I Live With Tarzan Of Tahiti

@poehere So those long migrations were more the result of people being ostracised from their tribes than from a burning desire to see what was over the horizon! On the whole, my impression of Polynesians is that they are a very happy people at heart and love to party though I also know that they were very good at fighting with rival tribes, too!

@owlwings This is so correct. Each King has a group of warriors called Aito. They were men and women who dedicated their lives to protecting the king and fighting the rival tribes. These men and women couldn't marry or have children. Only the leader of the Aito could marry and have children. When war was declared on one island the Aito of the king would take off in their canoes to the rival island and fight for the king's honor. Here in Tahiti at the Beachcomber Hotel there is footprints in the coral at the hotel. Legend says that Hiro the God of war stood in this place and threw his mighty spear across the ocean to our sister island of Moorea and pierced a hole in one of the mountain tops to stop the war between the two islands. During the Heiva each year our legends are recreated in dance by different dance groups competing for top honors. This is was the only time of the year that all tribes came together in peace to compete with one another to see who was the strongest or the best. Now the Heiva is our way of honoring the past and each year we recreate the same competition as our ancestors did so many years ago. As for finding these islands, it was said when two families in a tribe fought between themselves, the families were cast off and made to leave the tribe. They had to pack up their family and leave in their canoes. Each family left looking for a new home. Some landed on deserted islands where they started again. While other found islands that other castaways lived on and joined them forming a new tribe. Our sister island is Moorea. For years Moorea and Tahiti fought against one another. Each one of our districts on the island had their own King. I live in Paea and here we have a very large Marae. This is where ceremonies were performed. They would come to the Marae and pray for the men who went fishing and their safe return. There are so many legends here and the people honor these legends and in June and July we reconstruct them. Tahiti is a very loving island filled with good people. Music and dance are the culture here and everyone love to dance and sing. The songs and dances on the island tell a story. Each hand movement has a special meaning. The people are proud people and they try their best to keep their traditions and preserve their culture. It isn't always that easy with a lot of French influence here. However, the government now has ruled in the favor of the people to teach Tahitian in the schools. This was ruled out years ago and they only taught French. Now at a young age all children in school learn to speak Tahitian, English, and Spanish. French is still the primary language and children are taught to read and write in this language.

What is so funny when I first meet him I didn't want anything to do with him. He was working in Moorea during the week and on the weekends would come back to Tahiti. He kept talking to me and asking me out. I refused. I thought he was married. Then he invited me to come with him to his home and meet his mom. They were having Heima (underground oven) on Saturday for his mom's birthday. I went. He wasn't married and his family was so wonderful. We have been together now 19 years. He and I have done so many things together, it is amazing. I love going night fishing with him, canoe racing, and hiking in the mountains. He is so down to earth and only wears a pareo to work. He is really a local Tahitian man and when he goes shopping with me everyone just stands there and stares. Right now he is on a Motu, - small island off a larger island - there is no electricity or running water there now. He is building 4 houses there, a boat dock and a bridge that they will drive across to the main island. He goes fishing most nights to have fresh fish. He said that they have to trap all their water from the rain to have fresh water there. Each year at the end of June and July we have our local competitions here on the islands. All the islands come together to compete for dance, canoe racing, spear throwing, races carrying bananas and pineapples. This is our Heiva, and everyone joins in the competition. This is one of the best times on the islands. I have lived here 25 years now. It is paradise and I love it so. BTW the canoe part is true. But what happened was this. If a family was banned from the tribe they were forced to pack up their families and leave. They had to take all their belongings in the canoes and leave this island. They traveled for weeks to find a new island. When they reached the new island they turned their canoes over on the beach and used them for shelter until they could build their new home.

@poehere Sure it's because of his work, working hard and moving a lot is much better than dieting. You eat more, but you burn and your body and muscles are more firm.

@LadyDuck That is so true. It still amazes me how much he can eat. He wanted an apple pie and he bought 1.5 liters of vanilla ice cream for his pie. He sat down and ate the entire pie and all the ice cream. I am shocked he didn't get sick.

It is a funny show to watch and on Friday nights we sit together watching this. We do have to laugh at the show and people want him to go. However, he doesn't live in France so they won't accept him. One time a man from here was chosen because he now lives in France and is married. He works hard and does a lot of physical labor. If you saw how much he can eat you would wonder how he can maintain his size and not get fat and lazy. I think it is because of his work and also being so active.

@just4him I agree with you on this one. Plus, I don't think he would go there anyhow. I just joke with him about it and we laugh.

