Travel the World - Week 7

This is the seventh week in my Travel the World personal challenge. Each week I am randomly choosing one country (there are 195 countries in the world) and doing a little research on that country. I then select one tidbit of information about the country as inspiration for the card I make.

This week's country is...

Fiji

Fiji consists of 333 islands, about 110 of which are inhabited. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, account for 87% of the population of almost 883,000.

Its total land mass is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey.

Only 59% of Fiji’s population has electricity.

English is Fiji's official language (although Fijian is also spoken).

The word BULA means “Hello”. It is heard often as this is how the Fijians repeatedly greeted everyone. They say it with a lot of enthusiasm and with genuine smiles. Some locals asked tourists to repeat it loudly if it doesn't meet their satisfaction in the enthusiasm gauge.

Fiji is home to over 4,000 square miles of coral reef, including the Great Astrolabe Reef.

Things move a little slower and sometimes, set times are mere suggestions. Visitors often hear the term "Don't worry, you're on Fiji Time."

Fiji's waters are home to over 1,500 species of sea life, including this colorful Parrotfish.

The literacy rate among adults is almost 94 percent.

Fijians drive on the left side of the road (like the British and Australians) and what we Americans call “the other side”.

The art of walking barefoot on smoldering hot stones originated about 500 years ago in the Sawau tribe on Bega Island off the coast of the main island. The natives still practice this fire walking ceremony which has been passed through generations. But, the whole ritual and tradition has been modified to cultural shows that appeal to the tourists. Fire walking performances can be found through some resorts and hotels throughout the island.

The Meke is a celebration of Fiji’s culture through traditional dance and storytelling using songs. It was a way to pass on traditions and stories through generations. It’s a collaborative effort between the men and women where the men are supposed to portray masculine gestures and the women are soft and feminine.

A  long-standing Fijian tradition held that women should accompany their husbands into death. As such, in the past, women were typically strangled the day their husbands died and buried alongside them.

Fijians have traditionally held strong taboos regulating family behavior. For instance, brothers and sisters were not supposed to sleep in the same house once they had grown to maturity

Traditional Fijian houses were built and inhabited in a way that reflected the social status of the inhabitants. The rear of the house was reserved for the head of the household; it was considered socially “higher” than the front of the house.

Fiji has 28 airports, but only four of them have paved runways.

Whale teeth are highly prized in Fiji. They are given as dowries for marriage or as gestures of apology.

Fiji was once known as part of the “Cannibal Isles”. Cannibalism existed here until the Christian Missionaries arrived in the mid 1800s. It was believed that cannibalism started from long sea voyages with not much choices to survive and these practices were brought over to the islands. The last known Fijian cannibalism victim was a missionary named Rev. Thomas Baker. He and his colleagues visited the Nabutautau village to convert the natives into Christianity. For some reason, Rev. Baker ended up touching the village chief’s head which was a huge, forbidden act and considered an insult. His one remaining shoe is on display at the Fiji museum in the capital city of Suva.

According to historical records, Fijian cannibals did not eat people who died natural deaths; only those killed in combat were considered good for food.

I decided to let this Fiji fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Fiji receives between 400,000 and 500,000 tourists annually.

Here's the inside of my card:

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp: Susana Safe Travels stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Fun Stampers Journey Hazelnut Blend and Recollections 110# White and Red CS and Making Memories Memories in the Making DP plus other DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: My Mind's Eye Enamel Dots