Pickering - Week 3 Notes

Note Index | Apryle Pickering

Apryle Pickering Week 3 Field Notes excerpts - Social Relations and a Funeral

Saturday, September 18, 1999 (written Tuesday, Sept. 21)
SUMMARY

The trip to Suva was a long and bumpy one yesterday so I was very tired when I awoke this morning. We were staying at the Suva Motor Inn in a room that was the size of an apartment. Megan and I were sharing a bed while the other students were spread out throughout the room. I awoke at about 8:00am to the sound of Megan's alarm. We were instructed to be leaving at about 10:00am so I got up to take a shower. When we were all showered we made our way downstairs to have some breakfast. The restaurant in the hotel was very nice; there was a bar and a Japanese food table where people can make reservations to eat. I ate my usual: juice, toast and fruit and tea. When everyone was finished we then went into our room to get ready for our day. Va and her granddaughter Kolora were also there with us so they volunteered to watch Jeffery while the rest of us loaded into Steve's van and made our way to the Fiji Museum. The Museum was not open yet so we went on to the University of the South Pacific to look at some books. That too was closed because it was Saturday and we were thoroughly disappointed. This changed our plans for the weekend and it was decided that we would have to stay an extra day. We decided to go to into the heart of the city and check out the handicraft and flea market. On the way, however, we noticed a Cost-U-Less (the equivalent of Coscos in Vermont) and we stopped. This was very exciting due to the overwhelming amount of American foods sold. We looked around for a while and purchased lots of snacks then it was off to the markets. We arrived there in a very short time to take a walk through the market. There were many shops selling the same products. I purchased a few presents for my family and friends. When we were finished looking around Steve took us to the Flea Market. This was a large building with lots of clothes vendors. We walked around for quite some time but I found nothing that I was interested in. When we decided that we had been there long enough Steve and Karen took us back to the Motel to relax. This was a time for people to get caught up on their field notes and reading. I took a short nap at this time. When it was time for dinner the students thought it would be a good idea to reserve the Japanese table to everyone ate at that table except for Steve and I because there wasn't enough room. The meal was very good, I had chips (French fries). After dinner we all went in our rooms and said goodnight to Steve and Karen. At about 12:00am however, we decided to go into Suva and see what was happening. The receptionist told us about a nightclub called Lucky Eddies so we all took a taxi there. That nightclub was rather exciting but it closed shortly after we arrived so we went to another bar called Bojengels. This was a jazz and blues bar and that too closed shortly after we arrived so our only option was to go back to the motel and go to bed so that is what we did.
Suva City

Suva is a very large city for the size of Fiji. This is where all of the important buildings are and where many people choose to work. It was very busy with lots of traffic. The cars drove very fast through the city and often did not stop for pedestrians. The roads were narrow and there were rotary junctions throughout the city. The scenery reminds me of Florida because of the palm trees and the appearance of most of the buildings and houses. The houses are made out of concrete and very brightly colored. There were two colleges that I noticed, Fiji Institute of Technology and the University of the South Pacific. Many aspects of Suva reminded me of the United States. There were many restaurants, nightclubs, bars, stores and even a Mall. It was much smaller than those at home but it was a mall. The weather in Suva left much to be desired, it rained every day that we were there off and on and lasted most of the day. I cannot believe that people can live in a place where it rained all the time. It must be so hard to dry your clothes. Overall the stay in Suva was enjoyable and relaxing it was good to have a break from the outhouse for a while.
The Handicraft Market

The market was a large square with aisles going up and down with vendors on each side of the aisle. There were about ten vendors on each side of the aisle but all the shops were not open at the time that we arrived. The vendors were both Fijian and Indian and the customers were mostly tourists. The vendors knew this and were quick to take advantage of us. They would try to sell us products that were not worth the amount of money they were asking. The vendors were lined up outside their shops telling us to come in and have a look around. The shops sold such things as wooden turtles, statues, lali (drum), tanoas and also jewelry, mats, baskets and straw bags. When you were in their shop looking at the products they would show you everything that they had and name its price. They used phrases such as, "I will show you something nice." and "What about a nice necklace for you". I found this to be very annoying and tried to only go in the shops where the vendors were not so aggressive. I cannot see how this tactic of business was good for them. Va was very helpful in this situation. She let the vendors know that she knew how much the stuff was worth and did not let them pester us too much. Some of the vendors were even willing to bargain with you. They would name a high price and when you asked for a lower one they would settle somewhere between the two. This was very hard to get used to since in the United States you are expected to pay whatever it is marked as. The market experience was a learning one and one that I am glad I do not have to go through every day.
The Flea Market

