Sparks - Week 4 Field Notes

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Emily Sparks Week 4 Field Notes excerpts - Economics and more

Monday 9/27/99

[I came back to the village at around 4:30pm, exactly 24 hours from when I had left yesterday. It certainly did seem like a quick trip, and to be honest I wasn’t looking forward to coming back. However, once I got settled, the children made me feel at home, and I even turned down dinner at the resort when Erinn and Stephanie came back to tell me that some of the group was going to the Wananavu for dinner. (Although when I was eating dinner I wished I had gone). The children made me feel wanted -- they all smiled when they came by my room, as if they were happy that I was back. I let them play with various things on my desk while I organized what I had to do for the week, but then kicked them out when I started my work.]

I also talked to Lucy after dinner about my work for this week. She helped me think of people in the village that would be good for interviewing about the economics of Navolau. I think that she definitely has good intentions, and I appreciate her willingness to help me. She told me though that there was a death in Navolau #1, and that many people in the village might be there for the first part of the week. However, she said that her family was not going.
History of Navolau

I asked Lucy why there were so many people living in Rakiraki who are originally from Navolau. She said that originally the Navolau people were from the Rakiraki area, and that then they moved over to the Navolau #1 area. As a result, many people still have land in that area. She said that Rakiraki and Navolau people are generally closely related. She also said that when many people moved from Navolau #1 to #2 there were also some that moved to Rakiraki. Momo Joeli is an example (Michelle’s father). Joeli is probably not living with his wife’s people, but living on land originally held by the Navolau people.

Education

This evening I also talked with Lucy about education in Fiji. She said that she attended Navolau district primary school, and then moved to Penang for secondary school. She said that all the school in Fiji are taught in English, and that different schools offer different optional languages. At Navolau primary school Fijian and English are the two languages offered (but the classes are taught in English, except for the youngest kids). At Penang, Fijian is only taught up to Form 2 (I think, I’ll have to ask Lucy again), and then Hindi and English are offered as languages. Hindi and English are also offered at the primary levels. At Ellington Primary school, where Peni, Naibuka, and many other children from the village go, Hindi, and English are also taught (Ellington is also an Indian school).

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Tuesday, 9/28/99
KINSHIP

This morning while I was washing the breakfast dishes ("savasava"), Veresa hung out in the kitchen. We had our normal conversation, of him saying that he’s going to go do something, and then him telling me in Fijian and then in English (of course I don’t remember how to say he’s going to go brush his teeth).

I asked him at what age does the respectful / avoidance relationship begin between brothers and sisters. If it started with marriage, or what. He said that when brothers and sisters grow up together in the same house, and this includes parallel cousins -- he made a reference to a cousin-brother of his that grew up with him -- they do not avoid each other as much. However, when they grow up, and if the sisters move away to get married, or if anyone lives away from the village for a long time, the respect/avoidance relationship is heightened. Verese said that this is because when people grow up together, they rely on each other, and are in constant contact. Thus, physical distance is a factor in the avoidance relationship.

He also said that the relationship of avoidance depends on age, when dealing with in-laws. He said that when Ilimo gets married, that all of Ilimo’s younger siblings will be able to talk to his wife. However, when Verese gets married, his older siblings will not be able to talk to his wife, but his younger siblings will be able to. The term "siblings" also includes parallel cousins. For example, Nana’s sisters children that are older than say, Ilimo, will not be able to talk to his wife, but the younger ones will be able to.
Tata and Ve Telling Stories about Traditional Fijian ways

This evening Tata, Veresa and I sat in the eating room until about 11pm telling stories ("talanoa") of some traditional Fijian ways. This was the night that Veresa told me the story of how Christianity first came to Fiji from the shores of Navolau (which I put right into my social organization / structure paper)

At one point we got into talking about weighing things, and Tata and Veresa were surprised that America was still on the English system of measurements. Tata then mentioned that like the metric system of accounting for things in groups of ten, the traditional Fijian system of accounting for things is also organized by grouping of ten. Veresa told me that school children (class 3) learn these groupings in primary school. I asked if they knew any examples, and if the could help translate them for me. However, these terms are not commonly used any more. Here are some examples:

