May 5. Also Island

 May 5. Also Island

Don’t know why it’s called Also Island.  It was started by a guy named Jim Bandy back in 2000.  It’s a ramshackle enterprise, with a big deck full of half-disassembled outboard motors and other machinery.  Jim is a kind of legend in Fiji and I was excited to meet him.


I walked up the stairs and met Veronica, who was taking care of the place while her mother was away.  Turns out Jim died a year ago of prostate cancer.  No one had updated the Fiji Compendium with this fact, so I couldn’t know.  


I’m starting to think I’m a jinx:  First Morena dies two weeks before I visited at Naqaiqai, then I crash a funeral in Kioa, and now I find Jim Bandy has passed.  I’m scared to get back to Somosomo - who the hell else has kicked the bucket?









Village across from Also Is.  Can't find the village on a map so I don't have a name.


“This is my home,” the headman said, touching the wood floor of the porch.  “This is now your home too.  You are welcome any time, David.”  Wow.  Just wow.  I told him I would try and come back next year.  He got this great smile on his face.  Yeah, I think I’ll make this village a priority next trip.


I met a boat from the village when I pulled up to Also Island.  And, of course, I mentioned that I had eyeglasses to distribute.  The man running the outboard was eager to help and we made an arrangement for him to come to Peregrine at 2 pm to pick me up.  


So I got a ride to his village in style - much better than my dinghy.  The launch was full of coconuts that had been harvested.  I was escorted to the headman’s house and we sat down and did sevusevu.  I brought out the glasses and word spread fast.  People were coming and going, telling others as they went.  One little girl was real nearsighted at age six or so.  She found a pair that helped her.





Only about half the adults spoke English, so I used those that did as translators.  It worked pretty well.  Gave out most of my remaining stock of glasses.  I think I have a dozen pair left.  I promised Veronica that I would bring glasses in for her mother to try, so that’s on the agenda for later today.


Dinghied back into Also Island to find it empty.  No Veronica, no kids, just a dog.  So I left the bag of glasses on the picnic table with my boat card.  There were only maybe 15 pair left - not worth going into another village for.  But Veronica said that her village could use eyeglasses, so I anticipate that she will share them there.


I am now out of glasses completely.

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 6, 2025 at 4:20 PM

    Island was named Also because that was the name of the sailboat Jim sailed halfway around the world in before a typhoon crashed it in Fiji. I dated Jim off and on for many years. Fascinating personality. Wish I could learn more about his passing which is news to me.

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