"SEVUSEVU" AND A "LOVO" AT NAIDI VILLAGE

August 2, 2013  Friday  Naidi Village

Naidi village is about 5 miles outside of Savusavu going East along the southern coast.  We have some sailing friends on "Catharpin Blue" that made arrangements with one of the locals for a "lovo" at his home in this village.  A "lovo" consists of heating up rocks in a pit and then covering them with coconut fronds and taro leaves.  Meat and   vegetables are wrapped in taro leaves and put into the pit which is then covered with more taro leaves.  In about an hour's time all is cooked and ready to eat.  While all this is cooking, Fijian women are preparing coconut milk from ripe coconuts which they scrape down and shred with a special tool mounted on a wooden board: simple and effective.  Most fish and vegetables are sauteed in coconut milk here in Fiji.  It's a wonderful way to savor food.

In order for all this to happen in the village, it is expected and traditional to offer a "sevusevu" to the village Chief as a sign of respect and to request permission to use the village's resources.  The "sevusevu" is presented to a dedicated village spokesman "turaga ni koro" who then approaches the chief with your bundle of "yangona" kava and goes through the ceremony of telling him who you are and where you come from.  The bundle of "yangona" is laid before the Chief, and if he picks it up, he will deliver a speech of acceptance for you to enjoy the hospitality and protection of the village including its resources and anchoring.  In essence, one becomes part of the extended family of the village.  Should he refuse, one has to depart the village in a safe and timely fashion.  This almost never happens but can if "yachties" offer alcohol to the villagers and abuse their young women.  Fijians, like our native American Indians, do not tolerate  alcohol well - shit, who does?  So it is never offered.  "Yangona" works fine and produces no ill effects or drunkenness.  You can drink it all night long and, at most, it has a calming effect.

So the Chief accepts the bundle of "yangona" and it is prepared by pounding it into a powder and mixed in a silken bag with water in a special wooden bowl called a "tanoa".  The "tanoa" is hand carved out of a special hard wood called "vesi".  These "tanoas" can be quite large- holding a gallon or more at a time.  If the Chief has decided to drink socially with you, there is a dedicated person who mixes the "yangona" and the "tanoa" never goes empty.  It is passed around in a single cup called a "bilo".  This is a polished half of a coconut shell.  Everyone drinks out of the same "bilo" - communal bonding.  If one needs an excuse to leave, it has to be done before the "tanoa" is empty or it will be filled again and again.  The same thing happens with a bottle of alcohol aboard the boat if it is offered to Fijians:  they don't leave until everything is consumed and they are comatose.  Not too much different from our own parties!

So we drank "yangona" for an hour or so and then the food was served: roast pig, chicken, fish, taro, fiddleheads, etc.  Yes, they eat "fiddleheads" here in Fiji.  They are everywhere.  Not quite the same as the American variety but very similar.  After eating, it's back to the kava bowl for drinking and music: guitar, ukulele, and voice.  Fijian music is harmonic and melodious in the Hawaiian fashion.  These people are a joy to be with.  We continued sitting around and drinking "yangona" for a few more hours.  The question asked by the server of the "yangona" is: High Tide or Low Tide  for the quantity.  I went full bore for the High Tide but I must say that, other than a slight temporary numbing of lips and tongue, I felt nothing more that a mild calming effect.  I figure I drank at least 15 cups of the mixture and could have continued on without any harmful effects.  I believe that kava in its powered form is legal in the States and is made by some herbal companies - not too sure of this.

This was an informal "sevusevu" so all formalities were not observed.  We were invited to take photos after the presentation and acceptance of the "yangona".  Phyllis has posted them.  It was a wonderful evening with a friendliness from the villagers that isn't found in so many places in today's world.