LOLOMA YANI VEI NANUCA"Send my Regards to Nanuca"

Ni sa bula vinaka to all my friends and family,

It's been a long, wonderful, and sometimes bumpy road to get here. But the time has finally come for my last Peace Corps Fiji blog entry.

Here are some highlights from my final week in the village. It was hard to say goodbye, but I tried very hard to spend quality time with all the groups who have meant a lot to me over the past two years...

* * * * * * * *MONITI(Monday)

I spent my last weekend in the village packing my house up and making inventory lists for the replacement volunteer who will be moving to Nanuca in July. So, I got to hang out and have fun all week during my last week.

First on the agenda, Ilimo took me out to see the new Nanuca Village Seaweed Farm along the reef edge. We walked out there at low tide and caught a pole boat in after a few hours of work.

Swimming in front of the boat on the way to the seaweed farm.

The men working the seaweed farm use thick pieces of mangrove wood to tie strings of seaweed to.

They wedge each sharpened mangrove stick into the sand and then take the pre-tied seaweed strings (done by the women on the beach earlier in the morning that day) and tie them between two poles.

The seaweed will grow using sunlight and nutrients brought by the tidal waters, and after six weeks the village will harvest and dry the crop for sale to a Japanese wholesaler (who provided the starting materials to villages all along the Cakaudrove district coastline).

I had lunch at Mesi's house when I got back from the seaweed farm. She showed off the seafood her husband Tevita had caught the night before when he went night diving with his spear gun. She and her son Amania are holding up Octopi in this picture.

And, of course, wherever there's seafood to be eaten, you can find one of S.K.'s grown kittens getting fat on the scraps.

* * * * * * * *

TUSITI(Tuesday)

On Tuesday I made a quick and final trip into Savusavu town so that I could bring back some food to serve at a Tomitomi Tea I was having for the Nanuca school children (who participated in my rubbish pickup and waste separation workshop over the last two years).

I made a fruit salad, and another woman in the village cooked doughnuts for the tea party.

We all crammed ourselves into my little house, and I gave out signed certificates for participation in the project to all the kids.

* * * * * * * *

VUKELULU(Wednesday)

Here the chief and his wife pack up five kuta mats that another PCV ordered from the village to bring home to America as souvenirs. They were emphatic that I tell everyone I know that the village ladies will be happy to take orders from any of my friends and family back in America wanting more of these beautiful handicrafts...

In the evening, I hosted a tea for Ilimo and the members of the village Water Committee. After Tea, we drank a basin of yaqona for good measure. I asked if I could mix the powder since I had never done it before...

...Unfortunately nobody took over for me once I had my photo op, and I ended up mixing and serving for several more hours until the grog was finished...

* * * * * * * *

LOTULEVU (Thursday)

On Thursday morning Marica came over (with little Eddie Goldman in his adorable american flag kerchief) to help me finish translating my speeches to the village over some morning tea.

When she left I spent one final day cleaning up the garden and yard for my replacement volunteer, and then I headed over to Kasavu Primary School for the last time.

At school, I surprised the class 7&8 kids with a tie dye party (they had been told to bring white T-shirts by their teacher).

Then while the kids played sports (it's school rugby/netball season), one of the younger boys and I took a leisurely walk home along the beautiful Kasavu coastline.

Amania practiced his spelling and writing of letters in the sand along our walk home. (He's written my Fijian name, "Milika" above.)

I always meant to take a picture of the beautiful swim-through cavern that the kids always play in at high tide. Doesn't it look gorgeous here?!

* * * * * * * *

VAKARAUBUKA(Friday)

Friday was a big day in the village as it was the long-awaited day of my "Farewell Party."

I spent the morning and lunch with my former fundraising group (remember the village budget project I worked on last year?) who were in charge of cooking fried fish in coconut cream for the event.

Metui and Milika.

After scraping the flesh of a mature coconut and adding hot water, it is possible to squeeze the cream out of the scrapings and strain them into a dish for serving really yummy food. (I uploaded a video of my friend Emi doing this onto facebook if anyone is interested in seeing it).

Sitting at the "head table" with all the important men during the feast.

Of course there was grog to be drunk.

Even the little kids wanted to join in the fun...

I took pictures with just about everyone there. It's amazing that this little girl was a tiny baby when I first came to the village. Now she's a year away from starting kindergarten!

At the request of just about everybody in the village, I had gone to visit the chief earlier in the day to request that he lift the tabu (ban) on dancing for the duration of my party. So, the "youth" kids brought a generator and gigantic speakers to the outdoor shed, and we danced the night away Fiji-style.

Here I am with Sotia, Ilimo's mother. She has made it clear that she is available to be a mother to my replacement volunteer when he comes to Nanuca.

* * * * * * * *

VAKARAUWAI(Saturday)

On my second-to-last day in the village, I went and played in the ocean right in front of the village with the kids.

I love this picture because I have one almost exactly the same, taken in almost exactly the same spot, from my very first trip to the village.

We spent hours playing and jumping off of the little islands in front of the village. I'm embarrassed to admit that this was my first time doing this since living in the village.

Looking back at the village from one of the islands.

The girls found some mother of pearl shells (that had probably been discarded after they were broken open by a fisherman in the village) that I quickly boiled to sterilize and packed in my bag to bring home.

Then we walked over to the deep pool so we could jump in and swim in the "swim-through" with the rest of the children.

* * * * * * * *

SIGATABU(Sunday)

My final day in the village was a Sunday--which means church.

This was my final church service in Nanuca, and I'd be lying if I said that I haven't had a countdown to this day for at least six months!

This was the first time I had brought my camera into a church service. I guess the chief noticed me videotaping some of the beautifully sung hymns during the service, so when it was over he asked everyone to wait so I could walk up to the front and take a picture from the pulpit.

The chief.

After church the entire village had an outdoor tea together.

The women did the serving, of course...

... while the men did most of the eating...

When everyone was finished with the food, there was grog to be had (notice the Tanoa behind the chief there).

I was sure to get a picture with all the girls to whom I gave most of my sulu jiaba and other clothing.

After showering and changing out of my uncomfortable church clothes, I smoked some suki for the last time with a bunch of the youth boys. (Suki is a kind of tobacco that they roll with strips of newspaper into very long thing cigarettes).

In the other room children were gathered to watch a movie...

And, of course, no farewell would be complete without a gunu vei talatala (ceremonial goodbye and safe travel grog session).

* * * * * * * *

MONDAYMy final morning in the village...

I woke up early, had a shower, finished packing my bags and then ran over to Marica's house to say goodbye to my little namesake for the last time.

I drew him a graphite portrait to remember me by...

Here's my sad and empty little bedroom. Meleni (the cat) refused to abandon it until the very last moment.

All my luggage (including 3 duffel bags for the plane, a large and small backpack for my two-week trip with Tait, a final bag of rubbish to bring to town, and the five mats for my PCV friend to bring home for her friends and family).

When the lori truck I hired to drive me to catch my flight in Labasa pulled into the village, all the people of Nanuca came to see my off.

The kids were very confused as they thought we were going to brush our teeth. The whole thing nearly broke my heart...

Some goodbyes were formal,

and others were more tearful.

I guess this is the end of my village experience... for now. I hope that one day, when I have a family of my own, I can bring them back to see the place I lived for two years and meet allthe friends and extended Fijian family members I had as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

* * * * * * * *

Earlier this week I met my replacement as PCV in Nanuca Village. His Fijian name is "Wili," and it think he's going to do a great job in the village.

* * * * * * * *

As of 24 June 2011 I officially Closed my Service as a PCV, and I now hold the title of RPCV or "Retired Peace Corps Volunteer," if you will....

Until my July 10 flight back to California, I will be traveling around Fiji with Tait and getting one final taste of this island paradise. On July 31st Risa and I will be flying to Chicago, and I will move into my new high-rise apartment in the Streeterville (downtown) neighborhood on August 1st. I am both nervous and excited to make the transition.

* * * * * * * *

So, I will close out this blog entry with a bigVINAKA VAKALEVU!

Thank you all so much for your support and kind words over the past two years. I have sincerely enjoyed sharing my experience with you all.

xoxMilika

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka to all of my friends and family.

The end of my Peace Corps service is near, and I am filled with mixed emotions. Although I will be sad to leave everything I have become so familiar with here in Fiji--my very first house, the children I've literally watched grow up, the gorgeous beach just beyond my doorstep, fresh seafood meals whenever I want them, and constantly eye-opening encounters with fellow villagers who have become my extended family over the last two years--I am so EXCITED to come home!

I can hardly believe that it has been more than two years since my first blog entry (from the multi-media room of some random airport hotel in LA the day before departure). And my time as a Peace Corps Volunteer is rapidly coming to an end. On June 20 (just two weeks away!) I will be saying my final farewells to the village, and on June 23 I will officially "COS" (Close of Service) and will officially become an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer). Here's what the busy final weeks will look like:

June 5-10: Assist PC Staff with new PCVs training (water usage, waste management, expectations of money in the village)

June 11: Back to Nanuca Village

June 13: Farewell at the local primary school (Tie Dye Activity)

June 14: Farewell to the Village Water Committee (Tea)

June 15: "Breakup" party for the Tomitomi rubbish collection activity (Certificates Awarded)

June 17: Official Farewell Party in Nanuca Village (feast, presentation of gifts, all night kava drinking, etc)

June 19: last day in church (!!!)

June 20: depart

So, as things come to a grinding halt, I am feeling nostalgic for my day-to-day routine of the past two years. Recently, Tait came to visit the village and help me with some final projects, and he took pictures throughout several days. Below are a sequence of photos that show what my life here in Fiji has been like...

On the bumpy, 2-hour bus from Savusavu to Nanuca Village.

If I was alone, I would never listen to my iPod (therefore drawing attention to myself), but since Tait was with me (and because I'm caring less and less lately about what other people think of me), I've been listening to my NPR podcasts almost non-stop!

Gorgeous sunset as seen through my "kitchen" window.

A typical night-time activity as of late: organizing all my notes and project materials for my replacement volunteer's use. (As of now, I am planning on being replaced by one of the new PCVs who arrived in Fiji last month, but I do not know yet who that will be. Furthermore, I will not be overlapping with them in the village at all, and so I am being especially careful to note down everything I can think of that might be useful information for their two-year service. It has been a big job!)

After I wake up around 7am and have my morning coffee, I usually attach a hosepipe to my outdoor tap and give the garden a once-over to help protect it from the scorching day's sun.

Then it's off to gather the children for a group teeth brushing session back at my house...

On the way to pick up the kids, I pass by this little tin house that has a "responsible water use" poster nailed up to the front door. I am so happy that I didn't lug these posters back from Suva (the capital city) for nothing!

Once I have almost reached the first child's house, I pass one of the village's several "kopra" dryers. Families go out into their coconut plantations in the jungle to collect mature coconuts, husk them, cut out the flesh in a few large pieces, and bring them back to the village for drying. After a few days on top of one of these ovens, they are bagged up and sent into Savusavu for sale to wholesale manufacturers of coconut oil products. This is the main source of income in most of the villages in my area of Fiji. On this particular morning, I scared a dog off of the "kopra" deck where it was feasting on the tasty nuts.

Kopra

Another source of income in Fiji is floor mats that are woven by women. They can fetch up to $70USD for a large mat, and as they are labor intensive crafts, I think that's a fair price. There are two types of mats in Fiji: Kuta (see the blog posts concerning preparations before Risa's wedding to see pictures of these reeds, how to harvest and prepare them, and for pictures of the ladies weaving them), and Voivoi. Voivoi reeds grow as huge trees, and they are cut, de-spiked, cooked, and then dried in the sun before being cut into strips and woven. In this picture one lady is spending her morning cooking and rolling up her Voivoi for later use.

First stop on my morning tour is usually a hello to my little namesake. Etuate Goldman Bari was born in mid-January, and he is know as "Mr. Goldman" or "Small G" in the village. Isn't he just getting adorable?!

Here's the house of my most enthusiastic activity participant (Dulaki). More on him later...

Once we all make it back to the house, I distribute toothbrushes and toothpaste to the children.

Then, we brush our teeth together. Amazingly, after about a year-and-a-half of doing this projects, the kids are finally getting so good at brushing their teeth that they can do it by themselves! I only have to help with some of the hard-to-reach areas on the very young children. This is a huge improvement from the skill set in place when I first arrived in Nanuca: most of the kids have obviously never held a toothbrush before, and many ate the toothpaste right off the brush before I could have a chance to even try to get it onto their teeth!

After I got home from teeth brushing on the day pictured in this blog, I was delighted to be called over to a neighbors house to give advice on some impromptu Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) that was going on there. (This is a small business initiative I am hoping to get started before the new PCV moves to Nanuca. Although it is more labor intensive than Kopra, the villagers can get almost 5x the income per nut with VCO--certainly worth a shot!

Then, I always do a spot of laundry before starting the rest of my day. As long as it's hung in the morning, it's usually always dry by mid-day (and before the afternoon rain-showers that are becoming more frequent this time of year). I have taken to doing laundry every day for sanity's sake. It is much easier to wash a few things at a time than to spend 4 hours crouched down in my little shower stall.

Then, whenever the young women are free, we do some dance aerobics (aka jazzercise) on the veranda of one of the village houses. I choreograph simple routines to about 40 minutes worth of music (including a yoga warm up, stretching, cardio, strength, cool down, abs, and a stretching routine). The ladies seem to like it, but my favorite participant is little Dulaki!

Abs. Dulaki doesn't appear to be handling it.

After working out and taking a shower, I had some prep work to do before heading to the local primary school for their afternoon classes.

Tait was in the village in order to help me start a World Map Mural project with the Class 7&8 kids at Kasavu Primary School. We weren't sure that there would be enough time to start and finish "gridding" a mural and painting it in my last two village weeks, so the teacher and I decided that it would be best for me to come and teach some fundamental skills during afternoon class sessions. Tait and I taught classes on enlarging drawings using the "grid" method, world geography, and mixing colors. In order to teach the color mixing class we needed little paint dishes--that's what seashells are good for!

So, Tait and I headed down to the Beach directly in front of the village to collect shells for classroom use.

When we reached the shore, we found this village woman line fishing for her family's dinner.

This is the view looking up from the beach to the village...

After a rushed lunch and walk/run to the school (which is about a mile down the shoreline from Nanuca village), Tait and I were ready to teach class...

Our first lesson was on the "grid" method of enlarging drawings.

The second lesson Tait and I taught was about mixing colors. We plan to use primary colors (and white) to mix all eight colors for the World Map Mural (in order to save money), and the kids (and teacher) were all thoroughly impressed by the straightforward rules of mixing colors.

Tait and I teaching a lesson about the color wheel... I'm not sure why we're pointing at different colors in this picture...

On days when I'm not teaching in the classroom, I usually come to school for the Class 7&8 2-3pm "Sports Hour" and play kickball with the kids. After two years they are getting pretty good at this typically American game!

Usually I'm the first base umpire during Kickball games, but since Tait and I are so competitive we decided to pitch for opposing teams and play to win...

As I was in charge of setting up the bases while Tait oversaw the team division, it turned out that his team was stacked with athletic kids. They seriously kicked our butts!

After my final kickball game here in Fiji we took a group photo.

Walking the kids home from school is my favorite part of going to the school at all. The beach is so beautiful, and the kids and their little uniforms are precious.

On this particular day the kids were really energetic. They were begging me to skip home from school. We, of course, couldn't make it a mile, but we did skip for large portions of the trip home--we got there in record time, too!

Finally, when I come home from school (or whatever my after-lunch work was), I usually take advantage of the cool late afternoon to work in the garden. Right now I've got fruiting cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, cabbage, and tomatoes. The new volunteer will be so lucky!

* * * * * *

Finally, as it is getting close to my COS date, I have started to pack up my house (and scrub it down--floors, walls, and ceilings alike). Before I started the clean-up process, I took one last series of pictures to commemorate my first home...

"Kitchen"/ front room

huge spider hiding on one of my cooking lids.

view from the doorway between my kitchen and the bedroom

my bed and "closet"

The bookshelf and windows into the 3-part bathroom. (behind the American Flag is a storage closet)

Shower stall /sink room. Flush toilet stall.

* * * * * *

As my remaining "Sundays" in the village are becoming few in number (and believe me: I have been keeping a countdown since I first moved to the village), I finally decided to bring my camera over to the house where I usually have an after-church lunch.

Upon first entering the house, it is not unusual to find Peceli (age 2) and Viwa (4) stuffing their faces (totally unsupervised). In this picture they are eating Lairo (land crab).

Here is what the "table" looks like on any typical day. The "top" of the table where the more honored people sit (like the priest, church manager, oldest man of the house) sit is the part furthest from the front door. I usually sit near the top of the table while the other ladies I usually serving from the bottom.

The spread on this particular Sunday was land crab in coconut cream, boiled taro leaves and fish in coconut cream, and wild fern in coconut cream with a side of boiled taro root.

After lunch we took a family photo.

[from left to right (top:) Tevita, Mesi, (bottom:) Keva, Leone, Peceli, Viwa, Me ("Milika") and Amania.]

Then, it is customary to take a long nap after Sunday lunch (as it is unacceptable to do pretty much anything besides go to church, eat, and sleep on this "day of rest"). This picture is Tait, passed out on my kitchen floor with my cat Meleni keeping him company.

* * * * * *

My final dive in Fiji had to be with Tait since he got scuba certified while he was staying with me in the village (commuting 1.5 hours each way for three days to the dive shop at Koro Sun Resort).

This is the "Namena-lai-lai" Marine Reserve dive site (located approximately 3 hours by fiber boat--each way--from Koro Sun). Although the weather was terrible and the boat ride left much to be desired, Namena could never fail to impress...

* * * * * *

For the last story of this blog post I would like to give an update on Mareani, my best village friend who became very suddenly ill back in February (see that blog post for details). Four months later, she had still not been back to Nanuca and we had all but fallen out of touch, so I decided to travel to her village (approximately 5 hours by two busses from my village) and stay the weekend with her and her extended family there.

Before making the trip, I was extremely nervous. I hadn't stayed with a family in their Fijian home since PST (pre-service training), and that wasn't the greatest experience of my life. But, I was pleasantly surprised. Mareani's family is wonderful!

She lives with her parents (Dad was in the Fijian army and served in Afghanistan in 2007 and Mom sells food at the bus stand in town), her younger sister, the husband, and their three kids (Filomena 7, Pio 4, and Maria 1), another one of her sisters (Lusiana, age 11) and Mareani's two kids (Akuino 9, and Savulili 7). The family, of course, stuffed me full of delicious food, kept me entertained with kava all night long, and I even got to sleep in my own, very clean, bed with a mosquito net and all. I also had some first-time experiences while I spent the weekend in Vakativa Village (I was starting to think I had been here so long there wasn't much left to learn): the famiy has an outdoor, waterseal toilet, with no toilet seat (so I had to learn how to squat above a stinky hole to do all my business), and since they don't have any water taps inside the house, I had to go to the outdoor, uncovered neighbor's shower tap to take a shower wrapped in my sulu and all (this was kind of cool because I always see Fijians in my village taking showers in the open and washing their clothes at the same time). On Sunday, we all went to her Catholic church (3 hours of services!) and everyone besides Mareani then spent the afternoon swimming and playing in the village's river.

This brings me to Mareani's condition...

As can be seen from this picture, Mareani is still in a wheelchair. She has regained some tingling sensation and sensitivity to touch in her legs, and she is able to use the toilet without any tubes, but she still can't move her legs or even stand (let alone walk!). The house that Mareani lives in is raised about three feet off the ground, and she must be carried in and out by her father. Inside the house, Mareani has become very adept at pulling herself up into the wheelchair, crawling (and dragging her legs behind her) to move around when she's not in the chair, and she has taught herself to get dressed, have bucket baths, and use a bucket in her bedroom as a toilet all by herself.

Still, Fiji is not a wheelchair-friendly country, and the village is an especially helpless environment for someone who can't even stand. Mareani basically spends all day inside the house staring out the window (no electricity = no TV or internet for entertainment), and she can barely help with any chores (such as collecting food, cooking, and cleaning). Unfortunately, her husband has been less than supportive, and she had not had any villagers from my village (where she was living and serving as the Women's Group leader for the last 3 or 4 years) except the husband until I came.

Although she' slowly improving every day, Mareani has changed a lot over the last few months of her mysterious illness. She now talks less, she smiles less, and it is clear that she is in a lot of pain (her back and hips are constantly sore from the awkward positions she sits and lays in all day and night). But, Mareani will always be the person I know and love, and I am SO happy that I got to spend some time with her and the family last weekend!

Mareani and the family having dinner on my first night in Vakativa.