This market was much more relaxed. The vendors did not seem to care if you entered their shop or not. The customers were not only tourists but Fijians and Indians as well. The market was set up in a large square as in the case of the handicraft market but the aisles were not so large. Instead they were smaller and went in all directions. There was a café or little restaurant in the corner of the market and a bookshop at one end. I noticed that there was even one shop that was a white man selling fortune telling. I found this to be very strange. The other shops were selling clothes, jewelry, and some other crafts such as bags and mats. The clothes consisted of sulus, shirts and miniskirts. The patterns were bright and very colorful. All of the shops seemed to have the same clothing and I again wondered how the people made any money. Most of the vendors I noticed were Indian and there were many young girls working. I did not find anything that I was interested in buying so we walked around for a while. We saw Megan's sister-in-law and brother in the flea market and stopped to say hello. They were not all that friendly or talkative so we finished our shopping and got ready to leave. Most of the shops were closing anyway, it looked as though the market was finished for the day.
Suva Night Life

I found the nightlife in Suva to be very different from the atmosphere in the daytime. We had asked the receptionist where a good place would be to go at night and she recommended a place called Lucky Eddies. We all piled into one taxi, which cost us $5.00, I found this to be a little strange since it was just down the road. When we arrived the place looked very exciting. There were men working at the door in red Lucky Eddie shirts but they never asked us for any admission. We walked upstairs to find a familiar nightclub scene. The bar was located at the right and the dance floor on the left. We choose a booth by the window to sit at. There were what seemed to be younger students on the dance floor and at the other booths and older men at the bar I noticed that most of the people there were Fijian, however, there were some older European people sitting at the booth next to ours. After a while we worked up the courage to make our way to the dance floor and request some songs. Erin, Stephanie, Megan, Emily and I went to dance while Michelle and Andy stayed behind at the booth. We danced for a while then returned to see what Michelle and Andy were up to. At this point we heard a bell, which meant that the bar was closing. We asked our waiter if there was any other place we could go and he directed us to another bar down the street so we packed up and left. We walked down the street a ways while being harassed by the guys on the sidewalks (a sight that I am familiar to from my time in Mexico). When we arrived at the next bar it was mostly older Fijian men outside but we decided to check it out. The name of the bar was Bojengels and there was a $5.00 admission fee. When we finally got in it was very crowded. We choose a booth out of the way to sit and talk. The music was of a blues or Jazz nature and the posters all over the walls were pictures of American Jazz singers. Andy was ecstatic. Many of the men approached us to see where we were from and what we were doing there. I have to say we didn't really blend in. We were there for only a few minutes it seemed like when they told us the bar was closing. This was very disappointing since we had paid to get in. We finished our drinks and made our way outside. When outside we decided that there was nothing else to do so we took a taxi back to the Motel which surprisingly only cost us $1.50!! It was an interesting night.
Personal Reactions/Dreams

I was very excited for our trip to Suva not only because it was a chance to take a hot shower and use a flushable toilet, but because I wanted to hear about the other students experiences. We were so excited to see each other and share our stories. This made me realize that this term abroad will bring us close together and allow us to form special bonds with each other. The Motel was very nice which was almost like a tease due to the extreme difference to village life and the fact that we must return to it when the weekend is over. It was however, very enjoyable. During the stay at the Motel I had my first two dreams of the trip or at least the first two that I could remember. The first one was a dream involving Megan getting into a car accident. She was driving on the Kings Highway and struck an Indian man who was driving a truck. In my dream I was able to watch to whole thing and saw her get thrown from the car. I ran up to meet her and she assured me that she was fine. I then woke up. I am not entirely sure what this has to do with my trip here, except that I had been thinking a lot about Megan and her home stay situation. The second dream took place in a field at home. It was a party to say goodbye to everyone that was leaving for school. I was there with my boyfriend Justin and people were giving us gifts. We then said our goodbyes and I left for UVM to attend college. My parents were with me and we made our way to my assigned dorm. It was not a dorm, however, it was a very large apartment with about 12 girls staying in it. I looked throughout the apartment and found that all the rooms were taken. I became very panicked. I then awoke. This dream I can relate more to my stay here. The goodbyes that I said to my friends in my dreams were similar to those that I had made when I came to Fiji. The large apartment at UVM was also I believe representative to the huge room in the Suva Motor Inn. Also the girls that were supposed to be my roommates were of many different ethnicities, which is also common of the people here in Fiji and those that I saw in Suva. These dreams were somewhat disturbing to me when I awoke because I felt as though I should be at home but after time things were back to normal.

