Tongue In Cheek Traditional Fijian Dance

[kaivalagi]

I just had to post this, even though most will probably think "what the heck?"
It's a bit of a tongue in cheek "meke" of a well known Fijian song, having lived in Fiji I find it hilarious

[media]http/www.youtube.c...h?v=4f_gXbf_wyk[/media]

A good taste of Fijian fun but with some tradition too...I love the running through the jungle with spear stuff

more traditional variety:

 

[steelhealr]

Kai...as you may know from a previous post, I spent a week in Fiji once, Matagi Island off of Taveuni. Then a few days in Nadi. I had a wonderful time. The Fijians were extremely warm and friendly and shared wonderful stories about the Americans when they were there during WWII.

I had a traditional 'bbq' in the ground and even got to have some kava kava. Not to mention that the diving was the best. Would go back in heartbeat. Thanks for the wonderful reminder of those dances. SH

 

[kaivalagi]

No problem, I remember your post well...I am glad at least one person here knows of what I am talking about

I'm glad I probably brought a smile to your face. I'm lucky enough to be married to one lovely Fijian women, married almost 8 years now

The bbq in the ground is called a "Lovo" or "earth oven"...fresh pork in there is awesome

And the drink is Kava or Yaqona (yang-gona) in local tongue I drink it about once every two weeks with local FIjians me and the mrs have tracked down

I was fortunate enough to dive off Levuka, Ovalau and Wakaya for 4 months solid when I first went there. I arrived with no dive experience then managed to do my open water and advanced, and ended up helping the dive shop show experienced divers around the dive spots whilst the instructors helped the newbies...wicked experience, diving twice a day for 4 months for free, that spoilt me rotten...

I had a green turtle (yes green!) go around my head twice, witnessed a Moray eel mating dance, played with a Pacific octopus for 5 minutes straight, swam in amongst massive shoals of young Giant Barracuda and witnessed Mantas and Hammerheads at the local "cleaning station"...never did get to see the humpbacks on their migration though, I was working in the capital then

Scuba diving is just plain awesome, especially when you get to spend that much time in the water to witness all the behaviour I did, I was so lucky!

here's the dive shop I was with: http/www.owlfiji.com/ If you ever go back try to make the extra effort to go to Ovalau, it is a very simple/basic town when the way of life and diving is just amazing

 

[england]

That is great...fiji have there own benny hill,,,,thanks for sharing

 

[kaivalagi]

That is great...fiji have there own benny hill,,,,thanks for sharing

Yeah, just need some women chasing him around....

Now I've got the benny hill theme tune in my head

 

[steelhealr]

The lovo was excellent and I think I recall getting a high on the kava kava there. I recall that the locals wanted me to send back something with lemon in it. I shipped back some lemon tea. Around Taveuni there were 4 walls: Purple, White, Red and Yellow where these reefs were predominantly that color. It was there that I saw my first giant clam and THAT was an amazing site to see.

The native Fijians seemed to know the sea very well. Also fishing. The locals were also quick to tell some old stories and, as I told you before Kai, more than one used to tell me that many still sing "You Are My Sunshine", a tune sung by Americans when stationed there.

Matagi was gorgeous and living in a mbure was the ultimate. There was a small hill (?cone) to climb and the view was spectacular. I also recall wonderful breezes. I'm pretty sure that the movie Castaway was filmed there. In Nadi, I stayed at The Regent.

Beautiful place.

SH

 

[steelhealr]

Here's where I stayed many years ago. Not a bad place to be introduced to Fiji, right? SH

http/www.matangiisland.com/

PS...although I didn't stay in it, check out the Treehouse mbure.

 

[kaivalagi]

Matanga is a great introduction to Fiji for sure, the fact that you went to the north (well off the beaten track) says a lot, it's more out of the way and more natural because of that as it's less affected by tourism and luxury hotel chains. That tree house looks gorgeous.

I've heard of the reef walls in the north but have never been there to dive, I have been to some great dive sites though, there are so many throughout the south pacific so long as you keep away from heavily populated towns and cities.

Where do I start with the grog/kava/yaqona...my longest drinking session on Kava was 13 hours straight, I pretty much crawled home from that one...lots of drinking games to be had, especially when my Tavale's (my wife's sisters and brothers for example, someone who always teases) are involved, that's when I need some Karua's (other's married to my wife's brothers and sisters sharing a common enemy! classed as real brothers and sisters). I am the reigning champion Kava drinker with my wife's home village (not where we stayed) and I have various challenges to look forward to when I next visit...

One of my many Karua's lives in a village right next to a beach and reef (Nauouo, Ovalau), when he wants some fish, and a taboo has not been imposed by the local chief (another cool thing to stop over fishing), he picks up his weighted circular net when the tide is out, and waits for a glimmer in the water, within 10 minutes he'll come back with a net full of sprats/sardines that sort of thing. They then go onto a piece of corrugated iron laying on top of an open fire and have a chilli/lime marinade poured on to them from time to time, yum tum

Gotta love the fresh food!

Here's some very old pics of some of the family and the places I stayed: http/www.flickr.co...57594069163027/

Oh, not sure if you like rugby or if you can get a chance to watch it, but the world 7's rugby tour is on at Twickenham, England this weekend, it's televised on Sky Sports here (I think) so you may be able to watch it. 7's is THE game Fiji excel at, my wife will be making A LOT of noise this weekend The Rugby Union site for it: http/www.rfu.com/T...ns/LondonSevens