This picture was taken at a village very close to where I am going! Beautiful huh?! I actually have to take a boat across this bay to get to my village!


Hey everyone! So, I am doing well! On Monday night we held out village meeting, conducting a priorty needs assessment! We spoke mostly in Fijian with the help of Sau (our amazing Language Coordinator and Facilitator). The meeting went perfectly and we got the information from the community that we needed! Success! Yesterday we went on a field trip to a commercial kitchen, a bakery, and an ecotourism project for cruise ships. It was pretty neat, except that when we got back we had language class and a language protenciency test. Blah. So, honestly I just never get a break. Training is very fast paced and cram-packed with things to do, all the time! I learned to fill a stove with kerosene and light it and how to pull cassava (tavioka) and cook it. Also, today for lunch, my sister Delena made me fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Can't beat that huh! Anyways, I will say more later when I actually have something to say! Much love! Miss you all!

I miss my Bestie! I just read on your blog about me! I miss you a lot and just wanted to say thanks! Can't wait to get a letter! :)

I received the information about my permanent site! It is really close to Leslie and John as well as Natalie! I am so excited! I have a site near Rakiraki and they are wanting me to work with raising awareness on the importance of managing their resources sustainably, create and manage marine protected areas, reef check and monitoring, waste management such as piggery waste, village clean-up, and proper waste disposal, assist in identifying alternative livelihoods through expanded coconut products, as well as capacity building on environmental related issues! How crazy! It sounds really fun. I have actually already been very close to this site a few weekends ago when we went to visit Natalie close to Rakiraki! It is sooooo gorgeous up there. And the diving is supposed to be really nice too! Yay!! I think I am really happy with it. Especially because I have two years to visit the rest of Fiji and I am comfortable with the area I have been assigned! So, send me books and chocolate...PLEASE!! At least right now it should not melt!
Much love to all!

Gauna cava na lako mai kina na basi? [When is the bus coming?]

Au na qaseni vuli. [I am a teacher.]

Hey! I have the internet at my house in Fiji! My brother Epi was so gracious to bring home his vodaphone USB! Wow, I am the most spoiled Fijian princess there is! So, Mom, Sis, Kate, Megan, and Justin, I am not sure how much Skype is going to cost you or me, but look into it so we can talk! I will see what I can do too! I miss ya'll soooo much, but I am doing well! I had my mid-training interview with Filipe today and he was so nice and encouraging! I was taught about a book of ancestory that exists in Suva called the Vola Ni Kawa Bula. We also learned about weather and sicknesses in vuli Vakaviti. Did ya'll know that every time you get sick in Fiji it is because of the weather. Whether it be cold water or a hot breeze... it is always the weather. I try to explain the whole bit about your immune system not being as strong in cold weather and you must be exposed to a virus to catch anything... but I am not sure they understand. So, I move on!
I blogged quite recently so I don't really have anything new to say. I did go to Ilimo's birthday party last night! Happy Birthday Ilimo! He loved his toy gun! Of course I let him pick it out so that he would get something he really wanted! Anyways, I am going to get off now. I really need to study and load pics! Miss everyone loads and I will write more soon!
Much love, Me
Oh, I can also receive packages at my brother's P.O. box if the post office in America is willing to send it to a P.O. Box. Next time I blog I will post the address! Please send paperback books and children's stories or educational material!

Na Yacaqu E Viti 'O Aliti Kei Ili.

Hello!

Doing well in paradise still! Life here is totally different than in the States, but not in a good or bad way. It is much slower and everyone helps each other out. Just about every meal is shared with all of the houses around (usually because they are family). Their doors are always open and it is very common for anyone to just walk in your house and sit on the floor and chat.

My Nei Eta lives next door and she has been helping me learn to weave mats and make coconut bilos/cups. Anything you put in her hands becomes a masterpiece! It is so nice to have someone so talented close by. My sister Dee is a master chef… well, she cooks most of my meals which rates pretty high on my list! Master Epi definitely takes care of me… especially with my smoothies! Master Niu is incredible at making me laugh, and my Ilimo and Aliti are the best kids I have ever met. I feel as if having such amazing family around me keeps me going strong!

