Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Strange things in the South Pacific Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea
cosmopolitan 03:04 UTC 23 Oct 2005 | What do overseas travellers find completely odd when they travel in this region? Specially those who come from a very different culture. Is there something you find very difficult to get used to (if ever) and what strikes you most, what's complete weird? |
islandboi321 05:50 UTC 23 Oct 2005 | The transvestite concept. In most of Polynesia (and in some areas of Melanesia too, I understand) the presence of transvestites in everyday life. I find this odd especially when coming from what I think is a permissive part of the world (Canada) where one does not see these creatures except for in the deepest, darkest depths of nocturnal urban worlds. It is one of the great paradoxs of Polynesian life given that homosexuality and permiscuous behavior seems to be a no-no. I don't know if its really that weird and I certainly don't find it unacceptable, but it would seem so unusual to see them working in a bank, hotel, waitressing back home. | 1
fijidreaming 04:25 UTC 24 Oct 2005 | In some parts of the South Pacific I have heard it is not that uncommon to raise a boy as a girl, if there are no girls born to the family? | 2
carpe_diem_11 04:34 UTC 24 Oct 2005 | that's true, fijidreaming...for there still is separation of work in the household (women clean and raise children, men do "hard" work) and a family has for example 5 boys, some mothers raise one son as a girl so (s)he can later held with all the shores...In Samoa they call these people "fa'afafines" which means translated "like a woman". The controversy is amazing. In Samoa everybody accepts fa'afafines and they love them because they can do both works (of men and women) but at the same time they won't accept them as being transvestites. they also don't wanna accept the fact that those fa'afafines love men, which is natural for them being brought up as a woman...it's quite a subject...I guess you could go on for pages about that | 3
johntymouse 09:54 UTC 24 Oct 2005 | Leaving aside the whole fa'afafine thing, the strangest thing I found in Samoa - certainly out in the villages - is the lack of a concept of personal space and privacy. We in the West take being alone for long periods for granted...in fact some of us enjoy and need to be alone...but such a preference is looked upon with incomprehension, not to say suspicion, in traditional Polynesian societies like Samoa. This is not a value judgement - Samoans, generally speaking, are one of the sanest, most balanced people in the world - simply an observation. Possibly we in the West have an over-developed sense of individuality? | 4
dodgbowski 20:26 UTC 24 Oct 2005 | the whole 'fiji' time, maybe better stated as 'south pacific' time. Its just amazing coming from the US where everyone is on a rediculous time schedule, and to deviate even 5minutes from that throws people into fits of panic and rage and whatnot. Gotta say tho, i enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere much more then the structured daily life of home. | 5
watsoff 23:27 UTC 24 Oct 2005 | I can relate to #5 & 6 - Pacific Time in Solomns can mean things happen earlier rather than later, like transportation will leave hours, or even a day, early, with no warning. And it's hard getting used to being immersed in communal living 24 hours a day when you are used to having your own space. I still have trouble coping with the disregard to private ownership of personal items (Solomons anyway). I brought my friend's wife a skirt and jacket outfit last time I went out there, which she wore to a family funeral on another island. When she got back she was brokenhearted because a cousin had taken the jacket and worn it to the funeral, leaving her with only the skirt. She confronted the cousin (half-heartedly, it's customary to share things) and and the cousin denied taking the jacket - even though she was wearing it while denying it, and it was never returned. | 6
tonyo 16:44 UTC 29 Oct 2005 | ISLAND TIME, We all come from citys where hussle and bussle are the order of the day, rush here rush there, hurry up we'll be late, did you set the alarm, where my phone. etc etc. You can take your watch off when staying in the pacific and relax, you'd better put it back on on your day of departure though as the plane will definately leave without you if you show up late. | 7
snorkelshark 06:09 UTC 15 Nov 2005 | Hi i found it quite confronting how the fijian males are waited on by the women they dont even eat together....I stayed ina fijian house hold ,me being an outspoken Aussie girl found this very confronting how the women are treated in their culture.......The love and closeness on the other hand between families and other people is beautiful | 8
watsoff 03:41 UTC 16 Nov 2005 | Another strange Fijian custom is the interaction (very suggestive) between a Fijian male and his female maternal cousin. Couldn't believe my eyes when staying in my friend's village ... his cousin walked into the bure and the two of them started on each other almost like they were in the throes of a new romance. (No sex obviously - but everything else seemed to be okay.) His wife just watched passively. But this is only allowed between maternal cousins of the opposite sex. To add to my confusion, I wanted to take a photo of my friend and his wife after we had finished eating, but she got up and left while he told me to sit down and wait. Then his two elder brothers got up and went into another room ... turns out he and his wife cannot sit together in the presence of his older brothers. After his brothers left she came back and picture was taken. | 9
tiare_xx 17:02 UTC 17 Nov 2005 | I'm an Islander myself (part Tahitian/Aitutakian) and lived in the 'western' world most of my life...You know the saying, you can take the island girl from the island but can't take the island from the island girl (or something like that!). Time keeping. I'm ok with this when in work mode. My relatives however, well you know how it is. Invite people two hours earlier and they'll still arrive late. I don't wear a watch. I say I tell the time by my belly, tides and sun location. Direction by 'swells' and the sun sets in the west. Chronically guilty for losing track of the date and not really bothered by fuss. | 10