Merry Christmas! Christmas Eve, my favorite day of the year. It's bloody hot. I'm en route to church, which I'm spending with the Catholics in town. Our choir has been practicing for a few months now.
Apparently the Prime Minister said that starting in January, all girls either in town or the village, have to wear long skirts, down to their ankles. No pants/shorts at all, no tank tops at all (in the village these things are taboo anyway, but allowable in town).
My Fijian parents have gone to Suva for the holidays leaving this other gentleman that eats with us, me, and my brother alone. They asked another grandma/grandpa to stay with us but really she and i are doing all the cooking. It's such a big job. I've known how much work the women do, but it wasn't until it was my responsibility that I realized just how much work the women do. I mean, they are busy busy all the time. Cooking, eating, cleaning, cooking, eating, cleaning and in between they make mats and wash all teh clothes and go fishing and take care of the kids and do everything else. Cooking with the fire is time consuming, as is preparing all the food (everything's fresh). Then preparing to eat and cleaning up after eating are big jobs, too. It's exhausting and I don't even do that much- most of the preparing/cleaning.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Dec 4
Long time, no post. Let's see... while I've been really busy, it's really just village life occupying my time. Unfortunately, my camera is still kaput so I have no pictures to show, which is really unfortunate because last Friday the kindergarten class had their 'graduation' and concert. It was adorable! The kids did a bunch of 'meke' (songs and dance, where they wear skirts and bracelets made of leaves and flowers with flower necklaces) and sang songs. Then they wore these robes and hats to receive certificates for completion. Very cute. And we had a huge, wonderful tea afterwards (multiple kinds of 'pie' and scones and breads and cassava sweets, roti parcels and sandwiches and cake. it was a feast!).
We had a lot of grog for awhile so my gang and I switched to new entertainment at night: watching movies. My brother stays in this empty house in a nice decent size room. We hook up my laptop, shut all the curtains, and watch movies for hours. Some sprawl on the bed, the rest on the floor. We pull in another mattress and cuddle up. It's great.
14 December
As I'm writing this, a tropical cyclone has decided to grace us with his presence. His name is Nick, andhe's somewhere east of Nadi, south of Labasa. I actually don't knowwhere he is at the minute, havingchanged course of direction over night. All I know is I have plywood coveringmy window and it has been raining allridiculous like for the past few days. Sometimes it will let up for a fewminutes or an hour or two, but mostly it's non-stop. Last night was super heavy winds. If it comes, it'll be a Category 1 storm, says the radio. And thank heavens for Fijian radio, with hourly (and more, if needed) reports about the situation.
Something came up at lunch today, which I have to address. I tried to promise myselfnotto be too political, given that I actually have readers (a big old 'Welcome!' to my 7th and 8th grade pen pals!) and I should control myself. That said, I do have to address something. I think sometimes we in the U.S. forget that we do not, in fact, live in a bubble and that things that are said, even small blips or soundbytes from newspapers and TV, can indeed have a big impact, maybe for the wrong reasons, on very easily influenced media markets. I'm speaking specifically about comments made from extreme right wingers and the overtly, zealously religious (or both- conservative religious folks) made traveling from one country to the next, to un-democratic developing countries with similar characteristics (conservative, religious). Case in point: I have heard multiple times that Hurricane Katrina was a result of states legalizing/ recognizing same-sex marriage. Apparently, severe tropical storms that kill thousands and render thousands more homeless, particularly affecting poor, black families is God's revenge on equality. This assuming that there is not only (a) god but one that feels it necessary to kill his (her?) followers as punishment for enacting his (her?) “Good Work.”
To clarify, what is said perhaps facetiously, perhaps seriously, from TV pundits or evangelists or just plain old bullies, has been construed as something much more serious in a place like Fiji, a country where A) Freedom of the Press is not a constitutional right protected by government but seriously censored and monitored; and B) the media is uncompetitive and fledgling with limited means and resources; and C) mostly influenced by Australian/ Aussie companies, well... statements like “Katrina happened because of gay people” do make it over here. And statements like that are taken seriously. Here, there is no separation of church and state.
If that is part of the way to “Win Souls to Jesus at Any Cost” (a sign I pass by a church on my way into town), no thank you. What kind of god would allows thousands of innocent people to have their homes and lives ruined, families torn apart, all their earthly possessions swept away as part of a lesson, or again, as a revenge for providing access to civil rights for all human beings? I don't understand it, and I can't- again- subscribe to that line of reasoning. Religion shouldn't be a war, or a battle, and it shouldn't be the lame excuse for the kind of damage caused by global warming, bureaucratic fuck-ups, racism, classism, and a really shitty act of a pissed off nature that, four years later, still hasn't received nearly enough attention as it should have.
The fact that people here, in Fiji, laugh about that kind of behavior on behalf of their God (both times I have heard this people have been from different religions, mind you), while their own compatriots are suffering the same weather patterns, to a lesser degree, is troubling. Knowing that Fijian press will print what influential, or loud-mouthed, people print/say in America, as probably happens all over the world in developing countries, do we not have some sort of responsibility, obligation, to think before we go off on behalf of “God”? I think for me, this also is stemming from having read a lot of (American) articles about the American press lately. I mean, if Newsweek and Time can be critical of their peers (as maybe is their responsibility being capitalists before being journalists), can't the American public be critical, or a little more discerning? Ultimately, it is us/you all, who dictate who is able to be heard. (I.e.: don't like what Limbaugh or O'Reilly or the rest have to say? TURN THEM OFF!) We do, despite what they will have you believe, have the power.
Lecture done. Wait, one more thing- what in the world has Time done to their format??? It's awful.
16 December
Ah, Christmastime... see the decorated houses with their hurricane proofing materials, feel the nice hot sun beating down on you on the busy streets unsealed, wonder at the multitude of mysterious bites- mosquito? Flea? Spider? Bedbug? Other random creature?,
Wouldn't you know it, sun is shining and hot and humid and barely a cloud in the sky. Been this way since Tuesday.
Our mangroves are hanginginthere, despite the near-hurricane and the poor timing for planting (while we planted them about five or so weeks ago, this is still really bad timing for planting mangroves along floodplains). These mangroves are being planted in thenext village up from me, where they have embraced natural flood prevention measures, as opposed to cutting down mangroves or expensive, environmentally destruction measures (as is happening in my village).
Long time, no post. Let's see... while I've been really busy, it's really just village life occupying my time. Unfortunately, my camera is still kaput so I have no pictures to show, which is really unfortunate because last Friday the kindergarten class had their 'graduation' and concert. It was adorable! The kids did a bunch of 'meke' (songs and dance, where they wear skirts and bracelets made of leaves and flowers with flower necklaces) and sang songs. Then they wore these robes and hats to receive certificates for completion. Very cute. And we had a huge, wonderful tea afterwards (multiple kinds of 'pie' and scones and breads and cassava sweets, roti parcels and sandwiches and cake. it was a feast!).
We had a lot of grog for awhile so my gang and I switched to new entertainment at night: watching movies. My brother stays in this empty house in a nice decent size room. We hook up my laptop, shut all the curtains, and watch movies for hours. Some sprawl on the bed, the rest on the floor. We pull in another mattress and cuddle up. It's great.
14 December
As I'm writing this, a tropical cyclone has decided to grace us with his presence. His name is Nick, andhe's somewhere east of Nadi, south of Labasa. I actually don't knowwhere he is at the minute, havingchanged course of direction over night. All I know is I have plywood coveringmy window and it has been raining allridiculous like for the past few days. Sometimes it will let up for a fewminutes or an hour or two, but mostly it's non-stop. Last night was super heavy winds. If it comes, it'll be a Category 1 storm, says the radio. And thank heavens for Fijian radio, with hourly (and more, if needed) reports about the situation.
Something came up at lunch today, which I have to address. I tried to promise myselfnotto be too political, given that I actually have readers (a big old 'Welcome!' to my 7th and 8th grade pen pals!) and I should control myself. That said, I do have to address something. I think sometimes we in the U.S. forget that we do not, in fact, live in a bubble and that things that are said, even small blips or soundbytes from newspapers and TV, can indeed have a big impact, maybe for the wrong reasons, on very easily influenced media markets. I'm speaking specifically about comments made from extreme right wingers and the overtly, zealously religious (or both- conservative religious folks) made traveling from one country to the next, to un-democratic developing countries with similar characteristics (conservative, religious). Case in point: I have heard multiple times that Hurricane Katrina was a result of states legalizing/ recognizing same-sex marriage. Apparently, severe tropical storms that kill thousands and render thousands more homeless, particularly affecting poor, black families is God's revenge on equality. This assuming that there is not only (a) god but one that feels it necessary to kill his (her?) followers as punishment for enacting his (her?) “Good Work.”
To clarify, what is said perhaps facetiously, perhaps seriously, from TV pundits or evangelists or just plain old bullies, has been construed as something much more serious in a place like Fiji, a country where A) Freedom of the Press is not a constitutional right protected by government but seriously censored and monitored; and B) the media is uncompetitive and fledgling with limited means and resources; and C) mostly influenced by Australian/ Aussie companies, well... statements like “Katrina happened because of gay people” do make it over here. And statements like that are taken seriously. Here, there is no separation of church and state.
If that is part of the way to “Win Souls to Jesus at Any Cost” (a sign I pass by a church on my way into town), no thank you. What kind of god would allows thousands of innocent people to have their homes and lives ruined, families torn apart, all their earthly possessions swept away as part of a lesson, or again, as a revenge for providing access to civil rights for all human beings? I don't understand it, and I can't- again- subscribe to that line of reasoning. Religion shouldn't be a war, or a battle, and it shouldn't be the lame excuse for the kind of damage caused by global warming, bureaucratic fuck-ups, racism, classism, and a really shitty act of a pissed off nature that, four years later, still hasn't received nearly enough attention as it should have.
The fact that people here, in Fiji, laugh about that kind of behavior on behalf of their God (both times I have heard this people have been from different religions, mind you), while their own compatriots are suffering the same weather patterns, to a lesser degree, is troubling. Knowing that Fijian press will print what influential, or loud-mouthed, people print/say in America, as probably happens all over the world in developing countries, do we not have some sort of responsibility, obligation, to think before we go off on behalf of “God”? I think for me, this also is stemming from having read a lot of (American) articles about the American press lately. I mean, if Newsweek and Time can be critical of their peers (as maybe is their responsibility being capitalists before being journalists), can't the American public be critical, or a little more discerning? Ultimately, it is us/you all, who dictate who is able to be heard. (I.e.: don't like what Limbaugh or O'Reilly or the rest have to say? TURN THEM OFF!) We do, despite what they will have you believe, have the power.
Lecture done. Wait, one more thing- what in the world has Time done to their format??? It's awful.
16 December
Ah, Christmastime... see the decorated houses with their hurricane proofing materials, feel the nice hot sun beating down on you on the busy streets unsealed, wonder at the multitude of mysterious bites- mosquito? Flea? Spider? Bedbug? Other random creature?,
Wouldn't you know it, sun is shining and hot and humid and barely a cloud in the sky. Been this way since Tuesday.
Our mangroves are hanginginthere, despite the near-hurricane and the poor timing for planting (while we planted them about five or so weeks ago, this is still really bad timing for planting mangroves along floodplains). These mangroves are being planted in thenext village up from me, where they have embraced natural flood prevention measures, as opposed to cutting down mangroves or expensive, environmentally destruction measures (as is happening in my village).
Friday, October 23, 2009
Extreme Stationary
Well, I'm back and... I'm sick again! Yay! This time it's really bad. I have a head cold again and I've been coughing so much I lost my voice. That, in addition to the fact that the school bazaar just ended. It started Wednesday and my last day was yesterday, but I think some people are still going. Different villages sent up a stall and sell food and other stuff. Each stall/ mataqali (different families) raise money for the school. There is also a really big 7's rugby tournament. Our team, Pusi loa (black cats, but yes, pusi is the same as pussy), was boys from three different villages nearby and they had two teams. They made it to the semi-finals but lost. Unfortunately, it's been really busy in the village and having a wedding Wednesday didn't help anything. (weddings mean busy-ness and lots o' grog drinking)
Ah, the wedding. This was my brother's wedding, which was supposed to be on Tuesday. Then it changed the day before. Why, you ask. Well, I don't really know. But guess who was the bridesmaid/maid of honor?!? Yup, me. I had about 20 minutes notice. Really all it meant was that I wore the masi cloth, had sandalwood in my hair, stood next to the bride, and had to shake a bajillion hands. And gets lots of kisses. Oh, and I got the best part of the fish at lunch.
