Tribewanted: Vorovoro

Three days in and I am definitely working in Fiji time! It’s seriously too hot to do anything else!! We have had rain, never enough to disrupt life much, but enough to occasionally cool things down. I just wish I had brought another pair of shorts and a couple more T-shirts. But have worked out that if I keep wet most of the day, it helps keep me coolish!! I’ll probably leave the island like a wrinkled prune!!

Having had the sevusevu (welcome ceremony) yesterday has definitely grounded me in a way I hadn’t felt before. In Fijian culture when you visit a village etc, people don’t talk to you until you have had your welcome sevusevu. You could see how easily misunderstandings could arise!! Not that this happened to me but Save has been giving us an in-depth glimpse of traditional culture, which he himself says he is picking up, remembering as he shares what he can with us. It is a great way to find out a bit about Fiji. And as Save and Tui Mali and others have mentioned, this project existing has helped many Fijians rediscover their roots and heritage.

The numbers of tribies is excellent as with a bit of luck I will remember everyone’s name and a bit about them before they / I leave. Here at the minute are mostly us English, a couple of girls from Ireland, one from Scotland and one Austrian lady. My accommodation is in a large vale which I currently share with two others, Will from England and Christine from Austria. There is a photo of it attached.

I also attach a few photos of the island and our most wonderful sea. I’ve been up every morning at about 5.30am to snorkel for an hour or so just of the shore and seen the most wonderfully coloured, shaped fish. And what coral! Stunning shapes and colours. But it is a sad fact that when high tides and storms and hurricanes hit here, they devastate coral. And there is a lot of evidence of that close to shore and even further in. I only wish I had an underwater camera. I saw my first shark yesterday morning whizz past heading towards the island – I assumed it was a reef shark but am now not so sure!! It was about 5 / 6 feet long.

I could go on with everything!! But the photos will give you a good idea of how beautiful this place is. Nemani (18) kindly leapt up a tree to get me a coconut to drink and its flesh was just right, still soft and forming!! See photo.

Moce everyone. The year’s wait has now come to fruition