The S.S. Universe Explorer approached its last foreign port, Suva, Fiji Aug. 4. As the country’s capital city, Suva is one of the most cosmopolitan locales in the South Pacific. The country of Fiji is about the size of New Jersey; its many islands easily accessible to visitors and SAS students alike. Fijians and Indo-Fijians are very tradition-oriented people. They have retained a surprising number of ancestral customs, despite the flood of conflicting influences that have swept the Pacific over the past century. Our time in Fiji was limited, making extensive travel impossible. I spent my time touring the city, visiting the markets and a Hindu temple (surprisingly the dominant practiced religion in Fiji is Methodist). I spent a full day at a Fijian Meke an hour outside the city. The term Meke describes a combination of dance, song and theater performed at feasts and on special occasions. The day started out with a warm welcome from the Fijian community through the sharing of Fiji’s national drink, Kava. Kava is known for its medical benefits and tends to temporarily numb the tongue and lips. It is made by squeezing juice of the pepper plant root and mixing it with coconut milk and water. Visitors are usually asked to drink first, and it is a sign of respect to do so with one large swallow. When my turn came, I clapped twice indicated that I accepted and took the hollowed out coconut shell full of the mysterious looking liquid. We were sitting on the bank of a cloudy river and right before I gulped down the tart drink, I noticed its striking similarity to the dirty water flowing by. It was too late to turn back so I closed my eyes and drank it all. With that, I was officially invited into the village. Once inside, my clothes were taken from me and replaced with a grass skirt and a coconut bark strip was tied around my chest. A flower was put behind my right ear to indicate that I was unmarried. The attire alone did not make me an official member of the community; I needed to learn a few skills first. I started with weaving and pottery, moving on to fire-making, coconut-husking, and finally traditional dancing. When I proved myself with my tribal skills, everyone enjoyed a meal together. The Fijian people use similar cooking techniques as the Maori of New Zealand. The entire meal was slowly cooked in a lovo, an underground earthen oven. The food preparation was part of my skill training, but in order to guarantee a tasty meal, my participation was limited. The Fijians placed dry coconut husks in a pit and burned them. Stones were tossed on top of the fire. The food was wrapped in banana leaves and places on the stones. When the meal was finished, we dined on pig, chicken, fish, lobster, river shrimp, freshwater mussels, taro root and leaves as well as seaweed. It was all cooked in a sweet coconut milk. We devoured the whole meal of leaves and drank coconut milk straight from the shell, using a leaf stem as a straw. After the meal I had the chance to sit back and relax, being entertained by my hosts. The men and women of the community performed traditional dances to the beat of the drum and their united voices. As the dancing proceeded, the members of the group started a chant. This particular chant indicated the fire walking ceremony was to follow. Without evidence of injury, the men effortlessly walked across the smoldering rocks that were resting on top of the fire. It was an exciting end to an unbelievable day. The Fijians bid us farewell with song and it was back to the ship. Again, I found myself standing on the deck of the ship watching yet another fantastic country disappearing into the night. My photos and memories will remind me of all of my incredible experiences there. I will have the next seven days to reflect on my experiences (and take my finals), before we arrive in our final port: Honolulu, Hawaii.
