Today is the one month anniversary of my arrival in Fiji. So far my favorite highlights are: the swing at the beach house, sea kayaking, water fall jumping, eating fish in coconut milk, learning how to make curry, and tossing the disk at Natadola Beach. It's been one hell of a ride. We leave tomorrow for a two week excursion to a traditional village, the Indo-Fijian community of Labasa, a fancy yacht city called Savusavu, and Taveuni. Taveuni is known as the garden island. I'm ready for some intense experiences.
Things have been a little better with my family. I'm trying to focus on my time with my siblings, especially my brothers. Today we had a guest lecturer who is a high chief. He used to be the vice president of Fiji but was deposed during the coup. He was an incredibly intelligent man who had some very forward thinking about the problems facing his country.
Today I also lucked out in terms of my potential research here. I got contacted about working with a collection of artifacts from the Bourewa site, which has the oldest documented occupation of people in Fiji, roughly 3500 years ago. The site was inhabited by the Lapita people, who are most well known for their pottery style. I would probably be working with a lithics collection, which is stone tools and my advisor would probably be a phd student here at the university. I got some books at the library today and I'm pretty psyched about the potential of the project. I also might get to travel to the site with this project, which would be awesome. I also might be able to finish early, which would be perfect since I want to travel more. It feels good to be in the process of researching again.
I'll try to update from the excursion, but no promises.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Beach House and a Harsh Reality
I had a great weekend. We went to a backpackers' hostel on the Coral Coast called The Beach House. It was 25 dollars a night for a dormitory style bed, breakfast, afternoon tea, and free use of sea kayaks. The beach was beautiful. There were swings that went out over the water. Kayaking was a blast; Austin and I went out on the water. We saw blue starfish, some coral, and lots of fish. I grabbed my mask and hopped out for a closer view. It was awesome. We also swam out to a bamboo raft in the lagoon area and played around on that. I definitely want to go back there soon.
It was so nice to get a break from Suva and my host family. I like them, but don't like the Pentecostalism and the attitudes that come with it. I don't like feeling like I'm being judged or converted, especially by hypocritical evangelists. That's only from my Mother though. I need to work at focusing on other aspects of her personality that I like. She really is a caring woman who's just trying to do what she thinks is best. I get along with my siblings really well. My brother Danny is back from boarding school at the moment which is definitely a good thing, because he's hilarious. He makes me laugh really hard.
I'm definitely moving past the honeymoon period of my stay. Don't get me wrong, I love it here, but Fiji is definitely helping me appreciate life in America. Especially when it comes to civil rights and freedom of speech. Since the coup in 2006, the government has been a military dictatorship. Some would claim that Commodore Bainimarama is benevolent, but I would disagree. Censorship seems to be on the rise as well as incidents of violence. My friend's host father is a former politician who frequently speaks out against the government. So far, he's been taken to military camps and beaten, his house has been stoned, and someone broke into his car and shattered the windows. Other people like him have had molotov cocktails thrown at their house. It makes me really concerned for my friend's safety, especially since the situation seems to be escalating.
Other things have been frustrating me alot too besides the government and my host-mother, mainly a lack of consistent running water. I only have running water at my house about half of the time. It's really affecting my workout schedule because I'm not sure if there will be water to shower with when I finish. The power will also cut from my area of the house sometimes, and I have to go to the breaker box and turn it back on. I also have about twenty mosquito bites on my body at any given time, even when I apply bug spray. I'm really hoping I don't get dengue.
If the bitch fest above isn't any indication, homesickness has been hitting me pretty hard lately. Phone calls home are becoming more and more crucial. I did luck out at the video store though. I was feeling kind of down and then a solution just appeared in front of me: Stargate Continuum. In Fiji. For two dollars. It definitely made my day and helped with my homesickness.
We're leaving on Thursday for a two week excursion to a village, Vanua Levu, and Taveuni. The itenerary sounds pretty sweet, so I'm psyched.
