Down to Earth with Zac Efron (2020) s02e04 Episode Script

1
[somber music playing]
[Zac] The butterfly effect.
As the premise goes,
the delicate flapping
of just a single insect's wings
can cause a chain of events
eventually effecting an occurrence
on the other side of the Earth,
building up enough wind
to cause a tornado.
A bit of a stretch? Probably.
But instead of one butterfly,
imagine the effects
of a few billion butterflies.
And instead of butterflies,
imagine it was the effects
of over two billion people
driving up the CO2 levels
of the planet's atmosphere
over hundreds of years.
One of the more unknown casualties
of the rise in the Earth's temperature
is here,
in this little collection of islands
off the northeast coast
of the continent of Australia.
Sea levels have continued to increase
and flooding has gotten so bad
that entire islands have been covered.
While the residents of these islands
contribute almost nothing
to the increase in global CO2 levels,
they're some of the most vulnerable
to the effects.
We're lucky enough to be invited guests
to explore one of these small islands
and take in all that it has to offer,
from ancient culture to pristine beaches,
and some of the best fishing on Earth.
Get ready and fasten your seat belts.
The adventure
is about to begin.
[vibrant music playing]
[Zac] We're starting our morning
in the heart of Melbourne
to get our first taste
of the Torres Strait
right here on the mainland.
This is an Indigenous
owned and operated restaurant
called Mabu Mabu.
Head chef and owner Nornie Bero
was born and raised
in one of the small islands
near our next destination.
We're here to get a little perspective
from this islander
and learn how to bake her famous bread,
based on a family recipe
straight from the Torres Strait.
- Welcome.
- Thanks for having us.
- We'll be making some damper today.
- Cool. "Dampa."
This is the bread I grew up with.
We won't cook in an underground oven
'cause we have modern technology now.
- But we'll still cook it traditionally.
- Let's go.
All right. So, we're gonna get dirty.
We're gonna get some flour in our bowls.
So, we're going to make it
with roasted pumpkin as well.
- Pop it into your bowl.
- [Zac] Wow.
[Nornie] So just grab a handful.
- That's it. Get in there.
- [Darin] That feels pretty good.
- We're gonna squish in
- [Darin] Oh yeah.
[Nornie] the pumpkin into the flour.
What does "mabu mabu" mean?
"Mabu mabu" means "help yourself."
- Like "dig in."
- [Nornie] Yeah.
- Bon appétit.
- [Zac] Bon appétit.
Take your dough out just like this
onto your floured bit that's there.
I'm a big believer
in buying straight from the farmers.
- Yes.
- I cut out the middleman if I can.
The majority of my staff
are Indigenous as well,
'cause I remember when I got into
this industry, how hard it was for me.
- So this is really a passion project?
- [Nornie] Yeah.
I get to showcase
many other Indigenous businesses
as part of mine as well.
Yours is looking good.
Zac, you're pushing too hard.
Terrible? Oh, okay.
I always push too hard.
- [laughs]
- Only soft.
Because I'm an island girl,
so we use banana leaves.
Oh yeah!
We're gonna heat up our leaves.
We want to get the oils from it,
to get the flavors out.
[Zac] We're in a modern kitchen,
but we're emulating
the same methods used to make
damper bread for thousands of years.
You see when you put it on,
the oils come through already.
- Immediately. Look!
- That's where you can put yours.
[Zac] Instant color change.
The oil from the leaf is
an essential part of the process.
Wrapped around the dough when it bakes
[Nornie] We'll lay our leaf
shiny side down.
[Zac] the leaves give the bread's crust
a great flavor and consistency.
[Nornie] Put your bread in the middle.
Then we'll just wrap the sides
and just tuck it under
so it's a nice loaf.
- Cool. Is that right?
- [Nornie] Oh hey! Not bad.
[Zac] Traditionally, this bread would be
buried underground on a bed of hot coals,
but here we're using the oven.