Me and Mareani in our kala vata (matching) sulu jiaba (fancy outfits) after church.

Mareani, her son (left) and daughter (right) with her niece standing at the back.

Mareani's daughter Savulili, and nieces Maria and Filomena find ways to play in her vacant wheelchair when Mareani is sitting on the floor.

Family photo (using the self timer on my digital camera) on my last day visiting Mareani.

* * * * * * * * *

Well, that's all for now. The next post I write will probably be after I've left the village for good. (Can you believe it?!)

As always, Vinaka Vakalevu Sara (thank you very much) for reading my blog. I love and miss you all, and I can't wait to see everyone soon!

xx

Milika

COS = "Close of Service"

In the week before the Easter Holiday (aka the week of Passover), all the remaining PCVs from my group were brought together at the beautiful Pearl Hotel in Coral Coast, Fiji to have a conference about how to officially end our service with the Peace Corps.

During this conference we picked our official COS Dates -- mine is June 23rd!! This means that after a little bit of in-country traveling after I'm finished with my contract here, I should be back to America around July 10th (pending flight availability).

I can't wait to see you all.

xx

MG

The 30 members of the FRE-7 Group who swore in to service as Peace Corps Volunteers at the official Peace Corps "Swearing-In" Ceremony. Plus President Obama.

July 2009.

23 remining FRE-7's at COS Conference.

May 2011.

Well my friends, here I am: 22 months into my Peace Corps service in Fiji Islands. I've had a lot of ups, and a lot of downs. This blog post is about the completion of my biggest project: a water filtration system we installed on the village water source.

Over the last year-and-a-half, I helped the village:- form a steady Water Committee, - make contacts with an Engineer from the local Rotary Club, - write a Grant application for project funds, - design and implement usage tests to determine the scale of the project, - create and implement a fundraising plan for our portion of the financial contribution, - schedule and complete construction, - repair endless leaks and burst pipes causing water shortages in the village, - negotiate the challenges of working with (and for) project partners who lacked an understanding of Fijian cultural elements that delayed project completion- educate it's people about water conservation, - and, finally, celebrate a job well done!

oh yeah, and I did all this while it was hot as s*@#!

* * * * * * * * * *

APPROACHING THE BIG CELEBRATION...

Once village water consumption and the leaks in our aging distribution system were brought under control, the Water Committee and I finally scheduled a party during which an official "hand-over" of the water filter system from the grant-managers to the community would occur. This took place on Saturday, April 11, 2011.

On a side note: here I am with my little namesake (Etuate Goldman Bari, otherwise known to his family as "Mr. Goldman). Isn't he getting so chubby and precious!?

During the week leading up to the project, Ilimo, the Nanuca Village Water Committee's leader and I worked on a surprise party favor. A nearby hotel, the Koro Sun Resort, donated about 100 used water bottles that Ilimo and I peeled the labels off of, cleaned, and taped our own labels onto.

The labels we designed read:

[Rotary International "Hybrid-Filtered Water [Peace Corps Logo] Nanuca Cakaudrove" Logo]

The bottles were a surprise to everyone in the village, and also to our Rotary Club project partners...

* * * * * * * * * *DAY-OF PARTY PREPSaturday, April 11, 2011

The ladies from the Village Water Committee got up at 6am on the day of the party. They hiked to the filter site and decorated the structure with cloth and masi fabric (actually, hand-made and hand-painted fabric that Ilimo wore on his wedding day). The idea was that when we cut the ribbon and officially opened the filters, the structure would be "revealed" to guests.

I love this picture. Sotia (Ilimo's Mom), and Mesi (the only female member of our Water Committee) pose with the finished decorations.

Here Ilimo shows off a sign from the Sky Juice Foundation. "Sky Juice" is the company that manufactures the micro-filter units that clean all the bacteria out of our village water.

Click on the link below to see anArticle on the filter manufacturer's website about the Nanuca system.

Now that the system is FINALLY complete, our Rotary Partners came and put professional-looking labels on the piping structure.

While the ladies decorated, some of the village girls and I filled the bottles with our freshly filtered water.

Here are the bottles we filled.

If you can zoom in, maybe you can see the label?

BACK AT THE VILLAGE... all non-Water Committee community members were busy with other preparations.

Here one group of ladies prepares 80 kgs of fresh fish. They made boiled fish and miti (a coconut cream, lemon juice, garlic, onion, and chili pepper sauce), fried fish, curried fish, fish kokoda (like spanish ceviche), smoked fish in greens and coconut milk, etc.

While some ladies cooked, others were in charge of making beautiful salusalu (ceremonial garlands) for the event's guests of honor.

While the women were busy elsewhere, it was a man's job to build a Lovo (traditional underground oven). To do this, they essentially dig a hole, make a fire and heat a bunch of rocks inside, put in the peeled dalo (taro root), and cover it with dalo leaves.

While the adults were all busy at their stations, the young women were sent to collect flowers and other colorful plants with which to decorate the vatunuloa (festival shed)--of which there were 2, one in the village for eating and ceremony, and another at the filter site for speeches and technical demonstrations.

Here I am decorating the shed at the water filter site.

Meanwhile, Ilimo, the young man charged with coordinating of all this activity was hard at work ironing out the details of the big day.

* * * * * * * * * *

THE WATER FILTER DEDICATION PARTYApril 9, 2011 - Nanuca Village, Fiji

In honor of the event, the village finally has a sign on their unremarkable turnoff from the "Hibiscus Highway" dirt road that leads to Savusavu Town.

Once the guests arrived, a formal isevusevu was made. At an event such as this, instead of offering a dried bundle of yaqona (kava) root, the offering consists of a freshly harvested bundle of one entire plant. This is the first one of its kind I have witnessed since being in Fiji.

After some formal Fijian traditional ceremony (including a VERY long prayer by an important church official from our province), all the guests who could cram themselves into the guest's pickup trucks rode up to the filter site.

The party favor table was a HUGE hit. Not-surprisingly, we quickly ran out of bottles to give away.

Here, the crowd watches as speeches are made.

I pose with a party favor. (Don't worry Mom and Dad, I snagged one for each of you)

Then, the "Commissioner Northern," a very important government official (who can be thought of a Governor of the Northern Division of Fiji) cut the ribbon and officially "opened" the water filters for use.

(We had been unofficially been drinking the clean water down in the village for approximately 8 months...)

Then it was my turn to make a speech. Instead of doing something long and boring (I hope), I called out the shy members of the Village Water Committee and brought them in front of the guests for some recognition. I spoke about their tremendous achievement with this project, and I tried to highlight their importance in the project process.

Then, Ilimo and the Rotary Club Engineer moved inside the filter gates with some government officials to give a technical demonstration of each filter component.

BACK IN THE VILLAGE after the speeches, the Rotary Club President and our Village Chief signed the "hand-over" agreement that formally closed the Grant and initiated the village as owners-in-full of the system.

As one last thing before dinner, I surprised the project's leaders with some presents. For Ilimo and Maika (the water filter tower's carpenter), I gave photo albums of memorable pictures from throughout their involvement in the project. The Rotary Club guys got electronic discs of pictures.

Then it was time to feast! Here are Sally, Brian, Monte and Ben, the PCVs who came to the party to support me and the village.

I had to squeeze in a picture of Ilimo and I in our kala vata outfits. Sally and Brian (a married couple of PCVs who are stationed in a nearby village) lent us matching outfits for the celebration.

When the whole thing was over, it was clear that the entire village was in a happy and celebratory mood. Here, the young women in charge of washing hundreds of dishes were smiling and joking around while they worked.

Some of the kids and the ladies sit down and relax for the first time all day!

Then, some women from the village's nextdoor neighbors (Kasavu Settlement) performed a meke (traditional Fijian dance) for the party guests. Keeping with tradition, I harassed them by rubbing baby powder all over their faces and hair while they performed.

It's always fun when usually-reserved ladies from the village get up to dance along with the meke. As it is officially tabu (prohibited) in Methodist villages such as mine to dance, the ladies knew they could only get away with it during this ceremony. They took full advantage, and it was hilarious.

Finally, all the kai valagi (white people and out-of-community guests) cleared out, and it was time to break out the guitars and drink some yaqona (kava).

I got drunk with them as a sign of solidarity. I can hardly believe that the project is finally over--and it was a success!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to my friends and family for all of your support during this very rocky patch of my PCV service. I wouldn't have made it without you.

I love you all.

xxMilika

* * * * * * * * * *

MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE EVENT

Can you believe it?? We're almost famous!

Fiji Times Newspaper Article, April 11, 2o11 - "Clean Water At Last"

Click on the link below to see anArticle on the filter manufacturer's website about the Nanuca system.

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka to all my friends and family. A lot has been going on in my Fijian village life lately, and I thought it would be about time that I fill you all in...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *MAREANI'S MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS First things first, though. I have some bad news about my best friend in the village, Mareani--she no longer lives in the village. I'll start from the beginning, though. Back in January, Mareani, her husband Apimeleki, and some other friends from the village took a pole boat out to the reef edge to do some fishing and sea-cucumber hunting. While the men were in the water, Mareani and another woman stayed in the boat. Mareani started to feel ill. She had all the symptoms of stomach flu or sea-sickness. But by the time the men came back to the boat, Mareani could hardly move her legs. The group rushed back to shore, and Mareani tried to prove that she would be alright by forcing herself to walk back to her house from the boat. When she got there, she collapsed, and she hasn't walked since. Over the next few days, people in the village tried "Fijian medicine" on her. It seemed to everyone present that this was a "Fijian sickness," and not one for the hospital. It turns out that an old Fijian folk-tale says that a spirit of an old man, called Qase Ni Uluna lives on my village land. Apparently, this is the man everyone was always referring to when they told me never to walk too far to the East on the beach because it wasn't safe. This spirit also has a dog. As male spirits, the pair only haunts female villagers. Their main purpose is to keep women in line. If a woman is wearing inappropriate clothes, for example (as Mareani sometimes wears above-knee shorts to the sea), then she might get a visit from Qase Ni Uluna. Furthermore, even if that woman is with other people, she is the only one who will see the spirit. But once sickness is inflicted, she will have no memory of the event... According to the villagers, there are certain cures for the sicknesses brought on by the wrath of Qase Ni Uluna. The day after Mareani fell ill, I was in town doing some shopping. While I was away, Apimeleki's family boiled some large stones in a pot of hot water. They then poured out the water, placed the scalding hot stones in a large metal basin, and lifted my paralyzed and desensitized best friend up out of bed and had her sit on top of the burning hot kitchen pot. Because Mareani did not have any feeling from her waist down at this point, she could not move off the stones, nor could she scream from discomfort. As a result, she sustained 2nd and 3rd degree burns all over her legs and behind. Oh, and she wasn't cured. After 4 more days of being stuck in bed (wetting herself and all), Mareani finally told me she and her husband would go to the hospital in Savusavu. I called a trusted friend to come and drive them. Instead of going to the hospital, however, Mareani's father ordered the pair to drive straight through town and go to her birth village (he was paying the $80 fare for the carrier, so they had little choice but to obey). 4 more days later, and Mareani was finally taken to the Savusavu hospital. The staff there immediately called an ambulance and had her rushed to Labasa Hospital, Vanua Levu Island's largest and most well-equipt facility. Mareani stayed there, in a shared room with a broken fan, no air conditioning, TV, or even a radio, unable to move or get out of bed, for the next 6 weeks. Her sister came to help take care of her, and she slept on a mat spread on the linoleum floor next to Mareani's hospital bed for the whole duration of her stay. I went to visit once, and I was absolutely moved to tears by Mareani's situation. I brought her magazines, Gatorade mix, and a good-luck charm because I couldn't think of anything else to do... Last week, after her burns had healed and Mareani had tested "normal" on a Cat Scan and MRI, she was released in a wheelchair back to her parents. After almost two months, Mareani has partial feeling in one leg, and she can finally hobble to the bathroom as long as she has a little help getting the wheelchair into place. We have spoken several times on the phone. Apparently, Mareani's family is convinced that the illness was brought on because she, a Catholic, was married to a Methodist man by a Methodist priest. The marriage, therefore, is not valid. If Apimeleki wants Mareani back, he must travel to her parents and arrange for a Catholic marriage ceremony. At the present time, it does not look like that is going to happen. I don't think Mareani will ever be coming back to my village :-(. Please include her in your thoughts and prayers. I will keep you all updated on Mareani's condition as my time here in Fiji comes to an end. Now, let's share some more happy news...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *WORK EXCHANGE / VITI LEVU ADVENTURE WITH TAIT Right around the time that Mareani was checked into the hospital, I was heading down to Viti Levu Island for a work exchange and travel adventure with a bunch of Peace Corps Volunteers who live in places where I had yet to visit in Fiji. First stop... Suva... Fiji's Capital City.

And what would a trip to Suva be without a "Happy Hour" get together at Bad Dogs Cafe? Ever since "Vonu" brand beer was released here in Fiji, we have made a habit of splitting discounted "Vonu Towers," approximately 10 beers each with a tube filled with ice in the middle and a tap at the bottom. Here's a full one with some happy PCVs...

Weekend Camping Trip on the Coral Coast

On our way over to Nadi for the really important part of our work exchange, Tait and I decided to go camping at Uprising Resort in Coral Coast, Fiji. We called ahead and found out that camping would be less expensive than staying in the dorm, but we were happily surprised when we arrived to learn that we could set our tent up right on the beach, directly in front of the super-expensive holiday bure. For only $25 USD per night, Tait and I had our own private beach, free wireless Internet and breakfast in the main area, a nice pool and a bar with good specials at night! Although we might have slummed up the view for some of the Resort's other guests, we didn't let it stop us from having a great Valentine's Day weekend.

Part of a volunteer, of course, is also not being able to afford to buy meals while on vacation. So, Tait and I would buy cans of tuna, bread, and Peanut Butter and Jelly, and we would have lovely little picnics on our private beach.

Nadi Town Council Presentation: The Cane Train

After the Coral Coast, Tait and I headed across to the Western side of Viti Levu to help some volunteers with a presentation for important government officials. We created a slide presentation, wore our traditional clothes, and showed off some of our Fijian Language skills at the meeting. In return, the Nadi Town Council put us up at a 3-star hotel (with air conditioning, hot water, bath tubs, a pool, balcony, and a TV with like 5 channels!!) for a couple of nights. Our families then did something surprising and amazing by putting us up there for a couple more... Tait and I ended up spending 5-nights in "baller" style!

Just because we got a free room, however, doesn't mean we couldn't find ways to slum it up again. In addition to doing bathtub laundry and hanging it all over the balcony to dry, Tait and I accidentally broke two of the hotel's irons by making too many grilled cheese sandwiches with them... oops! (Good thing we speak Fijian and so we didn't get in trouble!)

Rakiraki, Ra

After our luxurious Nadi adventure, Tait and I geared up to head back to his village about two hours by bus outside of Rakiraki town.

Here I am preparing an Okra curry for us one night in Tait's little tin bachelor pad.

Just like my house, Tait's gets hot enough to practice some Bikram Yoga using the 1.5 hour audio file that I bought last year on Amazon.com.

Tait and a village kid at his bus stand.

Nausori and Suva again

On our way back to Suva (from where I would catch a bus and a boat to head back to the North), Tait and I stopped off for some good home cooking with our friend Courtney outside of Nausori, and then we met up with some other friends in Suva for a birthday club-hopping night in Suva..

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SPCA COME TO MY VILLAGE

("S.P.C.A." stands for "Society for Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals")

Ever since I set foot in Fiji almost two years ago, I have been moved by the plight of animals (especially dogs) in this country. Especially in the villages, where no animal care is practiced (i.e. no feeding, petting, or bathing of the pets), canine overpopulation is a major issue. Dogs breed constantly. The males are aggressive and dangerous (not to mention loud) whenever a female is in heat, and starving female mom dogs and litters of starving puppies going through garbage piles and laying down to die are unfortunately very common sights to see.

In short, I for the past year-and-a-half, I have been trying to get SPCA (based in Suva, Viti Levu Island) to come to my village and operate on the animals. Finally, In February 2011, SPCA was making a trip to the North to visit the horses of a local resort. They had some free time, and three doctors were visiting from Australia and Ireland. I convinced my village to donate $100 towards the sedative medicines, and the SPCA veterinary team came to the village!!!

Early one Saturday morning, the village dog owners showed up with their animals, waiting to be de-sexed.

In preparation for the doctor's visit, the village built a small shelter (wood posts with sheets of tin resting on top as a roof) right beside the church's outdoor water tap. The team then converted this into a three-table sterile (well, as much as possible), surgical center.

Almost the entire village population (there's the chief in the middle sitting on a chair) came out to watch the veterinarians do their work.

Some of the patients waiting in line for their turn under the knife.

Here I am with little Sela and Tema, hanging out and watching the action unfold.

After the dogs were given a shot of anesthesia, the doctors would carry them over to the operating tables.

Here they are, doing three surgeries at once...

And here are the post-surgery dogs, all lined up and looking like they love each other, waiting to wake up from the anesthesia.

After the surgeries were finished (16 male dogs neutered, 14 females spayed, and 2 male cats and 1 female), the team and I had a feast at the Chief's house.

At the end, the doctors checked my cat (who already had her surgery a few months ago), and told me that she looked great and everything was fine with her.

The SPCA village day was a great success!!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SYSK PODCAST AND TOMITOMI PRIZES WITH THE SCHOOL CHILDREN

"Stuff You Should Know" is a podcast that I often download onto the computer from town. The early episodes are only about 5-10 minutes in length. Once I put them on the computer, they can be played to a large group on my ipod and speakers.

A few weeks ago, I showed up at the local primary school to conduct my weekly Kickball Practice during the Class 7&8 Sports Hour. When I showed up at the school, however, I found the children running wild and all the teachers engaged in an important meeting. Not feeling confident in my ability to get the classroom cleaned up, the children changed into their sports clothes, and the game going smoothly (with no fights or chaos), I decided to try something new.

I had brougmy ipod and speakers with me, as well as a package of new pencils that someone had sent me from home. I wrote up some fill-in-the-blank questions on the blackboard, had the kids copy them down, and then conducted a listening-comprehension exercise for the class. The first podcast we listened to was about "Hysterical Strength," i.e. the phenomenon when people can sometimes lift cars off of their children, etc, in a fit of adreneline-induced panic, and the second one was about how to "Survive a Shark Attack." For each right answer, a child got a pencil as a prize.

The activity was lots of fun. Here are some pictures of it:

The first-round winners posing with their papers in front of the board.

The class huddled around my ipod speakers to get a good listen to the Shark Attack podcast.

One kid used a Louvre window as a surface for recording his answers.

Here I am with the elated class after prizes were awarded and we were about to leave school for the day.

After my work at the school, I walked the children home and, as always, we did our village cleanup project (aka "Tomitomi")

Here the kids are separating the rubbish we collect into a bag marked "kama" (burn) and another marked "bulu"(bury).

The little ones were being too cute that day! Akoila decided to carry his bag on his head.

At the end of the cleanup, the kids and I bring all the bulu rubbish to one of the bury pits around the village, and then we burn the rest outside my yard.

Finally, once a month, the kids can spend their "tomitomi coins," the circular pieces of cardboard covered in tin foil that I hand out for good participation every week, on prizes that friends and family send from America. Here's one of the kids in his newly purchased American-flag bandana. Very cool!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WAI NI MATE NI VITI

Curing my Stomach Flu with Fijian Medicine

I know I'm not supposed to take "Fijian Medicine," but I knew that this remidy would be safe because we sometimes eat the leaves shown below in another form for dinner. Here, my friend Mesi is crushing up some mature Cassava leaves with water. She strained the green "juice" into a cup and then I drank it in one go. Apparently, if the medicine worked, I would have thrown up. If it didn't work, I would have had a running stomach.... Needless to say that my symptoms didn't change, and when I was better a few days later, the rest of the village community attributed my recovery to this interesting Fijian ritual...

Here's my friend Mesi, crushing and squeezing the mature Cassava leaves for my medicinal drink.

This is the neon green mixture she strained into a glass for me.

And... here I am drinking the concoction.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MY HOUSE IS A GARDEN PARADISE!

After 19 months in the village, my little house and compound finally look inhabited! All the flowers in the hedge ar blooming, and the bougainville I planted along the tin wall of my bathroom has fianlly crept all the way up onto the tin roof where I hope it will one day (for the next volunteer, I guess) help prevent the house from turning into an over during the heat of the day.

And I recently updated my wall of cards and letters. Thank you so much to all who sent holiday cards, etc. I love looking at all my beautiful friends and family every day!

