Last weekend I went to Octopus Resort on Waya Island with some of the other Projects Abroad volunteers, and we had a blast! We left on a boat from the marina in Nadi on Saturday morning, and made it to Waya after a couple hours. It really didn't seem that sunny to me, so I just put sunscreen on my arms and face... but that was a huge mistake. My legs and chest were so red. The other volunteers were astonished at my ability to burn so easily (noone else got burned). And when I went back to school on Monday, all the kids wanted to know why my white skin had red splotches. Luckily my roommate thought to bring aloe vera gel with her, so I'm good as new!
When we got to the resort, I properly sunscreened and spent most of the day reading my book by the ocean. We had bursts of sunshine followed by periods of cloudiness- slightly disappointing, but probably for the best considering I already had a sun burn just from the boat over. I took a break from lying by the ocean to get a traditional Fijian "Lomi Lomi" massage. Very relaxing. :) On Saturday evening, the resort staff set up for 'beach party night,' which consisted of a bonfire on the beach and American pop music videos playing on a big projection screen. I am shocked at how much Lady Gaga, Akon, etc. I've heard in Fiji! I usually fall asleep to the sound of my neighbor's radio... you can hear everything that goes on in the neighbors' houses- no privacy at all. And the kids in my class at school often break out and sing "ga ga, ooh la la..." all together. Always creeps me out. :)
Anyway, back to my story about the resort. On Sunday morning, I went with a group of people on a short hike into the traditional Fijian village on the island. The village invites the resort's guests to come to their Methodist church service every week. All the girls had to cover our knees and shoulders, and everyone had to take off our shoes to go into the church. (The people in the village don't wear shoes.) The service was nice. The choir is really good. I wished I could understand what they were saying though. Except for one sentence in English, the entire service was in Fijian. I'm glad I went though. There was a hurricane here a couple of months ago, and it hit the village pretty hard. Even before the hurricane, most of them were living in "houses" made of aluminum sheets, etc., but now a lot of the roofs are missing as well. It was really sad to see.
After church, I came back to the resort and went snorkeling. It was absolutely amazing. I really wish I had brought an underwater camera. I saw sooo many gorgeous, colorful fish and coral reefs. Such a great experience. I probably could have stayed out snorkeling all day, but we had to get on a boat back home to Nadi on Sunday afternoon. The boat ride home felt more like a roller coaster. It was sooo windy, and we were sitting on the top deck of the 3-story boat. You really couldn't stand up without holding on to something for support. Some people went to the lower levels because they didn't like the wind, and one girl even got sick over the edge of the boat, but I thought it was actually really fun. :)
All in all, I'd say I had a very successful first weekend. A beautiful beach, lots of good food, a relaxing massage, Fijian church, and amazing snorkeling- yep, definitely cannot complain.
P.S. School update. My partner-teacher, Sister Vika, was sick on Monday and Tuesday, so I had to deal with the chaos all by myself! I literally almost went insane. The kids don't think of me as a "real" authority figure; I'm just a weird white person. Things got better by Tuesday afternoon though. It's just really hard to keep them occupied when they don't have anything but a pencil and paper (and some of them don't even have that, half of the time!). So I was feeling quite discouraged after school yesterday. But today, one of the girls in my class brought me a bouquet of flowers that she picked from her yard, and another girl brought me a sad little palm branch that she probably found lying by the road. Definitely made everything better. :)
P.P.S. I really really love my host family. I've been enjoying tons of really delicious (although very hot!) Indian food that my host-mother makes for dinner every night. She also packs me a lunch to take to school everyday. And the adorable five-year-old has started calling me "benny," which is the Hindi word for "sister."
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
All in a Day's Work
When I got to school this morning, the teacher (Sister Vika) greeted me by saying that she had to leave me with the class. A girl had gotten an eraser (they call them "rubbers" here) stuck in her ear, so Sister Vika was taking her to the hospital. So, I was the sole authority figure in the classroom for the morning. The kids were so loud. They were taking a test, but wouldn't shut up for more than a minute. They don't stay quiet for Sister Vika either, but she readily smacks them (hard!) when they do something wrong, so they're a tiny bit better for her.
