A DiAmOnD in the Rough

Preparing to Leave the Village

2011-06-24T17:32:00.008-05:00

Iron Chef
Each year the new volunteers (still trainees) are given a recipe and money to buy the supplies. This year I was responsible for helping to make that happen! All of the trainees cooked up their dish and prepared roti (Indian tortillas). We had a contest for the best main, best side, and best presentation plus a prize for the best two roti. It was a hit. I think the best part was the non-formal talk we had on the “Realities of Living in Fiji”. All-in-all, a great day!

Traveling by Local Transport
The rickety, wooden bridges that we cross going from my town center to the capital along King's road. The view is spectacular, but the roads are atrocious.
I get around Fiji. I mean, I am pretty much a local. One of my favorite things to do is just ride. The buses here may drive like crazy, or stop a bagillion times in a 1 kilometer stretch, but they are care free, usually spacious, and breezy. No complaints here. Plus, I can snap random pictures out the open air windows. Below are a few shots of Western Viti Levu, Fiji.

World Renowned Beqa Adventures Shark Dive

I dove with BULL SHARKS!! Yes, that’s right. Huge, 18 foot, man-eating sharks and the crazy Fijians were willing to hand feed them like a baby cow. It was crazy! There were people-size fish, countless sharks, and spiraling schools all around. Just amazing! If you ever get the chance to SCUBA dive a “rare operations” such as with whale sharks, shark dives, manta rays, humpbacks, etc. I totally recommend the life enhancing experience for all! (Unless of course a shark makes you shat your pants. I do not think that would go over too well in a 7 mm wetsuit).

How many of those monsters are there?

Time is Coming to a Close
Last night (June 24th) was a big night for me... one hundred and fifty of my closest Fijian friends and family threw me a going away party. It is tradition in Fijian culture for a person leaving a village to present some kava root to the village. There is often a big dinner and party associated with this exchange as well. The ceremony is called an itatau. I was seated at the very top of the table, a few speeches were exchanged, kava root was presented on my behalf for the food and another for me leaving the village, then, we all stuffed ourselves on a magnificent feast! There was baked chicken, prawns in coconut milk, fried fish, boiled salmon cod, fried eggs, cassava, sweet potato, soup, and much, much more. I was so impressed with the village’s production and actually felt a little appreciation for all of my hard work over the last two years. What a nice thing for them to do for me as a going away present! Vinaka vakalevu na noqu koro mai Nakorotubu. Loloma vei kemuni kece!
Me, my counter part, the chief, and the eldest elder sitting at the head of the dinner table.
Ulamila and I in our matching fabric! My new sulu jaba is just perfect. I will be wearing it to a few Peace Corps events in America.

Surfing the Coral Coast
It turns out getting up on the board and riding a wave is easy... if your waves are little baby speed bumps. The hard part is fighting the current to get to the next ride.
Learning how to surf!

My Bubu Vesi just returning from his coconut plantation where he was preparing copra to sell.

The view along a 6 mile stretch between my village and Lydia's.

Lydia and I finally got around to meeting up at the local primary school to put the finishing touches on the world map.

Ili and my namesake: Alusio Jamie Vumainabuke! He is sooo precious!
She can sleep anywhere!!

Getting Close to the End

2011-06-09T05:30:00.015-05:00

A couple of young boys take their bamboo raft out for a quick jaunt around the bay at sunrise.

Alusio Jamie Vumainabuke

I have a namesake in Fiji!!! Please welcome Alusio Jamie Vumainabuke into this spectacular world! He is so precious. Born to my given namesake in Fiji, Ili, and my counterpart, Alusio, this perfect baby boy has been added to my family forever. Namesakes in Fiji are a treasured tradition and I am blessed to have been given a namesake in a family that means so much to me.

Isn't he precious!
AAHHHH!!
My Ulamila and my new namesake!

Kadavu

Paradise Island. I spent one week on the beautiful island of Galoa, a 5 minute boat ride from Vunisea airport in Kadavu. Wow, such pristine forests, beautiful reefs, and a view that you can’t take your eyes off of. The airport in Kadavu is set on an isthmus just wide enough to land a 12 seater plane. You land just inches after the land begins and take off mere feet from driving straight off into the deep blue. After arriving in the tiny, quaint airport I was greeted by my namesake’s family and brought to her childhood home.
The school childran at Namalata Primary on Kadavu.

We told stories and I visited her sister, brother, and little boy. Eventually I fell asleep only to be awoken at midnight to walk to the boat. We had to wait for high tide to be able to head to Galoa Island. As I stepped off the boat onto the school compound I was rushed to the teacher’s quarters, was given a whispered welcome, handed a pillow, and gave in to a good night’s sleep. The next morning as I was having tea, I spotted a couple of young Europeans across the field. I was out in the middle of no where! It turned out there were two Germans volunteering at the school. They were staying nearby so I immediately made friends! Later that afternoon we were planning excursions and meals together!
Naicucuqu Estate
By dusk I had met two Australians that had a spare bedroom and plenty of space for me to join them. I hiked the mile back to the school compound, packed up my stuff, and headed to Naicucuqu Estate... an absolutely breathtaking coconut plantation with a historic dive operation and backpackers retreat. It couldn’t have turned out any better. They had dive equipment, an air compressor, a new boat, plenty of fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruit in their immense gardens, and the hospitality everyone dreams they could acquire. They took me to a waterfall and on two dives! We discussed everything from a hydralic virgin coconut oil press that the husband had invented to philosophical ideas on mythology and religion. So enlightening! They had great taste in music, the wife is an amazing organic cook, and I thoroughly enjoyed my week long visit! I can’t believe how things always work out for me. I truly am blessed.
The hike to the waterfall.

The Provincial Administrator of Kadavu and I practically private hired this 20 seater plane.

Spa Day
Learning how a pedicure is done.

Applying the banana and honey homemade mask.
Now they are getting the hang of this.
I wanted to teach the women in my tikina (kinda like a county in America) about menopause, but in a fun, feminine way. So, I invented spa day! I prepared a virgin coconut oil sugar scrub, a banana and honey face mask, together with nail polish, pumice stones, brushes, cucumber slices, lotions, and a menopause pamphlet. About 45 women were in the village attending a fundraising event so I jumped on the opportunity to reach a lot of women at one time. It was a hit! They joked and laughed about the effects of menopause and loved having their feet scrubbed. The nail polish was probably their favorite part other than looking like one-eyed monsters with just one cucumber. Some didn’t listen to the directions and ate the cucumbers and others didn’t really want to touch their aunts or cousins feet, but all in all we had a great time and they now know what is happening at about age 50 when things start changing. (Side note: the period here is called “mate ni vula” - the death of the month! Lol.)

Learning about menopause... for the first time.

Bird Island

Eight Peace Corps volunteers came over to “Lydia and I’s side of the island” for one last trip to the famous Vatu-I-Ra Island (aka: Bird Island)! The weather was perfect, the company was witty, and the birds were a’squawkin. Good times!

Misc. Happenings
Selling sweet potatoes... one American dollar per kilo.
The view from the beach that I sit and wait for the tide so that the boat floats and we can head home. My village is around that point out there and down the coast several kilometers.

Lydia and I work on the world map!

Catching a ride on our school boat.

Sushi time!
Titilia's birthday party!

My beautiful view as I ride the bus to town.

The view from a Peace Corps volunteer's back deck. Wow! Overlooking Lautoka.

During Training of Trainers we were invited to our boss' house for the most amazing lasagna and buffet of meat!

The kindy kids study different types of homes.

The men start to build the virgin coconut oil factory house.

Coming to the End

2011-04-26T23:14:00.008-05:00

I am Leaving July 10th!My FRE-7 group who arrived in May 2009.

A lot has happened. I have a Close of Service date!! I leave my village July 4th and leave the country July 10th! Then it’s off to California to explore the West Coast and hang out with some friends, see family in Texas, and eventually make it to Alabama for Mom and Atlanta to plan my Sis' wedding! Whew, good thing I don't have to get a job immediately!

Dim Sum
The last time I was in Suva we had a big group get together for Dim Sum. It was the most amazing meal I have ever shared across a lazy Suzan. We ordered about 12 different dumplings/cakes/appetizers and got to try one of everything. It was soooo neat. Highly recommended.

ItatauIn Fiji there is a cultural ceremony anytime a guest or villager leaves a village called an itatau. All of the FRE-7 volunteers in Fiji went to an itatau with the Peace Corps staff to get a good feel of how our own itatau will be presented in our respective villages. Three of the Peace Corps volunteers came up with a song to acknowledge all of the hard work that went into their support for us over the past two years. Here are the lyrics:

The Office Song!
We arrived here one day at the end side of May
I think nearly 2 years now
And man it’s been fun, but hooray it’s nearly done
Before we go we want to give a few shout outs

Goodbye Suva Fiji
What would Peace Corps be without kemuni
Hard work with a smile keepin’ it Fiji style
Goodbye Suva Fiji

It sure wasn’t fun when you had the runs
Or that boil on your face
But when we had a fever we just call La and Fina
Felt better by the end of the day

You get a package from yo Momma, Lutu and Delana
will go pick it up for you
And if you need a ride, there is no better guy
They’ll do anything you need ‘em to do.

You do all the dishes, you fill all our wishes
Miri you keep the offices clean
You’re even sweeter than those tasty treats
That you help serve us at tea

Goodbye Suva Fiji
What would Peace Corps be without kemuni
Hard work with a smile keepin’ it Fiji style
Goodbye Suva Fiji

When you walk into Peace Corps, she opens the door
You see a smiling Sera
You report OCL; it’s a drag but oh well
at least you’re talking to Kelera

These guys are the reason, every cyclone season
We’ve got cash to make our escape
Jacob and Andrew, you always come through
Because of you we always get paid

If ever you were in danger, or had a scary neighbor
Or were involved in a barroom spat
There was no need to worry, he’d arrive in a hurry
Cause there no man tougher than Sat

Goodbye Suva Fiji
What would Peace Corps be without kemuni
Hard work with a smile keepin’ it Fiji style
Goodbye Suva Fiji

Remember when pigs used to run
All around happy and care free
But thanks to Lisa and JC you remembered how
To make a compost piggery

There’s too much oil in the curry and sugar in the coffee
And the kitchens are all unclean
Mita and Luse always save the day
And can give advice about those NCDs.

Sometimes we weren’t careful, or particularly thoughtful
And we caught ourselves a virus
I know it’s absurd, I never remember my password
And that’s why we keep Taufeeq at the office

Goodbye Suva Fiji
What would Peace Corps be without kemuni
Hard work with a smile keepin’ it Fiji style
Goodbye Suva Fiji

And who could be finer than those lovely Americans
Who help make things run smooth
Rose Sheila and Ruth, let me tell you the truth
If it weren’t for ya’ll we wouldn’t know what to do

We arrived on the plane, we didn’t know a thang
But you gave us some great advice
Felipe and Grace trained us to be great
It’s like we were born in this island paradise

Achaa, kei sa hey, ko lesu beak mai vei? (Hindi)
Man we sure are smart to speak
JT and Mahen, yeah we give you a 10
For the language lessons you prepare and teach

Goodbye Suva Fiji
What would Peace Corps be without kemuni
Hard work with a smile keepin’ it Fiji style
Goodbye Suva Fiji

It definitely doesn’t read as well as it sounds with the jingle and the “Wheelbarrow boys” singing.

Close of Service Conference
For our Close of Service Conference we went to a resort called The Pearl, the same one that Sis, Mom, and I stayed at when they visited. I hung out with the meke crew a bit and even won a drink from the bar for knowing how many islands there are in Fiji. They really shouldn’t let locals raise their hands! Anyways, somehow the performers got me out of my seat and onto the dance floor only to embarrass me with a silly dance!

Passover Sedar
We also got together for a Passover Sedar, which I didn’t know anything about and thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you Melissa and Jules for pulling it together and inviting everyone!