The garden in the back is finally ready to start again. After all this rain and heat, I was able to get some little seedlings (cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, long beans, lettuce, and watermelon) going...

Here's a "torch flower" that I planted in the compound over a year ago. The unique-looking bloom was well worth the wait.

And here is some of the bougainville, climbing onto the roof of my house via my septic tank vent pipe...

And some other beautiful flowers that are now tall enough that I can see them from my kitchen window while I cook and eat.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

VCO PRODUCTION: OUR FIRST ATTEMPT

Together with the ladies of the village, I would like to help them learn to make Virgin Coconut Oil as a small side-business. In February 2010, the village and I brainstormed and did some market analyses to decide on a small income generation project that would be feasible for the community. What we decided on was Virgin Coconut Oil. Last year was a bit busy, however, with our water filter construction and the budget project, so the VCO was put on hold until recently.

Here I am with Sotia, Ilimo's mother, attempting to make our first batch. 5-days after these photos were taken, I brought her to a Peace Corps workshop on the ins-and-outs of starting an agricultural business in the Fijian Village. We wanted to attend the event with a little bit of practice under our belts...

During the oil making process, I attempted to comfort my namesake (little Etuate Goldman Bari, otherwise known as "Mr. Goldman"). Unfortunately, my lack of experience handling babies means that he usually does not stop crying when I come and pick him up....

But look how fat he's getting! So cute!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PC AGRIBUSINESS WITH SOTIA

Here Sotia and I are waiting for the bus to head out of the village and go to Viti Levu for the Peace Corps training.

It was her very first time riding an airplane. Before we left, Sotia told me that I had answered her lifelong prayers when I invited her to come with me to the training.

Here she is on the plane, super excited after taking off.

Day one of the workshop: Sotia and I make a "Property Report" presentation to the trainers, and the other 10 teams of PCV/Community Partners who attended the conference.

By Day 3, Sotia and I had figuredout all of our previous VCO-production mistakes, and we made this instructional poster for the women of our village to reference while they work.

We then gave our final business presentation, in Fijian, as practice for what we would say when we return to the village and speak in a meeting.

Finally, we received our certificates of participation, and the training came to a close.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ok all. Thanks for bearing with me on this long entry. I'm off to have a small vacation on the South Island for a bit before I head back North and get to training the women in VCO production with Sotia.

I miss you all, and I can't wait to be home and closer to everyone in only a few months time.

xoxo

Milika

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka Everyone! and Happy New Year, too.

Things are pretty slow around this time of year in Fiji, so I don't have too much to report. But, I felt that a new blog post was overdue, so here we go...

* * * * * *

Almost half of all the PCVs currently serving in Fiji (about 35 of us) met up on a remote island called Qamea (located East of Taveuni, the "Garden Island" of Fiji) to bring in the New Year together. We stayed at a really great little hostel with sand floors in the common dining area, ping pong tables, a computer for internet at night, a volleyball court, great snorkeling, and, of course, a gorgeous white sandy beach with a rope swing to play with. It was a true paradise vacation, and including all meals it all cost about $15 USD per night!

Below are some pictures highlighting the weekend stay...

Eating communally in the sand-floor dining hall.

Getting our drink on while playing card games after dinner.

PCVs always seem to bring dance parties wherever we go. This trip was no exception.

While leaving Maqai and heading back to the Taveuni boat landing by carrier in order to catch our little boat back to Vanua Levu, the carrier broke down several times. Typical. Sally and I stayed in the bed of the truck to provide moral support for the boys (below) who had to push start the truck several times until a back-up arrived to rescue us.

So, those are all the pictures I ended up with after the trip. Not surprisingly, I lost my camera for the majority of our stay at the hostel and only found it with these pictures on it...

* * * * * *

Introducing my brand new yaca ("namesake"):

ETUATE GOLDMAN BARIBorn to Marica and Ilitia Bari on January 17, 2011, "Mr. Goldman" as we have all come to call him, is a happy and healthy baby boy.

* * * * * *

And finally, on 5 February 2011, a year-long effort to bring SPCA ("Society for Prevention of Cruelty Against Animals") to my remote village was successful! For $100 (donated by the village courtesy of our 2010 "budget" project), five veterinary students took a day off from their week-long Vanua Levu open clinic to come all the way to Nanuca Village and de-sex all the dogs they could get their hands on. We were able to treat 23 of the 30 village dogs, and 2 of the 5 cats (besides my own, who were already taken care of last year).

The project was a hugely draining experience, but it may well be my proudest accomplishment since I've lived in the village. Now, the dogs will not be so aggressive (fighting over the females who are in heat), and the village children will not be in danger of being hurt by them. Additionally, the animal overpopulation issue will be greatly reduced, and hopefully this will lead to more sanitary conditions for all!

The villagers built a traditional shed (made of wooden posts and pieces of roofing iron) beside a vacant tap beside the church for the doctors to operate in.

Everyone in the village was very excited to have their dogs treated, and many of the owners of female dogs showed up as soon as the SPCA van arrived with their dogs tied up and ready to be operated on.

Of course, the whole thing was a huge spectacle, and many of the villagers watched for hours as the doctors worked tirelessly.

Here, the five doctors are rotating their work so they can do three animals at a time.

The little kids especially spent pretty much the whole day playing beside the surgery shed.

Here, 6 post-operation dogs are sleeping off the drugs. This is the quietest and most docile I have ever seen the animals of Nanuca.

Here some of the kids watch the "show" from the venue of the church loli (a traditional drum that is beat on to call congregants to church service).

* * * * * *

Well, that's all for now. I am in town today to watch the Superbowl with some other volunteers and have an early Mardi Gras celebration. Later in the week I will head down to Viti Levu island to travel and do some "work exchange" for two weeks with another PCV, Tait.

As always, thank you for visiting my blog. I miss you all!

xxMilika

Bula Vinaka everyone.

You will all be happy to know that I am back in Fiji safe and sound and VERY hot this southern-hemisphere Summer season!

After a 6-week trip to America (see last post) and some much-needed R&R I made it back to my little village in Fiji. Everyone welcomed me back joyfully, and the kids even remembered me! In fact, many people had no idea I was away for longer than 3 weeks at all--it just goes to show you how time is perceived differently here in the islands...

So, life has settled down and I'm back into the routine of things. The kids and I still brush our teeth together every morning, I lead 40 minute aerobics/stretching classes with the young ladies about 4 days a week, and I am still consumed by the water filtration project!

Here are some pictures and a few quick stories I've collected over the past month.

On my way back from America, the Pacific Sun airline routed my tiny little plane from the main island to my island through a remote-area-stop to let off one passenger. This meant that I got a chance to fly directly over my village! The picture above was taken out the window of the 6-seater plane. I know it's hard to tell, but you can see all the houses (including my own), and even the water filter structure (if you know where to look) in the top left quadrant. Pretty cool, huh?

When I was stuck in America and the weeks started to fly by, my major concern was for my garden in Fiji. As it turns out, my concerns were founded. Weeks upon weeks of rainy weather combined with no caretaker to weed and look after my garden, means that my plot looked like this (above) when I returned!

But, the silver lining is that all that rain brought many of my flowers into bloom for the first time!

I even ate my first home-grown Eggplant this week.

And, even though my former cat, "S.K." has permanently abandoned me for good (she now lives at another house in the village where there are fish scraps almost every day) I have hijacked one of the kittens, "Meleni" from my friend Ilimo, and she now lives in my house. And unlike S.K., Meleni even stays with me at night and climbs into my mosquito net to sleep in my bed with me. It's almost like living with a roommate!

* * * * * * *

HAPPY (belated) THANKSGIVING to all of you!

For the holiday, all of the PCVs on my island (about 19 of us) got together and rented out two vacation homes at a resort outside my stock-up town. We spent three days and two nights cooking, working out, watching movies, playing guitar, watching football at a local bar, and of course, drinking Wai Ni Valagi together.

Because I had been so recently in America and was able to bring back some "stove-top" ready-made goodies, we had a pretty traditional feast.

This is my plate, minus the piece of steak that I added soon after this picture was taken.

Chilling out and eating our tropical Thanksgiving Dinner.

And, what would Thanksgiving be without lots of dessert!? Thankfully, Peace Corps Volunteers are really good at figuring out how to bake things on stovetop. The spread was AMAZING.

* * * * * * *

KEITOU SA BARASI TIKOBack to brushing our teeth...

* * * * * * *

HAPPY (belated) HANNUKAH as well!

For my menorah this year, I filled a small plastic basin of sand to stick candles up in. I found the Diwali (the Hindi religion "festival of lights" candles in town, and so I was able to use those as Hannukah candles--and I bought them at a bargain price! In this picture, Mareani, Timima, and her daughter Tema came over to help me light the candles and sing the prayers on the 7th night.

The wanted me to send their regards to all of you this holiday season.

* * * * * * *

Finally, what would a blog post of mine be if it made no mention of the WATER PROJECT?

As I mentioned above, it is now Summer in the Southern Hemisphere. What this means for the tropics, is temperatures in the 90s and 100 degrees with sporadic violent rainstorms interspersed. This picture shows what a perfectly clear and sunny day can look like right before a massive rain storm.

And, of course, preventing all the sediment that washes into our river water source was the main reason we built the water filtration system in my village. Here, you can see all the dirt that the roughing filter sand caught before the water passed through the micro-filters. This, of course, would have colored our drinking water in the past.

In fact, the water coming into our filter is so dirty, that the pressure build-up from the first-stage screen (designed to keep leaves and twigs and prawns out of the roughing filter) combined with the force of the water was so strong that the very expensive unit cracked right down the middle.

Finally, the dirtier the water, the harder the filters have to work to clean it. And when we only make the trek up to clean the filters once a day, that means that substantially lower amounts of clean water make it into our pipelines to the village. This is a major water abundance/conservation issue.

In order to deal with consumption issues, the Rotary Club of Savusavu has loaned the village a sophisticated water meter that can track exact, per-liter, consumption in the village in real time. Ilimo and I try to take readings every day so we can know how much water the village uses in any given day.

Especially in times of rain, the number of liters we use in the village exceeds the number that the filters can produce, and so we experience shortages.

The Water Committee and I have met several times over the past few weeks to develop a "game-plan" for water conservation in the village. Above is a picture of Mesi, the Committee's only female member, writing out some information so we could post it up outside my house.

Here we are posing with a poster that gives information about how much water is used during different activities (i.e. a leaking tap that leaks 1 drop per second uses 20 liters in a day, and running the tap while you brush your teeth wastes 5 liters, as opposed to 1/2 liter if you use a cup and turn off the tap). The poster went up yesterday...

... and so far, people seem to be taking the information well.

* * * * * * *

Ok, well, that's all for now. I hope you are all having a great holiday season. Stay warm this winter, I know I will!

xxMelissa

This month, after sixteen months of living in Fiji, fourteen of which were spent living alone in my remote village, I came home to America for a vacation. Oh, Risa (my sister) and Jaron also got married. So that was also very exciting. :-)

My village threw me a going-away feast two nights before I left. Here, I'm sitting at the head table with the chief lounging to my right, and the oldest man in the village on my left.

The ladies helped me pack all the mats I was bringing home. The mats barely fit inside my suitcase; even with the women's folding expertise.

My tickets from Nadi to LA and my Peace Corps passport

* * * * * * * * *

The bride-to-be on the way to her Bachelorette Party in Palm Desert.

It was very fun. Letting loose and hanging out with all of Risa's bridesmaids.

As an after-dinner activity, I changed into my sulu-jiaba and dressed Risa up in a traditional fijian wedding outfit given to me by my village friends Mareani and Ilimo.

Masi is a paper-like fabric made from soaked and pounded leaves. It is painted with handmade dyes from local mud and soil.

* * * * * * * * *

After the Bachelorette Party, we all checked into the downtown San Diego hotel and started gearing up for the big day.

It was great to see relatives again, too.

Risa and Jaron even brought their adorable "golden doodle" dog with them to the hotel.

Jaron's brother Matt just proposed to his girlfriend Erika, so now I have two new brothers-in-law and a new sister-in-law!

* * * * * * * * *

For the first time in days the sun came out and we had a beautiful rehearsal in Balboa Park.

Mom and Dad walked Risa down the aisle together.

Getting pampered and finally feeling clean for the first time in 16 months was definitely one of my highlights during wedding weekend.

Jaron's family friends were nice to talk to. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa in the 1980s where he met a Host Country National woman. They are still married, and very interesting people to talk to, today.

The Rehearsal Dinner was at an excellent Mexican restaurant. Yum.

After the toasts I presented Jaron with the Fijian wedding outfits Risa saw at the Bachelorette Party. ..

Then Tara and I dressed the two of them up for a preview.

Risa and Jaron, looking somewhat Fijian, also brought home a present--a kuta mat woven by the women in my village.

Risa and Jaron with their Bride and Groom pinatas.

* * * * * * * * *

10-10-10 WEDDING DAY

Getting my hair done.

Of course, Risa also got pampered.

Pre-glam bridesmaids.

Glam bridesmaids and Tilli, the flower girl.

Risa looks like Cinderella here.

She made a beautiful bride, too.

First thing after arriving at the Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park, Jaron and Risa signed the katuba (Jewish marriage contract), and were privately married. Then we had the big ceremony.

After the ceremony, Jaron and Risa practiced their first dance under the beautifully decorated chupah (Jewish marriage covering).

Mr. and Mrs. Luksa!

The party was so much fun.

Tilli, the adorable flower girl, danced with us all night long.

The ladies in my village wove a small kuta for Jaron and Risa's wedding cake. It looked beautiful together with Jaron and Risa's wedding motif.

oh, the four flavor cake was a delicious, too...

* * * * * * * * *

Now that all the celebrations are over and Jaron and Risa have left for their honeymoon, I've been chilling and trying to soak up as much America as possible before I go back to Fiji.

Part of my return-to-Fiji preparations included cutting off all my hair. It's almost the hot season again, and this will be so much easier!

Well, that's all for now. For all of you who I saw on this trip, thanks for putting up with my culture shocked antics and for making this trip so much fun. I'll miss you all!

xxMilika

On August 24, 2010, my friend Ilimo (the leader of our village Water Committee) got married to a girl he met last year on a trip to the capital and stayed in touch with over the phone until now. Here are some pictures of their wedding:

The most important aspect of any Fijian function is food. Here is the cooking shed the village constructed for all the wedding cooking. On the right, you can see one of the guys carving up a recently slaughtered cow. Weddings and funerals are also the only occasions during which Fijians binge on meat--both beef and pork.

Akoila, one of my teeth brushing kids, and Ilimo's mom show off the tail of a cow that is on it's way to becoming lunch.

While the men carve up the animals and make the underground ovens, the women do all the chopping. I have spent hours upon hours cutting up raw meat for chop suey, stew, curry, and steak.

Here, some youth boys carry freshly-harvested Dalo (aka Taro Root) to be put in the lovo (underground oven).

These guys are preparing the lovo, an underground oven made of a woodfire at the bottom of a hole that gets covered with stones, then filled with food, and covered with leaves to hold in the smoke.

Traditional Fijian wedding presents from the groom's side (the side I'm on because Ilimo is from my village) are mats and bedding (pillows, mosquito nets, blankets, sheets, etc).

Here, Mareani and I pose with the pile of gifts given by the immediate family living in our village.

Here's an amazing kula, woven string edging along a mat, on one of Ilimo's wedding mats with his name written into it.

The day of the wedding, Ilimo's house looked like a bedding store showroom.

The wedding shed was set up for eating, dancing, and drinking yaqona (kava) right accross from my house (seen on the left).

To dress up the wood-post-and-roofing-irons shed, the women braid coconut leaves onto the posts and decorate them with colorful plants and flowers.

I had some wedding guests of my own. Sally (aka Selina) and Brian, a married couple in my closest neighboring village, came to partake in the festivities.

The groom and bride arrive in full traditional wedding outfits made of masi. Masi is a special type of fabric made from soaked and pounded leaves. It's almost like a handmade paper. Then, the off-white-colored "fabric" is painted with handmade dyes.

Inside the church, the wedding guests await the bride and groom's arrival.

The wedding party consists of one Best Man and one Maid of Honor...

...The four of them dress in traditional garmets and stand in the front of the church on top of special wedding mats with elaborate kula string along the edges.

This hand holding as the priest marries Ilimo and Sereana is the most physical contact that will ever be observed in public between the married couple. They do not kiss during the wedding, nor will they touch again for the rest of the celebration.

Because I'm taking pictures and making a big spectacle, I am able to request a rare smiling pose from Sereana and Ilimo on their wedding day.

After the ceremony, the wedding party heads to the chief's house to change into more contemporary Fijian clothing. For the rest of the day the men will wear bula shirts and pants in matching fabric (known as kala vata) with the women's sulu jiaba's.

While the wedding party is changing and celebrating privately, the village women start to serve up the feast. Here Litia and Mesi pose with a huge vat of beef chop suey.

Mareani and Sereana carry out some of the dishes to the main table.

As usual, almost all of the wedding guests will eat heaping plates of food, and they also bring takeaway containers to bring leftovers home to their families after the event. Because of this behavior, most of these women from my village will not get to eat the feast they prepared except for soupy scrapings from the bottom of the pots and leftover scraps of Dalo.

Here, all the young women prepare to serve up the dishes to guests buffet-style.

While the food is being prepared, someone revs up the generator and the dancing begins. I'd be lying if I said that us Peace Corps Volunteers didn't get it started. Notice Brian, Sally's husband, at the top of the picture dancing to a full room of spectators in usual Fijian fashion.

Here the wedding party sits up at a special table of honor and feasts on all the choicest cuts of food.

After the meal, some of the village girls perform a meke (traditional Fijian dance) and the good times continue until well after dark.

All said, I was struck by how Fijian weddings hardly differ from other Fijian special occasions such as funerals. As long as there's tons of meat and yaqona to drink, everyone's happy.

A little different from weddings in America, as I would soon find out...

Vinaka Vakalevu.Milika

The Kuta reed is a rare plant that only grows in some areas of Fiji. My village has two patches, one of which is pictured below. When harvested, dried, flattened, and woven into a mat, Kuta becomes very valuable. It is an important source of income for the women in my village. Because our Kuta grows in low-lying areas, the patches flooded with salt water during Cyclone Tomas in March of this year. Everyone was very concerned that we wouldn't get a harvest this year, and that the salt might prevent future seeds from growing. And although the harvest was three months late, in July and August the women began going to the patches and bringing back the Kuta that will last them the entire year.

One average sized Kuta mat can bring in $100-$300 dollars when sold in Fiji's cities. Kuta mats are reserved for special occasions, and they make traditional gifts during weddings and funerals in Fiji. For Jaron and Risa's wedding (the 10-10-10 wedding of my sister and new brother-in-law), I knew I wanted to weave a Kuta and bring it to America with me.

Here are some pictures of my Kuta weaving adventure...

The village Kuta patch behind my house.

To get into the Kuta patch with the longest and thickest reeds, I had to wade through waist-deep water. The section of the patch we decided to harvest, however, had only ankle deep sludge. To harvest the reeds, we use special knives to cut bundles of kuta at their base...

... Then, we get rid of all the too-short and too-thin reeds using a special technique I learned from the women....

... and stack it up to take home...

When we throw the unusable Kuta on the ground and keep only the good reeds, the patch ends up looking like this. Sort of like a Kuta graveyard. But after a few weeks the new plants start to poke through.

Here I am with my bff Mareani after a 3-hour harvesting session. We are each carrying one bundle of Kuta. In order to make a mat, we will need at least three bundles.

To make the Kuta into something that is weavable, every day it must be laid out in the sun.

It takes approximately 30 minutes to put out and bring in the Kuta that is drying. Each bundle needs about 8 hours a day of sun for approximately 5 days to turn straw colored and be ready to work with.

Here are three of my bundles, post-drying.

To start weaving, we first pick out all the reeds that are similar in width. This is why three bundles are necessary to make one mat. After picking out the similar Kuta, there is one usable bundle that needs to be flattened. To do this, we walk on it, and then we use a shell or a spoon on each individual piece to finish preparing it.

This is how the Kuta mat is started. These pieces of Kuta are resting on a Voivoi mat. The major difference making Kuta so much more valuable is that it is much thinner. Whereas Voivoi is a flat and wide cross between a leaf and a reed that can be cut to any size, Kuta is thin and takes many more individual reeds to make one mat.

After a few minutes, the Kuta mat looks like this.

Here, my friend Mesi finishes weaving the first strip.

After a few weeks, there some patterns have been woven in, and the Kuta starts to grow outward.

Here, Jaron and Risa's wedding mat is almost finished. Mere is putting on the final row.

After we finished weaving and trimming all the edges, the ladies helped me roll all the mats up together so I could fit them in my suitcase and bring them home.

