IF you had mentioned Fiji to Ashad Ali or Ashu, as he’s fondly known this time last year, he would have thought of it only as a faraway, isolated island.
Ali was just 14 when he migrated with his family to Vancouver, Canada, in 1987.
Over the years, his memories of Fiji grew faint, scattered by time and distance.
But mention Fiji to him today, and he will speak endlessly.
After 38 years, Ali returned to a Fiji that left him awe-struck, a nation transformed.
“You could say I’m Canadian, since it’s here I built my life and raise a family,” Ali said. “But Fiji is most certainly out of this world.”
He explained that while Canada is known for its snowy winters, blossoming springs, colorful falls, and simmering summers, Fiji is everything but snow, a paradise with its own rhyme and reason.
Rhyme and Reason
Ali admitted he may not have made the trip if it hadn’t been for a family reunion.
“A desire to reconnect with family drove me to return,” he shared.
What impressed him most was Fiji’s progress in travel and development, a country that has grown into a modernized nation.
Ali later reflected that when he left in 1987, Fiji was in chaos after a coup and the collapse of government.
“I was about 14 at the time, and I cared little about politics or its consequences. But looking back now, it was devastating,” he recalled.
Over the years he heard about mass emigration, but today he believes Fiji has regrouped, with thriving businesses and infrastructure on an upward trend.
Family Reunion
Ali said the highlight of his visit was reuniting with the descendants of his maternal grandfather Santoki Mia, who had journeyed to Fiji during the Indentured Labour era in or before 1916.
“We had about 1000 families from around the globe for a grand reunion,” he said.
The gathering, held at the Girmit Centre in Lautoka, was a celebration of legacy and kinship, marked by outstanding hospitality and togetherness.
“I will do Fiji again,” Ali promised with a smile. “I just need a reason. Another reunion? Who knows.”
