Blog 2- Food market and the practice of /funjatorbin/

File name: Food market and the practice of /funjatorbin/

Location: /lapagommiso/ (Food market)

Observation by Rosa Rutland

Time 10:30 am in the morning.

June 13, 2019

Description of Activities

    

             Fifa and I arrived at /lapagommiso/, the big market on /lapaisneja/ (big island) during the last day of the week. At first the smell of salted fish assaulted my nose, and then the sweet smell of flowers filled the air along with sounds of music made with drums and wooden flutes. There were many stands and vendors selling different types of items. They ranged from wooden utensils, vegetables, fruit, flowers and different kinds of fish.  There were primitive clothing items and blankets of many colors hanging from the top of some of the market stands.

           

            There was a lady behind a stand selling all kinds of vegetables and a dessert or candy made with bananas and sweet spices.

 Fifa: “have you tried /poga/?” (the banana dessert).

Rosa: “no”

Fifa: “Let’s get some. It is good to eat it in the afternoon as a snack with hot tea.

Vendor: “/poga/, /poga/”, come try some “/poga/” all the way from Atmaisenja (farm island)

Fifa looked around at the different banana leaf wrapped candy. She picked the biggest one and looked at the wrapped leaf as if inspecting it. It had to be around 2 pounds.

Fifa: “/ranthun/ (hello), /ifotgan heb/” (how much?)

Vendor: “/oin/ /tana/” (one, the oktip currency)

Fifa: “/iponi/” (too expensive)

Fifa: “/hefʃanut oman/ (let’s go). /hekim peng funpiki/ (I want to buy fish)

Vendor: /medu tana/ (half a tana) /hebʃan/ (for you).

Fifa gave the vendor the half /tana/. The vendor went around and picked up a very small sized package wrapped in banana leaf. She gave it to me and said /funjatorbin/ (ocean bread).

Rosa: /kanjubar/ (thank you very much)

After we walked away towards the smell of salted dry fish, I asked Fifa what was ocean-bread? And why the vendor had given me /funjatorbin/ (ocean bread)? Fifa explained that the package contained a very small amount of /poga/. This was an old practice passed down through generations. The belief is that giving a little extra to a new costumer or stranger brings good-luck and prosperity. /funjatorbin/ literally means beach bread, but it stands for “may the ocean abundantly give meat because I give bread.” The word /torbin/ stands for both bread or any type of provision.

Reflection

            Today I was in /lapaisenja/ (big island). The words /gom/ /miso/ mean food market. In lapaisneja (big island) is located the biggest open-air market called /lapa/ /gom/ /miso/. The oktip who live on this island shop in this market daily for food items. On the last two days of the week, vendors from other places are welcome to bring products that are native to their island. In the market there is a feeling of joy and relaxation since these are two days reserved for more fun and less work. The vendors close their stands after lunch. At the market I was able to listen to music and see people dancing. Many of the items were made of wood, fabric and other natural materials. Precious metal jewelry and natural stones are popular accessories. Many of the women wore one or two pieces of jewelry. The vendor form whom we shopped was just one of many who were selling already made food. The market was filled with more people who were eating, drinking and talking than shopping.

            The practice of giving /funjatorbin/ (ocean bread), or better explained as a little extra, comes from the legend of how the people reconciled after the original island split. Whenever someone unknown would come to buy or trade items, it was assumed that the person could be from a different island. Since the oktip were afraid that the ocean would break up the islands again, they adopted a peaceful way of living. As a sign of peace, a person would give a little extra to a new customer and say /funjatorbin/. No one yet has been able to clearly explain why this extra measure of an item is called /funjatorbin/ (ocean bread).  

Nowadays, the practice of /funjatorbin/ seems to have adopted an additional meaning. It is similar to the sow and reap proverb. Younger oktip believe that if they give extra, not only will it keep the peace, but that the generosity shown by them will return three times fold (one-fold from the sun, two-fold from the moon and three-fold from the ocean).