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I feel like a local …
Bula
So a bit of time has passed since I last wrote which means one of two things. Either I have been too busy at work or I have been having too much of a good time. Actually in Fiji you can do both.
New years eve was really good. Started off at The Club and had a few too many Fiji Bitters. At $2.10 and in this heat, you cant help it. Obviously as you consume more, the less you really worry about the next day and the consequences of your, well your actions.
After meeting a few people at the club by chance, we went off to Vuda Marina for the greatest arrgghh Pirates Party I have ever been to. Actually I think it was my first, but never the less, it rocked. The crowd included Norre from Germany, been here for 5 months doing work experience for his studies, the oh so beautiful Andrea (pronounced Aandraya), also from Germany, but been here for I think about 7 years, Jack, a Fijian half breed poofter who is now married to a guy and lives in Switzerland, Rosina Johns-Wye, also a local Fijian Fruit Salad, but really the coolest chick you have ever met and me, ou boet van Afrika.
Don’t worry people, they refer to themselves as half breeds and fruit salads due to being of mixed decent. In SA you would get hug for saying such a thing. It just shows how relaxed this place is about stuff that doesn’t really matter. I put on my “all Australian” Bandana and we climbed into a mini bus taxi and headed off to Vuda Marina to get down and have some fun. All was going well until the clock struck 12 and happy new year kisses were flying around the place. Somehow or other, my lips get stuck to Andreas and that was that for the rest of the night. I then establish through a whole lot of signals and other peoples concern, that the beautiful woman has been dating a pilot living in Lautoka that I had met and really liked. Oh well, too much Fiji Bitter and my attitude is who cares.
Anyway, we all head home at around 4am and we part our ways to our separate dwellings. Actually a good thing in hindsight. Innocent me from Africa is now in the middle of a small town scandal and have only been there for 2 weeks. All sorted out now, but I am not yet free of glares around this little town. Nothing I cant handle. Don’t F#%^k with the Paratrooper.
Enough of that story. The next night I attended a farewell for my friend Jack who is going back to Switzerland the day after. The farewell consists of a Lovo (all the food cooked underground wrapped in banana leaves) and plenty of Taki. This Taki thing is the real test. A small glass of beer is passed to one person at a time and you down it. This goes on for many hours and believe you me, you get more “cut” (drunk) than if you sip on your own beers all night. All this done sitting on the small veranda on the floor. Nothing fancy, just awesome people, a lot of beer and the most amazing food, all while sitting on your arse on the veranda. The family whose house it is are just awesome. People don’t have material wealth here, but they will share the shirts off their backs if you had to need it. One of Jacks friends, a real “Shehim” does a pole dance for us so I decide to show them some Zulu dancing. That’s the party starter. Anyway, I spend some time of the night talking to Andrea on the phone and then trying to teach Rosina how to do the Ramba with a bit of dirty dancing thrown in. I think I got home at 4am.
The next day I am really very lucky to be invited with Rosie (Rosina) to her family village which is about 70km along the coast. This kind of experience is important to my job here as I need to know the culture in order to make the most of my marketing efforts and product sourcing. We have a pretty cool lunch with about 25 family members sitting inside this massive room on the floor, again eating the most amazing food. Fish that were caught fresh the day before, vegetables grown on their land and the biggest spread you have ever seen.
After lunch we leave that part of the family and head across the way to a more modern kind of village settlement where I meet the most colourful bunch of people. The atmosphere here is one of celebration as family have come across from Australia and NZ to have a reunion. There are whites, half breeds, Fijians and a whole mix. Most of all there is friendship and sharing of stories. The men are all sitting on the verandah having Taki with some beers. This is “wash down” after their session of Grog, which is a traditional drink made from a plant, that does not make you drunk, just doped. I join the circle and they decide to make another mix. The crushed plant is put into a material bag and held over a plastic bowl. Water is pored over it and then it is squeezed until the mix is at the right consistency and colour. When you read about it, it says the colour of mud. That’s no lie. Anyway, they have been doing this for many centuries so I decide to have my first experience of Kava (Grog). It is not a narcotic nor an alcohol so what harm can there be.
