Photos and Packing

Fiji Day is drawing near!  Two weeks from today!  To celebrate, I thought I'd share a couple of photos of the island we'll be going to, Nayau.  These photos belong to Dr. Sharyn Jones, but rest assured that I'll have plenty of my own to share when I get back!  :-)

This is an aerial view of the village of Liku on the southwestern part of the island.  It's one of three villages, but I'm not sure which of the three is considered the principal village - aka, where the chief lives.  I'll let you know!

View of the southern end of Nayau, which is where we'll be camping (assuming the villagers don't make us stay in the village...keep your fingers crossed on that one).  I know there's no way this can be as idyllic as it appears here, but it just looks so dang peaceful and amazing!

This is Sharyn's crew from a couple years ago digging at a rock shelter on Nayau called Waituruturu.  The site is about 3000 years old, and is one of the first sites settled by the Lapita people on Nayau.  Cool, huh?  :-)

In other news, my sleeping bag came in!  It's a Mountain Hardwear Lamina 45 degree bag that I got for about half price, and I love it!  Mom says it feels only a little thicker than a rain jacket, and it packs down to about 6 inches square in a compression sack!  I tried it out the other night...I didn't have my sleeping pad though, so I spread it out on my bed and slept IN my sleeping bag ON my bed, lol.  Can you tell I'm ready to go?!  June 9th can't come fast enough!

Fijian Village Etiquette

Info about how to act in Fijian villages (not cities) from a handout we got at the meeting.

"If you visit a village uninvited, ask to see the headman at once; it's not proper just to turn up and look around.  Never wander around unaccompanied: beaches, reefs and gardens are all someone's private realm.  Complex codes of behavior are in operation; do as you're asked and discretely find out why later.

• Dress modestly; sleeves and sulu or sarongs are fine for both men and women.  You will rarely see adult Fijians swimming and when they do they cover up with a T-shirt and sulu.
• Take off your hat and sunglasses, and carry bags in your hands, not over your shoulder; considered rude to do otherwise.
• It is rare to see public displays of affection between men and women.
• Bring yaqona (kava) with you.  This is for your sevusevu, requesting permission to visit the village from the chief and, in effect, the ancestral gods.  He will welcome you in a small ceremony likely to develop into a talanoa (gossip session) around the tanoa (kava bowl), so be prepared to recount your life story.
• Check with your host if you can take photos and wait until after the sevusevu to start snapping.
• Stoop when entering a bure (thatched dwelling) and quietly sit cross-legged on the pandanus mat.  It is polite to keep your head at a lower level than your host's.  Fijians regard the head as sacred - never ever touch a person's head.
• If you're staying overnight and had planned to camp but are offered a bed, accept it; it may embarrass your hosts if they think their bure is not good enough.
• The custom of kerekere means that people may ask you for things.  If you don't want to give an item away, just say that you can't do without it.
• Travel with thank-you gifts of tea, tinned meat, or sugar, or contribute some cash to cover costs.
• Sunday is for church and family."

Slightly More Info...

Bula friends!

This a little late, considering our first group meeting was a while ago.  Unfortunately, I missed the beginning of the meeting because I had to work, but I got there pretty quickly.  I missed the ice-breaker games and introductions though, so I still don't really know the other girls yet.  But there'll be plenty of time for that.  :-)

New info from the meeting:

We're probably hiring the Fijians to build us a sleeping hut, and we'll just bring a couple of tents.

We're digging our own latrine and burning any trash we may have.

Sharyn (Dr. Jones) has sent a letter to the King of Lau informing him of our plans and formally asking his permission to visit and work on the island.  :-)

I will DEFINITELY need dramamine for the 2-3 day cargo ship ride to Nayau.

I need to buy a headlamp.

We'll be spending several days on the main island of Viti Levu both before and after Nayau, and we'll have access to internet during that time.

Fijian words/phrases of the day:

iko - fish

Vakamalua mada. - More slowly, please.

qasenivuli - teacher

gonevuli - student

Au sa katakata. - I'm hot.

Au sa viakana. - I'm hungry.

Au via sili waitui. - I want to swim in the sea.

I'll keep you updated!