This is a private Catholic school, but it's still not very good. There's a pretty big range of ability among the students, so I think that makes it hard. A few kids in the class speak and read English really well (if their parents have taught them at home), but some can't speak or read more than a few words. Same goes for spelling/writing, math, etc. Also, there's usually at least one kid who doesn't have any food or money for lunch. The kids who do have plenty of food are very good about sharing with the others though.
I'm still having tons of fun. I really really love it here. I'm hoping to post pictures sometime next week! I'm going on a 2-day trip to Octopus Resort on Waya Island this weekend, and it's supposed to be gorgeous. The smaller islands (like Waya) are what make Fiji a famous tourist destination. Nadi, the town on the main island that I'm staying in, is great and very pretty, but it doesn't have any of the fancy resorts that people vacation at. So I should get to see a very different side of Fiji this weekend!
This is a private Catholic school, but it's still not very good. There's a pretty big range of ability among the students, so I think that makes it hard. A few kids in the class speak and read English really well (if their parents have taught them at home), but some can't speak or read more than a few words. Same goes for spelling/writing, math, etc. Also, there's usually at least one kid who doesn't have any food or money for lunch. The kids who do have plenty of food are very good about sharing with the others though.
I'm still having tons of fun. I really really love it here. I'm hoping to post pictures sometime next week! I'm going on a 2-day trip to Octopus Resort on Waya Island this weekend, and it's supposed to be gorgeous. The smaller islands (like Waya) are what make Fiji a famous tourist destination. Nadi, the town on the main island that I'm staying in, is great and very pretty, but it doesn't have any of the fancy resorts that people vacation at. So I should get to see a very different side of Fiji this weekend!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
"Why are you so white?"
I definitely stand out here, in more ways than one. My British roommate and I were walking to the pool yesterday and an old man saw us and said to us "Why are you so white?" Really?!? What kind of a question is that? We didn't know what to say on the spot, so we just laughed awkwardly. I know I don't tan very much, but it's only my third day here! Give me a break!
We also seem to have dollar signs on our heads. There are tons of taxis on the street all the time and whenever they see someone who is obviously not a local (ex: me) they will honk and flash their lights, assuming you want to be taken to some resort. Also, they will try to charge you wayyyyyy more than they charge locals.
I had my first day at school today! My 5-year-old host brother goes to the public school across from the Catholic school where I'm working. He and his mom take a taxi every morning from the house, so my roommate and I rode with them this morning. They got out at his school and paid the driver, then he took us just a bit down the rode to our school. We stupidly asked him how much we owed him when we got there, and he really ripped us off. We paid him 3 Fiji dollars for like a 30 second ride! That's only around $1.50, so it may not sound expensive, but compared to the rates they usually charge, that is WAY overpriced. Now we know to negotiate the fare before we even get in the taxi...
Speaking of school, I had a great day! I ended up in the "Class One" (aka First Grade) classroom instead of the kindergarten, which seems to actually be a good thing. There are 44 kids in the class, and they are all adorable. Today was the first day of their Second Term- they just had a two week break. They were pretty rowdy, but I'm hoping that they'll calm down once they get back into the routine of school. There is one very sweet girl with Down Syndrome in the class, so I spent a lot of the day giving her extra help with her work.
At first, the kids were really shy. I introduced myself and asked them if they had any questions for me, but they all just stared at me blankly. By the end of the day though, I practically couldn't keep them off me. I was supposed to lead them in a craft, so we made paper fans and colored them. I think all 44 kids were calling my name at once to come see their fan. My go-to response was "That looks great!" and they didn't seem to notice that I said that to everyone. :)
I expected the school day to be way more structured than it actually is. People say American kids are so badly behaved, etc., etc., but the American elementary schools I've seen are much quieter (in general) than this one! The main Class One teacher would give the kids a short assignment, and so they'd all finish it and have nothing to do but be loud. I'm going to have to think of some good activities/games to have them do because I really think they'd do better with less down time. It's kind of hard to keep a group of 44 six-year-olds happy all at the same time, so it's going to be a challenge!