There is a lot of tradition in how it is drunk. There is a Taki master who sits with the bowl in front of him, every one else sits in a circle with their legs folded. The master takes a half a coconut shell and fills it with the liquid by scooping it into the bowl. He then passes it to the first person. There is an order that it is done in such as brother first then first born or Namesake. As you are receiving the bowl, you clap once, take it and then down it. After you pass it back you clap 3 times and so it goes on. I get my first bowl and down it. Tastes terrible, looks terrible and smells terrible. This is Fiji. Pieces of Chinese sweets are passed around to suck on to get rid of the taste. So what happens … your tongue goes a bit numb and then it is all back to normal. However, after a whole day of Grog, you become what they called doped, which means very lethargic and groggy. Then comes the washdown. This is when you switch back to the Taki with beer so that you can get rid of the taste. Imagine sitting on the floor on a verandah with this bunch of guys, two of them were ex force and served in Saudi, one was an ex policeman, one a poofter and a few other who I think just drink Grog all day. There was a lady there who they called the mermaid as her skin was like fishes scales, no lies. This is apparently because she drinks Grog all day every day and hardly eats. After a lot of clapping and drinking with this tattoo covered bunch, I decide I to take a break from the Kava. Part of the partaking is all about storytelling and socializing and less about the actual drink. Look it up on the internet, it is quite interesting.
Later that afternoon, a whole lot of decide to head on to the beach which is located behind some of the highest sand dunes in Fiji. By this stage the wind is blowing about 40knots side onshore and we head off to go and swim. As we come around the dunes my excitement level rises. I have just discovered on of the only real beach breaks on the main island of Viti Levu and boy does it look good. I have found my kiting spot! Waves, a flat section, right direction wind, warm water and plenty of beach. I now have another to add to my growing list.
After swimming for an hour, we head of back to Lautoka, after all, tomorrow is Monday the 4th, my birthday and I was going on a trip to Suva. I have now been in Fiji for about two weeks and have had more experiences than most people will have in their lifetime. Myself and Rosie my very good friend, guide and teacher take a slow drive back to Lautoka and I feel alive.
Man I love this place!
Live to fly
Bruce
Some expressions and slang:
Yaaning chatting
Cut drunk
Full Cut Very Drunk
Namesake Child named after parent
Grog Kava
Doped effect of grog
Bula Hello
Vinaka Thank you
Lovo Meal cooked under the earth wrapped in banana leaves
Taki Drink passed to a person to down
Trues up No shit
Basin Bowl in which they mix the Kava
So a bit of time has passed since I last wrote which means one of two things. Either I have been too busy at work or I have been having too much of a good time. Actually in Fiji you can do both.
New years eve was really good. Started off at The Club and had a few too many Fiji Bitters. At $2.10 and in this heat, you cant help it. Obviously as you consume more, the less you really worry about the next day and the consequences of your, well your actions.
After meeting a few people at the club by chance, we went off to Vuda Marina for the greatest arrgghh Pirates Party I have ever been to. Actually I think it was my first, but never the less, it rocked. The crowd included Norre from Germany, been here for 5 months doing work experience for his studies, the oh so beautiful Andrea (pronounced Aandraya), also from Germany, but been here for I think about 7 years, Jack, a Fijian half breed poofter who is now married to a guy and lives in Switzerland, Rosina Johns-Wye, also a local Fijian Fruit Salad, but really the coolest chick you have ever met and me, ou boet van Afrika.
Don’t worry people, they refer to themselves as half breeds and fruit salads due to being of mixed decent. In SA you would get hug for saying such a thing. It just shows how relaxed this place is about stuff that doesn’t really matter. I put on my “all Australian” Bandana and we climbed into a mini bus taxi and headed off to Vuda Marina to get down and have some fun. All was going well until the clock struck 12 and happy new year kisses were flying around the place. Somehow or other, my lips get stuck to Andreas and that was that for the rest of the night. I then establish through a whole lot of signals and other peoples concern, that the beautiful woman has been dating a pilot living in Lautoka that I had met and really liked. Oh well, too much Fiji Bitter and my attitude is who cares.
Anyway, we all head home at around 4am and we part our ways to our separate dwellings. Actually a good thing in hindsight. Innocent me from Africa is now in the middle of a small town scandal and have only been there for 2 weeks. All sorted out now, but I am not yet free of glares around this little town. Nothing I cant handle. Don’t F#%^k with the Paratrooper.
Enough of that story. The next night I attended a farewell for my friend Jack who is going back to Switzerland the day after. The farewell consists of a Lovo (all the food cooked underground wrapped in banana leaves) and plenty of Taki. This Taki thing is the real test. A small glass of beer is passed to one person at a time and you down it. This goes on for many hours and believe you me, you get more “cut” (drunk) than if you sip on your own beers all night. All this done sitting on the small veranda on the floor. Nothing fancy, just awesome people, a lot of beer and the most amazing food, all while sitting on your arse on the veranda. The family whose house it is are just awesome. People don’t have material wealth here, but they will share the shirts off their backs if you had to need it. One of Jacks friends, a real “Shehim” does a pole dance for us so I decide to show them some Zulu dancing. That’s the party starter. Anyway, I spend some time of the night talking to Andrea on the phone and then trying to teach Rosina how to do the Ramba with a bit of dirty dancing thrown in. I think I got home at 4am.
