The Bula Spirit Photo

Photographer’s Note

"BULA!" is the first word that you'll hear, coming to the Fijis.

BULA means altogether, hello, welcome, cheers and even "Life" sometimes.

Through my trips I haven't met a better, more welcoming or more heart warming people than the fijians. The once cannibalistic big guys from the Pacific are probably some of the last people still living through the remainings of a Rousseau-ist society.

Every night they gather and drink kava from a single communal half coconut shell. Kava is a dirty water tasting, mild narcotic, squeezed drink from a pepper root : they familialy call it the "grog".
Everybody has to taste kava in the Fijis, you're not in the Fijis until you've emptied a few shells of kava. While softly paralyzing your tongue, kava provides its consumer some relaxation that will favor more social behavior... like talking (although not that fluently because of the tongue stiffness) or playing the guitar. In a way, Fijians invented daily psychiatry.

Now imagine what these fearsome warriors do to their offenders : crush their bones? or probably squash their head until the brains come out from the ears? or let them rot a long time into a dark humid jail?

Nope, none of these... The offenders are invited to a kava party, they're trialed and whenever found guilty, as for their punishment, they will be forced to drink a bowl of kava twice the normal size... a way of saying "Yeah, well... we know it can happen to anyone : get totally pissed, my friend, and tomorrow will be a better day". Isn't that human comprehension...

These people are so sadistic that on every place you might stay for a couple of days, they'll sing you a heartbreaking Isa Lei farewell song on your departure. Causing you to lose your honor while lamely shedding some tears behind your Ray Ban sunglasses. After the song, the odd fijian woman, typically 1.85m and 100 kg on average, will hug you like a bear, give you a big slap on your shoulder, rugby lock style, and send you back to your home.

I didn't shoot many photos from my Fiji trip... why would you waste your time shooting in paradise?
How vain appears the urge of uploading photos on the Internet while the real life is at your hand, the kingfisher song wakes you up every morning, the sea is endlessly turquoise.

Back to this photo on Nacula, probably one of the best beaches known on earth : after we spent some time in his village and went to see his Grandma's home, I asked Rocky : "Rocky, do me a favor, hit me with your best Bula."

So here's the occasion to put some BULA in your life, people of Trekearth. All the vitamins in one word.

sabin, Leilani, mpdre, Matthew-Watt, euryan, MayaG, Merline, ChrisJ, Galeota, Valerka, bibiweb, flory, horatiuTT, PixelTerror, teutza, Porteplume, nicoz, broglia, nicol_g, luisafonso, Prisley, Curioso, khmelins, tamatree, green, Bien has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Leilani (1371) 2008-03-29 17:20

Hello - it's a pleasure to find your gallery. Quite dynamic! Here the blue is unbelievable, the friendly smile and outstretched arms welcoming me onto this beautiful island... Yes, I will go there on holiday next. :) (or at least that's how it makes me feel)

Rgds, Leilani

Matthew-Watt (4463) 2008-03-29 17:25

Hello Luko,

A remarkable photo, capturing all that is Fijian, the wonderful water, distant tropical islands, colourful clothing and smiling, happy people with flowers in their hair. This is exactly how I remember Fiji, so thanks for rekindling my memories. Surely, one of the most relaxed and inviting places on the planet. Excellent work.

Matt

euryan (8345) 2008-03-29 17:54

I think you've convinced us all to go pack our bags and head to Fiji. The sun on his skin and the flower behind his ear represent this paradise perfectly. Sharp, crisp photography. I hope Fiji gives you some sort of commission for their increased tourism ;-)
Welcome back.

MayaG (2393) 2008-03-29 18:07

Aw, what a nice shot of sunshine for the weekend this is, you rock Rocky! Those long arms, big hands...make me think of the fav food of his ancestors...no, I better not.
I love the almost film-like colours, really a nice one.
Bula!

juliamidd (63) 2008-03-29 19:00

BULA!!
Nice picture! Love the red from the hibiscus in the middle of all that blue!