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Monday, September 20, 1999 (written Thurs. Sept. 23)
SUMMARY

We awoke early at the Suva Motor Inn. Today we were leaving Suva and had lots of sights to see before hand. We met for breakfast around 9:00am; I had the continental breakfast of juice, cereal and toast. After breakfast we left for the University of the South Pacific to check out some books that would be helpful on our projects. We first stopped at the Institute of Pacific Research where there was a large selection of books on life in Fiji then we hit the University bookstore. The bookstore seemed a lot bigger than our bookstore at Union with a larger selection of books. We spent quite some time in the store and purchased many helpful books. Afterwards we had to hurry back to the Motel to check out. We packed up all of our stuff into Steve's van and walked to the Museum, which was right down the street. It took us about 2 hours to walk through the museum and check out the shop inside then we grabbed a snack at the café outside. By that time Rup, our other van driver, was there to pick us up and was very anxious. Va made plans with him to go and pick up another friend in Suva and meet us in Lami (a suburb of Suva). While Rup and the other students did this Steve, Karen, Andrew, Jeffery and I went into downtown Suva again to look for some posters that Andrew wanted. We could not find them so we made our way to Lami to meet the other van. We waited for a while then when we saw them we began our journey home. We had decided to take the long way around the island to look at all the beautiful scenery. We passed some resorts along the way including Pacific Harbor and the new hotel that is being constructed. As we made our way along the highway the rain began to stop and the weather became clearer. We met the other van in Sigatoka to stop and use the washroom and get a few snacks. At that point Megan and Andy switched vans and we were off again. We stopped at the Sand Dunes to look at the Sunset but it was closing soon and the sun was setting so we pushed on. On the way to Nadi we had to stop once due to Jeffery's carsickness. By the time that we reached McDonalds though he was feeling better and we all had some real American food to eat!! We then drove the rest of the way home but arrived to late to return to our families so we stayed in the famous Rakiraki Hotel for one more night. We were all very tired from the long trip and went right to sleep.
Fiji Museum

The Fiji Museum was very interesting for its size. The cost to get in was $3.30 a person, which was very reasonable I thought. It basically consisted of one two large rooms with a shop connecting them. The first few exhibits were of Archeological digs and the prehistoric human bones that were found in the sand dunes. Next were the pottery sections where it told how the pottery was made and what types were found in the different areas. The large sea vessel was on display next. It was a boat that was used during warfare I believe and was very magnificent to look at. After that it was the devices that the early Fijians used to catch their fish and other sea life. All of the exhibits had great captions that were very easy to read. Next were examples of the dress and jewelry that they used to wear and an exhibit of the tools and weapons that were sometimes used. This was my favorite section and the one that I found most interesting. In the adjoining room was the Museum shop selling products such as t-shirts, soap, picture frames, postcards, jewelry, books and pictures. Next to the shop on the other side was a large room containing exhibits of the colonization of the British and upstairs was a room full of Tapa clothes and a room dedicated to the Indians. It showed their brightly colored jewelry and their magnificent paintings. This was a very well put together museum and I enjoyed looking through it tremendously.
University of the South Pacific

