KAVA REDUX Pt. 2

Just so there is a clear understanding about this whole kava business I wish, for my dear readers, to make a clarification that kava ain't nothin'.

The effects, if I hadn't fully indicated previously, are mild at best, and most times are damn near non-existent. The most commonly indicated effect is a mild sedetive-like state. And I mean mild. After several shells I still usually feel nothing more than a tinglely sensation in my mouth and lips. Before I would get to the point of feeling a little "kava drunk" I would also start feeling a little "kava sick" which means a heavyness in my stomach which makes me want to avoid food or to just lay down for a spell.

And in case anyone had any concerns (I know you're out there), kava addiction is simply not in the cards. The stuff tastes absolutely awful, the effects are minimal, it's not available in the States, and so far, from personal experience, I can report no indications of physical or mental formations of addiction.

What is happening however, for both me and Matt, is that we are enjoying the socializing with the locals. And this includes Kava. It is essential to our mission that we fully integrate with the locals. So when in rome...

And this in no way is to say that we don't actually enjoy it at times.

Or regularly.

In fact, one night while at an intermission between dancing during a marriage ceremony I went nakamal hopping with Kamut and his newphews. We went to few "ready-mades" (see below) and enjoyed a couple shells. This was shortly after I had just arrived back on Tanna and was making a concerted effort to acquire a taste for the local drink which I had up to now totally hated. While jabbering away around the burning ember glow of one small fire I surprised myself by deciding that I was ready and willing to down another shell. Sadly, when I turned around I noticed that the place had cleared out and the bar lanterns had long since been blown out. The place was deserted except for me and Kamut. I guess someone needs to teach them the virtue of the "last call" - or maybe that would be contrary to the culture. In any event, we wandered back to the custom nakamal area where the ceremony was about to re-start. Everyone was in small groups around tiny fires circling an area about the size of a half-acre or more. It was almost completely dark. Damn near no moon light. Plus, we were in the bush where the moon doesn't shine so much anyway.

I found a few of Kamuts nephews, 20 y/o twin brothers, and must have lamented the lack of kava and how I sure could use one more shell. I wasn't even dwelling about it too much - just thinking outloud. Before I knew what was happening the guys ran off into the bush and came back with stumps of kava roots and then sat down next to me and started chomping off chunks of it and chewing it into a pulp. They were making more kava just for me. By chewing it. I've had chewed kava before, but after it had been made and I was able to put it out of my mind. Just like when people eat meat - you don't think about how it was slaughtered. But here these two guys were proudly and enthusiatically chewing up a mouthful of kava root, mixing it around with their saliva until it formed a satisfactory pulpy consistency. Then they would let it fall out of their mouths onto a leaf and repeat the procedure until they had a good baseball sized clump. Then they drop that into a fine mesh bag (like cheesecloth) and pour water into, mix it around real good, and sqeeze it directly into a filthy coconut shell. And then proudly hand it to the white man who couldn't keep his damn mouth shut.

The first shell of chewed kava is always much stronger than the ready-mades since they are mixed up in a large bucket and the consistency is always the same.

So like I said, the effects are minor. As your sitting there around the fire you're thinking you're not feeling anything much at all. Then when you decide to stand up and wander about you might just change your mind about the wisdom of taking that last shell.

And then when you decide it's time to go home and you live down a long dark road, followed by another long, but very thin and bushy trail that leads to the dark and deserted bungalows where you live.... and then you realize you didn't bring a flashlight because it wasn't dark when you left earlier in the day... well... things get a bit bumpy. Treacherous comes to mind. Like I said... kava ain't nothin'.

Tannna is fun.

This photo here actually has nothing to do with kava, but I wanted to get another picture on and this one was good enough. It's me holding a leaf with freshly captured, killed, camp-fire grilled and seasoned fish. While still on the training island a bunch of us went snorkeling, a few of us with spear-guns. They brought up a small bounty of colorful fish and cooked them on the fire Katie, Amy and I built in the coral/sandy beach. Yes - I'm still a vegetarian, but I felt I should honor the poor sucker by at least taking a sampling. Plus there was the experience of it all.

And yes, Bruce, that IS an Obelisk Bookstore muscle tee that I'm wearing. Thanks! I've got to represent the home team. For everyone else the SD stands for San Diego - Having a great time, but missing you all dearly.