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Megan Lee Email
Email index | Megan Lee

Follow-up Questions from Yoko Kawano

For Student: Megan Lee
Section: morning
Questioner: Yoko Kawano
Date: November 12, 1999
When do children eat? With their mother or father? Boys with father and girls with mother?
Megan Lee replies: Traditionally, children should eat after the men either with the women or before the women eat. A lot of times though, the children eat with the men, but at the bottom of the table. The men are served first and the children and then the women get the leftovers.

Email index | Megan Lee
For Student: Megan Lee
Section: morning
Questioner: Yoko Kawano
Date: November 12, 1999
Is having sons more important? Do children help housework? Do only girls help? Do boys have a higher position than girls? Even though they are younger than older sisters?
Megan Lee replies: It's important to have boys and people often want their first child to be a boy because it is the boys who will carry on the social structure, because the society is based on the patriline. When children are young though, they are all treated the same way, boys are not considered higher than girls. Kids are expected to help with housework to some extent but mostly they just run around and play. Boys do do housework but usually only when they are young. The older they get, the less they are expected to do helping their mothers, as they cannot act like girls. (Having boy children who act like girls, or feminites, is a big concern for people. Boys must be manly and this is taught to them from a fairly young age). Girls on the other hand, are expected to do more as they get older. I think that most girls know how to cook before they have finished primary school and they sweep and wash dishes, etc. The difference in status between boys and girls really becomes apparent by their mid teens and certainly by their late teens. By this time, the girls are serving the boys and act much like the older women. The boys will eat with the men and the girls wait. By the time they are this age, they are definitely of higher status, even if they are younger than their sisters.

Email index | Megan Lee
For Student: Megan Lee
Section: morning
Questioner: Yoko Kawano
Date: November 12, 1999
Do you think it's a good place to scuba dive? Do they eat lots of seafood?
Megan Lee replies: I think I heard that Fiji is supposed to be one of the best places in the world for snorkeling and scuba diving. We went snorkeling a few times and it was pretty amazing, although I think that I have seen some more impressive stuff in the Caribbean, but maybe we weren't in a great spot. I really don't know, it seems like it would be a good place to scuba, I don't dive 'cause I'm a little too claustrophobic so I didn't really look into it. Are you a diver?
There is definitely a lot of seafood here. My family seems to go in phases. My nana or sister will go fishing and then we eat nothing but fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week, and then we won't have any for a week or so. The fish is actually pretty good, I never ate fish before I came here but now I kind of like it, although I am getting kind of sick of it! It isn't really prepared either. It's just a whole fried or boiled fish. The skin and head and eyeballs and fins and tail are still attached! And I still choke on the bones sometimes. We've had crab a few times too that I didn't really like. But yes, fish is definitely a staple if you live on the sea like we do.

Email index | Megan Lee

Follow-up Questions from Morning Section

For Student: Megan Lee
Section: morning
Questioners: Yoko Kawano,
Date: November 12, 1999
Since the role of women is so separate from the role of men, in that they perform all the housework and care for the children, is there a noticeable difference in the relationship that children have with their mother's vs. the relationship they have with their father's? Does one seem more nurturing or stable than the other? Or are the relationships equally important?
Megan Lee replies: When kids are young,they relate to both their parents pretty much the same way. Most fathers I've seen spend time with their kids when they are little. My host brother is great with his son, very loving and always playing with him. As they get older though, it's obvious people have to show respect to their fathers. I don't see them really talking to or relating to their fathers in a personal way at all. They have to show them the proper respect and that usually means being serious around them. They are more relaxed with their mothers though, laughing and joking and talking with them.

