Polynesian Diet

The first time I heard of Samoans was back in the Philippines, when I was around 7 years old. A relative had this postcard and he says the people in it were Samoans. When I was in the States, the first time I've seen about Samoans were on TV in the WWF. A notorious wrestlers called The Wild Samoans: Afa & Sika. The Wild Samoans didn't even have to say a word, they just growl and Captain Lou Albano would speak for them, and then The Wild Samoans would finished off by wildly eating a raw lobster. It was pretty crazy. Later in my life I've met few Samoans but most of them are really soft spoken people. If you haven't seen The Wrestler yet, make sure to check it (r-rated). I think it's a really cool film, the script, acting, and even the soundtrack was cool. Afa one of The Wild Samoan trained Mickey Rourke for the film.

After learning that Samoans and other Pacific Islanders share the same Cultural Ladder as Filipinos, I wonder how they got so huge. Majority of Eastern Pacific Islanders are big in stature than the typical Southeast Asian. I always thought, it could be from their diet of hunting down The Giant Moas. But Giant Moas are only in one area, which is in New Zealand. The Giant Moas were hunted down for food until they were all extinct. But that wasn't the reason why they got so big because the Maoris were already big folks when they arrived in New Zealand.


On mother's day, my family and I went to this Buffet Restaurant which serves Asian Cuisines. As well as Shell Fish and Sushi. When we were there, the restaurant were also packed with Tongans. There were also Indo-Fijians. At first my Family and I thought they were Samoans. Big folks. It sucks though because the restaurant didn't have any dividers. I am used of eating alone. Everythin' was in the open and we didn't know a single one of them. It was sunday so I figured the Tongans must be from a Mormon Church. Perfect day to celebrate mother's day. Tongans are of Fijian people (melanesians) mixed with the Samoans (polynesians). But they do have their own Islands just bellow Samoa, and just across side of Fiji. The youth consider themselves the Vikings of the South Pacific.

About the restaurant, the restaurant is literarily called Crazy Buffet, there are a lot of Asian Buffet around Silicon Valley with funny names, there's another one called Yummy Buffet, next thing you know another one is called Eat Food Buffet or Very Fishy Food Buffet. These owners must be laughing on their way to the bank for having them catchy names. Good food though. Maybe even better than some Authentic Restaurants.

Noticing how they like shell fish, also brought back some memories of The Wild Samoans. Which gave me enough clue to know how they got so huge. These people lives in small islands. Which gave them lots of advantages over the large ocean that surrounds their homelands. Like one big table filled with lobsters and other types of fish. I like them too and I think they are tasty, but I can't eat shell food like: Lobsters, Crabs, and Shrimps. Not even Squid or Octopus. If I do, my skin starts to itch, my throat starts to itch, and then my lungs gets tighter. I can though eat regular fish. Oysters are okay. Just not that day, I had enough Tilapia and Tuna at home, and wanted to try other food than fIsh.

Common Polynesian Diets and Fishing Tool:
Lobsters, Taros, and a Fishing Hook an evidence of hunting big fish.


Typical Wooden Clubs for Paddling, Hunting, Playing, and Fighting:
You gotta knocked a huge fish somehow. And knocked territorial rivalries at the sea. To me the Wooden Club also gave birth to Cricket and then to Baseball. Boomerang is also a cool hunting tool and weapon from the Aboriginal People of Australia. Philippines has the Yo-Yo. But I ain't sure how Yo-Yo works as a Hunting Tool.



The Moai Statues of Rapa Nui: Just a sample of carving canoes evolved unto ritualistic carving of logs and stones as an artifacts. I mean if you live in an Island, there's gotta be lots of time to kill. Plenty of time waiting for the GODs in which they were from. Plenty of time for art. Plus art also keeps the mind occupied and strong.



Here is a sample of a Maori Tiki Jade. A Moko Facial Tattoo is also a form of carving but with ink. A Fish Hook Pendant made of Bone.


The images bellow illustrates the Austronesian People of Oceania:

MALAYAN

Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Borneo, Taiwan, and etc.
These groups migrated from Taiwan to Southeast Asia. Also known as the East Indies. The Westerners that discovered East Indies of Malay were Spanish, French, Dutch, and Americans. The Malaysians kept the name as their official country name. Malayans are the forefathers of the Austronesian Language and Culture.

MELANESIAN

Solomon, Papua New Guinea, Australia (aboriginal), Timor (alfredo reinado), Fiji, and etc.
The black people of Oceania. The Westerners that discovered the Melanesians were Portuguese, Dutch and British Missionaries. To me MICRONESIA is also part of the MELANESIAN, basically just smaller islands just above the MELANESIAN islands. It's cool how some people of the Solomon and Australia have natural blond hair. I think it has to do with the sun and the ocean. There are people in the Philippines who also has blond hair, mostly young kids that lives on the oceans.

POLYNESIAN

Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand (maori), Hawaii, Tahiti, and etc.
Polynesians has Portuguese and British blood lines, as well as American. They are more known as the standard Pacific Islanders. Since the rise of Colonialism, places like Guam (micronesia) and Hawaii, or even Tahiti has mixed blood with people from the Orient. Like Japan, Korea, and China. Specially Ilocanos of the Philippines. And made a unique language of it's own called Pidgin Language. Like a boomerang that flew from the east to west. Or something like that.

A well known Polynesian Actor other than Dwayne Johnson (the rock), is Cliff Curtis. Who appeared as supporting actor in Once Were Warriors, and an extra in some award winning film The Piano. Me and my Bro sometimes laugh about it because the dude can play any type of roles. He plays characters as an Arab and even a Cholo Mexican from the movie Training Day. And I don't think a lot of people seems to notice that. The dude came up though man.



I could be wrong though, but according to my research, Filipinos is a new nationality. Christianity is the official faith. Every Nations has a beginning. The first known Filipinos were Spaniards that was born in the Philippines. Eventually, most of these Filipinos blend in with the indigenous. Some Indigenous still practice Shamanism and into Mother Nature. Before the Spaniards, were the Malay People (austronesians) and then the Arabs, Indians, Japanese, Chinese (mostly merchants). Before that were the Aetas, the very first settlers of the islands, believed to be from Madagascar. An island just below Africa.



Aight, I just finished a track, just needed a little mastering and then I'll post it here. I sampled a little bit of Asha Puthli. I had to do this Blog about Polynesian Culture or else it will keep on knocking the sides of my head to come out.