Here is Risa, wearing a traditional Fijian wedding outfit given to me by some friends, and sitting on her new Kuta.

At the rehearsal dinner I dressed Jaron and Risa both in half of a masi wedding costume.

And as one final surprise, the ladies wove me a small Kuta to go underneath Jaron and Risa's wedding cake.

Thanks for reading.

xxMilika

:-)

This is (hopefully) the final blog entry of my water project. Hurray! 

Unfortunately, my camera broke shortly after the previous blog was posted (end of June), so many parts of the final construction went without photographs. Luckily, however, our generous Rotary Club partners and various Peace Corps Volunteers who came on site for visits allowed me to put a memory card into their cameras, and I was able to come away with these.

Enjoy!

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We hope this is the FINAL CLEANING we ever have to do of our 40,000 liter water storage tank. 

From now on, clean water only will be held in this tank. This is except, of course, during times when we have major, yet-to-be repaired leaks in the village and we must bypass the new filters in order to meet volume demands of the community. This has happened about once a week since the filters have been functional (for approximately 6 weeks now), but we hope to install a bypass line from the roughing filter directly into the tank in the near future so the tank is never this dirty again.

Turaganikoro demonstrates just how muddy our old water could be (just in case you couldn't tell from previous pictures and entries).

The muddy residue left on our bodies after jumping inside the previously-dirty tank.

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FINAL TOUCH-UPS FOR THE STRUCTURE.

Collecting gravel to use for a cement platform underneath the particle filters in the appropriate way: from a river bed that crosses into our Mataqali (village family clan) land.

And perhaps a more questionable gravel collection method...

That's a lot of gravel.

Once we finished building a box frame and filling it with rocks, we hand mixed cement from the gravel we collected (see above) and sand from the beach to cover the top and make a smooth surface. Working with cement is truly an under-appreciated art.

Inserting a section of 3"x10" Vesi (very hard wood) to serve as a barrier between the Sky Hydrants and the cement. Later we drilled steel rods in to hold them in place.

I'm not sure how we managed to avoid everyone signing their names sloppily in the cement foot, but in the end, the village guys let me carve in the month and year as our only permanent stamp on the structure.

Our Carpenter had freedom to design whatever railings he wanted for safety purposes on the tank platform. We would have been happy with simple rope, but I like his solution much better now that it's finished.

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ROUGHING FILTER CONSTRUCTION: Filling the green tank with rocks and sand to filter large particles out before the water reaches our Sky Hydrant, .01 Micron filters down below.

A LOT of sand. I shoveled at least half of it myself, but I won't kid myself into thinking that I did most of the work: the boys had to carry it up from the beach to a suitable parking spot and load it into a truck!

Getting the gravel and sand up onto the tank platform.

Our Rotary Club engineer, Jeff, designed this interesting "manifold" piping system to filter the water into the roughing tank in such a way as to reduce channel-producing jets of water through the sand (thus possibly disrupting filtration).

Steve (the other Rotary Club partner guy) and some of the boys gluing together the manifold.

Manifold in place inside the green tank. 

Meanwhile, down on the ground, I was supervising the sifting of our beach sand to ensure some sort of uniformity in size. To do this, the boys and I designed a rough screen from spare 2"x4"s and some crab-trapping mesh wire overlapped several times.

Then, we spent the next couple hours sifting bags of sand, loading the new product into sacks, and hoisting them up onto the tank for the pour-into-green-tank crew.Once all raw materials were in place inside the now-insanely-heavy  green tank, we framed the roof to protect our creation from weather and animals.

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FINAL LUNCH AT THE TANK FOR THE WORK CREW.

Jeff and Steve were nice enough to drive down to the village so the ladies wouldn't have to carry their heavy pots and dishes all the way up to the tank to serve us.

A pretty standard meal: Waci vaka Lolo (boiled Taro Root leaves in coconut milk) with fish and boiled Dalo (Taro Root) and Uvi (Wild Yam).

Yummy. Those lunches are what I'll miss most about the construction phase of this project. Without a doubt.

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FINISHED PRODUCT.

Final piping scheme.

I would try to explain it all here, but it is really as confusing as it looks. You have to be here in person, then I can show you. So come visit, okay?!

Final product. Roof on. Fence in place. Gate constructed.

Jimi, our oldest Village Foreman, shows off the bottled-water-quality clarity (!) of our new, clean, water.

Ilimo, the village leader of the project, drinks clean water straight from the check valve.

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NOTES ON THE WATER SITUATION AS IT STANDS NOW (a.k.a. on-going challenges)

So, approximately 6 weeks after construction I wish I could write that everything has been peachy with the new system. But, unfortunately, this is a work-in-progress. 

Two Sky Hydrant filters can produce 40 cubic meters of water in a 24-hour period under ideal conditions (meaning zero head loss and friction between the filter output and the pipelines, and when they are freshly cleaned). Our Roughing Filter (the gravel and sand inside that elevated green tank) was intended to ensure that we could go at least a week between manual cleanings of the Sky Hydrants (by trapping potentially-clogging particles). We are learning now, however, that there are some important steps we might have missed in the ideal design of a Roughing Filter. Hopefully we (Rotary Guys and I) will be able to adapt what we have already constructed to make our now mandatory every-two-day cleanings less frequent. That way, I will feel more confident that the project is fully sustainable.

Furthermore, the village usage (as we know from all that elaborate testing I did with the Village Water Committee back in October-December 2009) is, on average, 27 cubic meters a day. Additionally, last year we were experiencing almost 800% additional leakage (which we know because we observed water level drops in the middle of the night when inflow pipes were removed and nobody in the village was using any water). After extensive leakage repair by Ilimo and myself (yes, I am basically a plumber now), we have reduced that number to about 50%. That means, on average, our community is using about 42 cubic meters of water a day. The filters produce 38 when they are clean (which I mentioned above is not all the time due to hiccups in our Roughing Filter scheme and the distance of the filters to make daily manual cleanings a realistic option).

Furthermore, this is a village that has approximately 3-6 km of piping ranging from the filter construction site and all the houses connected to our source. This system was first begun 15 years ago when the resevoir tank was built. Since then, each individual family has shouldered the cost of their own connections and piping. This means, that corners were cut. In almost every case, PVC (white plastic) pipeline is directly connected to (black rubber) Poltane pipeline through parts such as threaded T's and Elbows. Unfortunately, Poltane must be connected to PVC through galvanized fittings in order to create a true seal. Now that major leaks have been repaired, and consequently the water pressure has drastically increased throughout the village, each one of these fittings is starting to leak, and repairs are both costly and time consuming (imagine replacing an existing T that must be screwed into three buried lines... it's galvanized socket and union-central around here). To make matters worse, many of the lines are very shallowly dug (out of shear laziness), and because their locations are unmarked, there are frequent accidents with digging forks and cane knives. This means, our line of literally-misfit pipe connections is also riddled with punctured pipeline that has been "repaired" with tubing (essentially black rubber strips wound around the line and tied off). 

If you followed that at all (and I don't blame you at all if you didn't, because I'm not exactly proficient in technical, english, plumbing language), you might guess that it's a seriously uphill battle at this point. Fixing our leakage beyond 50% of usage (thus ensuring that we always have enough water in the village) seems impossible because every time we fix something, two something-else's pop up.

That all said, this is exactly why Peace Corps is a two-year program. We understand that change (and especially behavior-change like water conservation) doesn't happen in a day, and so we are committed to the long-haul to ensure sustainability of our projects. I'm not pretending like I don't want to tear my hair out, though, knowing that this project is going to continue to consume my service for the remainder of my time here!  When all is over, though, I will have something pretty amazing to show for all my hard work--and my community will have clean, safe, and (hopefully) plentiful water for generations to come.

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As always, I thank you for visiting my blog. Missing everyone lots.

xxMilika 

In light of the recent blog post I made hilighting my village's water project, I thought I should remind everyone that Peace Corps work is about capacity building (and not bringing in outside funding). So, here is a brief list of all the projects I've done so far in my village. Very few of these projects involve money.

- Water Project (filter construction).

- Teeth Brushing (with pre-school kids and parents).

- Village Cleanup and Waste Separation (with primary school students).

- Kickball Team (class 7&8 at the local primary school).

- Aerobics Classes (with the women).

- Budget Development and Money Management (with the Village Development Committee).

- Nutrition Work ("Iron Chef" Cooking Competition with the women's group).

- Gardening (leading by example, giving away seeds) and Planting Trees (raising seedlings).

- 1-on-1 Relationship Violence Awareness and Education (advocacy and safety planning for survivors, explainations aimed at prevention in male population).

- HIV/AIDS Workshop (at one of the training villages during the Volunteer Connect Conference).

- SPCA Outreach: Animal De-Sexing (in the works).

- Condom Dispensory (my house...).

- Teaching French to Village Kids (once a week while we walk home from school).

- World Geography Awareness (informal with inflatable globe in my house).

- Water Conservation Education.

and more...

Vinaka Vakalevu for checking out the blog.

xx

Milika

:-)

When I left for the Peace Corps, I had three personal goals (in addition to helping the community). #1 was to learn a new language. #2 was to learn to cook. #3 was to learn how to garden.

I am very proud of the gardening skills I have developed. Here are some pictures of what my teitei looks like so far.

*************************************************

Noqu Kompound: Before.

Noqu Kompound: After.

Pink Frangipani Tree.

Papukeni (Pumpkin).

Kiukaba (Cucumber).

Passionfruit.

Squash.

A view of all three creeping plants. There is also a watermelon plot to the left of the Squash, but at the time this picture was taken, the buds were too young to be remarkable.

One of S.K.'s kittens, Meleni. (translation: "Melon". I like to think that this name, given by her new owners, was at least partially inspired by the name of my cat back home in San Diego, California, whose name is Mango.)

My Compost.

********************************************************************

The side yard: Before.

The side yard: After.

Dhanya and Cilantro.

Rokete: Lailai/Levu (Hot Chili Peppers: Small/Large), Tomole (Basil).

Baigani (Eggplant), Cobona (Lemongrass).

Kareti (Carrots), Kiukaba (Cucumber).

**********************************************************************

The back yard: March 2010.

The back yard: April 2010.

The back yard: June 2010.

The main garden consists of: Tomata (Tomatoe), French Beans, Butter Beans, Capsicum (Bell Peppers), Kaveti (Cabbage), Letisi (Lettuce), Broccoli, and Cauliflour.

Next to the main garden there is a living fence (to deter prying eyes) of Sila (Corn).

****************************************************** That's all for now. Vinaka Vakalevu for visiting my blog. xxMilika

When I first got to my small, remote Fijian village almost a year ago, my community made clear to me that the most valuable work I could do for them would be to help them get clean drinking water.

Although the village was lucky to have existing piping and storeage to give them running water from two distant sources, a spring and a river, the water looked and tasted dirty. When it rained hard or for long periods of time (which happens frequently in the tropics), the water became so sediment-heavy that it would literally turn white clothes brown if laundry attempts were made (I have first-hand experience with this). As a result, the village would send someone up to the source to divert the river water until it cleared up. This has often lead to water a dry storeage tank (and therefore drought in the village) often for days at a time. Furthermore, when I obtained World Health Organization pathogen water tests (and later other, more sophisticated tests), the results showed dangeous levels of contamination probably due to the wild animal population living in the jungle along the river.

So, in September 2009, I made a contact in the local Rotary Club, an engineer in his former life until he retired and moved to Fiji. I helped my village form a Water Committee, and we got to work on testing our village water usage and water quality (3 months of almost-daily hikes up to the resevoir tank or the source) so the Rotary Club engineer could design a filter for us. At the same time, I trained the leader of our Water Committee (and he got help from the other members) to write a grant, and we finally finished one to the Rotary Pacific Water For Life Foundation (RPWFL) in December 2009.

By February 2010, when the technical portion of the grant application was finished (i.e. when the filter design was complete and we had obtained materials quotes), we submitted our grant.... Soon, however, we learned that RPWFL was no longer accepting applications because of funding issues.Luckily, our Rotary Club partners were able to adapt the original application and submit it to some private contacts, local companies, and rotary clubs around the world. Within days we had pledges for funding.All the money finally came through and we started ordering materials (some from all over the world) in May 2010.

The first week in June 2010, the men of my village started ripping timber (by hand!) for the wood that would be the "community contribution" to the project. We spent the next two weeks in a frenzy of activity as materials were delivered, the tower was constructed, and an elaborate scheme of piping was put in place.

After another week or two the project should be complete, and my community will have water as safe to drink as the bottles they can buy in the grocery store.//Sa Vinaka Saraga. :-)

Headng into the veikau with three chainsaws, some fuel, and a portable radio for day 1 of ripping timber for my village water filtration project.

From the village, our prime timber spot took maybe 45 minutes to hike to.This is Maika, the project's head carpenter, getting the first tree started.

"Vesi" is a gorgeous variety of timber that is very valuable and somewhat rare. Luckily, my village's Mataqali (family clan) has lots of it on their land.

Measuring out the timber so we can mark it for individual plank sizes.

To mark the timber, we opened up an old battery and mixed the black acid with water to make a sort of ink. Then, we used a long piece of string wrapped around a small stick to dip in the ink, stretch accross the timber, and snap against the horizontal surface so as to leave a perfectly straight line for the chainsaw to follow.

did I mention that wood is extremely heavy in these quantities? I am continually amazed at how strong these Fijian men are...

The Varovaro team chills out and takes advantage of a photo opportunity with our last vesi tree.

One of the best moments of my Peace Corps service, hands down, is when one of the ladies carried lunch to us on our last timber day in the bush. She cooked this alternative meat product called "Natrella" with Penne pasta and vegetables. She learned how to cook all of these foods during the "Iron Chef" cooking competition program I led in the village when my mom was visiting in May. If this isn't behavior change, I dont know what is!

Carrying the timber out of the jungle to a road where we can get vehicle access might have been the hardest part of the whole operation.

All of our 2"x6" Vesi planks stacked neatly on construction day 1 at the resevoir storeage tank.

The building plan for our water filter tower basically consists of a two-stage filtration plan. On the tower's deck will sit a plastic water storeage tank that we have filled with a series of rocks, gravel, and sand to act as a roughing (particle) filter. The second stage filtration occurs below when the water comes out of the roughing filter, passes through a series of preliminary screens, and then flows down through two micro filters (for bacteria and viruses) that were purchased from Australia. The major construction challenge of this project comes from the fact that, in order to work effectively, the 7,600 kg roughing filter (weight when filled with gravel sand and water) must sit a certain distance above the existing storeage tank so that, physics-wise, there will be enough "head loss" (i.e. gravity-induced pressure) to push the water through the entire system.

Day 1: breaking ground on the 1.1 meter deep holes for the treated pine posts to be placed into. The head carpenter, Maika, rolls himself a suki (special tobacco cigarette) while the rest of us are hard at work.

I even dug one of the holes. This was good work for me because Fijian men are HUGE and have a hard time fitting themselves into such a small space!

The four completed holes. You wouldn't be able to imagine how long it took me and the carpentars to square this thing (with no tools except a piece of string and a tape measure).

Day 2 Construction: the treated pine posts are delivered to our job site.

After we unloaded the posts from the truck, the hard work of turning and positioning them began. (When I say "we," I of course mean the incredibly strong men from my village... I served as cheerleader, watergirl, and photographer for this portion of the project.)

The Rotary Club guys turned out on this all important materials delivery day to help us drill holes in the right places and place the posts properly for cementing. Here, the last post goes up...

Four posts and a frame were in place by the end of day 2 at the construction site

On day 3, we nogged into the posts and place 3"x10" Vesi bearers into place (there are four on this structure). These bearers might be the most important source of support for this entire structure. The weight of a two-ton truck will be resting on them soon. After the second round of materials were delivered, we had the plastic tank for our roughing filter, and the builders mix for cement (so we can secure the pine posts in place). Many many subsequent days were spent placing 14 joists (arranged into 8 bundles for structural security) onto the tower's four bearers.

While the boys are hard at work getting the cement going...

... while I sat down and explained the project to some of the village elders who came to watch us young people work.

Lunch was an unexpected prize that day. We had curry stingray (Kari Vi), dahl soup with fish, boiled taro root (Dalo), and jungle fern (Ota) .

Often, the ladies make fresh buns for tea and we enjoy it at a house in between the job site and the village as we make our way home.

Back to work for week 2 of construction...

Maika fits the pieces of freshly, hand planed, decking together to ensure as-even-as-possible surface for our roughing filter to sit on.

Hand planing 4 sides of each piece of decking takes a LOOOOOONG time! This tribute reads "In memory of them who died with milika."Milika is my Fijian name. The boys mean to say that I've worked them to death (by making them plane so many pieces of wood) and so this water tower is a memorial to that sacrifice.

The last day of week 2 construction, Jeff (the Engineer from the Savusavu Rotary Club) and Steve (Chapter President of the Savusavu Rotary Club) came back to deliver the micro-filters and help us install a ton of new piping.

Steve drills some connection for draining and water flow into the roughing filter tank while I secure the fitting from inside. At the moment I'm the only non-child who is both small enough and brave enough to climb through the fresh-cut manhole and sit inside the plastic storeage tank. All I can say is that it's VERY hot in there! The last big task of week 2: getting the roughing filter tank on to the structure itself... up it goes... Now that the tank is up, we can finish installing the piping below and hook up the micro-filters...

The final piping scheme (looking a lot like an outerspace rocketship-type mechanism) the way we left it at the end of construction week 2. So, that's where the water project is so far. I'm in the capital city for some workshops and an annual Peace Corps Fiji Conference for two weeks. While I'm gone the boys are collecting sand for the roughing filter and cleaning the existing tank. When I get back we should have about one more week of work (cleaning sand and getting it inside that plastic tank, mostly) before my project is finished. More info to come... Vinaka Vakalevu for reading my blog.I love you all. xxMilika:-)

Oti Na Cagi Laba

The Aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Tomas

Although all of the houses in my village were okay after the Cyclone, our beachfront took a beating due to strong ocean surges and high winds that uprooted many of the beautiful coconut trees. This picture is representative of almost all the coastline I have seen since the cyclone in my area.

Because of its proximity to the high-water mark, the kindergarten ("kindy") building at our local primary school was destroyed by the ocean during the cyclone. It took almost a week of labor for the School Committee and parents to locate all the pieces of the former classroom and pile them on its still-standing, concrete foundation. I am urging the community not to rebuild in the same spot, yet because the foundation and part of one wall are still in tact, I am not confident that my arguments will be heard. Here the men carry a small fishing boat that was washed up and wrecked against one of the classroom buildings.

The School Committee members (including me) who did not complete the search-and-rescue mission for the kindy roofing irons and walling boards spent about two weeks raking up sand, coral, and sandstone from the grassy fields at the school so that the brush cutters could be brought in and the children could continue to have a clear ground to play on during sports hour and recess.

In my village, all of the houses thankfully survived Tomas (and the people, too!), but all the plantations (both for food and sustenance) were effectively ruined. Here is a picture of the decorative hedge I planted in front of my compound. It's easy to see the effect that hurricane winds has on plants...

Tinaqu Sa Qade Mai

Mom comes for a visit... (3 parts)

Part 1: 4-Nights on the TUI TAI Adventure Sailing Cruise

Mom sits on the upper, meal and sunning, deck for breakfast and is serenaded by the Tui Tai Ship crew, dressed to the 9s in their kala vata ("matching uniforms"). The Tui Tai, looking a lot like a pirate ship, anchors off shore an uninhabited island off the coast of Qamea, Eastern Taveuni, while its passengers hike the crater of an inactive volcano, scale the rim of the peak, and then kayak out of the crater. Unreal!

Even though it was very beautiful, there was no forgetting that a huge cyclone had just passed through... Mom in front of the part of the volcanoes' crater that is still submerged in the sea. On the top of the crater.

Mom, relaxing on the Tui Tai's sun deck.

The inside lounge area includes comfy couches, a fully-stocked bar, and often fresh cookies...

The chefs baked my Mom a cake for her birthday on the boat. Happy Birthday, Mom!

PART 2Mom comes to spend a week in my Village

Mom buying her isevusevu (kava root offering to the chief) so that she will be welcomed to stay in the village for the week.

Stocking up for the village at the grocery store, too. Mareani and I chill out in front of my house.

The kittens are getting so big! It takes two arms to hold them now... What would a first night in the village be without a massive "grog" session at the Chief's house? After Mom's isevusevu was dissected, it was ready to tuki (or pound up) so we could consume it. Here I'm trying my hand at pounding the yaqona. Usually this is a job for boys only because that iron pole I'm holding is INSANELY heavy!

