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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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