Tribewanted: Vorovoro

Bula Tribe! Well, we are weill into January now, and my month as chief honestly feels like some sort of surreal dream. My month ended all to quickly, in a blur of celebration.

NEW YEAR’S EVE
New year was was an entirely random, but toally amazing evening. The weather was rubbish, so plans of having a wee party and fireworks down by the natural waterfall in the caves was replaced by a good old session in the Great Bure. Then, out of nowhere, a grog session began, lead by Save on my guitar, on the kitchen floor, with Tevita’s soon Api doing the mixing (he’s 5…!). We were all squished in, singing Bob Marley, with the rain playing over our heads and the kitchen ladies milling around baking cakes until 11.30pm (bless them) in preparation for a trip to Vessi the following day. Everyone was so happy. There was such a lovely, buzzing, united community feel in the air. It made me feel so unbelievably content. All the best parties end up in the kitchen!

Then, before we knew it, it was almost 12 and everyone congregated in the Bure for an Alisi led round of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ with us all stood in a circle holding hands, in honour of scottish Hogmamany (New Year) tradition. What a blast! People started dropping like flies not long after this (it had been a busy few days), but a few of us managed to stay up well past the first crowing of the cockral’s, drinking copious bilo’s and talking rubbish. My idea of a perfect evening.

NEW YEAR’S DAY
Oh my was it a wet welcome to the new year we got on Vorovoro – in every sense of the word! Not only was it raining, but, as part of fijian tradition, everyone soaks everyone, countless times over, in every conceivable way you can imagine. Us weakling white girls had no chance defending ourselves against a dunking in the sea when one of the fijian boys made up their minds to drag us in…. Not everyone was impressed at getting woken up in this manner, but i say we are the guests in fiji, so we honour their traditions!

Thankfully, the rain subsided somewhat, so off the Vessi we went. There were hundreds of people there – the whole Mali community, plus us. The day consisted of plenty meke, lovo, meke, rain, grog, grog, singing, grog, speeches, grog, fake snow, sweeties, and a wee race between our boats on the ride home. Everyone was exhausted on our return, but insisted on one more casual grog session with the boys, and my partner in crime, Anna, for the my last evening in paradise. I couldnt have asked for a better night – the boys were on fire, and churned out a couple of sonds that none of the few people present had ever heard them sing before, which is madness!

MOCE ALISI
And then, oh so suddenly it seemed, it was time to depart. Those who have spent time on Vorovoro will sympathise at how difficult your own Isa Lei is. I went into emotional shutdown, and, donning one of Pu Pu’s shirts that he gave to me as a leaving present, i made my way to the boast. I thought my legs were going to give way, but i coped with all the goodbyes. Just. And then, as a perfect end to an awesome month, Helen, Chloe and I managed to wangle a fly over the island on oor flight out of Labasa! Whoever it was who ran onto the beach frabtically waving their arms, WE SAW YOU – we were THAT low. Amazing.

Thankyou everyone, for such an awesome, awesome month.

Moce,

Alisi xx