Fiji
The Republic of Fiji is an archipelagic nation in the South Pacific, with over more than 330 islands (approx. a third of them are inhabited) and roughly 900.000 warm-hearted souls. Those Islands might be famous for their stunning white sand beaches, romantic resorts and amazing watersport facilities such as snorkeling and diving. After spending 50 days here it’s time for some reflections on Fiji.
The Fijian Spirit
What really makes an impact is the spirit of its wonderful people though! I have rarely found such happy and grateful people elsewhere. Most of them are very religious and I have heard more than once “God’s time is the best time” of “God’s time is a good time”. They accept circumstances and embrace them, so grateful to have enough food and a roof (house) to shelter.
After going ashore, you often are expected to do “Sevusevu” a ceremony where you show respect and become a member of the community. The local will provide you with fish, coconut, “pawpaw” (papaya) or pineaple, whatever is available. Their generosity is beyond.
Homestay
If you want to experience the real Fijian life and aren’t to fussy about luxury, having your own bathroom and lots of privacy,… try Homestay. This is a concept where you live-in with a Fijian family. You will be part of their daily routines, might share meals together and get a better insight of reality. Besides that it is a cheap way to travel, it is a profound way to learn about the locals.
Vakasalewalewa
Girly boys, or males with femnine expressions and gender-diverse identities in Fiji, are traditionally referred to as “vakasalewalewa“. Meaning “acting in the manner of a woman”. There are a lot of “Vaka” or “Lewa” (both shortened variations) around in Fiji. Sometimes therefore even called “the third gender”. It is wonderful to experience an overall exceptance. I became the feeling, that everybody can just be the way they want to be.
Education
I was positively surprised by the level of English. Even very young kids have some knowledge of English and are able to communicate with you. Schools are around everywhere. I was lucky to be part of the opening of a Kindergarten in Buliya! Such a memorable day.
Most islands only have a kindergarten or primary school. After that, children need to go to bigger islands, such as Taveuni, Levuka or Suva. Mostly intern from Sunday evening to Friday late afternoon… at an age of only eight years old. Hard and heartbreaking for both parents and little ones. In Levuka I also spotted a school for children with special needs. Wonderful!
Sailing SV Russula
My goal to learn something new in each Country I am visiting during my journey is still alive! In Fiji I became a crew member for 44 days on SV Russula with Captain Craig Latham from Eugene, Oregon. We had been in contact for approx six months to get to know more about eachother.
SV Russula is a Tayana-42 run by the experienced full-time Captain Craig. I have learned many things and grew into little jobs besides cooking and cleaning on board. Now I have even more respect for boat-life as I did before! It is such a hard job, to keep everything going. The maintenance is huge and oh… the strenght you need for pulling at ropes or winch the anchor up when windlass is letting you down!
I am still far away from “knowing how to sail“, but I sure learnt a lot. Mostly to stay calm under any circumstances… there’s always a plan B and a TO-DO-List. Swearing was part of my daily-life of the vessel, but we made an effort to turn it into creative versions such as “God bless it!“
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity Captain Craig gave me by taking me as crew. He shared his home SV Russula with me and taught me about everything he knows about boat life aswell as moving around the Fijian.
Mindfulness
Being on a sailboat, in a small space, with a total stranger can be tricky. I felt safe right from the start due to the Captain’s knowledge and kindness. Still it needs time to adapt to habits and routines while living together. Sometimes not so easy after all.
Soon I learnt, that “acceptance” is the clue. Mindfulness is KEY. My piece of advice to myself is: focus on the important facts instead of on little trivialities. It’s helpful, healthier and makes your life easier! Make sure you have some “me-time” every now and then for the right balance.
