Minority report

Here in Fiji, for the first time in my life, I’m the minority.
Fiji is made up of 58% Fijian natives, 38% Indo-Fijians (who the British brought to work as slaves in the 19th century), and 4% other ethnicities.
Now, after six months in Fiji, I’ve grown used to being a visible minority. Everywhere I go people seem to stare at me.
My editor’s wife, Lupe Wolfgramm, told me that Fijians like to stare and they don’t consider it rude.
When I walk down the street and a bus passes, it’s a given that every pair of eyes on that bus are fixated on me. In some cases, the stares will be so intent that mouths will be open, too.
Yes, Lupe was right. Fijians gaze, gape, gawk, watch, look intently, ogle, observe, eyeball, examine, view, survey and stare
And I can understand their interest. Fiji is one of the most geographically isolated countries in the world – it’s literally in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And while Fiji is a tourist destination, most visitors don’t venture off the coastal resorts.
Here in Suva, where there isn’t a beach for miles, there aren’t many tourists. The Suva smog and the street dogs don’t seem to attract many visitors.
So, needless to say, white people are a rarity.
When the locals see me, they’re probably just wondering where I’m from and what I’m doing in Fiji.
I know this because I, too, now stare at foreigners.
While riding the bus a few days ago, the bus passed a blond-haired girl jogging down the street. In unison, every passenger, myself included, starred at the jogger as the bus drove beside her, and then we all turned our heads to watch her as we drove away.
“Where’s she from, and what’s she doing in Fiji?” We all seemed to collectively contemplate.
I guess starring is contagious.
Soon I’ll go back to Canada, where I’ll blend in with the crowd. But being the minority has been a priceless experience. And I can’t help but think that if everyone, at some point in their lives, experienced being the minority, then the world would be a more tolerant place.