Pounded up and ready to serve... Here, the boys are straining the pounded up yaqona (aka "kava") root through a special cloth and mixing it with water so we can all drink it.

Mom and the Chief spend some quality time bonding as they both "sit up" on the couch. (In Fijian culture it is customary to sit on the floor at all times as it is considered very disrespectful to be above someone else due to the tabu (sacred) nature of the head, neck, and shoulders area of the human body. The chief, of course, can do as he pleases. And he may invite visitors to do the same as well.

Marama, mom, and I stretch our legs as the night wears on. (Generally, we sit cross legged or with our legs tucked under us and to one side). One of mom's presents to the Chief's family--the board game "Sorry"-- was a huge hit with the village kids.

Mareani, my best friend and also the leader of the village's Women's Group, and I write out recipes for my "iron chef" cooking program with the women.

For the "Iron Chef" project, my goal was to teach the women in my village how to cook with alternative protein products that they are no accustomed to buying in town. However, because 36% of Fiji's population is Indo-Fijian (and most of those are Hindu), there is an abundance of vegetarian foods available in almost all of the markets.

So, for this program, the women divided themselves into six groups, picked a recipe (such as curry chickpeas with wholemeal roti tortillas, tuna burgers, lentil chili, pasta with fake-meat marinara sauce, etc), and had two hours to cook it with the ingredients I bought ahead of time in town using some of the money from the Women's Group's yearly budget.

The Chili group learns how to use lentils, moong beans, and chick peas to make a filling soup with wheat-crackers on top.

Here I'm sitting down with the Chick Pea Curry group to discuss how to take the beans that I had soaked over night and cook them before adding them into the curry.

After two hours, the ladies start to bring their food over to a house with a huge veranda where we decided to have our judging and our feast.

A beautiful spread for the "guest of honor", my mom, who was also the judge of this cooking contest.

Other ladies who ate with the "guest of honor".

After each group was judged and all received prizes, Mom got us together for a group picture.

Just after the cyclone, this is what my back yard looked like. This is the "before" picture for what is now my garden.

After I cleaned the compound, cut the tree, and laid the plot... After about two months of work cutting down a dead coconut tree and some plantain trees, making a plot from the trunks, hand-carrying bucket after bucket of black soil up hills from the beach and across the village to fill this plot, tilling the practically rock-hard, red-clay ground, walking 1 hour to the neighboring settlement to ask for bamboo and hiring a huge lori (large open-backed truck) to help bring it back to the village for a dog/children fence, and finally digging vertical grooves for rain (since the garden is on a hill), I am finally ready to plant!

Actually, the last step before sowing the seeds was adding a fence of sasa (coconut tree leaves) so that chickens and kittens can't get in.

My friend Mesi came to have a look as I plant about 30 corn seeds in planter bags to be transferred outside the bamboo fence once the shoots are strong enough.

The garden in my side yard is made up of bele (a slimy, spinach-like leaf that you see on the left), baigani (Eggplant), and various herbs such as Cobona (Lemongrass), Rokete (hot chili peppers), and soon-to-be Timole (basil), and Danya (Cilantro).

Two of the village kids, Viwa (3-year-old girl on the left) and Akoila (3-year-old boy on the right) help me carry all the pre-school kids and their parents' tooth brushes back to my house from the central tap where we brush our teeth together every day.

Here I am helping Akoila reach all those tough-to-reach places.

Check out those pearly whites. This project is DEFINITELY paying off.

Now the kids light up the camera.

PART 3

Mom and I go to Pacific Harbor, Viti Levu Island, for some serious R&R

After surviving a week in the village with no electricity, solid walls to keep bugs and animals out, hot water, ways to cook meals except completely from scratch, and, most importantly, no fans or air conditioning (due to lack of electricity), Mom deserved a serious break.

Here she is sipping her welcome drink in the gorgeous lobby of the Pearl Hotel, Pacific Harbor, Viti Levu Island.

The view from our super-posh hotel room.

All of this weaving is done from coconut leaves (unlike the mats which are made from voivoi reeds dried in the sun).

During a weaving class, I taught the instructor my village's method to tali iri (weave fans) which was slightly different from her own. Mom also made a basket.

My half finished iri (fan).

Getting in touch with our inner Zen by the pool/beach area.

A cool, after-storm, rainbow.

Our mother-daughter kala vata (matching sulu jiaba outfits) that I had made before Mom arrived made perfect fancy dinner attire for our first night at the hotel.

Mom rides the bus to the capital city of Suva with me so I can attend a Peace Corps conference during her last two days in the country. Unfortunately, our one shot at taking a picture on the bus (we were attracting a lot of attention to ourselves that would be bad when we reached the sometimes-dangerous capital) was ruined by my finger covering the flash. Oops!

Me outside the Peace Corps Headquarters office in Suva, Fiji.

I’ll keep this as short as possible, but this has been a whirlwind couple of months for me and I have lots of updates. In other words: you all know me and you know that this blog is long-winded despite my pre-departure promises that it wouldn’t be… VOSOTA SARA!

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Here we go, 1st current events:

SCARY CYCLONE HEADING OUR WAY

So, apparently there are two cyclones in the area right now. One seems to be brutalizing the island nation of Vanuatu at the moment, and another is projected to become a massive storm that will smother my island of Fiji (Vanua Levu) sometime in the next 24 to 48 hours. All Vanua Levu volunteers were “consolidated” today to the two major towns on the island (Savusavu and Labasa). And starting tomorrow we will all be on “stand fast” which basically means that we have to stock up on supplies like food/water/matches/kerosene for the hurricane lamps and stay put until the office tells us we can head home.

Of the ten volunteers who would normally consolidate to Savusavu (four boys and six girls including me), I am the only girl who is on the island right now (besides one who I am told is “resisting” orders to leave her village). Being that the Peace Corps house in Savusavu is normally occupied by two of these girls who both work in town, “the girls” (meaning me alone), have been assigned to stay at the house while the boys are being put up at a nearby hotel/guesthouse. So, for the time being it’s me all alone with my backpack (with precisely one pair of underware, one clean T-shirt, and all the electronics I was planning to charge in town when I cam in this morning for the day until I received a phone call from the head of Peace Corps Fiji saying not to return to my village), a radio, some leftover curry from last night’s village *Soli* (fundraising *yaqona* session), a bottle of wine, and a laptop with an internet connection (!). Oh, I also have goodies from an EXCELENT package from my new favorite Auntie (Aunt Dianne: you are the best! I am so excited to meet you at “the” wedding! Thank you so much for the chocolates and jelli beans. We gorged ourselves on them this afternoon!)..

Tomorrow morning, before the rains hit, I will go to town and stock up on some canned food, veggies that can survive outside the fridge (so, the usual), phone credit, and likely some more beverages to help pass the time. I’m wondering how likely it is that electricity will hold up during the storm. Because, to be quite honest, being holed up with a laptop with internet access all to myself for a few days certainly doesn’t seem too shabby!

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So that’s what’s happening right this second in my life. Here’s what’s been going on in the village with work (Please bear with me; I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve been crazy busy since my last post. There’s a LOT going on in the way of projects right now…)

TUVATUVA NI SAVA WAI

(Water Filtration Project)

We have entered the "seeking funding" phase for the water project (within the first week of our funding proposal being sent out we already have commitments for almost half of the needed funds. Additionally, our Rotary partners are having weekly meetings concerning the rest. The Jeff and Steve actually said they would come to the village Monday of this week (which we'll obviously have to reschedule due to sudden weather conditions) to talk about structural stuff so we in the village can start ripping timber (our "contribution" to the project). Because our expected timeline indicates that funding will be secured by May, and construction will take place in June and July, my village would like to cut all the timber and do any necessary digging prior to the arrival of supplies.

BARASI BATINA N'IRA NA GONE NI KORO

(Teeth Brushing with the Village Kids)

Another project that has finally gotten going is the communal brushing of teeth with the village pre-school-aged kids (twelve 1-4 year-olds) to whom I distributed Sesame Street tooth brushes. (These adorable supplies were donated by Crest company courtesy of one of my dad's patients.) I also had adult-sized tooth brushes donated for the parents by the Colgate/Palmolive company in Fiji. The way I dispersed supplies, was that I gave all twelve children and one adult each (either parent, grandparent, or grown sibling) one toothbrush and crest toothpaste to take home for nighttime brushing, and I keep one brush for each (labled with nailpolish and stored between two egg cartons to keep animals and flies out; see pictures for reference) at my house. Every morning at 9am, all the kids, their parents, myself, and one of the Taba Ni Bula (Village Health Committee) members meet (/I walk the village road with my Committee partner for 30 minutes gathering up all the children) at a central tap down by the ocean to brush our teeth together. The pre-schoolers and their parents learning to brush their teeth together.

This project has only been going on for two weeks so far, but the kids have already started asking me about when they can brush their teeth again when we meet in the days and evenings. Also, many appear to actually understand *how* to properly brush (after I spent the first couple days giving examples by brushing their teeth for them, and continue to do so for the young ones). Furthermore, the parents have told me that their children now even ask if they can brush their teeth at night before they go to bed. (I have no real verification of this statement, though. Whenever I ask one of my kids, “O i’o sa barasi e na ya’avi nanoa?” (“Did you brush your teeth last night”), they usually answer, no!)

After cleaning their brushes and putting them away properly, the kids get a checkup by the Village Health Worker (once a week).

The biggest challenge of this project so far has been getting the parents to appreciate the importance of attending the sessions together with their children. You see, it’s part of the village culture to allow very young children to roam rather freely, often without much adult supervision. In fact, it is not uncommon to see a very young (and often naked) child dissolve into tears and loud wailing sobs somewhere in the middle of the village, perhaps… actually rather often… in front of my house, and nobody will come to comfort them or ascertain what the problem is. This independence is also reflected in night-time rituals with the children. No child who is too young to school (from what I can tell) has a bedtime. Instead, when parents leave the house at night to watch movies wherever a generator is running or to drink *yaqona* somewhere, children are brought along. They tend to pass out anywhere, in almost any situation—flat on their bags, with arms and legs sprawled spred-eagle style, while the adults noisily interact all around them. Therefore, my challenge… I have attempted to require one-adult-per-child not only so that the parents can help with the actual brushing (at first, many of the kids would simply eat the toothpaste off the toothbrush immediately after it was handed to them, or chew on the toothbrush itself until the bristles are practically unusable), but I also think parental attendance will help to foster a healthy relationship between the parents and kids that can hopefully have some sort of sustainable effect after I leave the village next July. Check out those pearly whites!

TABA NI KORO / NA LEVU N'ILAVO E NA KORO(Village Development Committee / Village Budget)

As I stated in the previous post, I brought my village Mayor, the *Turaganikoro (“T.K.”)*, to a Peace Corps workshop about Income Generating projects in the community setting that was held in the capital city, Suva. During our week at this conference, TK and I finally had the bonding experience I've been waiting for. As it turns out, he speaks far better English than he originally let on (making me feel insanely embarrassed for all my terrible attempts at trying to talk to him about work in Fijian… No matter how good my language skills are getting in the realm of conversation, I am basically useless when it comes to talking about projects and work). To my immense relief, we are on the same page, opinion-wise, about almost every project for, and expectation we have of, the village.

Since returning from this workshop, the village has FINALLY allowed me to establish a *Taba Ni Koro, *or “Village Development Committee” (with members consisting of those leaders of the 10 most active village groups: * Turaganikoro* (Village Mayor), *Qase Ni Lotu* (Church Manager), *Nasi Ni Koro* (Village Health Worker), *Soqosoqo Ni Ba: Bulumakau* (The Cow Fence Committee), *Taba Ni Bula* (Health Committee), *Taba Ni Wai *(Water Committee), *Soqosoqo Ni Turaga *(Men’s Church Group), *Soqosoqo Va’a Marama Na Vanua* (Women’s Group), *Mataveitokani* (Youth Group), *Committee Ni Koro Vuli* (School Committee),and *Tabana Ni Vuaka* (Piggary Committee).

The *Taba Ni Koro* (Village Development Committee) is lead by the Men’s group leader. He reports directly to the Village Mayor, who oversees the Committee. The Development Committee has three joint-Treasurers. And I am the group’s advisor.

The first order of business, by popular request, was to develop *Na Levu N’iLavo E Na Koro *(Village Budget). We included *kotikoti *(money for fuel to cut every house’s compound, the church compound, the village road, the path to the beach, and the land path to the school), school fees (including Kindy, Primary School, “House” dues (imagine Harry Potter-style school houses you pay dues to for life), and a $100 incentive for every Secondary/Tertiary student), *Nasi Ni Koro* supplies (bus fare to bring medicine, money for first aid supplies for when the regional health centers are out, and money for the Village Health Worker to attend yearly trainings), all church fees (for the yearly dues of all 3 religions—Methodist, Catholic, and All Nation—in the village), a stipend for both the Women’s Group and the Youth to encourage project development, yearly payments to the regional clan and other cultural fees, (a very small portion of) printing/copying fees for me, money for replacement pipes/faucets/other emergency water stuff (and fuel for ripping the timber for our upcoming filtration project), and some repair stuff for the village cattle gate. The grand total came to a little over $11,100 (with church fees accounting for more than half!) for the 2010 period of April-December.

Then, we determined that there were 60 eligible individuals in the village (who are between 18-60 years old and who are relatively permanent residents) to contribute to this fund. So, the *Taba Ni Koro* held a meeting during which we presented the budget and then split these 60 people into ten groups of 6 (each one headed by one of the *Taba Ni Koro* members). Each group is asked to make monthly payments of about $120 per group. This equates to approximately $5.15 per person, per week, all inclusive (meaning that the frequent *soli*’s held for almost every organization and purpose throughout the year will cease). We organized the village into groups, however, to ease the pressure of being held individually responsible for the consistent payments. As a group, the men can decide to plant *Dalo* on a monthly basis* *(the Taro root that can be harvested in 6 months for a profit of approximately $1 per plant), the women can get together and weave *Kuta *mats (that are made to order for the markets in Labasa for approximately $100 each). People can also arrange trips to go to the sea to collect Beche De Mere and other sea creatures that are brought to Savusavu on the bus and sold to the markets there, they can sell raw vegetables or baked goods such as pie and jam on the road to passing busses, and they can generally help one another when money is inconsistent (income tends to ebb and flow here in Fiji).

So far we're in month one, March, (raising money this month will allow us to pay for next month, so we can get started with paying for things in April). Surprisingly, it's going very well. All the groups have been holding weekly *solis *to collect their dues, and we are planning to have a big village * soli* at the end of each month to consolidate the money so we can put it in the bank.

So, at the end of this month, the three treasurers and I are also planning to open a bank account in Savusavu with their three names on it (requiring at least two signatures to make a withdrawal). I have also been trying to organize some other PCVs from the area to come to the village later this month so we can do one-on-one money management trainings (savings calculators and such) with all the married couples and anyone else who wants to participate. This private training will help the members of my community see how they can keep up with the (seemingly) new expense of a collective village budget.

TEKIVU DUA NA BASINISI LAILAI: WAIWAI NI NIU SE SASALU WAI TUI(Starting one Small Business: Virgin Coconut Oil or Marine Farming)

Also since returning with the TK we have made a "Small Business Committee" within the Development Committee (i.e. so it is made up of all responsible individuals to whom the community looks at for leadership and who I also trust to get work done).

First, this committee and I presented SWOT (Strength/Weakness/Opportunities/Threats) business analyses for 6 different opportunities at a *Bose Va Koro* (monthly village meeting). Then, we broke the village into groups (men, women, and youth) to conduct an exercise known to us here in PC/Fiji as “PACA” to see what people were most interested in. Virgin Coconut Oil came out as the clear winner, followed by *Sasalu Wai Tui * (probably seaweed-farming or pearl farming after talking to Minestry of Fisheries earlier today).

The next step is information gathering. Ideally, we will try to get two business plans together by the end of this year. That way, the village Dalo fund (that will equal about $300 a month starting in August this year) will go towards starting a business in the first months of 2011.

TOMITOMI / WASEA NA BENU(Village Cleanup / Rubbish Separation)

This is a project I am continuing from last year. Basically, the school children and I walk through the village with two large bags, and we pick up rubbish and separate it for disposal (burn vs. bury) as we go. As an attendance/punctuality incentive, I give out fake coins that can be redeemed at the end of the month for prizes of different values to encourage lessons about the value of saving money.The primary school kids with their rubbish bags and coins. Their enthusiasm for cleaning the village is a direct result of your generosity in sending me goodies to use as rewards for attendance.

TEVAYA NI BENU ME KAMA(Central Collection of Burnable Rubbish)

On a related note, when I was down in Suva I was also able to get the Coca Cola Organization to donate two large and sturdy recycling bags to set up in the village for collection of burnable rubbish. This way, harmful plastics can be removed from the village and burned at a central location in order to minimize the hazard to village residents (and especially the young children).

KICKBALL!!

Also, I of course still have my kickball team. Actually, one of the things I'm most excited about for this year, is that a nearby village to mine (about 30 minutes by bus) will be getting a new volunteer. That village has a primary school in it. Therefore, soon my team might have some competition to play against!

And, when my mom comes to visit in May (as in 2 months from now), I asked her to bring Tie Dye materials so that we can make our gameday uniforms with the kids! I'm super excited. Tie Dye is the best, and we're gonna intimidate the sh*t out of those other kids in our super baddass t-shirts!My assistant coach (the class 7&8 teacher, Master Whippy), and the blackboard drawing I attempted to teach my team about the strategic value of staying in their correction positions during the game.

Don't they just look like professionals?

VALE LAILAI NI MANIWA NI TEI: KORO VULI(Composting Toilets at the Primary School)

In terms of the compost toilets... well... you really don't even want to know.

But I promise you, the lack of progress isn't for lack of effort on my part! I put in about three weeks worth of daily, 6-hour work days, with the newly-elected School Committee at the school in January. During that time, we were renovating the teacher's quarters and classrooms for the new year (I am a painting machine!). Thus, I have developed a TON of rapport with the new School Committee.

The School Manager has promised that, starting next month, he will make the toilets the top priority of school workdays (on the first Tuesday of every month). In April he is supposedly using the school budget to buy a bunch of fuel, and I have asked all the chain-saw owners in my village to bring their saws so we can rip the necessary timber to finish the thing. So, please cross your fingers for me!

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KITTENS!

Unfortunately, their number has gone from four to three. I’ll spare my young readers the gory details here. But, the three remaining kittens are happy and healthy, and right after the photograph below was taken, I gave them to their new homes.still sooooo cute!

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A TYPICAL DAY IN MY LIFE (things have changed slightly)

6:00am – Wake up. Drink 2 huge cups of coffee. 7-8:00am – Workout inside the house. (jumping jacks, running in place, crunches, weights…) 8:30-9 – Walk the road and gather up all the children. 9-9:30 – Teeth brushing! 9:30-10 – Breakfast/reading time. 10-11:30 – Hand-wash laundry/clean house. 11:30-1 – Cook lunch, eat lunch, cleanup lunch. 1-2 – Drink tea, read, (optional) shower. 2-4 – Nap 4-6:00 – Organization for...

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After my most recent experience traveling from the island where my little village is (Vanua Levu) to the main island where the Peace Corps office is located in the capital city (Viti Levu), I realized that inter-island travel by boat really deserves its very own blog entry.

So, even though the plane flight only takes approximately 40 minutes to get from Savusavu town (my stock-up place) to Suva airport (just outside the capital), an overnight boat (that can cost anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 the price of flying) takes anywhere from 10 to 14 hours!!!

There are two main boats traveling the route: The Sulivan (referred to by Fijians as the "silly-van") and the Spirit of Fiji Islands (otherwise known as the "sofi").

Now, generally, the Peace Corps will give us enough money to ride in the "first class" cabin of the Sulivan, the larger, faster, and far cleaner of the two. This trip is often even pleasant. You report to the boat in Savusavu at 6pm. This is enough time to have a leisurely dinner at one of the cute touristy cafe's overlooking the bay, so that if the boat is late you can simply linger until it's absolutely necessary to report to the wharf. Then, the Sulivan launches at 8pm, and arrives in Suva around 6am. In "first class," there is a lounge area lined by couch units that shows dvds that passengers bring and chose themselves, and there are several rows of fairly clean (with fresh linens!) bunk beds that each passenger is assigned to and that even have curtains to give us privacy while we rest. Only once have I seek a cock-roach in one of those beds. All together, it's a pretty nice experience.