Slide ShowJules and Sean also put together a spectacular slide show and movie clips of volunteers dancing over the two years. No one in the room got through it without a few tears streaming down their face from laughter. The dancing included several clips of Lydia singing and dancing to a dog at the beach. HILARIOUS!

“The End” BashAfter our COS conference we headed to Nananu-I-Ra for a “close to the end” celebration. It was complete with birthday celebrations, a walk to the Labyrinth, lots of guitar playing, swimming with bioluminescence, and a huge bonfire. Quite an enjoyable time.

Back in the VillageOnce again, time for a break from school. The kindergarten had an end-of-term tea where I was the special guest.

Noqu Siga Ni Sucu ("My Day of Birth")

2011-04-08T22:01:00.010-05:00

My birthday was a hit. I had 5 celebrations! Count them… 5! One was a girls’ night at a local resort (including an earth oven feast, Fijian show, Easter egg hunting, and just plain fun with the girls),

That night they passed out in the grass, got rained on, and were forced to move onto the rock hard porch.

the second with a friend at the waterfalls near my village,

the third was a party my village threw for me,

the fourth at lunch with all the volunteers of Ra, and the fifth was a special gift from my namesake and her husband (my counterpart)… sharing a cake!!
Is she not the cutest thing. Lol. She got into the cake on the boat. Put a nice Ulamila handprint in the center.

Lewa and my Yaca (namesake) enjoying the birthday cake!

Way more than I expected or even deserve. I loved turning 26. One of my fears in life is growing old, but so far it has been a blessing. Being able to experience Fiji, continue to keep my friends back home, and make new connections daily has fueled me for two years now! Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way and supported me in my crazy two year endeavor. I love ya’ll!

Na Salasimede (Footpaths)
The men have been working hard on the footpaths.

The footpaths reach the community hall! We had a big celebration while Megan was in the village.

Misc.

My friend Filo and I.

Beautiful lemon pepper swordfish steaks that I totally cooked myself! Mmmmm!

Peace Corps came to prepare the village for my replacement volunteer.

A typical Fijian returning from a hard days' work.

This man was at the Peace Corps office. Can you believe it? An Alabama shirt with Bham, Gadsden, Auburn, and Pensacola. Craziness! Plus it was in orange and blue! WaR eAgLe!!!!

Finishing up OZ

2011-04-01T18:21:00.011-05:00

Oh Sydney.

Great city with adorable clothes, nice neighborhoods, young corporations, fresh, bright, and happenin’. Although, I felt like it was too big. A tiny bit like New York city. Melbourne was just my size.

Tranquil Darling Harbour

Our carriage at the Central Rail Station YHA.

We took a great free tour around Sydney with an entertaining young girl. Highly recommended. Did you know that Australians built a castle styled building on their coast so that Ireland would think they wanted peace and wouldn’t invade?! Also, Australia’s mint makes bills (as in paper money) for over 27 countries. It is plastic and therefore it is washable, bendable, and almost indestructible. Smart thinking. Also, the kangaroo and the emu are the two national symbols because they walk upright just like humans and so are viewed as domesticated animals.

Transportation was easy within Sydney as well. Not exactly cheap or even affordable, but easily accessible. Megan and I purchased some kangaroo steaks at the grocery store and I grilled them up. Mmmmmm, pretty tasty. A very sweet, tender, gamey meat. Highly recommended. I think it is even healthier than venison.

One package of Oreos: $4.94 Keep in mind, AUD is equal to USD

Can you see that price tag? 11.98 per kg for bananas... wow.

We had some orgasmic macaroons at Manly Pier.

Manly Beach

The icon of Australia: The Sydney Opera House

The immaculate bathrooms at the opera house.

I found my dream wedding ring at the Swarovski Crystal store. Well, maybe switch the crystals for diamonds...

We also went to a Broadway play “The Next Room: A Vibrator Play” and kinda snuck into an opera, “Carmen”. The opera house is such an iconic complex. We hit up Manly beach, which was just a short ferry ride away. Cute little area. And stayed in a railcar at the Central Station YHA. Overall, fun place, but not where I would want to settle.

Back in Fiji

The mud pools!

2011-03-26T03:42:00.035-05:00

Australia here we come!

On the plane! Free alcohol. Not a good idea. Lol. We have set off on our big koala adventure! I just happen to slip and speak Fijian to the flight attendant and all of a sudden an Indian man starts spilling out his love and admiration for me on the plane. He decides he wants to marry me, but he has this arranged marriage with another Indian woman that he has fallen in love with in 4 weeks. He says if he had only met me a few months sooner we would be getting married. Lol. Funny how different cultures think.

Anyways, Megan and I are really excited about our coming adventures in OZ! A couple of Irish friends of mine are meeting us at the airport and hooking us up with a place to stay for a few nights until our trip down the Great Ocean Road. We cannot wait for what lies ahead. I will post again soon! Much love!

Shop ‘til I Drop

Melbourne is the most spectacular city I have been in yet. So well laid out. Pleasant people. Everything has a SALE sign on it. Immaculate. Incredible public transport. Delicious Food. Fondue. Burgers. Festivals. BBQs. Sports. Beach. Did I mention shopping? Low unemployment rate. Minimum wage of about 15 AUD/USD. I think you may get where I am going with this. I want to LIVE here!

Being silly in Melbourne

Crates left after a busy day in the Queen Victoria Market. You should have seen the amount of fruit we bought for $1! Astounding market!
Flinders Street Station... a wonderful train depot

Megan and I stayed with two Irish friends of mine that I met at The BeacHouse in Fiji over New Years! They were the most astounding hosts anyone could ever ask for. And I mean that! They picked us up from the airport, gave us their bed, fed us every meal, and showed us around. We even had several good laughs with poor Liza being dragged around by an Australia bulldog she was dog sitting. They deserve so much happiness! Remarkable couple! Megan and I just hope to be able to repay them sometime in the future. Thank you Liza and Tommy.

Our graciously organized BBQ.
Melbourne lights.
A black swan on the river.

Delicious eggplant, olive, pesto, onion, and spinach pizza.
Beautiful Pancakes and Peaches

Our two days in Melbourne came to a quick end. For those of you who make it to Melbourne, I recommend you see Federation Square as well. We ran out of time.

We hired a car for Monday morning and started our trip down the Great Ocean Road towards Adelaide. The drive went smoothly with Megan behind the wheel (my stupid license didn’t show up in the mail in time).

Outback plants

Outback Fauna

Apollo Bay

We saw 21, yes, count them, 21, wild koalas hanging out in the blue gums on the Kennet River/Grey River Road. One juvenile was even within arm’s reach!

The pull over was literally a dirt road just off the main highway. Thank goodness I did research before starting our road trip! Other highlights include: watched surfers at the famous surfing coastline of Bells Beach,

leisurely strolled around Split Rock Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet,

ate a quite delicious burger with avocado and mushrooms in Lorne, saw an echidna crossing the street, spotted a kookaburra during our koala adventure, and caught the 12 Apostles at sunset! A perfect day! We were also told that a colony of penguins emerges from the sea just 25 minutes after sunset.

12 Apostles at Sunset

One lonely apostle.

Well, we waited a good 35 minutes in the 50 degree weather and never saw a speck of tuxedo… maybe we will spot them tomorrow returning to the deep at sunrise.

Along the path to the 12 Apostles lookout.

Stopping in Princetown to book a hostel proved to be a scene out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie, pushing us to continue on towards Port Campbell where we found a brand new VIP hostel with the most comfortable backpacker bunks ever! Highly recommended!

London Bridge

March 16, 2011

No penguins. Turns out in February and March they are molting and therefore do not venture into the ocean to feed until April when they have a waxy coating covering their feathers again (which is secreted by a glad at the base of their tail).

Sunrise

Mid-Day

We did go back to the 12 Apostles at sunrise and during daylight hours though. Splendid little stretch of beach!

While driving towards Portland we stopped at a fauna park where we spotted our first kangaroo. Although, because it was in a cage we were still not satisfied.

White kangaroo in the fauna park

Continuing on our way towards The Gramps (Grampians National Park) we found out the roads and trails have been closed off since January 2011 due to flooding. During our detour around the park to make it to our reservation in Halls Gap we were greeted by a herd (What do you call a pack of kangaroos?) of wild kangaroos feeding right off the side of the road. I felt like I was spotlighting deer in the back roads of Alabama. Oh the good ole days.

WILD kanagroo in The Gramps

Back to the kangaroos… so I pulled over, stealthily creeped up to a few of them and caught a few snapshots. They were cute, but didn’t come close to the adorable young koala from the day before.

From Portland, up to Halls Gap, through Ballarat, and on to the Melbourne airport, there wasn’t much to see.

Ballarat

Australia reminds me of the Texas Panhandle actually. Lots of wide open fields with cows, windmills, and small country towns.

We did see emus at Tower Hill, stopped at one aboriginal painting completed thousands of years ago, ate delicious brownie, boysenberry, and ferrero rocher cold slab ice cream in Ballarat, and got to drive almost 8 hours!

Aboriginal Painting... thousands of years old.

Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef

Cute town. Lots of spectacular deals. Cheap accommodation. A free-to-the-public, lifeguarded, saltwater lagoon/pool along the esplanade. Main attraction: The Great Barrier Reef. Megan and I hung out around town shopping in the handicraft markets, the night market, and the one-of-a-kind boutiques. On Friday we headed out on a really nice vessel called the “Silver Swift”. We came to the reef during a slow period so the 120 capacity boat was practically empty.

Megan
Me

I did 3 certification dives and Megan got to do 2 introductory dives. She pretty much went on the same dives as I did with no previous experience and LOVED it! During our trip below the surface we were faced with HUGE Napolean Wrasses (Maori Wrasse), a green sea turtle, white-tipped reef sharks, nudibranchs, coral gardens, bommies, gigantic sea cucumbers, and an array of fish. Because I have been living and diving in Fiji for the past two years I tried to keep low expectations of the Great Barrier Reef. Sadly, even not expecting much, I was quite disappointed. With a cyclone in early February and all the rain that they have been receiving the water was extremely murky. The dive captains said it had actually cleared up a lot in the past week. I would have hated to be here in February! The reef was also just basic. I think it is more of one of those “been there, done than” sort of things. I have definitely seen better coral and marine wildlife than I saw on the two reefs we visited, such as Vatu-i-Ra Passage in the Bligh Waters of Fiji and South Water Caye, Belize, plus much bigger animals in Hawaii.

Underwater

A large head of coral flipped during the cyclone in January. Tremendous damage all over the reef.

All kinda of large game fish were circling under the boat.

After getting out of the water the Napolean (Maori) Wrasse (endemic to Australian waters) hung out near the boat. He was HUGE. We were even able to pet it. Although, of course, it tried to bite me... what's new?!

Around Cairns

Megan plays the didgeridoo.

After exploring all of Cairns we headed down to Sydney. Our flight was smooth and included two ice creams! Exciting stuff! Upon arrival in Sydney we were told that the shuttle that was supposed to pick us up had quite running for the night and so we have to take the 15 AUD train ride instead. One hour later we arrive at Kings Cross with the street jumping. We are warned by an older Australian couple that we are not in a safe area and that we need to go straight to our hotel. It wasn’t THAT bad. So we arrive at our hostel, the guy checking us in decides to stop in the middle of check-in to go and put away some tables on the patio. Then there are no top sheets available. We get to our room and it is no 3 bed en suite with kitchenette, it is a 4 bed with a window. There will be a serious talk with the manager on Monday morning!

It is now Sunday morning, our flat mates decided to come in at 6 AM to wake us up for a chit-chat. It was actually a pretty interesting early morning talk. They are from Sweden, nice guys, living it up big in the same hostel for 4 months. Stupid! Anyways, we will be getting to know them more in the coming days.

Today, we are off to explore the sights of Sydney!

