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…

During the roll call, each delegation shares a few (or many) words about what makes its state or territory special. It is the cutest thing, if only because I’m a sucker for neat trivia and historical facts. A few examples of the kinds of facts each delegation shares:

• Guam is the first part of America on which the sun rises every morning. (Forgive my ignorance, I’d always heard it was Maine but now know better.)
• Idaho was the birthplace of Sacajawea, the Native American woman who helped guide the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark expedition in the American West.
• Minnesota is home to the collegiate national champion Minnesota-Duluth women’s hockey team. (Really!)

As one delegation after another announced its votes, I settled in to enjoy the proceedings. When they got to California, though, I was in for a surprise – California and its 441 delegates “passed,” meaning they elected not to cast their votes. Huh?!?

I was wondering if all the Democratic primary voters in California had cast their votes in vain. It was completely bewildering. But when Illinois, Senator Obama’s home state, also passed, I figured something was up.

The voting continued until the roll call reached New Mexico. New Mexico, instead of voting or passing, announced that it would “yield” to Illinois, making it Illinois’s turn to vote again. As the Illinois delegation spoke about its state and senator, Senator Clinton entered the convention hall! At that point, we all realized what was going on. Illinois would yield to New York, and Senator Clinton herself would make the motion to suspend the vote and nominate Senator Obama by acclamation.

The convention had planned for California and Illinois to pass, so that the total delegate count would remain below the number needed and the roll call would not end before it reached New Mexico and New York. The delegate roll call was pure theater – not a “real” vote – but very entertaining for someone like me who had no idea what was going on!

And ultimately, it was amazing to be present at the first ever nomination of an African-American for U.S. president by a major political party. As I’ve mentioned before, I think most will agree regardless of their political leanings that this is an extraordinary moment in history. And it was wonderful to be a part of it in person.

Other updates from Wednesday…

• Still haven’t found the Obama earrings. I’ve learned my lesson: Shop first and ask questions later!
• Celebrity sightings: Saw Ben Affleck not once but twice at my hotel. I didn’t know he was growing a beard! Also saw Steven Spielberg posing for a photo with a couple of fans.
• Visited the tent where the DNC is providing FIJI Water for its volunteers to keep them hydrated in the hot Denver weather. (And, in case it matters to you, FIJI Water will also be at the Republican Governors’ Assocation events at the convention in St. Paul next week, along with some Young Republican events. Everyone needs to stay hydrated.)

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!
• Seeing the really big crowds start to arrive. If you saw the security check line that CNN was broadcasting, you know what I’m talking about. And yes, I was standing in that loooong line at one point. Am I a dork for looking at the footage early this morning to see if I was on TV? And squinting at the tiny faces in the crowd to see if I could find myself or anyone I met in line? (The answer is yes.)
• Attending the MTV Rock the Vote party at the 5 Degrees nightclub in Denver. FIJI Water was one of the sponsors, and we had a water bar that not only looked gorgeous, but also shared some great facts about forest conservation, recycling, and how we can all make a difference for the better. I’ll share pictures and more details in a future posting.
• Some guy on the street trying to sell me a pair of Obama earrings. They were dangling earrings with his face as the “charm.” I realized later (after I’d declined) that those earrings would be an awesome or at least hilarious memento to show the grandkids someday! Gotta look for that guy today. I’ll post a picture if I do find them.
• Just taking it all in. The crowds, the energy, the enthusiasm, the drama…this is seriously fun.

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.

Whether it was Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who helped launch the U.S. women’s suffrage movement that would make it possible for future generations of women to vote and hold political office, or Dr. King, who met hatred with love as a civil rights leader and paved the way for an African-American to run for president, or many others like them both known and unknown…they all renew my faith that every one of us can make a lasting difference for the better, each in our own way.

I was reminded of Dr. King’s 1968 sermon on “The Drum Major Instinct,” especially one excerpt that is frequently quoted, and with good reason:

If you want to be important – wonderful. If you want to be recognized – wonderful. If you want to be great – wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.

That’s a new definition of greatness. And this morning, the thing I like about it: By giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato or Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve.

You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.

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.

The Malolo Lailai Island residents have not had access to running water in the past, so they would use rainwater catchments and wells to get water. Since the island receives rainfall for only three months of the year, island residents would spend the other nine months trying to get water from the mainland or sporadic rainfall. The well water was used for washing only, since it was not fit to drink.

This all changed in December 2007, when the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Trust, which FIJI Water has funded, brought clean running water to every house in the villages. We were delighted to help make this happen. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – we believe that Fiji is home to the best water on the planet, and the people of Fiji should be able to enjoy it as much as the rest of the world does.

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.

We believe that Fiji is home to the best water on the planet, and the people of Fiji should be able to enjoy it as much as the rest of the world does. Reliable access to clean, safe drinking water is common throughout much of Fiji, but there are still remote villages where infrastructure is lacking.

FIJI Water has taken direct responsibility for providing water access to the villages that surround our source in the Yaqara Valley. We are doing this work through the Natural Waters of Viti Limited Trust, which we established in 2000 and fund with a percentage of company revenue. All funds from the trust go directly to projects in Vatukaloko, our local vanua, which is comprised of the six villages surrounding our plant and is home to more than 75% of our 400 person workforce.

Over the last eight years, the trust has invested hundreds of thousands of Fijian dollars upgrading water systems in local villages, and this year we have used our own onsite talent and resources to drop three new bores in the villages to provide better quality and more consistent water supply. We have completed projects that serve the towns of Drauniivi and Togovere, and by the end of 2008 we will complete similar projects in Naseyani, Nananu and Rabulu.

In addition, the FIJI Water Foundation – founded in 2007 with the intent of bringing similar benefits to communities throughout all of Fiji – is a partner in the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Trust, which is building sustainable water projects in Fijian communities that have been determined by an external SoPAC survey to have the highest level need. In addition to its Rotary partnership, the FIJI Water Foundation has provided water tanks, bores, piping, and expertise directly to numerous other schools and communities that have applied for aid, including Navesau Adventist School in Ra, Vunisoco Village in Namosi, and Malomalo Primary in Nadroga.

Through our partnership with the Rotary Club, we will be responsible for bringing water access to a hundred communities this year alone with the goal of another hundred communities in 2009. Over 50 of the projects we have planned for 2008 are already complete, and we’re looking forward to sharing more about individual projects in upcoming blogs.