The single most interesting experience I had on Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention was the delegate roll call. Each state is called in alphabetical order to cast their delegates’ votes for the nominated candidates. This continues until there are enough votes cast for one candidate to win the nomination, or until someone moves to suspend the vote and nominate a candidate by acclamation.

Sounds simple enough, no? Well, as a political novice, I found there were many twists and turns that were quite confusing for an outsider, but resulted in some interesting moments and an altogether memorable experience.

The roll call began simply enough, with Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa… Read the rest of this entry »

I had a great time at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday! Here are some highlights:

• Charles Barkley scolding me for being outside at the CNN Grill in a light drizzle (it was about 10 drops of rain total!) instead of going indoors. He is a big, big man. Funny, too. I stayed outside anyway, it was beautiful and the Denver sky is really lovely. Still, it was so much fun to see (and hear!) “Sir Charles” in person! Read the rest of this entry »

I appreciated Michelle Obama’s reminder in her speech last night that this week is the 88th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote in the U.S. (August 26, 1920) and the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington (August 28, 1963).

It made me think about all of the history that led to this moment, and the faith of many who came before us who believed in a better world against all odds, and their tremendous sacrifices to make possible a day many of them would never see. Read the rest of this entry »

I”m thrilled to report that I”ll be blogging from the Democratic National Convention this week! The DNC gave the FIJI Water team some credentials (thank you, DNC!), so I”m on my way to Denver with some colleagues.

This is my first time ever attending a convention for any political party, so I”m very excited to see this part of the American political process up close. And – regardless of what your political leanings are – I”m sure most will agree that it”ll be amazing to attend the first convention ever to nominate an African-American as a presidential candidate. I feel very lucky to be a part of this historic moment.

Okay, I have to pack my bags and head to Denver. Stay tuned for updates! And feel free to mention anything particular at the DNC that you”d like to hear more about: “What was it like to hear Senator Obama”s acceptance speech in person?” “Where do the delegates get those silly hats?” “Who throws the best party?” I”ll do my best to address your questions in a future posting.

In my last posting, I shared with you an overview of the work FIJI Water is doing to bring clean safe drinking water to our neighbors in Fiji. Today I’d like to share a little bit more about one of the many projects we’ve completed.

Malolo Lailai Island is a 620-acre island that is part of the Mamanuca Islands, in the Western Division of Fiji. Along with having a pretty name, it is home to two villages – Yaro and Solevu – and five settlements (Cubi, Kawalevu, Vuya, Nawaikama and Yako) with a total population of about 1,300. Read the rest of this entry »

We at FIJI Water are proud of our Fiji heritage and dedicated to contributing to Fiji”s social and economic development. Because of this, we have funded local and national development work in Fiji, including water access projects. The fact that our business exists is the reason why a hundred Fijian villages will have clean water this year.

Read the rest of this entry »