{"id":10016,"date":"2020-03-18T14:13:10","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T14:13:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.blueyesdiscover.com\/kava\/"},"modified":"2022-07-14T19:41:42","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T19:41:42","slug":"kava","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blueyesdiscover.com\/en\/kava\/","title":{"rendered":"Kava"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n\n\tT<\/span>he Fiji tradition goes that everyone who comes to the village for the first time, has to present the village chief with gifts. <\/span>He is th<\/span>e boss. The leader, if you don\u2019t want to be too old-fashioned<\/span> in words<\/span>. And these gifts have to be in the form of more expensive <\/span>\u201ckava\u201d<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”9px”][vc_column_text]No, it\u2019s not the same as our coffee<\/span> (kava in Slovenian means coffee)<\/span>. It\u2019s the roots of a small shrub. Roots. Rich roots, which are banned in most developed countries. They cause a lot of trouble with the liver. The price of <\/span>kava<\/span> has gone up so much in the last year that many farmers predominantly focus on its production. A kilogram of dry roots costs from 130 to 160 Fiji dollars. That\u2019s from 50 to 60 euros. Five years ago, a kilogram cost 20 Fiji dollars. How do I know that? Because <\/span>Joape<\/span>, an important man with whose family I lived<\/span>, is one of the largest producers<\/span> on the island<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1534768281059{padding-top: 58px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1534768405928{padding-left: 6px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”9176″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1585202651157{padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

\n\t\u201cThe roots of the precious kava will be dried by the sun.\u201d<\/h2>[\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1534768398573{padding-right: 6px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”9123″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1584773463298{padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

\n\t\u201cHe brought the dust sealed in a plastic container for storing food.\u201d<\/h2>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I took the <\/span>roots<\/span>, wrapped up in newspapers, accompanied by the whole family, to the chief on the second night. We made space together. Under the straw roof in the village\u2019s center, we spread knitted carpets and sat down in a circle. <\/span>Joape\u2019s<\/span> brother said a few words to the chief in Fijian. A lot. He spoke for at least three minutes. Everything sounded like a sort of prayer. On his knees in front of the chief with a kilogram of <\/span>kava<\/span> in his hands. <\/span>When he handed the packet to the chief, the chief had a similar speech. <\/span>Of course,<\/span> I asked them what those words meant. \u201cToo much to translate. You\u2019re safe now. Everyone in the village knows you\u2019re a part of our family and that you will be taken care of. No one will harm you and you\u2019ll always be taken care of. Every door to every house is open to you. You have become a part of our community.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1534765729380{padding-top: 38px !important;padding-bottom: 36px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

“No one will harm you and you\u2019ll always be taken care of.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Every door to every house is open to you.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You have become a part of our community.\u201d <\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I felt\u2026 Emotional. Moved. When <\/span>strangers<\/span> in the middle of the Pacific Ocean give you a warm welcome, and it makes you feel safer than anywhere else.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Because it was late and <\/span>Matilita<\/span> and <\/span>Ankeneta<\/span> had school in the morning, we postponed the<\/span> dr<\/span>inking of<\/span> kava<\/span> to the last day. Usually, the preparation and <\/span>dr<\/span>inking of the <\/span>kava<\/span> is prepared on the first and last day for the newcomers, as a greeting and a farewell, but with me \u2013 and my packed schedule \u2013 it was a bit different. Despite my long visit<\/span>,<\/span> we treated ourself to the <\/span>kava<\/span> on the last night.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ben ran to his aunt\u2019s house next door to crush and grind the <\/span>dr<\/span>y<\/span> kava<\/span> roots<\/span>. He brought the <\/span>dust<\/span> sealed in a plastic container for storing food. Simple. Easy. <\/span>Joape<\/span> and Ben sprinkled the <\/span>kava<\/span> o<\/span>n a kerchief, spread over a basin<\/span>.<\/span> They can crush the <\/span>dr<\/span>y<\/span> roots<\/span> until there\u2019s only <\/span>dust<\/span> left. I took a deep breath when I saw how they washed their hands in the <\/span>dust<\/span> above the kerchief while they <\/span>were <\/span>crush<\/span>ing<\/span> it. No, they weren\u2019t washing their hands, but to me it looked just like they were. Two of them <\/span>were<\/span> holding the spread kerchief, each on<\/span> either side, while the third<\/span> pour<\/span>ed<\/span> water above the pile of crushed <\/span>roots<\/span>, on<\/span>to <\/span>the hands of the one that\u2019s crumpling and squeezing the <\/span>dust<\/span>, which washed away through the kerchief. The grey-brown dirty liquid that <\/span>was poured<\/span> into the basin <\/span>was<\/span> kava<\/span>. With a cup, <\/span>Joape<\/span> stir<\/span>red <\/span>it a few times after they<\/span> were<\/span> done and beg<\/span>an<\/span> the ritual. He offer<\/span>ed<\/span> me<\/span> a<\/span> little. He sa<\/span>id<\/span> he underst<\/span>ood<\/span> if I<\/span> wouldn\u2019t be<\/span> up for a large portion.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1534768281059{padding-top: 58px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1534768398573{padding-right: 6px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”9109″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1584773523586{padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

