Ever thought about traveling to Fiji on vacation? Or maybe, you are just curious about learning more about the Fijian culture? Surely, in the age of computers all the information you need is just a few clicks away right? Well I wouldn't say that is entirely true.
When it comes to travelling and learning about other cultures, the internet is a great source to get some general information, but, nothing can replace the expertise of a good old-fashioned local expert. This is where Simi comes in!
Simi is a native Fijian who currently lives in New Zealand. Growing up in Fiji and frequently visiting family and friends, Simi is a local expert who has given agreed to share some really interesting information about the (native) Fijian culture. But before we dive into what Simi has to share, let us first get to know some general information about the Island country Fiji.
Climate & landscape
The Fiji Islands are located in the Southern Hemisphere, surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean. The country of Fiji is spread across 332 islands ~ map of Fiji ~ However, approximately only 100 of the 332 islands are inhabited. The terrain of Fiji is mostly costal beaches, combined with mountainous inlands. Like many of the Asian Pacific Islands, Fiji's landscape has a volcanic history. Fiji's climate is considered tropical marine, it is usually mild, but the weather is volatile and tropical cyclones are common, especially between the months of November and January.
Population demographics
The population of Fiji consists of 908,136 individuals (approximately 0.01%) of the world's total population ~ see current population count here ~ The largest ethnic groups in Fiji are the native Fijians (56.8%) with ancestral Melanesian roots, followed by Indo-Fijians (37.5%) i.e., Indian Fijians, Rotuman Polynesians (1.2%), and the remaining 4.5% includes a mixture of European, part European, other Pacific Islanders, and Chinese. Life expectancy for males are 66-years, and females slightly higher at 70-years.
Language and religion
There are 3 official languages in Fiji, namely, English, Fijian, and Hindi. Regarding the mainstream religions, 64% are Christian, 28% Hindi, and 6% Muslim.
Now that we have some general information about Fiji on a macro scale, let us see what fun and interesting things our local guide Simi has to say.
Simi says...
The staple diet in Fiji are seafood and root crops. With one of the favorite dishes being "Lovo". Lovo refers to food that is cooked by firstly, digging a hole in the ground. Secondly, wrapping the food in palm leaves or coconut palm fronds,. Thirdly, covering it with banana leaves and lastly, putting hot coals over the food so it slow cooks ~ Try and imagine a natural underground oven , Delicious! ~ Modern techniques of making Lovo replaces the leaves with foil, however, by doing so, many natural flavors are lost. It could also be noted that Lovo is not a cooking technique or a type of cuisine specific to the Fijian culture, however, Simi says mama (a type of sea grape) can only be found in Fiji.
Traditional clothing in Fiji consists of a sulu and jaba for women and colorful patterned shirts for men. Such clothing is usually worn when attending church on a Sunday (A central practice in the Fijian culture). like many other Asian-Pacific islands the Fijian culture has it's own unique form of art. Examples include: traditional mats, masi (A type of cloth/textile made using the bark of the young mulberry tree), pottery, and the infamous wau (Fijian warclub). If you are lucky, as a tourist you might be able to purchase some native jewellery made from buli (A white shell), or beautiful sea pearls at a very cheap price.
According to Simi, when it comes to decorating the interior of ones house, Fijians have a unique taste. Typical decoration includes: Davui (a huge conch shell trumpet), the wau warclub, magimagi products (made from coconut husks), masi textiles, and carapace (turtle shells).
Simi also says...
The native Fijian language is called Vosa Vakaviti (I-Taukei). and every tourist should know these four sentences before coming to Fiji.
Bula pronounced as *Boo-lah* (Hello)
Vinaka *Vee-nah-kah* (Thank you)
Moce *Mo-they* (Goodbye)
Sa Vakacava Tiko *Sah Va-car-the-vah teeko* (How are you)
When it comes to following the rules certain dress codes in Fiji are strictly enforced. For instance, women are strictly not allowed to wear a dress above the knees at any occasion. Whereas men are obliged to wear a Sulu Vaka Taga / Toga during any traditional ceremony.
Gender roles are also central in the Fijian culture. A good example is after dinner women are expected to leave the table last and men are to be seated at the head/top side of the table. Furthermore, women are not allowed to express strong emotions as men do. Usually strong emotions expressed by men is done to reinforce dominance within their families.
Ceremonies and rituals are also central to the native Fijian culture. Simi: "Death is commemorated at the burial ceremony and again the 100th night where the mourning and the taboos are lifted. Furthermore, Newborns must be baptised within the first few weeks of birth, this is done by sprinkling water on the forehead. When an adult the baptisms needs to be renewed with a full submergence in water."
In contrast to many Western cultures, the costs for events are usually shared by friends and family. During birthday parties, weddings and other important events, family members hold a meeting where obligatory donation amounts are discussed beforehand. Friends and family members not able to attend are still expected to donate.
Although very welcoming and open to socializing with other cultures, Fijians stay true to their roots. However, a small population are always open to other traditions and might even adapt their cultural practices (but this is often shunned upon).
Saying NO...
How do Fijians say No or disagree with others? "Because of their culture and upbringing, most native Fijians find it hard to disagree with others opinions, therefore, they tend to agree with other opinions more often than other cultures."
Last but not least, Simi would like to end this blog by saying something about "Fijian time".
"Many fijian's refer to "Fiji Time" when it comes to planning events, because no matter
what time an event has been planned for, everyone turns up late. Depending on the situation this can be seen negatively (School, Work) however it doesn't matter in other situations such as social gatherings (Birthdays, Celebrations, and even Weddings)"
I had to laugh quite a lot at that statement because a couple of years back during my trip to Fiji, I struggled to understand why planned events always seemed to have a delay, but now the truth is out and as a tourist Fijian time is just something you will come to accept and possibly find somewhat humorous.
If you have managed to make it to the end of this blog thank you so much for reading along and I hope you were able to learn many new things about the Fijian culture.
A special thanks to Simi for sharing his knowledge and making this blog possible.
Hopefully you were inspired and would like to travel to Fiji for the holiday of your lifetime (if you haven't already done so) or maybe you were able to learn more about the amazing Asian-Pacific cultures.
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