But back to the bazaar. Our stall sold different styles of fish (curried, fried parcels, with lolo), turtle, sausage stew, pie, tuna sandwiches (bread with tuna and butter and grated carrot and tomatoes and more butter), and tea. I had to help collect the money, which made for really long, tiring days. At night, there's grog drinking and dancing. It was fun, but would have been more fun had I been healthy. Add to the cold and late nights/early mornings (up before 5 am!!!) and grog drinking, there was a lot of cheering for the boys. It was a riot: all these big old Fijian women with their fancy sulu jaba (the dress/skirt outfit) with a purse on one arm and a big old knife in the other running out into the field screaming and cheering and hugging the ref when they scored.... and jumping up and hitting the roofing iron with your knife... and general merriment. For 15 minutes. No, really, it was a lot of fun. People come from all over for this. I've been hearing about it for almost the entire year I've been in the village. I only danced on Thursday; Friday I was just too tired. People think it's a hoot when I dance and there's nothing like dancing a hill in a space about four feet by four feet with about 100 boys and men watching you and another boy dance.
Speaking of dancing in small spaces... have I mentioned my sure-fire stress relief/ warm up for the bathroom cure? Well, it's like this: first I close my doors, then my curtains. Then I make sure I'm wearing something comfortable and I tie up my hair. Then I grab my iPod and head for my shower, a very very small space. I turn on my iPod, play my 'favorites' playlist, and crank the volume. And then I dance. And dance. I shake it like you wouldn't believe. Every kind of danc emove, I do it in the privacy of my shower. You'd be surprised what you can do in a small space. Definite dance favorites: Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show, Friends in Low Places, anything Violent Femmes, Debaser (Pixies), M.I.A., Santogold, some Wilco, some Regina Spektor, Everlong (you forget that the Foo Fighters used to know how to rock it out. I forget that sometimes I can headbang. Try it to this song!), Son of a Preacher Man, and of course, Total Eclipse of the Heart! Only thing missing: Like a Prayer. Would you believe it, I didn't put the Immaculate Collection on my iTunes!!!!! Of course, there are others (Chris Brown's Forever, anything from Kate) but those are foolproof songs to make me sweat. And it makes the freezing cold shower water bearable in the cold weather and coldness of my shower. My bathroom is the coolest place in my house- it's really dark and the cement bottom stays cool.
Yeah, it'd be even funnier if you saw it in real life. Before, I used to just stay in half of my bure. But then I got really paranoid and so I've moved into the bathroom, which does have its limitations (like almost falling when it's slippery from water). But it makes me feel rejuvenated. My favorite time is before church on Sundays. it's actually the worst time to do it but no one knows how awful I'm being by breaking the rule of not doing anything physical on a Sunday and it inevitably makes me late for church.
Oh, to explain the title of this post, "Extreme Stationary" is the name of one of the rugby teams. I don't know what it means, because that's not really anything in English, is it? They're an army group, so I think they're thinking along the lines of "stations" or maybe that they're so good they're immovable objects? Hmm...
Unfortunately, I can't post any pictures because I only have a couple from the past week. Wednesday at the wedding my camera decided to stop working. The screen is black. I took some pictures and then it went black and I can't do anything with it. It worked a couple hours later but yesterday the team wanted a picture (we've been talking aobut this picture for six months!!) and my camera didn't work. :( What to do?!? I wanted a picture of my family here, too, because we don't have one of all of us.
hopefully things will slow down in a couple weeks and I can kick these bad things out of my immune system. During Diwali I binged on sweets, then during the bazaar I didn't eat anything healthy and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it, too!
Ah, the wedding. This was my brother's wedding, which was supposed to be on Tuesday. Then it changed the day before. Why, you ask. Well, I don't really know. But guess who was the bridesmaid/maid of honor?!? Yup, me. I had about 20 minutes notice. Really all it meant was that I wore the masi cloth, had sandalwood in my hair, stood next to the bride, and had to shake a bajillion hands. And gets lots of kisses. Oh, and I got the best part of the fish at lunch.
But back to the bazaar. Our stall sold different styles of fish (curried, fried parcels, with lolo), turtle, sausage stew, pie, tuna sandwiches (bread with tuna and butter and grated carrot and tomatoes and more butter), and tea. I had to help collect the money, which made for really long, tiring days. At night, there's grog drinking and dancing. It was fun, but would have been more fun had I been healthy. Add to the cold and late nights/early mornings (up before 5 am!!!) and grog drinking, there was a lot of cheering for the boys. It was a riot: all these big old Fijian women with their fancy sulu jaba (the dress/skirt outfit) with a purse on one arm and a big old knife in the other running out into the field screaming and cheering and hugging the ref when they scored.... and jumping up and hitting the roofing iron with your knife... and general merriment. For 15 minutes. No, really, it was a lot of fun. People come from all over for this. I've been hearing about it for almost the entire year I've been in the village. I only danced on Thursday; Friday I was just too tired. People think it's a hoot when I dance and there's nothing like dancing a hill in a space about four feet by four feet with about 100 boys and men watching you and another boy dance.
Speaking of dancing in small spaces... have I mentioned my sure-fire stress relief/ warm up for the bathroom cure? Well, it's like this: first I close my doors, then my curtains. Then I make sure I'm wearing something comfortable and I tie up my hair. Then I grab my iPod and head for my shower, a very very small space. I turn on my iPod, play my 'favorites' playlist, and crank the volume. And then I dance. And dance. I shake it like you wouldn't believe. Every kind of danc emove, I do it in the privacy of my shower. You'd be surprised what you can do in a small space. Definite dance favorites: Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show, Friends in Low Places, anything Violent Femmes, Debaser (Pixies), M.I.A., Santogold, some Wilco, some Regina Spektor, Everlong (you forget that the Foo Fighters used to know how to rock it out. I forget that sometimes I can headbang. Try it to this song!), Son of a Preacher Man, and of course, Total Eclipse of the Heart! Only thing missing: Like a Prayer. Would you believe it, I didn't put the Immaculate Collection on my iTunes!!!!! Of course, there are others (Chris Brown's Forever, anything from Kate) but those are foolproof songs to make me sweat. And it makes the freezing cold shower water bearable in the cold weather and coldness of my shower. My bathroom is the coolest place in my house- it's really dark and the cement bottom stays cool.
Yeah, it'd be even funnier if you saw it in real life. Before, I used to just stay in half of my bure. But then I got really paranoid and so I've moved into the bathroom, which does have its limitations (like almost falling when it's slippery from water). But it makes me feel rejuvenated. My favorite time is before church on Sundays. it's actually the worst time to do it but no one knows how awful I'm being by breaking the rule of not doing anything physical on a Sunday and it inevitably makes me late for church.
Oh, to explain the title of this post, "Extreme Stationary" is the name of one of the rugby teams. I don't know what it means, because that's not really anything in English, is it? They're an army group, so I think they're thinking along the lines of "stations" or maybe that they're so good they're immovable objects? Hmm...
Unfortunately, I can't post any pictures because I only have a couple from the past week. Wednesday at the wedding my camera decided to stop working. The screen is black. I took some pictures and then it went black and I can't do anything with it. It worked a couple hours later but yesterday the team wanted a picture (we've been talking aobut this picture for six months!!) and my camera didn't work. :( What to do?!? I wanted a picture of my family here, too, because we don't have one of all of us.
hopefully things will slow down in a couple weeks and I can kick these bad things out of my immune system. During Diwali I binged on sweets, then during the bazaar I didn't eat anything healthy and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it, too!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Fiji Day and pictures
Well, things have been busy (at least, they seem busy until talking about them...). I got back from MST last week Monday after a nice week on Viti Levu. And I realized a couple things: 1. we have a really good group of Volunteers! 2. I'm not alone in anything I'm thinking/ feeling about Fiji and Peace Corps, and 3. time is flying. As soon as I got back,though, my bag wasn't delivered on the same plane and I ran around and stressed out for a few hours before actually getting it back in time for the bus. Then, my friend at the post office (the customs official helping me out with all my packages) told me I'd gotten fat! That evening in the village, we had an important meeting about the electricity. Tuesday I went up for the village workday to help cook and weed the yaqona. That's when I saw this little caterpillar who looks like he came directly out of last month's National Geographic article on mimicry! (Those aren't really his eyes)
That evening we had a village meeting. Wednesday my sister and I went up to our yaqona plantation to weed. Then I slept. Friday was Fiji Day, and I was called over to see a family making “vakalolo.” This is a Fijian delicacy made from dalo and cassava, and not often made. After seeing it made, I can understand why. Let me explain...
First, you cook the dalo (taro) and cassava.
Second, you mash it up like this:
and like this:
until you get a gum-like consistency.
Then, you soften up the banana leaves.
Next, you squeeze it into little balls and mix it with lolo (coconut cream), which is mixed heavily with sugar.
Then, if you're selling them like Nau Ma (Grandma Makareta),you packagethem in the leaves like so:
Finally, you eat!
It's really yummy, really rich, and really gooey. It takes a ton of work to mash up the dalo. Which is also why Fijians are so strong- andwhy thefoodtastes that much better once you're finished!
Then I did a bunch of other thingsand that afternoonlearned how to make “Rourou balls.” (I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but rourou is the leaf from the dalo plant, a staple Fijian village food. Some villages call it veisiga, which means “everyday” because of the frequency it is eaten.) I made these specially for a fundraiser the women's group was having. We all cooked something then people gavea donation to eat.
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of this. But here's how these yummy little balls of fried goodness are made: First you cook your rourou. Then you roll it in flour. Then you fry it. Then you cook it in... lolo! Of course, because what else accompanies every main course you eat in a place populated by coconuts?
Oh, and I've been training with some of the young women for the netball team! The school is having a big bazaar-the bash of the year- next week. There are games and grog drinking and eating and buying and selling and lots of money exchanging hands. This is one of those “it takes a village to raise a child” kind of things, because literally everyone participates and apparently the villages just empty out as everyone stays on the school compound for like four days. Sports options in a Fijian village are limited to three: for boys, there is rugby and volleyball. For girls, there is netball and volleyball. So, the boys have a rugby team and the girls have a netball team.
What is netball,you might ask? Well, let me put it like this: it's basketball, but invented by the Brits. It's very polite. It's not very fast. Right along my lines.
Then I got sick Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was the worst, with diarrhea and vomiting and a head cold (sinuses?). Too much lolo! Every meal I had that day had lolo. I just can't take so much of it! Sunday it was better but I haven't had a head cold like that for a long time.
Monday I got to go fishing again with the women! It was hot and sunny when we left, but half way through the weather changed and it rained and the wind picked up but then it got nice again. We were catching “nini” and “dreu” fish, both small fish that travel in schools. We ended up with a decent amount. The way it works is this: there is one woman at each end of the night. We're reallyquite and stealthy, watching for the bigger fish preying on the small ones or for gulls diving to catch them. Then we move in, swiftly but silently. The women spread out and then come together to enclose the net, splashing the water to scare the fish. Then they swim away and get trapped trying to swim through the net. Then we pull them out by their heads. Yes,some heads are lost in this. I got to carry the bag with the fish and help pull them out. The moving stealthily in the ocean thing doesn't really work well for me. It started out just the three of us and then two more people ended up with us. When we had enough- we probably were successful five times- we went ashore, divided them up, and then scaled them. I fried a couple of mine with onions and a couple I threw right into my fire. That's how I'd prefer to eat them.
I've decided to have a Halloween party. Mom sent me decorations last year, but at this time a year ago I didn't have a village orplace to live so I didn't get to use them. This year, though, I will. I hung the decorations and they've been very popular so far. We're going to make masks and I'll give out candy. I'll make a witches brew (hot chocolate, a treat) and something else... dirt cake,maybe? Maybe just cookies, which are always popular. I'm taking ideas for other games to play. I did think about bobbing for apples, but apples are so expensive I don't really want to go that all out.
What else... one of my brothers is getting married on Tuesday.
