UNSUPPORTIVE/ IGNORANT STAFF

The aides and support officers of the minister visiting a village were up in arms when the villagers offered a tabua

(whale’s tooth) to the minister and his delegation as a sign of gratitude and appreciation.

You’d think that the minister’s aides would have had a back-up tabua in their bags somewhere other than just the traditional sevusevu of kava,

right?

In iTaukei, it is customary to return the favour in the same gesture, if not more, indicating your appreciation.

BTL was informed that many of these support staff and their superiors often take these gifts for their own use. Surprising? Not exactly.

After all, a lack of declaration of gifts and accountability are often witnessed in the public service.

We are unsure of how the support staff mitigated the situation because honestly,

BTL was just too embarrassed (although he’s not in Government) to watch that awkward situation.

MEDIA BLOOPERS

BTL is glad there is such a thing as Mother Language Day so that journalists themselves understand its importance in their work as well.

One such journalist had a village spokesperson and some villagers laughing their lungs out when he confidently asserted the translation of traffic lights to iTaukei only to hang his head in shame seconds later.

The journalist had to learn the hard way when the villagers burst into laughter with the spokesperson correcting him saying: Vale ni cina qori tiko i Lami! (The lighthouse is in Lami).

And to think that same journalist went to the Mother Language Day the other day?

LITTLE MISTER ACRONYM

You know your children are into this acronym language when you try to teach Miss 5: Spell the number 1 and she correctly responds with a O. N. E. Just when you’re about to ask another spelling, Mister 4 interrupts with: No, it’s O. M. G!