Australian Fruit Bowl

Signs of Australia

2011-03-20T16:30:00.008-05:00

My Creepy Crawly

OK, so there is this tarp above my bed to catch the dust from my grass hut. Well, the other night I am laying on my bed trying to fall into a restless sleep and I hear a LOUD “thunk”. I lay still for approximately 5 seconds before scrambling out of bed terrified of what was lurking above. I grab my flashlight, but the tarp is solid black and therefore reveals nothing of immediate interest. All I hear is a constant scuttling back and forth, back and forth. Finally, I decide it can’t be a rat, because it isn’t heavy enough, it can’t be a lizard, because it would have scurried off by now, so it must be a spider with an egg sack, and now the egg sack is stuck in the tarp, spreading little baby spiders all over my house. Yuck! I grab my can of aerosol Mortein and start spraying uncontrollably. Within seconds a nasty, intimidating centipede comes crawling across the makeshift rope connecting the tarp to my roof. I was horrified! I immediately grabbed my broom and started whacking at the poor thing. He’s dead! I succeeded in saving my life from the deadly creepy crawly. I am pretty sure they are poisonous you know.

Another Day in Paradise

On our way to our beach!

One of my favorite counterparts, lots of his family, and I, went on a picnic at our beloved beach, Conino! When we arrived the tide was coming in, perfect timing for a nice long snorkel. At first we snorkeled a fringing reef only accessible by boat. The coral was beautiful, but nothing compared to Vatu-i-Ra (Bird Island). I saw a swimming feather star for the first time. It was so angelic with its monotonous oscillating arms as it moved to the beat of “She wore a yellow polka-dot bikini”. Ok, not really, but it was a beautiful site. After that Sio drove us around the outer island and dropped two boys and me off on the barrier reef. I did a large, intertwining swim back to the picnic beach, totaling over 2.5 kms of snorkeling! Getting ready for our 2nd Annual 2.5 km Big Bay Swim across Na Viti Levu Bay at the end of this month.

After arriving back at the beach, one of the boys walked up with a young sea turtle. I made sure they had plans of releasing the turtle back into the water before I would even begin to amuse them with taking pictures. They agreed, we took pics, and I got to release it back into the wild! The rest of the day was uneventful, but an extremely enjoyable beach visit!

Visit to the Gold Mine

Kavaia
Inoke

The night before picking up Megan I went to visit a Fijian that is like my little brother. He went with mom, sis, and I to the bird island and we became immediate friends. Kavaia lives in a town attached to the only gold mine in Fiji. At night we walked to the mine to enjoy the place lit up at night. It works 24/7, pumping in mud, filtering, pumping mud out, melting the gold, etc. I don’t really know the whole process. The neighborhood was soooo nice! There were beautiful wooden houses with huge shutters that lifted up. They were mostly built on stilts and had well thought out landscapes. Lots of people walked around at night, but it didn’t feel threatening at all. I really enjoyed my stay!

Megan is here!

My best friend Megan, who is a returned Peace Corps volunteer from Peru, has finally arrived! She came in early on Thursday morning and we headed straight to Rakiraki for lunch with all of the volunteers. While on the bus a current Peace Corps Fiji volunteer boards and just happens to know Megan from two years before. They met at a family member/mutual friends’ house in Ohio. How crazy huh!?

Everything went smoothly for the day, we arrived in the village and she took the grand tour. She fell in love with my straw hut and really enjoyed the views from around the village. During her week visit we snorkeled twice, hung out at the beach in the crystal clear water during a lightening storm, went to my exhilarating waterfalls, gave leis to a few men (the flower necklaces were given to the leaders working on the footpaths and we were given huge, beautiful ones as well), enjoyed trying a few Fijian dishes, succeeded in catching prawns with traditional nets, and were serenaded by the kindergarten! All in all, an impressive visit!

Trying on the professional gear!
The kids are wearing my snorkel and mask while looking at my underwater pictures! So cute!

Dogo (meaning mangrove) helping with the laundry.

Traditional Funeral

2011-02-26T03:17:00.010-06:00

A Tribute to Our Jolly Ole Chief

Our chief passed away. Last Saturday. He was a happy fella. Turns out, the chief gets a very special funeral. Men could be seen (and heard) blowing into large trumpet shells, making sounds that resemble the bass keys of a church organ (Lydia decided it was the kazoos at the World Cup)… ALL NIGHT LONG. They made a continuous stream of humming from 4 PM the day before the funeral until the church service the morning of the burial. There were also tribal men (well, the youth boys of my village), in traditional grass skirts and war paint, guarding the chief’s house. We even had to have a chauffeur to get anywhere near the ceremonies. After a night of wailing snail shells we attended the burial on the beach. Our chiefly land is outside of the village towards one of our settlements.

The chief's house being guarded by men in traditional wear.
Salabogi blowing the trumpet shell around dusk.

After the casket arrived, the men wrapped woven mats round the box, strategically placed rope under the casket to lower it into the hole. A prayer was said, the people threw a little sand onto the casket and then men began shoveling. After a small stone barrier was built around the burial site a handmade paper cloth, called a tapa or masi, was placed over the natural tombstone followed by the family laying flowers atop. Very quickly it was all over and the people loaded back into the boats to head back to the village.

Carrying the casket to the boats.
Loading the boat.
Funeral at the beach.

Wrapping the casket in woven mats.

Blowing the snail shells during the burial.

Forming the barrier to fill in with sand.
Laying a masi cloth on top.

Exciting side note about funerals:

1. I get a HUGE chunk of roast. They killed four cows for the late chief! So Lydia and I ate four meals in a row with beef tips.
2. I am given a new woven mat, which is always a blessing because mine deteriorate within eight months.
3. The cultural experience is priceless. How many people can say they have gone to a chief’s funeral?
4. All my educated friends come into the village. The friends and family of the people that live in the village year round come back to mourn the death. So exciting catch up time!

Collecting Sasa

So, I don’t think many of you over there in America really understand what “work” is. Stomping around in foot deep mud through mosquito and spider infested forests to find freshly fallen coconut fronds should be an Olympic sport. Lydia was a trooper when she decided to help me get sasa (coconut leaves) from the forest, up my steep mountain, and into my village.

The following day I sunned the coconut leaves, during the funeral, and afterward Lydia and I placed the coconut leaves on the floor of my house in preparation for Megan! She arrives in 4 days! Oh my goodness, Australia here I come!

Oh Fiji:

Check out thjs poster another volunteer found lately… it is of “marine animals” and includes a tree frog, a tod (toad), a shark as a whale, a hippopotamus, a tadpole, and a boa constrictor among other things. Warning, this poster was produced in Fiji.

Boys making their rounds.

The star of the show.

Salasimede (Footpaths)

2011-02-15T20:57:00.010-06:00

Major Progress

My Peace Corps experience took a 180 turn this past Monday. At the community meeting we ushered in a new village development committee, which means, we voted for new people to run the projects in the village and every person on the committee is a great worker, with ideas, organization, and leadership skills. My projects just received a major boost! On Tuesday, February 8, 2011, the men started working on laying the footpaths! Within one day they had a 50 meter frame built, started filling it in with rocks, and had an assembly line for the reinforcement rods. Now this is what I am talking about! Everyone is so excited to see so much progress that they wanted to work every day this week to see how far they can get. Whew. Huge stress off my shoulders.
The first few hours of my village's new footpaths!
First day's progress.
Putting together the reinforcement one rod at a time.
Making the rods into Fijian style reinforcement.

Lysiosquillina maculata

The weirdest thing happened to me today. I was looking at the fish posters on my wall and telling myself that I should leave them behind for the village to enjoy. I know that I will never be decorating my future homes with posters. Then, the common banded mantis shrimp stares me in the face with its beady eyes that can see 100,000 colors (10 times that of the human eye). I realize I have never seen a mantis shrimp besides on tv and in my invertebrate biology textbook, but ever since learning about their marvelously sensitive eyesight I have been fascinated.

I carry on with my business, collecting my snorkel gear, hammock, and book for another Sunday Fun Day at the beach. (Sundays are religious here and no one does anything except attend church and sleep. Really, I am not supposed to do anything either.) I lock up my house, answer every inquisitive Fijian’s questions about where I am going, and head out into the intertidal zone as the tide slips out. As I round the cliffs dripping with runoff from the recent tor r entail downpours I am startled by a small, odd-shaped fish. As I peer closer I realize it is a mantis shrimp, none other than the common banded shrimp I was just studying in my bure. He continuously scuttles under different rocks as I try to get a better look. Finally, I corner the little bugger, reach down with an open palm behind him and two fingers just in front, and WHAM! He rears back his little club (technically a smasher) and smacks me in the finger. I start laughing, realizing that I forgot they could swing with a speed of 23 m/s, about the same speed as a .22 caliber bullet. Thank goodness he was a baby, only about 5 cm long, or else I could have been streaming blood.

When I stand back up to begin walking I reminisce about all the other times I made this simple mistake:

1. When I went to pet a lemon ray and got sliced between my fingers by his stinger,

2. The time I found a fireworm on a wreck dive and started to pick up the beautiful red flames, only to be rudely awakened by sharp pains in my fingers and red needles that refused to dislodge, and

3. All those times I thought it would be fun to play with a sea cucumber, until I was surrounded by its sticky intestines it had expelled to keep me away.

And another update on the footpaths…
Mixing the coral, sand, and cement.
Each step is done by hand.
Covering the footpaths in preparation for the oncoming rain.

One week down and 200 feet of concrete has been laid. Only problem, they tried to sneak in dead pieces of coral into the cement. I wanted to scream! Not only was it just collected from the beach that morning, but it is organic, and porous. We quickly put a stop to that. For some reason they thought it was OK to work without one of our two designated carpenters and so they continued to lay with a carpenter that I have never seen in my village. In other words, they asked someone from another village to come in and help us, who in turn gave the men crooked advice. Sometimes I do wonder about people’s intentions. Anyways, we made a compromise to crush the coral and wash it thoroughly before mixing it in with the sand, gravel, and cement. Hopefully this does not hinder the quality of the footpaths. I wish some of you could experience the conversations I have sometimes with Fijians. You would be appalled!
Tea time after a hard day's work. Man we have a lot of men in this village. EVERYONE has been contributing! Lunch and a tea are provided by the women every day of work.

Kindy studies the sea.

Just after a rain storm. This is where the boys place rugby at low tide.
My village.

My baby.

Tony driving his new bus.
Vina making Fijian pancakes.

The kids learn how to drive their new remote control Hummer.
Netani is so intrigued.
Two of the new children in the kindy this year. They have adjusted quite well!

Baby Leone is growing so fast.

John and Judy sharing pizza topping duties. Just another day in paradise.

Finally, an Update

2011-02-01T12:30:00.010-06:00

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.

2010-12-24T02:25:00.000-06:00

Christmas is Near

2010-12-17T14:29:00.010-06:00

Christmas in Fiji.

Since New Zealand I have had two visitors, helped conduct a community capacity building workshop in the village, completed quotations for the virgin coconut oil supplies, handed out condoms to complete strangers for World Aids Day, and got all Christmas cards in the mail. Been busy. And rainy.

Basket Weaving

So my Dad always said that I needed to take basket weaving classes (as a joke of course). Well, I feel like I have completed the schooling, but still have no clue how to do it. Here are a few women in the village showing off their skills.The women in the village have been working on fans for the donors to our footpaths. There will be thank you gifts sent out soon... Fiji time.

The talented women in my village with their handicrafts.

Baby Leone is born

One of my best friends’ wife just had her baby. He is the most beautiful newborn I have ever laid eyes on - literally. Absolutely precious. Here are a few pics of him and his father – Bogi (night).

Father and son, baby Leone.
Baby Leone's belly.