It was so nice to get a break from Suva and my host family. I like them, but don't like the Pentecostalism and the attitudes that come with it. I don't like feeling like I'm being judged or converted, especially by hypocritical evangelists. That's only from my Mother though. I need to work at focusing on other aspects of her personality that I like. She really is a caring woman who's just trying to do what she thinks is best. I get along with my siblings really well. My brother Danny is back from boarding school at the moment which is definitely a good thing, because he's hilarious. He makes me laugh really hard.
I'm definitely moving past the honeymoon period of my stay. Don't get me wrong, I love it here, but Fiji is definitely helping me appreciate life in America. Especially when it comes to civil rights and freedom of speech. Since the coup in 2006, the government has been a military dictatorship. Some would claim that Commodore Bainimarama is benevolent, but I would disagree. Censorship seems to be on the rise as well as incidents of violence. My friend's host father is a former politician who frequently speaks out against the government. So far, he's been taken to military camps and beaten, his house has been stoned, and someone broke into his car and shattered the windows. Other people like him have had molotov cocktails thrown at their house. It makes me really concerned for my friend's safety, especially since the situation seems to be escalating.
Other things have been frustrating me alot too besides the government and my host-mother, mainly a lack of consistent running water. I only have running water at my house about half of the time. It's really affecting my workout schedule because I'm not sure if there will be water to shower with when I finish. The power will also cut from my area of the house sometimes, and I have to go to the breaker box and turn it back on. I also have about twenty mosquito bites on my body at any given time, even when I apply bug spray. I'm really hoping I don't get dengue.
If the bitch fest above isn't any indication, homesickness has been hitting me pretty hard lately. Phone calls home are becoming more and more crucial. I did luck out at the video store though. I was feeling kind of down and then a solution just appeared in front of me: Stargate Continuum. In Fiji. For two dollars. It definitely made my day and helped with my homesickness.
We're leaving on Thursday for a two week excursion to a village, Vanua Levu, and Taveuni. The itenerary sounds pretty sweet, so I'm psyched.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Volcanoes, Tsunamis, and Curry.
Today was intense. On the ride to school this morning, the radio show was interrupted with an announcement that a volcano eruption/earthquake of 7.7 magnitude had occurred in Tonga and that all of Fiji was on tsunami watch. My host mom started freaking out about how close that was. The DJ said all people near the coast should get to higher ground immediately and apparently they canceled school for all the kids in the area. She dropped me off at school and told me to call her if our activity was canceled and I needed a ride. Campus was pretty deserted, which freaked me out. Someone on their cell phone near my class room was talking about finding the highest point on campus. Then I heard if we were going to get hit, it would happen in the next 20 minutes, which freaked me out. Morning classes were canceled at the university. We had a field excursion planned for today, and since I hadn't heard anything else, I decided to just go to the designated meeting spot, at Cost-U-Less, aka Fijian Costco. There I met up with my friend Austin, which was a relief. I kept glancing towards the coastline trying to catch sight of a wall of water. Austin and I waited together for people to show up, but we didn't see anyone else from our group. We jokingly made up a safety plan, which consisted of buying a raft at Cost-u-less and riding the tsunami across Fiji. We decided to call some of our friends, and found out that they had been told to meet at someone's house in the hills, but we hadn't recieved the text about it. A few minutes later we finally heard that the warning was removed, and that a tsunami wasn't going to hit. It was pretty anti-climactic, but it had been a terrifying half hour of my life. The worst part of it was the uncertainty. I didn't know if it was gonna hit or what I would have done if it did.
Since the natural disaster was non-existant, we ended up going on our planned field trip to and Indo-Fijian community to cook with some of the women there. We learned how to make curry, chutney, roti, purri, vegetables, and these little bits of fried dough. It was a great experience. The women were really kind and patient. Most of the food was pretty tasty too. Indian food is still not my favorite, but I'm slowly developing a taste for it. There were also some adorable kids there, who we got to play with. They were so much fun. I have a great video of one of them dancing that I will try and post soon.
Tomorrow some of us are heading to the Coral Coast for a couple days of relaxing at the beach. It should be really fun. I'm ready to get out of the city for awhile. It's been a stressful week. I also hit my head really hard yesterday. I was sitting at a desk in my classroom and a projection screen fell on top of me. The metal pole that held the screen hit me square in the back of the head. I don't think its concussed but my head has been killing me.
