Namatakula, Fiji "You know, a mongoose around is bad for the chooks"

Bula from Fiji, land of cannibals and the famous Mutiny on the Bounty. Actually, its more like the land of Vodafone and blaring pop music. Just finished a three day homestay in Namatakula village on the south side of Viti Levu. I was expecting an authentic Fijian experience, and I got it - circa 2008! My welcoming ceremony into the village took place under florescent lights next to a large shrine to the Virgin
Mary and complete with a cell phone interuption. I earned some respect by drinking lots (LOTS) of kava well past midnight with some of the town elders. Being germaphobic about sharing drinking cups with dozens of people, many of them toothless, made the situation a bit stressful to say the least. However, having no choice makes a decision easy. Ah, peer pressure drinking... The people of the village were some of the nicest and happiest people I have ever met. I felt like I was a member of a 400 person family. They don't have many material possesions except for the occasional cell phone that is nicer than the one I left back at home. This is comical because there is only one small area in the village that gets reception. There is another small area about a quarter of a mile down the main road and after dark you can find a group of teenagers all huddled together, each absorbed in separate conversations. The village does get electricity but it was out a large majority of the time I was there.

Every evening about 40 or so men in the village play a high-spirited game of rugby out in the school field. While admittedly knowing nothing about rugby, it was really impressive to watch. Apparently this tiny village is famous for producing great rugby players, many of whom go on to play for the Fijian national team and even internationally.
My hosts, Simon and Judith, were wonderful and took great care of me. The home-grown and home-cooked food was excellent. One evening we had food wrapped in leaves and cooked in an underground oven, or lovo. The men were in charge of making the lovo, proving that BBQing is a man's job all over the world! Simon's clan owns the land sorrounding the village. The majority of the land in Fiji is owned by Fijian tribes. Even the large hotels lease the land with the conditions that the hotels will employ locals. This works out extremely well for the villagers as a surprising amount end up marring foreigners (Australians mostly) that they meet in the hotels. Judith grew up in a village on the north side of the island. When he was growing up, Simon's mom told him "Marry a girl from the north. Then when there is trouble all of her relatives will not be here."
After I left Namatakula (with a care package of food from the villagers) I went to the capital,Suva. I spent my time there hiking in the Colo-i-Suva national park, being amazed at the construction of the old canoes in the Fiji Museum, and drinking Fiji Bitter under a large painting of Queen Elizabeth II at the Suva Lawn Bowling Club. Things seem to cost almost as much as they do back in the states, which surprises me. (Chai latte = 4.75 FJD = 3.10 USD)
I've finally adjusted to looking the right, actually the left, way when crossing streets and overall am doing well. I'll say it again - Fijians are some of the nicest people I've met. When my plane from home landed in Nadi, the guy next to me glanced out the window and said "I see palm trees. This is a good place." Then he turned away and went back to sleep. I think he summed it up well.