This is a rather large University especially for the size of the Island. Many of the students are from other Pacific islands as well since this is one of the only colleges. The buildings were very pretty made of concrete and well painted. There were palm trees throughout the campus and the roads were all paved and the grass cut. The buildings were spread out around the campus, it did not look as crowded as Union or many of the other U.S. schools do. The number of students was estimated at about 2-3000. As we drove into the University on the left were various playing fields and one was occupied with a Rugby game. There were tennis courts and a basketball court as well. We passed a library, which was very large considering the number of students and the location. The students were very interested in us as we drove in and walked around but I did not see any actually talk to us. The students were of various ethnicities and seemed to interact well with each other. The bookstore was crowded and not very spacious. There were new fiction and best selling books out as you first walk in. To the right of those were school supplies like pens and notebooks. Behind those were books marked by interest, such as women's studies or History. All the way to the left were the books that were set aside for the classes and next to those were the gifts that students and tourists could buy. I purchased one book for my research paper and a map of the island. The prices here were much more expensive than any other place that I had visited so far so our purchases were limited. The Institute of Pacific Research is a very small office and book room that contains books relevant to the research that people are participating in at the University. The books were about the various other islands in the Pacific and literature that people at the University have written. We purchased many books here since the prices were very reasonable. The secretary or receptionist in that department checked us out and helped us when needed. I cannot think of any department such as this one at Union College where people can purchase books, but I believe it is very useful.
McDonalds/ The American Way

As in the case of Cost-U-Less we seem to get very excited with the opportunity to purchase things that are found in the United States. I too experience this and wonder why this is. McDonalds has only ever made me sick to my stomach, however, I was so happy to be eating there. I realize that when we see food or other products it reminds us of home but should we be so dependent on those products? I find it very interesting how hard it is for a person to adjust to living and eating in another area of the world. I certainly am not exempt from this phenomenon but I wish that we could overcome it. It amazed me to see the other students buying food at Cost-U-Less just because they recognize the label. I do not believe that American food is that much better than the food that we have been eating every day in our villages I think that it is probably just a reaction to culture shock and the opportunity to remind us of home.
Personal Reactions

I have finally entered what I believe is culture shock. I find myself getting annoyed with the little things that I know would not annoy me at home. This includes some of the people that I interact with, the trip to the outhouse at night and other little things that I should not be uncomfortable with. I just cannot seem to understand why people are never on time, why my sister never tells me where we are going when she asks me to go to town with her and why people never do what they said they were going to do. Three different people have told me that they were going to take me horseback riding but nobody ever does. I am starting to doubt everything people say they are going to do for me. This is certainly not the case at home and it is an adjustment that is taking me a long time to get used to. I am also very tired all the time and have not motivation to do my work. I do find this type of work very interesting but actually obtaining the information and typing it all up is a different story. This was not always the case back home. I am sure that this will get better with time and I will learn to accept life here for what it is and not expect anymore.

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Wednesday, September 22, 1999 (written Fri. Sept. 24)
SUMMARY

I awoke this morning to find Tila getting the dirty laundry out of my room. It was about 7:30am so I figured that I should get up. Nana had already made my breakfast so I ate by myself while Tila got ready to go to Kindergarten. Breakfast consisted of Fried dough and bananas with hot chocolate. While Tila was away I worked in my room for a couple hours then went outside to sit with Api (my sister-in-law). We talked for a while then I decided to take my bath. When I was finished Nana had made lunch for Tila and I so we ate then I started to collect information for my genealogy project. It was at this point that I noticed a large number of ants congregating in my room so Tila and I decided to go into town to purchase some ant killer spray. We got a ride into town with Inia the messenger for the Education Office and did some shopping. Nana had given us a list of food to get for dinner so we spent a while in the grocery store and in the Market. I purchased a can of Mortein to kill the ants. While in the grocery store we witnessed a verbal fight between two women, which was rather interesting. Tila said that they were fighting over a man who was actually her cousin brother so I was very amused. When we were finished in town we took a taxi home to begin the cleaning out of my room. We removed all the furniture and pulled up the linoleum to spray. I believe that it did the trick. I then decided to go for a walk and spend some time outdoors with the kids. Some younger boys convinced me to play volleyball with them for a while but I was hurting their team more than helping them so I gladly declined to play another round. At that point we ate dinner then Nana informed me that she was going up to the house where the man that passed away last weekend was from and pay her respects. I went with her to see what she meant. Our whole matagali went to present their mats and cry with the deceased ones relatives. These included his two sisters and one aunt. This was a very powerful experience and one that I have never experienced back home. When the ceremony was finished I went back to do a little more reading before I fell asleep.
Genealogy and Kin Terms