The first time we ever made acquaintance with the Sulivan, however, was a different story. "First Class" lounge on the Sulivan. During Pre-Service Training, there is a 4-night, 5-day "site visit" that allows trainees to visit their assigned villages and town/city sites prior to moving there after swearing in. For us Vanua Levu folks, this meant a trip on the boat. As luck would have it, that night was (in the words of a second-year Vanua Levu Peace Corps Volunteer who was traveling with us) the roughest seas ever experienced on the Sulivan. In fact, one of our fellow trainees who was a Merchant Marine in his former life notified us that anything over 22-knots of wind is considered unsafe to travel by sea, and it's actually a violation of international laws to sail in 25+ conditions. Now, I'm not pointing fingers at anybody, but the captain came on the loud speaker and actually announced that there were 28-knot (!!) winds that night...

Well, out of the eight of us on board, at least four were hurling over the railing for a significant portion of the trip. Furthermore, that second year volunteer who was kind enough to keep me company when I spent approximately five hours with my head between my knees on the outside deck, was cruelly rewarded for his kindness when someone on the deck above us spewed over the side and a bit of it actually got in our friend's mouth!!! My (shaken-up) fellow trainees, after we finally made it to Vanua Levu for our site visits.

Well, it is true that that was, by far, the worst it ever was on the Sulivan. And like I said, I much prefer that boat to the smaller and less clean Sofi which I had the pleasure of riding on this past weekend when I traveled down to Suva for small business training with my Turaganikoro (village mayor).

Me and Turaganikoro on the Sofi. Because he wanted to, we rode probably the cockroach ridden Spirit of Fiji Islands for fourteen hours in the economy cabin--a cabin literally crawling with hundreds of roaches and with large, airplane like seats, for resting in on the ride. It would have been better, of course, had I not had my cat with me in a cage made from two laundry bins tied together with string howling in anger and disturbing all the other passengers the whole night through.

My poor (recently-spayed) kitty cat in her make-shift cage. Needless to say, I've been lucky enough (knock on wood) to make it to my destination every time so far. So, I will continue to ride these adventuresome sea vessels when I need to travel between the Fiji Islands. Just do me a favor, though, and cross your fingers for me that it can't get any worse than this.

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BOXING DAY VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT

The "tabu" on playing volleyball is lifted during every school holiday (right now it's Summer). Since the "tabu" on dancing in the village (a Methodist Christian taboo) is also lifted during the holiday season, my village holds an annual Volleyball Tournament on Boxing Day complete with music, refreshments and, of course, dancing...

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THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

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HOLIDAY FEAST: ONE OF MANY

After a funeral, many men from the closely related family of the deceased show their respect by refraining from drinking yaqona (kava/grog) for 100 days. When the 100 days are up, they naturally celebrate hardily.

Since my entire village is made up of one family clan (made up of three lines), 1/3 of our men had something big to celebrate this holiday season...

The feast shed / dance hall that was built earlier that day for the celebration.

Some of the youth girls in charge of faning flies away from the food.

(two pigs and a cow were killed for the event)

Sinate, my 17-year-old half-ethic Fijian, half-Kioan nextdoor neighbor performed a traditional dance after dinner. It is customary to smear performers with baby powder (face and hair) and shove candies into their mouths as they perform.

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CYCLONE MICK

A little flooding in the village isn't going to get in the way of afternoon Rugby practice.

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MY CAT, "S.K."

A VERY pregnant S.K.

4 tiny kittens: the best New Years supprise ever!

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First and foremost, a huge thank you to my mother for posting such a flattering blog entry a few days ago about the work I’ve started here in Fiji.

As she said, I have been doing more this past month than hanging out...

As you may know, I have now been living in my village site for almost four months. It's amazing how fast the time flies by. Everything is going great here. I love life in the village. I've settled into a nice daily routine that includes indoor workouts in my house, frequent beach walks to talk on the phone or visit the nearby primary school (about 1 mile away), lots of laundry and cleaning (I have developed arm muscles like you wouldn't believe... literally the sleeves of my shirts are tight...), hanging out and chatting with my best friend and the other women while the kids are at school, experiments with cooking, afternoon naps, and, of course, evening yaqona sessions.

Of course, I have started to get some work done too. So far, I'm really excited about the way things are progressing. Here is a little summary of each of the major projects I am working on at the moment. Some of those mentioned in my mom’s post have not yet begun in the village, so they aren’t included here….

WATER FILTRATION PROJECT

By far, my biggest project during my first year in the village is going to concern the water. Right now, my village has a big reservoir tank to store all the water from the river source so they do not have to worry about drought. The water, however, is super dirty... especially after it rains.

Illimo, Liuliu Ni Tabana Ni Wai (leader of our Water Committee) at the reservoir tank

A village work day spent draining the tank for its monthly cleaning.

The dirty water we had to dump out by hand.

After a heavy rain, the color of the water is literally brown out of the tap, and the rainy season is fast approaching. I was able to obtain several tests from the Health Inspector’s Office in nearby Savusavu Town, and when I traveled to the Capital city, Suva, a few weeks ago I received a few more from a non-profit there. So, the community water committee and I collected samples from both our water source and the water directly out of the tap, and we tested them for Chloroform Bacteria (among other contaminants).

Illimo taking a water sample from the river source.

Pre-reaction Chloroform Test.

We watched in horror as the tube turned opaque black within less than one day (the test is supposed to take two days... and black is clearly the worst kind of result).

Post-reaction Choloroform Test.

Conducting a range of other experiments.

Well anyway, as luck would have it I stumbled upon two members of the Rotary Club Savusavu (my nearest town) who want to oversee a water filtration project they have been recently researching. It turns out that there exists a kind of "Slow Sand Filtration System" (SSF) that has been used in other parts of the world that would be perfect for my site here in Fiji. The SSF basically consists of three water tanks that would be placed in succession after our existing reservoir—one would act as a roughing filter, the second a fine sand filter, and the third would be a holding tank for the newly purified water. These thanks would clean all the dirt and bacteria out of the water using a low-cost and easy to maintain design. Sustainability is written all over it.

I am fortunate that some other Peace Corps Volunteers have already established a good relationship with this specific Rotary Club, and they have shown a lot of generosity towards our projects in the past. After a series of informal conversations, Jeff and Steve finally made it out to the village a few weeks ago to see the site firsthand and make an offering to the chief in order to officially begin the project.

Jeff and Steve climbing our “ladder” to take a peek inside the tank.

In addition to pointing us in the right direction for funding and, of course, coming up with a site-specific SSF design, Jeff and Steve have been instrumental in helping us determine what further information we need to collect before we can submit a grant proposal--all sorts of water quality tests including pressure, usage, etc.

To get a sense of how much water the village uses on a daily basis, the water committee and I last week embarked on a rigorous schedule of monitoring the tank. We took trips up to our tank in teams of two and removed the in-flow pipe that keeps the tank full. Then, two hours later we returned to the tank to measure the change in height of the water level. We will use this raw data to determine average volume usage each day in the village.

Listoni measuring the starting height before we redirect the in-flow.

Illimo measuring the amount of water lost in two hours using the marks we made on a rod of bamboo.

Jona recording the results for later interpretation.

We made these trips several times a day all of last week. One day, Jona and I even went up to the reservoir in the middle of the night when nobody would be using water at all (at midnight and again at 2am) to get an idea about how much water we are loosing simply from leaking faucets and broken pipes. It turns out that the number is very high, so hopefully this will be something we can improve during construction as well.

Finally, two nights ago the water committee met at my house to start writing our funding proposal. We hope to submit a finished grant before the Christmas holiday begins in Fiji –a holiday season that lasts for all of December and January—and the entire country basically shuts down in order to celebrate. If our proposal is approved in a timely fashion (hopefully by February), then we can probably start construction when the rainy season ends in late March/April.

That means, we could have totally purified water (so clean even you or I could drink it straight from the tap with no resulting problems) by next May/June!!

COMPOSTING PIGGARY PROJECT

Another large project I am just in the beginning stages of with the village is a piggery conversion project.

We held our first meeting of the newly formed Tabana Ni Vuaka (Piggery Committee) last week to discuss the problem of keeping unlined pig pens/cages on the beach right in front of the village where waste can drain directly into the water. I have been concerned that this is a source of ill health for those villagers who take sisili wai tui (salt water baths)—which is everyone--as well as the coral and fish populations that depend on the marine environment there. I presented the committee with some options for converting existing pig sties into environmentally friendly designs, and they have unanimously decided to pursue a Shallow Bed Composting Piggery model.

This type of piggery is one, concrete-floored structure, that would serve all of the village’s pigs (in separate stalls). And, with proper maintenance, this type of structure will facilitate production of highly nutritious compost material for use on individual farms.

Additionally, I had a meeting with a business-advising-type government agency together with my Turaga Ni Koro (village mayor guy) yesterday in town about possibly taking the project a step further and getting some government assistance to turn our existing pigs into a small business enterprise for the village.

In the immediate future, I am hopeful that a design session will happen soon so we can get quotes for materials, develop a budget, and start working on funding proposals before the Christmas Holiday Season I mentioned above.

ORAL HEALTH PROJECTS—for the kids…

There is a general trend here in Fiji towards the neglect of oral hygiene in children who do not yet have their permanent teeth. Because they will eventually loose their first set of teeth, young children are never provided with toothbrushes and toothpaste. As a result of this and poor diet, children’s teeth are allowed to simply rot away. Not only is this a major quality of life issue for, but it also means that important healthy and hygienic practices are not learned at an early age.

I believe this neglect directly contributes to the major oral health problems I observe in the teenage and adult populations both in my village and Fiji-wide.

I have been concerned about this issue since I arrived in Fiji, and I have an idea for a two-fold practical and educational program--a daily “Child Check” with the pre-school aged children in the village, and a weekly classroom session with each of the grade levels at the local Primary School—that I think will be the best way to start making a positive change in these children’s lives.

The “Child Check” will be facilitated each morning before school by myself and the village health worker (the Nasi Ni Koro, Sereanna Rainibogi). After the school-aged children have left for school, we will gather the pre-school-aged children at a central location in the village, and together we will learn to brush our teeth and wash our hands properly. Participants will be rewarded for attendance with small, homemade tokens, they can save up and trade in for educational prizes (like building blocks, ABC puzzles, and stickers).

In the Primary School I will work with teachers during regularly scheduled health classes to implement a more hands-on educational program focused on nutrition and physical oral hygiene.

I have also just received (today, in fact) a generous donation of child-sized Colgate toothbrushes from a private donor in the United States. After I return to the village tomorrow, we can begin to implement these programs. Hopefully, I can start conducting the “Child Checks” as early as this week.

WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECT

As an after school project with the primary school kids, I have begun to supervise a village trash pickup once a week after school.

During our sessions together, the kids and I conduct a village clean up that focuses on the fact that real rubbish does not necessarily only mean sticks and leaves, but instead batteries, bottles, cigarettes, candy wrappers, plastics, etc... Then we come together and separate the trash we’ve collected for proper disposal (while I try to slip in hidden lessons about reducing, reusing, and recycling in the process)...

Re-grouping after the tomitomi (village clean up) contest.

An example of separated rubbish.

Carrying the “bury” items to our village trash pit.

The program has been going pretty well so far mostly because the kids are especially excited about the little tokens I give out as rewards for attendance (the same kind mentioned above) that they can save up and eventually turn into me for various levels of prizes. (Prizes so far include cool erasers, pencils, stickers, play dough, and other fun items.)

*As mentioned in the previous blog post, I will always be happy to receive packages containing little educationally-focused prizes for this incentive program as the children are always excited about the things they know are “American.”

A group picture at the end of a successful lesson.

In my work with the kids I am also trying to plant seeds in the minds of their parents for starting small garden-sized household compost piles. Until now, their only experience with properly managed household compost is from the compost we constructed in my yard. Eventually if we do this on a larger, household-sized, scale, when the compost is ready the women (who only stay close to home) can simply plant vegetables directly into the already fenced-off area. This way, they will be growing nutritious food right next to the house, and hopefully this will help them improve their family diets (which currently consist mostly of root-crops that are similar in nutritional value to potatoes, green leaves of the root crops prepared in extremely fattening coconut milk, and occasionally, deep fried fish. As you can imagine, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and the like wreak havoc on the Fijian population).

KICKBALL TEAM

Finally, perhaps the project I'm most excited about is the kickball team I've started at my primary school!

We play during "sports hour" every Thursday afternoon with the class 5&6 and class 7&8 students (who range from about 10-14 years old). Even though we're using a deflated basketball and potato-type sacks as bases, the kids absolutely go crazy over the game. I think if we ever can raise enough money for bus fare to go and play another Peace Corps Volunteer's school team (those of us within traveling distance have talked about starting a league), my school's gonna kick everyone else's ass!

Ok... whew! That's probably WAYYY more information than you all needed to know. The point is, that so far I’ve been really pleased with my community and their enthusiasm towards my work efforts.

I hope to continue reporting on the positive progress of these programs. An enormous thank you to everyone who has sent me packages with materials I can use in my work. And thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog!

Moce Mada.

-Milika

Blog from Hedy, aka Mom:

So you thought Melissa was just relaxing and getting used to living in Fiji. No, not Melissa! She has been busy thinking up ideas of what to do.

Her first project is a Waste Management Project. She is recycling materials by making them into floor mats. Very cool!Her second project is a Pigery project. She is getting funding for this one. I have to let Melissa explain it...Her 3rd project is a Water Tank Project. The water is far away and not too clean, Melissa is going to change that. She is getting funding for this one too. You Go Girl!Her 4th project is teaching kids to brush their teeth daily. Kids under 5 meet every morning at Melissa's hut for "brushing"Her 5th project involves getting the government involved in setting up health clinics to help the local villagers Her 6th project is setting up free dental and vision testing at the school in the villageHer 7th project (not really a project) is organizing "kickball" daily with the villagers. They love it!Her final project is making a world map for the kids and at the center is Fiji. Teaching them about the world outside their village. If this isn't enough (ha ha) Melissa is also buying small prizes for the kids as they reach goals she sets for them. She would love any gifts you could send such as erasers, pencils, note pads, etc....no food, no plastic. (buy at the penny store)

Finally, Melissa spoke at the "Bose Vakoro"(town meeting) for 1 1/2 hours COMPLETELY IN FIJIAN ! She was discussing how to set up the above mentioned projects, who will run them, when it will happen, and where. Any projects she starts have to be done completely by the villagers and sustainable by the villagers when Melissa leaves. Melissa, YOU ARE INCREDIBLE!!!

Ok, first and foremost: Vosoti Au! I apologize for waiting two full months to update you all on my life here in Fiji!

As you know from my last entry (and from the brief update that my sister, Risa, so kindly posted on my behalf last month), I am now living in the Fijian village... my home for the next two years.

LOCATION

So, my beachside village is located about 2 hours West of Savusavu Town by bus (see the map below for a visual) along the Hibiscus Highway (which is essentially a bumpy and unpaved dirt road). The community is barely identifiable from the main road (which is densely lined by vei kau, tropical jungle that Fijians refer to as “the bush”), and the only way you can tell its there at all is by the ladies who sell pie (Fijian pie, which is kind of like a huge, pizza sized cookie with a thin layer of custard on top) in the mornings to the passing buses.

[INSERT A PICTURE OR TWO FROM SITE VISIT... COOKING PIE AND VIEW OUT THE BUS WINDOW]

THE VILLAGERS

My village has a very small population (only 102 residents and 22 houses—16 houses if you don’t count those along the main road to town). Most of the community lives in extended family households. I essentially have two families in the village.

The first family (i.e. the one that has essentially adopted me), for example, lives in a large, three bedroom, one large common space, one dining room (with sink), one toilet, house with a separate tin structure for cooking and a separate, outdoor, shower stall. The heads of the family are two siblings: Jona, an unmarried man (36 yrs old) and Tema, his widower sister (49). The rest of the household consists of Tema’s children (there are 9!) and grandchildren. There is Semi (M 27), Apimeleki “Papa” (M 25—whose wife, and my best friend in the village, Mereani Seselia (F 26) stays in their one-room tin house next door to Tema’s while Papa lives and works on an offshore island), Jemimi (F 23) with her husband Osea (M 26) and their two kids Asesela (M 2) and Tema (F 1), Taraivosa “Manu” (F 21), Siteri (F 19), Miliana (F 18—who lives in town and works as a “housegirl”), Jona (M 15), Alumita (F 11), and Losana (F 10). Don’t ask me about the sleeping arrangements because I still don’t know how they all fit into those three rooms!

Jeimimi and small Tema

Siteri, Asesela and Losana

Ika Lolo kei Tavioka "Fish in Coconut Milk with Cassava"

LIFE IN A SMALL VILLAGE

Anyway, living in such a small community certainly has its advantages. It’s been easier to learn names (although I don’t pretend to know them all yet); I usually know where people are and what’s going on each day (my house, being across from the church house and therefore right in the center of the village, is conveniently located so that almost everyone walks by it at least once a day); and in terms of work, if there’s a meeting I want to hold or an idea I start talking about, word travels and the village organizes itself pretty fast (this is dissimilar to other Fijian communities my Peace Corps friends work in). I cannot stress how thankful I am for this last point.

My second family is that of the Peace Corps appointed ICCP (Initial Community Contact Person), Sereanna. She is both the Nasi Ni Koro (village Health Worker), and the daughter-in-law of the village Chief. Sereanna and her husband Sepesa live in the Chief’s house (along with the Chief’s wife, and two of his other grown children, their spouses, and grandchildren galore). Sereanna’s relationship with the Chief makes him unusually accessible to me considering the formality of his traditional position. In fact, from time to time I simply walk over to Sereanna’s house (approximately 40 steps away from my own), poke my head in to say hello, and before I know it I’ve had an hour long conversation with the Chief about the village’s history, areas of concern, and my ideas for future work.

However, as you can probably guess, in a small community like mine there are disadvantages, too. When we had a death in the village about a month ago, for example, it was not only one household that was in mourning, but every household (as most everybody in my village is related in some way or another).

Also, even though there is no such thing as secret keeping in a Fijian village (no matter which one), I am certain that nobody’s business is everyone’s business quite like in my own village. During my first few days here I inspired so much curiosity that children would hang around my balcony in the tens and twenties just to stare at me though the front door while I went about my settling in routine. At night when I could finally close my door and draw my curtains without appearing “rude,” I often heard whispered conversations like, “what’s she doing now?” ... “sitting at the table” ... “doing what?” ... “reading [or whatever I was doing]” ...

Older, primary school aged kids

The usual crowd of children coming through my veranda gate

Mareani, Weiss and Melissa

More congregating around my veranda

Although by now they’ve toned down on the obvious peeping, there are still many times I am surprised to learn how clearly my fellow community members have taken note of even my most insignificant actions. After I unfortunately suffered a sudden and rather severe case of food poisoning in the night last week, I was surprised and amused to overhear a neighbor of mine telling another that she had seen my light on at 4am. What she was doing awake at that hour is quite unbeknownst to me.

Anyway, I digress...

MY HOUSE

As I mentioned earlier, my house is right in the center of the village. It lies along the village path to the main road, and across the path is my big family’s house (see above), the large church house, and the church lawn. If I stand outside my front door and look to the left, I can see the ocean through a row of four houses, and if I look to the right I can see the village path, sparsely dotted with houses on either side, disappearing down a slight hill towards the main road. Above it and in the distance, is a palm tree and jungle covered mountaintop that is almost always shrouded in mist.

My ocean view!

My house itself is very small. Although the villagers are constantly apologizing for the size, I find it quite cozy and comfortable since it’s only me living there alone. After all, there is a small veranda in the front, a sitting room / kitchen / dining room right when you walk inside, and through a second locking door is a very private bedroom with a connected bathroom (with separate shower and toilet stalls). From the bathroom there is one more door to the outside (a Peace Corps requirement as an extra safety measure), and this door is conveniently located for me to access my small yard that has a long laundry line (propped up by a piece of bamboo) and a homemade compost pit for my food scraps. I say this door is conveniently located because, if you may have notice from my short description here, I have no sink. Thus, I do all my washing under the waist-high, second spicket inside my shower stall. At first, this was a source of frustration for me as I never failed to emerge drenched in water after even a short laundry or dishwashing session, but I’ve since developed strategies like doing my cleaning over a basin to catch some of the splashing and tucking my floor-length skirt into my waistband while I do my cleaning.

View of the house upon entering the village (the tin portion is my bathroom)

View of "Vale Ni San Diego" from the front (I swear it looks smaller than it really is!)

