Card game harnesses Pacific knowledge to get people talking

A card game that uses the Pacific concept of Talanoa to facilitate meaningful in-person conversations is now available in selected Whitcoulls stores, and at a number of Pacific-owned retailers.

Lalaga was created in September 2023 by Torisse Laulu who is experienced in hosting Talanoa events.

She told Pacific Days’ Brian Sagala, she noticed social media created inauthentic connections in the digital space leading to rifts in real life.

“With rising social media usage, there's also so much false sense of connection, and disconnection in real life,” Laulu said.

“I wanted to find a way that we could kind of connect people and bring back the art of meaningful conversations, Talanoa outside of the social media world.”

The Lalaga card game. Photo/ Supplied

There are no winners and losers in Lalaga, the game consists of five levels that get progressively more personal and introspective.

Laulu based this on aspects of Talanoa, where difficult topics are approached first with small talk, ensuring everyone is comfortable before tackling heavier topics.

“It was really inspired by Talanoa. We have big issues we need to talk about, we don't really dive straight into it, we kind of ease our way through ... ensuring that everyone feels safe enough to be able to dig deep into those topics.

“That's kind of how the card game works, and it's up to you to pick whatever level you feel comfortable picking from, and then you just start having conversations with people.”

Torisse Laulu with her Lalaga card game at Whitcoulls. Photo/ Supplied

Lalaga features proverbs from around the Pacific, and some questions in the game are centred around the experiences of people of colour says Laulu.

“Level 2 is filled with Pasifika proverbs from around Melanesia, Polynesia, from everywhere in the Pacific …[and] it encourages people to use our Pacific wisdom.

“In level 3 we've got questions that are centred around people of colour’s experiences, it's more targeted to our people so that we can have those conversations that we normally don't have.”

Lalaga is available via online, at popular Pacific-owned retailers and selected Whitcoulls stores across New Zealand.

You can find the Lalaga card game at these locations:

• Twosevenfive barbershop, Shop 2/91 Mangere Road, Ōtāhuhu, Auckland 1062

• Twosevenfive clothing store, 41A Mangere Town Square, Māngere, Auckland 2022

• Poetik Big Village shop, 1852 Great North Road, Avondale, Auckland 1026

• Moana Fresh, 64 Rosebank Road, Avondale, Auckland 1026

• Four Shells Kava, 12/210 Victoria Street West, CBD, Auckland 1010

• Hine Raumati Whangārei, 72B Maunu Road, Avenues, Whangārei 0110

• Awhi Company Store, 159 17th Avenue, Tauranga 3112