I put pictures on facebook. Email me if you would like a public link to the album.
-Al
Since the natural disaster was non-existant, we ended up going on our planned field trip to and Indo-Fijian community to cook with some of the women there. We learned how to make curry, chutney, roti, purri, vegetables, and these little bits of fried dough. It was a great experience. The women were really kind and patient. Most of the food was pretty tasty too. Indian food is still not my favorite, but I'm slowly developing a taste for it. There were also some adorable kids there, who we got to play with. They were so much fun. I have a great video of one of them dancing that I will try and post soon.
Tomorrow some of us are heading to the Coral Coast for a couple days of relaxing at the beach. It should be really fun. I'm ready to get out of the city for awhile. It's been a stressful week. I also hit my head really hard yesterday. I was sitting at a desk in my classroom and a projection screen fell on top of me. The metal pole that held the screen hit me square in the back of the head. I don't think its concussed but my head has been killing me.
I put pictures on facebook. Email me if you would like a public link to the album.
-Al
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Ni sa bula. Sa Vakacava tiko?
Sheesh. I have a lot to write about and the only thing more neglected then this blog is my personal journal.
I'll start by saying today has been pretty shitty. The computer I brought with me (not my beloved mac, a borrowed pc) died and has to be reformatted. So I'm losing some pictures and the paper I've been working on all week. FML.
We went to Levuka for Friday and Saturday. We rode a ferry from Viti Levu (the main island) to Ovalau, where Levuka is. Levuka is the former capital, so there's a ton of history there. We took a tour on Saturday morning and got to see some cool places. There were several old churches that were really pretty. We also saw where the Deed of Cession was signed. This was the document that gave Fiji to great Britain as a colony. The main town area of Levuka consisted of one big street of shops and restaurants. The main industry of the town is tuna processing, so the place smelled lovely, as you can imagine. There were also dead frogs everywhere. It was disgusting. I'm pretty sure everytime you lose a game of Frogger, the corpse is deposited in Levuka. Don't ask me why.
The hotel we were staying in was called the Royal Hotel, and it was the oldest hotel in Fiji. (hundreds of years.) The hotel was really creepy and historical. We asked the staff if it was haunted and they said yes. Apparently a sailor hung himself on the staircase. Since it was Friday the 13th and all, a few of us decided to not waste the amazing opportunity and have a seance. We did it in one of the parlor type rooms near the lobby. We lit nine candles, placed bread in the center, held hands, and did a chant. It was pretty terrifying. We heard really faint footsteps coming towards the room, but then they stopped outside the door, and we didn't see anyone. It was a really interesting experience. We ended up breaking the circle, ending the 'connection' and channeling our inner scooby doo characters as we hustled back to rooms.
Saturday night all the students and their host families gathered for a big party. We ate some delicious food and got to know everyone elses' families.
Sunday morning I went to church. My host mother is a hardcore Pentecostal Christian, and is determined to save my soul. I've never missed my Lutheran upbringing so much in my life. The service was intense. People were falling on their knees and rolling their eyes into the back of their head, singing to the heavens, and dancing. There were also people there dressed all in silver who were playing tambourines. I don't know why. I tried to find out, and failed. The highlight of Sunday is the lunch. Everyone has a big meal for lunch after church. We had roast chicken, fish and ferns in coconut milk, cucumbers and potatoe salad. It was very tasty.
Things I'm Still Adjusting to:
1. Being white. Everytime I get on the bus to go to the suburb where I live, the bus driver stops me and asks me if I'm sure where I'm going. I'm going to start responding in Fijian that I'm going home. (Au lako i vale.) Maybe that will shut him up.
2. Watching movies constantly. That's the main activity here. You can buy cheap dvds most places and everyone watches them all the time. Not good movies, mind you, crap American movies from the 80's and 90's you forgot existed. I'm trying to find a copy of Indiana Jones for my 12 year old host brother because he's never seen it.
3. My host family's intense faith that I don't necessarily agree with.
4. Feeling like a child again. My host mom makes my lunch. I have a curfew. It's a weird time reversion.
5. Sweating constantly. Powerade has become my favorite treat. Anything isotonic really.
I don't have pics today, because of the aforementioned computer problems, but hopefully tomorrow.