The cross cousins or tavale are what are known as kissing cousins. They are allowed to joke with one another and flirt intensely. I have encountered this many times with Tila and her cousin brothers. The most prominent is her cousin brother Penaia. He always refers to her as darling or sweetheart. Anther example would be the joking behavior with her cousin brother Malumu. She often jokes with him and says that he is her boyfriend in a laughing manner. Her parallel cousins or veitacini are those whom she avoids and must limit her conversation. These are the sons of her mother's sisters or her father's brothers. She has done this on one occasion that I can remember we met him along the road and she looked the other way as we passed him. Tila told me that it was ok to talk to her cousins in the other mataqalis and that it was just her own mataqali that she must be respectful. Today I noticed two men that approached each other then stood one behind the other to hold their conversation. This must mean that the one that stood behind is from his mother's side (vasu). These interactions occur a lot of the time but you have to be very observant to notice.
Discussion with Api

Reapi Vuluma is the wife of my brother Semi Toga. She is 23 years old although she looks much older and her original village is Nadi. While talking with her I began to learn more personal things about her and more of her feelings. She has been married to Semi for a little over two years. When she was four months pregnant Semi convinced her to move to Vitawa. She did not want to do this at all but Semi told her that they would only be there for a short time then they could come back. Api assured me that he in fact was lying to her and never intended to move back to Nadi. This made her very angry and unhappy at the time. She told me that she misses Nadi very much. In Nadi she was able to go out at night, relax during the day and not have so many chores. She also had a washing machine and other such luxuries that we do not have here. When she was eight months pregnant she went into labor with Vani. She went to the Lautoka hospital to give birth but Vani was one month premature. The doctors told her that she would have to stay in the incubator for another month until she was strong but Vani was fed regularly and grew very strong. They were able to take her home after one week and she is a very healthy child now. People in the village have told me, however, that because she was born so early and kept in an incubator she will be a problem child and very badly behaved. So far I believe this to be true. Two months ago Api said that she moved back to Nadi, I believe without her daughter, to work but she became ill and moved back to Vitawa. (I feel badly for Api because she seems very discontent here. Semi was over seas for a long period of time also so she must have felt very alone. She never leaves the house accept to go for short walks with Semi or fishing at night. She seems to like having someone to confide in and our friendship is definitely growing.)

"The Miracle of God"

Tata told me the story of why he turned to God. He spoke of the four tragic accidents that he was in and how he only survived due to a miracle of God. The first was when he worked for the gold mine and was driving a truck filled with gasoline, diesel fuel, and kerosene and dynamite explosives. A truck pulled up along side him to pass him when there was another truck coming in the other direction. Tata quickly pulled off the road but the collision hit his side of the truck and trapped him beneath the steering wheel. Through no strength of his own he pulled the steering wheel off him and made it out of the truck before it exploded. The second miracle also involved him driving a truck. Tata was passing another car when he went on the to soft shoulder and started go towards the ditch. He yanked the wheel and pulled the truck across the road and crashed on the other side. The truck rolled seven times and he was still able to walk out unharmed. The third miracle was when he got into another truck accident and the truck hit a ditch and split in half. He again walked out unharmed. The final miracle occurred when he was working a crane at a dam in Nadi. He hit the power line with the crane and said that he experienced a 33,000-volt shock. He was burned all over his body and was admitted to the Lautoka hospital. A minister came to pray for him and he was fully healed and the doctor said his heart was not damaged in any way. After these four instances Tata said that he stopped working and became a fisherman to take on the word of God. He then went on to explain that he is poor because he has come to realize the power of God. God will provide for him he does not need money. People with lots of money never have the chance to realize God's power. (I am not sure if he was referring to people in America because everyone thinks that we are all rich or just wealthier people in general.).
The Burebure Nimate

On the night before the body arrives the family house of the deceased (burebure nimate) becomes a place of great sorrow. The deceased, Inoke Tucia's two sisters and one aunt have resided there since the announcement of death. If his parents were alive they would be there also. On this night each mataqali will enter the burebure nimate to present the mats that they have made for the occasion and pay their respects to the family. I entered the house with the women of our mataqali, Namasaga. The room was cleared of all furniture and new mats were on the floor. There was a bed up front with numerous mats and tapas lying on it for the coffin when it arrived the next day. In the corners of the room and up front were the closest family members and those that choose to stay with them in the room for ten days. This is the ritual for a funeral. The women must stay in the burebure nimate for ten days. Upon entering all of the women lay out the mats that they have brought then sit and cry (more like a wail) for a few minutes when most of the crying has stopped they all clap their hands. When this is finished then kava is distributed throughout the room and the women discuss the planning of the next few days events. After everyone if finished drinking and talking the women will leave. While this is going on the men in the different mataqalis are drinking kava and presenting whales teeth. It is the father's side of the family who is responsible for making the mats and cooking the food for the funeral feast. The mother's side is given the body and they are responsible for burying it.
Personal Reactions

