AAA Hand picked Aussie Goods for the Family

In downtown Suva the best stores advertise that they sell genuine Australian goods. This is a real selling point because the men here are Indian [tiny], Islanders [some huge] and American in size. But everyone agrees on a better quality product and that is either Aussie or American. All though the favorite womens, no hip young womans, store is simply called Texas. It's on a courner in Suva center and everyone just loves the store, even if you can't wear the clothers sizes, you go their to see whats new. Dad went into a store we really do like called Jacks and bought a bula shirt. It wasn't australian sized and the shirt was just too small. Oh yea, and they have no such thing , anywhere, called money back. No way, they have your money and you gave it to them. You can only exchange goods here. Anyways Jacks is where we found Uncle Franks bula shirt-size AAAAA5A. The men helping us just smiled and were sure Frank was a famous football player, and we just said yes! If aunt Cindy comes here, or for that manner, if anyone comes here we will take you to the really nice british mens suit store where we bought dads realy nice bula shirt. Every time he wears his good bula shirt women aks where we got it and look mad at their husbands because they are too cheap. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Dad is not a true cheap size. True cheap =tiny neck, bear belly and scrawney arms. No more to saw-dad is a true aussie sized american man. Back to the AAA hand picked quality Aussie Goods. Wanna know? what AAA goods are? In the american west there were dry goods stores, remember? Here goods means clothing only. I bought a beautiful sulu at Jacks and this is what the tag said. These are genuine australian quality goods or products. Made from top quality Australian material, and with Australian quality patterns. [This means sized for US men or a true size american or aussie size 12 or whatever] The seams are a finely finished and will not unravel when washed in a machine or on a rock in a stream.] These are how women here wash-in the villages-in a stream and some have machines that will spin the laundry and then it is ready to go on a clothes line out side or on their porch. Really few homes have porches so they dry their clothes in their house if it is raining. In the pacific the quality of everything is crappy to quote Aunt Cindy. Everything is smaller by 1o% or more to pay the shipping costs or just crappy because the people are small. They indians are tiny people and really do sell crappy quality because they are so small boned their clothes can be of poor quality and they can still wear them. An indian baby stroller is of the size we would sell for a large doll . No joke. I went to an indian fabric store [ really all stores here are indian, Fijians are not smart enough and educated enough to own a store, sad but true] and saw the tinyist baby things and thought these are for dolls, no just indian babies. So with having said all about size and quality, how do these islanders find clothe4s????? And what does it mean to have hand picked AAA anything? In New Zeland and in Australia people sell their used clothing and old goods and they are baled like hay and sent into the islands. There they are sold as hand picked [quality used] aussie sized [Aus. or NZ goods] Here stores sell used clothes for one dollar each and that is what the average Fijan wears. They may have one good set of clothes at a time, or even a couple, but not much more. They do not have closets in the villages and use old timmy wardrobes or chests. And so most things become moldy and musty. So they pass them on or use them for rags. Now you know what AAA Aussie Goods are. And now I know why Sr. Wells smiled so when I told her of my good deal in the aussie family store. She was surprised I would buy used. I bought a beautiful washed silk [heavy silk quality] black sheath dress made in New Zealand for 7.50 . Turned seams and double stitched. She still laughs when I wear it to church or to the temple.

We had church friends over for dinner today. They are the Adamsons and they are here from Australia. He is on loan from the Aussie gov't and teaches in a trade school here for one year. There are few school that teach the trades, like electrical, carpentering, or anythings really. They really are here because sister Adamson needed to come to the island of her birth to do her genealogy. She is the only member in her family and her family joined in Australia. To come here was a dream and really not possible because of the expense. Still she prayed. And when this job came up she knew that they would get it before he even sent in his papers. We women are so wise. Here in the islands all trades will guarentee you a good income. But some governments still won't let you out of their country to learn a trade because they know you will never come back. You see there is little real work available and br. Adamsons student receave advanced wood skills and a certificate of Australian work standards. That means a ticket out of you island and a good job in NZ or Australia. The school must bring in teachers since they have none here of that quality. Few Fijans have the math skills or minds to under stand such simple work. We totaly take for granted a high school education and that little amount of math. The saints in positions in the church all work for the church in various jobs, otherwise, they would not be employed. Their children are educated in the BYU in Hawaii university, but it is not a USA standard college. To gain a truely american education you must study at Provo, BYU. Br. Adamson just had to leave andsee his students in the plane and in their seats... And wait to see the plane take off-or his school will lose their government standing. These students are more than willing to stay in Fiji and have a job. In their island s they may still not find work because of the political climate in their islands and or because their families are still mad after 200 years!!! A small joke, but still true. You can be hired to do the work of an incompedent higher level man and he will still receive the credit and praise. Thats why people still leave their islands, old family grudges and hunger.

Well loved ones I bought myself the cutiest mothers day dress in the islands. Pop just about died at the cost [he tries that every time] and everyone at church loved it. The weather is wonderful and we had the windows closed on one side of the chapel since it was almost winter here. I will believe almost any type of winter wear here and will keep you all posted when our real winter is here in june, july and august. Our phone line is in and tomorrow the connect man is here to hook up the internet. Pray for us, thats not a joke either. We need a good connection for a clear conversation. All of our love, Bulla Vinaka, Ya'll MUM