When is chatting gossiping?

from w
What will they think about next? Who is going to listen in to the conversation of a group of women at the marketplace? Since when has gossiping/talanoa/yarning/telling stories about people been a crime? Sobosobo! Talking is what we women do!

Gossiping is a crime
Salaseini Vosamana
Friday, March 16, 2012
A GROUP of women vendors in Labasa were yesterday told to refrain from gossiping because it was against the law. Organised by the community policing officers in the north, the short discussion was aimed at bringing women together to inform them about the new Crimes Decree associated with women issues.

In her formal address, police constable Mere Mocetoka told the women that anyone was liable to spend one year in prison if found gossiping or making bad remarks about another person.

"Every day, new faces visit the market and women are fond of sitting together in groups to make gestures and gossip about them," Constable Mocetoka said.

"It's an attitude we have grown up with but it is something the law recognises as illegal. Gossiping is a contributing factor to fights and hatred among one another, which is something very common in women," she said.

Constable Mocetoka said they decided to organise the brief discussion because they received complaints of gossiping from women last week.

"We have been receiving complaints since last week and the best way to solve this problem is by telling them (women) the penalties they are likely to face when they are charged.

"Nowadays, an old woman can be sent to prison if she is found gossiping.

"The law won't entertain such unsuitable behaviour," she said.

The women thanked the force for informing them about the new Crimes Decree, something they were not aware of.
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And also here's an article from the internet - that gossip is good for women!
Gossiping is healthy?
June 7th, 2011 | Author: admin

Gossiping ?..Mmm..mm!!.spontanously commented about someone else looks, friend’s affair, what and why someone doing or not doing are common behaviour isn’t it?!, particularly among women. Talking and laughing about beauty, men, fashion even watching tv gossip seems fun indeed, not surprisingly many women can stand gossiping for hours.
Is gossiping have benefits? Even healthy?.

Based on researches lead by Prof. Stephanie Brown from university of Michigan, shows that gossiping activity which always associated with women, is good for their health. Wow, ..how come?!. Stephanie and collegues explained that women tends to feel much eager and happier when they enjoy gossiping with their friends. Those actifivity can reduces stress, anxiety and worries. Gossiping can improve progesterone hormone. This hormone has significant role for women. Its affecting ability to interact with peoples. Research shows that women with less-gossiping activity experiences decreasing progesterone hormone. On the other hand, women with high-gossiping activity will be much happier, flexible, healthy and live longer.

Why women are gossiping?

Curiousity. People particularly women easyly curious about other people’s affair.

Women has need for sharing every informations about their daily lifes.

Women seeing gossiping as a media to seek informations around her.

Women loves a detail information about anything than men.

Some study shows that women more confidence to talking about something than men.

A study shows that women has powerful capability to spread information than men.
Most women liking and enjoying talking than men.

Women more expressive than men to talk or exposing about something than men.

Talking, and then go on to gossiping isn’t easily thing to avoid.

People or most women tends to easily interested, sensitive and focused on negative informations.

Surprisingly, human brain have strong capability to catch and remind negative than neutral or positive information.

Study shows that people having tendency to talking, gossiping, or even judging others.
Advantages of gossiping

A scientist Robin Dunbar from Oxford university says that gossiping isn’t always bad thing, it can be a media to collect unity among people.

Researcher Eliza Bliss-Moreau says that by gossiping, we can learn and stay away from any bad thing that people we are talked about. Its mean we can learn from bad examples.

Even gossing has positive effect, it doesn’t mean gossiping turned to a bad habit. So, go gossiping girl!,..but control it ok, don’t let it ruining our daily life by gossiping time to time and forgetting any others that is more important. Do you agreed ?..

Oranges and lemons say the bells of St Clements

from w
Should people work on a Sunday or have a rest? That certainly was a question many years ago when men and women in Labasa protested and some went to gaol for a road block. Anyway it seems that these days anyone can just work on a Sunday while others go off to church or do other things.