I'm posting some random pictures from around the village. Some are from the church building, the crew of boys building the church. Kele is the boy with some of our creations we've made drawing. One night it turned into homework help where I worked with his sister on her multiplication and division problems. It has been a long time since I've done those kind of problems. But really, I do use that stuff a lot. I remember being younger and thinking, “When am I ever going to use this?” And I do! And I'm really glad I know it, and my multiplication tables. I just wish I could explain it better. I am definitely not a teacher. I wonder at what age we learned things like multiplication tables and mental math. I think I'm going to make some flashcards- Morgan, I'm kicking myself that I didn't take you up when you offered to send me flashcards! They sure would come in handy.
I know I said I didn't really want anything, but I do have a few specific things for my wish list:
-latex house or acrylic paints (for a world map project at the school)
-white ankle athletic socks
-gum
-a frisbee (200 gm)
-Clif bars
-any other food items you might want to send... baking things, condiments, sauces, seasonings...
Garden update! Mom, I have the same things happening with my tomatoes as happened with yours! I talked to another PCV about it and he said it's this tomato rot disease and some people even grow their tomatoes upside down to prevent it. It's common, I guess. Overwatering might have something to do with it, he said. But, my toms are finally growing and my carrots are close. The cabbage has been eaten by moths.
My Birkenstocks, after nine faithful years and millions of miles, have finally been lost to Fiji. They were a good shoe, very good shoe.
That evening we had a village meeting. Wednesday my sister and I went up to our yaqona plantation to weed. Then I slept. Friday was Fiji Day, and I was called over to see a family making “vakalolo.” This is a Fijian delicacy made from dalo and cassava, and not often made. After seeing it made, I can understand why. Let me explain...
First, you cook the dalo (taro) and cassava.
Second, you mash it up like this:
and like this:
until you get a gum-like consistency.
Then, you soften up the banana leaves.
Next, you squeeze it into little balls and mix it with lolo (coconut cream), which is mixed heavily with sugar.
Then, if you're selling them like Nau Ma (Grandma Makareta),you packagethem in the leaves like so:
Finally, you eat!
It's really yummy, really rich, and really gooey. It takes a ton of work to mash up the dalo. Which is also why Fijians are so strong- andwhy thefoodtastes that much better once you're finished!
Then I did a bunch of other thingsand that afternoonlearned how to make “Rourou balls.” (I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but rourou is the leaf from the dalo plant, a staple Fijian village food. Some villages call it veisiga, which means “everyday” because of the frequency it is eaten.) I made these specially for a fundraiser the women's group was having. We all cooked something then people gavea donation to eat.
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of this. But here's how these yummy little balls of fried goodness are made: First you cook your rourou. Then you roll it in flour. Then you fry it. Then you cook it in... lolo! Of course, because what else accompanies every main course you eat in a place populated by coconuts?
Oh, and I've been training with some of the young women for the netball team! The school is having a big bazaar-the bash of the year- next week. There are games and grog drinking and eating and buying and selling and lots of money exchanging hands. This is one of those “it takes a village to raise a child” kind of things, because literally everyone participates and apparently the villages just empty out as everyone stays on the school compound for like four days. Sports options in a Fijian village are limited to three: for boys, there is rugby and volleyball. For girls, there is netball and volleyball. So, the boys have a rugby team and the girls have a netball team.
What is netball,you might ask? Well, let me put it like this: it's basketball, but invented by the Brits. It's very polite. It's not very fast. Right along my lines.
Then I got sick Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was the worst, with diarrhea and vomiting and a head cold (sinuses?). Too much lolo! Every meal I had that day had lolo. I just can't take so much of it! Sunday it was better but I haven't had a head cold like that for a long time.
Monday I got to go fishing again with the women! It was hot and sunny when we left, but half way through the weather changed and it rained and the wind picked up but then it got nice again. We were catching “nini” and “dreu” fish, both small fish that travel in schools. We ended up with a decent amount. The way it works is this: there is one woman at each end of the night. We're reallyquite and stealthy, watching for the bigger fish preying on the small ones or for gulls diving to catch them. Then we move in, swiftly but silently. The women spread out and then come together to enclose the net, splashing the water to scare the fish. Then they swim away and get trapped trying to swim through the net. Then we pull them out by their heads. Yes,some heads are lost in this. I got to carry the bag with the fish and help pull them out. The moving stealthily in the ocean thing doesn't really work well for me. It started out just the three of us and then two more people ended up with us. When we had enough- we probably were successful five times- we went ashore, divided them up, and then scaled them. I fried a couple of mine with onions and a couple I threw right into my fire. That's how I'd prefer to eat them.
I've decided to have a Halloween party. Mom sent me decorations last year, but at this time a year ago I didn't have a village orplace to live so I didn't get to use them. This year, though, I will. I hung the decorations and they've been very popular so far. We're going to make masks and I'll give out candy. I'll make a witches brew (hot chocolate, a treat) and something else... dirt cake,maybe? Maybe just cookies, which are always popular. I'm taking ideas for other games to play. I did think about bobbing for apples, but apples are so expensive I don't really want to go that all out.
What else... one of my brothers is getting married on Tuesday.
I'm posting some random pictures from around the village. Some are from the church building, the crew of boys building the church. Kele is the boy with some of our creations we've made drawing. One night it turned into homework help where I worked with his sister on her multiplication and division problems. It has been a long time since I've done those kind of problems. But really, I do use that stuff a lot. I remember being younger and thinking, “When am I ever going to use this?” And I do! And I'm really glad I know it, and my multiplication tables. I just wish I could explain it better. I am definitely not a teacher. I wonder at what age we learned things like multiplication tables and mental math. I think I'm going to make some flashcards- Morgan, I'm kicking myself that I didn't take you up when you offered to send me flashcards! They sure would come in handy.
I know I said I didn't really want anything, but I do have a few specific things for my wish list:
-latex house or acrylic paints (for a world map project at the school)
-white ankle athletic socks
-gum
-a frisbee (200 gm)
-Clif bars
-any other food items you might want to send... baking things, condiments, sauces, seasonings...
Garden update! Mom, I have the same things happening with my tomatoes as happened with yours! I talked to another PCV about it and he said it's this tomato rot disease and some people even grow their tomatoes upside down to prevent it. It's common, I guess. Overwatering might have something to do with it, he said. But, my toms are finally growing and my carrots are close. The cabbage has been eaten by moths.
My Birkenstocks, after nine faithful years and millions of miles, have finally been lost to Fiji. They were a good shoe, very good shoe.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Just got back from spending time in Suva and Nadi. It's such a different world on the other island! I got to eat real Indian food (soooooo delicious!) and learn about a lot of things I could still do in/with the village. We have ten months to go, which seems like a lot but really it will go by quickly (maybe?). I have a lot to look forward to the next couple of months.
I wish I had something new to share about Fiji/ village life, but I don't. Sorry! It's finally warming up, so that's exciting. I field all questions, however!
I wish I had something new to share about Fiji/ village life, but I don't. Sorry! It's finally warming up, so that's exciting. I field all questions, however!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Great way to spend your money!
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.donatenow
www.peacecorps.gov, go to "Donate," "Donate to Volunteer Projects." Search for Fiji, then click on a project to donate to. There are three people from my group who have projects where you can donate money. Help them out!!! Any amount helps! (I'm offering this as an alternative for people who want to help us out but without sending lots of things!)
www.peacecorps.gov, go to "Donate," "Donate to Volunteer Projects." Search for Fiji, then click on a project to donate to. There are three people from my group who have projects where you can donate money. Help them out!!! Any amount helps! (I'm offering this as an alternative for people who want to help us out but without sending lots of things!)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
On another note... (I promise, no politics)
Some snippets of thought:
Etiquette: Always carry dishes, either with food or empty, with two hands.
Tabua: Give to father of bride-to-be, the more the tabua, the more she's worth(I would be worth 5 or 6)
Frogs are nuts here! They are everywhere at night, especially when it rains! And it's like they want you to step on them because they're always underfoot when you're walking. It's insane and ridiculous and I have stepped on a ridiculous number of frogs- with and without shoes!
There's been a little revival in my garden because of so much rain. The English cabbage is growing well, even some that I planted that I thought weren't going to make it have hung in there. So has some Chinese cabbage that I transplanted and the beans are still coming. I also think my tomato plants are not all dead yet. There are a few that are still healthy and I think they're just a little slow... the carrots are slow, too, and not dead but not ready to eat yet, either. The eggplant are doing extremely well! If only I could plant some pumpkin and basil and other herbs...And I'm still bummed about my peppers.
One of the most annoying things ever: having a mosquito stuck inside your mosquito net! Oh wait, having two mosquitoes stuck inside your mosquito net!
That said,I know some people are crazy about saying “That can give you cancer!” about things like mosquito coils, but I don't care. It's worth a decent night sleep every night to burn one for a few hours so I can doze off and notscratch myself to death the next day. And really, if you let it anything can give you cancer for cripes sake. Avoid the obvious things like cigarettes and keep healthy, and I think my odds are no greater or worse from using/not using a mosquito coil.
Never guess what I did yesterday. I was supposed to go fishing with one of the women in the village but because the wind was too strong she decided we would go get the “vivili.” I had no idea what that was; they explained that you get the vivili from under the rocks. So we go to the river/ ponds and I discover that we are going diving for snails. There were three of us. One wore the goggles/snorkel, one looked for snails without the goggles, and then there was me. I swam around, sloshed around, really, on the slippery rocks, and held the bag which held all our finds. I did collect a bunch of snails- a lot, really. Some were really hard to get off the sides of rocks. Those little suckers can really stick. Some were just on the bottom of the river. Some were long and narrow, others round little bumps. A lot of them really had perfected the art of mimicry. It's incredible! You really have to run your hand (or feet) over the rocks to find them, because just looking won't always work. And then they were cooked in lolo, coconut cream. Speaking of snails (I could really say a lot about them), there are some really cool ones. I saw one yesterday morning that looked just like a leaf. It was long and narrow and black, with a little gold strip along its back. The only thing identifying it as a snail, other than its snail-like pace, was the two little antennae. I've seen some cool snails. Of all colors and sizes and styles. And every time, I think of Pat and Snailish Records (shameless plug!).
Saturday my sister and I went to tend to our yaqona plantation. We only have about100,but they were really healthy! We planted them in early July I think it was. We hadn't checked on them since and what we did Saturday was to weed a little and unbury the seedlings. When you plant yaqona, you cut up one of the trunks of the plant that has little nubbins of buds on it and then bury those pieces. The new plant grows up from the old pieces, usually 3-5 pieces in each overturned plot of soil. How it works is you have to weed your area, then turn a little soil, then put the pieces in the soil, but not too deep. Then you cover it with the weeded area, grasses and sticks and stuff. After a couple months, you go back and uncover the plots and they should have sprouted again. Ours did! Only a couple had died- which is good. We had to replant the village yaqona because they all died. But anyway, it's exciting. This was part of a youth project. The youth group planted 1000 plants, paid work. Then we planted mine and Leti's, and we planted another young woman's. After another 3-5 years, Leti can harvest her plants and sell it. You have the literal roots, called waka, which is stronger than the cut pieces (lewena) which is the root going further up. The waka is what is used as your sevusevu and for more formal occasions when drinking grog or going someplace. The waka goes for about $20 or so a kilo and the cut pieces for about $16-18 at our village store. If you buy the waka for yourself, it's $26/kilo or $3/100 grams. The selling price depends on how mature your plant is. The longer you let it grow, the more mature it is, the stronger it is, and the more money you get for it.
I realized something yesterday. I've been way too cautious throughout my life. I'm not very brave. I mean, to a point I am- I'm in Fiji for two years. But I don't take chances. Never have. I was a fairly active child, I think, but I wasn't brave or daring. I played it safe, always. Sure, I jumped off a really high cliff into the jellyfish filled Mediterranean Sea once, drive a car (driving is still like the most unsafe thing to do ever), fly, swim in the ocean, travel by myself to completely foreign countries, and sometimes put myself in situations where maybe I shouldn't, but things like walking on rocks freak me out. Make me all cautious. That's just me, and I wish I would have done more when I was younger to get over that. I see these kids here, and they're fearless. They jump off these big rocks into the same pool where I'm looking for snails, afraid to put my feet down. They run and jump and slide and twirl and flip over and into and off of so many different substances. Then they grow up to be just as fearless!