-10 na vonu (sea turtles) = 1 na bi

-10 na waqaviti (bamboo Fijian boats) = 1 na uduudu

-10 na niu (coconuts) = 1 na I qali

-10 na tabua (whale’s tooth) = 1 na yulo

-10 na moto (spear for fishing) = 1 na tuatua

-10 na ibe (mats) = 1 na sasa (also the word for coconut leaf and broom)

-10 na vuaka (pigs) = 1 na rara

-10 na toa (chicken) = 1 na soga

-10 na lairo (crabs) = 1 na i kasi

-10 na gata (snake) = 1 na vere

-10 na qio (whales) = 1 na laca

-10 hens (?) = 1 soga

-100 niu (coconuts) = 1 na sevavo

-1000 niu = 1 na koro
Calendar

Here are some examples from the traditional calendar:

July = Vula i teitei (planting time for yams)

September = Vula i vavakada / tubutubu (yams start to germinate)

October = Vula i balolo lailai (little amount of sea worms)

November = Vula i balolo levu (lots of sea worms)

December = Vula i nuqa lailai (less of this fish)

January = Vula i nuqa levu (nuqa is a kind of fish. During this month, there are lots of nuqa)
Fijian Idiom

-Kau kiviti na dalo tavu = Taking dalo to Fiji (already plenty here)

Wednesday, 9/29/99

Today was quite a productive day. I feel like I really tried to turn those casual conversations into casual interviews. Momo Charlie, my interviewee of the day was excited for me to come over, and enjoyed my company (he lives alone), and kept saying "thank-you" for the interview. However, I still have to figure out how to communicate with people better. For many of these older men ( in their early 60s), I can not tell if they are not understanding my question, if they are pondering how to respond, or if they are hard of hearing. I brought this up with my Tata (that I wasn’t sure if Charlie was understanding me, and he said that I should be more aggressive in my question asking, so that people elaborate -- so jokingly told Tata that with his interview, I expect a lot of elaboration -- he laughed.)

Tonight after telling stories again after dinner everyone was wrapped up in blankets and wool coats (for this low 70 degree weather we’ve been having), and Tata suggested we go for a drive down to Ellington Wharf to see the ferry. It was pitch black and Nana, Tata, Naibuka, Veresa, Lucy, and I piled into the car. I really felt like a part of their family, even though they were all speaking Fijian the whole time, and we stopped outside of a shop for 15 minutes and it was clearly closed, for what reason I have no idea. I guess just the physical closeness, maybe the fact that we were all in sulus and pajamas, or the nuclear aspect of who was in the car (something I’m used to at home) made me feel a part of things. On the way down to Ellington wharf, Tata pointed out his old FSC office, and old sugar storing buildings, which are now empty. When we got to the end of the wharf the ferry was no where to be seen, and we just looked into the darkness for a good 5 to 10 minutes. Everyone was very quiet, just looking out at the darkness, then left. I find it strange that I in fact did feel a part of things, since so much of the drive was "foreign" to me. The language, stopping at the shop, and staring out at the wharf, for what I see as no particular reason.

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ECONOMICS -- Interview with Momo Charlie

I put transcribed this one so that you (Karen and Steve) could tell me what I could improve on. Thanks

ES: How do you spend your day?

C: Get up, have some breakfast, after that, go to the garden, look at the cassava, do some gardening there, after that lunch, one hour rest, and then go to the garden to see the cane, and come back home.

ES: Where’s the garden?

C: Up behind the mountain, the sugarcane and the garden. Then come back, about five, have a bath, and wait for the women over there to cook dinner. That’s Monday through Friday. Saturday have a rest, and go to town, and Sunday go to church.

ES: You worked for the PWD?

C: About 30 years, I operated a bulldozer, road building. I also played rugby, before. In 1957 I joined the Fiji Rep, and in 1962 I joined another Rep to go to Samoa. Then I was about 28 yrs old. After the rugby I started working for the PWD.

ES: What class or form did you attend in school?

C: Form 4, and then I went to the Navusou Agriculture school. That is in Tailevu side. I graduated from that school in 1952. After that I came back home to the village. Then I did farming, after that I went to Nakova to work in the gold mine there, I did that for five years. After that I joined the army for 6 years -- that was in Suva.