I'll start by saying today has been pretty shitty. The computer I brought with me (not my beloved mac, a borrowed pc) died and has to be reformatted. So I'm losing some pictures and the paper I've been working on all week. FML.
We went to Levuka for Friday and Saturday. We rode a ferry from Viti Levu (the main island) to Ovalau, where Levuka is. Levuka is the former capital, so there's a ton of history there. We took a tour on Saturday morning and got to see some cool places. There were several old churches that were really pretty. We also saw where the Deed of Cession was signed. This was the document that gave Fiji to great Britain as a colony. The main town area of Levuka consisted of one big street of shops and restaurants. The main industry of the town is tuna processing, so the place smelled lovely, as you can imagine. There were also dead frogs everywhere. It was disgusting. I'm pretty sure everytime you lose a game of Frogger, the corpse is deposited in Levuka. Don't ask me why.
The hotel we were staying in was called the Royal Hotel, and it was the oldest hotel in Fiji. (hundreds of years.) The hotel was really creepy and historical. We asked the staff if it was haunted and they said yes. Apparently a sailor hung himself on the staircase. Since it was Friday the 13th and all, a few of us decided to not waste the amazing opportunity and have a seance. We did it in one of the parlor type rooms near the lobby. We lit nine candles, placed bread in the center, held hands, and did a chant. It was pretty terrifying. We heard really faint footsteps coming towards the room, but then they stopped outside the door, and we didn't see anyone. It was a really interesting experience. We ended up breaking the circle, ending the 'connection' and channeling our inner scooby doo characters as we hustled back to rooms.
Saturday night all the students and their host families gathered for a big party. We ate some delicious food and got to know everyone elses' families.
Sunday morning I went to church. My host mother is a hardcore Pentecostal Christian, and is determined to save my soul. I've never missed my Lutheran upbringing so much in my life. The service was intense. People were falling on their knees and rolling their eyes into the back of their head, singing to the heavens, and dancing. There were also people there dressed all in silver who were playing tambourines. I don't know why. I tried to find out, and failed. The highlight of Sunday is the lunch. Everyone has a big meal for lunch after church. We had roast chicken, fish and ferns in coconut milk, cucumbers and potatoe salad. It was very tasty.
Things I'm Still Adjusting to:
1. Being white. Everytime I get on the bus to go to the suburb where I live, the bus driver stops me and asks me if I'm sure where I'm going. I'm going to start responding in Fijian that I'm going home. (Au lako i vale.) Maybe that will shut him up.
2. Watching movies constantly. That's the main activity here. You can buy cheap dvds most places and everyone watches them all the time. Not good movies, mind you, crap American movies from the 80's and 90's you forgot existed. I'm trying to find a copy of Indiana Jones for my 12 year old host brother because he's never seen it.
3. My host family's intense faith that I don't necessarily agree with.
4. Feeling like a child again. My host mom makes my lunch. I have a curfew. It's a weird time reversion.
5. Sweating constantly. Powerade has become my favorite treat. Anything isotonic really.
I don't have pics today, because of the aforementioned computer problems, but hopefully tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Au lesu mai na wavu.
I return from the wharf. Cultural lesson of the day: Girls should not say this, because females at the wharf are prostitutes. Vital info.
We've started our Fijian language course. It's not terribly hard to pick up the basics. We've learned phonetics, sentence structure, verb tenses and basic greetings.
I've also moved in with my host family. I have a Na (mom in Fijian), three brothers, a female cousin, and two girls who live at the house with us. William, Danny, Mike, Sereana, Una, and Mary. Two of my brothers are away at boarding school. Mike is 12 and I'm teaching him to throw the frisbee. Sereana is my cousin, and she's a student at USP too, so she helps me navigate the bus system.
I have my own room, study space, and bathroom which is a big deal. My host mom is an excellent cook. So far I've eaten: shepard's pie, cassava, meatballs, and really delicious chocolate cookies. She also makes her own guava jelly. The one thing I tried that I didn't like was fermented seaweed in coconut milk. It was like really nasty jello. I had to work hard not to gag when I tried it.
