Fiji Day 8 - Audrey

Audrey

Day 8 

              “Go fish! Go fish!” shouted my baby nephew Roni as I lost to my Momo at cards. My Nene was busy arranging the dishes we had woken up at 6:00 to make. Being the only meal of the day that we eat with our host families, breakfast has become a meaningful time to connect with the locals and most students get up early to help prepare. The buffet-style spread can include cooked pumpkin, eggplant and potato curry, freshly baked buns, and always some bread and butter to top it off.

A favorite meal among our group is Fijian pancakes (pani cakes, pronounced pan-ee-cake-ehs), which are cooked in oil to give them a taste more reminiscent of fry bread or sopapillas than the IHOP stacks we’re used to. After my Nene makes a simple dough from flour, sugar, and yeast, I roll it into circles and cut each one into sixths. We lay the pieces in a pan sizzling with oil; after thirty seconds they’ll be ready to flip with a wooden stick and after thirty more they’ll be ready for my eagerly awaiting toddler aules. The rest of us will sit at the table and after our masu, or pre-meal prayer, we’ll cut the pancakes open to fill the cavernous hole inside with crunchy peanut butter, jam, or butter.

In Fiji, each meal is served with a hot drink, like hot chocolate, steamed milk, or even coffee, always under the pseudonym of “tea.” My host family’s unwavering favorite is lemon leaf tea, usually with several heaping spoonfuls of sugar. Breakfast is always eaten with the door open, and every passerby is welcomed on to join. Originally, I thought these invitations were like the empty “Yeah, we should do that sometime” I hear so often at home, but when I’m lucky enough to snag an invite, I’m always given a seat at the table and enough food to last for weeks. This truly reflects the friendly Fijian culture and emphasis on community, all over warm food and a game of cards. Each part of the meal, from the masu to my early alarm, forces us to think how much work goes into preparing something as simple as breakfast. As a result, not only do I get to start my day on a better note, but I also have become more grateful for the things I often barely notice back in Seattle.   







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