Fiji

Greetings

The Fijian cultures in the city and in the villages are quite different. The same can be said of Indian cultures in the capital city of Suva, in the towns, and in the rural areas. Indo-Fijians are usually Hindu and Muslim. Indigenous Fijians are usually Catholic, Methodist, or Protestant evangelicals. Religion plays a very important role in all these cultures.

Among both men and women in the villages, a raised, spread-fingered wave of the hand is common, with the greeting “bula” (hello) from noon until bedtime, and “yandra” (good morning) before noon. It might also be a raised cane knife, as village men head off to work in the fields. In a city or town setting, a simple “bula” or “hello” suffices. “Hello” would be the common greeting from an Indo-Fijian in a town or city.

Men greeting Men – Many indigenous Fijian men will grasp a foreign man’s hand with a one-shake downward motion, then hold onto the hand while talking. Indo-Fijians (Hindus and Muslims) don’t tend shake hands unless they now you or have had a lot of exposure to Westerners/Europeans. The Hindus will say “Namaste” (I salute the Divine within you), bowing slightly with hands in prayer position in front of their face. Normally, a Muslim will not touch your hand, but if they know you and are used to working around you, they too will shake your hand. Within the Fijian culture, men will do the same handshake if they are colleagues or at a similar status, but they won’t shake hands with someone of a different age or at a different social level. They might nod and say “bula” instead.

If a Hindu knows what deity the other person worships, he or she will greet with the name of that deity – for example, “Hare Krishna,” “Ram Ram,” or “Sai Baba.” If they don’t know the other person’s belief, they will say “Namaskar,” which means essentially the same thing as Namaste. Muslims will say “Salaam alei kum” (peace be with you), but generally only to another Muslim or to someone who says it to them first, whether it’s an indigenous Fijian or a foreigner.

Women greeting Women - Fijian women greeting other Fijian women will often kiss the air next to the other person’s cheek. If they respect the person deeply, it’s a sign of respect to put their nose close to other person’s cheek and nose, and breathe in. If they know you as a Westerner, they may hug you briefly and kiss the air next to your cheek as well. Indo-Fijian women will greet each other with “Namaskar” and sometimes a brief hug. They may greet a foreign woman in this manner if they know and respect you.

Greetings between Men & Women – A Fijian man greeting a foreign woman might shake your hand if they know you well. If they don’t know you well, the handshake will be brief and quite shy. A Fijian woman greeting a foreign man would usually juts say Hello or Bula. Within the indigenous Fijian culture, a man will barely acknowledge a Fijian woman if she belongs to certain villages or is from certain islands. If they share certain other geographic links, they can tease each other relentlessly, whether they are married nor not. Men and women, if not married to each other, will not move in the same direction together. If going to the same place, the women will often walk behind the men.

Note: Indo-Fijians will be very surprised and pleased if you say a few words in Hindi or Urdu, such as Namaste, Ram Ram, Salaam alei kum, or Dhanyavad (thank you in Hindi). This courtesy goes a long way toward establishing friendship and creating a relationship of deep respect.

The Fijian way to say "hello" is bulla. Bulla also means "welcome."

Communication Style

• The communication style varies among indigenous Fijians – some are too shy to say what they are thinking, others try to translate what they are thinking for you to understand, and still others are very direct. This is similar among Indo-Fijians. Indian males tend to be more direct and express their opinions more than any other group.
• Fijian villagers generally refer to foreigners as tourists, regardless of how long they have been in the country. They also generally think of foreigners as benefactors, which may be a legacy from colonial times when the British governed. It is also inherent in the indigenous culture to think of family members as their benefactors. For example, a village family who has relatives in the capital city of Suva would expect the Suva family to house and feed them when they visit the city, regardless of the number of family members or the amount of time spent in the city.
• Fijian villagers with Westerners: During conversation, you get the idea that they understand what you are talking about. They are very kind in acknowledging and saying yes often. But they may miss much of what you are trying to convey.
• Fijians with each other, whether in villages, towns, or cities, tend to joke around in general conversation, often over very minor topics.
• Among Indo-Fijians, or between Indo-Fijians and foreigners, the men do most of the talking. The women tend to be reserved and allow the men to talk. You may get the erroneous impression that the female does not understand what you are saying (in English). Often, she understands a lot.
• After saying “Bula,” the most typical question, rather than “how are you?” is “where are you going?” This is considered polite and appropriate.

