Betwixting My USA INTERIM part 1: Bye Bye Mister Fiji, Howdy Uncle Sam! Hello to Hollywood.
It’s the MEGAJOURNEY’S FINAL STRETCH, long suffering Betwixt Fan!
Before we start I feel Dear Reader that I should commence with a few Key Fiji Items:
- Bula (meaning almost anything mostly Hi) and Vinaka (thanks mate) have entered into my regular vocabulary so beware !
- I ate a papaya one day for the first time and only found out is was such a thing using AI (thanks to Geoffrey Hunt, my scientific advisor), and it even showed me how to eat it. Rather nice. Useful even.
The biggest Fijian pop star was called Mister Fiji and he recently passed away after many hits worldwide! His real name was George Brooks Veikoso. So there!
There are a lot of things one can say about Fiji, and although I didn’t visit the rather rundown capital Suva where my Grandma once started a Girls’ School, all that’s in my mind about there is its beautiful calm fun gorgeous with amazing people incredible culture great humour and seriously beautiful….
It was one day a very fruity one for me from breakfast to light supper (including lots of fruity cocktails) and it does remind me to mention another of my occasional series “Almost Overheard in Waitrose”: “But Gerald, I would have bought the Phillipino Mangoes but they were out of stock, so we’re making do with Fijian”.
My Exclusive Reef Bar barman the wonderful Asa forces free happy hour cocktails at me willy and some would add nilly. One day we’d been talking about Gin so it was then Fijian Gin cocktails (Blue Turtle gin for scholars out there) look out for it. His “Gin Fruit Cocktail” and Strawberry Daiquiri were especially gorgeous!
Also I can speak fluent Fiji as all you need to say is Bula Bula Bula chicken tikka tikka tikka chicken chicky masala masala masala tikka tikka Vi-naaaaaa-ka.
Let it finally be said Dear Reader that you all deserve nay demand a Worldwide Hotel Breakfast Coffee Update. Well, there’s two categories generally in Thailand Australia and Fiji. There’s “coffee” which one pours out oneself and is varying in actual coffee content, usually lower than Starbucks Normal. Then the other category is “Barista” coffee. Barista is Italian for “chargeable”. Sub-categories here include Latte Macchiato (whose last album was somewhat disappointing), Long Black Intenso, Longlegged Woman Dressed in Black, Long Tall Sally, Cappuccino With or Without Floaters, and Espresso Bongo. All in all, they all give Maxwell House a run for its money.
AND SO TO THE U S OF A
MY Fiji/Qantas Business Lounge experience was rather pleasant truth be told with champagne and plenty of nibbles rather than full blown meals available, especially with my lady server saying “I suppose I should open another bottle then….” pleasing me somewhat….Vanaka vanaka!
Warned early on of a bumpy ride in my delicious A350 Airbus Business seat, I have a small amount of food onboard then try the so far untried, on the advice of cousin Jamie, yup it’s time for ….. a…..(drumroll) …. ZOPICLONE! It’s a sleeping pill and I believe 4 hours of the 10 hour flight disappeared into the Ether. Well actually it disappeared into the same day again, as crossing the International Dateline meant I lived the 26th of January 2026 TWICE! 45 hours as 24. Very weird. iPhone didn’t care, just carried on.
I think there was some onboard scrambled egg for breakfast before landing in Los Angeles. I think it was easy getting through Immigration via the hunkiest officer available, and via a short bus ride to the Uber stop, I think I got my cab immediately and cheaply too all the way to my rather swish don’t you know Modern Art inspired MOMENT HOTEL on Sunset Boulevard West Hollywood!
Phew. Certainly tired certainly lagged of jet, but I’m almost immediately whisked out for supper after 2 hours kip by my friends Richard and Jane, before watching a set from pal multitalented Jake in his quasi Jazz residency… thence dropped back mercifully.
Phew indeed! Hit the ground running I say!
Even after a few hours, gotta say I love this city and I love this country. From the craziness and horror/beauty of India via Thailand and a very extended stay in beach ridden gorgeous Australia, and Fiji too, it’s back to more of a World Reality and you know? I don’t mind. Not yet anyway.
Not only that, much much more was to come over the next few days, Dear Reader.
MUCH MUCH MORE!!!! Bet you can wait.
Hooray for Hollywood especially in Oscar Season!!!
Love, Christoph End of Jan, 2026!!!
Xx
