Once known as the Cannibal Isles, because of its ferocious
natives, the South Pacific nation of Fiji is comprised of 322 islands.
About 100 are inhabited, while the balance remain nature preserves.
First settled by Polynesians, the Fiji islands were sort of discovered
in 1643 by Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer. In 1774, even Captain Cook
anchored here, but it was Captain William Bligh of (Mutiny on the Bounty)
fame that finally made them famous.
In 1874 Fiji became a British Colony. It gained its independence in
1970, after nearly a century of British control.
The majority of Fiji is mountainous (volcanic in origin) with several
peaks exceeding 3000 ft. The balance of the smaller islands are a mixture
of coral and limestone. Barrier reefs ring most islands.
Tourism dollars are Fiji's main source of income, followed by the sugar
and garment industries. It's also rich in gold, coconut oil, seafood
and lumber.
The exotic islands of Fiji are one of Oceania's most popular destinations.
Fiji enjoys tropical conditions throughout the year with gentle
trade winds tempering the heat and humidity
Each of the main islands are divided by mountain ranges, and both have
a "wet" side to the south and east, and a "dry"
side to the north and west. Resorts tend to line the west and south
coasts of the larger islands. Fiji receives of 100 inches of annual
rainfall.
Note that Fiji seasons are just the opposite of those in the Northern
Hemisphere, as Spring is (Sept-Nov), Summer is (Dec-Feb), Fall is (Mar-May)
and Winter is (Jun-Aug).
Fijians and Fiji Indians are very tradition-oriented
peoples who have retained a surprising number of their ancestral customs
despite the flood of conflicting influences that have swept the Pacific
over the past century. Rather than a melting pot where one group assimilated
another, Fiji is a patchwork of varied traditions.
The obligations and responsibilities of Fijian village life include not only the erection and upkeep of certain buildings, but personal participation in the many ceremonies that give their lives meaning. Hindu Indians, on the other hand, practice firewalking and observe festivals such as Holi and Diwali, just as their forebears in India did for thousands of years.
Fijian Firewalking
In Fiji, both Fijians and Indians practice firewalking, with the difference being that the Fijians walk on heated stones instead of hot embers. Legends tell how the ability to walk on fire was first given to a warrior named Tui-na-viqalita from Beqa Island, just off the south coast of Viti Levu, who had spared the life of a spirit god he caught while fishing for eels. The freed spirit gave to Tui-na-viqalita the gift of immunity to fire. Today his descendants act as bete (high priests) of the rite of vilavilairevo (jumping into the oven). Only members of his tribe, the Sawau, perform the ceremony. The Tui Sawau lives at Dakuibeqa village on Beqa, but firewalking is now only performed at the resort hotels on Viti Levu.
Fijian firewalkers (men only) are not permitted to have sex or to eat any coconut for two weeks prior to a performance. A man whose wife is pregnant is also barred. In a circular pit about four meters across, hundreds of large stones are first heated by a wood fire until they’re white-hot. If you throw a handkerchief on the stones, it will burst into flames. Much ceremony and chanting accompanies certain phases of the ritual, such as the moment when the wood is removed to leave just the white-hot stones. The men psych themselves up in a nearby hut, then emerge, enter the pit, and walk briskly once around it. Bundles of leaves and grass are then thrown on the stones and the men stand inside the steaming pit again to chant a final song. They seem to have complete immunity to pain and there’s no trace of injury. The men appear to fortify themselves with the heat, to gain some psychic power from the ritual.
Indian Firewalking
By an extraordinary coincidence, Fiji Indians brought with them the ancient practice of religious firewalking. In southern India, firewalking occurs in the pre-monsoon season as a call to the goddess Kali (Durga) for rain. Fiji Indian firewalking is an act of purification, or fulfillment of a vow to thank the god for help in a difficult situation.
In Fiji there is firewalking in most Hindu temples once a year, at full moon sometime between May and September according to the Hindu calendar. The actual event takes place on a Sunday at 1600 on the Suva side of Viti Levu, and at 0400 on the Nadi/Lautoka side. In August firewalking takes place at the Sangam Temple on Howell Road, Suva. During the 10 festival days preceding the walk, participants remain in isolation, eat only unspiced vegetarian food, and spiritually prepare themselves. There are prayers at the temple in the early morning and a group singing of religious stories evenings from Monday through Thursday. The yellow-clad devotees, their faces painted bright yellow and red, often pierce their cheeks or other bodily parts with spikes or three-pronged forks as part of the purification rites. Their faith is so strong they feel no pain.