It's still handcrafted,
just with a little modern hack.
Meanwhile, we'll learn about Nornie
growing up on the Torres Strait.
There's a group of islands.
They all have different dialects.
Mine is Meriam Mir.
- Meriam Mir.
- [Nornie] Meriam Mir.
- Good! Really good pronunciation.
- All right.
"Mabu mabu" is
the language of the Meriam people.
Cool.
Our main totem is a gecko,
which is called a wanpun,
or beizam as well, which is a shark.
[Zac] We've learned about totems before,
a spiritual connection to certain animals
and responsibility to watch over them.
That kind of approach to the ecosystem
is another example
of how beautiful their culture is.
- What do those signify?
- Well, wanpun is a sacred animal
'cause it tells you
if people are visiting.
So if you hear it,
it's either good news or bad news.
And sharks are just like
We don't eat them.
Like, I don't eat flake.
If you go to a fish and chip shop
and ask for fish and chips,
they always give you shark.
- Really?
- Yeah. Flake is a shark.
- Oh, I didn't know that.
- [Nornie] Yeah.
[Zac] True story. Studies have uncovered
that Australian fish and chips,
or flake fish, is usually shark and chips.
And because of labeling practices,
the species served
might even be endangered.
In this case,
it's probably best just to have the chips.
So, if you want to eat "not shark,"
then you've gotta ask for the other bits
of fish that they have on offer.
I'm so happy to know that.
- [Nornie chuckles]
- Yeah. No good.
Yeah. No go. I love sharks.
They're a part of our culture, and
all our food comes from the ocean.
You never overfish 'cause you'll
always go back and fish again.
So it's like a circle of life
living up there.
We're very multicultural,
so we really hate no one,
and we know how to live together
with everyone.
- We're going to the Torres Strait.
- Yeah.
I'm so excited to see it.
With a setup like that,
I'm even more excited to go.
[Dylan] Are your tattoos
all Indigenous spices and stuff?
Yes. So I've got a savory
and a sweet side.
[all laugh]
- I got a savory and sweet side.
- I'm not surprised. That's awesome.
You either talk to my sweet side
or my savory side.
I'm not getting any tattoos till I have
a clever explanation like that.
Yeah. So what is this made out of?
This one is made
with butter and golden syrup.
So, golden syrup
is like the Australian syrup.
It is like molasses.
- Okay.
- So, it's like pure sugar cane, basically.
- Do you have vegan butter too?
- [Nornie] Yes.
- Nice.
- Yeah.
- We only use vegan butter here.
- Oh, cool!
- We don't use any other kind of butter.
- I love that.
I actually only eat vegan butter,
even though I'm not vegan.
Right. Yeah.
'Cause I love meat. Sorry.
- And fish. [laughs]
- All good!
- Yeah.
- [laughs]
Island people can't be vegetarians.
I'm sorry.
- No worries.
- [Nornie laughs]
No, I'm kidding.
There are vegetarian Island people.
They just live down here.
[all laugh]
They left the island.
They left the
- Yeah.
- [Zac] Oh, my
- [Dylan] It's like the Darin roast.
- [all laugh]
- No need to apologize.
- [Nornie laughs]
But, yeah, we have
a very big vegan following, that follow us
'cause I do a lot of things with yam,
and colorful sort of vegetables.
Not to put a damper on the situation,
but should we check on the damper?
Yeah. No, I like that one.
- Beautiful.
- Oh.
Were you thinking about that
the entire time?
[Darin] Exactly! "When can I get that in?"
- [Zac] No.
- [Darin] "When can I use that line?"
[Zac] Seriously, though,
our damper bread is ready.
One thing I know about baking,
when you can smell it, it's done,
and it smells amazing.
So you can smell it already. Hmm.
The banana leaf.
Not bad for your first attempt.
You do have a nice crust on yours, buddy.
- Yeah.
- Look at that.
- Wow.