\n\t\u201cUnder the straw roof in the village\u2019s center, we spread knitted carpets and sat down in a circle.\u201d<\/h2>[\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1534768405928{padding-left: 6px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”9174″ img_size=”full” css=”.vc_custom_1585202615806{padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

\n\t\u201cA kilogram of dry roots costs from 130 to 160 Fiji dollars.``<\/h2>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1534771917857{padding-top: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]I\u2019ve never smoked. <\/span>No<\/span>thing. Not cigarette<\/span>s<\/span>, not weed. Even when, <\/span>dr<\/span>enched in alcohol, I gathered my courage and awoke that curious part of myself, I simply didn\u2019t know how to inhale the weed properly. You can laugh. I\u2019m proud of it. And because <\/span>kava<\/span> was supposed to have similar effects as marijuana, I wasn\u2019t interested. After the first cup, my tongue went numb. The <\/span>kava<\/span> contains substances that numb certain parts of the body, with the mouth among them and whatnot.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1534771917857{padding-top: 10px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]When you <\/span>dr<\/span>ink a cup of the liquid, which tastes like <\/span>dust<\/span>y water with a touch of <\/span>dr<\/span>y<\/span> herbs and earth, you have to end the swing with the word <\/span><\/span>maca<\/span><\/span> (read: <\/span><\/span>mada<\/span><\/span>) and clap three times. That\u2019s how everyone around you knows you\u2019ve <\/span>dr<\/span>unk your share and they clap for you as well. Just like marijuana, this Fiji <\/span>sip of <\/span>kava<\/span> didn\u2019t<\/span> have any special effect on me. After four rounds of <\/span>dr<\/span>inking in one swing, sitting on a wooden veranda and waiting for someone to speak up, I give up. They say that the Fijians like to <\/span>dr<\/span>ink <\/span>kava<\/span>, that it calms them, rather than beer, which invigorates them. I don\u2019t understand. They are one of the calmest people anyway. And the fact they don\u2019t <\/span>talk while <\/span>dr<\/span>inking becomes clear to me. With a numb tongue and body, you simply cannot speak.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Fiji tradition goes that everyone who comes to the village for the first time, has to present the village chief with gifts. He is the boss. The leader, if you don\u2019t want to be too old-fashioned in words. And these gifts have to be in the form of more expensive \u201ckava\u201d. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[150,152,169],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nKava ~ Blue Eyes Discover<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.blueyesdiscover.com\/en\/kava\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Kava ~ Blue Eyes Discover\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Fiji tradition goes that everyone who comes to the village for the first time, has to present the village chief with gifts. He is the boss. The leader, if you don\u2019t want to be too old-fashioned in words. 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