Tribewanted: Vorovoro

There are guitars strumming, shaky voices and a collection of people in sulu’s with tears in their eyes-a typical Isa Lei you’d think ! Only this time we are in Blighty and this particular Isa Lei is being shared with an audience at Hampton Court Flower Show, who I reckon (when I could see through my tears) were also feeling a little misty as the emotion behind this song tugged at their heart strings.

This was the end of a brilliant weekend for me and fellow tribie Kim at Hampton Court Palace. We met on the island a year ago and though have only met up once since have kept in touch and I feel like I have a friend for life there! Kim came down from Scotland to stay with me in London for a weekend of fun, laughter, reminiscing and meke with Team Fiji and the Vorovoro crew.

We were initially quite apprehensive, not quite sure what to expect, there have been so many people passing through the island-would the guys even remember us? Tevita’s massive smile and delighted expression soon quelled our fears. I had been lucky enough to run into Tevita in Nadi at the Sleeping Giant Garden (well worth a visit) after I had left the island where he gave me a tour of the garden and then took me to his home to meet his mother. When I left I was presented with my own grog mat, which Te explained made me a daughter of his family, a gesture which touched me immensely (and given I had only left the island the previous day moved me to tears again!). When I greeted him at the Flower Show Te asked if I still had the mat, and gave a smile and nod when I grinned and touched my heart to show how much it meant to me. I know reading this it might sounds twee, but I found with Fijians, a gesture can mean just as much, if not more, than words.

Tale revealed that he remembered me but not my name-it appears that I just became ‘the cheerleader’ after I left thanks to a memorable, if slightly embarrassing performance to Tui Mali and a cracking day teaching the children at All Saints how to “rock the house”.....

Not even the dreary weather could dampen the Fijian spirits, and we had a fantastic day of singing, dancing, meke (very rusty to start with but after performance 3 it was well and truly back on form!), reminiscing about our experience with those who had been to the island, and chatting to the public about Vorovoro. It was also great to meet other tribies and to catch up with Tom, who had been Chief when we were on Vorovoro, remembering the days when he let us put make up on him (it was raining, we were bored….), bamboo bashing and weaving, boils, the ahem “shark attack” on the reef trip, oh and the other time we put make up on him (this time for Lisa and Kim’s Pirate 21st, so in a manly, Johnny Depp way!).

As the rain got heavier everyone gathered in the Bure and the guitars were out in force, it was like being home again, just sitting listening to music, clapping along, and generally being happy!

We woke up on Sunday with aching cheeks and stiff joints-clearly my limbs have forgotten, or are just too old to sit cross legged for any length of time! Knowing this was the last day we would see Team Fiji we were up and raring to go, and as it turns out, so was everyone else. The sun was out in force (because Te put the Fijian flag up, he explained-the Ancestors are far reaching!) and there was an incredible buzz and energy around the Fijian village. There was also a special guest, I think the Fijian High Commissioner? who had brought his daughter and niece, both experts in Fijian dancing which they were more than happy to teach. They must have done a good job as one of the Pacific Harbour boys complimented me on my attempt saying I “moved hips like Fijian woman”-now there’s a seal of approval!

Team Fiji and the Pacific Harbour boys were on form when it came to the Meke-Leavi put in a stonking performance on the bili bili raft, and Tevita and his vibrating shoulders were, to use a Scottish phrase- giving it laldy. The meke performance by the Tribewanted gang was also cracking, helped of course by having the big man BK in the house to warm up the crowd (though not to copy when meke-ing-thanks for the heads up Sloggs!). After the meke performance Ben took to the floor and asked various members of Tribewanted about their experience before asking for a few words from Te about what it meant being in the UK. The words which stuck with me were those of Te’s that usually the world comes to Vorovoro, and now they had the chance to bring Vorovoro to the world.

One the emotional Isa Lei was over we decamped to a local pub, and to the bewilderment of all our fellow customers proceeded to sit outside in a huddle and listen to some farewell words. As usual Tevita didn’t waste any words and those words came straight from the heart, moving pretty much all of us to (more) tears.
Once we were all sitting on chairs again and the beers were in, was a nice chance to relax with everyone, chatting about their experiences in the UK and how much they had enjoyed themselves but were looking forward to going home. It wouldn’t be the same without the guitar strumming in the background-Tale even obliged with a rendition of the goat song-a classic! Though not quite as classic as Swing Low Sweet Chariot which was cracked out in an attempt to busk for cocktails later on!

As usual, the proper goodbyes were emotional, all it takes is a bear hug from Te to set you off! But, if this weekend taught me one thing it’s that I must go back to Vorovoro at some point, so this wasn’t a final goodbye, not yet.

I had a fantastic weekend, at times it really felt like we were back on the island, surrounded by laughter, music and the general babble of voices. It was also funny how quickly the customs and ways to act became second nature again-saying chilo instead of excuse me, wandering around barefoot, meke, even using Vinaka all the time (although the funny look I got from the man in the coffee shop this morning when I naka-ed him without thinking made me realise I had to snap out of it!). It was lovely to see Team Fiji and to meet more fellow tribies-it is very difficult to explain what’s its like being on Vorovoro so it’s nice to be around people who just understand!
I had forgotten how the simplest things in life can make you happy, and how alive being in the company of such incredible people can make you feel. The seeimingly inbuilt happiness, laughter and general lust for life in all Fijians is infectious, I really hope they enjoyed their time in England as much as we enjoyed having them. Vinaka vaka levu to Team Fiji and to all those who made it possible for them to come.