The house is made of wood. It has a tin roof and a mix of cement and wooden floors. The floors of both main rooms are at least partially covered by large, traditionally woven Fijian mats (made from locally grown reeds called Voivoi). Right before I moved in the village also decided (because I’m a girl?) to paint the interior walls hot pink, so the house is certainly bright and cheery.... It’s light too. There are four windows in the kitchen room and seven in the bedroom (including two windows that look into the bathroom... the reason I’ve been told for this is that the supply of wood for my wall panels was running low during construction of the house). Together with three doorless doorways and a shower stall to deal with, I had an expensive, yet fun, experience having curtains sewn to cover them all properly (for the first few weeks it was sheets and towels pinned up all over the place). And most luckily of all, the house has solar lighting! This means that (with the exception of particularly rainy days), I can have lights inside the house whenever I need them. This is much more than I can say for most other Peace Corps Fiji volunteers who live with either 2-3 hours of village generator power each night, or else no power at all. However, solar lighting does not mean power, and I still have no at-home method for charging my cell phone or other electronics, let alone plugging in an appliance like a fan!

My Solar Panel (and my next door neighbor's panel too)

In the bedroom I have a raised double bed (which has inspired many fun question and answer sessions between myself and the village ladies... “how did you sleep last night?” ... “great thank you” ... “alone?” ...), a large bookshelf that the village carpenter made me (to hold all my Peace Corps books, art supplies, and toiletries), and two long pieces of bamboo nailed up in one corner as a make-shift hanging closet. Also in the bedroom is my locked, tin box, from the Peace Corps (elevated on cinder blocks so that it makes a great sitting bench), and there is still enough room for me to spread my yoga mat and exercise in the early mornings before it gets too hot.

My bed, hanging closet and storage space

My bookcase and the odd windows looking into my bathroom

The view upon entering my bedroom from the kitchen

COOKING/EATING

I cook on a two-burner, propane stove that turns on and off at the flick of a switch (no matches needed), and the village carpenter even built me two little shelves so I can cook standing up.

My kitchen

I also have a table and two stools in the main room for eating (when I’m alone) and working. Although whenever I have Fijians over we sit on the floor... I’m starting to think the table is getting in the way actually.

Although it has taken some getting used to, I have finally managed to get the hang of storing and preserving food without a refrigerator (and in the presence of ants and mice). I have one locking wall cupboard where I keep all my non-perishable cooking sauces, condiments, canned food, pasta, coffee and teas, oatmeal/cereals, peanut butter, dried fruit (sultanas and dates) and nuts, dried soy products, and dried beans. Then there are two plastic food racks on which I store my tea-serving supplies [three empty peanut butter containers with powdered, full-cream, milk (for the Fijians), cane sugar, and plain breakfast crackers inside], fruit and vegetables purchased either in the open market during my weekly stocking up trips to Savusavu town or from a local family’s garden about a thirty minute walk from the village [most commonly I have Apples, Bananas, Bok Choy Chinese Cabbage, Long Beans, French Peas, Eggplants, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Carrots, Bell Peppers, Pumpkin, Garlic, and Onions], and, of course, all my spices (which I buy in bags from the Indian shops in town and store in empty peanut butter containers).

Locking food cupboard, dish-rack, table/desk and doorway into my bedroom

Most days I have fruit and nuts for breakfast, boiled eggs or a protein powder shake for a snack, a large salad with boiled beans (chick peas or black beans) for lunch, and some cooked creation from my Peace Corps Fiji recipe book for dinner (like Pumpkin curry, vegetable soup, Eggplant lettuce wraps, Tuna and Ginger stirfry, etc). This, of course, is in addition to the Fijian food that my family sometimes sends over with a messenger child [usually consisting of a root crop, either Dalo (Taro Root) or Tavioka (Cassava), and some sort of seafood (boiled white fish or stingray or giant clam) cooked in Lolo (coconut milk) with Rourou (the green, spinach-like leaves of the Dalo plant).

An intense pumpkin curry session with Mareani

My first meal from scratch: Chili (And I mean scratch, I even soaked the dried beans overnight and boiled them for hours!)

A meal brought over by my family: Kokda Vasua (the flesh of those huge white clam shells that people often buy and use as soap dishes cooked in ceviche style), Ika Lolo kei Rourou (white fish in coconut milk with boiled Dalo leaves), and Tavioka (steamed Cassava root).

Long story short: I’m eating pretty well here. However, this certainly does not mean that I am opposed to packages containing American foods from time to time...

MY DAILY ROUTINE

Living in the village has been great fun. The first two months have been a technically “work-free” time when my job has been to integrate, and that I have done my best to accomplish.

Every morning I wake up around 6am, turn off my porch light, and open the door for my cat (oh, did I mention that I got a kitten?! In my opinion, this is the only true solution to having rats in the house). When I’m feeling ambitious, I then drag my friend Mereani out of bed so we can go aqua jogging (running in the waist deep high tide waters). Otherwise I try to spend an hour doing strength training exercises inside the house. Many mornings, however, I creep back under my mosquito net after I’ve opened the door and sleep a little longer... Did I mention that I crack the door for my cat? I have a kitten! Not only is having a cat the best strategy for getting rid of the rats I’ve found since living here (and I have tried MANY different strategies in my first two months at site), but my kitten is adorable and great company in my little house. Her name is “S.K.” She’s named after a 19-year-old boy (Sekia Kumi, S.K. for short) from the village who begged me to name my cat after him. We pretend it stands for “Silent Killer,” but he knows the truth...

Me and my little S.K.

The real S.K.....My S.K.'s yaca "namesake"

When I actually do get up and out of bed, I take a cold shower, draw all the curtains, and have my cup of coffee while I read. Then, I usually spend the morning chatting with passers by (sometimes serving tea.... boiled lemon tree leaves with a few cloves thrown in makes a delicious brew), doing laundry, cleaning the house, working in the yard or on my makeshift pot-plant garden, or getting some reading and writing done.

Then, after a good hour of cooking lunch and another hour or so of eating and washing up I often take an afternoon nap (me and the rest of the village). If not, I walk down to the local primary school (along the beach at low tide), go out on a little paddle boat to fish the reef, visit some of the ladies and talenoa (chat/tell stories) while they weave, or I take my phone down to the shoreline (where I get service) and collect shells on the beach while I text my parents and Risa relentlessly until they finally give in and call me J .

On my way to the Koro Vuli (primary school)

Around 5pm I start to prepare dinner and shower one more time before it gets dark (at 6) and the water is too cold. After it’s dark out, I usually venture out to talenoa some more with my neighbors, watch movies (on my family’s generator-powered TV), or, oftentimes, drink Yaqona (Kava root) for hours upon hours with my new friends.

Above describes my general daily doings about five days a week. The exceptions are my “town days” and Sundays.

RE-STOCKING IN TOWN and SUNDAYS

On the days I chose to travel to Savusavu town for re-stocking, I wake up around 5:30am and leave for the bus by 6:40am. I catch the 7:00am bus (any time between 6:45 and 8:00), and as long as there are no delays (such as engine failure or flat tires), I arrive in town between 9 and 10:00am.

In town I do whatever grocery shopping needs to be done at one of the four markets, stock up on household items such as cleaning supplies, see my Peace Corps friends (who live and work in town) for lunch (which usually consists of me binging on a huge container of cold yogurt from the “fancy” grocery store that carries imported goods... I miss refrigeration...). After lunch I talk to any government officials I need to advice from, visit the private doctor (I am almost always sick with something... such is the beauty of being a Peace Corps Volunteer), go to the open market to buy my vegetables, and then quickly buy a cold soda and a local newspaper before heading back to the bus stand to catch my 2pm bus (arriving back in the village just before dark).

It is always a long day in town, and I am very much looking forward to the rest of my service (after this week) when I am finally allowed to spend the night away from the village (with my friends in town). Then I might actually rest for a bit the evening (maybe even going to the internet café and updating my blog), before I have to catch the crowded bus back home to the village.

Sundays, of course, are also spent quite differently. Most of the day is spent doing pretty much nothing (as it is forbidden to do basically anything—even play cards or go for a jog) except eating, napping, and going to church.

THIS WEEK

This week will be very different, however, as I will be traveling to Suva, Fiji’s capital city, for an Early Service Training for my class of new Peace Corps volunteers (on technical training on topics of our choosing) and a one-day conference that every Peace Corps attends.

While I am on the main island, I have chosen to extend my stay (with the permission of my village’s Turaganikoro, sort of like the village Mayor) so that I can take the opportunity to meet with several government agencies and non-profit organizations (who all may be potential funding channels for my future projects) before I return to my community in two weeks time to officially “begin work.”

Next time, before returning to the village (I promise!) I’ll write an update about what this work might entail. I am starting to get very excited for much of it. But for now, it’s getting dark... Time to go and bring my laundry in, have my shower, cook my dinner, and drink some grog (as a sort of farewell/safe travels party).

So, Moce Va’a Lailai (goodbye for a little).

Yours Truly,Milika

I spoke with Melissa last night and wanted to share a bit with everyone since it may be a while before she gets to a computer...

First of all, she is doing great, seems very happy and is adjusting to her new village life. She has her own little house with 2 rooms, one is her bedroom and the other the kitchen and living room. She uses this 2nd room to host guests, as well as serve hot tea to the chief and important men - which has become a new daily routine. Although she complained that the villagers all like to eat her 'unusual' food that they cannot afford, she is turning into quite the little hostess!

Melissa has a small globe and a few select pictures from home that she uses to show her new neighbors where she comes from, but as most people have never left the 10 mile radius of the village - they really cannot comprehend her stories. They have little idea what it is like back here in america, let alone will be able to envision Melissa studying at a private university and growing up in la jolla. They laugh historically when they see pictures of her with her cat Mango, as in Fiji cats are not allowed inside the home nor are ever given names and treated as a pet! But, to no surprise, they all say melissa is smart, as she is already basically fluent in the language, and is a pro at the special weaving technique her village is known for. The man in charge of the peace corps came to visit melissa yesterday and, of course, was very proud with all she has accomplished so far. Not to mention the fact that she scored the highest of all the trainees on the fijian language proficiency exam. There is a word in fjian that means 'to learn quickly' that has quickly become melissa's new nickname throughout her village!

Another one of her new talents is cooking. Believe it or not, the same girl whose kitchen in college was a deserted area, is learning to cook some incredible dishes from scratch. She got a book of recipes from previous peace corp members that uses only locally available ingredients. With this, she has cooked many meals including mexican food, chili, and a bunch of other fijian dishes I don't want to attempt to try and spell out!

This past week has been an whirlwind for her village. As melissa explained before, her village is basically 1 very large extended family, so basically all 150 people are related. Well...last friday the eldest woman in the village passed away. To morn her death the entire village takes off work and comes together for 1 week . The first part of the week is spend praying, giving offerings, sacrifices, etc. The second half of the week has many festivals and events celebrating the deceased life. Members from surrounding villages also come to join, and today one village surprised everyone by offering a large cow. Another neighboring family donated a pig. Both will be used for the big final feast. The woman prepare the food and weave burial mats all day, and the men build the burial site, coffin, and...well...actually I'm not sure she told me what else the men do! Anyways, they will end with a huge, elaborate feast with more food that most have seen in a months time. After the feast they will sit and pass a bowl of kava all night long, just sitting and talking and drinking kava together until wee hours of the night.

Currently Melissa travels by bus twice a month to the nearest large city, savusavu, to buy food and supplies. Because of the bus schedule she only has a few hours in savusavu, which is why she has been unable to check her email or write on her blog for a while. But, next month she will start spending 1 night of each trip into savusavu with a fellow peace corp rep, and therefore have 2 days in town to stock up on supplies and get ample time on the internet.

And until then, I hope you enjoyed a brief glimpse into Melissa's life in fiji :)

Love, Risa

Over here in Fiji everything's chugging along with the end of Pre-Service Training. Thankfully I passed my Language Proficiency Exam with flying colors, so now as planned I will "swear in" as a Peace Corps Volunteer on Thursday of this week, and my 24-months of service as a Community Health Promotion Volunteer will officially begin.

THE END OF TRAINING

The Peace Corps Staff picked up all of my luggage from the host family house this morning in order to store it all at the office in Suva, the capital city, in preparation for my traveling. And today is the last official day of training. Tomorrow I'm taking the early bus to Suva (the capital city) so I can buy some of my necessities (like a mattress and a kerosene stove) that will not be provided by my village once I move to site. I also plan do a run to the only supermarket/ superstore in Fiji that carries imported international products (like mustard, antibacterial dish soap, dried fruit and nuts, protein powder, and Nutella) before I truly drop off the grid here.

Tomorrow evening my host village is having a community celebration for us trainees who have lived there over the past nine weeks. They've been preparing traditional entertainment for us (like a dance called the "Meke") all week long, and today the men are hard at work building a "Lovo" (underground, pit-style, oven) for the massive dinner feast they're going to have for the entire village tomorrow night in the Community Hall. Because the village has almost a thousand residents (it's a HUGE village by Fijian standards... my new one will have less than 120 people, and only 12 houses, to put that into perspective), the affair promises to be a good time.

I promise to upload some pictures of this, and other similar events of the past few weeks, as soon as possible. It may be a while, though.

SWEARING IN / MOVING TO SITE

Then, Thursday we're officially "swearing in" as Peace Corps Volunteers at the U.S. Ambassador's house in front of 200 diplomatic guests and the Fijian media (if you care to, maybe you'll be able to find a clip or two on YouTube). And on Friday, my overnight boat to Vanua Levu departs.

When all is said and done, I will arrive in my village (to a house I've heard is 99.9% finished by now!!) to start my new life there on Saturday afternoon. So, wish me luck!

MAIL/COMMUNICATIONS

From now on the address noted below is the best way to get mail to me. So, this means that I can now start receiving fun things for my new house if the mood strikes you to send something.

Melissa Goldman

P.O Box 824

Savusavu, Fiji Islands

South Pacific

[Just a note: I've learned that flat-rate international boxes are--by far!--the cheapest method for sending heavy/bulky items (like food :-) ). I think the smallest one (which a friend already discovered can fit as much as a bottle of chalua hot sauce, a package of dried fruit, three packs of almonds and like 6 lolli pops)costs less than $15 to ship to Fiji.]

I dont want to seem presumptuous here, but a few people have asked me what I would like to receive. So, if you're looking for ideas of things to send, basically anything that reminds me of home will be heartily welcomed. For example, stickers and cards would be nice to put up on my walls. I would also always love to receive necessities like hand sanitizer and zip lock baggies, entertainment like magazines and the front page/comics page of the newspaper, and food/snacks like granola, candy (i.e. candy corn, jelli beans, lolli pops, and any sort of milk chocolate treats), energy bars, and teas.

Also, please note that as soon as I move to site my communication capabilities will be seriously limited compared to how they've been during training. I will only be making the 5-hour round-trip bus trek into the nearest town for groceries approximately once a week. I can only hope tto have enough time to visit the post office and the internet cafe on these busy days. There are no guarantees.

Additionally, I will be getting a new Fijian cell phone in the next week due to coverage issues by my current carrier, so I will be sure to let you all know that information as soon as it becomes available.

THE MONTHS TO COME

All in all, I am very excited to get started with my "real" Peace Corps experience.

The first two-months at site are going to be "learning-only," as determined by the Peace Corps. They do not want us to start any new projects during this time, but instead we are supposed to focus on integrating into the community and learning the language (which is a new dialect compared to the one I've been studying so far) more fully.

Then, after a short training conference in early October, the work will start.

Like I mentioned earlier, I am a Community Health Promotion Volunteer. Luckily, because I am going to be placed in a small village, this really will mean whatever myself and the community decide. I will basically be there to act as a skills-transfer resource rather than a money-providing one. So, I will be able to provide trainings in areas like dental hygiene, nutrition, safe sex practices and the like. I'll also be available as a resource to help existing groups develop their ideas for community initiatives, and I will also be able to assist my community in accessing funding for projects in which it proves necessary to do so (via grant-writing workshops, etc).

The biggest goal of the next two years is to accomplish as much as possible in a sustainable way. That means, when I leave the community should be able to continue all the work that we've done. I know this is a huge task. The work will be slow-going and frustrating at times, but I welcome the challenge. I'm ready to get started.

Please everyone, send positive thoughts my way.

I love and miss you all.

xoxo

Melissa

Hi everybody!

I just got back from a 6-day trip visiting my future Fijian village, and it was absolutely incredible! I took a million pictures, and I will be sure to upload them as soon as I can.

TRAVELING TO VANUA LEVU

So my village is located on Vanua Levu, the second-largest island in Fiji. To get there, I took a 14-hour, overnight boat ride from Suva, the capital city, to Savusavu, the smaller of the only two towns on Vanua Levu. The boat ride to Vanua Levu, which apparently is usually quite pleasant with relatively-clean sleeper bunks located in the “first class cabin” where Peace Corps put us up for this trip, was unfortunately a VERY unpleasant experience. There were 28-not winds, which (according to a ex-merchant-marine in my training class) is considered “unsafe seas” and is 2-nots from international regulations deeming the seas impassable. So, as you can probably imagine, most of my traveling companions and I spent a long and miserable evening on the boat decks, losing our dinners over the side.

THE TOWN

Savusavu, however, is a beautiful little town. It’s a very touristy/yachty place with a picturesque harbor. It mainly consists of one small road with an open-air produce market, several tourist-type shops, a two-part grocery store, a couple little hardware stores and home-goods stores, a bakery, a small breadshop, and several little restaurant/bars. There are currently two Peace Corps volunteers who live in a little house up on the hill above town (with views of the harbor from their veranda), and when they leave in August, a girl from my training class will take over their place. For the next two years, this will be my “re-stocking” town, and this little house will be my Savusavu hub.

A view of the coconut trees lining the road from Savusavu to my village.

Ocean views out the bus window.

Lush, vine-covered landscape surrounding my village.

MY VILLAGE

From Savusavu, my village is a 2 hour, 30 minute bus ride away. The scenery along the mostly-dirt road is pretty amazing. It winds along the Southestern peninsula that juts out from Vanua Levu, and most of the way there are views of turquoise and cobalt blue waters with a white-sand-beach coastline fringed in coconut trees. My village is located on the beach-side of this road, and therefore overlooks one of these beautiful beaches. Many of the homes even have views of the ocean, and the first day I was there (which was a Saturday), some of the local children and I went for a dip in the ocean approximately 50 paces from my future house.

The view from our little beach.

This is where the village children and I went for our dip at low tide.

The village is pretty small. It consists of 12 houses and about 100 people. Each house is pretty big and is home to about one extended family each. The village is pretty clean (in terms of rubbish), and each house has a giant phone-pole looking thing with two solar panels on top to power a single lightbulb inside. There’s not quite enough electricity to have electrical plugs inside the home, so nobody has a refrigerator or a fan (although one house does have a little generator and a television where the kids watch movies at night). Surrounding the houses are lots of pretty flower plants (including some Frangipani trees), plenty of Coconut, Mango, Vundi (like Plantains), and Breadfruit (taste like potatoes when they’re unripe like now, and I haven’t tried them ripe yet) trees. I will even have my own breadfruit and Vundi trees to myself, and I plan to also plant a little vegetable garden next to my house.

This is the church as viewed across the "street" from my little house.

My house is a tiny little wooden house that apparently has been a radio broadcasting center, a village store, and a health supplies dispensary. Right now, it’s essentially a house frame that lies directly across from the village church, and it currently serves as a hang out for the village men after services get out (the ladies congregate on the benches outside the church entrance). They swear to me up and down that the house will be finished before I move there in three weeks, but if it’s not then I will stay with a host family (probably in the chief’s house where I was over the weekend) until it’s ready. Please cross your fingers for me that it gets done—I could really use some private space!

This is my house so far. The phone pole looking thing has two small solar panels on top and is wired to the house. The children and I are standing on the "veranda." As you can see, most of the outside walls are finished, but we're still waiting on the bathroom/shower attachment and the bedroom walls to be finished, among other construction.

THE VILLAGERS

The people in my village are the main reason that I’m so looking forward to moving there. Like I wrote before, the entire village belongs to one Mataqali (family clan), which means that they’re all extremely close. The ladies in the village are known for their weaving, and there are three different types of weaving materials that they grow in the village to make all different types of mats. It looks like incredibly intricate and time consuming work (especially since the women also cook and clean and do all the hand-washing and raise the children), but I’m very excited for them to teach me how to do it! All the men are farmers, and many fish and catch crabs and prawns as well.

My community counterpart (Sereana, the wife of the chief's eldest son) weaving a mat from "Voivoi" reeds inside the chief's living room.

