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Published: June 10th 2007
our brother
this is our brother Paulo, standing on our front doorstep I'll try to put this trip to Nasivicoso into words, but it's going to be challenging. I've never had an experience to be anything like this.
We arrived after a long hike and were greeted by some of the women and children. They welcomed us like my own mother welcomes me when I come home from school after several months, hugs and smiles. We were all assigned different families throughout the village with whom we would be living with for the night. Lenny and I had the same family. Our mother or Na Na, was named Rucilla. Our brothers were David, Paula, and little Tom. Our cousin who was visiting was named Erami. he taught kindergarten in the next village over. Our father was away but we talked about him and saw pictures. we had a sister named Milli who did everything in her power to make us comfortable.
Rustic Pathways had built a house in Nasivicoso a few years back and it is used as a staff house and a place to store supplies. We ate dinner there and after that attended a formal Kava ceremony and Sevu Sevu. Here I first met Sameli, the chief of
Nasivicoso whom I would later become friends with. This was a very meaningful experience with all of the elders of the community. They have a lot of respect for our organization as we do for their village.
Later that night Lenny and I ventured back to our bure where our mother and brothers were waiting with another large bowl of kava. We talked and laughed and did our best to exchange stories. They speak decent English, a lot better than we speak Fijian. They were listening to the radio and Tupac, the now deceased, legendary rapper came on and they had never heard his music so I sang along and they applauded my serenade once the song was over. We were tired after a long day and slept well in the bed they provided us.
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