Culture:
The culture of the Maldives is an amalgamation of various cultures from neighboring regions. As the islands of the Maldives are within the trading route of the Indian Ocean, visitors from different regions influenced the overall Maldivian culture.
Unfortunately, since I was on a tourist island, I was unable to have a firsthand experience of local Maldivian culture. One of my many regrets is not having asked my parents if we could go to an island inhabited by locals and spend a day immersing in their culture. However, from my interactions with the people within the resort, I was able to learn a bit about Maldivian culture. I learned that Maldivian arts is melded from various different cultural influences from surrounding regions. I was introduced to the "dhoni", a sailboat unique to the Maldives, and was given the opportunity to ride one. The captain of the boat explained to me that the design of these boats was derived from that of the dhow, an Arabian sailing vessel. During one dinner, the musicians were playing a bodu-beru, a Maldivian drum made of bamboo wood and stingray hide. The sounds that the bodu-beru produces resemble those of African drumming. I was intrigued by how multifaceted Maldivian culture was. It took smaller pieces from other cultures, and, once all pieced together, created a new culture so characteristically "Maldivian".
Activities:
Although the majority of the trip was dedicated to swimming in the pool and playing on the beach, there were a few activities that I remember very clearly.
The first was dining at the underwater restaurant in the Conrad resort. The Ithaa Undersea restaurant is located 16 feet below sea level. Imagine being encased in a glass dome, seeing schools of fish swim around you, almost as though you were in a reverse snow-globe. Although I can't remember the food very clearly, the feeling of wonder and astonishment still stays with me to this day.
The next activity that I still remember clearly is a fishing trip organized by the resort. Not only was I able to see the sunset produce a fusion of pink and purple, but I also caught several red snappers and barracudas, even catching a barracuda more than half my size- not bad for a first try at fishing. Instead of using a typical fishing rod as a means of catching our fish, we used the Maldivian method of using a string with a hook attached to it. Since the Maldives has an abundance of seafood (fishing is the second largest industry in the Maldives) and a large portion of Maldivian men spend their days out fishing, it was a great experience to go through the fishing process that they go through on a daily basis. Fishing is both a job and a favorite past time deeply rooted in Maldivian culture. As former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom once said about fishing in the Maldives, "Fishing is the lifeblood of our nation, it is inborn. From the soil on which we live, to the sea around us, it remains an integral part of our existence. Fishing, and our country and its people, [are] one and shall remain inseparable forever." I felt as though I was experiencing just a small piece of Maldivian culture through fishing on the traditional dhoni boat, sharing a pastime much enjoyed by the locals.
Language:
The language spoken in the Maldives is known as "Maldivian", or "divehi". Out of all the countries I've visited and the languages that I've been exposed to, I would likely peg the Maldivian language to be one of the hardest to grasp.
Hello-Assalaamu alaikum
Please- Adhes kohfa.
Thank you- Shukuriyaa
Yes-Aan
No-Noon
Goodbye-vakivelan