ES: When you were in the army did you get paid?

C: Yes, they paid about 4 lbs. every two weeks.

ES: Did you like being in the army?

C: Yep, I liked it because I was single, hey? Not married yet. The single life.

ES: After the army?

C: After the army the pwd, and rugby -- at the same time.

ES: Did you get paid for rugby?

C: No, just for fun.

ES: So you operated a bulldozer for the PWD?

C: Yes, I was a road builder, built roads all around Fiji island. After that I went to make the airstrip for Lau and Kadavu island.

ES: So you got to travel a lot.

C: hmm.

ES: After playing rugby, and going to the Solomon Is. and then going to the different islands to build the airstrips, how did you feel about coming back to the village?

C: Oh, I think it was very nice to come back to the village. Not like living in the city and always working. Always worrying about making money, and this kind of thing.

ES: Do you sell anything from the house here, like peas, or peanuts?

C: No.

ES: Lets go through the jobs and figure out what the paychecks were, for the army you got four lbs every fortnight, what about for the pwd?

C: About 3lbs, 6pents, every week. And after that going up. When I finished I made about $24,000F. When I retired I built this house. And after that sugarcane.

ES: How much do you make for the sugarcane?

C: Almost $1,300F. I have almost 13 acres.

ES: Do you lease the land?

C: Yeah, lease it. It’s from the mataqali, my mataqali’s land -- Dralavuti.

ES: Do you children living in Suva ever send money home to you?

C: Oh yes, sometimes. Sometimes I go there, and they’ll send me back with $50, it depends though.

ES: How much do you pay to lease the land?

C: $163F, but I pay that twice a year, that’s about $80 in June, and $80 in December.

ES: What about your pension?

C: Oh, that’s $45 a month, not like in the overseas, huh? The pensions are very big there, huh?

ES: Do you have any debts, things that you have to pay back? Do you have a mortgage?

C: No, no, because I built the house.

ES: Have you bought anything that you have to pay off, anything from Courts that you are paying for?

C: Oh, no.

ES: What about bank loans?

C: No, no bank loans.

ES: Now lets talk about expenses. How much would you say that you spend on food, per week?

C: About $10 per wk, because most of my meals I eat over there, and most of it’s grown. But when I go, I get flours, sugar, onion. Form the supermarket.

ES: What about things like clothing?

C: I don’t really spend much on that?

ES: Anything else that you might buy, anything for the house?

C: No, oh, kerosene. One liter of kerosene is about 70cents.

ES: When your children were young, did you pay for them to go to school?

C: About 60 per term, and there are three terms. They went to the high school there in Rakiraki, and I have three children.

ES: What about the electricity and water bills, how much are those?

C: Oh, the electricity is about $60 / month. And the water is free, from the well.

ES: Any other bills?

C: No.

ES: What about other expenses like yaqona?

C: Yaqona I drink only a little bit, and no beer.

ES: What about donations to the church, or to the mataqali?

C: Only donations to the church. I give monthly two dollars.

ES: How often do you go to the supermarket?

C: About $10-$30.

ES: Oh, how often do you go?

C: Oh, once a month.

ES: What about if there is a funeral or something, is that expensive, do people help pay for that?

C: No.

ES: Do you think making money is important? Do you think it’s important for the people to make a lot of money?

C: Some, cane cutters.

ES: Do you think that the people in the village want to make a lot of money?

C: Some. Some want to be rich, but not all.

ES: Do they make choices about keeping money instead of helping the family?

C: I think that they put the family first.

ES: Can you think of any examples?

C: No.

ES: How would you feel if someone came in and asked to borrow money?

C: Sometimes ok, sometimes, not ok. If it’s for the church, ok. For a cousin, ok, if I have the money. It wouldn’t be ok, if I think it’s not for a good reason. I would give it to the church, to a relative.

ES: What if they asked you for money to buy a television?

C: No, that’s for them to pay for.

ES: Are there some relatives, if they asked for something, you couldn’t say no, any family members in particular?

C: Yeah, you couldn’t say no.

