Fiji Blog Post

Sudoku in Labasa airport.

Pounding the kava root with Jeep axle to make grog.

Mom's note: Tilman got to work immediately upon arriving on the island Vorovoro off the northern coast of Vanua Levu...

Nemani (on left) and Boso pounding kava root.

Talo mixing grog to drink.

Skipper drinking kava at grog ceremony.

Liavi and Tilman raking leaves to clean up for the chief's arrival.

Api caught a Big fish.

Learning to play the lali drum to bring notice that the chief is coming...NOW! (to meet me.)

Traditional clothing for the guards at the kava ceremony.

The mixer (top right) and two guards waiting for chief to enter for pontoon launching ceremony.

Guards with traditional face paint.

Launching the pontoon (made out of refrigerator parts, plastic bottles, and wood).  I helped build it!

Launching the pontoon. (Tui Mali-the chief-is in the tie on far left). 

Launching the pontoon. When is it really going to launch¡!? 

Riding the pontoon with the dog.

Presenting kava root to the chief. Note my blue sulu..it is required attire around chief.

Mom's note: Tilman was the youngest person to present a kava offering to Tui Mali.

I'm telling the chief why I came to his island of Vorovoro in Fiji.

Present already, man, this is boring!

Drinking kava.

Playing smash-ball with new friend, Pisa.

Weaving some coconut leaves for the roof. 

Weaving more coconut leaves for the roof (with Liavi).

Tying in woven leaves to the house in need of re-thatching.  

Tying in woven leaves to the house in need of re-thatching with Liavi (again. Aren't you doing this yourself man?!?). 

Tying in woven leaves to the house (up close--and personal.)

Video of me getting a little crazy with Nemani and Rich, while repairing the bure roof thatchings before the cyclone season hits in December.

Pupu carving amazing coconut Ian (A special symbol for a necklace) for me.

Class 5 and 6 at the Mali School.  I am up in the front pointing out California on the world map.

Very funny kidz (who like Justin Bieber).

Me with the completed Ian necklace next to a schoolboy. 

Me in a class photo of the fútbol-(soccer in English)-maniacs. All the kids are required to learn English.

Me massaging the rice with Api for our dinner.

Me cooking rice with Api.

Mom's note: Tilman also fed the pig and chickens each morning, collected eggs, and helped make breakfast with Skipper before the whole tribe was awake. 

In this video I'm collecting coconuts for dinner with Ratu and Mana. Our bag broke, so we have to get all 23 coconuts back to the village relay style.

Nemani is teaching me to husk coconuts.

Shaving a coconut.

Mom's note: coconuts are a very important part of the Fijian diet.  Grated coconut is used on rice, fruit, fish, and sauces for almost every meal.  Coconut juice is used for drinking.  Coconut oil is used as medicine and in soap and lotions.

A shaved coconut.

Mom's note: coconut husks are used for fuel and for making bilos (cups for grog) and jewelry.

Drumming ...

Mom's note: T is very sad to be leaving Vorovoro....

Me with kittens in front of kitchen. Skipper rings the bell when it's time to eat. We eat 5 times a day!

Mom's note: delicious food of fish, rice, vegetables, fruit, eggs, curries. Very healthy. Tea with brown sugar and cakes and bread every day. Most of the food is grown or caught around the island. There is a chicken coop. Rice, flour, sugar and a some vegetables are boated in from Labasa weekly.

Me with Ian the welshman.

Mom's note: Ian is the intermediary (Wavu) between the Mali people and the visitors. He helps explain the Fijian customs.

I believe I can flyyyyyyyy.......... snorkeling in the third largest reef in the world.

Mom's note: this is actually necessary research for his 5th grade school project about the Great Sea Reef.

The view from underwater is amazing...

Full of fish and coral and...

SHARKS!!!

Mom's note: the shark is in upper right corner of the screen.  Can you see it? It's the fifth one we saw swimming with us.

This one's for you, Jack.

Isa Isa

Isa Isa vulagi lassa dina
Nomu lako au na rarawa kina
Cava beka ko a mai cakava,
Nomu lako au na sega ni lasa.

Isa Lei, na noqu rarawa,
Ni ko sana vodo e na mataka
Bau nanuma, na nodatou lasa,
Mai Vorovoro nanuma tiko ga.

Vanua rogo na nomuni vanua,
Kena ca ni levu tu na ua,
Lomaqu voli me'u bau butuka
Tovolea ke balavu na bula.

Isa Lei, na noqu rarawa,
Ni ko sana vodo e na mataka
Bau nanuma, na nodatou lasa,
Mai Vorovoro nanuma tiko ga.

Domoni dina na nomu yanuyanu,
Kena kau wale na salusalu,
Mocelolo, bua, na kukuwalu,
Lagakali, maba na rosi damu.

Isa Lei, na noqu rarawa,
Ni ko sana vodo e na mataka
Bau nanuma, na nodatou lasa,
Mai Vorovoro nanuma tiko ga.


ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Isa, Isa you are my only treasure;
Must you leave me, so lonely and foresaken?
As the roses will miss the sun at dawning,
Every moment my heart for you is yearning.

Isa Lei, the purple shadow falling,
Sad the morrow will dawn upon my sorrow;
O, forget not, when you're far away,
Precious moments beside dear Vorovoro.

Isa, Isa, my heart was filled with pleasure,
From the moment I heard your tender greeting;
'Mid the sunshine, we spent the hours together,
Now so swiftly those happy hours are fleeting.

Isa Lei, the purple shadow falling,
Sad the morrow will dawn upon my sorrow;
O, forget not, when you're far away,
Precious moments beside dear Vorovoro.

O'er the ocean your island home is calling,
Happy country where roses bloom in splendour;
O, if I could but journey there beside you,
Then forever my heart would sing in rapture.

Isa Lei, the purple shadow falling,
Sad the morrow will dawn upon my sorrow;
O, forget not, when you're far away,
Precious moments beside dear Vorovoro.