- Whoo-whoo-hoo! Not bad. Not bad.
I try.
[chuckles] That's your slice.
- This is not about diets.
- Good. Thank you for that permission.
Lather it in there.
- [Zac] That much? A little more?
- [Nornie] That's perfect.
Ready, set Now you have a taste.
This is absolutely mind-blowing.
Thank you.
The best thing about it is
you share with people, I always say.
- It's just too delicious
- There we go.
[Dylan] What do you say, Zac?
What do you say, Darin?
- Mabu mabu!
- Mabu mabu!
- [crew] Hey!
- Hey! Yeah, grab a piece.
- [Darin] So awesome. Yeah.
- Thank you so much.
Only problem is, if you eat damper
like this, you start looking like us.
[all laugh]
[Nornie] This has not happened on its own.
[Zac] With our stomachs and minds fueled,
we're ready to leave mainland Australia
for our main course of adventure,
the Torres Strait Islands.
And it's gonna require a few plane rides
to get there.
Now I don't mind flying,
I do it all the time,
but I kind of prefer bigger aircraft.
So as the planes decrease in size,
my anxiety increases exponentially.
At least we're not
on a tiny plane like that.
Oh, that's the next plane. Great.
Oh my God.
- There you go.
- Thanks, Mom.
Yep. Ready for takeoff.
I'm safe now.
[whirring]
[Zac] Ah, I wonder which one
of these is the menu.
I guess I'll just ask
the flight attendant.
I know. There is no flight attendant.
I'll break up some of this
pre-flight tension with a DC Comics joke.
I hear there's like a group of really,
really super strong warrior women
that live on this island.
- Oh yeah?
- And they never leave.
But it's really weird.
You can't see 'em with the naked eye.
You have There's a portal
Another dimension thing.
- They made a movie about it. Yeah.
- [Darin] They did?
Are they Wonder Women?
[laughs]
We won't be able
to use any of this footage. [laughs]
Oh man. Is anybody else nervous?
No!
[Zac laughs] Yeah!
- Oh yeah.
- Oh boy!
The wing's vibrating.
That one's not, that one is.
Oh boy.
Oh man.
[whirring]
[vibrant music playing]
Whoo!
- Look at that.
- Ohh!
Whoo!
[Zac] Not everything's
for the 'gram, Darin.
The Torres Strait Islands are a cluster
of about 250 tiny land masses
off the northern coast of Australia,
south of Papua New Guinea.
Of those 250, only about 18 islands
are actually inhabited.
We're visiting the community of Masig,
also known as Yorke Island.
It's tiny. Just a little
over half a square mile of land
sticking out of the crystal blue water
in the Torres Strait.
While only a few of the islands
have infrastructure for minimal tourism,
visiting Masig does require permission
from the local regional council,
which, of course, we have.
That is, if we actually make it there.
[Zac] Always, always a good sign
when the plane has one propeller.
'Cause if you need a backup,
there isn't one.
[Darin laughs]
[Zac] I'd prefer if there were
two propellers on this plane.
It's so great to see, like,
untouched, raw nature.
[Zac] Look at that little island.
Are you kidding?
What a blessing we get to go
to a place that doesn't take tourists,
and hopefully, of course, raise
the awareness of what's going on for them.
- [alarm blaring]
- [Zac] Ooh!
[Darin] But I feel honored
that we get to go, get a whole crew,
all these people get to come with us,
we get to share their story
- [Zac] Does Darin not hear that noise?
- [alarm blaring]
[Zac] I don't think that means
the fries are done.
[bleeps]! What was that?
A little warning?
[alarm blaring]
[Darin] That was an aggressive beep.
[Zac] Sounds like a bad beep.
[Darin] Is that our island we're going to?
- Dude. Oh my God.
- [Zac] Oh man.
Hey! Everyone's waving!
- [Dylan] Really?
- Yeah.
Oh, that's
- Oh my God.
- [Zac] Oh Lord.
