She Found Simple Treasures
On Island ‘Paradise’
By Stephanie Roberts

I’ve got my mosquito net, my Lonely Planet Guide, some water purifying tablets, a journal, and a mind full of questions and hesitations. I’m going to Fiji, and somehow I can’t remember why I signed up for this study trip. Will I find what I’m looking for? What am I looking for?

Walking onto the plane I’m really not sure, but at least I brought my sunscreen…

Fiji is a small country of about 300 islands, some no bigger than a mile wide. It lies among several other island nations such as Samoa and Papua New Guinea, in the tropical climate of the South Pacific.

The rainy season brings torrential downpours, flooding, and temperatures of about 100 degrees. In "winter," late April to early October, the population pulls out winter coats, hats, and mittens to face the "freezing" 70-degree breezes and "arctic" 80-degree waters. Winter is when people come from all over the world to enjoy Fiji’s lush highlands, warm sandy beaches, and the joyful smiles of the natives.

Usually the tourists come at about the end of May. I arrived at the beginning of February.

I stepped off the plane with my nine American companions to a rain-flooded airport, with air so thick with humidity you could scoop it up with a glass and take a swig.

What I found in Fiji was not exactly what I would define as "paradise."

Yes, the sun does shine, when it isn’t pouring, yes the sand on the beaches can be soft and white, when there isn’t trash being washed ashore from whaling boats and cruise ships, and yes, the people are friendly.

The cultural make-up of the country is complex and includes native Fijians, existing on the island for thousands of years, as well as a diverse Indian population.

Also, Fiji was colonized by Britain, but the usual negative connotations around the term "colonization" don’t necessarily apply. Britain, in fact, took Fiji under its wing in 1874, after the island nation persistently requested Britain to do so.

Tradition vs. Openness

Fiji has since welcomed a certain amount of Westernization, such as the use of English in its government and its schools, as well as a strong admiration for Hollywood and American music.

However, Fiji has also safe-guarded much of its native traditions. Events such as funerals, marriages, and birthdays follow a cultural pattern that has been upheld throughout history. The Indian population maintains its own traditions.

At the same time, Fijians continue to incorporate outside influences into their lives. Visitors will hear conversations in Fijian and in Hindi, with English words thrown in at odd junctures.

For this Vermonter, Fiji brought many new situations, including being white in a predominantly black community. That usually resulted in a cheerful "Bula!" (Hello!) or in a taxi driver attempting to take me 40 miles out of my way so he could make an extra penny or two out of my ignorance.

And, truthfully, some of what I enjoyed in Fiji was, in fact, American. I would find myself jamming on the bus to the blaring "Wouldn’t That Be Sweet" by Gwen Stefani, or going to the pricier store so I could enjoy Raisin Bran for breakfast instead of spaghetti on toast.

However, what I found truly amazing at times was how much I felt like I fit more into the Fijian culture than my own. The slow pace of life there really grew on me.

For us in the United States, the ocean serves as a way to separate ourselves from the outside world; in Fiji, the ocean unites people. It is perhaps this mindset that defines the way Fijians interact with others.

The feeling of being free, while at the same time connected, was contagious, despite the political crisis happening all around me.

I never got a true "Pacific Islander tan" while in Fiji. Instead I returned with a wealth of experiential learning, including a more profound appreciation for the third world.

Right Place & Time

One of my fellow students commented that being in Fiji was the constant sensation of being in the right place at the right time.

I don’t think any other explanation could sum up my experience more.

Now, I know a reason for going to Fiji: To educate people about this "paradise." I want us to learn not about a tourist destination, but from the waters that surround Fiji’s beaches, from the trees on the mountainsides, and from the person behind the face that greets tourists so sweetly.

For some, "paradise" is sipping a cocktail at a resort. My "paradise" was talking to a resort worker about life back in her village, and being able to tell her I had been there.

I told her I greatly enjoyed her country.

She replied, "It is kind of pretty, isn’t it?"

Stephanie Roberts, a 2004 graduate of Randolph Union High School, traveled to Fiji earlier this year, as part of her studies at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Penna. A foreign language major at Dickinson, Roberts is the daughter of Brenda and Steve Roberts of Randolph. She is entering her fourth and final year of undergraduate studies and spent this summer working on the Dickinson College organic farm.

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