(Note: I’m trying to fix them all, but you might notice words run together. This is because the spacebar on my laptop sticks and doesn’t really work and I wrote this on my laptop.)
Some snippets of thought:
Etiquette: Always carry dishes, either with food or empty, with two hands.
Tabua: Give to father of bride-to-be, the more the tabua, the more she's worth(I would be worth 5 or 6)
Frogs are nuts here! They are everywhere at night, especially when it rains! And it's like they want you to step on them because they're always underfoot when you're walking. It's insane and ridiculous and I have stepped on a ridiculous number of frogs- with and without shoes!
There's been a little revival in my garden because of so much rain. The English cabbage is growing well, even some that I planted that I thought weren't going to make it have hung in there. So has some Chinese cabbage that I transplanted and the beans are still coming. I also think my tomato plants are not all dead yet. There are a few that are still healthy and I think they're just a little slow... the carrots are slow, too, and not dead but not ready to eat yet, either. The eggplant are doing extremely well! If only I could plant some pumpkin and basil and other herbs...And I'm still bummed about my peppers.
One of the most annoying things ever: having a mosquito stuck inside your mosquito net! Oh wait, having two mosquitoes stuck inside your mosquito net!
That said,I know some people are crazy about saying “That can give you cancer!” about things like mosquito coils, but I don't care. It's worth a decent night sleep every night to burn one for a few hours so I can doze off and notscratch myself to death the next day. And really, if you let it anything can give you cancer for cripes sake. Avoid the obvious things like cigarettes and keep healthy, and I think my odds are no greater or worse from using/not using a mosquito coil.
Never guess what I did yesterday. I was supposed to go fishing with one of the women in the village but because the wind was too strong she decided we would go get the “vivili.” I had no idea what that was; they explained that you get the vivili from under the rocks. So we go to the river/ ponds and I discover that we are going diving for snails. There were three of us. One wore the goggles/snorkel, one looked for snails without the goggles, and then there was me. I swam around, sloshed around, really, on the slippery rocks, and held the bag which held all our finds. I did collect a bunch of snails- a lot, really. Some were really hard to get off the sides of rocks. Those little suckers can really stick. Some were just on the bottom of the river. Some were long and narrow, others round little bumps. A lot of them really had perfected the art of mimicry. It's incredible! You really have to run your hand (or feet) over the rocks to find them, because just looking won't always work. And then they were cooked in lolo, coconut cream. Speaking of snails (I could really say a lot about them), there are some really cool ones. I saw one yesterday morning that looked just like a leaf. It was long and narrow and black, with a little gold strip along its back. The only thing identifying it as a snail, other than its snail-like pace, was the two little antennae. I've seen some cool snails. Of all colors and sizes and styles. And every time, I think of Pat and Snailish Records (shameless plug!).
Saturday my sister and I went to tend to our yaqona plantation. We only have about100,but they were really healthy! We planted them in early July I think it was. We hadn't checked on them since and what we did Saturday was to weed a little and unbury the seedlings. When you plant yaqona, you cut up one of the trunks of the plant that has little nubbins of buds on it and then bury those pieces. The new plant grows up from the old pieces, usually 3-5 pieces in each overturned plot of soil. How it works is you have to weed your area, then turn a little soil, then put the pieces in the soil, but not too deep. Then you cover it with the weeded area, grasses and sticks and stuff. After a couple months, you go back and uncover the plots and they should have sprouted again. Ours did! Only a couple had died- which is good. We had to replant the village yaqona because they all died. But anyway, it's exciting. This was part of a youth project. The youth group planted 1000 plants, paid work. Then we planted mine and Leti's, and we planted another young woman's. After another 3-5 years, Leti can harvest her plants and sell it. You have the literal roots, called waka, which is stronger than the cut pieces (lewena) which is the root going further up. The waka is what is used as your sevusevu and for more formal occasions when drinking grog or going someplace. The waka goes for about $20 or so a kilo and the cut pieces for about $16-18 at our village store. If you buy the waka for yourself, it's $26/kilo or $3/100 grams. The selling price depends on how mature your plant is. The longer you let it grow, the more mature it is, the stronger it is, and the more money you get for it.
I realized something yesterday. I've been way too cautious throughout my life. I'm not very brave. I mean, to a point I am- I'm in Fiji for two years. But I don't take chances. Never have. I was a fairly active child, I think, but I wasn't brave or daring. I played it safe, always. Sure, I jumped off a really high cliff into the jellyfish filled Mediterranean Sea once, drive a car (driving is still like the most unsafe thing to do ever), fly, swim in the ocean, travel by myself to completely foreign countries, and sometimes put myself in situations where maybe I shouldn't, but things like walking on rocks freak me out. Make me all cautious. That's just me, and I wish I would have done more when I was younger to get over that. I see these kids here, and they're fearless. They jump off these big rocks into the same pool where I'm looking for snails, afraid to put my feet down. They run and jump and slide and twirl and flip over and into and off of so many different substances. Then they grow up to be just as fearless!
(Note: I’m trying to fix them all, but you might notice words run together. This is because the spacebar on my laptop sticks and doesn’t really work and I wrote this on my laptop.)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
big, long, ranting post.
So, let's see where to start. Not too much has happened/ been happening lately. I've been in a cranky mood, so I have to apologize for some of these posts and Facebook stuff. I haven't been agreeing with the decisions being made in the village, and how they're being made. Most people don't agree with what is happening, but given Fijian hierarchy and structure, you don't question the Chief's decision. Except me, and everyone else just rants to me, and I internalize that. Oilei. Some of the recent decisions: to cut down mangroves and to replant logged areas with non-native species so they can be logged again in another 20-30 years. And what is the purpose of me being here? I want to ask the village. So I'm trying a new approach. Not sure what that is yet, but I'm working on it. I hear comments that give priority to human beings over the environment/nature. And while I want to agree that yes, you are here right now and your way of life is worth keeping, you are not going to be here for that long. These forests and mangrove stands have been here for hundreds of years and will continue to do so as long as humans don't keep murdering them. And the way of life here depends so heavily on the natural environment that you can't destroy it and keep your way of life. But people in the US don't understand that either, and in the US we logged the hell out of our lands and destroy nature in unmendable ways, so who am I to say anything?
I've been reading a lot; I'm up to 70 books finished so far and reading a lot of magazines. And watching a lot of Gilmore Girls. I might need Season 7 to appear in my mailbox... or on a plane from America in December :) I've also been cooking a lot, making different curries and trying to perfect my roti (I think I did it yesterday! The secret: lots of hot water and lots of kneading and oil when they're cooking!) I made my own pasta- if anyone has a better recipe than an egg, salt, and flour, I'd love to know it. I made my own pasta and then made macaroni and cheese (I bought cheese... Kraft blue box... it's so sad... I'm embarrassed to admit it... sorry, Wisconsin!) and another day I made my pasta and then made a white cream sauce with tomatoes. It was delicious and totally fattening. And I've been eating lots of beans- black, kidney, chickpeas.
I'm on kind of a hating mode. I realized that there are two creatures I absolutely hate, detest: ants and cockroaches. I'm not a hater, but this two things are so disgusting and annoying I just can't take it! Sandra Cisneros said it best in Woman Hollering Creek when a character describes her frustration with cockroaches- it's not their antennae, their flying around, their inability to die but their activity at night. It drives me crazy! They're so loud! And they eat anything. Anything! It's like the cockroaches and ants work as a team. The cockroaches chew a hole first and then the ants come in. I mean everything. Spices, vitamins, dry pasta, fresh veggies. I also have to take a few paragraphs to go on a political rant, something I’ve been trying not to do so much but I feel it is my civic duty (and stress relief) to rant about a person I hate. Really, there is no person living or dead I have ever or will ever hate as much as this person. (If you're an identified Conservative, you might want to skip ahead.) I'mtalking about the darling child, Ronnie. A couple of things have sparked this renewed hatred, mostly things I've read. The first was National Geographic's cover story this month about solar power and the second is the Vanity Fair interview with Nancy Reagan (I've also decided I hate Vanity Fair. Really, what's the point of this magazine if you don't care about being a media whore or reading about media whores?) I have nothing against Mrs Reagan, no, really I pity her no one ever helped her with her anorexia and her puppy doggish idolic worship of her husband. I like that she had a sense of style, elegance, and really seemed like a strong, foreceful woman (maybe, if not unopinionated. It makes me wonder how many First Ladies disagree/d with their husbands' politics. Obviously not HRC- of course!- or Rosalynn Carter, whose husband I absolutely love, maybe just the Republican ones? Poor women.)
My point is, I hate Ronald Reagan and his legacy. This hatred is so strong. Every time I think of him, my blood just boils. AHH!! What's wrong with people that they think he was so amazing? I mean, do you see the state of the country (America) right now? You think that has anything at all to do with his absolute deregulation and encouragement of a limitlessly free economy? It's not just economics (in no way, shape or form has Reganomics shown to be positive for most people); I think his social policies have been just as detrimental and long lasting. (And, I might add, many of them are directly linked to economics) Let me just say, environmental, economic, AIDS, War on Drugs, are the main areas I think he has ruined for a long, long time.
I digress... I winter seasons anywhere in the world just stink. I'm ready for it to warm up.
I've been reading a lot; I'm up to 70 books finished so far and reading a lot of magazines. And watching a lot of Gilmore Girls. I might need Season 7 to appear in my mailbox... or on a plane from America in December :) I've also been cooking a lot, making different curries and trying to perfect my roti (I think I did it yesterday! The secret: lots of hot water and lots of kneading and oil when they're cooking!) I made my own pasta- if anyone has a better recipe than an egg, salt, and flour, I'd love to know it. I made my own pasta and then made macaroni and cheese (I bought cheese... Kraft blue box... it's so sad... I'm embarrassed to admit it... sorry, Wisconsin!) and another day I made my pasta and then made a white cream sauce with tomatoes. It was delicious and totally fattening. And I've been eating lots of beans- black, kidney, chickpeas.
I'm on kind of a hating mode. I realized that there are two creatures I absolutely hate, detest: ants and cockroaches. I'm not a hater, but this two things are so disgusting and annoying I just can't take it! Sandra Cisneros said it best in Woman Hollering Creek when a character describes her frustration with cockroaches- it's not their antennae, their flying around, their inability to die but their activity at night. It drives me crazy! They're so loud! And they eat anything. Anything! It's like the cockroaches and ants work as a team. The cockroaches chew a hole first and then the ants come in. I mean everything. Spices, vitamins, dry pasta, fresh veggies. I also have to take a few paragraphs to go on a political rant, something I’ve been trying not to do so much but I feel it is my civic duty (and stress relief) to rant about a person I hate. Really, there is no person living or dead I have ever or will ever hate as much as this person. (If you're an identified Conservative, you might want to skip ahead.) I'mtalking about the darling child, Ronnie. A couple of things have sparked this renewed hatred, mostly things I've read. The first was National Geographic's cover story this month about solar power and the second is the Vanity Fair interview with Nancy Reagan (I've also decided I hate Vanity Fair. Really, what's the point of this magazine if you don't care about being a media whore or reading about media whores?) I have nothing against Mrs Reagan, no, really I pity her no one ever helped her with her anorexia and her puppy doggish idolic worship of her husband. I like that she had a sense of style, elegance, and really seemed like a strong, foreceful woman (maybe, if not unopinionated. It makes me wonder how many First Ladies disagree/d with their husbands' politics. Obviously not HRC- of course!- or Rosalynn Carter, whose husband I absolutely love, maybe just the Republican ones? Poor women.)
My point is, I hate Ronald Reagan and his legacy. This hatred is so strong. Every time I think of him, my blood just boils. AHH!! What's wrong with people that they think he was so amazing? I mean, do you see the state of the country (America) right now? You think that has anything at all to do with his absolute deregulation and encouragement of a limitlessly free economy? It's not just economics (in no way, shape or form has Reganomics shown to be positive for most people); I think his social policies have been just as detrimental and long lasting. (And, I might add, many of them are directly linked to economics) Let me just say, environmental, economic, AIDS, War on Drugs, are the main areas I think he has ruined for a long, long time.
