Drinking kava by Allen Lockington

Submitted by AllenL on Fri, 12/02/2010 - 7:12am

IT seems yaqona consumption has been blamed for the reduction in population in a few villages. It has also contributed to men being lazy and unproductive. This is evident in the many villagers I see buying tavioka and vegetables at the Lautoka market. They come in on the bus from their village to buy stuff that they could easily plant.

One guy I met said he lived upstairs in a double-storey house. Good excuse because planting is hard work. You need a spade, digging fork, cane knife, muscle, a lot of energy and oomph. Many of them look like they are in their 60s and have young children. In fact they are only in their late 20s and 30s but grog has made them look old.

But it's always a good thing to see napkins hanging on the line, babies are a joy but they don't come cheap. And with them come sleepless nights, visits to the doctor, washing -- a lot of washing, diapers, and a hell of a lot of TLC (tender loving care). But many men who have huge plantations also have many kids.

And they can drink grog.

But we are all different and that is where the comparison stops. For the rest they just need to get a good kick in the bum to balance their lives. The amount of bowls of grog they consume in the night should be the same amount of cassava plots they plant. Babies will come naturally when you are physically fit, but please tell our people to be financially secure before having babies.

Pic:Pacific Travel Guide