This is Isoa and I in the yard of The Beachhouse. Isoa lived in a nearby village and worked at The Beachhouse. We got along just fine and over the years we've kept in touch and have seen each other three times since this picture was taken. I liked the staff at The Beachhouse. They were all good folks. Isoa taught me the best way to crack open coconuts. I had to like someone who showed that to me. Isoa lives such a different life than I. Here is a guy who has never seen snow and to him, fifteen degrees C is very cold weather. When I told him that I've been in forty five degrees below zero his eyes got really huge and he said, "I don't think I ever want to feel that!"

You might notice I have a large, yellow flower in my hair. In Fiji, men wear skirts and flowers in their hair. I didn't do the skirt thing as I didn't have one, but I could always find a flower. Most men wore a smaller flower, but I decided, "If I'm going to wear one, it's going to be the brightest and biggest honkin' flower possible." I was the only westerner who wore one. Some of the male backpackers looked at me a bit odd, but I didn't care. If they don't like it...they can bite me.

It's been a number of years since I first met Isoa and we are still good friends.  I have seen him a few other times but stayed with him in his house.  More info on that here.