January 6, 2005

• Wrapping up Fiji – Part II 

  
  

  Okay, last of these photos and we’ll get back into the groove of things.

  
  

  These are some photos of my co-stars, Natalie and Bonnie Piesse (who plays a young Luke Skywalker’s Aunt in Episodes II & III)  respectively, from another island called MalaMala.  The sky and water were so clear that it’s sick.  There are approximately 300 islands in Fiji, 221 of which are uninhabited.  So there were tons of different day trips to “uninhabited” islands — even though they’re perennially inhabited with tourists on day trips to see this “uninhabited island”!

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  In fact, this photo below is of Mago Island that you can buy for the bargain price of $15 Million USD.  The listing for it is here along with everything that it comes with: http://weblogs.sol3.net/keith.barrows/articles/MagoIsland.aspx

  
  

   Only don’t get too attached to it.  Because Mel Gibson bought it for himself while he was in town during the weeks we were there shooting.

  
  

  He parked his lear jet across from our hotel and was then helicoptered over to Mago Island so that he could give it ‘a once over’ before laying down the $15 Mil from his back pocket.

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

  It was cool to see flyers around town, like these, looking for extras in our little film to play “investors” for the fictitious Primal Park.

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  One day we all saw these Diesel slingpacks for $7.50 USD in a store window and had to get them.  The entire cast got them and we all chose a different color.  We looked like some sort of “Power Ranger Backpackers” wearing them around town.  It was too good of a deal that I had to repeatedly ask the cast members if “Diesel” was spelled correctly on the bags.  “‘I’ before ’E', except after ’C', right guys”?  Didn’t want to get stuck with a “Prad-o” bag.  

  
  

  And check out below how decked out the cabs are in Fiji.  All the cabbies seemed to try and out-do each other.

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

   

  
  

  And if you’re ever in Fiji near the town of Nadi (where the main airport is), go to this restaurant and chow down.  It’s been there for 40 years and goes under 3 names: The Legend, The Namaka Inn or Babuji’s (though we re-named it Baba-Booey’s) 

  
  

  I know good food and this place has some of the best stuff I’ve ever grubbed on and I’m not even a big fan of Indian Food. 

  
  

   

  
  

  Try the chopped up roasted fish appetizer (pictured on right) and vegetable curry.  Ask the owner to give you the “SaberTooth” movie production menu and he’ll hook you up good.

  
  

   

  
  

  

  
  

   

  
  

  And guys, if the owner asks you what beer you want to drink, say, “Fiji Bitter” and NOT “Fiji Gold”.  He thinks “Fiji Gold” is for sissys.  I just barely passed; changing my mind at the very last second.  Whew!

  
  

  On the other hand, you might want to stray away from fish like this:

  
  

  I ordered a Snapper Dinner at the hotel and this fish head with teeth was presented to me in between the two portions of the Snapper’s body. 

  
  

  Isn’t it interesting how cultures differ on the definition of: “Appetizing Selling Point”?

  
  

  I wound up sticking that lime in the Snapper’s mouth to put those choppers to good use but didn’t take a photo of it because I thought seeing the head was strange enough and I didn’t want to cause further confusion. 

  
  

  And not to sound Ethnocentric but like in every country you might visit abroad, every now and then you’ll encounter a restaurant sign that has lost a little something in the English translation.  “Hmm, now moisturized with exactly what again?”

  
  

  Here’s our SaberTooth Tiger/Smilodon puppet used when the Smilodon needs to come into close contact with the actors (ie: being mauled).  By the way, on an epsiode of “Friends”, when Ross discovers the book he’s written is located in a remote section of the library where folks only go to make out,  he decides to stand guard. 

  
  

  And when he catches a couple there, they try to cover by saying they’re looking for a book, to which Ross sarcastically pulls a book from the shelf and says, “Hmm, perhaps you’re looking for this book about the Smilodon Fatalis?”  So it is really a word!  Honest!

  
  

  

  
  

  And finally as you can see, it was very lonely during lunchtime for Amanda and me.

  
  

  Why the cast and crew didn’t want to sit with us while eating their meal is beyond me. 

  
  

  Well, let’s see what the finished product of all this craziness results in when it airs!

  
  

  Biggest lesson learned here: No matter how bad or cheeky the project, you ultimately make the experience what it will wind up being.  If you’re going in with the mindset of having a good time or a bad time, either way you’ll be right.  So why not choose the former instead of the latter? 

  • 1:21 pm
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