Today we had language class with Filipe and I feel as if I have a lot of work to do to catch up. I have been hanging out with family a lot more than working on vuli vosa vakaviti (learning to speak Fijian). Which is part of training right - the cultural exchange. On Thursday night I went to Suva (the capital of Fiji) with family to experience what they call the showcase. It is pretty much a fair and a flea market in one. They had all kinds of things to buy including mini grocery stores as well as mini shops and food stands. There were shows and carnival rides and I got to double up on my cell phone minutes. I paid $25 and I get $50 worth of minutes put on my phone! Yay! At some point they will do a triple up too! I gotta get in on that. So… I will be calling some of you soon! After showcase we went to a Pizza King and had Fiji’s version of pizza. Can’t say it is Formaggio’s, but I guess it will have to work for 2 years. Where are all of the burgers in this country?? Beef really isn’t common. Sad day.

Oh, now on to the nerve racking stuff: I had my site interview yesterday and it did not sound too promising. I know I will be working in a school a few days a week which would be great, but I have no idea what I will be doing besides that. I am hoping they take my wishes into consideration and put me somewhere near the coast. We tell them what we would like to have at our permanent site and they try and make it happen. Although, we find out our sites THIS SATURDAY at a group picnic. Wow, really soon. I am pretty sure that half of our environmental group is going to be on Vanua Levu, a few on outer islands and a few on Viti Levu. I know that I would like to live in a traditional bure instead of a hot tin and wood house, but I am also trying not to be picky. It would be ideal for me to be placed on Vanua Levu or Tavenuivi because they do a lot of farming so most fruits and veggies are free and you fish for your own food. Amazing! Being on Viti Levu would keep me in close contact with other volunteers though because it is easier to get around by bus. So there are strong pros and cons to every location. Also, on Friday or Saturday we have our first language interview. I am totally not excited.

Well, on that note, I think I am going to start studying. I will talk to you all soon!

Oh, and I finally have a Fijian name! The title says My Name in Fiji is Aliti and Ili. I actually have two names and everyone argues about which one I should keep. So... there you have it!

Ahhhhhh

Ni Sa Bula!
So, I am doing well! Still getting those fresh fruit smoothies in the mornings and learning to tali ibe (weave mats)! It is very time consuming, back breaking work, but well worth it to say I took a weaving class! The women in the village insist I learn and my Nei Eta is a master weaver, so I am being taught by the best! Oh, tomorrow in my village we are having a tree planting session and I must keep two flowering plants alive in my house’s front yard. Wow, I do not have a green thumb at all and I must keep something alive for 6 weeks. What a joke. “Dee, I know you can help me out on this one!”
Well, I am definitely missing everyone! My TUBS, LEXI, WIL, Mom, Sis, Katers, Hoseys, Lauren Q, Megan D, David, Julie, Mo, Vanna, Jana, Jane, Tommy, Aunt Lisa, Daniel, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Mark, Nathan, Ashlee, Uncle Frank, Aunt Suzan, and of course everyone else that I do not have time to type! Oh, and Megan, I need you to write me about your PC stuff! What is up?
Weather has been absolutely gorgeous. I actually wear my North Face fleece in the mornings to get to Nausori or language class and the days and evenings are about 70-75 degrees. If anyone wants to come and visit I would recommend this time of year, next year. It is soooo pleasant and supposedly the best weather we will have all year.
I guess I should update everyone on what I have been up to… this past weekend two other trainees and I went to stay with a current volunteer near Rakiraki. She lives in a bure and it is situated on a bay with an absolutely amazing view. She has done some amazing work already including finding a new fresh water source, got the funding, and completed a fresh water spring project. Wow, in only eight months! What a trooper! We hiked through mud flats, mangroves, cow poop, swamp, and forest to get to a really nice beach and snorkel spot. The coral was healthy and plentiful, but not many fish. Kinda different than what I am used to! There were HUGE coral heads, soft corals, blue chromis, sergeant majors, and butterfly fish galore! I found lots of bright blue sea stars and sea cucumbers that Melissa and I played football with. Good times! Then the next day we hiked into the bush and picked wild cherries. We brought them back to the bure and made eight jars of fresh jam. Yummmm, best jam I have ever had by far. Yes David, it beats Mayhaw jam by a long shot! (Probably because we made it in the middle of nowhere, Fiji) So, after all of that we were beat, but somehow the next day I made it to Colo I Suva to swim in natural pools and waterfalls with Christian, Graham, and Scott. Gorgeous! We have to go another time to see the lower pools, the nature trail, and the rope swing. So that was the last couple of days for me… what have ya’ll been up to?
Tomorrow is the tree planting and language class, then I think Epi, Dee, Niu, and I may go to Suva for a MIC show (not sure what it is yet) and possibly pizza or burgers! Friday is a field trip to learn bee keeping and gardening, I think, things change every second, and then language class. We are also doing a project in our village where we must conduct a priority needs assessment so that we can plan and possibly complete a capacity building project for our host village, maybe a rainwater catchment system or a composting toilet. Learning a lot of environmental stuff!
Now on to my next wishes… Lol, I think I will add this section at the end of every blog because I don’t think ya’ll understand how many things we take for granted in the US. I absolutely LOVE getting the care packages and letters so please keep them coming! Much love! So… now I am wanting lots of chocolate (esp. dark like dove dark chocolates!), I want cheese but of course you cannot really send me that, dried fruit is a good one (like cherries, cranberries, raisons, at some point I may need plums or apricots…if you know what I mean), a pumous/foot stone (my feet are peeling away, I guess because I had princess feet before I came and now they are Big Foot Wal-mart feet… blah!), and possibly some school curriculum books for primary schools. I am just trying to get the word out early on... textbooks and really books in general are really really expensive and hard to get your hands on here. So if anyone reads this and knows of some old school textbooks (since every time a school starts to use a new edition the old edition is tossed out) that they are willing to donate or if anyone has some extra income that they would be willing to help pay for books to be mailed it would be much appreciated! Anyways, I will talk more later, it is past my bedtime!
I love you all! Miss you bunches! -Me