My host siblings really enjoy American pop culture. They listen to music and watch movies from the states all the time. My family has a farm, and on the farm were a dog and some puppies. My siblings had named them Beyonce, Chris Brown, Rhianna, and Akon. It's insane.
Here are some random pictures from around Suva:
A flamingo flower at the Suva produce market.
Fisherman with their catch at the fish market.
The view from the balcony at the hostel.
A woman selling souvenirs to tourists.
Low income housing outside the city. This is what housing looks like in squatter settlements.
We've leaving on excursion tomorrow to another island. I'll try and post some pics of my house when I get back.
We've started our Fijian language course. It's not terribly hard to pick up the basics. We've learned phonetics, sentence structure, verb tenses and basic greetings.
I've also moved in with my host family. I have a Na (mom in Fijian), three brothers, a female cousin, and two girls who live at the house with us. William, Danny, Mike, Sereana, Una, and Mary. Two of my brothers are away at boarding school. Mike is 12 and I'm teaching him to throw the frisbee. Sereana is my cousin, and she's a student at USP too, so she helps me navigate the bus system.
I have my own room, study space, and bathroom which is a big deal. My host mom is an excellent cook. So far I've eaten: shepard's pie, cassava, meatballs, and really delicious chocolate cookies. She also makes her own guava jelly. The one thing I tried that I didn't like was fermented seaweed in coconut milk. It was like really nasty jello. I had to work hard not to gag when I tried it.
My host siblings really enjoy American pop culture. They listen to music and watch movies from the states all the time. My family has a farm, and on the farm were a dog and some puppies. My siblings had named them Beyonce, Chris Brown, Rhianna, and Akon. It's insane.
Here are some random pictures from around Suva:
A flamingo flower at the Suva produce market.
Fisherman with their catch at the fish market.
The view from the balcony at the hostel.
A woman selling souvenirs to tourists.
Low income housing outside the city. This is what housing looks like in squatter settlements.
We've leaving on excursion tomorrow to another island. I'll try and post some pics of my house when I get back.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Ear update: Turns out I burned the interior surface of my left ear and got water in my right one. I'm on antibiotics right now which should help my hearing get back to normal, but I might have permanently lost some hearing in my left ear. Whoops.
This is Natadola Beach. The Seventh most beautiful in the world. That was a great day.
I was wandering around Suva taking some pictures, and these construction workers really wanted to pose for me.
I call this one, "Unsuspecting victim meets 'The Deafener'."
Who wants some Kava?
I do! One and done.
This is Natadola Beach. The Seventh most beautiful in the world. That was a great day.
I was wandering around Suva taking some pictures, and these construction workers really wanted to pose for me.
I call this one, "Unsuspecting victim meets 'The Deafener'."
Who wants some Kava?
I do! One and done.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Rough Adjustments
I'm getting over an ear injury today. Yesterday we visited a lower economic class neighborhood to do some community service. We picked up trash and helped plant flowers. Once we were done some of the youths in the area took us on a hike to a waterfall for swimming. The waterfall was amazing. Swimming was really fun. I climbed to the top with our guides and my friends Austin and Brian to check out another waterfall. This one was much taller and really cool. In order to get down though, we had to jump off a ledge into the collecting pool. I pushed myself off as far as I could so that I wouldn't hit any of the rocks and ended up hitting the water ear first. When I came to the surface all I heard was a high pitched beep. I saw Brian swimming towards me mouthing the words "Are you OK?" It was intense. I think my ear filled with water really quickly and got bruised. I put some swimmers' ear drops in it, which seem to be helping it. If it still feels weird tomorrow, I think I'm going to find a doctor.
Beyond my ear, things are going well. We're spending some time in Suva today, which will be fun. The hostel we've been staying at has been experiencing water shortages, which is rough. I'll definitely be ready to move in with my host family on Monday. I found out some details about them. I have three teenage brothers. (story of my life) Two of them are at boarding school though, and will only be around on weekends. My other brother is 13. My host-dad works for the UN and is in Georgia right now. I'm not sure how much I'll see him. Apparently my host-mom is really nice. I'm getting pretty excited about it.