THE YOUTH

There is also an established (church-based) youth group in the village. This consists of 14 individuals (10 boys and 4 girls… 5 now if you count me!) between the ages of 18 and 30. Every Monday night they have a church night to themselves and then they have tea and snacks before an all-night grog session afterwards. On the last Monday of every month, the youth from a neighboring village come together with mine for a joint church/tea/grog session, so I got to participate in that on my last evening there. The great news about this is that there are at least some girls in the village around my age (which is usually not the case in Fijian villages… they either get married and leave the village or they go and school or work in one of the towns or cities—meaning that most villages have a female populations of young girls and then older women who are mothers and grandmothers). Two of the youth girls are married, and two are not, but they are all between the ages of 19 and 26. One of the married girls (who doesn’t have kids yet), married into the village and happens not to be Methodist (she’s Catholic), so that could be really great for me to have a friend who’s not quite as passionate about all the religious fervor.

Me and some of the ladies at a farewell kava session. I'm wearing a lei of Frangiapani flowers that they made for me, and we're all wearing the flowers behind our ears.

A crazy-looking fruit that we made fresh jam from on my last night. I forget what it's called, but it has white flesh, a few black seeds, and is absolutely delicious! The jam tastes and looks sort of like honey, and I'm certain that I've already gained like 5 pounds from the jar they gave me to take back to my host village.

Lusi, the chief's eldest daughter, with one of her Fijian-style pies to sell at the bus stand.

WHAT LIES AHEAD…

So, like I said before, I had a great time this weekend! I went swimming and collected seashells with the children, I walked along the sandy beaches to the local primary school and explored the settlements along the way. I watched the women make mats and bake pies, we made jam, and we had several lengthy, all-night, kava sessions (family, village ladies, youth, and a farewell youth/ladies session for me on the last night). All in all, I am ecstatic about moving to my site. I can’t wait to upload pictures so you can all see it!

A view of the pre-school building at the local school.

Please be advised that I now have a new mailing address:

Melissa Goldman

P.O. Box 824

Savusavu, Fiji Islands

South Pacific

I will be moving permanently in three-weeks time, and from there on out I will be checking my mail/email approximately once every two weeks. I greatly enjoy hearing from you all, and I hope that you’re all liking my blog so far. Please let me know if you have any suggestions of topics you would like me to cover in my future posts. Otherwise, I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing.

Thanks for all of your support. I miss you all!

Melissa

We just found out where our two-year sites are going to be, and I’m both excited and nervous. I can’t post the name of my specific village on this blog, but I can tell you that it’s on the Southeast coast of Vanua Levu, the second-largest island in Fiji, just North of Viti Levu.

The village is approximately two-hours by bus from Savusavu, a medium-sized town with a supermarket, some internet access, a post office and a bank (none of these will be available closer for me). My site is a small fishing community with approximately 131 people (25 families--all of the same clan, which should be interesting in terms of the “coconut wireless” [aka the gossip]), and my initial contact person is the village nurse (I’m very happy to hear that we have one!).

My house is the old “radio tower,” which means it’s a wooden house up on a hill right in the middle of everything. Apparently, the site almost always has running water… and it’s powered by solar, rooftop panels (I’m not sure what this means for the rainy season…). On their last visit, the Peace Corps even requested that my village build a veranda onto my house, and I will have an indoor shower and toilet! I’m also very happy to hear that my closest neighbors (literally a stone’s throw away) are the Turaga (the highly-respected village Chief), and the Turaganikoro (the Mayor-type guy and who makes and enforces all village policies). This means that I should be pretty safe--and that’s a huge relief!

The job description I’ve received with my information packet is pretty vague. But essentially it sounds like I’ll be working on three main projects:

- Sexual health and gender issue stuff with the village youth group.

- Upgrading village sanitation and establishing a “Healthy Village Setting” (which is the project I’m working on in my host family village and which I will write about in my next blog entry).

- Expanding the women’s group existing small business project (selling pies and other baked goods roadside to passing buses).

Initially, I’m slightly concerned that I’ll be two hours from the nearest amenities and it sounds likely I won’t have cell phone service in my village. Also, there are only seven people from my training class on Vanua Levu (19 are on Viti Levu) and I’m pretty far away from most of them, so the isolation piece of it is a little daunting. However, I am the closest Peace Corps Volunteer in my training class to Taveuni Island, which is the prime destination point in Fiji (!), and Savusavu is a “tourist town” with an airport (only $100 FD to fly there from Suva or Nadi according to my source) which makes it less than an hour from Viti Levu (if you travel by boat it’s usually 14 hours+).

Next weekend I will meet my initial contact person for a two-day conference and then she and I will travel to the village for a long weekend visit. I will be sure to post pictures and stories from that trip as soon as they are available.

For now, my site is basically just a piece of paper. But it already seems pretty real. This is my life for the next two years, you guys. Wish me luck!

Moce Vakalailai

Melissa

Swimming, Snorkeling, and Fresh Jamu

Sorry it’s been so long since my last post, but I’ve had a whirlwind couple of weeks!

Last weekend all of the Peace Corps Trainees in my training class got to visit currently serving volunteers at their sites for a long weekend. I was sent to a site in the Ra region (of Northern Viti Levu). A volunteer named Natalie has been living in a small, offshore village there for a little over a year now. Her site is accessible only by boat (the roads were washed out by years of rainy seasons), and the boat usually only runs once a week on the village’s “market day” when many of the villagers come into the nearest town, Rakiraki, to buy some food and supplies.

Natalie lives in a Bure, which is a traditional-style Fijian home. It is constructed by the village using all natural materials that can be found in the area. The walls are basically woven and the roof is thatched with palm fronds. The floor is my favorite part. It’s a coral sand floor with palm fronds covered by Pandena Mats (which are these intricate mats woven by Fijian women that take weeks of labor to complete). In fact, the floor is so springy and soft that Natalie says she often sleeps directly on it when the weather is particularly hot. Her Bure doesn’t have electricity, which usually isn’t a problem due to the openness of the structure. Unfortunately she doesn’t have a refrigerator and so can almost never get anything like cheese, yogurt or ice cream (she cooks on a portable, kerosene stovetop), but at least there’s a generator that runs for three hours every night so she has a small window of artificial light and a chance to recharge things like her phone, her ipod, and her batteries.

Over the weekend, the three of us visitors and Natalie had some adventures that really convinced me that I want a site just like hers – and I told that to the Peace Corps placement staff yesterday when I had my final placement interview. On Sunday instead of church (which ended up causing a bit of a stir in her village because we skipped it), the four of us trekked like 2 hours through the forest/jungle and along the mangrove-trodden coast to get to a little beach and snorkeling site right in front of the area’s primary school. The children from the four surrounding villages board at the school there because it’s so difficult to get to, and every day a different mother is responsible for going and cooking for all the children. Anyway, it was amazing just to be able to jump in the water, swim 15 minutes over the deep blue, and find a relatively healthy reef… It was a little weird to snorkel in T-shirts, knee-length shorts, and the water-shoes we needed to walk out to the drop off, though…

On Monday we went with some of Natalie’s Fijian friends into the woods right by the village, climbed some “raspberry” trees (more like cherries if you ask me), collected berries, and made from jam (“Jamu,” pronounced ‘ch-ah-moo’) from scratch! It was so easy to make, too. Natalie says she does it all year long and makes jam from basically whatever fruit is in season. We got so excited about the Jamu that we collected way too many berries. In the end, we had to go Kerekere some jars from other village-members, including the chief’s wife. When we were finished making it, we gorged on Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches that were absolutely divine! Somehow, whenever I’m away from home, all I need is some good old PBJ to keep me happy!

Anyway, after all that excitement it was nice to come "home" to my host family this last week. We also just started our health promoting project in the host village which is very exciting. I wish I had more time to talk about it but I have to run!

This weekend (on Saturday afternoon), we will find out our 2-year site locations and job descriptions, so you can all expect a post from me shortly thereafter. Also, I'll do my best to get some more pictures on the blog. Please bear with me--this internet is so slow!

Thanks for all the moral support everyone. I miss you all!

Moce Vakalailai

Melissa

(Kana Vakalevu translates to, “eat more!” So far, this is the most universal piece of communication between peace corps trainees and their host mothers. The appropriate response is , “Sega Vinaka. Au sa Mamau, which translates to, “no thanks, I’m full.”)FIJIAN VILLAGE CUSTOMS:Well, week two of my host family village stay is coming to a close, and so far everything is still going great. I’m finally getting accustomed to some of the most important cultural differences here, such as:- Respecting the head and shoulder areas because they are sacred. This means no sunglasses, no hats, no bandanas, and no carrying objects/bags on shoulders or heads in the villages. Also, this means that any time one wants to walk past a Fijian person who is sitting, one must utter the word, “Tulou.”- Always covering up the body. I have seen virtually no Fijian shoulders or knees since I’ve been here in-country so far, and I guess that is for several reasons. Not only are Fijians fairly modest people who also don’t wear low-cut , shear, or tight-fitting clothing, but they also sit on the floor almost constantly. This means, that unless the skirt/dress is flowing and WELL below the knees (usually ankle length is best), then it’s easy to flash someone sitting across from you. And that’s never good. Also, the mosquitoes here are vicious, so the more skin that’s covered, the better!- On that note, another major cultural difference that is taking some getting used to is simply sitting on the floor with the knees tucked to the side all the time. At first, my legs fell asleep several times a day and my hips would always hurt, but I'm starting to get used to it already. Also, for the boys who are just getting used to wearing Sulus (like knee length skirts made out of nice suit-like materials) in the villages, learning to sit and shift on the floor without flashing the rest of the room is definitely a challenge we're all hoping the overcome rather quickly!- Kerekere, which literally translates to "please" is an interesting custom here. Because Fijian people are so communal, they very literally interpret the "what's yours is mine" concept. In fact, it's not rare to tell someone you like their shirt, and a few minutes later have a shirtless Fijian standing in front of you insisting that you keep it. It also means that things like pens, lighters, and sometimes bigger items like digital cameras are pretty much up for grabs. As Peace Corps Volunteers, we try to stay out of the whole kerekere system for obvious reasons. But is is wonderful that, whenever you need something like an ingredient for a meal, all you have to do is go to a neighbor and kerekere it. They can't refuse!- Never point at someone. Unless it’s a child, pointing at a person is considered very rude. Also, one must never point at the chief’s house or any member of his family.- Always offer a Sevusevu when you want to accomplish anything in a village or if you want to enter it for the first time (refer to “Au Sega Ni Kila” for more information about this Kava ceremony and for a few images).- Everything revolves around food!! When you come into your house and you’ve been away during a mealtime, the first question your family will ask you is not, “how was your day.” In fact, there is no real Fijian translation of that phrase! Instead, they will ask you, “what did you eat?” Additionally, any time you walk into someone’s house, they try to verbally bully you into staying for an impromptu meal. And if you happen to be there during a mealtime, then forget about it! You’re staying.THE FOODFrom the title of this post you all can surely guess that food is so far playing a vital role in my host-family experience here in Fiji. Many people have been been like, and I’m happy to oblige…First of all, most meals that I eat involve some sort of starchy root vegetable like a Cassava (“Tavioka”), a Sweet Potato (“Uvi”), or a Taro root (“Dalo”). Usually, my family makes a mixture of ketchup, chili peppers, and salt on their plates and dips the roots in it. I personally don’t think this helps much, but it seems to be their favorite food.An interesting dish that is derived from one of these roots is called Bila, and it is a type of “bread” that is found only in this specific region of Fiji. Due to the high incidence of floods here, the Fijians found a way to use their Cassava crops that have been soaked through with water for days and days. They remove the center stalk, pound them down into a dough-like substance, mix in fresh coconut shavings and lots of cane sugar, and wrap it in a special type of leaf to cook in an underground oven (or “Lolo”) until they reach a hard, jelly-like consistency. In fact, the other day I came home from language class and my host mom was making “Vundi Tavioka.” This is Bila wrapped around Vundi (sort of like plantains), and she prepares it in order to bring the product into Suva, the capital city, and sell it in the markets—and she let me help her! It was an amazing experience, and I got to taste the final product the next morning for breakfast and I must say that I’m getting pretty good at this stuff!My favorite dish so far, though, has to be “Ika Na Lolo Ke Roro.” Or at least I think that’s what it’s called… It’s basically a white fish (Tilapia is found in the river that runs alongside my host village) in a soup of coconut milk and Taro leaves (which are basically like spinach when cooked). Ever since I said that I like the dish, we have it almost every day.Well, unfortunately (as usual) I have run out of time again and I must go get home so my NeNe (host mom) can show me how to make Roti and Kuri (an Indian-style meal).Please keep sending warm wishes my way. I’ve loved getting the letters (Caitlin!) and e-mails that you all are sending, so keep them coming!Moce Vakalailai(“goodbye for a little”)Melissa Lailai, a.k.a. "Adi"(Pronounded "Ann-dee", short for "rah-nan-dee" which means Queen. This is my new Fijian name (in the host village), and is appropriate because my real Hebrew name also means Queen.)

("Au Sega Ni Kila" literally means "I don't understand," and so far, it's one of my most useful Fijian phrases)

Ni Sa Bula everyone!

I am writing today from Nausori again, a little town on the Southeastern side of Viti Levu, Fiji. I have finally moved in with my host family, and so far everything is going great!

MY TOWN:I am located in a village (population ~300) that is considered one of the biggest in the Bau province (it even has its own school!). It is very nice compared to where most of my fellow trainees are located. For example, there are concrete footpaths (meaning only wide enough to walk single-file) leading almost everywhere that keep us dry from the mud (it rains a lot in the tropics)! I am also very lucky to have 7 other volunteers with me in the village for company and language lessons every day.

MY HOST FAMILY:My family consists of a mother (Manaini) and a father (Eroni) who like me to call them "Nana" and "Tata." They are amazingly cute and nice, and they already tell me they will love me forever as one of their own children. They are a little bit older, and so my house is more mellow than some others who are constantly surrounded by excited young children. Luckily, all of our neighbors are extended family members and there are lots of cute kids who come and play with me but then leave to make lots of noise in their own houses at night! Although my host Mom does not speak English, most of the kids do. A three-year-old brother-cousin of mine even speaks a little, which really makes me feel great about my own language skills at this ripe old age!

MY HOUSE:Mine is a four bedroom wooden house in which I have my own bedroom with a double bed, a desk, a small dresser and an almost full length mirror. The outside is painted bright green and the inside is one of my favorite colors--turquoise blue. There's a small porch that my Nana and Tata like to hang out on out front as well, and yesterday Nana planted a really cute little flower garden out front. It has full-time electricity and part-time (cold) running water (they shut it off between 6pm and 5am to conserve for the region), so I really can't complain at this point about the amenities. There is a slight mosquito problem and I have seen a mouse or two lurking in the rafters, but that just reminds me to apply bug spray 24/7 and to get a cat when I have my own place!

MY ROUTINE

At the moment, I've got a pretty good routine going. Some of the other volunteers and I wake up in the morning to work out on the school's rugby field (this morning some of my sister-cousins who came to watch us even participated at the end), and then I have a shower and a hot breakfast with coffee before heading to language class. The afternoons are filled with lots of Peace Corps activities, but I am always home by 6pm to wash up and have a short prayer with my family before dinner. On Wednesdays, my whole training class comes into Nausori, the nearby town (with this great Internet cafe!) for some group lessons, and on Wednesday nights my whole extended family has a private prayer session for an hour followed by an evening around the Kava bowl. Sunday is a day of rest and a day for going to church, so I guess that's when I'll catch up on some sleep from my busy routine. Also, I just got a cell phone, and that's probably the best time for me to receive your calls.*

Well, it's getting late and I should go catch the bus back to my village. I'm sorry to say that once again I've run out of time to post pictures. Although, because of "kerekere" (a local custom that's almost literally like, "what's mine is yours") I haven't busted out my camera in the village yet, so you're not missing out on that much.

I miss you all dearly and I hope everything is going well at home. Please keep me in your thoughts.

xoxo

Melissa

*A note about security: Unfortunately I cannot disclose my village's name nor my cell phone number in this forum for security reasons (the "Coconut Wireless," as we call it, moves surprisingly fast), but please contact me by e-mail if you would like that information and I would be happy to provide it.

Sega Ne Lega (pronounced 'senga ne lenga') means 'no worries.'

Bula Vinaka everyone!

Welcome, and thank you for visiting my blog.

It is currently my third day in-country, and everything so far is going great! After almost 40 hours of flying, my training class arrived at Nadi (prounounced 'nandi') airport on the West Coast of Viti Levu (the big island), Fiji. After sharing some fresh Fiji water and fruit with some of our administrative training staff and a few currently serving volunteers at the airport, we took a six-hour bus journey East to our training compound which is located in Nadave, just outside of a town called Nausori.

A few highlights of the bus trip included our first glimpse of the Fijian landscape. As you can see from the picture, EVERYTHING is green in Fiji! Even the trees are covered so thickly with green leafy vines that it's almost impossible to tell what they are!

Since then, we have been busy with various meetings and language classes to prepare us for our homestays that will begin in two days (Monday). Although I still do not yet know what village I will be placed in for the nine weeks of PST (pre-service training) (I will find out tomorrow), I do know that I will be placed in a Fijian village (as opposed to an Indo-Fijian settlement) with approximately five other Health Promotion volunteers. I am both excited and nervous to meet my host family and to get started with the meat of training!

Right now, the training compound is somewhat like a summer camp. We are living in beautiful Bure (Fijian huts) outfitted with electricity and outhouses with (cold) showers, and we have three meals of Dalo (sliced Tarro root) and lots of Curry served daily in addition to two tea breaks. A handful of the girls and I have been waking up early to excercise in the mornings before breakfast, and although we must wear ankle length skirts during out work outs, we are having a great time. This morning we jogged under a beautiful sunrise--this truly is paradise! Hopefully, I will be able to avo id the PST-15 that all the currently serving female volunteers swear we will gain over the next few months, but somehow with all the amazing fruits and sweets, I don't see this happening.

Also a notable part of this training compound stay was the Sevusevu (Kava ceremony) that we presented to the school's managers when we first arrived. This is done in Fijian culture upon entering any new village when the goal is to accomplish some type of work. It consists of offering the Yaqona plant (which is where Kava comes from), and usually is followed by participation in a practice that I have come to informally refer to as a "Grog Session." (FYI: Kava/Yaqona/Grog is scientifically known as the "Pepper Methysticum" plant, and when the root portion is pounded into a powder-type substance, mixed with water and consumed (from half-coconut-shells), it is found to have mind-altering properties. More on that later...

Also, I've had my first experience hand-washing laundry. That was quite a feat!!

Luckily, the time change here is technically 19 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, but if it's easier just think of us as 5 hours earlier. That makes us 8 hours earlier than the East Coast, but it's a day ahead here, of course.

Anyway, I miss you all dearly and I hope to start receiving letters from you soon! Also, please note that packages/padded envelopes sent during my first six months of service will have duty taxes paid for by the Peace Corps, so take advantage of that now! Also, I've been told that the customs agents will asign any value they want to the items you all send, so please do your best to (under)estimate the values and include copies of any and all invoices with the goods.

Sota Tale (talk to you later)!

XOXO

Melissa Lailai

("Little Melissa")

BULA (hello) everyone!

Well, I am here at my staging event in Los Angeles, CA, and I have finally met all of the individuals in my Fiji training class. I can say that my anxieties have been much relieved since yesterday as for the first time, I am sitting in a room full of people who don't need any explanations about what I am doing and who have all chosen to be here. This is very exciting for me.

I understand that many of you are curious about the people I will be serving with and about the things we've learned here at orientation, BUT, I have been informed that it poses a safety risk to everyone here to reveal information about them. For that reason, I have taken down my previous post with some basic information about my group, and I have emailed it to some of you instead. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Additionally, it is VERY important that I remain politically neutral during my service for a variety of reasons. Mostly, all of our safety could be jeopardized, even by the most innocent-seeming comment. For that reason, I will never write about this information.

A few things I learned at Staging that should be okay to share on this public forum are:

- I will arrive in country on Thursday morning.

- We will move in with our host families on May 25th.

- We will be trainees until the swearing in ceremony on June 23rd, so technically none of us are "Peace Corps Volunteers" yet.

- I have been told that most volunteers in Fiji DO have cell phones (that we will buy in country)!

- Mine was not the longest wait time between nomination for the Pacific region and departure for Fiji--one girl has been waiting over two years!

Well, that's all for now. I have to go zip up all my bags and meet the bus to LAX in the lobby. I should be in Fiji within 36 hours!

Wish me luck.

xx Melissa

The Peace Corps was established in 1961 to promote world peace and friendship through the service of American Volunteers abroad. In adapting to changing needs around the world, the Peace Corps remains guided by its founding mission--to help the people of developing countries meet their basic needs and to help promote mutual understanding among Americans and people from other cultures. More than 165,000 Americans have furthered these goals through service in the Peace Corps for over 40 years and in 135 countries.