After we made our fans, the teacher had me take the whole group outside to the playground, which is actually just a grassy hill in front of the school- no slides or monkey bars or anything like that. So I was supposed to entertain and keep track of ALL of them while the teacher swept out the classroom and cleaned up. We played "Simon Says" but it took forever just to get them lined up! One girl had brought a Bob the Builder book outside with her, so I ended up reading that to about half of them while the other half played tag.
All of the girls wanted to hold my hand... at once. It was really cute, but also really hot to have a zillion kids climbing all over you in this weather! One of the girls informed me that I am white. :) Then she kindly changed her mind and said I'm not really white, I'm just "light." Phew.
P.S. My host-father picked some fresh coconuts from the yard for us yesterday! It was pretty exciting. Definitely tastes better with sugar though...
We also seem to have dollar signs on our heads. There are tons of taxis on the street all the time and whenever they see someone who is obviously not a local (ex: me) they will honk and flash their lights, assuming you want to be taken to some resort. Also, they will try to charge you wayyyyyy more than they charge locals.
I had my first day at school today! My 5-year-old host brother goes to the public school across from the Catholic school where I'm working. He and his mom take a taxi every morning from the house, so my roommate and I rode with them this morning. They got out at his school and paid the driver, then he took us just a bit down the rode to our school. We stupidly asked him how much we owed him when we got there, and he really ripped us off. We paid him 3 Fiji dollars for like a 30 second ride! That's only around $1.50, so it may not sound expensive, but compared to the rates they usually charge, that is WAY overpriced. Now we know to negotiate the fare before we even get in the taxi...
Speaking of school, I had a great day! I ended up in the "Class One" (aka First Grade) classroom instead of the kindergarten, which seems to actually be a good thing. There are 44 kids in the class, and they are all adorable. Today was the first day of their Second Term- they just had a two week break. They were pretty rowdy, but I'm hoping that they'll calm down once they get back into the routine of school. There is one very sweet girl with Down Syndrome in the class, so I spent a lot of the day giving her extra help with her work.
At first, the kids were really shy. I introduced myself and asked them if they had any questions for me, but they all just stared at me blankly. By the end of the day though, I practically couldn't keep them off me. I was supposed to lead them in a craft, so we made paper fans and colored them. I think all 44 kids were calling my name at once to come see their fan. My go-to response was "That looks great!" and they didn't seem to notice that I said that to everyone. :)
I expected the school day to be way more structured than it actually is. People say American kids are so badly behaved, etc., etc., but the American elementary schools I've seen are much quieter (in general) than this one! The main Class One teacher would give the kids a short assignment, and so they'd all finish it and have nothing to do but be loud. I'm going to have to think of some good activities/games to have them do because I really think they'd do better with less down time. It's kind of hard to keep a group of 44 six-year-olds happy all at the same time, so it's going to be a challenge!
After we made our fans, the teacher had me take the whole group outside to the playground, which is actually just a grassy hill in front of the school- no slides or monkey bars or anything like that. So I was supposed to entertain and keep track of ALL of them while the teacher swept out the classroom and cleaned up. We played "Simon Says" but it took forever just to get them lined up! One girl had brought a Bob the Builder book outside with her, so I ended up reading that to about half of them while the other half played tag.
All of the girls wanted to hold my hand... at once. It was really cute, but also really hot to have a zillion kids climbing all over you in this weather! One of the girls informed me that I am white. :) Then she kindly changed her mind and said I'm not really white, I'm just "light." Phew.
P.S. My host-father picked some fresh coconuts from the yard for us yesterday! It was pretty exciting. Definitely tastes better with sugar though...
Monday, May 17, 2010
I'm here!