The event is extremely colorful; drumming and chanting accompany the visual spectacle. Visitors are welcome to observe the firewalking, but since the exact date varies from temple to temple according to the phases of the moon (among other factors), you just have to keep asking to find out where and when it will take place. To enter the temple you must remove your shoes and any leather clothing.
The Yaqona Ceremony
Yaqona (kava), a tranquilizing, nonalcoholic drink that numbs the tongue and lips, comes from the waka (dried root) of the pepper plant (Macropiper methysticum). This ceremonial preparation is the most honored feature of the formal life of Fijians, Tongans, and Samoans. It is performed with the utmost gravity according to a sacramental ritual to mark births, marriages, deaths, official visits, the installation of a new chief, etc.
New mats are first spread on the floor, on which is placed a handcarved tanoa (wooden bowl) nearly a meter wide. A long fiber cord decorated with cowry shells leads from the bowl to the guests of honor. At the end of the cord is a white cowry, which symbolizes a link to ancestral spirits. As many as 70 men take their places before the bowl. The officiants are adorned with tapa, fiber, and croton leaves, their torsos smeared with glistening coconut oil, their faces usually blackened.
The guests present a bundle of waka to the hosts, along with a short speech explaining their visit, a custom known as a sevusevu. The sevusevu is received by the hosts and acknowledged with a short speech of acceptance. The waka are then scraped clean and pounded in a tabili (mortar). Formerly they were chewed. Nowadays the pulp is put in a cloth sack and mixed with water in the tanoa. In the chiefly ceremony the yaqona is kneaded and strained through vau (hibiscus) fibers.
The mixer displays the strength of the grog (kava) to the mata ni vanua (master of ceremonies) by pouring out a cupful into the tanoa. If the mata ni vanua considers the mix too strong, he calls for wai (water), then says lose (mix), and the mixer proceeds. Again he shows the consistency to the mata ni vanua by pouring out a cupful. If it appears right the mata ni vanua says loba (squeeze). The mixer squeezes the remaining juice out of the pulp, puts it aside, and announces, sa lose oti saka na yaqona, vaka turaga (the kava is ready, my chief). He runs both hands around the rim of the tanoa and claps three times.
The mata ni vanua then says talo (serve). The cupbearer squats in front of the tanoa with a bilo (half coconut shell), which the mixer fills. The cupbearer then presents the first cup to the guest of honor, who claps once and drains it, and everyone claps three times. The second cup goes to the guests’ mata ni vanua, who claps once and drinks. The man sitting next to the mixer says aa, and everyone answers maca (empty). The third cup is for the first local chief, who claps once before drinking, and everyone claps three times after. Then the mata ni vanua of the first local chief claps once and drinks, and everyone says maca. The same occurs for the second local chief and his mata ni vanua.
After these six men have finished their cups, the mixer announces, sa maca saka tu na yaqona, vaka turaga (the bowl is empty, my chief), and the mata ni vanua says cobo (clap). The mixer then runs both hands around the rim of the tanoa and claps three times. This terminates the full ceremony, but then a second bowl is prepared and everyone drinks. During the drinking of the first bowl complete silence must be maintained.
Social Kava Drinking
While the above describes one of several forms of the full yaqona ceremony, which is performed only for high chiefs, abbreviated versions are put on for tourists at the hotels. However, the village people have simplified grog sessions almost daily. Kava drinking is an important form of Fijian entertainment and a way of structuring friendships and community relations. Even in government offices a bowl of grog is kept for the staff to take as a refreshment at yaqona breaks. Some say the Fijians have yaqona rather than blood in their veins. Excessive kava drinking over a long period can make the skin scaly and rough, a condition known as kanikani.
Individual visitors to villages are invariably invited to participate in informal kava ceremonies, in which case it’s customary to present a bunch of kava roots to the group. Do this at the beginning, before anybody starts drinking, and make a short speech explaining the purpose of your visit (be it a desire to meet the people and learn about their way of life, an interest in seeing or doing something in particular on their island, or just a holiday from work). Don’t hand the roots to anyone, just place them on the mat in the center of the circle. The bigger the bundle of roots, the bigger the smiles. (The roots are easily purchased at any town market for about F$13 a half kilo.)