- Oh! Whoo-hoo!
- [laughs]
Whoo-hoo!
Way to go, pilot!
- Yee-haw!
- [Zac] Whoo-hoo.
We made it! See, I told you
there was nothing to worry about.
The story of Masig is a complicated one,
as we are about to learn.
As the sea levels rise, small islands
like this could eventually erode away,
causing these people
to lose their homes and their culture.
The main industry is fishing,
and secondarily, government jobs
that prop up the local infrastructure
for the approximately 270 people
living here.
It's so small,
students must go to a different island
or the mainland for high school.
Most graduate and look
to live a life elsewhere.
As global climate change affects the land,
the locals look to the government
and the rest of the world to save them.
If the people are displaced,
so too is their heritage,
and a history of over six generations
could be just washed away into the sea.
Most of Masig lies
less than ten feet above sea level.
And as that level rises
little by little each year,
areas typically used
for catching food or for agriculture
are no longer accessible.
Surrounding communities
are already being submerged.
These people have done
very little, if nothing, to contribute
to global climate change,
yet they're getting hit hard
by the effects of it.
And they might be one
of the last generations to ever live here.
We arrive humbled by our invitation
and look forward
to taking in all that we can
from these wonderful people,
the Torres Strait Islanders.
The Masigal people welcome you
to our home island.
We're part of the Kulkulgal nation.
It's an honor to have you here today.
- Thank you for having us.
- Thank you.
Drink.
For having us.
Hey, guys. Welcome, I'm Fraser.
Zac, nice to meet you, bala.
[Zac] This is Fraser, our cultural liaison
and Masig Island host.
[kids cheering]
[Zac] The local kids
are certainly intrigued.
Praise the Lord.
Okay, welcome, guys.
Make yourself at home, guys.
So excited to spend time here.
I can feel the vibe just set in.
Just unplug and relax.
[Zac] This is great. I think almost
the whole island came to meet us.
Everybody's so cute.
Hungry and weary from our travels,
we sat down with some of the elders
and councilors for a group prayer
and a feast of pizza.
I've never felt more at home.
It's like a reunion with family
we've never met before.
Fraser pointed out
that most everybody knows each other,
and many are related.
It's a very small, tight-knit community,
and you can feel the bond they all share.
We all got to know one another,
laughing, talking,
and enjoying the meal
as the sun went down.
Rising sea levels aren't
just a threat here on Masig.
They're a global problem.
But what's causing sea levels
to rise in the first place?
- Howdy.
- Well, hello there.
My kind have been here a long time.
- Let me show you.
- Okay Wait.
Huh? Aw!
I hate flying.
As humans have become
more and more industrialized,
we've witnessed an alarming rise
in the levels of carbon dioxide.
The high concentration of greenhouse gases
traps heat in the atmosphere,
causing the average
global temperatures to also rise,
and in turn, heat and expand
the sea levels, but here's the kicker.
Fifty-five percent of the world's CO2
is produced by just four countries,
and some of those figures, well,
they're a little disproportionate
to their population percentages.
The problem is the effects
of those four countries
are felt all over the world
in the form of extreme weather,
threatened agriculture,
rising sea levels,
and a host of other concerns.
You dig what I'm throwing down?
Aw, man.
Remember, this didn't happen overnight,
so neither will the solution.
True, but it's never too late
to take action.
If we all reduce our carbon emissions
in every way possible,
and demand change from all
governing bodies around the world,
we could slow or even reverse
the effects of climate change.
- Hey, thanks for the lift.
- Take it easy, dude. And thank you.
Bird sounded so familiar. Hmm.
The next morning, we set out to experience
what here on Masig is both
the number one industry
and a great tourism activity: fishing.
But not just any fishing.
This is a very popular export here.
What we in the States call lobster
and around here are known as cray.
- Hello, balas!
- [Fraser] Hello, bala.
- [Zac] This is Uncle Ned, and his son Ned.