Well, it's a little after noon on a beautiful sunny, HOT Fiji day. I'm in "town" at an internet cafe right now, so this is just going to be a quick update. I got to my host family's house in the middle of the night on Saturday/Sunday, and I was exhausted. The first night and morning were a little bit rough, and I was kind of wondering what the heck I'm doing here. But now, only one day later, I'm already loving it! My host family is amazing- I think I really lucked out. Their house is certainly no resort. ;) No air conditioning, no hot water (not that you'd want it!), and lots of bugs. Very different from what I'm used to, but I think I'm adjusting quite nicely. I had a minor freak-out yesterday when some sort of flying cockroach landed on my shirt, and I couldn't flick it off for what seemed like ages. Yuck. I guess I'll get used to the bugs though. As long as they're not touching me, I'm okay. Oh, and geckos run around inside the house (not on the floor)! My host family seems to think it's completely normal to be sitting in the living room or kitchen and suddenly see a lizard appear on the wall and start running around the perimeter of the ceiling... The first one I saw was very strange, but now it's kind of fun to look for them. :)
I start working in the school tomorrow, so I'm excited about that. This afternoon, I am going to the pool with some other volunteers. Yay!
I start working in the school tomorrow, so I'm excited about that. This afternoon, I am going to the pool with some other volunteers. Yay!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Fiji?!?
So, I’m going to Fiji tomorrow… I’ll be gone for two whole months, which is kind of a long time. This is my second trip out of the US. My first was a spring break mission trip to Guatemala earlier this year with a group of people that I know and love from Presbyterian Student Fellowship - Vanderbilt and Belmont’s PC(USA) campus ministry organization.
My trip to Fiji is going to be a completely different international experience. First of all, I’m traveling alone. ALONE. That means no one will be there to help me navigate my way through four different airports or to keep me company as I spend approximately 18 hours in the air.
I have a feeling that the drastic time change is going to be one of the most interesting/strange parts of this trip. I’m leaving Nashville at 6:00am on Friday, but I’m not getting to Fiji until 11pm on Saturday. Yep, you read that right. Fiji’s time zone is 17 hours ahead of US Central time. It kind of blows my mind to think about the concept of time zones. I get confused every time I try to calculate what time it will feel like to me vs. what the real time will be when I get to all of my stops (Houston, Honolulu, and finally Fiji!). I’m the kind of person that really appreciates set routines, so knowing that my current sleeping and eating schedules are going to be thrown out the window tomorrow is pretty nerve-wracking. But it should be good for me. I could use some more flexibility and spontaneity in my life.
Needless to say, I am VERY excited about the next two months. I realize that not many people have a chance to spend two months in such an exotic and beautiful place as Fiji! This opportunity is just another one of the many blessings I have received. I cannot wait to meet my host family and start working at the kindergarten, and I know I will have a blast. Let’s be honest though… I’m a little bit terrified. For starters, I’d just like to make it to Fiji in one piece. (Also, it’d be great if my luggage could make it there, too.) After that, I think I’ll be okay.
Stay tuned for pictures and stories about my coming adventures. At this point I’m not sure how often I will be able to access the internet, but I’m hoping to write frequent updates!
My trip to Fiji is going to be a completely different international experience. First of all, I’m traveling alone. ALONE. That means no one will be there to help me navigate my way through four different airports or to keep me company as I spend approximately 18 hours in the air.
I have a feeling that the drastic time change is going to be one of the most interesting/strange parts of this trip. I’m leaving Nashville at 6:00am on Friday, but I’m not getting to Fiji until 11pm on Saturday. Yep, you read that right. Fiji’s time zone is 17 hours ahead of US Central time. It kind of blows my mind to think about the concept of time zones. I get confused every time I try to calculate what time it will feel like to me vs. what the real time will be when I get to all of my stops (Houston, Honolulu, and finally Fiji!). I’m the kind of person that really appreciates set routines, so knowing that my current sleeping and eating schedules are going to be thrown out the window tomorrow is pretty nerve-wracking. But it should be good for me. I could use some more flexibility and spontaneity in my life.
Needless to say, I am VERY excited about the next two months. I realize that not many people have a chance to spend two months in such an exotic and beautiful place as Fiji! This opportunity is just another one of the many blessings I have received. I cannot wait to meet my host family and start working at the kindergarten, and I know I will have a blast. Let’s be honest though… I’m a little bit terrified. For starters, I’d just like to make it to Fiji in one piece. (Also, it’d be great if my luggage could make it there, too.) After that, I think I’ll be okay.
Stay tuned for pictures and stories about my coming adventures. At this point I’m not sure how often I will be able to access the internet, but I’m hoping to write frequent updates!
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