ES: What if someone asked you for some money, and you didn’t want to give it to them, what would you say?

C: I would say, ‘sorry I don’t have it, no money," like that.

ES: So are you happy with your pension?

C: Yes, I’m happy.
ECONOMICS -- Sugar

Today when I went to "dreke buka" (carry firewood) down with "noqu yaca" (my name sake) we passed a cane field. Mili said "only sugar brings in money, the rest of the food is just for us to eat." It turns out that the cane we passed is grown by Indian farmers, but leased from Fijian mataqali land.

I mentioned to Tata that I was doing some economic interviewing, and we planned to do his next week sometimes, because this week he was working very hard on the farm, and next week will be easier.

Sugar growers are divided, according to the FSC into gangs. Each gang, according to the FSC must produce at least 2,000 tons of cane. A gang can be made up of any amount of people, as long as it produces at least 2,000 tons. 45 gangs make up a section, and 10-15 sections make up a district. I found out that Tata is the "gang president" of this area of growers. This means that he receives the statements from the FSC to distribute among the members in his gang. The statements showed debts and profits. Debts accounted for "Blend A or Blend B" fertilizer, bought from the FSC, as well as rice from the Rewa river (deducted from final profit). The statements also showed the amount of burnt cane harvested (in tons) and good cane harvested, and showed the profit. Most profits were between 700-2000 -- depending on the amount of cane harvested.

Tata mentioned that he leases his land from his tavale. He pays $87 dollars twice a yr. to the FSC (as opposed to directly to his tavale). The FSC just deducts it out of his profit, and adds it to his tavale’s profit.

It seems as though the FSC definitely has a monopoly on the sugarcane business.

Thursday 9/30/99

Today I had another productive day, and turned an interesting conversation into an interview. I got back from town, and Ase and I went to the shop, and I bought her a coke. We walked back, and sat under the bus stop, and had an interesting conversation about health, body image and sexual relationships.
Health

On the way back from the shop I asked Ase what she did for the day. She said that she spent the afternoon altering her dresses, and making them smaller, because since she’s been in the village, she has lost weight. Ase said that before she came to the village that she was concerned about her health, because she was quite fat. She said that it took a lot of courage, and that she was frightened to go, because she was afraid of what the doctor would say. However, she said that her heart and her sugar level was healthy -- but the doctor did tell her that she doesn’t need as much sugar as she takes. Ase said that "most Fijians will go to the doctor only when they are sick, and not before, just to check up on their health. But the doctor will get angry if someone comes in sick, and hasn’t been taking care of themselves."

Since this visit Ase made a conscience effort to take better care of herself. She said that she cut out eating sugar, and some salt. She said that she now takes her tea (lemon tea) without sugar, which is the time when most Fijians have a lot of sugar. She also said that it’s been easy in the village to loose weight, because since she isn’t forced to go to the supermarket often (b/c they grow most of their food), she doesn’t buy many sweets. Ase also said that living in the village requires one to walk around a lot, which she thinks has helped her loose weight.

Ase said that a month ago, when her mother died, and all the relatives from Lautoka came, they all commented on how much weight she lost. I asked her how that made her feel, and she said, "Good, because I was trying to loose weight. I think that to be too fat is not good, because, like the doctor said, it’s unhealthy." She said that it’s not good to be too skinny, but one should look after their health.
Attractiveness leading into Views on Sex

I tried to steer the conversation to see if some of the reason why Ase lost weight was because she found her body to be less physically attractive. She didn’t contribute anything about her own body in that way, but we did talk a bit about young men that she thought was attractive. She asked me, "what about Ilimo, don’t you think he’s attractive?" I asked her why she thought so, and she said, "we’ll he’s a good size, and has lots of muscles, you know? He’s big and muscular."

I asked Ase if people wait until they are married to start having sex. At first she gave me the "proper answer," and told me, "Yes, in the older generation this happens, but young people today, they can’t help themselves." I then asked her at what age to young people start having sex. At first she was indirect in her answer, and said that the older people -- the parents don’t know about this, and that the younger people have "no control over themselves," because when they’re 15, 16, 17, 18, they’ll sneak off at night, outside, without their parents knowing, and go outside someplace for a rendezvous.