- [Darin] Hello, bala.
- Ready to go?
- [Zac] Think so.
[grunts]
- [Darin] Hey, bala.
- Hey, bala.
[Zac] Oh, and a random dog.
I don't think that's going to work.
Love for you to go with us,
pup, but we can't take you.
You're gonna have to go back!
What point do I jump in
and show off my lifeguard skills?
Seriously, we asked if we should help,
but everyone told us
that she was more than cool,
and in no trouble.
[Darin] There we go.
[Zac] And her name is Precious.
With Precious safe,
we're ready to shove off.
I love fishing, and I'm always excited
for a new experience.
The water is crystal blue and perfect.
The local fishing industry
has a very small footprint,
and the area isn't spoiled
from pollution or overfishing.
Not yet, anyway.
I don't have a care
in the world on the water
until I realized this is warm seawater.
As we learned from the ladle test,
if it tastes like salt
Tastes salty. There's gonna be sharks.
[laughing]
[Zac] there's sharks.
Have you seen a big one
around here lately?
[Ned] Only at the wharf there, yeah.
- How long ago?
- Three weeks ago, I think.
Jeez. I thought he was gonna say years.
- [Darin] Where there's water, there's
- [Dylan] Sharks.
- [Ned] Always sharks.
- Yeah.
All right. Well, I'm psyched.
Let's catch some cray.
[Ned] Yeah.
Quickly and efficiently.
[Zac] I'll try not to be worried
about sharks. It's just like flying.
The shark fear is mind over matter,
until I spot a dorsal fin.
Has it got a snorkel?
No snorkel, bala.
We're free divers. Big lungs.
[breathing quickly]
[inhales, exhales]
[coughing]
GoPro's rolling.
[Zac] Here we go!
Finding the cray isn't that easy.
They hide under anything they can,
and you really have to hunt for them.
It takes quite a bit of time and energy,
which explains why they're so expensive.
An average one from around here
can retail for about $80.
And they're big!
To be perfectly honest,
I'm not looking forward
to dragging one out
from under a rock if I find it.
But Ned is an old pro.
Thank God for him,
or else we might either drown or starve
trying to catch a cray.
[Dylan] Tough to get 'em, huh?
[Zac] This is tough.
Very tough.
I should take a break,
see how it's done from the boat for a bit.
[Fraser] Youse want to get back in?
Yeah, that sounds good.
We're just watching how they do it
so we know how to
- [Fraser] Yeah.
- Yeah.
Just trying to learn, observe.
- We're not tired or anything like that.
- [Fraser] You guys are full of energy.
I'm still I could go like for two
At least two, four hours
before I even start to get tired.
[Fraser] You guys are like fish.
Gotta take the scales off your back.
- Right.
- [all laugh]
[Zac] All right, all right.
Break's over, I guess. Back in we go.
[vibrant music playing]
[Zac] Ned spotted a few cray
hiding under this patch of coral.
Ready to put your gloves on, Zac?
[Zac] Damn! That sucker's big.
Zac, you got gloves?
Put your gloves on both hands.
That thing is big!
It's huge!
[Zac] It's big and it's heavy.
[Ned] What you got there, Zac?
[Zac] I've been given the task
of getting it to the boat.
It's like a giant facehugger from Alien,
and probably just as mean and dangerous
if it gets out of that net.
- Thank you, brother. Incredible.
- Hey, bala.
- Praise the Lord.
- A beautiful animal.
- Nice work, dude. So much fun.
- Well done.
Being out in the beautiful ocean,
hunting for cray with the locals,
catching a mammoth one.
This was an experience
I'll appreciate forever.
After fishing, we took a little break
to freshen up and recharge.
- How are you?
- Darin.
[Zac] Then Fraser met us
for a walking tour of the island.
[Fraser] I'll show youse around.
Show you our little town.
Sweet.
[Fraser] Right, this is Yorke Island,
Masig. That's the traditional name.