My Town

Every Thursday the volunteers in my area meet up in Rakiraki for lunch and socializing. This tradition has had a huge influence on my happiness at site. Without friends and the comforts of a town (such as ice cream) I would not have constant advice, people to speak English with, the exchange of books and ideas, plus fun weekends together.

The bus stand in Rakiraki.
Munching on a mango towards the end of the season.

Condoms Anyone?

.The volunteers preparing for World Aids Day.

So World Aids Day was December 1st, but the volunteers in Ra put together a tent and awareness on the 3rd to reach out to more people (on a Friday). The health volunteers where the stars of the show, but of course I had my influence through handing out condoms to lots of strangers.

Pinning an Aids ribbon onto a little shopper in the market.

Community Capacity Building

The government is here! They have come to start the process for our Virgin Coconut Oil business. They are impressed with the business plan, have set aside the funds to purchase the supplies, and are completing our quotations with plans to purchase next week! Currently there are two people in the village conducting a community capacity building workshop. Crazy thing, the man is from my host village near Nausori. Such a small country!

Working on Community Capacity Building.

The workshop has been more successful than expected. Most of the elders have been present everyday and they are learning community maps, assessing resources, how to brainstorm, dream, discover, plan, and act. We have covered questions ranging from the problem of child abuse and ways to solve it to when the first boat arrived in the village. The participants are learning so much about their history of achievements, traditions, enforcing laws, how to work together, recognize successes, appreciate potentials, visualize a positive future, clarify motives, and reach goals.

Showing their community map.

My Visitors

A friend from Germany recently visited my village and got a taste for the real Fijian culture.

Next, came Lauren - my best friend from Perth Amboy, NJ.

Lauren and I visited Udre Udre's tomb. Legend has it he ate 872 people. Although, locals claim 99.

Lauren and I visited our private beach and reefs.
Lauren with her mysterious blue glove... yes, it is a sea star she mistaked for a laytex glove.
A giant clam.

I feel really bad that there were two days of work mixed in with her stay, but eventually we made it to the coral reefs, the watering hole, and a Fijian feast. She learned how to handwash clothes and just be disappointed that it rained the following two days so nothing dried. Tough lesson.

Mixing the grog.
Lauren's first taste of yaqona.
Playing at the watering hole.

Soon we will be leaving the village to explore the capital city, visit the orchid garden, play in thermal pools, and do some Fijian handicraft shopping.

Getting outta here

After leaving the village we hit up Suva for lots of souvenir shopping and the museum. Eventually we hopped in a mini bus for Nadi and continued our shopping spree. The day she left we visited the Garden of the Sleeping Giant and the hot pools/mud pool.

The Sleeping Giant in the mountains. The giant is the reason for the so called Garden of the Sleeping Giant.

Tranquil lilly pond in the gardens.

My dragon orchid.
Beautiful.
Planting and prunning the orchids.

The mud was towards the bottom of this small pool.
Robots of mud.

It was so much fun! I never knew getting dirty could be enjoyable. I am not sure it really helped our skin, but it definitely helped our spirits!

Airport
Lauren and Natalie Luisa just happen to be on the same flight back to the states, so I was there to with them both happy times back in America.

The crew wishing Luisa farewell.
Luisa and Taitusi's last few moments.
Me seeing Lauren off at the airport.

Funeral traditions

A funeral means the youth must kill a cow and get it to the village holding the ceremony.

After I returned to the village several of the young girls came over to play cards and show me some mekes (Fijian dances). I felt like an honored guest in my own house! They are so adorable.

The girls being sweet to my Mogli.

The sad puppies in the village are born only to suffer a long, excrutiating death. I am working on getting SPCA out here to spay and neuter.

Nana Bulou and her daughter, Vina, playing a numbers game late into the night.

Nothing to do.

2010-12-06T01:37:00.004-06:00

A few more pics...
On the ride from Queenstown to Christchurch.

More emerald lakes.

And back in Fiji:
Playing flip cup during Beer Olympics the night before Thanksgiving.
Everyone eating our Thanksgiving feast.

Travels through Kiwi Land

2010-11-25T13:57:00.024-06:00

I am in New Zealand!

Oh my, this place is AMAZING! I am in love with Kiwi Land. I arrived on Wednesday and immediately headed out to downtown Auckland to check out the big city. New Zealand is immaculate! No trash in the streets, no cobwebs growing in the corners, and recycle bins all over.

The current style of clothes is adorable! In Auckland I did a lot of window shopping. I want to wear that cute stuff… can’t in Fiji though. So, my new plan is to go on a shopping spree in Australia when I get done! Doesn’t that sound like a little slice of heaven!
A unique symbol of Auckland, The Sky Tower
The beautiful train station in Britomart.

Two nights in Auckland, then on Friday I headed down to Taupo because I wanted to do the Tongariro Crossing. By the time I arrived at my hostel’s front desk they said the reservation office was closed and I would just have to come down in the morning, by 5:40 am, and see if they would let me get on. So, on Friday morning, I got up at the crack of dawn and waited for the bus. It pulls up, they tell everyone to get on, so I just follow the crowd. It worked out just fine, they didn’t even care that I didn’t have a reservation as there was plenty of room.

The person who sat next to me turned out to be a really cool Israeli girl who was heading back home the next day. We hiked the challenging Tongariro together (and even did dinner and the bar together). THE TONGARIRO IS BAD A$$. The return bus will cost you NZ$55, but the experience was priceless. The weather in the National Park is extremely changeable and you can experience very different weather to what has been forecasted, this weather can often be extreme and dangerous. The winds can be so great sometimes when people reach the peak they have been blown off the mountain. Our weather was perfect! There was a lot of fog, but we were patient and eventually the fog moved on and would leave us a 10 second window to snap a picture of the emerald lakes against the red crater.

The Tongariro Crossing
The trail around the hills.

Alpine shrub with Lake Taupo in the background.

So much natural beauty!

Amazing emerald lakes. I think they were so blue because of how cold they were.

The red crater.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing allowed me the opportunity to experience some of the most scenic and active volcanic areas of the National Park. The track winds up the Mangatepopo Valley to the saddle between Tongariro and Ngauruhoe. It climbs to Red Crater (1886 m), then drops down to the vivid Emerald Lakes. After passing Blue Lake, the track descends around the northern slope of Tongariro, then descends further in a zig-zag to the Ketetahi Hut. From the hut, the track continues down the mountain through tussock plains, then into the native forest to the end of the track. A full 8 hours of walking. Absolutely amazing.

One of the rest points along the Tongariro. It reminded me of the sign at the top of Mt. Victoria in Fiji.
Growth in an apline shrub forest.

The vegetation of an alpine region.

The next day I headed on to Wellington!

As I was riding the bus a young girl from England sat beside me. As we came into the capital we began talking about where we were headed. We ended up becoming good friends, exploring Wellington together, sharing MEXICAN food (fajitas, oh, I have missed you!) and my favorite New Zealand ice cream. We toured the jaw-dropping museum of Te Papa – Our Place.

The trolley ride that takes you to a scenic overlook of Wellington.
The Beehive Parliament Building in Windy Welly.

New Zealand is on top of modern architecture and art! The streets are lined with sculptures, even the library is supported by palm trees. There are many museums, galleries, artistic shops and art auctions. Just beautiful!

Must talk about the food too! Mmmm Mmmmmm. They have the best bakeries I have ever seen. There is no Texas BBQ here, such a bummer, but they make up for it with lots of cheese, fruit, and yogurt. Slight disappointment, it’s not berry season. Strawberries just came in, but my grapes came from the USA and blueberries, raspberries, etc. are really expensive. It’s all good though, I have never seen such beautiful grocery stores. Instead of those serve yourself candy dispensers, they have serve yourself nuts and dried fruit. I had to make myself walk right passed. Same with the chocolate isle. Unless America has changed a lot, I would have to say New Zealand is ahead – in the cleanliness, environmentally friendly, healthy options, and food in restaurants. I am really impressed!

Interislander Ferry to Picton

Onlookers while riding the Interislander Ferry to the south island.

Picton

Anyways, so Olivia and I decided to travel on together across the Cook Strait on the Interislander Ferry and then on to Kaikoura to view seals and sea lions.

Bus ride to Kaikoura.

Orchards galore.

Kaikoura

A lot of the beaches in New Zealand are just pebbles.

Oh my. Picture perfect Kaikoura stole my heart away. Beautiful beaches with snow-capped mountains as the backdrop. A short walk along the peninsula and you can see sea lions and seals in their natural habitat. They would waddle onto the rocks, swim in angelic maneuvers, and bark at oncoming visitors. When I was working at Sea World a few years ago I never imagined getting the opportunity to see sea lions face-to-face in the wild. Such a treat! I was going to do a whale watching tour since there are blue whales, sperm whales, killer whales, dolphins, seals, penguins, and albatross, but I ran out of time.

Soooo cute! First seal encounter in the wild!
The girls: two Americans, one English.
Taking flight.

A seal that needs some sleep.

The first night we stayed at the Lazy Shag. We met an American named Alli who turned out to be really cool. She was down to Earth, helpful, and always looking at the bright side. Enlightening! So, we all had the same idea of switching backpackers on the second night so that we would have free bike rental. We changed the next morning and immediately set out towards the seal colony. It was excilerating to ride through the cute coastal town with crisp wind running over my body. Once we reached the coastal section we were in Heaven. Absolutely breathtaking. Scary, barking sea lions within 2 feet, seaweed coming in and out with the tide, cliffs against the cold, blue water, and snow-capped peaks in the background. I would highly recommend Kaikoura to anyone traveling the south island.

Kaikoura. My favorite beach town included a scenic walk/bike ride to seal colonies!

Famous Crayfish Patties at: the Original World Famous Kaikoura Seafood BBQ.

My enjoyable time ended too soon and I hopped on a bus to Queenstown. The really neat thing about Queenstown was the hostel I stayed at. While on the bus I met a really cool guy from the Netherlands who was going to the same backpackers, so we walked together. Paul was a really cool guy with great jokes! We got along great trying to read my Lonely Planet map and asking locals who had no idea where the jail or train station were (what is that all about?). We finally arrived and it was an old jail transformed into a backpackers. Fascinating idea! It was the cutest jail I have ever slept in (lol, the only one for that matter). It included “stripes” for mug shots, a few showcases of actual items used in the jail such as journals, Bibles, flood lights, and padlocks, a jail cell set up as it used to be, and a view of the solitary confinement cell. So cool!
The Jailhouse in Christchurch. Decommissioned in 1999.

I headed out of jail early in the morning to catch the TranzAlpine train to Greymouth. The views were stunning. I think this was the first time I have ever ridden a passenger train over a long distance. I really enjoyed it! I arrived thirty minutes before my bus departed for the Franz Josef glacier.
The TranzAlpine through Arthur's Pass

Trains and cars must share this bridge.

Bus stop in Hokitika. I saw my first live kiwi here! It was in a nature center though.
The small beach town of Hokitika. Capital of greenstone manufacturing.

Pounamu, a form of green nephrite jade found in the South Island of New Zealand.

Franz Josef Village. Hmmm. Cute place. I hope you have money though. Every tourist adventure in these parts costs a lot. Anything from sky diving, helicopter rides, glacier climbing, and guided tours. I was going to stay a day and to the glacier climbing, but, of course, running out of time. You need at least two months in this country! So, I started walking to the glacier. It was about 2 hours before sunset and the walk was 4 hours return. Well, thank goodness people have big hearts and are willing to pick me up. I had this amazing family from Malaysia offer me a ride after about 2 km. We took the trail to the glacier, snapped some pictures, and they brought me back to the Rainforest Retreat. It worked out so perfectly. Their children are adorable and they were an extremely intelligent couple. I have met some really awesome people on this trip.

So Franz Josef is one of three glaciers in New Zealand. It is advancing about 1-5m per day and is the only glacier in the world at this latitude to come so close to the ocean. I read somewhere that the entire city of Christchurch fits into the glacier. I bet a helicopter ride would be the best way to view this one!
Franz Josef Glacier.

