Tribewanted: Vorovoro

Well, I’ve been back in civilization for a week now and caught the crud going around the office. Great return home.

Just wanted to catch you all up on the final work done on the island. The chicken pen was finished just before the storm and the round up got most of those pesky early risers. No more 4 am alarm clock now. Lots of chickens now locked up and in easy reach for chicken dinner. Fewer chickens tearing up of the gardens. I think I replanted the ginger by the kitchen 3 times because it was dug up by the chickens.

We were busy just before cyclone Gene came by and everyone was working on buttoning up the hatches. We worked on those shutters for Tui Mali’s house. Great job done by everyone! You can see the results of their hard work in the rain.

When the storm passed you could see the damage done to the trees and the gardens so clean-up began again. We gathered a lot of palm leave that came down and made more weavings for the roofs. When we had to get out of the rain we then learned to make brooms. James is working on stripping the spines, Mikko shaving the edges and Kathi with the finished brooms. Everyone helped, Johnny, Save, Tale, and the rest. Look at that pile of roofing material.

When the weather cleared up Te gather a group to clear debris and plant a new area along the path. A beautification program on an already beautiful island. Just making the good even better. We’ll be having more coconuts and bananas in the process. It looked very nice when they finished.

Well, it is my time to say goodbye.
I spoke with Te and wanted something very special to give Tui Mali for my time on the island. He had treated me with all the respect of the title of chief, he had accepted me into the tribes on Mali and had me perform my magic show in the villages and school. I really wanted to do more for Vorovoro, but time was becoming short and cyclone Gene put a real damper on the party. When we were able to go to town, Te was gracious enough to negociate the purchase of a whales tooth for me to personally present to Tui Mali as my tambua (I hope that is correct). I wanted to make sure I was able to present a whales tooh to Tui Mali that wasn’t purchased with tribal funds, or the chiefs budget, or had to be passed to tribal chiefs at different ceremonies, but was just for him as a personal gift from me. His generousity for allowing me to be a part of his family on Vorovoro and be treated so well on Vorovoro and Mali will be a cherished lifetime memory. Anna dressed me in traditional tapa wrapped around my chumba sulu and a necklace of shell. Julia did my hair in braids. I sat with my wingman, Kathi and we giggled about our matching outfits. The chiefly neckwrap was taken from me by Tui Mali and he said that a great weight had been taken from my shoulders. I presented my tambou and my tatou was presented by Te. After the ceremony Te had arranged a dinner feast at Tui Mali’s home and a big fish had been caught and lucky me again, I got the head. It was as big a a turkey. There were all kinds of fish dishes and vegetable and traditional foods. Then we went back to the big bure for more kava and presentations of sevusevu (again the spelling). Giles was welcomed back to the island and more tribe members, Todd, Laura and Kaye, joined the island and the brothers Kevin and Jerome had come back to the island to extend their thanks to Tui Mali for the great time they had. There was even dancing later in the evening which we all do well with a little grog. I think that

As expected I returned to the same winter weather I left a lifetime ago (in reality, only a month). Also as expected, I returned to patiently waiting germs and am now trying to get over the resulting cold. All just close my eyes and remember warm Vorovoro.

Vinaka for allowing me the trip of a lifetime and I hope to return again.

January Chief Sharon