- Masig.
- [Fraser] Masig Island.
- You want to pronounce that, Zac?
- Masig Island?
Yeah, that's it, bro.
Masig, that's how you say it.
We're part of the central cluster
in the Torres Strait.
And we're part of the Kulkulgal nation.
And "kulka" means blood, you know?
We're all one blood.
This is our community and tribe.
We're really proud of it.
How many people are on this island?
Mate, we've got about 250 currently.
There has been a big decline
in the last 12 years.
A lot of people have moved away for work,
looking for opportunities down south.
[Zac] The island is tiny
and has no real infrastructure
to support any large-scale tourism.
But some small micro-businesses exist
to offer one-of-a-kind vacations
to very small groups.
Can it be expanded? And to what extent?
Perhaps there are untapped
yet sustainable economic opportunities.
Could they increase
the cultural aspect of their tourism,
like we saw in Cooya Beach?
- There you go. Dead center.
- Wow!
Coming from here and knowing
the challenges, what are the options?
How do we use tourism
and ecotourism, that space,
to really drive a message,
but sell a product?
We're not exploiting.
We're actually using it to tell a story
about the challenges we're facing,
but making a living out of it as well,
and giving opportunities
for younger generations to care
and actually live that way as well.
It's clearly one of the most
beautiful places I've ever been.
And it's funny. It's like
I think you even said earlier.
Australians don't even know
about Torres Strait or the history.
I'd say a good 90% don't really know
much about Torres Strait.
It's such an irony in the 21st century
because it's not just our story.
It's an Australian story.
If Australians are talking about climate
and how we can make a difference,
here's a starting point.
[Zac] The people here are
in a tough position.
How do you get everyone to understand
the plight of a small group of people
whose lives are so negatively affected
by the choices of the rest of the world?
This land mass barely shows up on a map.
Most will never actually set foot here,
and it will probably never be known
as a tourism hot spot,
yet their message deserves
to be put out into the world.
People are just living their lives,
but not understanding the consequences,
because it's not something
they can tangibly see.
If you're living in a big city,
you're not seeing erosion happening.
If you're right in the concrete jungle,
in the CBD,
or staying in some apartment,
which is nice and awesome.
They're all great. Nothing's wrong
with that. That's awesome.
But people need to understand the impacts
of certain choices they make
on places that are vulnerable.
Absolutely.
And it is really important
that people understand,
and we link
I think joining that part
and make it real in a very human way.
It just takes stories and puts it
in front of people so they understand,
"Well, this is my choice. That's how
it impacts people that I care for."
"But I don't know."
- Yeah.
- [Zac] You're in a unique position here.
This is relatively undiscovered.
People don't know about it yet.
It's absolutely beautiful.
This is a stunning island.
There's so much to offer.
On top of that, good intentions,
bringing them for the right reasons,
to explain environmental impact
and show them, boots on the ground,
"Here's what's happening to our island."
It's a really, really great idea.
Fraser takes us to the general store.
There are just two on the island.
If they don't sell it, you don't need it,
and you can't find it anywhere else.
My dinner will be our catch from earlier,
so Darin's on the hunt
for some fresh veggies.
We're grilling tonight, right?
Yep. We're cooking
on an open fire on the beach.
- Oh, cool.
- You wanna grab some stuff?
- Some veggies, huh, Darin?
- For sure.
Well, can't turn away some bananas.
[Zac] Everything is shipped here
once a week.
The stores are subsidized by a non-profit
designed to provide essential goods
to remote areas such as this.
Okay, Darin found
what he needs for tonight.
- [Darin] Credit card.
- [cashier] Thank you.
- [Fraser] Thanks. Eso.
- You're welcome. Eso.
[Zac] Of course, Mitch found a snack.
To share with the crew, of course.
- [Darin] Look, he's so happy right now.
- [Fraser] The gingerbread boy.
- Here's all the fisheries that we have.
- How many people fish on the island?