ChrisJ (69522) 2008-03-29 21:01

Hi Luko

Good ro see a new upload from you. A superb tropical beachswcape & portrait from Fiji, with superb sharpness & marvellous colour. Merci pour ce partage.

Galeota (10329) 2008-03-29 22:42

And there you come, again, with one of the very best photography notes you have ever written, probably under the spell of a Kava bowl brought in your luggage.

His arms open wide embracing the world, and us within, make me want to hug him immediately. Let us all become Bula people. I definitely surrender to Bula philosophy, and I already feel the the benefit of becoming a newly born Bula man!

Valerka (8159) 2008-03-29 22:44

Hi,Luko,
A nice shot, really, full of drive and energy.
Thank you for the note,too.
You seem to have enjoyed your stay there.
TFS
Valerka")

bibiweb (8) 2008-03-29 23:09

Hello Luko,
D'abord Gal, ensuite toi... pffff, c'est trop d'honneur que vous nous faites les gars! En tout cas ça me fait plaisir de revoir un de tes posts par ici, surtout un avec tant de couleurs, d'énergie et joie. C'est bon de commencer la journée avec une photo pareille.
La mer turquoise, les bateaux, le type accueillant avec sa fleur rouge dans l'oreille et les bras ouverts, sans parler de ta note, ça donne vraiment envie de faire sa valise et de partir là bas tout de suite. Bon, je pense qu'il n'y a pas trop de montagnes à escalader par là bas (quoique je constate que le point culminant dépasse largement celui de la Belgique et du Bénélux), mais tant pis... de temps à autres ça fait aussi du bien de se mettre les doigts de pieds en éventail dans le sable!
Merci pour ce moment chaleureux et bon dimanche.
Bibi

flory (4802) 2008-03-30 0:03

hi Luko,
what a refreshing image!i feel that will have more energy thanks to this joyful man.my eyes already dance with that blue and red flower..:)
Bula!

horatiuTT (4566) 2008-03-30 0:24

Hi Luko,
long time no see...I thought that you stop posting here with
all the amateurs,It's an incredible,sureal photo,the photo to
post in a fashion magazine.Marvelous colors and light.
Horatiu

rowanb (864) 2008-03-30 0:35

i know what you mean, the place makes you want to forget about everything and just relax..photos be damned... =)

PixelTerror (86026) 2008-03-30 1:53

Bula Luko !
Fiji pour moi ca evoque des plages paradisiaques et le rugby joue avec le fameux pacific spirit. Ici apparemment on est plutot cote plage au vu du decor et de la fleur dans l'oreille (ca remplace bien la cigarette de nos epiciers...), par contre vu l'attitude du Bulaman ca fait aussi un peu grand messe, j'aime bien.
Bon dimanche JY

teutza (10558) 2008-03-30 2:07

oh..yeah..this is the picture i want to start my day with:))
so cheerfull!!!luv it!!
now i have only one problem..how do i get there?:)
hugs
teo

Porteplume (3255) 2008-03-30 2:42

Bula Luko!
Ça fait bien plaisir de te voir.
J'arrive de France, une semaine de Pâques avec la grêle, la pluie, la grisaille, la neige, une extinction de voix suite à ce temps de chien dans ma belle région du Dauphiné où habituellement le printemps rate peu souvent le rendez-vous... ;o(
Et voilà, pour me remonter le moral, ton passage sur TE - [hééééé... et je vois même Galéota!] - et le sourire de ce sympathique Fidjien.
Cette lumière, ce turquoise... J'espère que c'est remboursé par la "sécu".
Merci et à bientôt quand j'aurai retrouvé ma voix et ma vue.

