10.228 Tavu Snapper

10.228

21 (Wed) August 2019

Tavu Snapper

2.5

at Pullman Nadi Bay Resort and Spa

-Wailoaloa Beach, Nadi, Fiji-

with APPFGH

Mission to Fiji, Day 12.

In Nadi.  Here for the Fifth Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health: August 20 (yesterday) to 22 (tomorrow).  Having already spent 42 days in/to/from Fiji over the past year across 5 missions to prepare for the meeting (see most recently 10.192 Rourou Moci), and counting down 3 days through the end of the meeting and the return trip home, I can hardly contain the excitement that it will soon be over.

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I’ve been accused of micromanaging these events. When I don’t, like when I trusted Parliament to choose the design of the bula shirts, this is what happens.  I must admit, however, that the shirts do pop in photographs.

Today was dedicated to field visits to highlight the health impacts of climate change and responses to address those impacts at the local level, sites which we had scoped out on my prior mission (see generally 10.187 Grilled Octopus).

NAMOLI

The first site was Namoli, a coastal village dealing with rising sea levels.

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TUKUNI

The next site was Tukuni, both a restaurant that serves traditional Fijian cuisine through environmentally friendly and sustainable practices and a community outreach program that engages with local communities to strengthen their social, health, and economic capacities.

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Organic farming.
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Organic honey – bees kept on-site – personally, I don’t like honey, but wow the real deal was amazing.
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Organic coconut juice – from coconuts grown on-site.
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Tavu instructions – illustrated with lobster!
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Demonstrating tavu with eggplant.
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Emphasizing the importance of hand-washing, a technical component that we had introduced last year (see 9.231 Lechon).
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Lunch.
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Due to the large crowd, the food had to be served buffet-style.

As a buffet, the food wasn’t as impressive – neither in appearance nor taste – as when we had tested it before (see generally 10.187 Grilled Octopus).  Nevertheless, it was still a grand display of Fijian food culture.

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Taro Leaf (rourou) Soup (3.5) – my favorite.
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Taro Stem Salad (3.0) + Pawpaw Salad (3.25) – good.
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Lamb Curry (2.25) + Red Rice (1.0) – eh.
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Dal Soup (2.0) – eh.
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Tavu Octopus (3.0) + Tavu Fish (2.5) + Tavu Eggplant (2.5) – my kind of thing.
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Breadfruit (1.0) + Cassava (1.0) + Plantain (1.5) – not my kind of thing.

KOROIPITA

Finally, we visited Koroipita, an integrated climate-resilient housing community.

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Potemkin village?

WELCOME DINNER

Back to the hotel for a beachside welcome dinner hosted by Parliament.

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The start was scheduled to capture sunset at exactly 18:01.

Another magnificent buffet of Fijian cuisine.

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Salads (3.0) + Kokoda (2.0)
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Roast Pork and Potatoes (2.5)
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Tavu Chicken (2.5)
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Taro Leaf (rourou) Soup (2.5)
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Lamb Curry (2.5)
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Potato and Chickpea Curry (2.0)
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Cassava and Taro (1.5)
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Steamed Coconut Rice (2.5)

I was still full from lunch, as well as all the snacks that had been served at the field visit sites – Fijian hospitality.

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