O'Keefe had offered a much more efficient means of transport than the outrigger canoes that the people of Yap had used in their forays to procure the stone. O'Keefe's efficiency proved to be a double edged sword. For a time, stone money,which had been procured at the expense of much time and even loss of life, was suddenly drastically devalued. It was inevitable that the law of supply and demand would eventually kick in. Seeing as you will be staying awhile and wish not to be considered uncouth, it is time to be apprised of taboos that are part and parcel of the local culture.
Taboos
No whistling in public
Women should not expose the leg above the knee
Treat stone money with respect
Never step over a person’s outstretched leg
Do not step over another person’s belongings
Do not pat a child on the head
Avoid pointing at other persons
It is now time for you to learn some of the intimate details of life on the island, although you may never be in a position to participate. However, I will leave that up to your discretion. Let's start with love sticks, shall we? When a courting male wishes to let his intended know that he is interested, he carves a pattern on a love stick of mangrove wood. Love sticks are similar in size and shape to twisty knitting needles.
I caution you that the use of love sticks is tricky. You need to have some indication that your intended is interested in your advances. You need to be assured that she pays attention to the pattern that you have carved. Otherwise, how will she know who has come calling? Here is what to do. This will only work in situations where the girl's house is thatched.
The love-sick swain pushes the love stick through the thatch and entangles it in the girl's long hair. If everything goes to plan, she will be awoken by means of gentle tugging. She will feel the love stick to determine who happens to have come calling. If tempted, she will likely sneak out into the night for an assignation.
"It seems like a mating ritual with a potential for disaster," says Kate Galbraith. "Incidents such as poking the young woman in the eye or tangling the stick in her mother's hair instead, are likely scenarios, but perhaps there was more to it than is usually told" (Galbraith 276).
"Yap is world famous for it's large population of resident manta rays. On Yap a manta dive does not mean hoping for a manta encounter, We dive to see the mantas," says Bill Acker owner of Manta Ray Bay Hotel and Yap Divers.