Pictures from Kia Island

Hello! My Earth Day Celebration was yesterday and it went amazingly. I need more time to process all the great things that went on but as soon as I do I will write a post that will hopefully show why this was such a great day. Last weekend I went with some girls from Korotubu to Kia island. The school was having a bazaar and I hadn't been to the island I sometimes stare at from my coastline, so I jumped on the opportunity (or the boat rather) to go. It was absolutley beautiful. The island is what you picture when you think of Fiji, the "real" Fiji since there were only very traditional villages and no resorts. The trip made me realize how good of friends I am making in the village, although one of the girls is getting married next week and will be leaving. (I am really bummed about that because she was the closest friend I had in the village.) So I will leave you with some pictures to enjoy...


Filipe, a hula dancing expert (he performed for us at Earth Day), playing on the beach.

I was very entertained watching the women play volleyball in full length traditional dresses.

Emi, Filipe and I on a short morning walk up the beach.

The group from my village on Ligau beach.

Here we are with Vanua Levu (the island I live on) in the background.

Bulamakau...Fijian for cow and one of my favorite words

A cow was killed this week for a funeral. As I watched it get carried piece-by-piece to be hung, I was expecting to renounce my omnivore ways and vow to never eat meat again. But, as they were sharpening the cane knives to cut up pieces to more manageable sizes, I really just wanted to eat a hamburger.

On a lighter note, here is a picture of a lovely orchid….

There, now that that brief story is over, I am writing to ask who, if any of you, are able and willing to make a donation to Korotubu’s footpath project. I am applying for funding through the Peace Corps Partnership where people from the US (or anywhere for that matter) can donate money to specific volunteer projects throughout the world. This can come in any amount, and I usually despise asking for money, but this really is for a good cause and I will personally ensure that your money is used to make people’s lives here a bit easier during the wet and muddy months of the year. If you are interested, I can add your name to the contact list and you will be contacted with the specifics of the project and information on how to donate. Please, let me know if I can include you on my list of donors. If you are unsure of the credibility of this project, I will let you know when my project is posted on the Peace Corps website for review and your further consideration. You can donate directly through that if you so choose. This is an opportunity for you or a group you’re involved with to start a relationship with a rural village in the Pacific and truly make a difference in people’s lives. Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you very much.

Set Tiko...all is good

So I was pleasantly surprised the other day when I came back to the village after a long weekend away and found out that the youth had planned a meeting to talk about the program for our Earth Day celebration. It made me proud. They have really taken the idea and made it into their own, which is the best way to do it. We are even going to make T-shirts. I'm anxiously awaiting the big day, I hope it is a success.
Another big thing while I was away was that the girls who usually come to my house in the mornings to do yoga asked the village headman if we could move to the community hall so more people could attend. I was scared to do this myself because it is so taboo and the girls would *gasp* have to wear shorts inside the village. But I was surprised to hear that even the old men who cluck their tongues in disapproval when females wear pants to town approved, two even want to try it out. So although I am edging towards the risque side (having a dance competition for Earth Day and asking girls to wear shorts to yoga), I feel like I am really a part of the community and am therefore able to make these requests. I might go too far with the sexual education workshop I am planning with another PCV in May, but I will do my best to not step on the elders' toes too much.
So it looks like I will be kept busy through June and this means I will finally have something to put on my trimester report. Don't worry all you US taxpayers, I am finally using your money to do some good. I will also have my first visitor then! Very exciting, it will finally give me an excuse to travel around and see some sights.

Here is my host father on a fishing trip. Kia island is in the background. I'll be going there next week for a school bazaar.

Fall has Sprung

Things are happening here in Korotubu and it has to do with the weather. The end of the cyclone season is in sight and while busses are still getting stuck on the road, there’s a certain air of indifference among those digging tires out of the mud because each day the sun shines, life gets a bit easier. This goes for me too. They should have warned us about the rainy season, or maybe I just took it worse than some because I am and always will be a desert rat. After relative inactivity for four months, the brush cutters and cane knives have been taken out to clean up the village and groups are getting together to talk about projects for this year.

The major development since my last entry is a grant from UNDP Global Environment Fund. I am trying not to get too excited, not until I see the final approval, but it looks more than promising. This will give the women’s group (Soqosoqo ni Marama) about $24,000 to carry out a yearlong project called “Towards an Environmentally Sustainable Community”. If the title didn’t tip you off, this is what I’m all about. With the money we will do several awareness workshops on watershed and waste management, reforestation, and livelihood security. We will build a nursery so the hills behind the village can be reforested, a composting piggery for income generation, three composting toilets, wetlands to filter wash water from each house in the village, and revival of traditional handicrafts to be sold in the markets. This is an amazing opportunity for me because not all PCVs get an opportunity to participate in such a wide range of projects. The project will make my time in Fiji more than worthwhile, the sort of validation I was searching for during those long rainy days of inactivity.

The Earth Day celebration (Veivakamarautaki ni Earth Day) planning is going better than expected. The village youth group has taken my ideas for the day and expanded it. They have broken up themselves into three groups and will have a poster drawing competition as well as a meke (traditional dance, grass skirts and everything) and drama competition. The times we meet to plan the celebration end up being mini environment lessons, I tell them about coral polyps and they tell me about traditional environmental concepts.

I am also planning on an HIV/AIDS and sexual health workshop in May. I’m inviting two other PCVs with a health background to take over this one. Teenage pregnancy is a big problem, but the news that one of my good (17-year-old) friends is four months pregnant woke me up and prompted me to do something. I hope this is taken well by the village elders and we are allowed to speak freely at the workshop.

Good news! My garden (teitei lailai) has sprouted! I’ve never had a successful garden, but over the weekend my okra plants sprouted and today the tomato, lettuce and carrot plants joined the party. I am really excited to have fresh veggies in 90-120 days.

So all is well, I feel more a part of my community than ever. I am able to joke around Kaiviti style and express my emotions better in Fijian, which makes me a happier person. I also feel like people are getting to know the real me better. I used to be the quiet white girl in the corner, but now I am Menani: the one who doesn’t eat fish (among other identifying traits, that being the primary).

Here is a picture of me and some fellow PCVs with Commodore Bainimarama. He's the guy who staged the military coup in January of last year and is now the interim Prime Minister. We stalked him in Savusavu last weekend to get a picture with the man himself...not sure if this is totally PC with the Peace Corps...