Pouring and Very Boring.

It’s now day 3 of this relentless rain and it’s getting very tiresome.

2 more days, though and then I’m out of here which is just as well as I will almost have run out of books to read by then.

Last night, because of the outside conditions, I ate in the hotel and had a couple of beers in the bar afterwards where I had a fascinating conversation with the highly intelligent  and articulate bar lady/person. Although of Indian descent she was born in Fiji and considers herself to be Fijian. So, so far so good. She then explained the difficulties of growing up in what is still a very ‘closed’ society here.  As a single girl, her entire life is dictated by the morals and influence of her mother, father and family. She is told what to wear, who to talk to (and who not to), what job is appropriate and if she declares she has a boyfriend, it is expected that she will marry him immediately! So this lovely lady and her (secret) boyfriend who also works in the hotel have a very clandestine relationship. I was quite saddened to think that this bright, smart 21 year old more or less at the start of her adult life has very little chance of being her own person thanks to the pressure and influence of people from a bygone age. Compare that with 21 year olds in our country who are sometimes old before their time. It’s a strange old world!

It would be good if I could venture out of my hotel prison this evening to eat but I’m not sure if even McDonalds (yes, there is one here, unfortunately) would welcome a drowned rat on their doorstep.

Glug! Glug! Gurgle!

Richard