Personal Space & Touch

• The appropriate amount of personal space tends to be an arm’s length. It may be a bit more with strangers and usually a bit less with friends and family.

• Touching during conversations only tends to take place between Fijian women. Otherwise, there is generally no touching during interactions.

• There is very little touching among couples, and no open display of affection in all the main cultures of (Hindu, Muslim, Chinese, indigenous Fijian), except among the youth in the bigger towns and cities.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact tends to be acceptable in most situations.

Gestures

• When beckoning someone, the palm faces down, and the whole hand is used to beckon by waving the fingers back toward the palm.
• In general, the Fijian and Indo-Fijian will not point to a person. If they are moving down the road after greeting you, the Fijian will point down the road to show he or she is moving on, using his or her forefinger or motioning with the head.

Views of Time

• Time is viewed differently in village life and village social situations, versus working in the city. It is also viewed differently by the two major indigenous cultures – the Indo- Fijians and the indigenous Fijians. Being on time is much less important in village life among villagers (indigenous Fijians) than in the city.
• The Indo-Fijians are generally very punctual. This difference creates problems between the two major cultures in Fiji. A Fijian boss will expect that the Indian be on time, and the Indian will get in trouble if they don’t show up on time. The same expectation may not hold true for the Fijian worker who, it is understood, is on “ Fiji time.”
• Many services run on time. However, there are frequent breakdowns of boats, ferries, and buses.

Gender Roles

• Indo-Fijian women – Their major role is to be responsible for all the domestic functions, as well as bearing and raising children and working in the fields. In the cities, women may also work, breaking out of the standard Indian caste system. However, the domestic duties are still the women’s to uphold. (Similar to 1950s culture in the.) Among Indians living in the city, it has become important that both husband and wife work, often in a family business such as a shop. At the end of the business day, the women go home to their other responsibilities, while the husband reads the paper or watches television.
• Indigenous Fijian women – In the rural setting, women tend to most of the village work – bearing and raising children, cooking on an open fire on the ground, washing clothes – while the men go off to the fields or gardens in the nearby hills. Many women also have Christian duties that involve supporting the church by attending meetings and cooking for the minister. They also cook for the school children on a rotational basis. It is unacceptable to drink alcohol, dress immodestly (shoulders-to-calves should be covered), make noise, or run in the village. Everything tends to be done in slow motion compared to many other societies.

Taboos

• None of the cultures of Fiji tend to swear while Westerners are around. Only those who have been involved in Western/European cultures have taken up swearing. However, belief in curses is common. It is thought that if something bad happens to you, it’s because someone has placed a curse on you. Fijian and Indo-Fijian cultures share in this belief.
• Among indigenous Fijians, you are not supposed to touch someone on the head or point your feet toward the kava bowl or the chief. However, foreign guests are not required to follow these guidelines, and Fijians understand that these are not our beliefs.
• In general, Fijians do not wear sunglasses or hats in the village, and foreigners are expected to follow suit.
• Foreigners are expected to dress conservatively while in the village – for women, in long skirts and shoulders covered, and for men, no shorts or tank tops. Those who dress in this manner are appreciated openly by villagers for respecting the local culture.

Law & Order

• In the rural areas, alcohol is rarely sold, and no one would think of drinking inside the village.
• The legal drinking age was increased from 18 to 21 in 2006 and is somewhat enforced.
• Cigarettes are sold by the piece, and young adolescent males smoke without punishment, if they can afford to buy them.
• Possession or growing of marijuana is a criminal offense. Individuals who are caught and prosecuted may end up in prison. Tourists caught with marijuana or other drugs are usually deported, fined, or end up in prison.

Other Observations

• It’s common to be invited into someone’s home in the Fijian or Indo-Fijian culture. Sometimes it is very genuine, but often they are hoping to get your financial help. They don’t mind asking for help, whether it’s money to pay their child’s fees, a pair of rugby boots, poles to rebuild their house, or a trip in your vehicle (if you have one) to the ferry wharf in the middle of the night. This is central to the beliefs of the Fijian culture, as they also ask each other to share what they own.
• There is a common belief that travelers have an endless supply of money – and of course, most of us have a great deal more than they do - and they feel that you are happy to share it with others.
• If you have become friends with a Fijian or Indo-Fijian, they will indicate they would like to invite you to come home with them. Sometimes an actual invitation follows, but not always.