No, I’m not taking Palm Pilots here (though they are quite nice to have). I’m talking about the incredible, edible, ubiquitous coconut palm: a veritable tree of life.
How do i love thee? Let me count the ways.....
SHELTER
Our little native hut has coconut palm midriffs placed side-by-side to make snug, sheltering walls. Expertly woven coconut palm fronds make durable, portable, comfortable ‘carpets’ for our crushed coral floor. Watertight coconut-thatch roofing covers many homes (though ours is made of Pandanus leaves).
FIRE
Most of the locals cook over outdoor fires fueled by a non-toxic, never-ending, free fuel source: coconut meat, husks, and dried palm fronds.
BEAUTY
Pacific Island Beauties abound! They nourish their skin and hair with homemade, fragrant coconut creams and oils. Then there are the lilting palms, lovely to behold as they wave their feathery arms in the tropical trade winds. Let’s not forget coconut mats, fans, utensils, skirts, bras, furniture, and other works of art.
FOOD
Hungry? No problem! The coconut gods daily drop their gifts. Pick up one. Husk it. Crack open the inner coconut, and voila, fresh coconut meat is yours for the taking. Grate it, if you like. Squeeze it between cheesecloth; make coconut milk, oil, cream. Use it to with pumpkin, breadfruit, cabbage, fish. Hmm... I’m getting hungry!
DRINK
Climb a tree. Better yet, get your neighbor’s child to shimmy (monkey-like) up, to drop a green coconut. Crack it open. Greedily drink the delicious, mildly flavored, ‘muimoto’ juice. Or perhaps you prefer fresh toddy, the concentrated sap which is gathered, maple-syrup style, each and every day? Age it a few days and you have ‘sour toddy’, an alcoholic drink favored by some.
MONEY
The main profession here on the outer atolls is ‘cutting copra’. This is the fundamental cash crop of the islands. Men, women, and children all participate in picking up the fallen coconuts, hauling them home by hand, in carts, on bicycles. Strong, well-trained (and well-aimed) arms swing their axes and machetes as they crack the outer and inner shells, then lay the coconut halves in the sun for three days or so of drying. The dried ‘meat’ is then scooped out by hand and dropped into a large burlap bag. Once full, this bag will be taken to the hut that holds dried copra (coconut), awaiting pickup by a seafaring boat for its trip to the processing plant on the main island (or overseas). This labor of love (and necessity) nets the worker almost $40.00/bag; money with which to buy rice and other sundry basics, pay for school fees, and the occasional trip to Tarawa town.
I’m sure I’m forgetting something......but I must go. I’m off to get a coconut!
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