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Follow-up Questions from Afternoon Section

For Student: Megan Lee
Section: afternoon
Questioners: Peter Birnie, Rebecca Dufromont, Erica Kalp, Alexandra Lohse, Nicole Schneider
Date: November 12, 1999
After being with your family for quite some time now, do you feel that you have rubbed off on them? Have they emulated anything you say or do, or have they modified any of their behaviors due to your influence? Has their view of America changed?
Megan Lee replies: I don't feel like I've really rubbed off on my family too much. I think that they just think most of the things I do are strange, like the way I brush my teeth and wash my face before I go to bed. They still can't believe that I go running or "training" as they say, for fun at home, and thought it was hilarious that I played rugby with the boys. They do eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches now but I can't really say I see too much of a difference in their behavior. My tata's new favorite phrase is "that's bullshit!", usually in reference to Zena the warrior princess, but I hope he didn't get that from me. My brother does refrain from beating my sister-in-law while I'm in the house now, I don't think that I put that in my notes for the web page but there was an incident in which he was hitting her while I was in the house. That doesn't happen anymore that I'm aware of, but that's just because they all knew how upset it made me, not because I've somehow made him realize it's wrong. I think that's far from being the case. Some of my other friends in the village have picked up some of my sayings, just little things like "see you later" and "vacation" instead of holiday. I don't think their views of America have really changed that much either. They just still think that it's a very rich country, which is true.

Email index | Megan Lee
For Student: Megan Lee
Section: afternoon
Questioners: Peter Birnie, Rebecca Dufromont, Erica Kalp, Alexandra Lohse, Nicole Schneider
Date: November 12, 1999
You spoke about economic and monthly expenditures. Do you feel it is right for the family to rely on their daughter in Australia? Is it her duty to help her family financially or is her family taking advantage of her?
Megan Lee replies: In Fijian society, the daughter living in Australia's main responsibility is to her family. There isn't the same sense of independence and earning for oneself here as there is at home. Even if you get a job and leave home, you are still responsible to your family. I'm sure that giving to her family is not a burden to her. In the society there just isn't the same importance of accumulating material goods, so she probably doesn't feel like she is giving to them what she could have for herself. Although some younger people have expressed sentiments that they would like to earn money for themselves and be independent from their families. Her family is definitely not taking advantage of her, according to Fijian ways of life. That was actually my first thought too, why can't one of the people living in the house get a job? there are two single guys in their twenties who are just hanging out in the village. But they just don't look at it the way. If she refused to give to them, it would probably cause major problems in the family. I know for a fact that she enjoys giving to them, and she sends things that they don't need, video games for the little boy and CDs. It is expected of her to an extent but she also gives them more than is "necessary". At the same time though I wonder if it is a burden on her at all. She is paying for an addition to their house that will almost double its size,and a couple of years ago she bought them a $5000 boat. Those things are expensive and it is possible that while she enjoys being able to provide for her family, she would also like to have some money for herself. What I would really like to know is if her giving so much to her family creates any problems with her husband. He is Australian and I'm sure that the system there is more like ours. I wonder how he feels about providing for her family. So I guess in short, no they are not taking advantage of her, but it's possible that she feels like her duty to provide for them interferes with her own wants.

Email index | Megan Lee

Original Questions from Morning Section

For Student: Megan Lee
Section: morning
Questioners: Jen Caruso, Brian Frasca, Peter Koch, Brianna Price, Yoko Kawano, Colin Breyer
Date: October 15, 1999
To what extent is the English language used by Fijians and how is the integration of another language affecting their traditional culture? For better or for worse?
Megan Lee replies: All Fijians learn English in primary school. All instruction is in English from class one. Outside of school, however, most Fijians don't speak English very much. You would never walk into a house and hear people speaking English. Most people avoid speaking English if they can. I don't think that the language itself has affected tradtional society, all ceremonies and rituals are still performed in Fijian. What has changed the traditionalism of the country is Western culture. Fijian culture has been more greatly affected by the introduction of money and western goods and values than by the introduction of English as a second language. There is no chance of Fijian being lost as a language and English replacing it. Most adults can speak English well enough to hold a conversation but feel more comfortable speaking in Fijian.