Clap once when the cupbearer offers you the bilo, then take it in both hands and say “bula” just before the cup meets your lips. Clap three times after you drink. Remember, you’re a participant, not an onlooking tourist, so don’t take photos if the ceremony is rather formal. Even though you may not like the appearance or taste of the drink, do try to finish at least the first cup. Tip the cup to show you’re done.
It’s considered extremely bad manners to turn your back on a chief during a kava ceremony, to walk in front of the circle of people when entering or leaving, or to step over the long cord attached to the tanoa.
Presentation of the Tabua
The tabua is a tooth of the sperm whale. It was once presented when chiefs exchanged delegates at confederacy meetings and before conferences on peace or war. In recent times, the tabua is presented during chiefly yaqona ceremonies as a symbolic welcome for a respected visitor or guest or as a prelude to public business or modern-day official functions. On the village level, tabuas are still commonly presented to arrange marriages, to show sympathy at funerals, to request favors, to settle disputes, or simply to show respect.
Old tabuas are highly polished from continuous handling. The larger the tooth, the greater its ceremonial value. Tabuas are prized cultural property and may not be exported from Fiji. Endangered species laws prohibit their entry into the United States, Australia, and many other countries.
Stingray Spearing and Fish Drive
Stingrays are lethal-looking creatures with caudal spines up to 18 centimeters long. To catch them, eight or nine punts are drawn up in a line about a kilometer long beside the reef. As soon as a stingray is sighted, a punt is paddled forward with great speed until close enough to hurl a spear.
Another time-honored sport and source of food is the fish drive. An entire village participates. Around the flat surface of a reef at rising tide, sometimes as many as 70 men and women group themselves in a circle a kilometer or more in circumference. All grip a ring of connected liana vines with leaves attached. While shouting, singing, and beating long poles on the seabed, the group slowly contracts the ring as the tide comes in. The shadow of the ring alone is enough to keep the fish within the circle. The fish are finally directed landward into a net or stone fish trap.
The Rising of the Balolo
Among all the Pacific island groups, this event takes place only in Samoa and Fiji. The balolo (Eunice viridis) is a thin, segmented worm of the Coelomate order, considered a culinary delicacy throughout these islands—the caviar of the Pacific. It’s about 45 cm long and lives deep in the fissures of coral reefs. Twice a year it releases an unusual “tail” that contains its eggs or sperm. The worm itself returns to the coral to regenerate a new reproductive tail. The rising of the balolo is a natural almanac that keeps both lunar and solar times, and has a fixed day of appearance—even if a hurricane is raging—one night in the last quarter of the moon in October, and the corresponding night in November. It has never failed to appear on time for over 100 years now, and you can even check your calendar by it.
Because this rising occurs with such mathematical certainty, Fijians are waiting in their boats to scoop the millions of writhing, reddish brown (male) and moss green (female) spawn from the water when they rise to the surface before dawn. Within an hour after the rising, the eggs and sperm are released to spawn the next generation of balolo. The free-swimming larvae seek a suitable coral patch to begin the cycle again. This is one of the most bizarre curiosities in the natural history of the South Pacific, and the southeast coast of Ovalau is a good place to observe it.
CONDUCT
Foreign travel is an exceptional experience enjoyed by a privileged few. Too often, tourists try to transfer their lifestyles to tropical islands, thereby missing out on what is unique to the region. Travel can be a learning experience if approached openly and with a positive attitude, so read up on the local culture before you arrive and become aware of the social and environmental problems of the area. A wise traveler soon graduates from hearing and seeing to listening and observing. Speaking is good for the ego and listening is good for the soul.
The path is primed with packaged pleasures, but pierce the bubble of tourism and you’ll encounter something far from the schedules and organized efficiency: a time to learn how other people live. Walk gently, for human qualities are as fragile and responsive to abuse as the brilliant reefs. The islanders are by nature soft-spoken and reserved. Often they won’t show open disapproval if their social codes are broken, but don’t underestimate them: they understand far more than you think. Consider that you’re only one of thousands of visitors to their country, so don’t expect to be treated better than anyone else. Respect is one of the most important things in life and humility is also greatly appreciated.
If you’re alone you’re lucky, for the single traveler is everyone’s friend. Get away from other tourists and meet the people. There aren’t many places on earth where you can still do this meaningfully, but Fiji is one. If you do meet people with similar interests, keep in touch by writing. This is no tourist’s paradise, though, and local residents are not exhibits or paid performers. They have just as many problems as you, and if you see them as real people you’re less likely to be viewed as a stereotypical tourist. You may have come to escape civilization, but keep in mind that you’re just a guest.