The newspapers of course - censored - now print articles about the lives of ordinary people to fill the spaces which used to be political comment or similar.
Fruits of his labour ... market vendor Anwar Shah with his lemons at the Labasa Market. Lemons or oranges?

Here is one from the Fiji Times Labasa journalist:

Tough times means no rest for vendors
Theresa Ralogaivau
Monday, January 11, 2010
CHALLENGED by tough times, Labasa fruit and vegetable sellers are taking on an additional business day just to make ends meet. The vendors are seen at their stalls in and around town on Sundays, a rare sight on the day of rest in the Northern town. Anwar Shah, 38, heaps his oranges at a corner of the busstand capitalising on an opportunity to do business with Savusavu-bound passengers. He never had to do that before. "Times are tougher now, the same income two years ago is no longer sufficient for my family," he said.

The father of three from Korowiri, five kilometers outside Labasa, makes a living buying and selling fruits. "Before working from Monday to Saturday was enough but now I can't do that because I'll not make enough to meet all my family expenses and send my three children to school," he said. "I have to sacrifice my rest day to earn more."

Mr Shah has been doing this for the past two months. And aside from working the extra day, equipping himself with better selling skills has become important. "I have to smile more, engage people in conversation, attract their attention so that I can sell the fruits," he said. "Once people stop, the likelihood they will buy is greater so I make sure they stop and talk." This he did by comically piling oranges on his body - people stared and stopped and Mr Shah was happy his strategy had worked.
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And as the Fiji Sun journalist saw him - as a businessman.
Some bits I have put into 'bold'.

Benau businessman takes on challenge
1/11/2010
Anwar Shah was the only person selling oranges at the Labasa bus stand yesterday.
Originally from Benau, a settlement outside Labasa, Mr Shah has been selling oranges for the past three years. He buys his oranges from the Batiri Citrus Farm in Dreketi and sells them at $2 a heap. “To survive the high cost of living we have to do something to earn extra cash,” he said.

The father of three said what helped him to cope was when the Fiji Development Bank provided him a grant to assist him in running his business.“I’m thankful for the assistance provided so that I can efficiently operate my business,” he said.

Mr Shah said life has been a struggle and he did not complete his form two at Vunimoli Secondary School.“I decided to leave school because I had no interest whatsoever in learning English. I was smart in Urdu Studies but not in English. Since English was a requirement subject at school I decided not to continue my education.”

When he left school, Mr Shah worked as a truck driver for 15 years. “I was driving for Vunimoli Sawmill Limited before I decided to venture out into selling vegetables and fruits at the Labasa market.

“Today, I’m happy to do this kind of business because at the end of the day I’m able to have some money to buy for my family’s evening meal,” By yesterday afternoon, Mr Shah had sold 90 heaps of oranges and took home about $180. Not bad for a day’s work.

Samu lives at the Labasa market

In the picture Samuela Waka sits at his makeshift home under the market table.
from w
I saw this article in the Fiji Times and thought it strange - with all that land around Labasa this family live in the unhealthy environment of a food market! Does the Labasa Council allow this? What is being done by the Labasa Council to house poor people? Any Hart homes or places like the village established by Rotary out of Lautoka and known as Koroipeta? Where is the sense of community, hospitality, that this family cannot live with relatives?

My market homeTuesday, December 25, 2007

IN order to make ends meet, a grandfather and his grandson have lived in a market the past year. Samuela Waka is 55 years old. For the last 10 years the Labasa market has been his home, literally. It is where he sleeps, eats and sells from. For the last year though life has become even harder as he has had to look after his grandson, Wili Tarika.

Wili goes to school from the market where he sleeps, studies and eats .

"He is in Form 4 and since last year, we have lived together in this market where we sleep, eat and do all our work from. We also use the public toilet to bath and change from," said Mr Waka. Space under a high-table from which market produce is sold serves as their room. Mr Waka says it is comfortable enough to sleep.

"We buy food from the women who sell in the market or eat from cafes everyday and there is no other way we can buy food and cook it in the market because we are both busy and it's too much work for me especially when I am old," he explained.