She said that talking about all this is done in secret among boys and girls and not shared in cross-gender situations.

She gave me a story that one time when she still lived in Lautoka, and came to the village to deliver something for her father, Ilimo, (her tavale) told her to meet up at night. She said ok, but said that she tried to make things casual, and give him the impression that it would be with a lot of people, just to hang out. That night, when she was sleeping in the house alone, she said that Ilimo came to her window and asked her to come out with him, but she threw her voice and pretended that there was a man in the room with her.

Ase and I went through the young, single men in our village, and in Nakorokula, and she named those that she thought were physically attractive. However, when I asked about others that she didn’t bring up initially, she said about most of them, "oh, he’s a good boy, a really nice person." She said this with a tone of voice that suggested a genuine compliment. [So here I want to find out if she uses the word "attractive" ever, she didn’t this time.]

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ECONOMICS -- Notes on Interview with Momo Kelevi (Ace’s father)

-Job History

Kelevi, 60 yrs old lives with two of his daughters and son. His eldest daughter lives in Lautoka, where the family used to live, and just moved back to the village in December. He owns his house here, as well as in Lautoka -- where Filore (eldest daughter is).

Kelevi spends his days either working in his garden, or helping his brother with his cane. His garden is located in between Navolau #1 and #2. He gets up in the morning, works in the garden from 7-10, then comes back for tea. He goes back to the garden, and works until 12, lunch time. He then has a rest, and sometimes goes back in the afternoon. On going back in the afternoon, Kelevi says, "sometime if I have a hard job in the morning then I rest in the afternoon because I’m too old, I can’t work as hard. Sometimes I rest in the morning, and then work in the afternoon. I can’t spend my whole day doing a hard job." Kelevi doesn’t help cut the cane, although his son (age 17) does. Instead, he helps during the planting, and growing time.

Before moving back to the village, Kelevi worked for the PWD for 31 yrs. He said that he applied and got an extended 5 yrs after he was 55, so that he could work until age 60. When he retired he built the house he presently lives in.

After he finished school he worked in the village farming. At the PWD he was hired as a laborer, and worked as one for 12 yrs, and then became "leading hen." (He said that he got paid once a week, but I need MORE HERE -- salary, raise, etc.). When he retired, he did not receive a pension.

-In the house

Ase, one of his daughters sells small packets of garlic beans, and makes about 80 cents profit after she sells a bag full. She said that every three or four days she goes back to the farther Indian shop to buy a bag of these packets. She also does the same with cigarettes. Cigarettes she said that she also made 80 cents profit total. (CHECK THIS -- maybe this means that she raises the price the same amount for each item). Ase said that she also plans to sell fish once she starts fishing again.

-Money

Kelevi keeps his money in a bank. He owns his land, and does not lease. He has no debts, or bank loans.

He goes to the supermarket once every two weeks, and spends about $100 each time. This is his largest expense. Each time he buys 4kg sugar, 10kg rice, 10kg flour, tinned fish, noodles, eggs, soap (not every two weeks), and other household necessities. About once a year or so they will buy a household good.

The electricity bill is $4.80 / month, and the water is free, and they have no other bills.

They donate $70 / yr to church, and depending on what the decided rate is, money each year to the village fund. (This year it’s 200 dollars)

-Other expenditures

The only other expenditures that Kelevi and his family might have is if someone in the family needs to go to the doctor. This is usually $20 per visit, and medicine around $10, on average, but this doesn’t happen very often. Kelevi said that since people who’ve lived in the village their whole life might not have had job, they will come to him and ask for money. He said that he doesn’t mind giving, especially if it is for going to the doctor.

Quote: "If we have it, we’ll give it in a happy mood."

A ceremony like a funeral is expensive to put on, but just to go to one isn’t expensive, however, everyone must donate something. Usually people donate, a small amount of money (2,5 dollars), a mat, or sometimes a cow if they have one.

-Attitudes

He said that people don’t fight over money. However, he did say that if a man has money, as spends it on grog or beer, then the wife might get mad if he didn’t give it to the family, but that doesn’t happen often, because over all the family comes first, according to Kelevi.

