My New Nakamal

The Nakamal experience in my village is pretty amazing. First off let me just say that everything in middle bush revolves around Kava. We typically head over to the Nakamal between 1530 and 1630. The late afternoon is simply known as “taem blong yumi.” (It’s our time.) If someone says this to you then you know it is time to go drink kava.

Let me first describe what my Nakamal even looks like. Most Nakamals in Tanna are situated close to a large banyan tree. Ours is huge and provides shade to a majority of the Nakamal. There is actually a natural swimming pool at the top of the banyan tree; there is also a small three sided structure that everyone sits at to storian. They also use this for when it rains, as a storm would not prevent them from drinking kava! The rest of the area is open dirt surrounded by hedges and trees. There is a small log spilt in half used as a table for wash out food.

When I first arrived at the Nakamal I was worried about what this was going to be like, but it was such a great experience. Everyone sits around and storians. Now then this is kustom Kava so the men chew it here. At first I thought for sure that I was going to be drinking the spit from young boys, but this was not the case. Kava is a root and the men first clean it with coconut husk. Then they take big bites out of the root, it makes this crisp crunchy sound like biting into a crisp apple. They then chew the kava, turning it into a pasty mush. Once they have chewed it into a mush they spit it out onto a leaf.

So I laughed so hard to my self when I first sat down. These guys have roots hanging out of there mouth which is filled with as much kava as possible. It reminded me of Chubby Bunny, the old 4-h game where you have to fill your mouth with as many marshmallows as possible a then say chubby bunny. I think I was reminded about this because even though their mouths were filled to capacity they were not going to let that stop them from talking to me in Bislama! So here I am new to there language and they make it even more difficult for me by talking with there mouth completely full. It defiantly amused me.

So when they spit chewed kava on to a leaf they count how many people are there and divide it equally among everyone. Well that is not totally true. If they lots of kava then everyone will drink a full shell, but if they do not have that much then the chief will always get a full shell and then as a guest they would make sure I was taken care. After that they would divided the rest. Even if I was to try and argue and be like no I only want an equal share, they would not do that. They will always make sure that a guest gets the best kava, the best food, the best cut of pig, etc, etc etc. They are truly amazing people.

After they spit the chewed kava out they are not allowed to touch it again. Only a boy you has not started shaving (pre-pubescent) is allowed to “was” (prepare) the kava. Also if you have slept with a woman you are not allowed to touch the kava either. It basically means that only pre-pubescent boys are clean enough to make the kava for us. The boy then takes the appropriate amount of kava for one shell and someone else pours water into his kava and he begins to wash the kava. The final product is then drained into a single shell. I think kava is so good here because it never sits. They make it and then you drink it. When you get kava in a ready made Nakamal it has been made in bulk and could be sitting for a couple of hours.
The chief is the first person to drink his kava followed by any guests and then everyone else. I am not sure how they decide whose turn is next. When you drink your shell you are supposed to say a prayer to god and then you drink your kava ns when it is gone you spit and then sing out. When you sing out you are respecting your ancestors and praying for them too. This is kustom religion here in Tanna. My Chief has actually blocked church from my village, Kustom nomo!!

After you drink your kava you go grab some food off the table that the men’s wives have prepared. As an unmarried man I can eat as much of that food as I want because I don’t have a wife to make me diner afterwards. I try and grab a respectable amount and sure enough they always bring me another big piece of lap lap or pig. Which I gladly accept as it would be rude not too.

As people begin drinking the kava you can tell that the sounds of the Nakamal disappear. By the time the last person drinks his kava the place is silent. People head off and sit by themselves and build small fires around the Nakamal. You then sit there and pray. I find this to be a great time to mediate and just think. I can’t even think of half the stuff I have thought about in one week. But I know I had some in-depth inner monologues going on. One thing for sure, I am going to have lots of time to be able to think about what my beliefs are on evri samting. (Every something is my favorite term in Bislama, you don’t say everything, you say every something. I find if funny.)

At a certain point you will see one fire get a very bright and then you know someone is making the maca, which is the second round of kava. Again these shells are huge! They are about five times as big as the ones in Vila. People begin to leave at various points. There is no pressure to drink kava but I can tell this will be the place that I am most effective. There is one man here named James who is an intellect. He loves to talk about history of the US and of Vanuatu. I think I am really going to enjoy talking with him.

On a side not, women are not allowed at the Nakamal. SO much as to if they see a girl they will throw rocks at them...