Most important of all, try to see things their way. Take an interest in local customs, values, languages, challenges, and successes. If things work differently than they do back home, give thanks—that’s why you’ve come. Reflect on what you’ve experienced and you’ll return home with a better understanding of how much we all have in common, outwardly different as we may seem. Do that and your trip won’t have been wasted.
Fijian Customs
It’s a Fijian custom to smile when you meet a stranger and say something like “Good morning,” or at least “Hello.” Of course, you needn’t do this in large towns, but you should almost everywhere else. If you meet someone you know, stop for a moment to exchange a few words.
Fijian villages are private property and it’s important to get permission before entering one. Of course it’s okay to continue along a road that passes through a village, but do ask before leaving the road. It’s good manners to take off your hat while walking through a village, where only the chief is permitted to wear a hat. Some villagers also object to sunglasses. Objects such as backpacks, handbags, and cameras are better carried in your hands rather than slung over your shoulders. Alcohol is usually forbidden. Don’t point at people in villages.
If you wish to surf off a village, picnic on their beach, or fish in their lagoon, you should also ask permission. You’ll almost always be made most welcome and granted any favors you request if you present a sevusevu of kava roots to the village headman or chief. If you approach the Fijians with respect you’re sure to be so treated in return.
Take off your shoes before entering a bure and stoop as you walk around inside. Clap three times when you join people already seated on mats on the floor. Men should sit cross-legged, women with their legs to the side. Sitting with your legs stretched out in front is insulting. Fijian villagers consider it offensive to walk in front of a person seated on the floor (pass behind) or to fail to say tulou (excuse me) as you go by. Don’t stand up during a sevusevu to village elders. When you give a gift hold it out with both hands, not one hand. Never place your hand on another’s head and don’t sit in doorways.
Fijian children are very well behaved, and there’s no running or shouting when you arrive in a village, and they leave you alone if you wish. The Fijians love children, so don’t hesitate to bring your own. You’ll never have to worry about finding a baby-sitter. Just make sure your children understand the importance of being on their best behavior in the village. Do you notice how Fijians rarely shout? In Fiji, raising your voice is a sign of anger.
Dress
It’s important to know that the dress code in Fiji is strict. Short shorts, halter tops, and bathing costumes in public shows a lack of respect, and in the context of a Fijian village it’s considered offensive: a sulu wrapped around you solves this one. Men should always wear a shirt in town, and women should wear dresses that adequately cover their legs while seated. Nothing will mark you so quickly as a tourist nor make you more popular with street vendors than scanty dress. Of course, there is a place for it: on the beach in front of a resort hotel. In a society where even bathing suits are considered extremely risqué for local women, public nudity is unthinkable, and topless sunbathing by women is also banned in Fiji (except at isolated island resorts).
Questions
The islanders are eager to please, so phrase your questions carefully. They’ll answer yes or no according to what they think you want to hear—don’t suggest the answer in your question. Test this by asking your informant to confirm something you know to be incorrect. Also don’t ask negative questions, such as “you’re not going to Suva, are you?” Invariably the answer will be “yes,” meaning “yes, I’m not going to Suva.” It also could work like this: “Don’t you have anything cheaper?” “Yes.” “What do you have that is cheaper?” “Nothing.” Yes, he doesn’t have anything cheaper. If you want to be sure of something, ask several people the same question in different ways.
Dangers and Annoyances
In Suva, beware of the seemingly friendly Fijian men (usually with a small package or canvas bag in their hands) who will greet you on the street with a hearty Bula! These are “sword sellers” who will ask your name, quickly carve it on a mask, and then demand F$20 for a set that you could buy at a Nadi curio shop for F$5. Other times they’ll try to engage you in conversation and may offer a “gift.” Just say “thank you very much” and walk away from them quickly without accepting anything, as they can suddenly become unpleasant and aggressive. Their grotesque swords and masks themselves have nothing to do with Fiji.
Similarly, overly sociable people at bars may expect you to buy them drinks. In the main tourist centers such as Nadi and Suva, take care if a local invites you to visit his home as you may be seen mainly as a source of beer and other goods.