Amitiés - Viviane

PS: Pourquoi t'as pas corrigé le tilt? -> Commentaire idiot de Porteplume qui ne sait toujours pas se débarasser de ses mauvaises habitudes!!!

nicoz (1963) 2008-03-30 2:42

Salut Luko,
Content de te voir de retour sur TE. Ca a l'air genial ce voyage a Fidji! Super note!
Cote photo, ca me rappelle un peu celle de ce gars sur la plage au Mozambique, en rouge. Ca sent la creme solaire et la wax cette photo!
Couleurs qui claquent bien.
A+
Nicolas

broglia (3341) 2008-03-30 3:46

Hey Luko - great to see you back. I guess everybody needs a break sometimes, but you have been sorely missed. And it's good to give the camera a break sometimes - makes you all the more eager when you pick it up again.

Beautiful colours and a nice capture of the Bula spirit.

Warm regards, Roberto

Merline (6574) 2008-03-30 5:44

How gorgeously welcoming ! I usuall prefer Northern countries but this portrait and landscape open their warmth and arms to me:-). A man with flowers in his hair, a blue that seems painted, light light all over the place, one can imagine the light breeze as lullaby. An elegant shot with beautifully managed colors and light. Love that line on the kingfisher...

TFS, Best regards
Michèle

luisafonso (858) 2008-03-31 2:41

Look who's here! Great note my friend. And great photo too. Those opened arms crying "Bula" are really wonderful and warm. And that omnipresence of blue really feel my cup. Your compo is great too, with both boats telling me that you really choose the perfect placement for the main character.

Prisley (1249) 2008-03-31 4:14

AAAHHHHH BULAAAAAA a toi aussi!!!
Quel plaisir de voir enfin un temoignage de se voyage qui t'a apparemment tout retourne! J'y croyais pas vraiment a la larmichette dans un de tes precedents messages...mais c'etait donc vrai! et tu pousses le vice a vouloir y retourner des cet ete!!
En tout cas quelle energie degagee dans cette photo!!
...bon par contre le polo de ton ami fait un peu genre G.O du clubmed qui vient t'accueillir au sortir de l'hydravion... mais bon, la note dissipe bien vite cette impression...
sinon quand meme...il faut que je le dise...ca ressemble aux maldives! Pppwaaahahaha:o)
@+
Pris.

brevbrev14 (370) 2008-03-31 7:05

Salut Luko!
a great game of blue and really a warm welcome!!
an image full of....BULA...... :)))
full of sun too this image...
ciao!
Valeria

vapours (7913) 2008-04-02 10:11

Certainly the most beautiful place on Earth and possibly the most beautiful people that Ive come across, and your photo shows that in one hit.

Apparently the convicts who escaped from Australia used to come across the Pacific Islands, to think they have found paradise, but instead found themselves being eaten.

sebinho342 (18726) 2008-04-04 7:39

"Causing you to lose your honor while lamely shedding some tears behind your Ray Ban sunglasses. After the song, the odd fijian woman, typically 1.85m and 100 kg on average, will hug you like a bear, give you a big slap on your shoulder, rugby lock style, and send you back to your home"
looool :-)
Quelle note !
La photo n'est pas en reste également, pas mal du tout, tu as parfaitement réhaussé subtilement la luminosité sur ses mains et les parties qui devaient etre ombrées du à la position du soleil, j'ai l'impression qu'il a des bras gigantesques !
Parfaitement positionné, rien n'est coupé en arrière plan, ni les barques ni la petite ile, nul doute que cet endroit est paradisiaque ...
Ahh la la qu'il est bon de te voir de temps en temps poster ...

yanseiler (20) 2008-04-04 23:30

l'avait loupé celle-ci, je me demandais si tu allais poster qqc des Fijis, vu la photo (que je trouve très sympa) j'imagine que ça ne doit pas être l'endroit où tu as l'occasion de remplir tes cartes mémoires avec des scènes de travaux harassants, ça à l'air bien décontracté et coloré comme coin...

eleparc (24059) 2008-04-06 6:38

j'adore cette image si chaude et bienveillante! Les couleurs petent et cet homme a l'air tellement accueillant que cela donne vraiment l'envie avec ta note de filer au fidji découvrir ce petit paradis dont tu nous parles ...

tamatree (241) 2008-04-17 13:21 [Comment]