I think so too. It is a shame they only take people from France to do this challenge. I think it would be fun to see him do it.

@poehere That is a shame.

You sure are right. We make a lot of our own medicines, grow our own food, and built the house we live in together. I don't like depending on others to help they always let you down.

Yes, this is my boyfriend. The picture was taken 6 years ago and he hasn't changed at all.

@poehere

@Kandae11

@YrNemo Yes he is. He is a good guy and gets embarrassed when people talk about the films he was in.

@poehere OMG, then he is quite a well known figure there.

@poehere And that special man loves only you. You are really lucky.

@poehere ......Indeed they do. Just not the other personality.

@celticeagle Glad it is not all the time because that can be nerve racking.

I am so happy you have an anazing daugher in your life. I think everyone needs at least one amazing person in their life.

@poehere I am imagining you two together and I am betting that you have a lot of fun. You are a great looking couple. A man like that is hard to find.

He has 3 older brothers. Yes he does do a lot and he is a really good person. He sure thought we were made for each other 19 years ago when he kept chasing after me.

@velvet53 You are right and I do feel lucky to have him in my life.

You made my day. I am laughing so hard. He is a simple guy and a lot of fun. Right now he is working on another island building houses. He will be back on Friday for 5 days to take care of business for his job. Then back on the plane and back to work. It is not far from here but too long to take a boat.

@poehere I am absolutely sure he is a great guy, just from the stories you have told us about him, Ann... (You know, @TheHorse once lost a discussion he wrote because of the "racy" photo of his ex-wife he posted with the discussion... And she had more clothes on than "Tarzan" does, even if he is on the half-shell!) Uhm... you realize there are several ppl here who love sea food, right? (I am only suggesting you keep an eye on your boyfriend, Ann... Some ppl here would slurp him right down... and not all of them are women!) (grinning and teasing you!) I started to suggest you let him read this discussion from beginning to end... After the last part of that comment, I am not sure how he will take my type of teasing... I kinda like my teeth where they grew and my head still attached to my neck!

@DaddyEvil You have brought tears to my eyes. I am laughing so hard right now. I think he can handle himself. One time we were fishing and a giant shark came into the lagoon. It was coming right after him. He just stopped and stared it in the eye. It left. I have no idea why but it turned around and left. Another time we were in the kayak fishing and I saw a giant shark coming straight at our boat. Lucky for me he had a fish head with us. He was planning on feeding the sharks this day. So he threw it far off into the water and the shark turned and swam towards the fish head. We decided that was enough fishing for the day. That was the first time a shark ever came at our boat full throttle. He was going to ram our kayak. Normally we only have small reef sharks that are harmless and don't attack you at all. This one was a very big shark and I didn't want to stick around to see if he was coming back for seconds. Normally we don't have large sharks like this in our lagoon. From time to time the lagoon is so calm they come in through the reef. This is when you need to stop fishing because the fish cry when you are bringing them in and the sharks come to feed on them. I guess that is why your sharks cry from time to time they are looking for fresh fish.

@poehere My best teachers validated me and also challenged me. I wouldn't be who I am without their influence.

This is excellent. We all need a good person in our life that makes us laugh and have fun.

@poehere Did he wear like this style?

@shshiju He normally has a Pareo over the sting. But in this photo he took off the Pareo.

He is just a real down to earth island boy and he is so much fun to be with. We do a lot together and have a very good life.

I think we are stuck together. We have been together for 19 years and he isn't going anywhere and neither am I. He will be home Friday and he is so happy to come home for a few days. he will have to go back on Wednesday, all the same he is excited to come homr for a few days. Me too.

@DianneN Not really. We talk all the time on the phone. He either calls me or I will call him. When he gets home we have a lot to do in the time he will be here. We have to cut the coconuts on the tree in our backyard, he has to get his new car insured and change ownership papers, and he has a gate to fix for the big dog so he won't break it again and go out. So the few days he is here will go by so fast.

@poehere That's wonderful and so sweet. I'm sure you two lovebirds have a lot of catching up to do.

It is always good to have a Tarzan in our life. People joke around with me about this and I just laugh.

@JustBhem Yes, this is my boyfriend of 19 years.

@poehere Just curious, is that your boyfriend? He looks cool and yes, he looks like Tarzan of the modern days.

He was born and raised here in Tahiti. He is a local island guy and grew up doing all this. He had a father who was talented and an older brother who did many of the same things as he does.

He is funny. He is such a local boy. Tattoos and all.

@poehere

He is a good guy and he is very funny. We have a lot of fun together and laugh a lot.