Friday, August 28, 2009

The Burial of a Sacred Man

This blog is the debut of my new kitten, Mogli (you know, from the Jungle Book). He is calico, tiny, and so far a good cat. He cries just about every three hours for food, but follows me everywhere, so well worth the few extra cans of tuna and eggs! Since the first day, he comes when I call him.



August 23, 2009

My days are starting to slow down quite a bit. There are still those moments each day that take my breath away, usually a 2 year old playing with a machete, but still. Today I am heading to the mainland to a ceremony for the school’s netball and rugby team.

Well, I am back home and I must say, we went to cook lunch and dinner for the teams and there weren’t more than 10 kids there. I spent most of my day in the Headmasters house watching movies. No complaints, I had lots of bread, butter, and tea! There is also this mountain peak called “Koro Tiki” that I am determined to climb. It turns out a few of the volunteers climbed it last Saturday. My turn!

August 24, 2009

Today I woke up early and went hiking through the woods to find flat stones for my footpath. My feet are not like Fijians’ strong, trained soles and every little stone or peace of coral hurts… so my coral footpath was killing my feet and I would walk into the mud to avoid it. Now, I have footstones! Woo Wooo! I learned something about the kids though. I found the stones all by myself, hiked about half a mile up the hill to bring the stones to the footpath, then a boy decided to help me carry them around two houses to my house. I gave him a lollipop for helping out of the kindness of his heart. Then, the next day him and another boy bring me two more stones and drop them at my front door and just stand there like a lump on a log. I could not believe it, those smart little buggers. They expected lollipops. Of course I did not give them one because they were only helping me for their own rewards and expectations, but still, they made it so hard for me to say thank you and ignore their silent begging.

August 28, 2009

Sorry for the long delay in blogs. I have been extremely busy… something usually unknown for Peace Corps volunteers in Fiji. A lot has happened! All good. My aunt and uncle’s church has offered to support my village’s kindy and donate several items from America!!! I am so glad that the children will have a good inventory of supplies to begin learning from to start them off with a positive outlook on school and learning! Thank you so much for your generosity, concern, and time given to the children of Fiji. (I would like to announce the church, but I need to ask permission first)

Fiji is a third world country and school is sometimes put on the back burner… most often because of testing. There are tests throughout their school career that determine whether or not they can continue to the next grade. Hopefully the Fijian school system is changing, but as of now, children are forced to drop out of school for not passing the exams. Children are also not forced by parents to attend, oftentimes given the choice to go to school or not. Over time I hope to explain how important an education is and how it is the adult’s responsibility to make sure the child goes to school. The kindy will be fun and encouraging and I cannot wait to start it up in January. Our teacher, Sisi, is having a blast at attachment and even wants to attend another school’s kindy to learn other creative ideas for projects, songs, and lesson plans! Yay! An enthusiastic teacher!

Another note, last Wednesday (August 23) I had a company (CBS Power Solutions) come out and survey the village to give their advice and a quote on sustainable energy. Their opinion was that we should install two windmills on top of our grassy mountain (well, if you had to walk up it every day you would call it a mountain too)! Windmills provide energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, mainly because the wind never stops. So, my job is to walk to the top of the mountain to the proposed site three times a day for a month and measure the wind speed (well, estimate on a scale of 1-10). I get my exercise everyday no matter how much bread or how many fmf breakfast crackers I eat. I am planning on staking a tarp at the site so that I can have picnics or star gazing where our future windmills will loom. Soon I will have a price quote for that project and possibly get a grant written at the end of September!

Side note: After the survey, I rode the boat with them men to Lydia’s village to let them meet her and ask a few questions about her village. I Lydia got five times more questions in than they did. Her passion is alternative energy so she was enthused! I decided to stay with her while the boat went on to drop the men at the boat dock then come back and get me. Well, much to my surprise he did not show up until almost 6 hours later (it should have taken him 30 minutes). Because of the funeral, he needed to wait at the landing for guests coming to my village. So, at 8:30, in the dark and huge waves, a boat of 8 people and lots of stuff arrived at Lydia’s village to get me. Crazy! No worries though, I was warned that this is what happens in Fiji. At least I was at a volunteer’s house!!

