Waylailai Homestay

Hello my dears,

I've slowly managed to get my posts back to a current or reasonable level. I hope you enjoy having something new to read every few days. I also really enjoy sharing all my experiences with you.

One of the greatest experiences in Fiji was my visit to the homestay on Waylailai Island. A homestay is somewhat like an exchange project with perks, as I lived with a Fijian family and was able to witness daily village life, but I did not have to clean or cook, as all three meals a day were served to me ready to eat. I had my own room and the family would have also organized various guides for different activities upon request.

In the accommodation, there was no running water and thus the shower consisted of one or more large buckets of water and a scoop. There was a toilet, but the flush needed to be manually filled with a bucket before each use. The electricity in the house was generated using solar panels and stored for later hours with a converter. All in all, still luxurious for an island stay, but incomparable to what I enjoy every day otherwise.

The family consisted of an elderly couple, with the homestay run by the grandmother of the house, Tina, the wife of the son of this couple, and their two sons, with child number three already on the way. In Fiji, it is relatively normal for a family member who finds a job nearby to also be welcome in the house, and thus the second cousin of the son of the elderly couple also slept in the house. I would love to tell you the names of all the others, but unfortunately, I have forgotten them. (Possibly even just 5 minutes after I introduced myself.) A very nice family, and Lizzy, the daughter-in-law, is around 30, and hence we had quite a good rapport with each other, and she told me quite a bit about island life and its customs and rules. Again, a reminder of our privilege in Europe and how far we have come with emancipation compared to here. (Not far enough yet, but the comparison made me reflect on it again!)

During my time at the homestay, I mainly stayed in my hammock and only climbed down for short walks around the town and to the beach. Also for meals and sometimes to play a traditional Fijian board game called Vindy Vindy with the kids. Very interesting, and I think it's quite good to make too.

One thing I also did with Tina was crafting a palm rig and also making a seashell necklace for my ankle. I must say that with this seashell necklace, I felt like Lisa, 19, freshly out of Australia, as that is really such a cliché. I liked it nonetheless, hahaha. :D

From my hammock, I caught up on some of my blogs, as you may have already read, and I had a really fantastic view of the neighboring island, where my next stop was: Barefoot Kuata. Additionally, I always had the sound of the waves and the beach in my ears. Although this sound is incredibly calming, I found it particularly difficult to fall asleep on the first night, as the temperatures were quite high and there was no fan in the room. This meant that I slept well on every night when it was windy, as the wind cooled the room.

Tina's food was an absolute dream and the island version of grandma's cooking! Simply delicious, and I couldn't finish a single meal on my plate. There were continuous meals with fish and sometimes chicken. Tasty but very meat-heavy.

I was in Fiji at a time when the residents were still celebrating the New Year. In Fiji, the celebrations continue for another 2.5 weeks after New Year's Eve, during which everyone is allowed to behave 'wildly', splashing others with water, pushing them into the sea, and smearing baby powder on their faces. A very amusing custom in my eyes, which reaches its peak during the farewell ceremonies in mid-January. At this point, the entire village is gathered, and there is a big village festival where Kava is drunk, danced, and celebrated. In the village where I was, this also took place one evening, but I was not officially invited, even though that wouldn't have been a problem, but I was not particularly in a festive mood either. I took this evening to chat a bit with Lizzy and ask more about how her life takes shape and what she thinks of the customs and habits. Very interesting, as even here on the islands, a slow change among the younger generation is happening, although it is occurring much slower and more hesitantly than in Europe.

All the more, I was happy when Tina asked me if I would like to go to her hometown for the big festival. That was my last overnight stay, and with a small contribution, I would pay for the boat that would pick us up. Tina hadn't been to the village where she grew up, where all her sisters live, for 3 YEARS, even though the trip is 'only' 40 minutes away. Here on the islands, it is not so usual to just go over for a visit. Additionally, it is not as affordable for the residents as it may seem to us. She asked me, and I was more than excited, so that evening, in the dark (for which I was very glad because I was sure I would have gotten sunburn otherwise) with the boat from Lizzy's brother, we went from one island to another island with the village of Kese.

Once there, I was served delicious fish and slept in the house of Tina's brother. Satisfied and ready for some culture, I then asked Tina if she could show me the festivities, and after I put on a sarong, we headed to the festival tent. You can imagine it like our large tents but without walls. Under the tent, palm mats were laid out, and all the villagers sat in groups and circles, clapping, singing, and drinking Kava. And I must say I really had a lot of fun. I was the only tourist there, and after the women of the village and also relatives of Tina invited me to dance several times, I was certainly the village gossip for the next two days. Additionally, some photos were taken, and I have no idea what was said around me, but I had fun, and it was a wonderful experience, so I am very grateful to Tina. I would love to show you photos of that, but the only photo I took was one of the 'breakfast' the next morning after I slept on the floor of the porch in the house, as I saw a cockroach crawling over the bed as I entered. Another thing that is normal here is that when it is too hot to sleep in the house, you sleep on the balcony or in the outdoor porch. In a well-equipped house, then on a very thin mattress.

After all seven things and children were found again, we made our way back in one of the fishing boats, and I could feel how I was getting burned in the boat. I had applied sunscreen, but since the boat was full of all kinds of goodies, crabs, coconuts, and people, quite a bit of water splashed into the boat and onto me. So this didn’t work out too well, and I got a serious sunburn on my shins, arms, and feet, which occupied me quite a bit for the next 4 days. Oh dear.

So no photos but a wonderful memory. More photos will be in the next post again.

Your Britta