Another Hollywood setting

25. February 2013, Monday
16° 53' 23" S, 177° 24' 50" E


We are on Nacula Island, one of the northern Yasawa Islands. The SF film CONTACT with Jodie Foster was shot here on one of the many lonely endless dream beaches. This is further evidence of the uniqueness and beauty of the Yasawas.

But what inspires us just as much as the landscape is the people of Fiji
Believe me, although people here mostly eat with their fingers, have no chairs or tables and sleep on the floor, manners are very important throughout the islands.
Same here on Nacula.

The most important thing about good manners is savu savu.
Means, if you come to a village or an island somewhere, you hand the community spokesman a big bundle of kava, the indispensable local drug, and ask him to ask the chief for permission to visit the village or visit the village . to be allowed to anchor in front of the village.
Then everyone sits together in the chief's hut, of course on the floor.
Spokesman and Chief have an important conversation in Fijian, where we're from, where we're going, whether we're trustworthy, and the Savu Savu is done.
Now we are welcome as guests and can move freely in the village and on the island, or fish to our heart's content.
It is also important in Fijian etiquette, for example, that the woman always wears a long cloth around her legs. Also, neither women nor men are allowed to wear hats in a village and sunglasses are the epitome of bad behavior anyway.
So now you know when you come here ;o)