In the Solomon Islands, there is a fruit that they call poupou. To my eyes, its bright orange flesh looks just like cantaloupe. When I first bit into it, I expected the familiar taste of cantaloupe to explode on my taste buds, but I was, unsurprisingly, let down by the invasion of a new flavor into my life. I despised poupou because it let me down time and time again. This cycle of me being let down by the poupou continued until Bishop gave words to this lesson, as he said, “it looks a lot like cantaloupe, doesn’t it?” Up until that moment, I was not aware of the biases and the prejudices that tainted my taste buds each time that I opened my mouth to take a bite of the poupou. Once I realized that I was anticipating the flavor and not participating in the new experience, I started to grow a liking for this new fruit.
The Solomon Island culture IS the poupou, and the American culture IS the cantaloupe. From a safe distance, it all looks the same. Houses, cars, commerce, recreation, churches, people. But if you sink your teeth into the Solomon Island culture and expect everything to be the same as American culture, you will be surprised to find just how different it is, and you might be a little taken aback by it. BUT, that is only true if you expect to taste America in you interactions with the Solomon Islanders. I was fortunate enough to have been prepped by a few great mentors before coming to the Solomons, which allowed me to experience their culture as it is, and fully participate without anticipating too much. If you keep trying to experience new things in old light, you will consistently be let down. Be present, be open, be vulnerable. You will love every moment of your day.
It Was Written: A Cross, My Heart 