I digress... I winter seasons anywhere in the world just stink. I'm ready for it to warm up.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Just a note... I know I said I wanted mail (and I do!) but I don't need any things (except for maybe a pair of low cut athletic socks, please!) and people in my village don't really need anything, either. Our kindergarten is on hold for awhile-- I'm too busy to be there everyday and thre are no villagers who will take over-- and between all the fees, I'm going broke from my allowance picking up packages. Any values declared over a certain amount (good thing my computer battery and iPod stereo weren't accurately listed!) requires an extra fee. Anything not for personal importation use requires an additional fee, this is all on top of the $2.40 fee for picking up any parcels. So... make it light, make it only necessary things! (Honestly, a couple of CDs or some chocolate and trashy magazines is plenty!) Thank you for wanting to be connected to the village; I really do appreciate it!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
back in the village
I've been back in the village for about three weeks now. Nothing too much happened; in both my American life and Fijian life no major changes happened in three weeks and all was as it was before and after leaving. I guess it's good, to have that consistency in life.
It's starting to warm up again. Weather was a little cool, for Fiji, especially at night. Projects are a little stalled in the village, through no fault of mine (I can't force anyone to come to meetings, make decisions, or talk about things that might be unpleasant), and without the blessing of now two PCVs and the University of the South Pacific. It's been a little stressful in the village, so now I'm in Labasa for a few days promoting PC as an organization in and around Fiji and catching up with other Volunteers. The good thing is, as my village was cutting down mangroves- directly in opposition to every bit of common sense and piece of advice that I and USP have given the village- the next village up came to me asking about replanting mangroves along their coast to protect their shoreline. It was a small but really rewarding gesture. So that'll be a new project I'm excited to take on soon.
I don't really have much of anything to share. Sorry! It's burning season right now and everywhere are patches of burnt hill. It's also sugar cane cutting season up in the north and there is burning because of that, too. And it smells. Really bad.
When I got back, all my Chinese cabbage had been eaten so I turned the soil and planted some English cabbage. My tomato plants are pretty much all dead, which I'm really bummed about because that is the one thing I really wanted to eat. I've been eating the beans- long and French. Eggplant is doing well and so are my carrots, if not taking a long time. I think some peppers are on their way, if I can get some. A lack of water is prohibiting my garden from reaching its full potential :)
It was nice to be back in the US for a short while! Getting to eat my favorites (there was no shortage of cheese and Wisconsin beer), see my friends, catch up on Weeds, see some new movies, and indulge in American amenities was a nice, if not whirlwind and overwhelming, trip. But, I'm glad to be back here where it's warm and laid back and quiet! So thanks, everyone, for the escape, and I hope things in America improve (it was a little depressing hearing about everyone's state of employment) soon so y'all can come on over to this little corner of the world for a visit. I won't be here forever, you know!
It's starting to warm up again. Weather was a little cool, for Fiji, especially at night. Projects are a little stalled in the village, through no fault of mine (I can't force anyone to come to meetings, make decisions, or talk about things that might be unpleasant), and without the blessing of now two PCVs and the University of the South Pacific. It's been a little stressful in the village, so now I'm in Labasa for a few days promoting PC as an organization in and around Fiji and catching up with other Volunteers. The good thing is, as my village was cutting down mangroves- directly in opposition to every bit of common sense and piece of advice that I and USP have given the village- the next village up came to me asking about replanting mangroves along their coast to protect their shoreline. It was a small but really rewarding gesture. So that'll be a new project I'm excited to take on soon.
I don't really have much of anything to share. Sorry! It's burning season right now and everywhere are patches of burnt hill. It's also sugar cane cutting season up in the north and there is burning because of that, too. And it smells. Really bad.
When I got back, all my Chinese cabbage had been eaten so I turned the soil and planted some English cabbage. My tomato plants are pretty much all dead, which I'm really bummed about because that is the one thing I really wanted to eat. I've been eating the beans- long and French. Eggplant is doing well and so are my carrots, if not taking a long time. I think some peppers are on their way, if I can get some. A lack of water is prohibiting my garden from reaching its full potential :)
It was nice to be back in the US for a short while! Getting to eat my favorites (there was no shortage of cheese and Wisconsin beer), see my friends, catch up on Weeds, see some new movies, and indulge in American amenities was a nice, if not whirlwind and overwhelming, trip. But, I'm glad to be back here where it's warm and laid back and quiet! So thanks, everyone, for the escape, and I hope things in America improve (it was a little depressing hearing about everyone's state of employment) soon so y'all can come on over to this little corner of the world for a visit. I won't be here forever, you know!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Right now I'm at the Seoul airport on a really long layover and found a free (yes free!) Internet station at the transit lounge. Thought I'd write down some thoughts from my recent trip to Thailand as I'm en route to Fiji. I have to say I miss the quiet, simple, slow pace of the village and the warmth and friendliness of Fijians.
So many things are going through my head. I've been composing this e-mail for the past four days or so so hopefully I can get it all down. I guess I'll start with negatives: I am so not a big city person. I know that, yet I keep ending up in these big old places that turn me off. Like most big cities, Bangkok smells. Bad. I know, I know, given the lack of waste/sewage/water disposal, this should be expected. But it still surprises me (and given that people spray after they use the toilet and use t.p. to dry with, then throw that in a wastebin that sits around all day, the smell compounds). I'm surprised, also, at how unfriendly everyone is. And how expensive things have gotten. Every guidebook I read quoted prices far, far less than what they ended up being (Grand Palace: 350 baht, in the books: 300 baht. This palace/park in Phechaburi: quoted price 40 baht. Actual price: 150 baht)
As a disclaimer, I will say that I spent most of my trip in Bangkok, spending two days traveling to areas outside the city. I didn't make it to a National Park, which is why people really go to Thailand. If I ever go again, I'll head right to the woods because that's where I think I belong.
Anyway, Bangkok does have some amazing charms. (I feel like I could write a guidebook!) There are many beautiful, incredible temples filled with fantastic Buddha images. The detail of the architecture is fascinating and the temples shine and sparkle like nothing else. But, the same way that after you've seen a hundred churches in Italy you get a little tired of them, I got a little tired of the temples. Still, the serenity was wonderful in the smaller, less touristy temples.
Here are some highlights:
Day 1: Arrive in Bangkok. Passport control was nuts crazy at 6 am and took forever to get through. Fast forward to 10:30 and I try to order lunch and realize, "It's only 10:30?!? Are you serious??" After lunch I explore the area around my hotel, which is a backpackery area. There are lots of backpackers and food vendors and markets lining the streets. I stumble upon a giant Buddha statue, the first of many.
By 5 pm I'm exhausted and by 9 pm I'm fast asleep until I wake up at 3:30 am.
Day 2: Explore Bangkok properly. Hit the big touristy spots, like the Reclining Buddha, the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha (made out of jade... it's actually really tiny!), and some of the more famous temples. I only spend 7 1/2 hours walking around and call it a day when my thighs are chafing so badly i have to walk bowlegged. (This was due to a minor directional error that took me 1 1/2 hours in the wrong direction...) I'm again wiped out by only 9 pm, and this time don't wake up until 4:30. I also do my first survey, a marketing study by folks wanting to open Madame Tussaud's in Bangkok. Basically, I was like, "No, I'm not interested in that and I don't think it really fits here." But after I saw the area (Day 5) where it's going to be, it totally fits.
Day 3: This is when things get really interesting. I visited Ayutthaya, which was the former capital of Thailand until being sacked by the Burmese and then it moved to Bangkok. I rented a bike once there and biked around looking at/photographing old ruins. I visited the elephants (being rehabilitated after abusive trekking use) and got a little terrified of them. The ruins are amazing. I do second survey for some kids at a Vocational College. I make it there and back with no transportation issues- has my traveling luck changed?? But I realize that with the train schedule and lack of transport, I'm unable to make it to the park I wanted to visit. So, I change my plans and decide on another day trip.
Day 4: Day trip #2, to a city called Phetchaburi south of Bangkok. A king had built a summer house there on a hilltop surrounded by monkeys. Plus, the area doesn't have many tourists and is famous for desserts, so I chose it. Well, it started off rough when the ticket was about twice what I expected to pay! I hemmed and hawed then finally went for it and got on the train. I got lost in the city trying to find the bus depot so I could find out when I had to leave and how much it would be. Then it rained, a lot. No umbrella, no raincoat. Uh, oh. I visit a temple then head to this summer home. I see monkeys. Aww, cute monkeys, I think! I head up to the gate and lo and behold, the price is almost four times what my book said. I don't have enough cash on me to cover it and my way home. So I'm bummed, sit down on a bench to think about next option and watch the monkeys. Big daddy monkey slowly makes his way down. I take his picture and then he turns and heads towards me (see FB picture). And he keeps coming. There are warnings that the monkeys are aggressive, but I was taking my chance because I didn'th ave any sweet things they might want. And he keeps coming. I throw all my stuff in my bag and pretty much run away, with him on my heels. I get down far enough away then go to an overlook and then decide to explore the other direction of this mountain, where I see pretty 'chedis.' I discover the pretty and old thigns are actually a cemetary, inhabited by a gazillion monkeys swinging in trees and climbing things and eating things. I take some pictures, mind my business, look at the cityscape. Then I hear the call to arms. They start making noises. Then they start gathering. A gang (flock? herd? gaggle? family?) start following me. I speed up. They speed up. I'm running, they're running. They're squawking. I'm yelling, No no no don't hurt me i don't mean any harm! Then I encounter the feral big nasty dogs. Good news: they scare away the monkeys. Bad news: they scare away me. I'm literally at a fast paced run down a slippery brick path. I'm trembling when I reach the bottom, where the monkeys are much nicer and nothing's nipping at my heels. Needless to say, this is when Thailand starts to get the better of me and I want out. I make it back, enjoy a nice dinner (and a Changa beer), and head off to bed after starting Gone With the Wind.
Day 5: Okay, now I'm a little worn down. I decide to explore another part of Bangkok, Siam Square area. This is where all the malls are. This is a good day. I wander around, get frightened by all the noise and commotion of a loud Asian mall, and enjoy the Bangkok Arts and cultural Center. This is a gem, and I highly recommend it! It's free, the bathrooms are free (this is hard to find!), it has A/C, and some really, really cool exhibits. People rent or buy a space and do their own installations. The coolest was this young women who does ice cream designs. Giver he a theme/ event/ etc, she comes up with the ice cream flavors and whole package. It was cool. But the malls are overwhelming.
Day 6: Last day! I'd been saving a ticket to go to this palace, which came free with admission to the Grand Palace. It's near my hotel and sounded really neat and quiet and pretty. A perfect leisurely way to end my last morning in the city. I walk down there, full spirited, and find that it's closed. Instead I discover it's the H.M. Queen's birthday, so everything's crazy. It's a holiday. Traffic is a mess (took me about four hours to get to the airport, and transfering about three or four? different buses) and people are EVERYWHERE. Good news: another palace had free admission! It was a nice day, but I got to the airport super early and enjoyed the feeling of going home to Fiji. Now I have this hella long layover in Seoul, and I'm so anxious to be on solid ground for awhile!
Basically, I think Thailand is best experienced with a rented vehicle, group of people, and with either more time, or less time than what I had. But I'm glad I went; fulfilled a long awaited dream.
I have to go now, but I might continue later because I thought many many things about the necessity for urban planning. My biggest complaint of Thailand: it's too auto dependent!!!! Mad crazy traffic and motorbikes and too big cars! I saw 14 lanes of traffic today! It's so not pedestrian friendly at all!!!
So many things are going through my head. I've been composing this e-mail for the past four days or so so hopefully I can get it all down. I guess I'll start with negatives: I am so not a big city person. I know that, yet I keep ending up in these big old places that turn me off. Like most big cities, Bangkok smells. Bad. I know, I know, given the lack of waste/sewage/water disposal, this should be expected. But it still surprises me (and given that people spray after they use the toilet and use t.p. to dry with, then throw that in a wastebin that sits around all day, the smell compounds). I'm surprised, also, at how unfriendly everyone is. And how expensive things have gotten. Every guidebook I read quoted prices far, far less than what they ended up being (Grand Palace: 350 baht, in the books: 300 baht. This palace/park in Phechaburi: quoted price 40 baht. Actual price: 150 baht)
As a disclaimer, I will say that I spent most of my trip in Bangkok, spending two days traveling to areas outside the city. I didn't make it to a National Park, which is why people really go to Thailand. If I ever go again, I'll head right to the woods because that's where I think I belong.
