Tribewanted: Vorovoro

“you try?”

I looked up to Save standing over me. He went to hand me a freshly cooked piece of meat from the recently ‘opened’ lovo.
“What is it?”
“try” he replied, and went to offer me the meat again.

I have been in this situation before with Save. His ever present need and desire for me and other tribe members to share in Fijian Culture and traditions was here again.

Last time it was Fijian Mothers Day, and i spotted Save walking from Tui Mali’s village down the path to the tribe village. He had a ‘snack’ in his hand.  We had the same conversation as above. Though this time it became clear it was the heart of the pig that i had killed earlier that morning.  Save told me that as i was the one who killed the pig, then it is good for me to eat some of the heart. Fijian culture or Fijian prank against the white boy???   It didn’t matter. Vorovoro had given me a bundle load of new experiences and things that i would have never had the chance to do in England. 
And tasting pig heart was the next experience to cross off the list. It tasted ok.

I walked back with Save, as he ate his snack as if it were an apple.

Then back to today. Tevita had invited me back to Vorovoro to perform in the Yaqona Ceremony for Tui Mali’s big guest – The Northern Commissioner. A man with a big wallet to spend in developing villages within the Macuata region. It was a big day for Tui Mali & Vorovoro.

Preparations had started early. The village had been spruced up and lunch had just finished cooking. I was sat round the edge of the lovo with the gang. Epelli (Master of Lovo and everything else), Sossi, Tale, Leavi, Tata Marau, Tevita, Jonny Robinson, and my good friend Api.

I think the rest of the tribe and team were in and around the bure waiting for the days events to commence.

They had just removed the cassava and dalo, and began to take the meat from the lovo. As they had prepared the lovo, im not sure if its tradition for them to take the first taste of the food, or maybe they just fancied a bite to eat, knowing it might be a while until lunch is presented.

We were in the clearing behind the kitchen, all crouched down, with my stupid ‘city softened’ feet feeling the heat from the soil of the lovo. I felt out of place and prayed that my ‘island feet’ would quickly return. I looked across at Epelli who was practically standing on the scorching hot rocks of the oven in the ground. The pig meat was still too hot to touch, but not if youre Epelli as he tucked into a pig leg. I chuckled to myself at the thought of Epelli who just deserves to have his own tv show in England.

The rest of the boys laid some meat and cassava out on the ground on some coconut frond, doused it in salt and lime and picked at it from there. Its the first time id done this.

“Dig in Kimbo…this is your lunch..” said Marau.
“You first” being ever so polite and awfully English! Afterall, they did all the hardwork, i had just rocked up about half an hour previous…..and i was buying more time, just waiting for the meat to ‘cool’ for my measily white hands.

Epelli gave me the rest of his pig leg, and some big slabs of pork. Fingers were the only cutlery we needed, and we all tucked in together.

Marau piped up again. “Eat it all. Eat well. This is all you are getting today. No lunch. Just grog next. You punish..” and he gave the Internationally recognised (!) hand signal for ‘high tide’. “yeeeeehooooooo” he bellowed, and laughed has he said “you. Malau bus. All day”

I was back amongst friends, but knew i was in trouble. After my 10 week abscence i knew the boys would attempt to get me with as many high tide bowls of grog as possible. A kind of ‘welcome home’ gift perhaps, that then takes on the same sort of course that you do in the UK when its your birthday, when for one day a year you feel the need to get as wrecked as possible, as soon as possible, with whatever alcohol you can find.

Though here on Vorovoro, the only drink you need is grog. And though we get ‘drunk’ together, its a lot more civilised than walking the streets at 4am with Kebab meat hanging down your shirt. ‘Vorovoro drunk’ is the kind of ‘drunk’ i like, or as they say on the island ‘lamp chopped’.

I accepted what was coming, and prepared myself for the grog onslaught.

I looked up at Save. “Try” he repeated and gave me the Fijian head nod and eyebrow raise to imply that i should take the meat from him.

“what is it? Heart?” perhaps dazzling Save with my knowledge of pig anatomy and its internal organs.

he remained expressionless, though i know deeper he was thinking something different. I ‘inspected’ the meat. It looked different to the last heart i tried. I sniffed at it, turning it in my hand as if looking for the label, to find out what it was that i was or wasn’t about to eat. I looked up at him again. “Balls ?” i asked.

He smiled.

Ant and Dec weren’t hiding behind the trees, so for now this was the closest i was going to get to ‘Im A Celebrity….’. The imaginary list of ‘things to do before youre 30’ ran through my mind again, and i hadn’t crossed anything out for a while, so i took an apprehensive bite of Save’s offering.

“good?” he asked.

But id barely eaten enough to clarify if i was to enjoy pig gland or not. So i took another larger bite. Too much. Not sure if it was the texture, the taste, or just knowing what i was chewing, but thats as much as i ate, and handed it back to Save, hoping id passed his test on being Kaiviti’ or not.

I think i did. Save was still smiling.

Next Epelli gave me the largest portion of pig liver id even seen, and i used that to try and forget about what id just eaten. Then Leavi threw me a piece of the tongue. Well if id just eaten ‘ball’ then im sure if could handle tongue. After all, ive seen them do it on Shipwrecked!

The fact it was the tip slightly put me off. “C’mon. EAT EAT EAT EAT” Leavi called. Maybe Marau wasn’t joking and perhaps this was ‘my lunch’. So i tucked in and crossed something else off the list. Leavi joked that if i ate the pig tongue, then my tongue would grow very long. I joked back saying that perhaps Marau should eat more 2 or 3 more pieces of the ‘meat’ he was currently chewing on. It was the organ very ‘exlcusive’ to male pigs…..

Ive picked up enough Fijian to understand Maraus ‘colourful’ reply, and now realise that he wouldn’t be out of place on the set of ‘The Royle Family’, filling in for Ricky Tomlinson.

We continued to eat, and laugh, eat and laugh. I wondered why in 15 months id never sat and had this fresh ‘lovo buffet’ before. I looked around and had a wall of smiley friendly faces. My mind glanced back to what i could be doing in England. I knew where i was happier. You just don’t get these sort of experiences with layers and layers of cardboard and cling film wrapping….

I checked around to make sure i was the only kaivalagi sharing in this great moment of Fijian lifestyle. I smiled back. Gave a ‘thumbs up’ and “set!” acknowledgemnt to my friends. I was glad to be back, and they were happy to have me back, even if it was for less than 24 hours.

You don’t always have to understand the language, but its more the fact of being with people, and sharing in each others company that builds the friendships on Vorovoro.

The grog onslaught arrived, and i ‘staggered’ off to bed at midnight, happy with the days events.

The Vorovoro experience is there for you. You just have to tap away at it a little and ask questions. Don’t be afraid to get involved. You don’t always have to ‘follow the other sheep’….

Be it gardening with Leavi. Boat painting with Tui Mali. Jackanory with Epelli. Hanging out with Matteo, or cruising the high tides with Api or Jonny R….

Your own unique personal experiences are waiting for you to happen. Youve just got to find them. I think back to earlier years and how i used to not eat my greens, or complain about my mums cooking! How times change!!!!

Once youve found your own little bit of vorovoro life, the memories and stories will last you a lifetime…...

Tribewanted – what part will you play?