SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, Jan. 5) – She welcomed me with a smiling warm face as I entered her stall at the Suva Handicraft Center in Suva, Fiji.
The walls of the cubicle were lined with her handiwork and each creation marked its maker’s fine skill.
On her lap lay a half-woven basket, which took its perfect shape as she worked effortlessly on it.
Filling the little stall were countless hats, baskets, tablemats and other traditional items on display.
My initial thought was that this 43-year-old Kiribati woman was born into a family blessed with the skill of crafting such fine handiwork.
But as always, assumption was the mother of stuff-ups as she explained the story behind her beautiful creations.
"When I was a student at the University of the South Pacific, I always had it in my mind that selling handicraft at the handicraft center was something I would never do," she said. "I always thought that this was for old people and the only time that...