At night a few new friends and I went on a hunt for glow worms. We found them for free! Up at the Waitomo Caves it costs over a hundred dollars to view these in a cave.

My glacier trip was also cut short because I felt that I was running out of time to explore The Fiordland National Park… the main reason I wanted to come to New Zealand!

Bus to Queenstown.

On the bus to Queenstown I met a German guy who wanted to rent a car. It worked out perfectly for me since he was heading up to Christchurch the same day as me and he wanted to do similar stuff around Queenstown. He rented a car, we shuffled ourselves to the Routeburn Track for a one day hike.

The start of the Routeburn Track.

The next day headed to Milford Sound for a scenic drive and boat trip. In a few parking lots that we stopped at there were unique birds. One was the Weka - looks like a kiwi with a smaller beak. He was so cute! We also spotted several Kea – Mountain Parrots. They are so inquisitive, curious, and colorful. We fed one chips (and probably shouldn’t have) so I could get a good picture. Then he just followed us around the parking lot. Drive to Milford Sound.
So many sheep in New Zealand. I guess this would be why they are so famous for wool products.
Famous ferns of New Zealand.
The curious Kea.
A weka or woodhen (Gallirallus australis). These are a flightless bird species of the rail family. It is endemic to New Zealand.

Another Kea. Beautiful mountain parrots!

It was definitely beautiful, but I think most people can skip the Milford Sound boat trip and be just as satisfied. Although, I did see two rare penguins and lots of seals (they call them seals, I need to do more research, but I really think they are sea lions). Milford Sound
The picturesque Milford Sound.

Queenstown at Sunset

We finally headed back up to Christchurch for my flight to Auckland. All in all, the trip was a little different than I expected, but none the less, absolutely beautiful.

More pictures to come in next blog.

Fiji Time

2010-10-31T16:36:00.009-05:00

Patchin Up the Straw

I am laying in bed in a fitful sleep, dreaming about merrily playing in majestic waterfalls when I am woken by a natural waterfall on my arm. My roof has holes! The grass finally started to break down and allow water from our recent torrential downpours to enter into my house. I think the wolf huffed and puffed until he blew the water in. Not only was it dripping through the roof, but through a layer of plastic and a mosquito net as well.

My little brother helping out with the grass.

Two elders in the village puttin on a hibiscus show.

So, the next day I expressed my concerns to the village men and much to my surprise, that afternoon they were digging trenches around my house and adding grass to my Fijian bure. I wish I could say this solved the problem... there are still leaks, but, much better than before!

Patchin up the roof.

Veisiko

A few weeks ago I participated in my first veisiko (to visit a sick person and take a present). We went to my Tata Cakaulevu’s (Big Reef) house in a nearby settlement to bring him soap, sugar, rice, milk, toilet paper, etc. He isn’t really sick, but his health in deteriorating and he lives with his son and nephew, so they have no women taking care of them. This situation in rare in Fiji, especially because he is 30 minutes away from the village and often fends for himself at 62 years old. He is an extremely kind man and is always up for telling stories, helping you when you need it, and always offers food when visitors come over.

Starting the hike to the settlement.

Hand in hand.

Hiking to the settlement.

Early in the morning the women’s club set out towards the settlement with their Fijian dreke (basket made to carry on the back) full of household supplies. We walked through the forest, plantations, beach, and mangroves to reach his house. Upon arrival a sevusevu (kava) was presented and all of the women drank one bilo (cup). Then, the gifts were handed over and a few words of thanks were exchanged. Finally, story time. A few women went fishing to collect food for lunch. I headed on to our beach for a litttle R&R.

Taking a rest before entering the house.

The women giving their gifts.

Tata Cakaulevu drinking grog.

Hiking to the beach.

Lunch at the beach.

Coconuts?

Halloween FIJI Style

Some of the crowd.

The famous 4: Lady Gaga.

Construction and 70s.

Yes, Santa went into the pool.

Words can’t express the good times we had for Halloween. About 30 volunteers met up at The BeacHouse on the Coral Coast. With four Lady Gagas, Jesus, Santa, a Girl Scout, Stevie Urkel, and many more, the party was beyond imaginable. I think the pictures do not do it justice. We had several people thrown in the pool and maybe one dancing on a table. I’m not sure what all went down. Let’s leave it at that.

Second Worst Boat Ride EVER

Oh my, the trip back to my village. Lol, dreadful to say the least. The buses were fine. I called the boat captain twice to make sure he knew I was coming and to check in with him. Well, another woman from my village and I were on the same bus from Lautoka and so we were on the same bus to the boat landing as well. When we arrived, the boat was missing. Oh I could kill the captain! He is one of my best friends in the village too. He said it was because the waves were getting bigger and a storm was blowing in, but he should have called.

So, Mili and I ended up waiting 5 hours for the youth boys to get done drinking beer and telling stories so that we could ride the boat with them. By the time we headed out it was dark, raining, the boys were drunk and wouldn't sit down, they smoked cigarette after cigarette (you would think on a fiberglass, open air boat that the smoke would just go up, nope), the engine stopped 5 times (something about the key was missing?), we hit reef once, stopped at two villages to buy kava, and I arrived at 11 PM, soaking wet. I think the staff in the Peace Corps office would have rather me stayed at The BeacHouse. I agree!

The next morning I woke up with no voice (allergic to smoke) and miserably upset that I left all my friends behind. They were enjoying each other's company and eating cheeseburgers while I was miserable. It’s all good.

Cliff Jumping?

Two girls from the village and I hiked up to the highest point near my village. I was so excited to finally sit on the peak that I so often wonder at! Four boys followed us with dogs. Each time we passed a wild cow or goat the dogs went crazy and chased them down. At one point the dogs caused anaphylactic shock on one of the goats and it passed out. Somewhat funny, sad at the same time.

As we hiked through the forest we found several fruit trees, papaya, ripe mango, passionfruit, grapefruit, bananas, plantains, and cocoa bean. The best fruit is free fruit! We also found this huge fungus/flower looking thing. Definitely made up for the horrible boat ride the night before!

Fresh mangoes anyone?

Sharing a papaya.

On our way up...

The group made it!

The Top!

That's my village down there!

Look how BIG it is!

Close up.

My Mogli.

So scared.

Probably because she just got in trouble for doing this.

They are too much fun.

The Cool Kids.

The Fijian-Red Neck Car.

WhAt DoEs JaMiE dO?

2010-10-11T16:16:00.006-05:00

The Price Is Right

My Peace Corps Partnership Proposal grant is complete thanks to my dear friends and family. I would like to give a personal thank you to The Baldwins, Tim & Christine Connor, Lue Ann Lott, Dr. Cynthia Brooks, the Greater Birmingham Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Group, and David, Julie, Wil, and Lexi Chadwick. Without all of your gracious donations (plus those of you who donated that I am not aware of yet) my village would not be able to lay a safe and sanitary footpath for the use of generations to come. The village is ecstatic that the money has been so graciously given and with speedy delivery as the footpath is most needed during the wet season, starting in December. THANK YOU ALL SOOO VERY MUCH.

Volunteers Learn Virgin Coconut Oil

Last week I hosted three Peace Corps Volunteers. They came to learn how to produce the amazing product, Virgin Coconut Oil. Within Peace Corps I am considered the “Virgin Coconut Oil Queen”. Lol, it fits, simply because all growing up I was called “Mom’s little Princess and the Pea”. Of course, when I was little I thought she was calling me a princess that pees, so naturally, I didn’t like my nickname at all. Nowadays, it is sooo true. Back to VCO, the three volunteers learned how to collect the coconuts, husk, scrape, squeeze, ferment, separate, filter and sun. They were also taught the properties of VCO, different ways to run a business within the village, where to purchase the supplies, how to select families who will be successful, and other necessary information for starting a VCO business.

Scraping.

Squeezing

Separating.

Filtering.

In the end, we made some VCO to use for cooking, as well as mixed up a few massage oils by adding essential oils. I hope they learned what they expected to and will be able to take their new skills back to their communities.

HIV/AIDS and STIs – That Uncomfortable Talk

A nearby Peace Corps health volunteer was also invited into my village to teach about HIV/AIDS and STIs. In Fiji, talking about sex and sensitive health issues is somewhat restricted so they have not been educated thoroughly on safe sex practices and when to visit the doctor. During the seminar the village was extremely involved, asking questions and demonstrating the correct use of a condom. Plus role plays and games, the village now has a good understanding of how fast sexual diseases are spreading within Fiji and how to protect themselves.

Lots of villagers were there.

Teaching the crowd.

Lydia playing "questions and answers".

The Smokeless “Rocket Stove” Experiment

My nextdoor neighbor, Grandmother Lowata, using the Rocket Stove.

Another Peace Corps volunteer spent some time in Fiji perfecting a smokeless stove deemed the “rocket stove”. I have recently introduced it to a family in the village to assess the benefits of making one for several families. By using the rocket stove they would spend less time in the forest collecting firewood as well as breathe in less of the harmful smoke inhaled while cooking over an open fire.

The Freshest Chicken EVER

While the volunteers where visiting, I thought it a good idea to buy a chicken from a villager, experience the killing, removing of the feathers, and cooking, therefore, eating the freshest chicken EVER. They were up for it! We bought our little mother hen and brought her up to my namesake’s house. As I handed it over to her, she immediately started to hold its mouth shut with her fingers. I hesitated, asking her if it would be quicker and less painful if we just chopped its head off. She agreed, taking me over to a raw, splintered two by four and holding its head tight across the wood, cleanly chopped the head off. I must say, I never expected this sort of brutality towards animals coming from my namesake.

My namesake suffocating the chicken.

Cutting off the head of the Mother Hen.

I quickly asked her if a chicken really runs around with its head cut off. This chicken couldn’t have gone anywhere. She was dead to the world. Anyways, the chicken was placed in a basin and boiling water was poured over her angelic, white feathers. My namesake began yanking feathers out. I was astonished at how easily they release from the chickens pink skin. I gave it a try and ended up enjoying the quick, yet tedious work.Add hot water.

Pull some feathers.

Ta da. The freshest, nakedest chicken you have ever seen.

Soon the chicken was ready to be degutted. As Ili cut open the belly and pulled out the intestines, a fresh egg splattered onto the ground. Other eggs were inside ready to develop. Each one was simply the yolk with veins running in all directions around the glossy, yellow exterior. As she continued to clean out the insides she opened the intestines and cleaned out all of the green, coagulated grass so that the intestines could be cooked into a stew with the other grotesque interiors.

Oops.

Babies in the making.

Mmm, my namesake's favorite ingredients for stew.

Month of Little Work - Sis Visits!

2010-10-04T02:47:00.022-05:00

Beautiful view in my bay.

It’s been over a month! Sorry, I have not been on top of things lately.

Candle Making

Lots of women showed up for beeswax candle making.

I taught the women and a few men in the village how to make candles out of beeswax. They were so impressed that the women’s group wants to make them to sell to a handicraft festival this month! New small business, even if it only happens once!

So these are pictures of the women in our community kitchen making candles with molds from America.

Preparing the wick before pouring the wax.

Quality check.

FREE Baby Swing

Here in Fiji, the people have learned how to reuse products extremely well. Some end up in a rubbish pit, but often tin cans are used for ash trays, glass is used to store food, cardboard cartons and plastic bags are reused over and over as well as plastic bottles.

Genius.

Although, I never imagined a flour sack would become a baby swing. This is one of my favorite babies in the village in a handmade basinet/rocker. Isn’t it genius? Just a few sticks, some rope, and a flour sack and you’ve got yourself a free baby swing.

JESSICA TIME

Ah, sisterly love.

Two of my favorite sisters.

The time came and went, fast, too fast. My favorite sister (one and only ) came to visit me over the past two weeks. We had a great time giving each other sisterly advice, entertaining the kids in the village, enjoying Fijian cuisine, and traveling Viti Levu.