Anyway, Bangkok does have some amazing charms. (I feel like I could write a guidebook!) There are many beautiful, incredible temples filled with fantastic Buddha images. The detail of the architecture is fascinating and the temples shine and sparkle like nothing else. But, the same way that after you've seen a hundred churches in Italy you get a little tired of them, I got a little tired of the temples. Still, the serenity was wonderful in the smaller, less touristy temples.
Here are some highlights:
Day 1: Arrive in Bangkok. Passport control was nuts crazy at 6 am and took forever to get through. Fast forward to 10:30 and I try to order lunch and realize, "It's only 10:30?!? Are you serious??" After lunch I explore the area around my hotel, which is a backpackery area. There are lots of backpackers and food vendors and markets lining the streets. I stumble upon a giant Buddha statue, the first of many.
By 5 pm I'm exhausted and by 9 pm I'm fast asleep until I wake up at 3:30 am.
Day 2: Explore Bangkok properly. Hit the big touristy spots, like the Reclining Buddha, the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha (made out of jade... it's actually really tiny!), and some of the more famous temples. I only spend 7 1/2 hours walking around and call it a day when my thighs are chafing so badly i have to walk bowlegged. (This was due to a minor directional error that took me 1 1/2 hours in the wrong direction...) I'm again wiped out by only 9 pm, and this time don't wake up until 4:30. I also do my first survey, a marketing study by folks wanting to open Madame Tussaud's in Bangkok. Basically, I was like, "No, I'm not interested in that and I don't think it really fits here." But after I saw the area (Day 5) where it's going to be, it totally fits.
Day 3: This is when things get really interesting. I visited Ayutthaya, which was the former capital of Thailand until being sacked by the Burmese and then it moved to Bangkok. I rented a bike once there and biked around looking at/photographing old ruins. I visited the elephants (being rehabilitated after abusive trekking use) and got a little terrified of them. The ruins are amazing. I do second survey for some kids at a Vocational College. I make it there and back with no transportation issues- has my traveling luck changed?? But I realize that with the train schedule and lack of transport, I'm unable to make it to the park I wanted to visit. So, I change my plans and decide on another day trip.
Day 4: Day trip #2, to a city called Phetchaburi south of Bangkok. A king had built a summer house there on a hilltop surrounded by monkeys. Plus, the area doesn't have many tourists and is famous for desserts, so I chose it. Well, it started off rough when the ticket was about twice what I expected to pay! I hemmed and hawed then finally went for it and got on the train. I got lost in the city trying to find the bus depot so I could find out when I had to leave and how much it would be. Then it rained, a lot. No umbrella, no raincoat. Uh, oh. I visit a temple then head to this summer home. I see monkeys. Aww, cute monkeys, I think! I head up to the gate and lo and behold, the price is almost four times what my book said. I don't have enough cash on me to cover it and my way home. So I'm bummed, sit down on a bench to think about next option and watch the monkeys. Big daddy monkey slowly makes his way down. I take his picture and then he turns and heads towards me (see FB picture). And he keeps coming. There are warnings that the monkeys are aggressive, but I was taking my chance because I didn'th ave any sweet things they might want. And he keeps coming. I throw all my stuff in my bag and pretty much run away, with him on my heels. I get down far enough away then go to an overlook and then decide to explore the other direction of this mountain, where I see pretty 'chedis.' I discover the pretty and old thigns are actually a cemetary, inhabited by a gazillion monkeys swinging in trees and climbing things and eating things. I take some pictures, mind my business, look at the cityscape. Then I hear the call to arms. They start making noises. Then they start gathering. A gang (flock? herd? gaggle? family?) start following me. I speed up. They speed up. I'm running, they're running. They're squawking. I'm yelling, No no no don't hurt me i don't mean any harm! Then I encounter the feral big nasty dogs. Good news: they scare away the monkeys. Bad news: they scare away me. I'm literally at a fast paced run down a slippery brick path. I'm trembling when I reach the bottom, where the monkeys are much nicer and nothing's nipping at my heels. Needless to say, this is when Thailand starts to get the better of me and I want out. I make it back, enjoy a nice dinner (and a Changa beer), and head off to bed after starting Gone With the Wind.
Day 5: Okay, now I'm a little worn down. I decide to explore another part of Bangkok, Siam Square area. This is where all the malls are. This is a good day. I wander around, get frightened by all the noise and commotion of a loud Asian mall, and enjoy the Bangkok Arts and cultural Center. This is a gem, and I highly recommend it! It's free, the bathrooms are free (this is hard to find!), it has A/C, and some really, really cool exhibits. People rent or buy a space and do their own installations. The coolest was this young women who does ice cream designs. Giver he a theme/ event/ etc, she comes up with the ice cream flavors and whole package. It was cool. But the malls are overwhelming.
Day 6: Last day! I'd been saving a ticket to go to this palace, which came free with admission to the Grand Palace. It's near my hotel and sounded really neat and quiet and pretty. A perfect leisurely way to end my last morning in the city. I walk down there, full spirited, and find that it's closed. Instead I discover it's the H.M. Queen's birthday, so everything's crazy. It's a holiday. Traffic is a mess (took me about four hours to get to the airport, and transfering about three or four? different buses) and people are EVERYWHERE. Good news: another palace had free admission! It was a nice day, but I got to the airport super early and enjoyed the feeling of going home to Fiji. Now I have this hella long layover in Seoul, and I'm so anxious to be on solid ground for awhile!
Basically, I think Thailand is best experienced with a rented vehicle, group of people, and with either more time, or less time than what I had. But I'm glad I went; fulfilled a long awaited dream.
I have to go now, but I might continue later because I thought many many things about the necessity for urban planning. My biggest complaint of Thailand: it's too auto dependent!!!! Mad crazy traffic and motorbikes and too big cars! I saw 14 lanes of traffic today! It's so not pedestrian friendly at all!!!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
welcome to.... thailand!
Just saw the headline: hurray for Sotomayer!!!!! Makes me very happy.
In other news, I'm in Bangkok. BANGKOK! Crazy, huh? That's the first word to describe the city: crazy. Lots of cars- mad cars! Lots of little vehicles and people in masks and a mish mash of architecture. Lots of beautiful ornate gold temples and signs with altars to different people. Lots of markets, stands, signs, billboards, flowers, and colors.
My hotel is very cool. Very "hippie"ish and relaxing. I have a teeny tiny room, but I'm only there for sleeping so no worries.
It's hot. Mad hot. Makes Fiji feel like winter in Wisconsin. Well, that's a litte exaggeration but it is really humid here. Really really. And no sun. Lots of air pollution. Okay, I'm going to go eat some pat thai and gain more weight because I didn't gain enough kilos in Wisconsin!
I'm still waiting for someone to wake me up from this year-plus long dream. Am I really in Thailand???
In other news, I'm in Bangkok. BANGKOK! Crazy, huh? That's the first word to describe the city: crazy. Lots of cars- mad cars! Lots of little vehicles and people in masks and a mish mash of architecture. Lots of beautiful ornate gold temples and signs with altars to different people. Lots of markets, stands, signs, billboards, flowers, and colors.
My hotel is very cool. Very "hippie"ish and relaxing. I have a teeny tiny room, but I'm only there for sleeping so no worries.
It's hot. Mad hot. Makes Fiji feel like winter in Wisconsin. Well, that's a litte exaggeration but it is really humid here. Really really. And no sun. Lots of air pollution. Okay, I'm going to go eat some pat thai and gain more weight because I didn't gain enough kilos in Wisconsin!
I'm still waiting for someone to wake me up from this year-plus long dream. Am I really in Thailand???
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Eating locally
My garden is done! (Almost) We still need to finish the fencing but most of that is done, everything's planted, and I even got a big old compost bin! Yay! And, in less than a week, everything has started to sprout. I have capsicum (peppers), carrots, tomatoes, beans, Chinese cabbage, bele (a local leafy green- it's yummy) and cucumbers planted. Still to go is eggplant and maybe a couple pumpkins. I didn't have a chance to take some pictures but I will do that the next time around.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Some of the kids playing. They love the "skip!" (Jump rope)
This is DiLala, one of the kids I've gotten to be good friends with. She's working on a project about mangroves.
This is Kasa, her sister (one of them; this is a family of 7 kids!).
One of the big projects the village has been working on for a year or so now is rebuilding the church. After the flood a few years ago that almost took out the village, it damaged the church. With money from the logging, they have been able to renovate the church. Things were underway when the carpenter died in March. They recently resumed working, and the following pictures are what the guys took this week. 
I've been taking some time for myself in the village lately. Really, I've just been doing things that I should've done the first week I was here. Namely, gardening. A few weeks ago one of the couples in the village started cleaning up a vacant piece of land next to the house with our generator. I asked, finally, after months of general asking, very bluntly if I could have a couple plots to plant some veggies. He said sure. A few days later, I continued his weeding. Weeding is, of course, hacking down the grasses, weeds, and overgrowth with a big knife. I started and soon I had a group of people stopping to help me and in no time we had it down. It was another week maybe before he burned away some of the brush and dug the drainage ditch (it's a wet area). Then this week, Wednesday, I borrowed a big fork and started to turn over the earth. No machines in Fiji. I got another older man to help me and a while later one of my friends, who should have been in school since she's only 17, came to ask for my help on a school project and ended up helping us. After lunch the three of us and DiLevu finished it up. With four people the work went pretty quickly. Thursday I dug the drains between plots. We're pretty much done except we need to break up the soil more and put up a fence. And plant the seeds. Throughout this whole time my little pal Poso was there (DiLevu's 7 yr old son). Poso is something special. I've become really attached to this kid, as long as he's not biting me or in my house. Sometimes he's really goofy, like he has been Wednesday and Thursday. He's been our little foreman and always there to “help” me when no one else is there.
Another Volunteer once asked me what the best thing I bought was. My answer: my gumboots. I wear them all the time. When it rains. In the bush. Making my garden. Going to the ocean. Anytime I go anywhere there is mud or sharp weeds or rocks. You see them a lot in pictures of me.
Big news in the village!!! We got a pool table!! Yup, we're big time now. It arrived a couple weeks ago. People are crazy over this pool table. I haven't played yet. It's been over a year now I haven't played and not many women play (I've only seen maybe two or three women play so far on this one) here.
I had some sad news on Saturday. My host dad I stayed with when I first got here to Fiji died. He was really sick the last time I saw him, in April. I'm glad I visited.
Below are some videos. The first is a traditional "meke" dance that was performed last year at our 4th of July celebration. The second is the secondary kids singing at their prize giving ceremony last December. the third is my chief at the construction of the bread oven back in January.
Friday, June 19, 2009
I don't really have much to write today, and I promise no more rants about the state of America.
On the radio right now is Take That's "I Want You Back." Sometimes it's Michael Jackson, last week I heard MJ and Paul McCartney singing some song like "Doggone that girl is mine." How have I never heard that before??? Sometimes you'll hear Mili Vanilli and other forgotten jems.
If anyone wants to send me any books, I'd love some John Steinbeck or Julia Alvarez's How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. But really, any mail, anything at all, would be so greatly appreciated. Even just an envelope. Something! My mailbox partner gets mail all the time. Seriously, all the time. And personal mail, not just Peace Corps mail! Even my Peace Corps e-mails outnumber personal e-mails 5:1. Where are you, everyone?!? Send any lovin to:
PO Box 642, Savusavu, Fiji Islands.
Things have been really busy lately. Sometimes I say that but this time I really mean it. I've been organizing the library at the secondary school. It's been a big job. I unfortunately had to let go of such treasures as a Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints textbook about the "Human Condition." It made the to go pile at the first page I turned to, which described the different "types" of people in the world: Caucasian (with an illustration of a 'typical' white person's face), Negroid (a very stereotypical picture of all black people's faces), and the Mongoloid (an even more stereotypical picture of people from Asian descent). Other than that, they have a surprisingly good collection of books ranging from classics (poetry by Emily Dickinson, Dickens, lots of Steinbeck, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring) to really good nonfiction. And lots of books by Rumer Godden, whose name I'd only heard of, thanks Demi and Bruce, but never actually seen a book by her. And lots and lots of books about American history. An embarrassing amount of books about the US, actually. Plus like Ralph Ellison, David Halberstam, Margaret Mead, and a b unch of other popular titles- oh, and even a Taylor Caldwell.