Although The Fiji Times is often full of stories of violent crimes including assaults, robberies, and burglaries, it’s partly the very novelty of these events that makes them worth reporting. Fiji is still a much safer country than the U.S. and tourists are not specifically targeted for attack, but normal precautions should still be taken. Keep to well lit streets at night, take a taxi if you’ve had more than one drink, and steer clear of robust, poorly dressed Fijian men who may accost you on the street for no reason. Don’t react if offered drugs. It’s wise to keep valuables locked in your bag in hotel rooms.
Women should have few real problems traveling around Fiji on their own, so long as they’re prepared to cope with frequent offers of marriage. Although a female tourist shouldn’t have to face sexist violence the way a local woman might, it’s smart to be defensive and to lie about where you’re staying. If you want to be left alone, conservative dress and purposeful behavior will work to your advantage. In village situations seek the company of local women.
Littering is punished by a minimum F$40 fine and breaking bottles in public can earn six months in jail (unfortunately seldom enforced).
The obligations and responsibilities of Fijian village life include not only the erection and upkeep of certain buildings, but personal participation in the many ceremonies that give their lives meaning. Hindu Indians, on the other hand, practice firewalking and observe festivals such as Holi and Diwali, just as their forebears in India did for thousands of years.
Fijian Firewalking
In Fiji, both Fijians and Indians practice firewalking, with the difference being that the Fijians walk on heated stones instead of hot embers. Legends tell how the ability to walk on fire was first given to a warrior named Tui-na-viqalita from Beqa Island, just off the south coast of Viti Levu, who had spared the life of a spirit god he caught while fishing for eels. The freed spirit gave to Tui-na-viqalita the gift of immunity to fire. Today his descendants act as bete (high priests) of the rite of vilavilairevo (jumping into the oven). Only members of his tribe, the Sawau, perform the ceremony. The Tui Sawau lives at Dakuibeqa village on Beqa, but firewalking is now only performed at the resort hotels on Viti Levu.
Fijian firewalkers (men only) are not permitted to have sex or to eat any coconut for two weeks prior to a performance. A man whose wife is pregnant is also barred. In a circular pit about four meters across, hundreds of large stones are first heated by a wood fire until they’re white-hot. If you throw a handkerchief on the stones, it will burst into flames. Much ceremony and chanting accompanies certain phases of the ritual, such as the moment when the wood is removed to leave just the white-hot stones. The men psych themselves up in a nearby hut, then emerge, enter the pit, and walk briskly once around it. Bundles of leaves and grass are then thrown on the stones and the men stand inside the steaming pit again to chant a final song. They seem to have complete immunity to pain and there’s no trace of injury. The men appear to fortify themselves with the heat, to gain some psychic power from the ritual.
Indian Firewalking
By an extraordinary coincidence, Fiji Indians brought with them the ancient practice of religious firewalking. In southern India, firewalking occurs in the pre-monsoon season as a call to the goddess Kali (Durga) for rain. Fiji Indian firewalking is an act of purification, or fulfillment of a vow to thank the god for help in a difficult situation.
In Fiji there is firewalking in most Hindu temples once a year, at full moon sometime between May and September according to the Hindu calendar. The actual event takes place on a Sunday at 1600 on the Suva side of Viti Levu, and at 0400 on the Nadi/Lautoka side. In August firewalking takes place at the Sangam Temple on Howell Road, Suva. During the 10 festival days preceding the walk, participants remain in isolation, eat only unspiced vegetarian food, and spiritually prepare themselves. There are prayers at the temple in the early morning and a group singing of religious stories evenings from Monday through Thursday. The yellow-clad devotees, their faces painted bright yellow and red, often pierce their cheeks or other bodily parts with spikes or three-pronged forks as part of the purification rites. Their faith is so strong they feel no pain.
The event is extremely colorful; drumming and chanting accompany the visual spectacle. Visitors are welcome to observe the firewalking, but since the exact date varies from temple to temple according to the phases of the moon (among other factors), you just have to keep asking to find out where and when it will take place. To enter the temple you must remove your shoes and any leather clothing.
The Yaqona Ceremony
Yaqona (kava), a tranquilizing, nonalcoholic drink that numbs the tongue and lips, comes from the waka (dried root) of the pepper plant (Macropiper methysticum). This ceremonial preparation is the most honored feature of the formal life of Fijians, Tongans, and Samoans. It is performed with the utmost gravity according to a sacramental ritual to mark births, marriages, deaths, official visits, the installation of a new chief, etc.