I made it to Fiji! It has been almost two weeks and man what a long couple of weeks it has been! I have had three yaqona (kava) ceremonies, many, many meals with dalo, some time at the Vidividi board, and lots of heat rash on my arms! But, it is wonderful! I am thoroughly enjoying the Fijian culture and my host family! I am not sure how detailed I can get about my village so I will just say that I am near Nausori town. My village has running water and electricity, but I have not really gotten a so called shower yet. More like sponge baths! Warai-na-lega (No Worries). I still get clean! Fijians are extremely accommodating and caring! They take care of each other starting at a young age and know how to raise children by 12 or so. Each village is made up of clans or “families”. Here there are 4 clans, but yet I feel like everyone is my Nei (Aunt) or my Tavale (Cousin). It is so nice to be part of a large extended family! There are several adorable people in my village that I would love to give a shout out to, but I think their names may need to remain confidentiaI. I mean, come on now, I work for the US Government. Lol! Anyways, I am going to add a few pics of my first couple of weeks. So please enjoy and call me anytime! +011-679-945-6310. Just remember… it will be expensive for you, free for me, I would love to hear from you, and I am 15 or so hours ahead of central time. Vinaka (Thank you)!

Much love to all of you!

P.S. Of course I have a huge want list… including my Fiji Rough Guide that sis insisted I leave behind. Maybe the Fiji Lonely Planet May 2009 Edition is out now??? I would also love some letters, size medium womens Nike biker shorts, a few pair of comfy knee length lounge pants, another mesh hamper, some generic naproxen sodium, some Frontline dog or cat flea and tick medicine, and I think that is about it! Oh, pictures of home and friends! Miss ya’ll lots!

Moce (Goodbye), Sota Tale (See ya later!)

Ok, pictures are not loading so I will say more! I learned how to go crabbing, clean the piggeries, garden, cook roti and pancakes, cut veggies, and do masimasi (dishes). So, keeping busy with my cross cultural training and Fijian learning. It seems like an easy language to learn I am just rushing myself. This weekend a few other volunteers and I are going to visit a current volunteer on the other side of Vitu Levu. I am stoked! So I get to learn how it is to live on your own in a village... which involves a lot of book reading, self motivation, and cleaning!! Lol. I will have a CLEAN house so that I don't get any scary hookworms, ringworms, roundworms, scabies, fleas, ticks, lice, bed bugs, Dengue, Diarrhea, or any other infestation Peace Corps keep scaring us with! Well, I better go. Time for class again... oh yay!

Much more love,

Me