Other things that take some getting used to:
1. Taking my time. Everything from restaurant service to Kava Ceremonies is really laid back. No one is in a hurry to do anything.
2. Crossing the street. Cars drive on the opposite side of the road here, so looking both ways is taking on a whole new meaning. I almost got hit by a bus the other day because I checked the wrong way for traffic.
3. My new diet. Curry. Nuff said.
4. Navigating public transportation in a large city. I'm getting really comfortable with being lost.
5. No Disc. Anywhere. I miss ultimate, but I'm coping. Who's up for rugby?
Beyond my ear, things are going well. We're spending some time in Suva today, which will be fun. The hostel we've been staying at has been experiencing water shortages, which is rough. I'll definitely be ready to move in with my host family on Monday. I found out some details about them. I have three teenage brothers. (story of my life) Two of them are at boarding school though, and will only be around on weekends. My other brother is 13. My host-dad works for the UN and is in Georgia right now. I'm not sure how much I'll see him. Apparently my host-mom is really nice. I'm getting pretty excited about it.
Other things that take some getting used to:
1. Taking my time. Everything from restaurant service to Kava Ceremonies is really laid back. No one is in a hurry to do anything.
2. Crossing the street. Cars drive on the opposite side of the road here, so looking both ways is taking on a whole new meaning. I almost got hit by a bus the other day because I checked the wrong way for traffic.
3. My new diet. Curry. Nuff said.
4. Navigating public transportation in a large city. I'm getting really comfortable with being lost.
5. No Disc. Anywhere. I miss ultimate, but I'm coping. Who's up for rugby?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
PICTURES!
As promised, here are some photos from the first week.
This is the whole group in front of the Hindu Temple in Nadi.
I took this with the kids I met on the Lautoka drop off. They were adorable and very friendly.
This is a double sided canoe the the Fiji Museum in Suva.
One of the sunsets in Suva
This is the whole group in front of the Hindu Temple in Nadi.
I took this with the kids I met on the Lautoka drop off. They were adorable and very friendly.
This is a double sided canoe the the Fiji Museum in Suva.
One of the sunsets in Suva
Monday, March 2, 2009
More from Suva
I just got my wireless hooked up on the University of the South Pacific Campus so I'm pretty psyched to have a solid internet connection. I also just got my cell phone here and was able to call home, which was really nice. The weather is still really hot. We had more lectures today. One was about the coup cycle in Fijian politics and the other was about economics. It's kind of nice to be back into academics. It helps me realize that I'm not just here on vacation. The campus here is beautiful. It has lots of trees and flowers and winding paths. We have class in a Bure, which is a traditional Fijian house. It's pretty sweet. I've still been feeling pretty sick, but I think that once I get over it I can really start to enjoy myself. We're staying in a hostel this week which is a little tougher then the hotel we were based out of last week. I'm starting to get to know the kids in my program better. They're from all over the country, which is interesting. I promise pictures tomorrow, now that I've got set internet.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Suva
Hey everybody,
It's been a busy few days. I've been feeling kinda sick lately with the adjustments to water and my new diet. Everyday is an uphill battle to stay hydrated. We had another Kava ceremony on Friday. It lasted much longer. I probably had ten cups. By the end of the night, it had completely lost its novelty and appeal. We explored the town of Ba on Saturday. On Sunday we went to Natadola Beach. It's one the most beautiful beaches in the world according to the travel channel. It was wonderful to swim in the ocean and toss the frisbee around. Right now I'm in Suva. We had our first lecture this morning and it was about archaeology, which made me happy. I'll try and post pictures this week.
-Al
It's been a busy few days. I've been feeling kinda sick lately with the adjustments to water and my new diet. Everyday is an uphill battle to stay hydrated. We had another Kava ceremony on Friday. It lasted much longer. I probably had ten cups. By the end of the night, it had completely lost its novelty and appeal. We explored the town of Ba on Saturday. On Sunday we went to Natadola Beach. It's one the most beautiful beaches in the world according to the travel channel. It was wonderful to swim in the ocean and toss the frisbee around. Right now I'm in Suva. We had our first lecture this morning and it was about archaeology, which made me happy. I'll try and post pictures this week.
-Al
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