Post #694316 by No No on Sun, Sep 22, 2013 7:41 PM

Well, I am back again to hopefully add a little color to this part of the Tahara'a story.
croe67, you might appreciate this tale more than the others. Where you were on the trail to the black sand beach is just about where this story begins. It was in the spring of 1967 on a beautiful sunny day. The rough outline of the "Passage Way to Paradise" trail as we then called it, was slowly forging its way to the beach. Tex, the gruff, ram rod, project superintendent was concerned with the progress of the brush cutting crew as it related to the tight schedule we were on. He decided to leave the confines of the job shack and check out the progress for himself. When he came to the point on the trail, just about where you were, he was flabbergasted to see all 11 members of the crew sitting on the side of the trail singing songs. In a loud voice, with hands and arms gesturing,he expressed his displeasure with their progress. The interpreter tried his very best to convey the superintendent's concerns but to no avail. The crew foreman, however, got the message. Without hesitation, he climbed the nearest cocoanut tree barefoot, cut one and came back down to the ground. With one swipe of his machete, he clipped off the top. With the whitish milk splashing out, he handed it to Tex, sat down and resumed singing and playing his uke. In a fit of anger, Tex fired the entire crew on the spot. He told the interpreter to hire more men. What he did not know was the fact that this was the only brush cutting crew on the island. No one else would work in their place. After almost a month of attempted recruiting, which turned out to be an exercise in futility, Tex ate humble pie, apologized, gave them a raise and soon they were back on the job. MORAL: Tahitian Culture....learn it and engage your brain before your mouth. When a Tahitian offers you a drink, Tahitian style, graciously accept it and then talk calmly. It's a great trail!