In the morning we made a brief trip ashore for Helen’s scheduled bout of dance training. In true Fijian style, minds were changed and this was postponed until the afternoon. We hung around chatting to folks until lunchtime when we returned to the boat taking Rie, the Fijian Indian receptionist. The original plan had been to have her over for dinner the night before as the whole thing had initiated as a result of her expressing a wish to taste some of Helen’s curry. She couldn’t make it the night before but could do lunch where reheated curry is just about as good as the original. She definitely enjoyed it stirring in rather a lot of Helen’s home made chilli paste. She had a lot to talk about. She spends most of the time on the island and goes home for a couple of days each week. She’s the only Fijian Indian who stays over which isolates her a little. I think she needed someone to talk to because that is what she did.
In the afternoon we went back ashore. Helen spent some time with Latu and a few of the other girls helping to make some of their leafy adornments for the evening before receiving her training for the evening dance. I videod one of the runs through the dance so Helen could practise on the boat. And practise she did for well over an hour.
Back ashore Latu helped dress Helen for her dance and I got ready for mine.
Before the show started we were asked to join in with the pre show get together of all the performers. In their changing hut we all stood in a circle and held hands. First a bit of a staff meet with some ticking off – it seems some of the guys in the group had been mucking about. Then came a prayer in Fiji and it finished off with everyone coming close, joining hands in the middle and a big cheer. It felt special that we were included in this.
The show went pretty well. Helen almost missed joining in the fisherman dance as she was off getting a cup of tea at the start but managed to sneak in.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1A8ucXcUH0[/youtube]
Later came Helen’s dance with the girls.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukRs5nDFmYs[/youtube]
And right after this came Rapa Nui, the second dance I’d learned.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVpUAc0mq8w[/youtube]
The Monkey Feets had returned earlier in the day and the kids also took their usual places enjoying themselves immensely.
Afterwards we chilled for a while over a beer before saying our goodbyes. The Drifters are off today and so are we. It’s been a cool 2 weeks here but it’s time to move on. It will be sad to leave this place. It’s strange that although it’s just a resort one gets a little sucked in. The staff treat you as family and after a while we’re all on first name terms (even though I struggle to remember them all). It’s been pretty good. We may even return to wait for our weather window to New Zealand.
(NOTE – I managed to lock into the high speed internet here this morning and all video / pics have been uploaded. Pics from the new boat arrival last Sunday are now also uploaded)
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