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Posted By:
Hal Brown
Date Posted:
Dec 11, 2010
Description:
The weather forecast warned of a developing low pressure area. It was the beginning of cyclone season. It wasn’t raining in Savusavu, but the sky looked suspicious.
The boat called and said the weather was clearing. They lied. There was a black curtain, so we just came back to town. We were greeted by a crack ground support team. (I think I scared the little girl though.)
Date Taken:
Dec 11, 2010
Place Taken:
Savusavu, Fiji
Owner:
Dan Nickens
File Name:
Funny_Flight_Support.jpg - Photo HTML
Full size - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZPRF0000h">
Medium - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZPRF0000m">
Thumbnail - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZPRF0000s">
Category:
425, Yacht Tending
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Click on photo to view the original size. |
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Read what others had to say:
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Dan Nickens - Dec 11,2010
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Being stuck in Savusavu wasn’t so bad: we had good food and nice accommodations. We also got an invitation to dinner with the hotel owner and pilot, Tim.<br /><br />We arrived for a late dinner to find our host and his guests well into their beer and wine. Tim’s friend, Justin, warmly greeted us and we sat down on the open porch to await dinner.<br /><br />Justin wanted to talk about aircraft: Boeing and Airbus. It seemed innocuous enough to me, so I offered my uninformed opinion.<br /><br />I’m pretty oblivious to social situations, but it did seem that Justin was passionate about his airliners. He was loud and his fingers were pointing. I just thought it was a lively discussion lubricated by the local beer.<br /><br />Our host, Tim, was not amused. He suggested that Justin just take a break. He suggested this about 30 times. Finally, Justin’s wife heard the commotion and came up with a ruse to pull him back into the house.<br /><br />There was a thirty second pause while we considered our drinks before Justin appeared again. This time even I could see the airplane manufacturers were an emotional issue to Justin. He grabbed Tim in a serious neck lock while excoriating Americans and our imperialistic ways. <br /><br />Did I mention that Justin’s father was an American? I’m not a psychologist, but I think there were deeper issues.<br /><br />Tim got out of the head lock. He strongly suggested that Justin take a break.<br /><br />Instead Justin launched into a tirade about our presence, even yelling at Charlie for hanging out with us foreigners.<br /><br />The previously quiet and subdued Tim swept his arm across the table sending beer bottles smashing to the floor. “If you don’t shut up, Justin, we’re going to fight.”<br /><br />Everyone else got quiet, but not Justin.<br /><br />Tim slowly stood up, wobbled a bit, drew back his arm and aimed a big fist at Justin’s nose. Now, I’m watching this development carefully, but I didn’t see Charlie’s move. He was fast…very fast. He deflected Tim’s blow upward. That probably saved Justin a visit to the hospital.<br /><br />Tim was not going to be deterred by his guests. He wound up again to deliver a killer blow. The alcohol got hold of him, however, and he fell over into the jalousie windows. His left arm crashed down pane by pane from shoulder height to waist level. Charlie was there to grab him and keep him from falling into the broken glass on the porch.<br /><br />By now, Steve and I were up and looking for towels to bind his severed arm. Amazingly, however, there wasn’t even a scratch.<br /><br />The wives appeared out of nowhere. The combatants were quickly separated and Justin’s wife dragged him to the car and down the hill.<br /><br />The night and dinner proceeded from there as if nothing had happened.<br /><br />There were consequences, however. First I learned from Charlie and others that the two fighters have battled before. Both are still fast friends and reconciliation was assured. Second, drinking and fighting is a Fiji tradition.<br /><br />The event totally undermined my perception of Fiji culture as being exceptionally friendly and welcoming. Prior experience supported this proposition despite the fact that cannibalism and island warfare was less than one century in the past.<br /><br />The aborted fight was the subject of much discussion the next day. I was told, and confirmed, that Fiji culture is overwhelmingly friendly. The exception is when alcohol is involved. Apparently fighting is commonly associated with drinking anything other than kava. Kava may taste like muddy water, but it is definitely a peaceful drug.<br /><br />More importantly, I had mentioned Fiji black pearls to Ann and intended to take some home. Justin owns the source of those pearls. Naturally I was a bit reluctant to visit his shop the next day. Charlie assured me he would be a perfect gentleman.<br /><br />Maybe, but for some reason the pearl factory was closed.<br /><br />
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Steve Kessinger - Dec 12,2010
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Good thing Justin didn't want to talk politics....
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Dan Nickens - Dec 12,2010
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Yeah, I wouldn't have been interested in politics!
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John Robert Dunlop - Dec 12,2010
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I spent half an hour showing Ellen your gorgeous photos.<br />When we came to this one she said 'You see, Dan really knows how to play with children!' (I obviously don't.)<br />She didn't read about the Fijian fight. I'll leave that psychosocialogical lesson for later! (I apparently have to work on my child pysychology skills first..)
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Dan Nickens - Dec 12,2010
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Well, John, Ellen probably shouldn't be told about what had happened with the kids just before the photo. I'm pretty sure I did some psycho-social damage.<br /><br />When we first landed in their soccer field they maintained a respectful distance (Steve didn't want to land down wind into the palm tree place heavily loaded). I was left to watch the helicopter while the others went to run an errand.<br /><br />Eventually one band of the kids (the five on the left by Charlie) got braver and approached the helicopter. Not being an enthusiastic guard, I just casually watched. Soon, however, the little guy in the Scooby Doo shirt took up a challenge and he walked under the tail rotor tube.<br /><br />Since the helicopter guard still was unresponsive, others started doing the same thing. It wasn't long until the bravest guy in the Scooby Doo outfit chased one of the others who scampered away missing one of the antennas by a Scooby Doo whisker.<br /><br />Finally the guard jumped into action. 'Don't do that!' I yelled in my most official sounding voice.<br /><br />The group quickly moved away into a huddle a respectful distance behind the tail rotor to conference. I was feeling a bit smug as a guard.<br /><br />One of the adult onlookers came over and told me they were trying to figure out what I had said. Apparently none of them understood English. My new advisor told me the Fijian word for stop (which I promptly forgot).<br /><br />As I was engaged in conversation, the three kids closest to me in the photo approached the helicopter from the other side. They were quickly challenged by the first group.<br /><br />The kid in the cameo outfit whispered something into the ear of the little guy without a shirt. The little guy yelled a response to the first group. They ignored him.<br /><br />The little shirtless guy became increasingly vocal as he got more whispered advice. Eventually he launched into a tirade as the two groups squared off.<br /><br />Just in time Steve and Charlie arrived. The helicopter was to be moved. Rather than try to learn how to tell the kids to move away in Fijian, I suggested that we first invite them to take a picture with the copter. Charlie was happy to make the offer.<br /><br />All of the children were enthusiastic about the picture, but, as seen in the photo, the first group was careful to stay well away from the crazy helicopter guard.
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