Fijian mat and two Kava bowls called Tanoas

That's very interesting Panther.

Thanks Hywel, Kava is a common traditional drink in the Pacific, it's used in mostly ceremonies. It is a sedative and makes you drowsy when taken in excess.

better be careful then. lol

Lol, nothing to worry about, it has a calming effect:-)

That's ok then :o)
Maybe I could do with some.

Yes good idea, you should try some, I am sure you will get to like it Hywel!! :-)

Thanks for sharing part of your culture. I love learning about other cultures and their traditions :) I found this link about Kava, if anybody would like to learn more about it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava

It sounds nice, I would like to try it. Do you grow your own Linda or do you use dried Kava that you purchase?

Thanks Tasteyg, no I don't grow my own kava, though its big bucks here to those who do, I actually buy it in the powdered form . The grog is poured into a fine cloth and soaked in a medium container of water and the mixture is squeezed out . This is something similar to how you would prepare tea from a tea bag, but in a more larger volume.

The mat Marguerite is woven from dried pandanus leaves. Yes it is used here too for sleeping and for in the homes. The ladies here gather together to weave bigger mats if need to otherwise with the smaller ones like this one pictured it can take one person to complete it in a week or two depending on the amount of time she spends on it.....and I know this should have gone into a blog!:-)

I like the sound of this, where can i get some,lol

LOL...mmm I am sure they could be sold up there Funkyfuchsia? Actually I was told that some university students here thought up an idea to have them put in bags like tea bags for an easy quick mix, it would have made it so simpler I think.

Panther,

Have you ever grown a Kava plant before?

It is a beautiful plant which can spread very easily like banana stems and will grow almost to 15 feet tall. Many Pacific Islanders grow these plants here...I had a plant, however, never harvested it before. I think I may have some pics of the Kava plant...I'll post it as soon as I can find it.

No Delonix1, but I'd recognize the plant if I saw one.