After electricity comes Virgin Coconut Oil! Wooo whooo! I have such high hopes for this village! It will all happen! The crazy thing about the Virgin Coconut Oil is that there is a man who hires farmers to collect 500 dozen each week which he sells to an individual in Nausori. This individual is from America and is putting all of these coconuts into a storage building until he comes back to start up his virgin coconut oil business. We are going to sweep his business right out from under him because we have the coconuts and he specifically said he wants to get his coconuts from our area because the meat is so thick, which means more virgin coconut oil per nut. Exciting! We have all of the raw material, my job is to bring the machinery! No problemo. I am on top of it. A Peace Corps volunteer that works for IDHRP is planning to help us get going, from training to buying/donating the machinery. We will see how it all turns out!

Thursday was town. I received a package from mom that had everything I could possibly need! Nice sponges, new Victoria’s Secret underwear, dried fruit, a dvd rom to play movies on my computer, my North Face backpack, a veggie peeler, and a See You at the Pig t-shirt (for those of you not in the south, the shirt is from a grocery store called Piggly Wiggly). The kids will love it! Thank you so much mom! You save my life every time you send me something!

Tevutevu (Tay-voo tay-voo)

Today was the funeral of the head of my Mataqali (Family – consists of ancestors, daughters, sons, aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, the list goes on and on, but imagine 200 people that are related, the head is the eldest). He had been in the hospital in Suva for about a month so it was an expected death, but one whom everybody knew and loved, so a difficult loss. Funerals in Fiji proceed much the same as they do in America, except many things are donated to the deceased and the funeral. Four cows, 21 chickens, 7 pigs, too much taro root and cassava to describe and lots of other food were donated to the feast after the burial. In Fijian tradition, before a person dies, the family buys mattresses, pillows, blankets, mosquito nets, woven mats, dressers, bookshelves, etc. as a last gift to the one who is passing away. These gifts go to a granddaughter or grandson who married most recently. There were 52 pillows, 12 mosquito nets, 12 woven mats, a dresser, a set of mattresses, a bookshelf, and 12 blankets given to the grandson. I feel like this is a pretty neat tradition. It serves two purposes, a last gift for the dying as well as a gift to a newly united couple. Hmmm, well, I guess I will post some pictures now. Talk again soon.

If you wait long enough this video from the funeral ceremony will load.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The Winds and the Tides

August 11, 2009

It is Tuesday here in Fiji and today was quite a nice, relaxing day. I think most of my days these first few months are supposed to be like today, I have just been busy! This morning there was a Women’s Club meeting where we decided to have a fundraising event on Friday. The cost is 3 F$ per person and the Women’s Club will be providing tea, breads, pancakes, roti, etc. Half of the money will go to the Women’s Club and the other half will go towards the kindy! (Remember the exchange rate is 1 F$ = 0.50 USD, so really that is like $1.50 US, then split in half for each fund – not much to start a kindy – but all of their hard work does not pay a lot.)


The Women's Club during the soli accepting donations.

Yesterday (Monday), we sent Sisi to the Rakiraki Methodist School for her attachment (learning to be a kindy teacher). I have yet to talk to her to see how it is going, but I will be in town Thursday and I am going to try and stop by the Kindy to check out their supplies. I spent most of my Monday at the Navitilevu District School playing with the kids, cleaning the dorms, eating, sleeping, and speaking with the head master. He inspired me to put together a profile for my village for donors to get to know who they are donating too. I have also put together one for the school… so if anyone is interested in donating money, school supplies, playground equipment (in the form of cash most likely), computers, or sporting equipment, I am more than happy to forward the profile to you. My cousin and uncle will be getting one soon! I have amazing family!


My good friend and new Kindy teacher in my bure reading to the children!

Sunday I cooked French Toast for eight, went to church, rested, and had a kindy committee meeting.

Saturday I took my little brother Tui to the hospital because a fourth of one of his molars fell out and he has had a really bad toothache for going on two weeks now. I also shopped a lot and enjoyed holding a baby while the sun went down!

