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I wrote a book!Learn More
For the last three years I’ve been anchored in the South Pacific, writing a book about my voyage. From daunting weather to relationships sweet and sour, wild waves and boat repairs, this very personal memoir shares my many challenges, my search for harmony with nature, and how I come to understand the unity of all things. The team at Patagonia Books, along with illustrator Daniella Manini, bring my story to life with amazing art and four photo galleries! It’s a work of enormous love, with the intention to inspire others to follow their hearts, protect our planet, and live out their dreams. Book is available now in hard copy at most your favorite book stores, as an e-book here or you click on the link to the right to order online with delivery to your address! With love and gratitude, Capt Liz Clark After 3 years of writing, I’m excited to share the personal STORY of my voyage with the world. Book available now!
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An Outsider on the Inside: What DOES a Chicken Say?

Posted on Jan 26, 2009 | 2 Comments

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In the words of my Aussie friend Damien, the French really “pecked the eyes out!” of the world during maritime colonialism.  Doing this grand repair in French Polynesia has given me an excellent excuse to stay on this small jewel of the Pacific. From my view, the Tahitian-French lifestyle is a lovely fairytale of fresh fruit, rainbows, waves, clean and simple living, trade wind breezes, starry nights, friendship, love, and generosity. The ocean is a playground and a life source. There’s no big hurry because everyone is basically where they want to be. “Haere maru, haere papu, the Tahitians say, roughly meaning ‘Go slowly, go surely’. It’s no wonder they make it so difficult for foreigners to stay here; if not, everyone would! Although much of my new vocabulary pertains to boat repairing, my French and Tahitian have drastically improved. I love Monoi oil and red ‘fei’ bananas. Baguettes and raw fish and flowers are daily staples. I know that when the Polynesians lift their eyebrows, it means ‘yes’ and I’m used to the mandatory double-cheek ‘French’ kisses that make getting anything done during the day nearly impossible. When I first arrived, arrivals and exits from social situations were always awkward”¦handshake? Kisses? Slap-bump? Hug?

Now that I understand the custom, they’re just a bit time-consuming. Every time you greet a person or leave a social situation, you must kiss each person on each cheek. Imagine a twelve person dinner party”¦that’s 48 kisses just to get in and out! Handshaking happens strictly between men and hugging simply doesn’t exist!? When I’m on land I am strictly a girl (double kisses), when surfing I can get by with the slap-bump like I’m one of the boys. (There aren’t many other female surfers around, and double kisses on surfboards are wholly impractical and could be dangerous if a set comes! And did you know that French chickens don’t say ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’? An entire lunch conversation at the yard was spent discussing that in English, as far as I know, chickens say ‘cock-a doodle-doo’ while they insisted that chickens here say, ‘coco-rico’. I much enjoyed watching the entire group sound out the letters like on Sesame Street while I scratched ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’ into the old engine box cover that we eat lunch on. They’d never heard such nonsense! (My Italian friends here also confirmed that Italian chickens say, ‘kiki riki’!)

Tags:
chickensFrenchFrench PolynesialanguageTahiti

2 Comments

  1. José Alejandro
    May 2, 2015

    Please suscribe my email to the new posts

    Thanks and regards

    José

    Reply
  2. Jo
    October 28, 2015

    Haha! this post is spot on!
    I relate to so much of this on my last trip to french polynesia.
    I found your blog when I googled maere maru maere papu. Good stuff. I’ve just started a website on Tahiti, hopefully you can check it out :) http://www.thetahitianlife.com

    Reply

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