Not too much to report this time.
Yesterday I kind of starting "working," even though the past six weeks have been work. I am working with a bunch of Youth from the village (Youth being anyone aged 14 on up, married or single, male or female) on their dalo farm. They have about 13,000 dalo planted so far and want to have 17,000. Their goal is to buy a truck for the village. Every Friday is Youth Day, when everyone works on the youth farm. It was my first time going. There were about 30 of us. Two other women went but they picked rourou (dalo leaves) to cook for lunch while I stayed and helped garden- meaning I whacked away the grass to turn the soil and then a hole is pounded with a big stick and the dalo stalks are replanted. It was pretty fun, actually, even though it rained most of the morning. Afterwards we had a big lunch and then most of us ended up drinking grog later that evening. My goal, I think, is to help figure out how to buy the truck and how to get money to maintain the farm. I still need more info but I think this was a really good start. I'm trying to post some pictures so you can see.
Wednesday night I came home and my neighbor was having a party. I should say, my neighbor's 19 year old son was having a party. I stopped by to see what was going on and he told me, "We're drinking wainimole (citrus juice), see? [points to a basin] That's what we do, drink wainimole." Oh really, Josua? That's why you and three others are giggling and calling my name out the window and laying on the floor?? Totally a house party when your mom's away, Fiji style. It was great. Hilarious, to me. It's not like I'm going to tell on him.
I have a garden, too, that I want to upload pictures of. It's pretty big. A bunch of the men got to together to help dig and turn the soil. Right now I have Chinese cabbage, carrots, French beans, long beans, and eggplant. After 1 week everything had sprouted and the beans after two weeks are huge! I'm planting cucumbers next to my house and today I bought more seeds so I plan to start planting even more.
Thursday work started (finally!) on my kitchen. In my village, people have their kitchens outside their houses, usually made of bamboo. They still have to put in a floor and the walls. I'm so excited!!!!! I finally get to start cooking with the fire instead of my gas stove. This also means I'm going to have to teach the women how to bake. I can't bake with my stove and I'm super stoked to bake with the fire (no pun intended). They're all anxious to learn, too.
I have a few music requests, if anyone feels like sending me any cds. Some I didn't have time to download into iTunes, some I don't have, some I realized I lost somewhere, and some that were super scratched and I can't listen to!
In no particular order:
-She and Him
-The Postal Service
-Amnesiac
-Pulp, Greatest Hits
-Prince
-MMJ, It Still Moves
-Cake
5 comments:
i can take care of any mmj. i'll send your their new one too. also will copy she and him. i did have postal service. there was something else i was going to send too. ok, well, send me your address cause i lost it. do you have coffee? or do you need coffee? cause we got the good stuff out here in portland. i miss you!!!!
Taylar, what's your address? I need to know. I want to get my kids on soon so we can blog together.
Never actually heard of any of those bands before, except for The Postal Service. I laughed at the bit about the house party. That's awesome. So, the women in Fiji don't bake, or is it just the women in your village?
Hoping to get a letter out to you in the next day or two, and hope you're well.
~~Kelsey
I want to go to a Fiji-style house party. It sounds fun.
I can send you the Pulp and Radiohead and some Prince and Cake. It's a hassle to get to the post office in Minneapolis, but I will go, I swear. What address would I send it to?
Oohh oohh mail and CDS!!!! Please! Ester, is it possible for In Rainbows as well????
Here is my address:
Taylar Foster
c/o Nairukuruku District School
PO Box 46
Vunidawa, Fiji Islands
Coffee... oh my god I wish I had coffee. I have no way to make it, though!! All they have here is instant. Blech. There is a Gloria Jean's in Suva but it's hella expensive and they drown the coffee in milk and sugar! And it's weak! Oh, Barrique's, I miss you and your delicious, strong Alterra!
The women in Fiji don't bake because that's not really part of their food culture. There are some dessert type dishes made from grated tavioka (cassava). And, if you know your cognates, you'll guess that tapioca pudding was originally made from grated tavioka. But baking over an open fire is difficult and time consuming. Trust me, I'm learning. Before there was flour, they used grated tavioka and mixing tavioka, eggs, sugar, and baking powder (staples of any baked goods) are all rooted in Western traditions. We don't have stoves/ovens but use the fire or kerosene lamps, which you can't bake with. Baking just isn't a part of the culture here. Needless to say they're thrilled I'm goign to be able to bring baking into their lives! Chocolate chip cookies, here I come. Fiji style.
Beth and Alicia, I get very few excitements in my daily life so I'm looking forward to some new music!!!
Post a Comment