Friday I planted my garden! Well, I am trying a few things at least. I planted squash and zucchini, of which I do not see in the markets which makes me wonder if it will grow. The only other thing is tomatoes, because I was planting on the side of a mountain where the chickens love to peck and the water loves to erode away the seeds. We will take it day by day and see what happens. Oh, and poor Lisa. She is a Peace Corps Volunteer like me who came to visit me Friday night. Only problem, it was a two and a half hour hike, through the forest, in the pouring down rain, and in the dark. When she arrived she was soaked as well as her backpack. The only thing that stayed dry was the kava. Go figure. So we had a isevusevu (offering of the kava/yaqona) and then cooked spaghetti and toast (I think Megan is sending some garlic salt! It will come in handy in the future on bread and in the sauce). We stayed up pretty late telling stories, shouldn’t have, she was woken up at 6 am to start the hike back home. Lol! Short, exhausting trip! I am headed to her village tomorrow morning around 7 am and I hope I do not cross the same trouble she had.
My Na’s birthday is on August 17 (she will only be 30!) and I am hoping to take her out to lunch while in town on Thursday and possibly buy her a cake! I already bought her a new lantern as the one we currently use has started leaking after 3 years! She deserves the best! While in Suva towards the end of September I hope to get the family a new tea kettle as well. They make me just about every meal and I feel so in debt to them. Thanks Na and Ta!

I am also in debt to my village. They built my home, bathroom, footpath, and most recently Ta finished my kitchen. They filled my bure with dishes, cloth, ibes, rugs, handmade fans, handmade hat, handmade backpack, and a purse-like, handmade basket.



August 14, 2009

So, I went to town yesterday and somehow did not get this blog saved onto my flash drive, so I just posted those two pictures. Sorry there was no written update. It is above instead!

Oh my goodness, I finally got mail in my new mailbox yesterday! WOW! Kate and Megan, you are my heroes! Kate sent me two bags of silk dark chocolates, my favorite t-shirt that I will get soooo much use out of here, a keychain for my keys (with an LED flashlight!), a carabiner clip, aahhhh, and a pumous stone for my pour deteriorating soles! Hell yeah, thank you bestie! Megan sent some Jelly Belly’s!!! What a special treat! A letter and my favorite polar ice gum (of which I cannot buy here so that was amazing)! Thank you best friends for your sweeeeeet packages! I also received a letter from you, mom… a card from way back when that has been lost in the Fijian mail system. Thank you for the card and yummy smelling bookmark! My calendar bookmarks do not start until January 2010 so it is perfect until then! You are amazing!

On a different note, Wednesday morning I hiked up this huge mountain with one of the local school’s mom’s to visit the school and another volunteer, Lisa. I mean, I hiked STRAIGHT UP a rocky cliff… so tiring! Lisa and I stayed at the school all day sitting around eating… what a job huh. The eighth graders have been taking their eighth grade examinations (a big deal), so the mothers hike from all over to bring them buffet style meals. So sweet! Then, in the afternoon, we walked to her village and made Dhal soup. Who would have thought split peas and rice could be so good?? It’s like one of my new favorite dishes! Then, we sat up pretty late talking and playing with her new kitten (of which I am getting the brother next Thursday, YES)! In the morning she made Fijian porridge (oats, milk, and sugar) and her Na brought over Bubakau (just like sopapillas)! Oh, Lisa also made instant coffee with Milo… like a Fijian cafĂ© mocha. It was good, for Fiji. Then it was off to Rakiraki for the normal Thursday ritual of internet, shopping, and lunch with volunteers.

After town, Ta and I stopped by Navitilevu District School for a meeting and visiting… of course, more food was involved. I will never go hungry here. We left the school after dark in torrential winds. I gathered up the two small boys on the boat, told them “dabe i ra” and covered us in a blue tarp. As we rocked up and down through the massive waves the two boys nodded off to sleep. Soon, the pitter-patter of rain began to blanket our protection. The boat continued fighting the currents, very slowly making progress towards the village. Finally, we arrived, with Nei Levu standing on the beach in a billowy red dress holding a dim lantern, somewhat resembling a lighthouse.

Lol, how do you like my tangent of a story?!

So, the ride home was eventful. Well, my battery is dying, I will write again on Monday.


