculcating a feeling of dreamy luxury - amazing it is when I think about all the little details they’ve made available on an outcrop of land in the middle of an ocean ...
How are you celebrating this holiday season? While everyone has their own preferences and circumstances, I’m hopeful that we’ll all feel the rev of life relax its grip on our bandwidth, bodies and beings. I think this as I consciously soften the layers of creases in my form, function and face. Life can be boldly bashful. Little things can feel like big steps, loads of stuff can force pause or paralysis - but we must move on.
My gaze finds these little critters trying to navigate their surroundings. Some slipping and sliding others colliding and hiding, yet all of them somehow carrying on. I watch them until the sun sets. Sure, so many of them toppled and tumbled but eventually, they all got back up.
Creatures big and small, we scurry and scramble. Be it holidays, happy homes or harmony in our souls, I hope we can all find healthy and holistic ways to keep cycling successfully through the chapters of byes and Bulas with zest and zeal.
May we tie a bow on 2024 with a sense of serenity in spite of (and because of) what it brought, and may the NY avalanche bliss and bounty, Bula 2025!