The kids driving their homemade car around the village.

Drinking a baby coconut shaped into a cup.

Jessica atop our natural ship.

This is my mushroom rock that I run away to when things get tough.

For the first several days we were in my village hiking to our own secluded beach, snorkeling the village’s protected reefs, swinging on our vine rope into the watering hole, and taking a wet ride on a bilibili.

Her first and only bilibili ride.

The secluded beach was so enticing we had to visit twice!

Jessica and I sharing my hammock at our private beach.

Jessica brought bubbles, a Frisbee, tattoos, and chalk with her to play with the little munchkins.

Playing frisbee with the kids.

They absolutely adored her! The Frisbee was a total hit, everyone in the village wanted a “sticka” (tattoo), the kids had a ball trying to blow their own bubbles, and the chalk ended up on walls of houses, trees, and stones all over the village. We were also invited to several family’s homes for dinner or lunch so she got to try pumpkin leaves, prawn, fried rice, dhal, curry, roti, cassava, rourou, fried fish, and fish in coconut milk.

Jessica gettin roudy with the little grommets.

Giving the kids "stickas" or in our world, temporary tatoos.

They got a kick out of it!

Ever so happy.

Cooking in my adorable kitchen

Sis pulling out the chalk, watch out, they write on EVERYTHING.

On the rocks... for now

Our last grog session with lots of boys around 16 years old. How did that happen?

At The Source

The one and only Fiji Water plant.

After leaving the village we headed to the one and only Fiji Water plant near Tavua, Fiji. This is where the source for all of Fiji Water is. We took a very informative tour from the second floor, viewing down through a glass window. The plant was big, but not nearly as big as someone would imagine when they think of how world renowned the Fiji Water brand is. Americans sure are smart at advertising. It turns out all of the water comes from one horseshoe shaped aquifer that is under the parking lot of the plant. The water that comes in your water bottle is never exposed to outside air. It is filtered then exposed to UV light to purify it before being bottled in Fiji water bottles made on site. The bottles are made from a resin that is shipped in from Thailand. It is dried thoroughly, melted, and then formed into a test tube shape. Next, the test tube goes into a heating machine with a mold for each bottle. The plastic tube is heated, air is blown into the opening, and the bottle expands to the shape of the mold. The mold is made out of metal and is kept cold so that as soon as the warm plastic touches the mold, the plastic hardens. The bottles are filled mechanically. If a bottle is below 498 mL or above 510 mL it is thrown off the line, emptied, and recycled. Otherwise, if the bottle gets dented in the process or the label is crooked, the bottle is given to employees. Everything you never wanted to know about Fiji Water.

At the Source.

Riding the carrier into the interior.

After the village thing was done we headed to the tallest mountain in Fiji, Mt. Tomanivi, also known as Mt. Victoria. Don’t be alarmed, the tallest mountain is only 1232 meters and only took 2 ½ hours to climb to the top.

Starting the hike up, together.

We had to cross a few babbling brooks.

The going got tough at about ¾ of the way up where it had just rained pretty good towards the top of the mountain and everything was slippery mud… and straight up. We had 10 volunteers and one Fijian climb with us, so everyone got separated towards the beginning, but in the end we all gathered at the top, drifting in the clouds.

The view from just below the clouds.

A spider web glistening after a light morning mist.

We all made it to the top of the highest mountain in Fiji!

The flora and fauna were breathtaking, with hundreds of ferns surrounding the trail. As we descended the mountain, loud-squawking red-throated lories dove through the trees above us. The Red-throated Lori is considered a rare species only found in this mountain region, and is therefore listed as an important bird area in Fiji.

The Mine Rest House.

During our stay in the interior, we stayed at an old Mine Rest House for ex-pats during the prosperous gold mining days. The house was very rustic, with four bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, toilet room, and shower. It slept ten and even had a fireplace that we lit up both nights. For 10 FJD ($5.50 US) a night, it was a cute escape!

Next, we checked out a few backpackers resorts.

Robinson Crusoe Island

Our glorious, smelly bucket showers.

There was a hilarious "ceremony" after the crab race to announce the winners. My friend Maika had to present the reward using a trumpet all taped together. Had to be there kinda things.

At Robinson Crusoe we took bucket showers with rain water, but ate food fit for a 5 star resort. There were mekes (Fijian traditional dance, much like Hawaiian dances) at night and during the afternoon, so we enjoyed two amazing shows.

Fire dancing from Samoa.

The daytime show with more fire.

Removing the potatoes from the lovo just before the fire walking. Yes, those potatoes are hot.

Before each feast there was a lovo (Earth oven) which the men removed the cooked food and then performed fire walking. The stones were so HOT. I didn’t believe them until after all the men had done their stunt, they poured water on the stones and they still sizzled. So Jessica and I definitely had to try it out.

Sis, fire walking, that face is for real.

Me, fire walking.

There was also free kayaks, snorkeling, a pool, free 15 minute massage, New Zealand ice cream, and plenty of hammocks.

Kula Eco Park

I want to eat you!

Not too impressed. Nice park with some iguanas, parrots, and sea turtles.

Jessica playing tongues with the boa constrictor.

Na beka, a fruit bat. They only had two at the park... but there are thousands in my village.

Who you lookin at?

Another banded iguana who is a messy eater.

A banded iguana.

The BeacHouse

Then we headed on to BeacHouse on the Coral Coast. We were totally impressed. For about $18 US a night we had a posh common area with a pool table, ping pong, hammocks, a pool, a neat bamboo swing, and plenty of activities to keep us busy.

I am so building one of these near my village.

The awesomest swing you have never swung on!

The desserts were to die for and they supplied a kitchen for backpackers to cook their own food (although, the kitchen was not advertised as well as their surfing lessons, horseback riding, and one hour massages ($12 US). The happy hour made a 16 oz mug of Fiji Bitter about 1.75 USD. Overall, I was impressed and all of the volunteers on Viti Levu will be returning for Halloween!

The Sri Siva Subramaniya Swami Temple on Main St. Nadi.

Our trip came to an end before we even realized it had begun. We headed back towards Nadi, did some souvenir shopping, and I sent her off on the 757. It was a nice trip that I wished lasted longer. Miss you terribly, Sissy!

Kindy Update

The kindy on a fieldtrip to collect sand - the topic of the week - their choice!

Learning about sand.

Using one of their gifts from First Christian Church of Gainesville, Texas, magnifying glasses to identify what the sand is made of.

Walking through the village.

Footpaths Already on the Move

A three year old sister of mine, Wati, helping collect gravel.

My 72 year old Grandfather dumbing his first load of gravel at our collection site.

My 73 year old Grandfather shoveling sand into the youths' pig feed sacks.

Grandfather and grandson collecting gravel together.

The men of the village have begun collecting sand and gravel for the footpath project. Only problem, I am still lacking about $2500 US for our project. They are now asking when they should expect the financial assistance and I can only tell them that we are still waiting. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to raise this money fast? I have thought about an ad in the newspaper, but there has to be a better solution. Otherwise, if anyone would like to help, please visit the URL below:
www.peacecorps.gov/donate
Once here, search for project number 411-146 or country “Fiji”.

Thank you everyone who has already donated and I look forward to sending out Thank You letters soon!

Carrying the sand from near the rocks in our bay into the village.

The youth cleaning the sand.

Two Weeks in Short Spurts

2010-08-29T05:02:00.007-05:00

Brilliant frangipani flower.
My beautiful beach, just a 10 minutes stroll from my house.
The view through our "ship" rock formation. This is one of the places I go when I want to meditate.

Kara Comes to Visit

I am working on inviting everyone from my area to visit my village. Kara, who got here at the same time as me last year, finally made her debut. We had a blast hiking the waterfalls, snorkeling my reefs, and eating my Yaca’s (Y-ah-th-ah) famous dhal soup. I took a few honey bee pictures up at the waterfall. About a year ago from today I was visiting these falls for the first time and one of these little suckers stung me on my big toe. They sure are beautiful though.
The honey bees drinking fresh water flowing over the rocks from the large waterfall.

Miss Hibiscus and Festival

.
This past week I headed down to Suva for a medical check-up and the Hibiscus Festival. It was a good trip. A little busy doing other people’s work, but I enjoyed sitting up front and center at the Hibiscus Queen talent show.
I brought Filo along and she is seriously considering entering next year! How exciting would that be!
The Hibiscus Festival is the largest festival in Fiji, but doesn’t even come close to a small town fair in America. Everything here is just miniature compared to developed nations.

Fijian Raka (Rugby)

On my way back up to the village I stopped at a 7s Game at a local primary school. I had three teams from my area competing against 30 other teams from around Fiji. Lydia joined me in watching the boys fight to the finish.
One of my teams.
My favorite boys.

The boys from my village split up into teams from nearby villages, so out of my three teams, two made it to the semifinals. I am so proud of them! Considering they only practiced for two weeks leading up to the tournament, they did well!
See the cow head, the day before a little 7 year old was sitting on it near the water, as if he was riding a bull.

The team from Lydia's village, with four of my boys - the cute ones :)

Virgin Coconut Oil was Approved!

My VCO project was submitted to the Commissioner West by Integrated Human Resources Development Program last Wednesday and was accepted! We will be receiving government aid to build a “mini” factory, buy machines, basins, bottles, labels, and training. I am stoked. Now it is time to see how serious the village is about this new business. I am hoping all of my efforts pay off by helping them to become financially stable. Things are just coasting along over here in paradise!

Footpaths

So, I have spoken a few times about my footpath project in the village. I am currently asking Americans to open their pockets and give a little to my footpath fund. The village is on a steep hill and during the dry season rocks come out from under you and in the wet season mud encompasses our feet. The children have some kind of scabies issue on their feet and dog, chicken, goat, and pig feces are scattered all over the dirt paths. Please, if you have an extra minute and a few extra dollars, consider giving to my Peace Corps Partnership Grant at https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=411-146. We really appreciate your thoughts and generosity. A special thanks goes out to Lue Anne Lott, her friends, and Physicians Mutual employees.

My sissy comes again in TWO WEEKS!

Having our favorite cappuchino ice cream on one of our regular Thursday outings.

Still Coastin Through My Days in Fiji

2010-08-15T15:43:00.005-05:00

My savior, Mogli, anytime I am lonely she is there to talk to!

They are finally catching on to pet care!

I now have wireless broadband internet in my remote village in Fiji. It is strikingly odd considering I don’t even have cell phone service, but here in Fiji the wireless is operated via land line towers that transmit wireless landline service, which happens to work in my bure!

August 2 – 15…

Since my last post I have gone to Vatu-I-Ra Island (bird island, last visit was in May with Mom and Sis), dove near Nananu-I-Ra Island, and scoured my bure of dust and spiderwebs, as well as replace dust-ridden fabric.

Bird Island

Just arriving onto the smelly shore.

You would not believe how many volunteers it takes to put up a one man tent.

My recent trip to Vatu-I-Ra was much more inviting that my family’s previous trip. The sun was shining, the reefs were teeming with brightly dappled fish, and the wind was welcomed on the white sands (to drive the poop smell elsewhere). Five Peace Corps Volunteers plus our ex-patriots and I all headed out on Friday morning, returning on Saturday afternoon from an eco-adventure rarely experienced by others. If anyone is planning a trip to Fiji and would like to visit this 5 acre island, feel free to notify me and I can set up the details.

I played with this sea cucumber until he expelled his intestines to make me leave him alone. I kinda felt bad.

My favorite sighting of the trip. A beautiful anemone!

Clean-up

My newly remodeled house.

Tuesday, from 8 AM to 6 PM, I cleaned fabric, scrubbed walls, collected leaves, sunned mats, and hung fabric around my house. The only reason I mention this is because it is such a big part of Fijian life to remove all of your bedding, plus your floor coverings, pillows, and fabrics and “sun” them for several hours, usually every few weeks. I, on the other hand, only like to spend my entire day cleaning every several months, so when it does happen, the result is unfathomable.

