Tribewanted: Vorovoro

I’m sure there will blogs and talanoa (stories) aplenty of this day in TribeWanted and Mali history, but the second birthday was almost more joyous than the first. I found it odd to be experiencing echoes of the celebration from last year, when a baudy, diverse group from around the world came to share in the festivities.

It was a bit more mellow this time ‘round, but no less emotional. As Amy mentioned, after many of the Fijians had been away at funerals the week before, we knew Tevita was back on Friday when he announced the start of preparations with posts being pounded into the ground before the breakfast bell. New tribe members were amazed to awake to new structures that hadn’t been there the night before – but this is Fiji and how it puts on a party.

Marau went out for a mammoth fishing trip, returning triumphant with groupers and big lips and snappers, enough to feed all of our expected guests and then some! And the morning of, we awoke to Ben Keene running around camp at 6am to tell anyone who didn’t want to hear the pigs being slaughtered to head on down the beach for a swim. We gave up 3 of our 5 pigs for the occasion, but it was all merited, as this important day saw representatives from all corners of Fiji in attendance, covered by the usual reporters from the Fiji Times.

After gardening and cleaning and cooking and singing, we cleaned ourselves up in the late morning for some fruit and juice and last minute meke practice to settle nerves. Boat loads of guests started to arrive, and we offered semi-impromptu tours of the island and its wonders. As always, the aim was to make Tui Mali proud and to show off everything we’ve learned from Tevita while sharing the sustainable strides we’d made in our village.

After a long grog ceremony, the chief handover from Dan (Tui Flapjack) to Paul (yet to be named), the presentation of a tabua (whale’s tooth), and our weekly sevusevu for new tribe members, we changed into our meke costumes and proceeded to become the main entertainment for our guests. Enthusiastic elder Fijian ladies powered the men, shoved cake in our mouths, and, a first, lifted arms to spritz with deoderant all in an attempt to distract us. The ladies meke was perhaps a bit haphazard, but we all were laughing too hard to care.

And, when Giles offered his speech of thanks, stepping on from a year as the project director, he captured it well in saying that Vorovoro hardens the feet but softens the heart. Ben went on to offer additional thanks and harkened back to what it was like when they sat in that same spot two years earlier with a dream. This project used to be a social experiment, and now it is a home. There is still room to grow, and with Tui Mali’s own well-crafted words of praise and thanks, he announced the renewal of the lease. So, this birthday marked not the entrance into the final year of a project but the start of a new chapter for a partnership.

With that, we adjourned to eat! An additional table had been built so that we could have a buffet and allow guests of honor at the dinner table. And people were strewn in clumps along the beach, enjoying the feast that Mama Va and Mama Frances prepared with loads of help. Grog sessions continued, with singing, long into the night as the sun faded, boat loads of people waved their thanks and moces, and we sang happy birthday to Emma and then to Pupu at midnight.

I don’t plan to be on the island for the next birthday, as I had assumed it would be too bittersweet for me to handle. But I rest easy knowing that the tribe will be welcome on Vorovoro long after next September, and for that, I am grateful. Au sa vinavakavinaka.