17/9/2017,
Four of our Columban seminarians are studying philosophy at PRS. During our community night one Sunday evening someone asked one of them, who was serving the yaqona, what the Fijian for philosophy would be. Being somewhat at a loss he said “talo” and began serving the yaqona. We all laughed and then agreed that “bati ni tanoa’ would be a possible translation for philosophy.
A few weeks later I was conducting a focus group discussion of single mothers in a village in the West as part of the consultative phase of the diocesan synod preparation. The catechist was present and was serving the yaqona. He became so interested in the ladies’ discussion that a long period passed without any yaqona being served.
I said, “I Vakavuvuli, recently we had a discussion in Suva about the Fijian word for philosophy. One of the students said that the word, ‘Talo’ might be a good word for it.” “Oh!” said the startled catechist. He immediately served a round of yaqona.
by Fr. Frank Hoare