My Fijian family! (Viti Matavuvale) on Na's birthday, August 17

Monday, August 17 was my Na's birthday! I baked her a cake, frosting, fruit loops and all! I also bought her a new lantern as hers has been used for 3 years and was leaking kerosene. A few of the children in the village drew her pictures which I thought was especially sweet. We also baked cinnamon rolls from scratch that afternoon. Good times.

August 20, 2009

Well, I am in Rakiraki today for "Ra" Days as we local volunteers call it. Our only release from village life! Although, I really enjoy being in the village, getting a break once a week is nice too! I did not do a lot in the last few days. Na has been sick so I have been without guidance. I have almost finished Brisinger and I have actually started reading a marine conservation textbook that I brought from home. I think it is the only one like it as marine conservation is a new subject in the scientific world. I really enjoy reading books that I learn from. So if anyone knows of good biology books, or clouds and stars, or philosophy, or things of the sort... I am open to more knowledge. I also drew up a community map of my village: everyone's home with their name attached. It should help me learn all of these extremely repetitive names. I am also starting to go through the entire Fijian dictionary so that maybe, just maybe, I can learn to speak Fijian. All I am lacking is the vocabulary. Well, I am going to answer some emails now. I hope all is well in America and I will write anyone back that writes me :)

Much love from Fiji,
Me

Wednesday, August 12, 2009


My beautiful House!!!

The men in my village building me a kitchen!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

New Address and Update

August 3, 2009

I have been having a hard time finding places to charge my computer so that I can type a blog. So sorry the stories are so scattered! I finally got a P.O. Box!! My new address, which I promise works:

Jamie Reynolds
P.O. Box 338
Rakiraki, Fiji
Pacific Islands

Please feel free to send pictures and letters! Packages have proved to be expensive so padded envelopes or just letters are plenty! Thank you all so much for the care packages! I feel so loved!

So, today is Monday in Fiji and my village has three meetings today that I was/am required to be at! The first was the village meeting, which of course was all in Fijian and so I still do not know what came out of it. The next was the newly formed kindy committee, which we filled out the forms to get a registered kindergarten! BIG step! Although, now I am told that it takes 9 months for the school to be official... hopefully by May of 2010 we will have an opening ceremony. The village is definitely motivated! The next meeting, which is tonight, is the village development committee meeting. I am a member of this committee and we are planning on writing up a strategic plan tonight, laying out the next 4 or 5 years. Hopefully that goes well!

I am probably the luckiest volunteer out of the FRE-07s. I honestly feel at home here and everyone is so welcoming. I am given bananas or papaya daily by the Bubus (elders) and fed every meal by my Na. Such an easy life. Today, my Ta and some of the Bubus began building my kitchen. I am hoping to have it done by Thursday so that when I buy a gas cylinder I have somewhere to put it and my wrought iron stove! The Ministry of Fisheries also just came by the village and offered to take me on their dive tomorrow. If I didn’t have a committee meeting tonight I would have gone, but prior commitments always come first! It was soooo hard to turn down a free dive though. My Fijian is not coming along as I had hoped. My fault completely, I am not taking the time out of each day to study it. Soon, soon, I am running on Fijian time these days. Tomorrow I am going to Nei Sisi’s settlement to catch prawn and fish. She is an amazing woman (well 32, but we relate like best friends)! I cannot wait to get to know her better.

Well, it is dark and time for me to go eat, so I will write more before Thursday (town day).

August 5, 2009

So, now it is Wednesday and yesterday my new best friend (Sisi) and I went prawn fishing and snorkeling. She is 30 or so and yesterday was her first time to ever snorkel. What?? She lives on the coast in Fiji and has never snorkeled? Crazy huh!? Then she came and spent the night and Ta, Na, Sisi, and I watched Slumdog Millionaire on my tiny little screen! Lol, they still loved it! Oh, and I did not tell you all that I made my family French Toast Monday morning. They loved that too! French toast once a week now! Hell yeah! Today Sisi went home early to catch more prawn and make brooms to sell in the market tomorrow. So Na, Ta, Suli, and I went to the plantation. I studied and watched Suli while Na caught our lunch and Ta cut down lots of cassava so that he can plant yams. Craziness! Well, I have 20 minutes of power left on my computer so I better go! Hope to hear from you all soon!
Love you all bunches!