Day 12 - Thursday December 20, 2001 - 8:45pm

Alright, I lied. It’s now Friday and I didn’t write anything on Thursday. But, to keep this in some sort of chronological order I’ll fill in what actually occurred yesterday… not much.

I seem to be getting a small throat infection, or maybe just a bad sore throat, not sure. Anyway, we’ll see what transpires today and see how I feel tomorrow. There is a nurse, so the best thing is to go see her if this persists.

Sat on the beach all day nursing a sunburn on my side - bad enough I couldn’t wear a shirt. Good thing I had Robert Ludlum to keep me company.

I’ve never read one of his books before so this was a bit of a treat. It’s called, “The Bourne Identity”. Strange how some books that are a reflection of an earlier day don’t hold up with the passage of time - this is such a book. ‘Carlos the Jackal’ plays an important role in the book and of course since it was written in the late seventies, the Cold War plays a part. Well structured but not terribly believable. Apparently, Matt Damon (without Minnie Driver!) is starring in an updated movie version this spring.

Later

It infuriates me, it truly does. I’m going back to food for one last time. Well, not really the food - the service that goes along with it.

There are elements here — I’m speaking of Fiji in general now, not just Castaway — that any restaurant anywhere in the world could take notes from. The bartenders make the best cocktails I’ve ever seen or tasted. It’s like these are the guys that make the cocktails you see in photographs - they’re perfect. Perfect mix, perfect look, perfect taste, and perfect presentation. Their attention to detail is amazing. However, when it comes to service — customer service, wait staff, whatever you want to call it — why is it so lacking?

It’s clear they’re trying to emulate an American system of service in the restaurants — the greetings, the napkin picked up, snapped and placed on your lap just so, “May I take your order”, etc. — but, even at the ‘Fijian’ pace it doesn’t work. Part of the American system of restaurant management is to have more staff than necessary so the service is quick and efficient. In fact this aspect of service is so prevalent that when you travel elsewhere — Canada, UK, Asia, wherever — the difference is palpable.

The effect only works if the work ethic is there and if the staff actually knows what they’re doing. And therein lies the distinction between what works in the American system and what doesn’t work when you try to adapt it, as here in Fiji. There are so many staff serving breakfast, lunch and dinner that no one can keep track of who ordered what - confusion reigns. But it’s confusion in sheep’s clothing. When you ask why everything is taking so long, they won’t admit they’ve screwed up (happens regularly!) they just smile and dismiss it as so much ‘Fiji time’.

Still Later

I don’t think I’d come to Castaway again. Oh, maybe with a group of friends, or with a woman, or if I had kids — they have a wonderful Castaway Kids plan here — but the week just hasn’t been worth it, I hate to say. I long to go back to Musket Cove.

For me, Fiji has turned out to be the kind of place where I want complete rustic solitariness (Musket Cove is on the edge of that) or top-end luxury (which Shangri-La would have been had the dates worked out). Castaway trends up, but falls short - somewhere in between the two. Not my cuppa tea!

Same Day - Later

It’s raining again. First time in five days. Shit!