Got kava?

Forget Java – here in Fiji the locals prefer to drink Kava.
Made from the Kava root, the greyish, brown beverage is sipped by Fijians of all ages, genders and classes. Kava acts as a mild sedative and has a relaxing, calming effect.
I had my first encounter with famous island drink when my real estate agent, Basil, invited myself and my companion back to his house after a long day of apartment hunting. Upon arriving I take a seat on the couch but notice Basil and our driver sitting on the floor. They beckon me to join them on the floor. I reluctantly comply, but as my long legs cross over each other memories of elementry school come flooding back. Although crossing your legs may seem like a simple task, mine are extremely long and I may just be the least flexible man ever. I twist my legs together like an awkward pretzel and pray that kava has the sedentary effects I've heard about, because already I'm in a world of pain.
I look on as a Fijian wearing a skully mixes the Kava in a large wooden bowl. I'm relieved when the first glass is goes to my friend instead of me. He drains the cup and doesn’t seem to mind. But my relief soon fades when I realize that everyone is sharing the same cup – don’t they realize it’s flu season!
My turn.
The cup is passed to me, and I bring it to my lips. I down it in two gulps. The liquid has mild aftertaste and within seconds my lips and mouth are numb. After everyone in the circle receives a cup, we sit around listening to British hip-hop and talking. Soon another cup was passed my way – and I was pleased to see it this time. After a few more cups I’m feeling comfortably numb, as is everyone else in the circle. And I don’t even mind sitting cross-legged anymore.
After the bowl is drained of every last drop our driver takes us back to our hotel. Immediately upon exiting the car Hart looks at me with a smile and says, “More kava?”
“You read my mind,” I reply.
So we set out on a mission to quench our thirst for the Fijian speciality. When we can’t find a kava shop – which usually isn’t hard to do – we start to panic.
We could go to a bar and grab a beer, but our mouths are salivating at the thought of more kava.
We stop off in a bakery and ask for directions to the nearest shop.
“Kava?” asks the man behind the counter. “We'll make you some.”
Success.
After buying some brownies the man ushers us to the back of the store into a tiny kitchen where an older man and woman are already sipping on kava and listening to music.
“Sit, sit,” says the woman.
We sit down and are immediately handed a cup of kava, which we gratefully accept.
It tastes similar to the last batch except this time the kava isn’t mixed out of a traditional wooden bowl – it was prepared and served out of a plastic bucket. But we didn’t care because we found more kava.
After nearly an hour in the cramped, unbearably hot kitchen we decide to head back to our room. We ask for some kava for the road and our hosts graciously fill us two coffee cups full. Back at the hotel we sip on kava into the late night – and the best part: we awake in the morning without a crippling hangover.
And I make a decision about the first thing I will buy for my new apartment: a kava bowl.