Mate, probably A lot of the boys do it.
You probably got, give or take, 20 boys.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
[Zac] This is amazing.
[Fraser] We can walk across that island.
- [Zac] You can walk across over there?
- [Fraser] Those ones.
[Zac] Regardless of what the island
will look like hundreds of years from now,
the people of Masig are looking
into sustainability solutions for today.
We need to leverage food security,
energy, health, connectivity
are critical things.
We need to have our own contingencies
up this part of the world.
If we don't ask those questions now,
we're setting ourselves
for a massive shock.
Everything's happening at the same time
to a very controlled population.
In the cities, everybody seems
to focus on one thing.
In the cities,
there's major pollution and energy issues.
But here we are,
and everything is kind of hitting at once.
- [Fraser] Hey, exactly, yeah.
- Yeah.
It's like the epitome
of all these other things,
scaled right down to its nucleus,
and you're seeing, real time,
how all these different things
are coming together at once.
Yeah.
[Zac] While the people of Masig Island
look for ways to expand their economy,
the potential of more sportfishing
and dining tourism
offers more opportunity,
as long as it's sustainable.
[dog barking]
- [Darin] Hi, bub.
- [Zac] Hey, look! Precious is back.
Uh-oh. We may have lost Darin permanently.
[dog barking]
[Zac] This place is paradise.
The water is inviting and crystal blue.
As a matter of fact,
it seems like the perfect time and place
for all of us to take a break.
[happy music playing]
[laughing]
That's some world-class,
Olympic-level doggy paddle going on.
As we enjoy the water,
I can't help but wonder
how many more generations
Masig Island will be above sea level.
Maybe the world can change.
Maybe it's not too late.
Because this little spot on Earth
is about as good as it gets.
[barking]
[vibrant music playing]
[Zac] The sun begins to set,
and our day is coming to an end.
It's time to celebrate with
our new friends, a feast on the beach.
The main course, the huge cray
we found earlier in the day.
It's customary for the boys
to carry on the traditional dance.
And it's important for each generation
to pass traditions like these to the next
so the culture can always survive.
Music, dancing, food.
I guess celebrations are
pretty much the same wherever you go.
Now, there's only one thing left to do
make sure all our lenses
are clean. Hey, Mitch!
Okay. Now, we can start the party.
Afternoon, Dad, Auntie.
This is my uncle. Uncle Mike.
Nice to meet you, Uncle Mike. I'm Zac.
- Pleasure. Nice to meet you.
- This is Darin.
Pleasure to meet you guys.
Thanks for having us tonight.
The boys are going to do a performance,
and Uncle Mike will explain
the significance of the dance.
It's a star dance,
and star in our culture,
because we seafaring people here,
we live off the sea,
and we use the star to navigate at night.
The star is really important to us.
- At one point, you were doing this dance.
- Yeah. Fraser was doing it too.
There's probably similar choreography?
[Fraser] Yeah,
these are the people that teach it.
All right, generation to generation.
- We're excited to hear. Thank you.
- [Fraser] Thank you.
[drums playing]
[singing in native language]
[Zac] As a culture tied
so directly to the sea,
they also have
a deep connection to the stars.
Watch the boys' hands,
and you'll see they hold
representations of the stars in the sky.
[singing continues]
[Zac] Their culture is preserved
through singing and dancing,
and passed from one generation to the next
as an oral history
of mythology and legends.
So cool.
[clapping, cheering]
[Zac] Good job, guys.
[Darin] Very good job.
[Zac] You're an all-star, buddy.
Nice to meet you. You guys are so good.
That was the show.
Now it's time for dinner.
This is Mikey, our chef for the evening,
cooking a cray over a fire
in pretty much the same way it's been done
on this island for thousands of years.
The amazing thing about how
they cook these cray and fish
is the lack of any real prep.
It's just pulled from the ocean
and cooked over an open fire,
about as natural as it gets.
I can't wait to taste it.