We had a clean compound day in the village yesterday where we toured everyone's compounds to make sure they're clean and disposing of rubbish properly, etc. I turned in our application for funding for septic tanks for the village. I've been giving a lot more talks about the environment and rubbish and logging. And I think people are actually listening. I was told that when I speak, everyone listens. I guess that's nice.
I've heard other volunteers say, "There's only so much cheese you can eat, you know?" But you know what, nope, I don't know. I miss cheese. I've realized that it's like a staple food for me. I ate cheese literally every single day, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. With eggs, on sandwiches, with crackers, on salads, pizzas, burritos and other Mexican foods, on pasta, as is, with bread, on veggie burgers... Gorgonzola, bleu, Havarti, Cheddar (mild, sharp, medium, white, Vermont, you name it), Munster, Pepperjack, Montereyjack, Ricotta, Asiago, Mozzarella, Parmaggiana, Swiss, provolone, feta, goat... I mean, seriously, there are a lot of cheeses in the world. And I love them. All. Here, the options for fresh cheese are "Pizza" or "Mild." Or the Kraft blue box processed cheddar. Which makes a really mean macaroni and cheese, let me tell you. Of course you spend like half your allowance on imported cheeses, but who can/ wants to do that?? I love cheese.
On the radio right now is Take That's "I Want You Back." Sometimes it's Michael Jackson, last week I heard MJ and Paul McCartney singing some song like "Doggone that girl is mine." How have I never heard that before??? Sometimes you'll hear Mili Vanilli and other forgotten jems.
If anyone wants to send me any books, I'd love some John Steinbeck or Julia Alvarez's How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. But really, any mail, anything at all, would be so greatly appreciated. Even just an envelope. Something! My mailbox partner gets mail all the time. Seriously, all the time. And personal mail, not just Peace Corps mail! Even my Peace Corps e-mails outnumber personal e-mails 5:1. Where are you, everyone?!? Send any lovin to:
PO Box 642, Savusavu, Fiji Islands.
Things have been really busy lately. Sometimes I say that but this time I really mean it. I've been organizing the library at the secondary school. It's been a big job. I unfortunately had to let go of such treasures as a Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints textbook about the "Human Condition." It made the to go pile at the first page I turned to, which described the different "types" of people in the world: Caucasian (with an illustration of a 'typical' white person's face), Negroid (a very stereotypical picture of all black people's faces), and the Mongoloid (an even more stereotypical picture of people from Asian descent). Other than that, they have a surprisingly good collection of books ranging from classics (poetry by Emily Dickinson, Dickens, lots of Steinbeck, Rachel Carson's Silent Spring) to really good nonfiction. And lots of books by Rumer Godden, whose name I'd only heard of, thanks Demi and Bruce, but never actually seen a book by her. And lots and lots of books about American history. An embarrassing amount of books about the US, actually. Plus like Ralph Ellison, David Halberstam, Margaret Mead, and a b unch of other popular titles- oh, and even a Taylor Caldwell.
We had a clean compound day in the village yesterday where we toured everyone's compounds to make sure they're clean and disposing of rubbish properly, etc. I turned in our application for funding for septic tanks for the village. I've been giving a lot more talks about the environment and rubbish and logging. And I think people are actually listening. I was told that when I speak, everyone listens. I guess that's nice.
I've heard other volunteers say, "There's only so much cheese you can eat, you know?" But you know what, nope, I don't know. I miss cheese. I've realized that it's like a staple food for me. I ate cheese literally every single day, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. With eggs, on sandwiches, with crackers, on salads, pizzas, burritos and other Mexican foods, on pasta, as is, with bread, on veggie burgers... Gorgonzola, bleu, Havarti, Cheddar (mild, sharp, medium, white, Vermont, you name it), Munster, Pepperjack, Montereyjack, Ricotta, Asiago, Mozzarella, Parmaggiana, Swiss, provolone, feta, goat... I mean, seriously, there are a lot of cheeses in the world. And I love them. All. Here, the options for fresh cheese are "Pizza" or "Mild." Or the Kraft blue box processed cheddar. Which makes a really mean macaroni and cheese, let me tell you. Of course you spend like half your allowance on imported cheeses, but who can/ wants to do that?? I love cheese.
Monday, June 8, 2009
If you're not outraged...
This is how we cut the copra, cut the copra, cut the copra. This is how we cut the copra all day long.
The sun is back!! It's hot again- yay! I had a really good conversation with a guy about wind/ hydro power- yay! And I'm getting quotations for our market project and the fish pond guy is finally coming out next week! So wow! This week is a much better week, but yesterday was a sucky sucky day. The kind of day I just want to go out for a vodka tonic with Chris and Josie and Beth and the whole gang and rant and listen to indie rock music. Oi lei.
I'm trying to upload more videos, but it takes a hella long time. Wait for it, wait for it...
Early on in my stay in the village it was the end of the term at the school. I was the "Chief Guest" and didn't know anyone (seriously, it was my second week there!). But, I took this video of this kid who's maybe 14 or 15 from my village. His name is Vocea and you can't see him; he's behind the kid to the right in the black shirt. He has an awesome voice and actually plays guitar pretty well. (His dad was a really good, popular singer from my village and they made a CD)
So I started reading a Joan Didion book called "The White Album." It's a memoir about the late 1960's. She's at an interview with Huey Newton, who was the co-leader of the Black Panthers, after he was shot and then arrested. She quotes him who quoted James Baldwin: "To be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage." And then I thought about it and thought, the same can be said anyway: "To be conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage." And then I thought, that's not entirely fair given the current leadership. Which led me to thinking about how Obama is our president... and wait, Obama's black. And wow! the country has really come a long, long way. But, Obama is not full of rage. Where's the disconnect? But still, it's like the adage, "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." Because really, if you are paying attention, you'd be pretty pissed off at things in the US, such as social justice issues and climate change in-action. Especially at the policy level. You know, like how car companies have had the potential to get like 80 mpg in EVERY single car but they didn't do it because it would have been too expensive ten years ago? yeah, they're dumb because look who's laughing now, all the way to the back... Toyota and Honda. Sorry, GM. You suck. You made thousands of people lose their jobs because you chose to think in the short term profit gain rather than the long term... for financial and environmental reasons (and oh, I don't know, jobs for all those people you've been laying off). Anyway I'm enjoying Didion immensely.
As a side note, I'm outraged. Still. Because what happens in the US trickles down, to places like Fiji.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Roko
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This is my favorite Fiji 7's rugby player! His name is Nasoni Roko. He has great hair. And he makes great tackles!
news
It was really rainy in the mountains in the bush. It's been really cold all week. Yuck.
Altar to Mary.I realize I haven't really posted anything of substance lately. I always think what to say, but haven't really had time to post. So lets see if I can recap the past few weeks...
A week or two ago I went to Taveuni, finally, for a big meeting for our province. Taveuni is beautiful and wonderful and I had big plans to travel and visit some other PCVs. Alas, something spasmed in my back and it was the most excrutiating pain I've ever had. (Sorry Mom... but really don't worry) It was pretty awful and I could barely move, so I had to cut my trip short, which I was/am really bummed about. Good thing is: it's a lot better now and I had some great massages. So it was pretty depressing to be 25 with the body of an 80 year old.
This is in Tutu, the place I visited to check out hydropower. It's a Catholic mission/ training center. Very cool place run by a very very cool old Australian priest. It's what I'm going to write my thesis about! This is one of the chapels. Has an amazing view!Soemthing I love about Fiji is all the colors. Everything is so colorful and vivid, from all the different greens of the forest (more than are in a box of Crayola 64!) to the blues of the sky and sea to the flowers (bright fuschias and deep purples, blue and purple and white morning glories, bright hibiscus) to the insects (the butterflies! the grasshoppers! the mantis!) to the birds (so many different birds! and also so many that aren't here anymore, vinaka mongoose). The sulu jabas (the women's dresses, see picture) and bula shirts the men wear. It's nice.
See sulu jaba, above. This is in Taveuni, at the International Date Line. Technically, the date line runs right through Taveuni; but to make things simple, they keep it all in one time. Taveuni is the first place in the world where the new day/ new year starts! My back was hurting so badly in this picture.This week I was really busy. Monday we went to plant and weed yaqona. Below is a video I took from the bush. Hehe. Below are also a few pictures from up there. Maria and I cooked the lunch, rice and dhal soup. It was cold and rainy. Tuesday we went to cut copra, but I forgot to put those pictures on my thumb drive, so next time. Copra is the dried coconut flesh that's the bread and butter of our area up here. It's what they use to make oil with and lotions and soaps and all those fancy shmancy things Americans and Westerners like to buy with coconut. We did it as a village project to help pay off the debt for the diesel for the generator. there was a group of about 20 of us who collected coconuts, piled them up, chopped them with an ax, and then cut out the flesh with a special little knife. Then you have to dry it. It's a three- four day process and we should get maybe $200. Wednesday I worked at the school and Thursday I did a major cleaning of my bure and then weeded a lot for my garden- finally! Friday was a open house outside Savusavu for fish ponds/ agricultural stuff. Needless to say, I'm ready to rest. And I've been helping the high school kids with their homework again and we had a soli (they give money) for the women. So nights have been busy, too. But we're finally making progress with our market at the road at the bus stop and on our septic tanks. Yay!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
time on my hands and music on my mind
I have some time to spare, so here is something I think about a lot, which has absolutely nothing to do with Peace Corps or Fiji:
Most disappointing live show: The Pixies, Marcus Amphitheater, 2005 (Okay, seriously, what are the Pixies doing opening for Weezer in an amphitheater?!?!? Not cool.)
Show I purposefully walked out on: Weezer, Marcus Amphitheater, 2005
Band I saw that is now kind of famous: Art Brut, Rome, 2006
Openers I liked better than headliners: Pixies (for Weezer, 2005), Glass Candy (Vampire Weekend (?), 2008), Saul Williams (Mars Volta, 2003), Ben Harper (String Cheese Incident, 2002), Tegan and Sara (Ryan Adams, 2002)
Shows I forget I saw: The Sea and Cake, High Noon Saloon, 2007; Yo La Tengo, Barrymore Theater, 2002; Gillian Welch, Barrymore Theater, 2003 or 2004; Black Keys, High Noon Saloon, 2007?; Pearl Jam, Alpine Valley, 2003; Architecture in Helsinki, High Noon, 2007?; Ryan Adams, Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis, 2002
Most Underrated/ Biggest Surprise: Black Keys; The New Pornographers, Orpheum Theater Madison, 2008; Kings of Leon, The Rave, 2007; Bright Eyes, Minneapolis, 2003
Should've Stayed Home and Listened to CD and Saved $25: Neko Case, Barrymore Theater, 2007
Worst Sound: Pixies, Modest Mouse (Eagles Ballroom)
Most Energetic: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bradley Center, 2002
Would Love to Relive only Because of its Awesomeness: Ani DiFranco, Eagles Ballroom, 1999
Glad-I-Didn't-Spend-$$-On: Jack Johnson- Do I really need to spend $30 to hear a song with my name in it about a prostitute?
BandIendeduplovingafterseeingliveforthefirsttime: Bright Eyes (Thanks, Alicia!)
Best Encore: Neil Young, Greendale Tour, Marcus Amphitheater, 2003
Should've Not Been Sober For: String Cheese Incident, Alpine Valley. Maybe add in Phish?
Best all 3 Performers On One Stage: Tie... Ani DiFranco/Greg Brown/ Gillian Welch (Civic Center, Madison, 2000) and Mars Volta/ Queens of the Stone Age/ Red Hot Chili Peppers (Dane County Coliseum, 2002)
Wish I had known better first: Deerhoof
Best Dancing: Violent Femmes, Memorial Union Terrace, 2005 (Close second: Big Wu and G Love, Apple Valley, 2002. So much mud!) (Very very close next up: New Pornos)
I Wasn't Bored But Everyone Else Was: The Shins, The Rave, 2005
Wished I Could've Danced More: Cake, Orpheum, 2005
Shortest Show: Sparklehorse, High Noon, 2007
Longest: Phish, Alpine Valley, 2004 (Bruce is probably very close...)
