POLYNESIAN CULTURE: PAREOS & TAT TOOS It's a Wrap!


Are you feeling the need to stroll along the beach and wiggle your toes in the sand yet? What would you wear for this kind of


decadence? A pareo, of


course! Invented in Tahiti, pareo is the native word meaning wraparound skirt. Tie it at the waist, knot it at the shoulder, or wrap it around a bathing suit to enjoy a casual poolside drink.


Originally crafted from tapa fi ber, today’s pareos come in cotton, rayon, and silk. Because of Tahiti’s infl uence on French culture, pareos now sensationalize beaches from St. Tropez to St. Bart’s. If you’re a novice at wrapping scarves, don’t worry. The Gauguin's cultural ambassadors, Les Gauguines, will help you fi nd a style that is right for you.


It runs in the family...


Mihimana Tetuaiterai is a native Tahitian who is part of the Paul Gauguin Cruises dive team and also a tattoo artist. Tattoos are


quite prevalent in French Polynesia and so important to its people that Mihimana got his fi rst tattoo when he was eight years old— at the same time as his two brothers. The tattoo artist? His father.


That is part of what makes the art of the Tahitian tattoo so special. It’s not just a marking on the skin. It is about family and history. When asked why tattoos are so important to Tahitians, Mihimana references his father.


“My father told me [a tattoo] is like your personality. It is like your name…this is your story.”


The tattoos that cover Mihimana’s body refl ect just that. Simply by asking him about his tattoos, one quickly learns that family and ancestry are extremely important to him, that the sea turtle holds great signifi cance to his family


(protection while fi shing in the ocean), and that he holds many interests (including dancing).


If you’re interested in getting your own


special Tahitian tattoo, which are nearly always done solely in black ink, start thinking about it before your vacation. “If you want a tattoo [in French Polynesia], you have to know what you want,” Mihimana says.


Mihimana's suggestion for deciding upon a tattoo: 1 Select a natural element, like fl owers or an animal, that is meaningful to you; 2 Choose a "who" that the tattoo will signify, such as a spouse, sibling, or parent. With these two aspects chosen, a tattoo artist can draw something specifi cally for you.


32 2017 Paul Gauguin Cruises | Polynesian Culture


This touch of chic says something about your attitude. Throw a tiare fl ower behind your ear, wrap a pareo around your waist, and get ready to celebrate island life, Tahitian style.


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