Getting Stoned With Savages- Amusing Book on Fiji

[vivalibre]

This is a comedic writer's take on living in Fiji and Vanuatu, and surviving with his family in a region full of typhoons, giant bugs and rampant prostitution and drug use. Un-PC but very funny!

http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Stoned-Savages-Through-Islands/dp/0767921992/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-9838839-4562063?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180362554&sr=8-1
_________________
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.

-B. Franklin

[Ira]

It sounds like my kind of book, I may have to order a copy.

Here is the publisher's summary:

Using a format similar to that of his previous work, The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Troost creates another comical and touching travel memoir. Troost and his wife, Sylvia, move from busy Washington, D.C., to Vanuatu, a nation made up of 83 islands in the South Pacific. As Sylvia works for a regional nonprofit, Troost immerses himself in the islands' culture, an odd mix of the islanders' thousand-year-old "kastoms" along with imperialist British and French influences. This really means that Troost gets to live in a nice house while he gets drunk on kava; dodges "a long inferno of magma and a cascade of lava bombs" at the "world's most accessible volcano"; and checks out the "calcified" leftovers from one of Vanuatu's not-so-ancient traditions, cannibalism. At the end of the book, the couple move to Fiji so that Sylvia will have state-of-the-art medical care when she gives birth to their first baby. While modern-day Fiji provides little fodder for Troost's comic sensibilities, the birth of his son enables him to share some deeper thoughts and decide it is "time to stop looking for paradise." A funny travelogue with a sentimental heart, Troost's latest work genuinely captures the search for paradise as well as the need for home.

[catriona]

It seems like a very amusing book- but does anyone else think it sounds a little bit un-PC?

[Bailey]

Hey Catriona,

When I first read the book I had a similar reaction, it does seem a little un-pc. But perhaps this is a case of we "shouldn't judge a book by its cover"

[the alchemist]

Political correctness is only applicable if the stereotypes are wrong. I'm a native of the UK but I've spent half my adult life living in Fiji, Indonesia and now Papua New Guinea.

PNG is the worst of the lot, and frankly, if it wasn't for the danger pay I wouldn't be here at all. Violence is everywhere. My home is surrounded by a 12-foot wall topped with barbed wire, and if I've got to be out in town after dark my company provides guards and an armored car. It's a beautiful country in some ways, but Moresby in particular is an absolute hellhole.

No wonder there are no islands listed in PNG- you'd have to be an idiot to think the country is a nice vacation spot for the family.

[islandstudent]

Welcome to the forum Alchemist. I Hope you share your life stories with us. What brings you to the Private Islands site?
_________________
No man is an island who owns one

[the alchemist]

Hello Island Student,

Thanks for the welcome. The site is actually an old favorite of mine, a few years back when things were more stable politically I was looking at islands in Fiji. Nothing large, just for my own use.

Don't get me wrong about my other post, I love the South Pacific. You get used to most of the quirks of the people and lack of amenities around here, but with the Bougainville war and the gangs on the main island, PNG is a whole other ballgame.

These days Tonga is seeming like a nice alternative for a holiday island, certainly much better prices than most areas, even if you have to forgo being close to modern cities.

Regards,

Peter

[Sampson]

Welcome Alchemist, it sounds like you have lived an interesting life. I would love to hear more about your experiences in PNG. It is a shame that it is so dangerous because from what I have heard it is beautiful. The country would likely benefit greatly from a stable government.

[vivalibre]

Yes, it is actually interesting to hear first hand from someone who has made a life in such a region! Mexico is not always a simple or safe place to live, but in my mind New Guinea and other countries of that type seem very "Wild West" in nature.
_________________
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.

-B. Franklin

[islandmanagers]

i've bought seven copies of both books as gifts--REALLY enjoyed Sex Lives of Cannibals best. phuk P.C. it was FUNNY!!

jcc
_________________
A "Developer" wants to BUILD Cabins in the Woods... Conservationist ALREADY OWNS one...."

"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates--there's a lot of motion, but you never know if it'll be FORWARD, REVERSE, or SIDEWAYS"

[littlemermaid]

Pretty un-PC name

It sounds interesting though, I'd definitely give it a read!

[catriona]

Hi Little Mermaid,

I actually have read the book now, and it's worth getting past the name, lol. Very, very funny... they'll have enough cocktail party stories to last them the rest of their lives.

Catriona

[Rod]

Looks like a fun read so it's on my Kindle now. Thanks for the suggestion!