The next day I am really very lucky to be invited with Rosie (Rosina) to her family village which is about 70km along the coast. This kind of experience is important to my job here as I need to know the culture in order to make the most of my marketing efforts and product sourcing. We have a pretty cool lunch with about 25 family members sitting inside this massive room on the floor, again eating the most amazing food. Fish that were caught fresh the day before, vegetables grown on their land and the biggest spread you have ever seen.
After lunch we leave that part of the family and head across the way to a more modern kind of village settlement where I meet the most colourful bunch of people. The atmosphere here is one of celebration as family have come across from Australia and NZ to have a reunion. There are whites, half breeds, Fijians and a whole mix. Most of all there is friendship and sharing of stories. The men are all sitting on the verandah having Taki with some beers. This is “wash down” after their session of Grog, which is a traditional drink made from a plant, that does not make you drunk, just doped. I join the circle and they decide to make another mix. The crushed plant is put into a material bag and held over a plastic bowl. Water is pored over it and then it is squeezed until the mix is at the right consistency and colour. When you read about it, it says the colour of mud. That’s no lie. Anyway, they have been doing this for many centuries so I decide to have my first experience of Kava (Grog). It is not a narcotic nor an alcohol so what harm can there be.
There is a lot of tradition in how it is drunk. There is a Taki master who sits with the bowl in front of him, every one else sits in a circle with their legs folded. The master takes a half a coconut shell and fills it with the liquid by scooping it into the bowl. He then passes it to the first person. There is an order that it is done in such as brother first then first born or Namesake. As you are receiving the bowl, you clap once, take it and then down it. After you pass it back you clap 3 times and so it goes on. I get my first bowl and down it. Tastes terrible, looks terrible and smells terrible. This is Fiji. Pieces of Chinese sweets are passed around to suck on to get rid of the taste. So what happens … your tongue goes a bit numb and then it is all back to normal. However, after a whole day of Grog, you become what they called doped, which means very lethargic and groggy. Then comes the washdown. This is when you switch back to the Taki with beer so that you can get rid of the taste. Imagine sitting on the floor on a verandah with this bunch of guys, two of them were ex force and served in Saudi, one was an ex policeman, one a poofter and a few other who I think just drink Grog all day. There was a lady there who they called the mermaid as her skin was like fishes scales, no lies. This is apparently because she drinks Grog all day every day and hardly eats. After a lot of clapping and drinking with this tattoo covered bunch, I decide I to take a break from the Kava. Part of the partaking is all about storytelling and socializing and less about the actual drink. Look it up on the internet, it is quite interesting.
Later that afternoon, a whole lot of decide to head on to the beach which is located behind some of the highest sand dunes in Fiji. By this stage the wind is blowing about 40knots side onshore and we head off to go and swim. As we come around the dunes my excitement level rises. I have just discovered on of the only real beach breaks on the main island of Viti Levu and boy does it look good. I have found my kiting spot! Waves, a flat section, right direction wind, warm water and plenty of beach. I now have another to add to my growing list.
After swimming for an hour, we head of back to Lautoka, after all, tomorrow is Monday the 4th, my birthday and I was going on a trip to Suva. I have now been in Fiji for about two weeks and have had more experiences than most people will have in their lifetime. Myself and Rosie my very good friend, guide and teacher take a slow drive back to Lautoka and I feel alive.
Man I love this place!
Live to fly
Bruce
Some expressions and slang:
Yaaning chatting
Cut drunk
Full Cut Very Drunk
Namesake Child named after parent
Grog Kava
Doped effect of grog
Bula Hello
Vinaka Thank you
Lovo Meal cooked under the earth wrapped in banana leaves
Taki Drink passed to a person to down
Trues up No shit
Basin Bowl in which they mix the Kava
Add a Comment
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Comment by Kitesports on January 21, 2010 at 12:48pm -
Hey Bruce. Yus bru, you seem to be setteling in nicely now, as long as you dont become a poofff, all is good!!!!
I am so keen to hear about your new kiting spot, keep us posted bud.
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Comment by Craig Allsopp on January 15, 2010 at 6:31pm -
Wow Bruce. You weren't kidding about this being an amazing read?!?!?
Your trip is just getting more and more exciting. This is like reading "Alice in Wonderland"... We shall call it "Bruce in Fiji"!!
Boet it is so awesome to see that you are enjoying life and experiencing so much. Like you said, most people dont experience this in their whole lives.
Keep it coming please. I know we all enjoy the post.
PS. More pictures bro... :-)
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