Artist I've Seen the Most: Ani DiFranco (1999 Eagles Ballroom, 2000 Civic Center, 2000 or 2001 Eagles Ballroom, 2001 Orpheum, 2004 Orpheum, 2006 Bonnaroo, 2007 Pabst Theater)
Should've Gone To: Andrew Bird, MUT, 2007 or Feist, Orpheum, 2007
Shows that made me feel old: Wilco, Overture Center, 2007 (Should not be a sitting show!!!) and Ani DiFranco, 2007 (We're all old now!)
Was too young to get: U2, Popmart Tour, Camp Randall, 1997
Most Funny But Serious Band: Skid Row, Summerfest, 2005 **tie** Dogstar, Summerfest, 2001 or 2 (Also wins category for Best Rockstar/Musician Concert. I love you Keanu/ Neo!)
Shittiest Seats That Ruined Experience: Bjork, Chicago Theater, 2007
Coolest Show for Free: Flaming Lips, Willow Lake, 2007
Best Festival Line-Up: Bonnaroo, 2006: Beck! Radiohead! CHYSY! Tom Petty! Andrew Bird! Cat Power! So much more!
Worst to skip at aforementioned concert: all of My Morning Jacket
Best Festival Line-up that Never Happened that I had Tickets For: Field Day Festival
Missed Opportunity: Low, Minneapolis Record Store, 2002. Alicia went. I think I went to Borders or something.
Best "local" band show: Houses in Motion, Majestic Theater, 2008: Happy Birthday Me!; Masoko, Rome, 2006; That brass band whose name I can't remember but I'm pretty sure it's not Mama Digdown's... they did a show at the High Noon... Zeke's friend's band... then they left to go on tour... awesome show, 2006 or 7
Most Bizarre: Glass Candy
If I Could See Anyone Live: Smashing Pumpkins, ca 1996ish; R.E.M, ca 1988-1994ish; Janis; Violent Femmes/ Pixies, ca 1984-1990; Prince, 1990's; Madonna, 1992; Lilith Fair; David Bowie, 1978; Bon Jovi, ca 1989; Blind Melon w/ Shannon Hoon
My best year for live music: **tie** 2003 and 2007 (2003: RHCP, Bright Eyes, Neil Young, 2 Mars Volta shows, Yo La Tengo, a zillion other shows at the Barrymore)
I miss live shows. The person I've probably been to the most shows with is definitely Josie. Close second is Katy. And Pat. We made a nice trio of groupies for awhile. And Chris. Wow Chris and I have seen a lot of shows, too. And Beth. Beth was almost always at all those High Noon shows, too.
That's all. Now I have to go.
Most disappointing live show: The Pixies, Marcus Amphitheater, 2005 (Okay, seriously, what are the Pixies doing opening for Weezer in an amphitheater?!?!? Not cool.)
Show I purposefully walked out on: Weezer, Marcus Amphitheater, 2005
Band I saw that is now kind of famous: Art Brut, Rome, 2006
Openers I liked better than headliners: Pixies (for Weezer, 2005), Glass Candy (Vampire Weekend (?), 2008), Saul Williams (Mars Volta, 2003), Ben Harper (String Cheese Incident, 2002), Tegan and Sara (Ryan Adams, 2002)
Shows I forget I saw: The Sea and Cake, High Noon Saloon, 2007; Yo La Tengo, Barrymore Theater, 2002; Gillian Welch, Barrymore Theater, 2003 or 2004; Black Keys, High Noon Saloon, 2007?; Pearl Jam, Alpine Valley, 2003; Architecture in Helsinki, High Noon, 2007?; Ryan Adams, Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis, 2002
Most Underrated/ Biggest Surprise: Black Keys; The New Pornographers, Orpheum Theater Madison, 2008; Kings of Leon, The Rave, 2007; Bright Eyes, Minneapolis, 2003
Should've Stayed Home and Listened to CD and Saved $25: Neko Case, Barrymore Theater, 2007
Worst Sound: Pixies, Modest Mouse (Eagles Ballroom)
Most Energetic: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bradley Center, 2002
Would Love to Relive only Because of its Awesomeness: Ani DiFranco, Eagles Ballroom, 1999
Glad-I-Didn't-Spend-$$-On: Jack Johnson- Do I really need to spend $30 to hear a song with my name in it about a prostitute?
BandIendeduplovingafterseeingliveforthefirsttime: Bright Eyes (Thanks, Alicia!)
Best Encore: Neil Young, Greendale Tour, Marcus Amphitheater, 2003
Should've Not Been Sober For: String Cheese Incident, Alpine Valley. Maybe add in Phish?
Best all 3 Performers On One Stage: Tie... Ani DiFranco/Greg Brown/ Gillian Welch (Civic Center, Madison, 2000) and Mars Volta/ Queens of the Stone Age/ Red Hot Chili Peppers (Dane County Coliseum, 2002)
Wish I had known better first: Deerhoof
Best Dancing: Violent Femmes, Memorial Union Terrace, 2005 (Close second: Big Wu and G Love, Apple Valley, 2002. So much mud!) (Very very close next up: New Pornos)
I Wasn't Bored But Everyone Else Was: The Shins, The Rave, 2005
Wished I Could've Danced More: Cake, Orpheum, 2005
Shortest Show: Sparklehorse, High Noon, 2007
Longest: Phish, Alpine Valley, 2004 (Bruce is probably very close...)
Artist I've Seen the Most: Ani DiFranco (1999 Eagles Ballroom, 2000 Civic Center, 2000 or 2001 Eagles Ballroom, 2001 Orpheum, 2004 Orpheum, 2006 Bonnaroo, 2007 Pabst Theater)
Should've Gone To: Andrew Bird, MUT, 2007 or Feist, Orpheum, 2007
Shows that made me feel old: Wilco, Overture Center, 2007 (Should not be a sitting show!!!) and Ani DiFranco, 2007 (We're all old now!)
Was too young to get: U2, Popmart Tour, Camp Randall, 1997
Most Funny But Serious Band: Skid Row, Summerfest, 2005 **tie** Dogstar, Summerfest, 2001 or 2 (Also wins category for Best Rockstar/Musician Concert. I love you Keanu/ Neo!)
Shittiest Seats That Ruined Experience: Bjork, Chicago Theater, 2007
Coolest Show for Free: Flaming Lips, Willow Lake, 2007
Best Festival Line-Up: Bonnaroo, 2006: Beck! Radiohead! CHYSY! Tom Petty! Andrew Bird! Cat Power! So much more!
Worst to skip at aforementioned concert: all of My Morning Jacket
Best Festival Line-up that Never Happened that I had Tickets For: Field Day Festival
Missed Opportunity: Low, Minneapolis Record Store, 2002. Alicia went. I think I went to Borders or something.
Best "local" band show: Houses in Motion, Majestic Theater, 2008: Happy Birthday Me!; Masoko, Rome, 2006; That brass band whose name I can't remember but I'm pretty sure it's not Mama Digdown's... they did a show at the High Noon... Zeke's friend's band... then they left to go on tour... awesome show, 2006 or 7
Most Bizarre: Glass Candy
If I Could See Anyone Live: Smashing Pumpkins, ca 1996ish; R.E.M, ca 1988-1994ish; Janis; Violent Femmes/ Pixies, ca 1984-1990; Prince, 1990's; Madonna, 1992; Lilith Fair; David Bowie, 1978; Bon Jovi, ca 1989; Blind Melon w/ Shannon Hoon
My best year for live music: **tie** 2003 and 2007 (2003: RHCP, Bright Eyes, Neil Young, 2 Mars Volta shows, Yo La Tengo, a zillion other shows at the Barrymore)
I miss live shows. The person I've probably been to the most shows with is definitely Josie. Close second is Katy. And Pat. We made a nice trio of groupies for awhile. And Chris. Wow Chris and I have seen a lot of shows, too. And Beth. Beth was almost always at all those High Noon shows, too.
That's all. Now I have to go.
Monday, May 11, 2009
day at the beach
I've been trying to get out and around more, see more of my island. Last week I went to church in a village up the northeastern coast and then last weekend I checked out a village even further up the coast, right on a point across from where the bay ends. To get to the village you have to cross a bridge. It's literally on the coast. At high tide it was hard to tell where the village ended and the ocean began. I did a lot in a really, really short amount of time! It was great. The purpose of my visit was to check out a waterfall that the village wants to make into a tourist attraction. We hiked through this amazing canopy of cocoa trees, bright fuschia (redudant?) flowers, coconut trees, and thick overgrowth. The waterfall, below, is up a hill, with four big
pools leading up to it and little waterfalls- I'm sure there's a name for them but I don't know it- all along the way up. It happened to be pretty dreary and the water was freezing but it was great. Beautiful. Very pristine, untouched, like most of the area I saw. We swam (it was freezing) and one of the women went fishing for prawns.
We went to the beach, swimming and fishing and exploring all there was to offer in the ocean. At low tide you can walk out to this island. The first creatures we saw were trees full of sleeping bats. Crazy with bats! They all got up and flew away when we came and I remembered that bats have super sonic hearing. Then we saw some sea snakes, which are as deadly as cobras if they bite you. They crawl on land to lay their eggs. There aren't many of them left because the mongoose eat them, I'm told, if they go to the mainland. Damn mongooses. Saw some sea cucumbers, starfish, cool creatures with long legs that looks like they could break except they were actually really strong and tough and the bodies were whispy little things. But you could pick them up with no problems. Saw some really cool sea shells. Went digging for small clams. Some people went diving for the giant clams, called vasua here. I saw the bright blue and oh so deadly big starfish, an eel, another kind of sea snake, crabs, and fish. They came back with oysters and a piece of coral just for me. I had to then give a lecture as to why killing the coral is a bad idea. When he handed me this round flat disc of coral I asked what they use them for. "Oh, for ash trays." My jaw dropped and my heart sank. Can I use any more cliches in one sentence?
We ate the clams, cooked with chili and lemon juice and salt. And later, when there wasn't time to cook them, ate them raw. And now I just find out they're extremely endangered. And I'm very very very mad at myself. But they found like three this day! And they had empty shells everywhere! Oh man. But they're delicious, and I don't blame people for eating them. I just wish it didn't leave me with such a bad feeling. This is the hard thing: they did it all for me. They went diving for clams and oysters and other creatures in gorgeous shells and coral just to impress me.
I also took a boat ride to a village accessible only by boat, with only four houses. I had tea there and delicious roti in lolo and "bani vakalolo"- literally a homemade bun soaked in coconut cream. Delicious. I then had this depressing realization that my village isn't really the ocean at all. It's the bay. We went in towards the bay, away from the open sea. I've known I'm in the bay, but when I really thought about it, it hit me.
They sent us home with brooms and coconut oil and sea shells and cocoa pods. Oh, and did I mention I taught them how to do the Chicken Dance? Oh yes. Fiji is soon to be rockin the Chicken Dance. We also did some "screw in the lightbulb" dancing and crazy finger pointing dancing. I think I should go on the road.
That's the biggest thing that's happened lately, other than actually doing big projects. We're still working on septic tanks and a footpath and prawn farming and a kindergarten. Whew.
In other news, I've been addicted to Gilmore Girls lately. I popped in a random disc which turned out to be disc 2, season 2. I'm working my way through the season and lo and behold, I discovered an episode I never remember watching! I couldn't believe it, but nothing about the espisode seemed remotely familiar. It was the one after Richard retires and Emily sends him to spend the day with Lorelai and Dean gives Rory the car. I realized I don't like Dean. At all. No, he just didn't do it for me. Obviously Jess wasn't all a peach but he wasn't drippy and dippy and had passion. I'm still very hung up on this even after how many years? I also discovered that I kind of don't like Lorelai. Sometimes I really don't like her behavior or the way she talks to people. And she's so patronizing to Sookie. And Rory was always just pouting and saying "I'm not naive" while Lorelai was just condescending even to Rory: "She's such a sweet innocent girl... She's so naive... She's so nice to everyone..." But I do love the show still, nothing can change that.
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