Who's That White Guy?!

 

I'm terrible at this blog thing! I really need to post something at least once a month, not every 5 months! How else am I supposed to fulfill your desire to know more about Fiji?!

Tuitai Cruise Line - a tourist boat that comes to the island

Tourism is a big part of Fiji's business economy. Since my island (Kioa) is the only Polynesian settlement in Fiji, we invite tourists to the island to take part in our cultural traditions. For the tourists, our main point of "attraction" is the Fatele, our traditional dance. The Fatele was brought all the way from Tuvalu, formally known as The Ellis Islands, when the first settlers migrated to Kioa. Fateles are very different from the Fijian traditional dance, the Meke, which is very intense and utilizes every body part. Fijians used to be known as being very aggressive in the South Pacific and took part in many tribal wars, and the Meke reflects just that. A Fatele is more gentle and has an emphasis on the hands and arms, similar to a Hawaiian Luau. Just like the Fijian Meke reflect Fiji's war history, the Tuvaluan Fatele tells a variety of stories of their homeland (Tuvalu) and also of Kioa.

Another big draw for tourists, as in many countries, are the hand made crafts produced by the local citizens. Kioa in particular is known throughout Fiji for having the best and most unique crafts. The ladies of my village spend DAYS making their crafts and then sell them to the tourists, and this is typically the women's only income. They make a variety of crafts that truly reflect the maker themselves.

Women selling their handicrafts

When the island receives tourists, they typically arrive on a cruise ship as part of a scheduled tour. The entire village, including myself, is involved in welcoming them. My role is to blend in with village, help answer questions, and also take part in the Fatele. As you can imagine, I stand out in the crowd here- "Who's that white guy??!?". After living just under a year now, I have started to realize how much more I identify with the community than with the tourists. For example, I will describe how "we" settled the island and what "our" traditions are. I have also gotten to participate in all parts of the Fatele; singing, clapping, drumming, and now dancing! When I first started to dance, I don't know who was more excited- my village or myself? Still to this day everyone gets super excited to see me put on the traditional dance attire and stand up with my fellow dancers. I'm still learning the dance moves that go with each song, but I'm getting there!

The "army" of boats to greet the big boat

Before becoming a PCV, I had traveled to over 15 countries and have done the "tourist" stuff. After living here in Fiji, and witnessing the other side of tourism, I don't know if I will ever travel the same again. When I traveled before I never really learned too much about the country that I was visiting, let alone any of the language! Now I think learning a little bit about a country, especially a basic form of the language, can really make your experience 10x more enjoyable! Experiencing local customs and what locals do is truly experiencing a country, not just visiting the touristy attractions.

The whole community gets together

Having respect for the country and it's locals is also something I have seen a lack of in tourists in Fiji. Most are young college kids who come here to party and it really reflects poorly on their home country. I have heard all too many times from Fijians, "You white people like to party! You all are very loud and get very drunk." Every time I hear this I have to express that not all white people are like that and that those individuals are not what ALL white people are like. It's hard to hear because you don't want to be clumped together with people where the only similarity is your skin tone. When I do travel now, I also seek out opportunities to experience what locals do for fun. I want to learn the basic language and facts about that particular country. Respecting a countries culture starts by learning its language and its customs. Talking with the country's local people can bring about opportunities that you can't experience through a tour guide or walking through a museum.

Now since I have talked about this Fatele, here is a video of the Fatele in my village. I am not in the dance because I am video tapping, so just use your imagination and picture me up there!
Youtube of Fatele

There I am dancing!

Since it has been so long since I posted last, I have taken a TON of pictures! I also took a 2 week vacation out of Fiji to go to Hawaii with some of my family so those pictures are included! If you have any questions about Fiji or want to know more, please email me at tdoak08@su.edu and I will write a post about it. Always looking for ideas on what to write about!




Pre-Service Training
Posters Made
Fiji 2013
Fiji 2014 (1)
Fiji 2014 (2)
Fiji 2014 (3)
Hawaii Holiday