Email index | Megan Lee
For Student: Megan Lee
Section: morning
Questioners: Jen Caruso, Brian Frasca, Peter Koch, Brianna Price, Yoko Kawano, Colin Breyer
Date: October 15, 1999
What is the role and social standing of women in fijian society? Is their position progressing, regressing, or staying stagnant?
Megan Lee replies: Women have a subodorinate, lower ranking status in Fijian culture. Men are the focus all public ceremonies, descent is traced through the patriline, women are traditionally not expected to work outside the home, although this is changing as a result of Western influence. To me, it seems like women are basically around to help their husbands and raise the kids. They are responsible for all the cooking and cleaning and washing and watching the children. A daughter in law is basically the lowest of the low in the family. In my house, my sister in law is responsible for all the housework. My nana and sister do a little cooking but it is my sister in law who keeps the house in order, as well as taking care of her seven month old son. When she left for two days, the house didn't get cleaned nor did the dishes get washed. At traditional feasts, the women prepare the food for the men and then have to wait until they are done eating before the women can eat. They basically get the leftovers from the men's meal. Then they are responsible for cleaning up after them. Women were traditionally not allowed to participate in sevusevus and kava drinking. This has changed somewhat though and many women drink kava today but at a formal sevusevu after the cermony is performed the women would still have to leave while the men drank. I guess that the position of women is improving somewhat. There are now women's group that encourage women to report wife beatings and help them get help. It seems like younger women are not getting married at as young an age as they had and instead are looking for jobs. The traditional view that women should serve men is still very prevelant however, and women have a long way to go before they have equality with men. If they want it, that is; most women don't seem to have any desire to change their way of life.

Email index | Megan Lee
For Student: Megan Lee
Section: morning
Questioners: Jen Caruso, Brian Frasca, Peter Koch, Brianna Price, Yoko Kawano, Colin Breyer
Date: October 15, 1999
Are the Fijians and Indians able to coexist peacefully with one another, or is there evidence that the two groups share some hostilities towards one another and experience significant culture clashes?
Megan Lee replies: I have little interaction with Indians since I have been here. Indians and Fijians do not live together in the villages. Most Indians live in small settlements outside the villages. While the Indians are not allowed to own land in Fiji, they farm most of the sugar cane, the lease land from the Fijians who own it and usually have little desire to farm it themselves. The Indians also own most of the shops in town and Fijians work for them. Many Fijians have various stereotypes about the Indians. Group living and sharing among families is a central aspect of Fijian village life. Because the Indians do not live in the villages the Fijians do not think that they do not care about each other and are unwilling to help each other with money. I have heard various comments about Indians. They are believed to be very tight with money, unfriendly, they have too many children, they should all go back to India, or better yet the South Pole, and they are stupid. I haven't spoken with too many Indians but they seem to think all the same things about Fijians, adding also that they are incredibly lazy. Right now, the main problem between the Fijians and Indians is that the land lease issue. Because the Indians aren't allowed to own land, they have leased it from the Fijians. In the year 2000, these leases are going to expire. Many of the Fijians do not want to release the land back to the Indians. The problem is that of the 23000 cane farmers in Fiji, only 5000 of them are Fijians. If the Indians are not farming the land, many people fear that the Fijians will not take the initiative to farm the land themselves and the sugar cane will suffer. The Fijians and Indians live peacefully together, but there are obvious differences between them. Many Fijians dislike the fact that so many Indians hold government positions, including the Prime Minister.

