Heaven Sent!

It is confirmed, the generous First Christian Church (Disciple of Christ) in Gainesville, Texas, USA has announced their commitment to helping out my village’s kindergarten! Led by the Minister and his wife, Rev. Mark and Sarah Loewen, the Outreach Committee along with the congregation are taking it upon themselves to gather supplies such as books, craft supplies, games, posters, writing utensils, etc. to donate. Thank you all for your generosity and loving hearts! The village is so thankful and excited to begin teaching their children with supplies from America! God bless you all!


Well, there were a few days of not a lot of action, but it has picked up again. I have caught up on my sleep and started The Lord of the Rings, Part One.

I received another package!! From Kate, my Bestie! Wooo wooo! She sent me dark chocolate Hershey kisses, a few kids’ toys, Swiss Miss, antibacterial hand soap, a foot scrubber, Starbursts!, UNO cards!, Kleenexes, and what am I missing? The Kleenexes came in handy immediately! While I was in town I went to a restaurant without toilet paper, oh, but I had my Bestie looking out for me!

Last Thursday after town I spent the night with Lydia in her village where we cooked chili and grilled cheese sandwiches! We are so Americanized! The following morning we trecked the 3 hours back towards my village, along the beautiful coast of Fiji of course. I stopped in a nearby settlement to visit the Kindy teacher whose birthday was on Thursday. She cooked me a delicious meal of fried fish with onions, a plantain dessert, boiled plantains, and kauii (tastes like a dry baked potato). Yum! Everything I have to say these days has to do with food, not good! As soon as I hiked through the coconut trees and forest back to my village I was bombarded with neighbors! I pulled out the UNO cards from my package from Kate and taught them all how to play. We were entertained for two hours! Thank you Kate! Perfect!

Saturday I walked around the peninsula and hung out at a white sand beach. It turns out a 15 year old boy had a baby horse a few months ago and for some reason it passed away recently, so it was buried on that beach. It was a beautiful pony, so sad. Na and I also baked some cinnamon swirl cake. Fijians do not attempt new foods very often and so I bring in all kinds of recipes with spices most have never heard of and show them how to make it. So far I have had a lot of fun with my experimentations. This day I also wrote Kate and Teresa, so you should both be getting a letter in the mail around September 18!

On Sunday I ended up sleeping a lot (very religious here and no one does anything on Sundays). I wrote Vodafone and Digicel a letter asking them to set up a booster tower near my village so that we will have cell service. Played UNO with my brothers and sisters and made an amazing video for you all to see... that definitely is not loading today!

Monday (today), village meeting, I discussed the Kindy and the electricity scenario with the village. We will have a fundraising event this Friday for the men to pay Provincial fees. The men are also collecting $5 each for the Kindergarten fund. Also, the women are having a fundraising event next Friday, $10 each, for the Kindergarten. The village is really putting a lot of effort into the new school. Everyone is extremely excited! Marau! (Happy)! Sisi, the Kindy teacher, went back to school today to teach the Kindergarten in town (attachment). She will return in two weeks totally prepared to take on our village Kindergarten! We just need to get her house ready with a toilet, shower, and kitchen! Isa! (Sad day)! Lots to do! After my nap, I headed up the river to the waterfalls. It is so breathtaking here, and to imagine walking 10 minutes and being engulfed in large hanging vines and pools of crystal clear water with water cascading all around you. Amazing! As I was walking back down the mountain I passed my cousin Buka. He was chasing down 5 cows telling them to go back to their pen. I had not crossed paths with the cow pen before and it really is picturesque: cows roaming around inside a garden with tall palm trees shadowing their steps. Like a farm in paradise. On our way home he told me about how his dad milks the cows and they have fresh milk every morning. What?? Crazy! I am going with him tomorrow to watch him milk the cow. Soon, I will be doing it too!
Oh, and I must brag a little about the amazing lemon tea (well, it is the leaves from some form of citrus up the hill) I drink everyday! Smells so incredible and tastes so refreshing! Also, mango season is coming and I had my first mango ever yesterday. I liked it, tasted a lot like a sour apple. Supposedly I can make really good jam out of mangoes. I am pretty excited, right now I am spending $6 a jar for jam and when I make it myself it is about 50 cents a jar! Much better!

Tomorrow I am planning on watching Tata Levu milk the cow, go to the primary school (3rd term, starts on a Tuesday) to drop my brothers and sisters off, come back and hike to the large waterfall to consider a mini hydro system for electricity, and get together with the Kindergarten committee to write a letter to customs so that we will not have to pay duty taxes on the donation. Let’s see how much of that I get done.

On Wednesday morning I will be hiking up and over the mountain to spend the night with Lisa, another Peace Corps Volunteer. It is about a two hour hike. No biggie. Then, on Thursday go to town and get a lot of things accomplished via internet and cell phone.

Oh, and this Sunday and Monday the Country Director is coming to our area for lunch at a nearby hotel. I cannot wait! Maybe they will have hamburgers! Although, I am probably setting myself up for disappointment. I may try and meet them for lunch both days and stay with another volunteer near to the hotel. Isn’t Peace Corps amazing! I would recommend this path to anyone who is eligible! Apply and see what happens!

I also wanted to share with everyone my favorite Fijian meal (I think it is Indian, but Fijians cook it too)

DHAL SOUP

2 cups dhal (split peas)
½ bulb of garlic
Salt and chilies to taste (I do not use)
10 curry leaves (I do not use)
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp whole cumin seeds (I do not use)
1 tsp black mustard seed
1 medium sliced onion
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ lemon (I do not use)
I use garlic salt at the end to taste

1. Rinse dhal under running water. Add to pot and add water until covered. Bring to a boil.
2. Mash garlic, chilies, salt, and curry leaves with mortar and pestle.
3. In a separate skillet, heat oil over a medium flame and add cumin and mustard seeds.
4. When seed are popping, add onions. When onions start to brown add garlic mixture.
5. Fry to 5 minutes or until everything has turned golden brown, then turn off flame.
6. When dhal are soft, turn off flame and add garlic/onion mixture, turmeric powder, lemon juice, and garlic salt.

Serve alone or with rice, bread, crackers, etc. Enjoy!
September 10, 2009

So Tuesday I watched Tata Levu milk the cow and I hiked to the waterfall. Extremely eventful day! The waterfall is breathtaking, although, I tried to boulder the rocks around it to get a good picture and of course I fell in. So, I ended up swimming a little bit, getting the picture taken and then getting out to look down into the water and yell, “SNAKE”! It turns out with was just an eel, but scary that I was swimming with it none the less. Then Buka decided to show me how to get water in the forest if there is no water around. I will try and load the video if it loads fast enough. So, then I started taking pictures of the bees drinking water along the pool’s edge and I look up to talk to Buka and the dang bee stings my foot. What in the hell? I didn’t do anything to him! I guess he did not want his picture taken. So, after falling in, seeing the eel, and getting stung it was time to head back down to the village. It is amazing that most of the village women have never seen the waterfall. It is literally less than half a mile up the mountain. I will show Na soon!

Yesterday (Wednesday), I made the 2 ½ hour hike to Lisa’s village and stayed the night with her. We cooked Dhal soup, walked to the store, and went to a women’s meeting, then got up at 5:30AM this morning to come to town by 8:00 AM. Early, early! Charging my computer in town now, so that I can watch Eragon this week! Yes!

One more thing, my cat has fleas, and I cannot thank you enough Aunt Lisa for sending the flea and tick powder! It has definitely been used in the past two weeks and my head would not be surviving without it! Thank you… and Mogli thanks you!