🌴 #01 Fiji Flow: Festivals and AI Art Contests

Bula FijiFlow Fam,

September was an absolute celebration of rhythm, energy, and unforgettable experiences. From George “Fiji” Veikoso’s triumphant homecoming at Prince Charles Park, drawing thousands of fans, to the Bounty Stir It Up Festival at the Vou Hub — this month delivered a relentless wave of music magic.

Shout out to Wailoaloa Beach Club, Vou Hub, and Spinning Village for teaming up and bringing top international talent to our shores.

In today’s edition:

• E-Waste Awareness

• Health Insurance: Pay before you can claim?

• Starlink delivering access around the country

• Creative Surgery by Team Courts

🌍💻 E-Waste Awareness or AI Irony? 🤖🎨

Let’s dive straight into it: Fiji Consumer Council’s AI Art competition to raise awareness about e-waste. Yes, you read that right. They’re using AI to highlight e-waste. 🤔

I’m all for the cause, but the irony here is hard to miss.

🖼️ First off: Asking people to use AI (which requires tons of computing power) to fight e-waste feels…counterproductive. Why not encourage young artists to draw or paint? What happened to real creativity?

💡 Secondly: Let’s talk about the real issue—AI and e-waste. The rise of generative AI is actually fueling the e-waste problem. The more AI we use, the more high-powered devices we need, leading to faster hardware turnover and more discarded electronics. 📱🖥️

So while we’re all for creativity and raising awareness, this approach feels tone-deaf. And it seems like quite a few people agree. 🧐

This is just a glimpse of the lively opinions flooding in.

⚡TECH NEWS

Break the Buffer with StarLink

Fed up with crawling speeds from TFL, Vodafone, and Digicel? Starlink is changing the game for Fijians, with speeds exceeding 300mbps!

🛰️ Here’s what you need to know:

• Can you get StarLink anywhere in Fiji?
  ✅ Yes! As long as you have power and a clear 100-degree view of the sky, you’re set for high-speed internet. 🌐

• Where to buy it?
  🛒 Order directly from Starlink.com for $799 (+$60 shipping) or get a Gen3 Starlink unit locally from LinkTechnologies in Suva.
  🛠️ Vinod Patel also stocks the Standard Kit Version 4!

• Want to learn more?
  💬 Like with any tech, best to do your own research to see if their solution meets your needs. We would recommend joining the Starlink Fiji Users Facebook group! It’s full of useful info, and Radek, the admin, is super responsive and always ready to help.

🍽 FOOD FINDS

Loaded Fish Burger?

Last week, we hit up Golden Ocean Seafood at Flagstaff Plaza (Suva) and tackled the epic Whales Burger. It’s stacked (three fillets), comes with fries ($23.60), it’s a serious meal.

@fijiflowofficial

Tried the famous 'Whales Burger' at Golden Ocean Seafood! 🐟🍔 #Fiji #Suva #fijitiktok🇫🇯 #fyp #foodie

📈 Marketing Spotlight

🎬 Creative Surgery: Courts' Kings Teaser Cuts Through the Ordinary

No green screens. No celebrity endorsements. Just Courts' own team pulling off a brilliant teaser for the Kings outdoor adventure brand. 🎣

Three women? Check. Random materials? Check. A hilariously improvised surgery scene using strings? Absolutely. It’s playful, it’s clever, and it works. The teaser effortlessly hooks you, making you want to see what’s next. 🧵🩺

💡 The best part? No big-budget production. Just pure creativity and smart marketing.

A quick scroll through the TikTok comments, and it’s clear—the audience loved it. Courts ditched the usual marketing playbook and nailed something fresh, fun, and full of personality. 👏.

@courts_fiji

Operation Successful! #tiktok #trending #tiktokfiji🇫🇯 #courtsfiji Stay tuned for more details‼️. Disclaimer : Courts do not own the rights... See more

🚗 Kontiki Finance vs Team Fiji

Let’s take a moment to appreciate Kontiki Finance’s latest ad—it’s a clever swipe at how slow traditional banks can be.

💀 The punchline? Poor Jone has been waiting so long for his car loan approval, he’s turned into a skeleton! It’s a funny and simple way to ask, “Why wait forever when you can drive off tomorrow with us?”

🎯 More than humor:

• Kontiki nails a real pain point: slow, frustrating processes at the bank.

• They position themselves as the fast, hassle-free alternative.

✍️ No endless paperwork. ⏳ No delays. 🚗 Just quick approval, and you’re on the road!

But, of course, what’s an ad without a bit of banter? #TeamFiji didn’t hold back in the comments—let’s just hope they’re not current customers! 😜

🛡️🚗 🏥 Health Insurance: Pay now, Claim later?

There’s been some noise lately, after MaiTV Director Stanley Simpson voiced his frustration with a change to the claims process with BSP Life’s health insurance coverage. 🤔

💳 The change: As of September 1st, customers now have to pay for medical services upfront and claim reimbursement later.

👎 Why it’s an issue:

• Previously, you didn’t need to pay upfront.

• This new policy hits hard at a time when cash flow is tight, the cost of living is rising, and, more often than not, people don’t have the funds available upfront

👥 Simpson’s post: It quickly gained traction with over 1,000 reactions and 194 comments. His frustration is shared by many, as even the most basic medical services, such as GP consultations, now require upfront payment.

📸 Photo of the week

Only in Fiji

This segment needs very little explaining. Vinaka to that someone for causing the power outage 😳

🎥✨ Video of the Week 🌴

Did you catch our teaser video for the newsletter? Sound up ↗️

Thanks for reading gang! We’ll be back in a fortnight with more trending topics, eats and a few laughs along the way.