Diving

Friday, three Peace Corps volunteers, our ex-pat friend Judy, and I went on a private two-tank dive out to the island of Nananu-I-Ra. The reefs weren’t really teeming with fish, but with soft corals and nudibranchs. Both dives consisted of several bommies with tight valley-type cave systems which were covered in yellow soft coral. The first dive, Tequila Sunrise, blew my mind. The yellow soft coral (Dentronephthya sp.) outlined by the preceding dark blue waters were perfectly depicted as the name foretells. There were huge gorgonians (fan corals) covered in multi-colored feather stars and a polyclad flatworm (Pseudobiceros sp.) that closely resembled a Spanish Dancer nudibranch.

A polyclad flatworm. I wish I took this picture.

As the dive master softly nudged the flatworm he disembarked from his coral and swam through the water in majestic waving actions, much as a flag blowing in the wind. I also found an anemone shrimp that was completely concealed with his clear body except for tiny purple and white spots on his head and tail. The only color within his carapace was near his anus, quite a unique creature when you see right through it, but don’t spot organs or blood. I spotted a moray eel, a lionfish, tube worms that resembled species from deep sea vents, and I found an empty Cypraea argus cowrie shell. I think my favorite sighting of all was a huge colony of red bulb-tipped sea anemones with pink clownfish protectively guarding their potent home. The reason I was so impressed with the sight of these common Entacmaea quadricolor anemones was because during my college days at Auburn I did a research project on “The Effects of Light on the Bulb-Tipped Anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor”, but I never knew that a red variation existed and they were quite a beautiful sight.

The red anemone. I did not take this picture either, but this is what they looked like.

Pushing along the boat in shallow waters.

A beautiful rainbow with a pot of gold in my bay!

Oso ni Gauna

2010-08-13T18:09:00.006-05:00

Town went well. I still have not gotten my Connect Internet hooked up on my computer. I am supposed to have internet access here in my village, eventually…
While in town I did get to talk to my Bestie, Kate! It was so good to hear from you and all about your new job! Congrats!

Early Childhood Education Week

Natalie's village kindergarten.

Lisa's village kindergarten.

We helped with the facepainting booth. What a brilliant idea!

Friday I went with my kindergarten to a local Primary School for Early Childhood Education Week. Last Saturday, in Suva, I saw a huge gathering of parents, kids, and kindergartens at a local park having a blast playing games and watching entertainment. I thought ours would be something like that since it was for about 20 kindergartens, but no, there were no games, only about 3 schools performed, and the children were actually quite bored. I wish it had turned out to be a “fun” event, but I guess it was good for the kids to get out of the village setting and see other children their age.

Lots of kindy kids show up for Early Childhood Education Week

Yummy, milk pops.

The rain comes and goes.

Fundraising Event

My Bubu Moli traveling down memory road.

Attended in 1935 - 1945 They were so cute!

Saturday was filled with our local Primary School’s Fundraising Event. Their 75th anniversary! People came from all of the surrounding villages, plus all over Fiji, and possibly a few from overseas. The old scholars lined up behind a sign that revealed the years they went to the school. It was so cute to see the 1935-1945 group marching around the circle, several of them getting assistance from classmates. Towards the end of the line were the children currently at the school. Pretty neat! So the fundraising (soli) brought in approximately 10,800 F$. The school was elated!

The students and some alumni performed meke. It was quite entertaining.

Giving their hard earned money to help the next generation.

They are currently trying to add an extra classroom so that students can spend Form 3 and Form 4 (grades 9 and 10) at the school as well, thus helping those who do not have enough money or family living in a city where the secondary schools are located. They are also wanting to build a new two story dormitory for all boarding students as the current facilities are made out of bamboo siding and are quickly deteriorating.

Lydia and I. Both of our villages are on the coast and our village's children have class together!

The current students marching along.

Sunday Fun Day

Lydia came over for Sunday Fun Day. Because everything is “not allowed” on Sundays, she and I are going to try to get together and make fun! So during our first Sunday Fun Day we headed to a nearby settlement and my white sandy beach. From about 2 PM to 6 PM we were hiking around the next bay over, admiring orchids and rock formations, eating stewed pumpkin leaves, slurping scavenged papaya with sun bleached shells, and chit chatting with the locals. Being a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji is just too easy.

Eventually Lydia went back to her village and I was left alone to finish the second Harry Potter book and start on the third. Slowly, but surely, I will get through the series.

Chronicles of a Fijian Life

Sorry I have not received my camera in the mail yet, so I will be telling a short documentary this week.

The HIV Tattoo.

The boys in the village feel that it is necessary to give themselves tattoos. This is all fine and dandy until you see the needle used to permanently mark themselves with their aspirations and screw ups. Here we have a typical Fijian tattoo machine. It consists of a sewing needle, a piece of this wire, a pen without the ink tube or the end cap, some tape, a button, two wires, and a piece of copper. Now, if it were me I would never have been able to come up with this kind of contraption. For the youth Fijians, I think they are naturally mechanically minded and destructive.

So the boys connect three D batteries, end to end, then connect the red wire to the (+) end and the black to the (-) end, the button starts turning, causing the needle to move rapidly up and down as well as side to side. The boys press it to their skin and wait for the blood to start oozing. My main concern, sharing needles is no joke. HIV was non-existent in Fiji about 10 years ago and is now spreading rapidly with a lack of education, high sexual activity, and limited access to condoms. No wonder Peace Corps has a large impact in Fiji, our health sector has a lot of basic information that the Fijians have not yet been taught.

Weighing Cocoa Beans on the beach

Visited Lisa

Uniforms travel to the interior, the awefully long bus ride to Lisa's village

Lisa making a Rocket Stove... let's see if it works!

The Fijian Post

2010-07-28T17:15:00.010-05:00

Last Thursday I took off to Suva for a High School Concert and the Agriculture Fair. My Out of Community Leave was perfect! The concert was so much more than I expected. Two of my really good friends, Filo and Ana, were in different items throughout the concert. Filo was up on the stage as a teacher and as a traditional Polynesian dancer whereas Ana was dressed up in a fancy, red dress doing a “grow up to be a lady” number. I ended up finding myself enjoying a multicultural show. The students performed traditional dances from the Lau Group, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Polynesia, Korea, and India. It was absolutely amazing. Plus they through in some modern rap, pop, and country dance moves. The choir sang several uplifting beats with several beautifully sung solos. Really, I can’t say enough about how well St. Joseph’s High School did at their annual concert!

Filo and Ana before the concert.

The next day I spent running errands in Suva, walking around the Agriculture Show: “Grow Local, Buy Local”, and helping NCSMED with their honey and beekeeping stall.

Our Beekeeping display at the Agriculture Show.

While at the show I was able to get vital information from Fiji Locally Managed Marine Areas (FLMMA), SPCA, IHRDP (National Planning/Fiji Government), Fiji Nursing Association, Coconut Industry Development Authority (CIDA), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Bird Life International, Ministry of Health, information on climate change, planting giant clams, goat rearing, chicken raising, marine protected areas, and I actually found a much needed poster of the food pyramid here in Fiji. They only have three categories instead of six like in America. I will be teaching the topic of nutrition to the kindergarteners and their parents on Wednesday! I also scoured the show for posters, bringing home about 35 new ones. I bet the villagers are getting tired of my decorating the community hall with random information.

Anyhow, I am not sure if I have mentioned this before now, but I am going to start a “Fijian Documentary” on my blog. So far it doesn’t have a name, someday I will think of one. I will be starting it as soon as I get my new camera, but for this week I can do a short example on what the new idea will involve.

The Salusalu Boogie

A salusalu is the equivalent of a Hawaiian Lei, but Fijians do it quite differently. First they scour the land for a Crinuni asiaticum (viavia) tree. The trunk of this tree grows in shiny, white, fibrous layers.

The viavia.

The women bring their large bush knife with them to chop the tree down at the bottom of the trunk. They cut the top end off so that only the mid section of the trunk remains. Next, they cut the trunk lengthwise and unravel the layers until they are left with a shiny, white piece about 3 inches by 6 inches.

Tying the viavia into the voivoi to make a salusalu.

Step two involves the women hunting down different leavesand flowers including hibiscus, Phaleria sp. (sinu), and Evodia hprtensis (uci). A twine of voivoi (dried pandanas leaf – explained in a later documentary) is then braided, interspersing a piece of folded viavia into the braid. After the length of salusalu is finished, the flowers are tied together and placed securely in front of the folded viavia. Finally, the salusalu is given time to dry and the next day will be tied around a highly respectable guest or member of the village. Salusalu is a symbol of importance and often used at times of celebration.

The beautiful arrangement of flowers the women place in front of the viavia.

Putting all the pieces together.

Early Childhood Education Week

My kingergarten in front of the banner I made for Early Childhood Education Week.

Tying the salusalu onto our Chief.

Torika placing the salusalu she made onto her Bubu.

The week of July 26th through 30th is devoted to Early Childhood Education throughout Fiji. Of course, that means I am a busy bee running around in preparation for our activities in the kindergarten.

So sweet.

The children playing with their toys sent from First Christian Church in Gainesville, Texas.

Today, Monday, we had our kindergarten’s opening day. The Chief of the village accepted the kindergarten as a part of the community and thanked the teacher and I for all of our hard work. The children performed a few songs, made their own salusalu to give to an elder, and we had a huge community tea. Guest speakers included the kindergarten committee’s chairman, Sisi (the teacher), and the Father of the Catholic Church. Later in the day I spent 4 hours hand washing my clothes from this past weekend, then took a nice, relaxed break from Fijian life by hiding in my bure.

My little brother singing into his Bible.

The children waiting to pray so that they can eat lunch.

Lots of Bubus.

The men drinking that nasty muddy water... kava (yaqona).

Junior playing the lali (drum made of bamboo or vesi wood).

Lol. Look at Pau, she is meditating with frangipani leaves.

Sisi teaching the kids.

Three of my Bubus.

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Kindergarten went well again today! We had two guest speakers: the headmaster from each of the two closest primary schools. They both spoke on behalf of the importance of early childhood education, they saw the kids’ folders, and enjoyed a nice feast with us. Everything went well and the week is off to a good start.

How sweet, father and son.

Coloring

Reading, they LOVE the books.

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Bubu Moli and I on Wednesday.

Bubu Moli and I back in August

Today was my day. Lol, well, it was my turn to be the vulagi dokai (Guest Speaker). I spoke on the importance of nutrition, the food pyramid, as well as interacted with the kids on what is a fruit and what is a vegetable. Following my talk, Bubu Moli spoke on the interactions of food within the body and reinstated what I said, but in Fijian. Thank you Bubu Moli for your gracious help!

Bubu Moli teaching about the passage of food through the digestive system.

Aren't they cute!

Unaisi, isn't she beautiful.

Anyhow, everything went well, the kids were well behaved today, and everything is ready for visiting a local Primary School on Friday. I think they are calling this event “Fun Day” in which every kindergarten in the surrounding area, plus the parents, are coming together to celebrate. Tomorrow is town, yay!

My papa, Ulamila. She is growing so fast!

wHaT's Up WiTh JaMiE

2010-07-14T17:31:00.005-05:00

The Sparks Flew

Phew it’s been a while. So, I am now a Fiji sensation. Lol, kinda, sorta, really. Everywhere I go people are stopping me and asking if I am the one on Close Up. You should be able to check it out at FijiTV.com then the icon Close Up. It was aired on July 4th which in Fiji numbers means 4/7/2010. Also on the 4th was our big Independence Day celebration with pecan pie coming in as the winner and a quarter shaped cake as the creative winner. Definitely amazing American food and American friends.

After my TV premiere we conducted a fireworks war, to say the least. Good times. You should have been there!