New mats are first spread on the floor, on which is placed a handcarved tanoa (wooden bowl) nearly a meter wide. A long fiber cord decorated with cowry shells leads from the bowl to the guests of honor. At the end of the cord is a white cowry, which symbolizes a link to ancestral spirits. As many as 70 men take their places before the bowl. The officiants are adorned with tapa, fiber, and croton leaves, their torsos smeared with glistening coconut oil, their faces usually blackened.
The guests present a bundle of waka to the hosts, along with a short speech explaining their visit, a custom known as a sevusevu. The sevusevu is received by the hosts and acknowledged with a short speech of acceptance. The waka are then scraped clean and pounded in a tabili (mortar). Formerly they were chewed. Nowadays the pulp is put in a cloth sack and mixed with water in the tanoa. In the chiefly ceremony the yaqona is kneaded and strained through vau (hibiscus) fibers.
The mixer displays the strength of the grog (kava) to the mata ni vanua (master of ceremonies) by pouring out a cupful into the tanoa. If the mata ni vanua considers the mix too strong, he calls for wai (water), then says lose (mix), and the mixer proceeds. Again he shows the consistency to the mata ni vanua by pouring out a cupful. If it appears right the mata ni vanua says loba (squeeze). The mixer squeezes the remaining juice out of the pulp, puts it aside, and announces, sa lose oti saka na yaqona, vaka turaga (the kava is ready, my chief). He runs both hands around the rim of the tanoa and claps three times.
The mata ni vanua then says talo (serve). The cupbearer squats in front of the tanoa with a bilo (half coconut shell), which the mixer fills. The cupbearer then presents the first cup to the guest of honor, who claps once and drains it, and everyone claps three times. The second cup goes to the guests’ mata ni vanua, who claps once and drinks. The man sitting next to the mixer says aa, and everyone answers maca (empty). The third cup is for the first local chief, who claps once before drinking, and everyone claps three times after. Then the mata ni vanua of the first local chief claps once and drinks, and everyone says maca. The same occurs for the second local chief and his mata ni vanua.
After these six men have finished their cups, the mixer announces, sa maca saka tu na yaqona, vaka turaga (the bowl is empty, my chief), and the mata ni vanua says cobo (clap). The mixer then runs both hands around the rim of the tanoa and claps three times. This terminates the full ceremony, but then a second bowl is prepared and everyone drinks. During the drinking of the first bowl complete silence must be maintained.
Social Kava Drinking
While the above describes one of several forms of the full yaqona ceremony, which is performed only for high chiefs, abbreviated versions are put on for tourists at the hotels. However, the village people have simplified grog sessions almost daily. Kava drinking is an important form of Fijian entertainment and a way of structuring friendships and community relations. Even in government offices a bowl of grog is kept for the staff to take as a refreshment at yaqona breaks. Some say the Fijians have yaqona rather than blood in their veins. Excessive kava drinking over a long period can make the skin scaly and rough, a condition known as kanikani.
Individual visitors to villages are invariably invited to participate in informal kava ceremonies, in which case it’s customary to present a bunch of kava roots to the group. Do this at the beginning, before anybody starts drinking, and make a short speech explaining the purpose of your visit (be it a desire to meet the people and learn about their way of life, an interest in seeing or doing something in particular on their island, or just a holiday from work). Don’t hand the roots to anyone, just place them on the mat in the center of the circle. The bigger the bundle of roots, the bigger the smiles. (The roots are easily purchased at any town market for about F$13 a half kilo.)
Clap once when the cupbearer offers you the bilo, then take it in both hands and say “bula” just before the cup meets your lips. Clap three times after you drink. Remember, you’re a participant, not an onlooking tourist, so don’t take photos if the ceremony is rather formal. Even though you may not like the appearance or taste of the drink, do try to finish at least the first cup. Tip the cup to show you’re done.
It’s considered extremely bad manners to turn your back on a chief during a kava ceremony, to walk in front of the circle of people when entering or leaving, or to step over the long cord attached to the tanoa.
Presentation of the Tabua
The tabua is a tooth of the sperm whale. It was once presented when chiefs exchanged delegates at confederacy meetings and before conferences on peace or war. In recent times, the tabua is presented during chiefly yaqona ceremonies as a symbolic welcome for a respected visitor or guest or as a prelude to public business or modern-day official functions. On the village level, tabuas are still commonly presented to arrange marriages, to show sympathy at funerals, to request favors, to settle disputes, or simply to show respect.
