Written Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A whirlwind of events in a small town girl’s life

I was thinking about this saying today. I used to have a website out there somewhere and “A whirlwind of events in a small town girl’s life” was the title. I wonder if the site still exists??

So, I am sick again, this time with a cold. It is like 60°F here, which by my standard, is cold in Fiji! The weather goes from 95 to 60 in just one night. (I promise I get sick this way in America too, I am not blaming every sickness on the weather just yet!) Blaaahhh!

Everyone took two exams yesterday, a health exam and a security exam. Quite easy. We had our Language Proficiency exam last Thursday and I definitely passed! Thank goodness. I get to swear in tomorrow! Wooo whooo! At the US Ambassador’s house too! We will definitely feel extremely special! Thank you Peace Corps! Oh, let me go through the days that have passed since my last blog.

Thursday – Language Test
Friday – Scavenger Hunt in Suva and shopping at Cost-U-More
Saturday – Home Stay Family Celebration! It was held in my host village and each volunteer and their family came for entertainment, lunch, and recognition! My village put on an amazing show, especially the turaga (gentlemen) who catered the food! Thank you for staying up 36 hours or more to throw a great party!
Sunday – Ate Katalou (breakfast with cake), Vakasigalevu (lunch), and Vakayakavi (dinner) as a group (all volunteers in my host village) and went to church at 3:00 PM for a sad farewell. Why does everyone have to cry?
Monday – Center Day in Nausori – Long day with many breaks and cake.
Tuesday – Another Center Day with exams and cake.
Today – Went to Master Niu’s (my brother) primary school and learned a lot about how to teach a kindy.
Tomorrow – Suva! Swear-in and shopping! I have five HUGE pieces of luggage so far, let’s see how much more I can make myself drag up the coast of Fiji on a rugged road in an open window bus.

Now, for a list of things I never thought I would see this Princess and the Pea do:

- Be “ok” with bugs buzzing around me all of the time
- Be “ok” with ants in my tea
- Eat any random object from a tree that I saw a child eat first
- Carve my own coconut bilo for drinking yaqona
- Learn to basket weave
- Hike for 2 hours to get to a nice snorkeling spot
- Make homemade wild berry jam (no one seems to know what kind of berries they are!?)
- Drink hot tea with lots of milk and sugar, morning, noon, and night
- Read by lantern light because I have no electricity
- Take freezing cold bucket baths because there is no water pressure and the water is not heated
- Enjoy a relaxing day on a private beach, which my village owns!
- Make a broom from scratch using coconut leaves
- Every child I cross paths with is scared of me
- Drink a grounded up root that tastes like watered down dirt
- Search the world over for ground cinnamon and garlic salt
- Have a coconut scraping and squeezing contest
- Live on the rugged coast of Fiji

P.S. I have a few people that can vouch for me, I still will not sleep on a rock hard bed! I am actually on a hunt for a nice thick mattress for my new site!
There are all kinds of things that have happened to me in the past 2 months that I can’t think of right now. All I can tell you is that I have experienced soooo much within such a short period of time. I want to thank the US Government and Peace Corps for such a neat and engaging experience!

Written Wednesday, July 29, 2009

So, I am now in my permanent village that I will spend two years of my life helping my Fijian village sustain their environment, build footpaths, start a kindy within the village, make more money, manage their money, develop a health committee, deliver fresh water to the surrounding settlements, bring a playground to the school, build a bread oven, renovate the school’s dining hall, teach extra-curricular lessons at the school, find someone to donate at least two laptops (one for the school, one for my village), wow, I could go on and on. I am so happy that there are things for me to do!

Today there was in ibulubulu. When a relative, particularly a child, visits the village for the first time he/she is treated like royalty. A ceremony is thrown for the child and many, many mats, lots of kerosene, grog, a whales tooth, and more are given to the child in the form of an offering/sacrifice. Fijians are so generous and have held on to their traditions. I am amazed. So we threw a big party today and I just got home from a grog session and dancing! Lol, yes, I am a dancer here in Fiji!
Yesterday my family and I went to our coconut plantation and wisi sasa. (removed the stem from the coconut tree leaf). My Na and Ta’s main source of income is from the sasa broom which is made from the coconut tree, a recycled tire tube, and a stick. It is extremely hard work and very time consuming. They also make pennies on the dollar. I am hoping that Virgin Coconut Oil will take off in the village. The people here would really benefit from the profit there is to be had in the VCO business.
I also attended a Women’s Group meeting yesterday and became a member. A sewing machine had been donated from a donor in India and the women were so thankful they were crying just talking about it. Simple things are taken for granted in the U.S.
On Monday I spent all day at the school talking with teachers and Lydia, building a shed for the fundraising event on Friday, and attending a School Committee meeting. I am now a member of that as well! I am responsible for drawing up the plans and estimates to build a small playground, which will be named Jamie’s Park! The school we are building it at is the oldest school in Ra and was registered in 1935!
Sunday, church and rest.

Saturday, my family and I spent all day at a private beach. Na went fishing, Ta tried to spear fish, only catching a sting ray, and the kids and I played in the water and I snorkeled a bit. Most of the reef had been overfished and damaged with tourists’ boat anchors. I cannot wait to see the taboo reef beyond our bay. The picnic at the beach was a wonderful start to my weekend. Now if I could just get well.

Friday was moving day! July 24, 2009 I moved to my village and have been happy ever since! Lol, I really do like it here. And my bure (straw house as the three little pigs would call it) is adorable and perfect!