A Thousand and One Uses for Lavalavas

•A sheet for when you crash on your friend’s floor.  Keeps both the cold and the cockroaches at bay
•Stuff it in a pillowcase so you don’t have to pack a pillow when you crash on your friend’s floor
•A tablecloth.  Whip it off your body and it’ll brighten up any room
•Sew it up and it makes excellent drapes
•If someone happens to cut themselves, wrap it around them and you have an instant bandage!  Wrap it tighter and you have an instant tourniquet!
•If someone happens to have an item protruding from their skin, you can doughnut wrap the lavalava and it’s a great circular bandage
•At the beach, why pack an extra beach towel when you can simply take off your skirt and lay it down?
•In fact, why do you need an actual towel…ever?  Lavalavas may not be the most absorbent but darned if they don’t dry fast.
•Say you’re walking outside and BAM!  The sun starts burning you.  Why get out of it and into the shade when you can once again simply whip off your lavalava and drape it over your head.  Instant, portable, shade.
•Well someone has to say it: clothing
•Makes an excellent whip with which to whip your unsuspecting brother while he’s sleeping
•Stuff an end into the tea spout and drape the rest over the kettle and it’ll keep the tea hot for an eternity!
•Ladies, don’t feel like wearing a bra in the morning?  Simply pull your lavalava up and around your chest and voila!  No need to walk around in a bra.  (Sidenote: only ok for around your house)
•Tie a knot around your neck and you’ve got an excellent, child approved cape to zoom around the house after your brother

In closing folks, the Lavalava is an excellent new invention, introduced here only over 100 years ago by visiting (prude….cough….) missionaries who didn’t wish to see half naked natives. Buy yourself one today, and you’ll soon find it an integral part of your routine.  Enjoy!

***Side note:  We actually received emergency water safety training from some Australians who advocated the use of a lavalava as an emergency bandage/tourniquet.  It’s a really great idea as there’s always someone around with one and the fabric is such that it’ll staunch the blood nicely.  Its part of a program that they were doing across Samoa to train staff at resorts.

Madi and I hiding in the shade of our lavalavas

Brad with his wicked new Rock me Jesus lavalava!