Old tabuas are highly polished from continuous handling. The larger the tooth, the greater its ceremonial value. Tabuas are prized cultural property and may not be exported from Fiji. Endangered species laws prohibit their entry into the United States, Australia, and many other countries.
Stingray Spearing and Fish Drive
Stingrays are lethal-looking creatures with caudal spines up to 18 centimeters long. To catch them, eight or nine punts are drawn up in a line about a kilometer long beside the reef. As soon as a stingray is sighted, a punt is paddled forward with great speed until close enough to hurl a spear.
Another time-honored sport and source of food is the fish drive. An entire village participates. Around the flat surface of a reef at rising tide, sometimes as many as 70 men and women group themselves in a circle a kilometer or more in circumference. All grip a ring of connected liana vines with leaves attached. While shouting, singing, and beating long poles on the seabed, the group slowly contracts the ring as the tide comes in. The shadow of the ring alone is enough to keep the fish within the circle. The fish are finally directed landward into a net or stone fish trap.
The Rising of the Balolo
Among all the Pacific island groups, this event takes place only in Samoa and Fiji. The balolo (Eunice viridis) is a thin, segmented worm of the Coelomate order, considered a culinary delicacy throughout these islands—the caviar of the Pacific. It’s about 45 cm long and lives deep in the fissures of coral reefs. Twice a year it releases an unusual “tail” that contains its eggs or sperm. The worm itself returns to the coral to regenerate a new reproductive tail. The rising of the balolo is a natural almanac that keeps both lunar and solar times, and has a fixed day of appearance—even if a hurricane is raging—one night in the last quarter of the moon in October, and the corresponding night in November. It has never failed to appear on time for over 100 years now, and you can even check your calendar by it.
Because this rising occurs with such mathematical certainty, Fijians are waiting in their boats to scoop the millions of writhing, reddish brown (male) and moss green (female) spawn from the water when they rise to the surface before dawn. Within an hour after the rising, the eggs and sperm are released to spawn the next generation of balolo. The free-swimming larvae seek a suitable coral patch to begin the cycle again. This is one of the most bizarre curiosities in the natural history of the South Pacific, and the southeast coast of Ovalau is a good place to observe it.
CONDUCT
Foreign travel is an exceptional experience enjoyed by a privileged few. Too often, tourists try to transfer their lifestyles to tropical islands, thereby missing out on what is unique to the region. Travel can be a learning experience if approached openly and with a positive attitude, so read up on the local culture before you arrive and become aware of the social and environmental problems of the area. A wise traveler soon graduates from hearing and seeing to listening and observing. Speaking is good for the ego and listening is good for the soul.
The path is primed with packaged pleasures, but pierce the bubble of tourism and you’ll encounter something far from the schedules and organized efficiency: a time to learn how other people live. Walk gently, for human qualities are as fragile and responsive to abuse as the brilliant reefs. The islanders are by nature soft-spoken and reserved. Often they won’t show open disapproval if their social codes are broken, but don’t underestimate them: they understand far more than you think. Consider that you’re only one of thousands of visitors to their country, so don’t expect to be treated better than anyone else. Respect is one of the most important things in life and humility is also greatly appreciated.
If you’re alone you’re lucky, for the single traveler is everyone’s friend. Get away from other tourists and meet the people. There aren’t many places on earth where you can still do this meaningfully, but Fiji is one. If you do meet people with similar interests, keep in touch by writing. This is no tourist’s paradise, though, and local residents are not exhibits or paid performers. They have just as many problems as you, and if you see them as real people you’re less likely to be viewed as a stereotypical tourist. You may have come to escape civilization, but keep in mind that you’re just a guest.
Most important of all, try to see things their way. Take an interest in local customs, values, languages, challenges, and successes. If things work differently than they do back home, give thanks—that’s why you’ve come. Reflect on what you’ve experienced and you’ll return home with a better understanding of how much we all have in common, outwardly different as we may seem. Do that and your trip won’t have been wasted.
Fijian Customs
It’s a Fijian custom to smile when you meet a stranger and say something like “Good morning,” or at least “Hello.” Of course, you needn’t do this in large towns, but you should almost everywhere else. If you meet someone you know, stop for a moment to exchange a few words.