Quotes on attitudes:

"In the Fijian way, especially in borrowing, it’s very open and relations are for helping one another."

"I’m sure people hide it (money), but I don’t know, we don’t know what everyone has."

Friday 10/1/99

I still am having the debate of what to write in terms of if it should be for everyone around me to see. Obviously personal things -- no. But at times, various people come into my room (not just children, 14, 15,16, 20 yr olds), sit at my desk, and open notebooks, my planner, look through pictures, etc. I’m still not sure what to do about this problem. Obviously my journal, and more interview notes that are personal I hide, and do not leave out in the open. However, it’s made me paranoid to leave my room, say to get some water if they are rummaging through my stuff.
ECONOMICS

Conversation with Tata and Ve : Sharing and Caring

After dinner again the three of us sat around and told stories, which I turned into an interview. Afterwards, I left, and wrote down these quotes.

"We Fijians, we don’t save money so much. As soon as we have it ‘whip’ it’s gone, we give a little here, 5 dollars to you, 10 dollars to you, it’s like that." --Tata

"It’s like this. If you work very hard for one week, you work very very hard, and you make 30 dollars, you’re friend might say, ‘kerekere.......kerekere 5 dollars’, and you will give it to him. And that keeps happening, and before you know it, you might only have 10 dollars left." -- Verese.

"We share our things, and don’t hold on to them. IF someone asks for a cow, then we will give it. This is why people don’t get rich in Fiji. It goes from poor to middle class, everyone’s nearly the same." --Tata

RE: Festival Donation

Next week will be the Navolau yearly festival, where each home will give $200. This amount was decided upon by the people in the village. The fund each year goes towards something for the village. In the past, it has gone towards building the church, the community hall, getting electricity (last year), and this year it will go towards building the pastor’s home.

I asked what would happen if someone didn’t have it, or was hiding it for themselves. Ta laughed at this, and said that "If they have it, they will give." He said that if would be very shameful for them not to have it, since the amount was decided by all.
Conversation with Usa

Tonight at the fundraising Andrew and Usa came over, and I sat next to Usa. Although he doesn’t speak that much English, he seems pensive, and that he’s thought about his culture (a sign for a great informant). He told me that he thought that the reason why Fijians are so giving, and open is because there is such a strong sense of knowing, and caring about one’s family. He said that because people are surrounded by their family, and everything about the family is important, that giving as a tradition is practiced (my words). He asked me if it is that way in America, and when I said "not really," he said, "it’s probably b’c you don’t have as strong of a sense of family and tradition. He’s right.
ROLES OF WOMEN -- Conversation with Veresa: Culture shock

This evening Veresa and I had another one of our long conversations where he does all the talking, and says what he knows in English three times before moving on to the next idea in his story. We talked about when he lived in Lautoka, in Suva, and various other things. He told me that living in Suva was no problem for him -- he could adjust very easily. He then asked me if I was ever homesick, and asked me if I had any trouble adjusting (in so many words). I said that one of the most difficult things for me to adjust to was the division between men’s and women’s tasks and jobs. Veresa commented, "yes, they do have very different jobs, but now there’s a women’s crisis center, because some women are wanting equality now in the house." I then asked Veresa if this crisis center was helping women. He seemed to think that it was making a difference, but didn’t really know anything about it. I asked him what he thought of this idea. He said that he believed in the what the bible says, "the bible says that women are there to help men," and then continued to babble on about something. His comment struck me so deeply, and it certainly was a part of culture shock. Those things that affect us the most when we are in a different culture are the issues that strike against our core beliefs and cultural world view. This was one of those moments. Of course Veresa continued talking, and had no idea that by saying this he was striking at the root of a value which I have such strong opinions about. To me, the loss of speech and the absolute defeat and shock I felt was something that he had no idea he was affecting. Once I regained my speech from the initial shock of his comment, I asked him, "if he was a woman, would he feel the same way?" He said that he would follow the bible, and that what the bible says is the way to live. However, he’s never gone to church while I’ve been here, and has never expressed anything else about church, God, or the fact that he leads a religious life (from what I see he does not).

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