You are here: Home » Entertainment » Night Life » Suva » The 'shifty' nightspots in Suva

By: Alex Elbourne

Talk about shifty, smoky places to go partying in Suva….there’s an abundance!

El Paso/Bali Hai, CP’s, Club 2000, The Garrick, etc, etc.  I have been to quite a few of these places and surprisingly it’s not as bad as you’d think IF you follow a few rules.

Firstly if you’re a woman, these places are not for you, but if you end up in one of these places and someone asks you to dance…let me put it this way, they’re actually TELLING you to dance not asking. So dance.

Secondly, and most importantly, you have to fit in. Here’s how you do it. Mind your own business and don’t make eye contact with anyone. Try not to be too loud. Spit frequently. Yell “WOI!” (but not too loudly) at least once an hour. This is to show that you’re having a rootin’ tootin’ good time. When you go to the toilet, call everyone in the toilet your tau, night, mana or mahtz. Do not ask any of the women to dance unless you’re sure there’s no guys standing with them or trying to fix them. God help you if you do. Since you’re most likely a new face in the club it will cause some resentment with the regulars. Pull the girl back with you to the safety of your group. Spit, swear loudly in Fijian. Look at the floor. Oh I almost forgot…how to dance. It’s really quite simple. Clap your hands together a few times above your head, sing along to the song, put an idiotic smile on your face. See, quite simple really.

The latest of these smoky places I went to was the Garrick located in the middle of Suva. This is where there’s someone drunk on the balcony at any time of the day. It’s actually a pretty nice place. Clean, good service, good people. The day I went was with a bunch of dockworkers. When we got there, the girl behind the bar greeted the gang I was with familiarly. Fijian music, some country numbers and a scattering of reggae tunes. Quite a lot of dockworkers and gang from the wharf go there and there’s a good relationship between them and the people working at The Garrick. To the point where they buy their 40 ounce from outside and drink it there.  So, if you wish to have this kind of experience, you can do so. Just follow my simple rules and you’ll be OK! I think…

 

Share your thoughts. (3 comments so far)