I have never been to Hawaii, but it is my impression that it’s fairly easy to find hula dancers and cultural entertainment all over the islands. That was not my Fijian experience. I saw lovely photographs of beautiful women with flowers in their hair as well as muscular men jumping in the air, all wearing traditional clothing. And, they happened to be at that Fiji Arts Village which never seems to have anything scheduled when I showed up at their doorstep. I thought it was going to be simply impossible to see anything like this.
That was before I went to Kuku.
A lot of cultural traditions are taught to young people at school and by their elders. And when my friends in Kuku learned I wanted to photograph someone in traditional dress, two of the women in the extended family said they could make a vasili (vah SEE lee). It’s the traditional skirt for men that is woven together from large leaves. And, Simi and Semi were volunteered to dress up for me.
The very unique part of the experience for me was watching the women weave the leaves together. They used a modern convenience, strips of cloth, for the weaving. If they went totally traditional, it would have been done with palm fronds. I was asked if I knew why they removed the stems from the leaves. I guessed for comfort and so the leaves could move easier.
Good guess.
In addition to the skirt, small ferns called balabala were used to make arm bands and anklets. A woman would wear balabala as a bracelet instead of an arm band. And, of course, I got to see them woven together.
As I mentioned, my volunteers were volunteered. Semi wasn’t exactly thrilled. He went to work on the day scheduled for the photos and never returned while I was there. Simi didn’t have the same excuse. He was home the entire day, helping with the lovo.
Now if you knew Simi, you’d know that he is a kind and gentle person. He cannot strike a convincing pose as a fierce warrior. And, with two of his friends standing by, laughing as hard as they could, it didn’t help matters. But, he thankfully had no trouble putting on the vasili and balabala for me. In addition, warriors smeared charcoal over their bodies. Instead of charcoal, Simi had soot from a gas lantern bulb.
My warrior had warmth that would welcome visitors to Fiji. There was no spear, no fear, and no hint of danger. Everyone is welcomed in Kuku.
My photo shoot was shortly before my scheduled departure to return to the capital and begin my mural. A taxi arrived to take me to my hotel. Simi took the cab with me. He didn’t need to go into Suva. But, he wanted to escort me to my hotel. Simi explained that it is just what they do in Fiji. He did this both times I visited his family.
I told you my warrior had warmth that would welcome people to Fiji. I felt so welcomed.
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