Under that table, Sam built boards around it and left a space at one end that acts as a door. "My grandson wears his uniform from our small room, under the table where we also sleep. We are fortunate that the electricity supply continues throughout the night which allows the lights to stay on at night so my grandson makes good use of it to do his studies," Sam said.

From their market home, they also wash their clothes and hang in the back area of the market by the Labasa riverside. Living in such habitat is simply because Mr Waka cannot afford to travel home because it is too expensive. He says it chews up his profit from his sale.

"So I order vegetables and rootcrops from farmers around the area and buy from them so I can sell to earn money."

Originally of Naviavia village in Wailevu, Cakaudrove, Sam 55, is the sole bread winner of the family supporting his two daughters and grandchildren.

His wife, Laisana Waqamairabe died 22 years ago in 1985, leaving him behind to solely support their four children who were in school then.

"I remained in the village with my children until they completed their education and at the village school and went onto secondary school in Labasa then to finding jobs where they could support themselves," he said. "My two younger daughters got married but due to marriage breakdown they returned home with their children, they had one each and lived with me in the village," Mr Waka said. That happened 10 years ago and as a result, he decided to become a full time market vendor to help support his two grandchildren and his unemployed daughters.

In January 1997, Sam arrived at the Labasa market with his first lot of dalo, yaqona and vegetables to sell in which he received about $100 within the few days of complete sale.

"I sent some money home to my daughters so they could buy food for their children and buy baby milk also," he said. "I felt it's my duty to help look after my children and grandchildren after their marriage broke down and since taking upon myself that responsibility, I have remained in this market with that in mind."

He has singlehandedly put his two grandchildren two school, from primary to secondary. While his grandson lives with him in the market, his granddaughter, Laisana Waqamairabe boards at the Saint Mary's Hostel and attends Gurunanak secondary school as a Form 6 student. He pays for her board and her food. Mr Waka says it makes more sense to sacrifice rented board so that he can pay for his grandchildren's education. "It's not an easy life but from the money I earn which can be about $50 a day I use to pay for the expenses.

"While I still have the energy to do it and still fit to look after my grandchildren and pay for their education, I will do it, even if I have to sleep from the market area. He said after 10 years he has grown use to his market home'.

"(I) have enjoyed it, really," he assures.

Labasa market and other Fiji markets

The Labasa market is really overcrowded and it is long overdue to change location. Because it is near the bus station and the taxi ranks the area is really noisy and polluted. Of course people want to shop then not have to walk far to catch a bus or taxi. Perhaps it should be moved to higher ground the other side of the river. The sellers come from long distances such as Nabuwalu and Savusavu to sell their goods, often by bus, and even from Taveuni Island. Others buy wholesale and resell at the market. One of the women from our Vatuadova village does this. About six years they were thinking about moving the market and the bus shelter but it hasn’t happened yet. Why not?

One day we were strolling along a road in the Tuatua suburb of Labasa and an Indian man called us in to have a cup of tea. His house looked very ordinary from outside but inside he had everything he needed. He was a bean-seller from the market. From little things big things grow - as the song goes.

The markets are usually open six days a week but are busiest on Fridays and Saturdays. Cassava and dalo are getting very expensive these days. Peceli went shopping in Suva market not long ago with his grandson – their task to buy dalo and octopus – both already cooked. The octopus was smoked, the dalo was cooked and sold for $1.50 each which was quite good. Then my daughter-in-law added coconut cream and onions to make the octopus tastier.

Whether in Suva, Sigatoka, Lautoka, Rakiraki or Labasa there is always an outdoor/indoor market where you can find all sorts of vegetables and fruits, fish, crabs, delicacies. A good website of pictures is by a Suva photographer. Start here.

I like to buy vakalolo and bila at the Suva market. Valalolo is made from pounded dalo with sugar and coconut cream and sold wrapped in banana leaves. Bila is fermented scraped cassava, smells bad, but it's chewy. It's sold wrapped in leaves and can easily be identified by the long thin shape. They sell for $1 or $2 dollars each.