I considered waking the Unit up for a first hand testimonial but the haze clouding my thinking cleared just long enough for me to realize this was not an idea the Unit would appreciate. Before I stumbled away that night I did my best to assure that my kava buddies knew all the important aspects of this method of birth control. Anyone who spends much time in the Third World eventually realizes that overpopulation and its resulting demand on finite resources is at the root of most social, economic, and political problems. What amazed me was that the Fijians knew this all too well, but were constrained by cultural traditions and their own fears, the latter of which were based largely on ignorance. I speculated on subsequent conversations these men may have had with their wives.
Cultures differ dramatically across the globe but family issues are family issues the world over.
When I left Ovalau, it was in an open motorboat with Emosi at the helm. As he dropped me off on the beach of yet another obscure Fijian island, I captured him full frame in my camera. Months later I had an 8x10 enlargement of his smiling face made and sent it to his wife, in appreciation of her hospitality. Eventually a crumpled, hand-lettered envelope appeared in my mailbox. It was from Emosi's daughter who could write in English.