Tatyana along with Nia Long, Kimberly Elise and Tyler James Williams (of Everybody Hates Chris fame) traveled to Fiji last week for the Fiji Tennis Invitation Classic event, designed to offer a little inspiration to the Fiji Islands’ underprivileged youth. They each brought a guest, and Tatyana brought ME!
From Los Angeles, it takes ten hours to get to Nadi, Fiji, but the local time is 21 hours ahead, meaning that if you depart on Saturday night, you get there on Monday morning. I’ve never been to Australia or any other South Pacific nation, so this time difference threw my internal clock completely off. Thankfully, we sat in business class on Air Pacific, allowing me to comfortably sleep a full eight hours.
Once we landed, we were whisked through customs, given leis, cold washcloths and Fiji Water and were placed in our respective vehicles.
Within 20 minutes, we were on the island of Denaru, a man made island housing a handful of resorts and residential properties. A notable fact about Fiji is that the Fijians own every inch of their land. Developers lease from them on an annual basis, with some contracts lasting 99 years. Though the rent is nominal when compared to the revenue generated, the money does go back to the villages. I’ve been to the Caribbean where such a thing is unheard of; whoever can pay the most, owns the land and more often than not, natives cannot afford to keep their territory. I got a glimpse of the effect that this inverse dynamic has on the Fijians when we asked our security guard where the vast white sand beaches were. He hesitated but eventually muttered that those beaches were for the enjoyment of locals only, not tourists. The next day, we’d get a once in a lifetime look at a Fijian village.
But let’s talk about Day 1 first. Tatyana, Nia and Tyler spoke to students at two schools (Kimberly was on a plane at that time heading to Fiji). The first was an elementary school.
The beautiful children sang us a special welcome song.
And they couldn’t resist Tatyana.
At the elementary school Tatyana, Nia and Tyler talked to the kids about the importance of doing their schoolwork, listening to their parents and teachers and following their dreams.
Next, we went to a Muslim high school.
Tatyana, Nia and Tyler discussed going to college and encouraged the youth to set big goals.
I knew that the TV and film work done by Tatyana, Nia and Tyler reached a global audience, but I had never seen so many people on the other side of the world immediately recognize these actors in the flesh. It reconfirmed my belief in the power of media.
I knew nothing about Fiji before I arrived, other than the fact that many Americans honeymoon there. On the second day, I’d learn about their jaw dropping history…
I can’t get those laughing children out of mind.
Check back tomorrow for Day 2: Cannibalism, Clams and Kava