Since then I have gone to Nausori/Suva for the new volunteers’ swearing in ceremony.

Staff at swearing in.

All of them made it through training! 35 newbies! I have really been enjoying their company this past week. I don’t have one complaint about the new group. They are all extremely mature, intelligent, and enthusiastic about getting started.

I just hope they don’t get their hopes and dreams busted at the seam when they realize living in a rural village is much less “work” than they are expecting. There is lots of down time.

While I was in Nausori I attended a music festival (if you can call it that) twice. It had two ferris wheels and three rides for the kids, plus about 15 stands selling BBQ. I didn’t even have to read the menu at each one, I had the ‘to go’ box memorized. Every single one offers fried egg, lamb flank, two “scrap meat” sausages (sometimes fried), some stir fry, and a slice of cucumber. All of this for just 6 F$ (3 USD). I mean, there is no better deal out there for a heart attack in a box. Anyways, the music was good enough. One night was an Indian pooftah (transvestite) dancing around half nude and the next night was island music which included lots of acoustic gospel songs. Oh yes, Fiji is predictable.

Random festival game

I also had the opportunity to stay a night at the Westin in Denarau, only 400 F$ a night, but absolutely worth it if you have money to waste. I went with Lydia, my best PC friend in Fiji (probably because we are always stuck in the same boat…) and we ate at The Hard Rock Café and hung out at the wharf. She is now with her mom and dad in Taveuni. Oh so jealous!

Speaking of down time, I have been waiting on National Planning/Integrated Human Resources Development Program to come to my rescue on this Virgin Coconut Oil business for about 7 months now. I have been promised economic and technical assistance since December.

The TuragaNiKoro and I at the IHRDP meeting.

Well, the first sign of hope came just two nights ago! On Tuesday, during a wedding ceremony, I was whisked away to speak to some military officers in another house. What? I was so confused. Then I was told that the police and military were here for something to do with Virgin Coconut Oil. Lol, because the current government is run by all military officials it was simply a few prestigious military gentlemen, one police officer, and one lady who works for IHRDP. They were really here! We discussed the possibilities and my business plan and I am now satisfied that someone out there is able to help us. Yay! Hopefully our village leader has been writing good reports in the past few quarters or else we are doomed.

The kids during the wedding ceremony.

Other exciting news: I have finally decided the reason I am so content in Fiji. I have lots of friends! Well, they feel like friends to me. I guess because when they pass my house they always say “hi” and “what are you doing?” Then, when I walk around the village I am always invited for tea or a meal. My greatest gift though is my namesake, her husband, and their child. They are the root that holds me up. If I am ever upset, wondering about a Fijian tradition, trying to figure out how to run a village, wanting to learn how to cook, fish, put a napkin on a baby’s butt, or just want to hang out, they are ALWAYS there for me. Without them I would not be near as happy as I am. I know you may never get to read this Yaca, Sio and Papa, but thank you for everything you are to me!

Another thing on Wednesday, July 14, the LOWEST tide I have seen in Fiji. Look at the reef, it is suffocating above water. A few of these corals have expelled (bleaching) the tips of their polyps who were stranded. They will recover pretty quickly. It was really neat to see the reef without wearing a snorkel and mask!

Randomness

2010-06-09T17:40:00.001-05:00

The Run-Away Hat

So the other day Lisa and I are enjoying a breezy, open-air bus ride and chit-chatting away when all of a sudden her most beloved ball cap flies off her head. It all happened in slow motion as she looks at me then out the window. I ask her if she wants to stop and get it, she hesitates, I ask again, by this time I can see the importance of this hat beginning to well up in her eyes. I reach over her, grab the string that rings the bell, throw all of my stuff in her lap as the bus comes to a halt, and I tell her to go on, I will take a taxi. Lol.

What a heroic thing to do. Right. So, I am running off the bus with a bouncing backpack attached to my shoulders as people on the bus are yelling, “Vano I vei? Cava?” (Where are you going? What?) I say “Na sala”, meaning “hat”, but it also means “road”. I am not sure if they knew I was running after a hat or running down the road. Man, the Fijian language is too simple. So as I am retracing our tracks I am also yelling at the bus “Vano, kua na wawa!” (Go, don’t wait). They wait anyways. I run down the hill, snatch up the hat about ¼ mile away, then begin to run back up the hill, in flip-flops, as the bus is slowly coasting backwards towards me. As I make a flying leap back onto the bus the people are cheering and clapping as if I just saved a life. It was a sight to see!

E Dua Na Peace Corp’s Vakamau (One Peace Corp’s Wedding)

One of our Peace Corps Volunteers got married to a Fijian man about a week ago! The wedding was traditional with the PCV and husband wearing masi cloth (a plant stem turned into a paper-like cloth). Many people came to wish her the best. After the village wedding, everyone headed over to The Uprising for the after party, where events turned into crazy dancing and lots of laughing. I kicked some butt in pool (billiards), drank some boxed wine (classy huh!?) and enjoyed the weekend with friends!

Vakatulewa

It has been a while. Since my last blog John and I taught a stay in school program to the 7th and 8th grade at a local primary school. It went extremely well. The two teachers who sat in on the program had just a few suggestions that we agreed with and have now incorporated into our two hour session. I was delighted to be told that the information is quite important for the children to hear because they are not given an opportunity at home to discuss different education options, potential careers, or the long-term benefits of making good decisions now, early on. I am pleased that we were asked to come back and speak to the parents at a PTA meeting as well as encouraged to talk to secondary schools as well.

Talking to a successful Fijian businessman the other day also opened my eyes to the struggles of secondary school boys dropping out of school to work in the sugar cane fields. The children’s parents are to blame because these kids are only 12-16 years old, an age in America where children are forced to attend school, whereas here in Fiji, children are sometimes encouraged to drop out so that they can make some quick cash for the family. We see the importance of our program being stressed towards the parents as well, but how to reach the parents and make an impression may become a new challenge.

Beeswax Candle Making

The day after our Vakatulewa program was a success John and Leslie were conducting a beeswax candle making workshop at an Indo-Fijian’s house. I somehow finagled my way into the workshop and gave a few creative ideas of my own. It was really neat to see Indians and Fijians working together. Since I live in an all-Fijian village, I very rarely have to opportunity to enjoy the Indian culture. They had each brought a different Indian dish for lunch so I was also able to try all different authentic South Indian food. Killed two birds with one stone!

Leslie had received grant money through the Peace Corps Partnership Program to order all kinds of candle molds, wick, pots, and bee equipment. This workshop was the first time she was able to use her new candle making supplies. The angels turned out beautiful as well as my staggered bamboo votive idea for tourists. I think the women were really enlightened and excited to start their own creative innovations.

Bamboo

What an awesome plant. It feeds pandas, builds bilibilis (bamboo rafts used for transportation down rivers), transforms homes, and to my recent discovery, makes amazing musical instruments. As John and I were cutting the bamboo for the candles I saw different lengths of bamboo piling up on the ground. I knew there had to be a use for them, and then I remembered all of those visits to the science center with Wil back in Birmingham. At the McWane Center there was a line of different sized metal tubes that were used as a human size organ/xylophone. I picked up the pieces, took off my flip-flop, and poof, a different sound came from each piece of bamboo. I was so excited that I took the bamboo to the candle making and then the ladies started describing other instruments such as guitars, flutes, and harps that can be made from this beautiful plant. My next hobby, a bamboo band in the kindergarten!

All Vol

The new Peace Corps volunteers of Fiji, so named FRE-08, have arrived and soon enough we will have a time to get to know them. I am so excited. In two weeks we will be eating at staff’s homes visiting with 35 new volunteers! We are getting four new volunteers in my area alone! Thank goodness I am close to other Americans, this fact has literally kept me sane.

Why Fijians Don’t Need a Lot of Money

I finally figured it out. Yes, they are subsistence farmers and can grow almost anything they want to eat, and yes, they can raise chickens, cattle, and goats, as well as fish for meat. What I did not understand until just recently is how most of their work is communal without an exchange of money, just favors. This is why they have such a strong kerekere (borrowing, helping) system.

Within our village of about 230 people we have two experienced carpenters, a plumber, an electrician, experienced divers, experienced farmers, musicians, singers, preachers, mat weavers, scientists (very general use of the word), teachers, boat captains, fishermen, livestock farmers, fighters, and government officials. The idea of having everyone in the village specialize in a different expertise enables them to “use” each other without the need to pay any money. There aren’t many things that they need to purchase from town besides flour, sugar, soap, and noodles. It is quite different from America, but at the same time just as efficient. No one is trying to cheat them on how much it will cost to get their boat engine fixed, no one is charged to run a pipe to their shower, everyone pitches in when it is time to build a house, and people get along because they never know when they will need the other person’s skills. I guess I should just compare it to ancient civilizations, before currency was ever exchanged for help.

Why Fijans Say We American’s Have a Lot of Money

Exchange rates, amount of work, education, and industrialized are my top four reasons for receiving this statement on a daily basis.
Exchange rates – About 1 USD = 2 Fijian Dollars. A good salary in Fiji is 15,000 FJD versus a good salary in America would be about 60,000 FJD. So, of course, if a person making a normal living in America decided to up and move to Fiji with money saved up while working in America, they would appear to Fijians as being rich. Although, the point must also be said that a bunch of bananas in an American supermarket might cost you 5 USD versus the same organic bananas sold in Fiji would be 0.50 USD. Let’s also compare a utility bill. On average, each month of electricity might cost you 150 USD, whereas here in Fiji, a typical month would cost you 4 USD. Don’t forget though, you would be exchanging 24 hours of electricity and air conditioning for 2 hours electricity per night from a generator.

So in America, people go to school. They often graduate with honors and continue on to a higher education such as a bachelor degree. In Fiji, probably half the population does not make it through 10th grade. (Hence, the reason we are stressing our new “stay in school” program)

Also, in America, as well as any other developed nation, people work hard, on average, 40 hours a week. I would have to average a work week for Fijians to be about 10 hours. This would consist of men going to their farm or women weaving their mats. So the workload does not really translate into a large salary.

All three of the reasons above could really fit into one category – industrialized/developed. Fiji is a third world country and therefore Fijians have a completely different concept of daily needs than a typical American. I am not saying that one location/lifestyle is better than the other, just different.

Kindergarten in Review

The kindergarten is going great! The children are learning a LOT of English words and songs. They are really enjoying the structured class time. In the past few weeks they have been learning all about themselves. This week they have been focusing on body parts and articles of clothing (in English). Their primary schools are going to be so impressed.

I have also been putting together a “Thank you” book for First Christian Church of Gainesville, Texas. It will be a while before everything is ready, but we still have you in our thoughts and prayers. Each day we go into the kindergarten and use the supplies ya’ll so generously gave to my community and thank God for thoughtful people like ya’ll. Thank you so much for your time and immense help.

The kindy also has a guest speaker on Wednesdays which consists of someone from the village coming in to teach things such as weaving, meke (songs), and the “old” language of our village. We have already learned how to brush our teeth and soon we will be learning how to correctly wash our hands. The Bamboo Band will be coming along soon as well. Plus, an Earth day (great idea given by a nearby Peace Corps volunteer, Lydia) where we will build tire swings, plant seeds and flowers, remodel our sand box, and use recycled materials to make toys. In other words, the kindergarten is keeping me on my toes with new projects.

I have one favor to ask on behalf of the kindergarten. We would really like to have a doctor’s corner, but the hospitals around here are not prepared for patients let alone able to give away used equipment. If anyone comes across a stethoscope or blood pressure band (Neither have to work) please let me know. Thank you for your help!

Virgin Coconut Oil

Again, still waiting on the government for economic support, but the villagers are so keen on learning how to produce VCO that they have asked me to conduct a hands-on workshop, teaching them the process step-by-step. So, next week will be days full of scraping, squeezing, filtering, and sunning. I am so glad the community is eager to learn.