[Fraser speaking native language]
- Hey, Michael, how are you?
- How we doing?
- Mikey, Darin and Zac.
- Good to see you.
Some of that lovely cray
you guys caught. And the fish.
How good is that? How you gonna cook it?
Actually, we'll just drop it on the fire.
Put a rack for the animals.
Get the fish on the metal foil.
- [Fraser] That's the one you got first?
- [Zac] They look bigger now.
- I think he's got it.
- [Darin] Holy cow.
[Michael] Okay.
[Zac] Look at that.
[Fraser] They look beautiful.
- [Zac] They do look stunning.
- [Fraser] They probably retail $80.
[Zac] Wow! So this is a good feast.
- [Fraser] Yeah.
- [Michael] You guys wanna taste?
[Zac] We start with a little appetizer
also caught earlier today,
a local spinefoot,
which is a nice mild whitefish.
Oh, that's so fresh.
And it's fresh off the grill.
I've never had this fish. This is great.
Nice to know where it comes from too.
This is not commercial farming.
This is straight sustainable right there.
- Anybody else want to try some?
- Where's Mitch? Mitch will.
[Zac] Oh, you know they do.
Corey's closest.
I don't want to interrupt the flow
of the scene, so just a few more bites.
Oh man. Oh man, that's so good.
And now for the main course,
the spoils of our dive
this afternoon, the cray.
Oh-ho-ho-ho!
And it doesn't disappoint.
Remember, these are just lobsters.
I mean, not just lobsters,
but big, beautiful, tender lobsters.
Grilled crustacean,
the way nature intended.
Oh man.
Everyday food for us.
- Oh wow, buddy. That's incredible.
- [laughs]
Not trying to make you
jealous or anything.
No, that's Look at that thing.
Look how much is on there.
Yeah.
[Zac] It's a great texture
with a perfect amount of chew to it,
just enough brine
from the saltwater it lived in.
You can taste the freshness
of the clean ocean in every bite.
We can't leave Darin out.
[Darin] What do you think?
How those veggies looking?
[Zac] He's having traditional tubers,
a root veggie that's similar
to a yam or a potato.
[Darin] How about that?
[Zac] Plus other grilled vegetables
he picked up from the store earlier.
[Darin] Oh yeah, buddy.
[Fraser] They look nice.
[Darin] Oh, look at that.
[Zac] I always appreciate
Darin's dedication and enthusiasm
for the plant-based pleasures in life,
and I give him a lot of credit
for sticking to his convictions.
He almost never breaks his rule.
It's not a contest
who has the better plate.
Well, okay, it is, and I win.
This one definitely wins.
This was a perfect day.
We're so grateful
to have met everyone here
and appreciate their warm hospitality.
Mike, koeyma eso.
- Thank you.
- No worries, my brother. Yeah.
- Koeyma eso, brother.
- [Michael] You went diving so
I'm only here to cook it for you guys.
Hope you guys enjoyed it.
- [Zac] Thank you.
- No worries.
- Koeyma eso, brother. Thank you.
- Pleasure.
- Love you, brother. Koeyma eso.
- Love you guys, man. Enjoy.
[Zac] Getting to share a day
in the island life here on Masig
was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
[native music playing]
[Zac] Sometimes, people just want
to tell you their story,
and they aren't looking for you
to reply with an answer.
Just listen.
There's no easy answer here.
Maybe there isn't an answer at all.
As the Earth's temperature rises,
one day, this small island
might get swallowed up by the ocean,
and the people will be forced to relocate
and start a new life somewhere else.
Although their beaches
and homes might get washed away,
their stories, their music,
their dance, and their laughter,
those will hopefully continue to get
passed down to the next generations.
I never thought about it,
but just like we share the Earth,
we share the stars.
Maybe the next time
you look up at the night sky
and see the stars floating up in the air,
you'll be reminded of that connection
to all the people so far away from you,
wherever they are.