Fijian villages are private property and it’s important to get permission before entering one. Of course it’s okay to continue along a road that passes through a village, but do ask before leaving the road. It’s good manners to take off your hat while walking through a village, where only the chief is permitted to wear a hat. Some villagers also object to sunglasses. Objects such as backpacks, handbags, and cameras are better carried in your hands rather than slung over your shoulders. Alcohol is usually forbidden. Don’t point at people in villages.
If you wish to surf off a village, picnic on their beach, or fish in their lagoon, you should also ask permission. You’ll almost always be made most welcome and granted any favors you request if you present a sevusevu of kava roots to the village headman or chief. If you approach the Fijians with respect you’re sure to be so treated in return.
Take off your shoes before entering a bure and stoop as you walk around inside. Clap three times when you join people already seated on mats on the floor. Men should sit cross-legged, women with their legs to the side. Sitting with your legs stretched out in front is insulting. Fijian villagers consider it offensive to walk in front of a person seated on the floor (pass behind) or to fail to say tulou (excuse me) as you go by. Don’t stand up during a sevusevu to village elders. When you give a gift hold it out with both hands, not one hand. Never place your hand on another’s head and don’t sit in doorways.
Fijian children are very well behaved, and there’s no running or shouting when you arrive in a village, and they leave you alone if you wish. The Fijians love children, so don’t hesitate to bring your own. You’ll never have to worry about finding a baby-sitter. Just make sure your children understand the importance of being on their best behavior in the village. Do you notice how Fijians rarely shout? In Fiji, raising your voice is a sign of anger.
Dress
It’s important to know that the dress code in Fiji is strict. Short shorts, halter tops, and bathing costumes in public shows a lack of respect, and in the context of a Fijian village it’s considered offensive: a sulu wrapped around you solves this one. Men should always wear a shirt in town, and women should wear dresses that adequately cover their legs while seated. Nothing will mark you so quickly as a tourist nor make you more popular with street vendors than scanty dress. Of course, there is a place for it: on the beach in front of a resort hotel. In a society where even bathing suits are considered extremely risqué for local women, public nudity is unthinkable, and topless sunbathing by women is also banned in Fiji (except at isolated island resorts).
Questions
The islanders are eager to please, so phrase your questions carefully. They’ll answer yes or no according to what they think you want to hear—don’t suggest the answer in your question. Test this by asking your informant to confirm something you know to be incorrect. Also don’t ask negative questions, such as “you’re not going to Suva, are you?” Invariably the answer will be “yes,” meaning “yes, I’m not going to Suva.” It also could work like this: “Don’t you have anything cheaper?” “Yes.” “What do you have that is cheaper?” “Nothing.” Yes, he doesn’t have anything cheaper. If you want to be sure of something, ask several people the same question in different ways.
Dangers and Annoyances
In Suva, beware of the seemingly friendly Fijian men (usually with a small package or canvas bag in their hands) who will greet you on the street with a hearty Bula! These are “sword sellers” who will ask your name, quickly carve it on a mask, and then demand F$20 for a set that you could buy at a Nadi curio shop for F$5. Other times they’ll try to engage you in conversation and may offer a “gift.” Just say “thank you very much” and walk away from them quickly without accepting anything, as they can suddenly become unpleasant and aggressive. Their grotesque swords and masks themselves have nothing to do with Fiji.
Similarly, overly sociable people at bars may expect you to buy them drinks. In the main tourist centers such as Nadi and Suva, take care if a local invites you to visit his home as you may be seen mainly as a source of beer and other goods.
Although The Fiji Times is often full of stories of violent crimes including assaults, robberies, and burglaries, it’s partly the very novelty of these events that makes them worth reporting. Fiji is still a much safer country than the U.S. and tourists are not specifically targeted for attack, but normal precautions should still be taken. Keep to well lit streets at night, take a taxi if you’ve had more than one drink, and steer clear of robust, poorly dressed Fijian men who may accost you on the street for no reason. Don’t react if offered drugs. It’s wise to keep valuables locked in your bag in hotel rooms.
Women should have few real problems traveling around Fiji on their own, so long as they’re prepared to cope with frequent offers of marriage. Although a female tourist shouldn’t have to face sexist violence the way a local woman might, it’s smart to be defensive and to lie about where you’re staying. If you want to be left alone, conservative dress and purposeful behavior will work to your advantage. In village situations seek the company of local women.
Littering is punished by a minimum F$40 fine and breaking bottles in public can earn six months in jail (unfortunately seldom enforced).
