Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

DAY 3: (Joe) On October 31st, we took an 11:30 PM flight out of LA bound for Fiji. The flight was 10 hours. How did we arrive in Fiji on November 2nd at 6:30 AM? Even with the time-zone difference and the local time taken into account, Johnny Rodgers Band still can’t figure out what happened to November 1st. And it gets worse. Not only did we lose a day but when I called home to NY, I realized that it was still yesterday there. We’re in the future here! Oh yes, Fiji is beautiful and musical.

We ran into this Fijian string band on our way to Suva, the largest city in Fiji.This is something I knew about but really wanted to see in person. There are guitarists everywhere in Fiji. Many of them play in string bands like this one. It seems that there’s also a rich singing culture here. People sing at family and friends' parties as a way of life – social bonding. Singing and playing guitar is a form of social currency in Fiji. This is my kind of place – guitar heaven. I wonder how the guitar got to Fiji. And when did it get here?

(Danny) Yesterday, after we played on the radio show at Gold FM, I walked into town to go shopping and met a Fiji man named Rocky. We discussed how blessed we felt to be alive and in such a great place. He walked with me and showed me how to get to the mall. On the way, he showed me a restaurant on a boat docked in the bay, he said this was his favorite place, so tonight we're going to eat there. He also told me about his village and pointed to the cloud covered mountains across the bay. He said he would come to our concert tomorrow if the weather wasn't too bad. Before we parted, he reached into his bag and pulled out a wooden mask he had carved and gave it to me after he carved my name and the date into the wood. You hang it over a light bulb and the light shines through the eyes, just as the light shined through his. We were blessed to have met each other and share a connection that goes beyond borders. Everyone we've met has welcomed us and treated us so well. I am blessed.