Finally, an Update

It’s been a long time.

I only wish this was true. I clipped it out of the newspaper last week.

My life in the incinerator.

New Years

At the BeacHouse on the Coral Coast! I met people from Austria, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and the US. We had a group of about 20 people playing one game of Circle of Death. After I did an astonishing head stand (it was the rule when the last person drank) we all headed out to the beach for a huge bonfire to bring in the New Year. I hope to get pictures from a friend soon.

Gone Fishin

I returned back to the village on New Years Day. Soon after, the boys invited me to go spear fishing with them! It was an absolutely beautiful day for snorkeling.

During our first anchor I immediately stumbled upon a school of cuttlefish. I was mesmerized. As I floated above the tantalizing array of color they began to do a ceremonious dance. Sort of. The cuttlefish closer to the surface were the babies, apparently learning from the adults who were much larger and performing at the bottom of the school. As one adult would jot underneath a coral I could see its eye sockets change from a white to a neon green, over and over. Then, its body would do “the wave”, changing from a deep brown to a white with light spots. I spent almost the entire snorkel just watching their astonishing act. I can only assume the demonstration was to attract prey from their lair, just to be gobbled up in the cuttlefish’s clasping beak.

Here are a few shots from the day:




The Bus Tumble


The day I decide to go get the money from the bank in Tavua to purchase the supplies for footpaths, I am faced with a tough decision. Take the 12:30 bus and miss lunch with my fellow PCVs or take the 1:30 bus and risk missing the boat. I ended up rushing through lunch, running out the door at 12:35, and seeing the bus leaving the market. I run to a cab, hop in, and ask him to “get me on that bus”. Two dollars later I am riding the Sunbeam to Tavua. Upon arrival I hurry to the bank, grab the cash, and somehow make it back to the bus stand to catch the 12:00 Lautoka Sunbeam that leaves Tavua at 1:30. As we are riding down the road, several cars keep flashing their lights at us, most often in the states a sign of a policeman up ahead. This time it is different. The brand new Intercities bus (yes, that 1:30 bus I was supposed to take) has gotten into an accident and flipped onto its side. Two dead, several injured, and a waste of a brand new bus (supposedly the fastest in all of Fiji). Sorry, this isn’t very big news in the states, but the best I can do here in Fiji.

SPCA

I spoke with a woman from the SPCA back in August about spaying/neutering our dogs here in the village. At the time she said it would be free as long as we paid the transportation and accommodation/food for the volunteer. I received an email the other day saying that we would be receiving the services at a discounted rate, as in 30 FJD per dog. There is no way the village is going to go for this… but, here are a few dogs in the village that really deserve more TLC.







Baby Leone

Mother and Child.

The cutest baby around.

So fresh and so clean.

Footpath Supplies

Heading out to pick up the supplies.



The day after the bus crash, the village boys went to the nearest road to pick up the cement, rods, and tools to lay our new footpaths. We took 6 boats and about 20 men to do the labor. After the supplies arrived at the landing the men had to carry them up our mountainous village to a basement for storage.





Personal Note:

I am ready to head back to the States. We had no electricity this week, I got sun burned really, really bad (because I wore my swimsuit for the first time in almost two years), the sun is grueling and miserable, I miss ice cream (esp. Brusters), friends, family, hamburgers, chicken fried steak, cheese, cold liquid milk, brisket, roast, beef stew, chili, clean spaces, driving, speaking English, having more than one room, warm showers, dependable people, time (as in: something other than Fiji Time), feather pillows, Chick-fil-a, television, 4-wheelers, electricity, a cold Bud Light, football games, pizza, affection, OK, the list doesn’t end. I will get a short break in one month, when Megan comes and we go to THE OUTBACK!!

This is the family I had Christmas dinner with. My Bubu Ana, Bubu Vesi, and their grandson Adreu. This is right before he started Class 1 at the local primary school. He will be boarding Monday through Friday.

Where are that boys' pants? This is my little brother learning to be a goat sheppard.

Playin cards until the heat drifts off.

Yes, this is a pet pig, that runs wild in the village. My little sister, Ema, is enjoying a little tickle from this nasty animal.

This would be the boy who spilled the bubbles on my laptop. It is still acting up.



Playing cards in my house.