I was very stuck by the women in the burebure nimate. It was very powerful but at the same time I felt like some of the women were just forcing themselves to cry or attempt to cry. The sound was not of the crying nature but more like a moaning noise. I was touched, however, and did shed a few tears myself. My nana went to this event, which I found strange since she never left the house otherwise. I wonder why that is? I do not know if she enjoys being trapped in the house all day doing housework or if she would rather be doing something else. I know now that Api would rather be doing something else other then staying in Vitawa and looking after her child. I hope that Api will continue to talk to me about her frustrations so that I may learn more about her situation and the lives of young daughter-in-laws. I find myself being able to talk with her more freely than with Tila.

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Friday, September 24, 1999 (written Sat. Sept.25)
SUMMARY

Api woke me up at 8:00am to wash and eat before the funeral. Tila had no kids today so she was able to eat breakfast with me. We had roti and hot chocolate. I finished washing and Tila brought me an outfit to wear. I looked very Fijian. We walked up into the village and went into the church to hear the choir practice. There were lots of people around and I spotted Stephanie and Erin. Finally the people came into the church and Stephanie and Erin sat next to Tila and I with their families. The service began with the bringing in of the coffin then it went into prayer and singing. At the very end family members spoke of the deceased and the minister began to preach. At that point Stephanie became very pale and fainted while sitting next to Erin and I. Tila helped her out of the church and her family followed. She sat outside until the end of the service. She was all right but needed to go home and rest. She had not been feeling well all morning. When the service was over the body was carried behind the village to the bulubulu on the big rock. This is where it was buried. All of the people followed the body to watch it be buried. The choir sang and the preacher spoke. When the body was buried we returned to the village to begin the feast. This lasted for a long time, maybe three or four hours. Everybody had to take turns eating in the shed. I ate chicken, cucumbers and cassava. I cannot imagine doing all of those dishes. After we ate Erin and I visited with our families. Tila and Savu (Erin's sister) seemed to get along really well and formed a new friendship. We walked them and another of their relatives, which was Tila's cousin sister to the road to catch a ride at about 5:00pm. Erin and her sister went in a taxi while Tila's cousin Mary waited at our house for the bus. We sat outside and watched the boys play volleyball and rugby. I then went inside to finish some of my work while I waited for dinner. Tata called me for afternoon prayer and afterwards we ate dinner. I had the usual potato, cucumbers, rice, fish and chicken chop suey. When dinner was finished I excused myself to do some typing and go to bed.
Thursday Night Ceremony / The Bringing of the Body

The night before the funeral the body arrived at about 11:30pm. It came in a white van and there were two buses following with people from Suva and Lautoka. All the women who were staying in the burebure nimate and those standing outside sat down and we presented the mats and whales teeth to the mother's side of the family. This part of the procedure is known as vakasobu. When this was finished the coffin was taken out of the van and brought inside by men from the mother's side. It was laid on the bed in the front of the room in the burebure nimate. The coffin was red with a window to allow people to view the head and many flowers and tapas were placed on top. The men carried the coffin on their shoulders while holding on to the person across from them. It looked very difficult. After the body was placed inside the relatives from the father's side that were already inside began their morning and crying. This lasted for about twenty minutes while the people got of the bus and the bus left. They carried their gifts of mats and whales teeth into the shed to undergo their sevusevu. There they drank kava and gave thanks for the gifts. I stood outside and listened for the sound of the clapping to know that they were finished. All the women then left the shed while the men stayed to drink kava. The women made their way into the burebure nimate with the wife leading the group to pay their last respects. There was much crying again and wailing which lasted even longer than before. The wife and sisters were up front leaning on the coffin while the others sat behind. When everyone was finished crying the women again clapped and left to stay in their relatives houses for the night.
Church Service

