J. Maarten Troost's post-Prague travelogue, The Sex Lives of Cannibals, relates the experience of life on a Pacific atoll to those who have yet to quit their day jobs. One of my favorite little ditties comes when Troost explains the bubuti system, an social norm that keeps the island "egalitarian". Troost writes:
In the bubuti system, someone can walk up to you and say, "I bubuti you for your flip flops", and without a peep or complaint you are obliged to hand over your flip flops. The following day you can go up to the guy who is now wearing your flipflops and say, "I bubuti you for your fishing net", and suddenly you have a new fishing net.
A travel website describes bubuti as a verbal agreement or request that cannot be turned down. Apparently, bubuti can get you much more than mere flipflops, as it is used by childless couples to procure children. In one of the many paragraphs making fun of the international aid community, Troost notes that their plans to create farming co-ops on Kiribati completely ignored the existing cultural norms and incentives under the bubuti system. Why would anyone be eager to increase their own productivity if all that they earn or work for can be asked away?
For more on Troost and his isla not-so-bonita:
- An excerpt from Sex Lives of Cannibals
- Rolf Potts' interview with Troost
- Summary of the book from the folks at Random House
- A different excerpt courtesy of Fodor's
- The CIA's information about the atoll also known as Kiribati
- Jane Resture's Kiribati page, with photos and links galore