Email index | Megan Lee

Original Questions from Afternoon Section

For Student: Megan Lee
Section: afternoon
Questioners: Peter Birnie, Rebecca Dufromont, Erica Kalp, Alexandra Lohse, Nicole Schneider
Date: October 15, 1999
Can you elaborate on the Fijian view of America? Please include any stereotypes, known reputation, political image, and cultural images.
Megan Lee replies: America is actually a topic I try to avoid whenever possible because it just ends up making me really frustrated. But I guess if I am here asking them all sorts of questions, I have to answer theirs too. Most people's general view is actually accurate--America is a rich country with a lot of power. But they don't understand that that doesn't make every person in America a millionaire. What they can't see is that although what our parents make in the US would make them the richest person in Fiji, it doesn't necessarily make us rich in the US. They assume that everyone has money coming out their ears and just doesn't have enough places to spend it. They seem very envious of us for being wealthy but then when I ask them about money, most people say that money doesn't matter, their lives are about sharing and helping each other, not about making a lot of money (there are of course people who don't feel this way, some people want to get rich).
Culturally they are exposed to what we would call pop culture. Five year olds who don't know any other English walk around singing The Backstreet Boys and Brittany Spears. I think Titanic was the biggest thing to ever come to Fiji. Everyone wears Nike and NBA tshirts. Most people are under the impression that there are mass shootings and violent crimes everywhere in the country every day. Trying to tell people that things like that only really in cities and really urban areas, they don't understand. They think the whole country is New York City and that Sylvester Stallone is out killing terrorists every day. When I tell people I live in the country ( I live right outside Saratoga), they immediately ask, "But you're really close to NYC, right?"

Email index | Megan Lee
For Student: Megan Lee
Section: afternoon
Questioners: Peter Birnie, Rebecca Dufromont, Erica Kalp, Alexandra Lohse, Nicole Schneider
Date: October 15, 1999
Have you personally felt the effects of gender inequality?
Megan Lee replies: Because I am a visitor and not really a part of the village, I have a higher status than most of the women in the village which allows me to do some things that the other women here can't. But gender inequality is everywhere and there's no way that I can't notice it. It's more prevelant in my own house than anywhere else in the village. My sister-in-law, Nina, is expected to do everything around the house. Because I feel so bad for her doing everything, I try to help her as much as I can, which I actually really resent. My tata has started to treat me like a woman more now, he tells me (not asks me, tells me) to get things for him that are right next to him and would be easier for him to get if he would just turn around and he tells me do to do stupid random little things that aren't a big deal but make me angry anyway, just because he expects me to do it because I am a girl and he is the head of the house. It makes me really angry to watch my sister and nana and sister in law do all these things for my tata and brother without complaining about it. I want to make them realize that they shouldn't have to do everything for them but to them it makes sense, they don't see anything wrong with it. And of course the day that I tried to play rugby with the boys was a joke. They can't take a girl playing sports seriously. Every time I had the ball they laughed at me, eventually I just stopped playing 'cause I was getting so pissed off. So nothing big has happened just because I am a girl, no one has says I can't do something, but every day there are small things that happen just in the course of living, that annoy and aggravate me that no one else notices because they are so used to it.

Email index | Megan Lee
For Student: Megan Lee
Section: afternoon
Questioners: Peter Birnie, Rebecca Dufromont, Erica Kalp, Alexandra Lohse, Nicole Schneider
Date: October 15, 1999
What exactly is a sevusevu? How, when, and why is it performed?
Megan Lee replies: A sevusevu is a cermony where yaqona is presented to the chief of the village as an offering of acceptance. The only real sevusevu I've been to was before we came to the villages. We had to be presented to the chief and he had to say that it was okay for us to live in his village. The chief of my village is also the chief in Stephanie's and Apryle's villages and he lives in Vitawa, Apryle's village. What happens is that everyone involved will go to the house of the chief. The chief sits at the front of the room. He will usually have what is called a talking chief, also a high ranking person in the village who speaks on his behalf. Everyone will file into the room, women sitting closest to the door, and then the men ranked by status, the most important closest to the chief. The man who is representing the others will make the offering to the chief and ask, in our case, for permission to live in the village. If the chief accepts he will also present yaqona in return. There are a lot of thank yous and formalities that I couldn't understand because its always done in Fijian and then kava is served. The chief always drinks first and then the others, again, usually served by status. The other sevusevu were less formal. Ours was the only one actually done to the chief, the others were done just with the family. Sevusevus can be performed for any number of reasons. Yesterday, Apryle climbed a mountain in her village. Before they could go up the mountain they had to do a sevusevu asking the chief for permission to climb the mountain. Next week in my village there is going to be a celebration for the completion of the new water tank where there will most likely be a sevusevu to thank the men who worked on the tank and to officialy open the tank for the village