Friday morning at 11:00am the service took place. It was supposed to be held at ten o'clock but this is Fiji. I was sitting in the church with Tila listening to the choir practice. The church consisted of three rows of pews; women sat on the right, men on the left and children in the middle. The choir was seated up front on the left. The women of the choir were wearing white dresses with black Sulu underneath. The men were wearing dark colored sulus and a button down shirt with a tie. There was a table placed in the middle of the church with mats and tapas placed on top, this was wear the coffin was to be placed. In the front was a long table where the preacher stood behind and the elders or important members of the village sat to watch the funeral service, this part of the church was physically higher than the rest. There were two cloth pictures hanging on the wall in the front one of Jesus and one of the Last Supper. On the large table were hanging pictures of Jesus and flowers at either end. People filtered into the church to sit down, it was very crowded. I heard the Lali begin to beat at a very slow pace, which signaled the bringing in of the body. The ministers and elders entered first then the first cousins and uncles on the mother's side brought in coffin. There were six men holding it on their shoulders. I noticed the chief of the village and the Tui Naviti Levu sitting up front. Children followed with flowers and sat up front next to the coffin. After the children the women from the mother's side including the wife entered the church carrying their mat to be offered to the minister. The wife sat behind her family and the others on the floor next to her since all the seats were full. The choir was singing this whole time and when they finished the preacher lead a prayer. The whole service was in Fijian so it was often hard to follow. The minister then read from the bible and the choir started another hymn.

A man from the father's side of the family (Inia Navuca) then began to speak about the man who had died, Inoke Tucia. He thanked all the relatives and the Tui Navitilevu for attending the service in Vitawa. He told of his Yavusa (Naisagogliku), his mataqali (Naikoro), the date he was born, 20/4/63, and his parents. Inoke had three sisters and three brothers to which he was the third child. Inia described him as a sly and polite child. When he was 27 years old he was married to a women from Macuata ( Vanua Levu) who had grown up in Drana village with her grandmother. They were married for 12 years before his death. Inoke was a taxi driver in Suva and it was said that when he was having his evening prayer he suddenly fell down to his death. When Inia was finished speaking a man from the mother's side of the family said a few things. He was the uncle to Inoke, his name was Setaita Yalewa. He said that Inoke's mother was born and brought up on Malake Island. Inoke was always said to care about his family and had a very respectful behavior. When the two speakers were finished the preacher said a few words which lasted about forty-five minutes before the choir broke out into song and the service was over. The whole service lasted about two and one-half hours and was very boring at times. I found myself trying to stay awake, as did many others I noticed. When the coffin was carried back out and the church was emptied then the people made their way to the grave sight.
The Trip to the Grave

The six men carried the coffin all the way up the hill to the grave sight. This was where other members of his mataqali were buried also. The choir followed then all the people and ministers. When everyone arrived the choir sang and the minister spoke. The choir was standing behind the grave while the children were sitting in front and all the people sitting on the other side. When the minister was done speaking and praying the women cried one last time then everyone through dirt on the grave. There were men there to finish filling in the hole and the choir was singing while this was going on. When the grave was covered rocks were placed around it and a tree (vua) was planted on top. I noticed many of those trees around which marked the sight of the other graves. Everybody stayed to hear the choir sing then they made their way back down to the village for the big feast. It was at this time that the wife got dressed in her tapa cloth with her long train of material to enter the burebure nimate so that she may be excused by the elder women to leave the house and return to her village after the one-hundredth night. While this was going on the feast began and everyone ate an abundance of food that was prepared. This was the end of the official funeral, however, many people stayed on to celebrate and mourn into the night.
Personal Reactions

I see many differences between a Fijian funeral service and one back home. I believe that this method of caring for the dead and the family of the deceased is much more meaningful, however, much more time consuming. It would be hard to get everyone together at home for such an extended period of time and I did not enjoy sitting through such a long church service. The one aspect that I did enjoy was that it was seen as a social event or celebration as well. The people used this occasion to see their relatives and participate in a large feast. This is not the case at home where the service is short and there is no celebration to follow. I think that I am beginning to appreciate the customs and rituals of the Fijians. I have noticed that everything has a deeper meaning to them and is done for a specific reason. They cherish their relatives and maintain very close ties with them. I do not agree with the idea of marrying your cousin, however, it would be nice to live in harmony with my closer relatives. The Fijians have everything that they need here in this little village and they see no reason to change. This is something that can be commended.

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