Peace Corps Journals / Fiji / all updates

Cyclones Tomas & Ului

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:28:29 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Cyclone Tomas is our major concern as it is heading straight to Kioa and is expected to be the size of Katrina when it hits. Ului is coming from a different direction but could change course and we have a...
30 reads

Hurricane to smash us

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:27:00 +0800

(Fiji / A DiAmOnD in the Rough)
Cyclone Tomas - Some bad weather is a comin. Cyclone Tomas is estimated to hit us early Monday morning (Sunday morning for you folks in the Promise Land). It is at least 7 times the size of Fiji! I ha ...
0 reads

Untitled

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 05:26:00 +0800

(Fiji / Tropical adventure)
An Open Letter to Tropical Cyclone Tomas:Dearest Tomas Please be kind to us. You're on your way over that much is for sure but your arrival date is a little unclear. You're coming at 11 km/hr but y ...
16 reads

they took all the trees and put them in ...

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:36:00 +0800

(Fiji / the island!)
For 20 months now I have been selfishly coveting my fellow PCVs for their electricity. I have longed to fall asleep to that familiar hum of a refrigerator. However now that my PC experience is neari ...
12 reads

Cyclones Teeth Brushing Village Budget ...

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:41:00 +0800

(Fiji / Melissa is in 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 desp ...
24 reads

Moldy shoes and giant killer centipedes...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:00:00 +0800

(Fiji / Courtney Ray's Place of Bloggage)
+ = HOORAYYYYY FIJI!Just 2 more things to add to the list of reasons why I love Fiji!And that centipede may not look as 'life-size' as he really was...honestly. He was actually hanging daintily on ...
32 reads

Check Me Out

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:17:00 +0800

(Fiji / A DiAmOnD in the Rough)
Sorry I have not blogged in a while.On Thursday after town I mentioned to John and Judy about the only tourist attraction in our area which was Udreudre’s tomb. So supposedly this man ate 872 peop ...
54 reads

Kelly's Fiji Update - March 8 2010

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:00:34 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Talofa!! It has been a busy couple of weeks here is a summary - we survived another tsunami warning with just a 500 foot sea recession to a sea wall surge in 3 minutes. Mataio and I passed the intestinal...
22 reads

Proof that I am working :)

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:27:00 +0800

(Fiji / the island!)
Disclaimer: This blog is divided into 4 sections because it's really long. For being such a short month much has happened in February. I have divided it into 4 sections so you won't tire your eyes by ...
20 reads

2010-03-04: Raw Beauty

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:37:15 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Often I don't realize how beautiful this place is until I see a photo of it. When we first came to the island I remember asking people if they ever got used to the breathtaking beauty. I never got an...
29 reads

2010-03-04: Panoramics

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:31:28 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Taveuni from Matagi Point Taveunui at Sunrise The tip of Vanua Levu with Taveuni in the background Buca Bay with Vanua Levu in background Salia Village
14 reads

New Zealand in Picutres

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:04:00 +0800

(Fiji / Leslie & John in Fiji)
On the ferry to Waiheke Island. Crazy dancing skeleton at SPLORE.Dancing at the mainstage.Craters of the Moon.Cliffs near Napier. Excited to Luge in Queenstown. Miter Peak in Milfor Sound. Snow and rocks. Looking up at the mountains.The valley crated by the Fiordland glaciers.
13 reads

what is this a school for ants??

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:25:00 +0800

(Fiji / lisa goes to fiji..)
It has gotten to the point where I merely set something down on the table and the ants sense it walk up to whatever it is evaluate it as edible or not and then climb up it or walk away. It could be ...
17 reads

2010-02-14: Tamalikis

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:05:04 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Finally no more Valentines Day. It took 6 000 miles of travel but I have finally found a place that doesnÂ’t give a rip about the greeting card holiday. I am about Â¾ finished with this mysterious holiday and nobody has...
20 reads

2010-03-02: Indy Car in a Go-Cart World

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:03:56 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Being a Peace Corps volunteer is a lot like driving an Indy Car in rush hour traffic all the time not just some of the time all the time. As US Citizens we are trained at an early age to...
14 reads

Trainings vs Tsunamis

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:51:00 +0800

(Fiji / Did Someone Say Paradise)
So it’s March already!! Who knew? I’ll try to do a quick recap of this month’s events before doing a special report on Tsunamis – not the delicious sushi restaurant in Charleston. After ...
5 reads

Dolphins + 80ft waterfall + Shayface = Priceless

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:49:00 +0800

(Fiji / Courtney Ray's Place of Bloggage)
So my good friend Shalyn came and of course we had some adventures! Pics from Left to Right: Shay and me and the beachouse hotel Shay cooking some bad-a muesli pancakes in Steve's 'kitchen'-that's ...
144 reads

Kiwi Adventure

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:11:00 +0800

(Fiji / Leslie & John in Fiji)
We are on our third and final week in New Zealand. Leslie and I just finished a three day hike on the famous Kepler track in Fiordland National Park. The hike started just outside of the town of Te ...
8 reads

Peace Corps Response Volunteer Oppertuni ...

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:30:58 +0800

(Fiji / Friends of Fiji)
Peace Corps Response provides opportunities for returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) to undertake short-term high impact assignments in various programs around the world. Peace Corps Response is s ...
26 reads

A Week in Pictures

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:13:00 +0800

(Fiji / A DiAmOnD in the Rough)
DogoNot a lot happened this week I blame it on no electricity… if you were here you would understand. So hot no ipod music no movies no blog writing (computer dead) no cell phone (dead). Thank ...
57 reads

Vovo Vaiola

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:32:24 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
One of our dearest friends died of a heart attack last night. Vovo was a man of few words (unlike most islanders!) but those he spoke were always wise funny or both. Just yesterday he greeted me on the path...
17 reads

Still Here

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:46:00 +0800

(Fiji / Jeremy in Fiji)
I haven’t been good about keeping this blog updated my apologies for that I’m not much of a writer. Life has been pretty steady here in Fiji. Living in the village stopped feeling so much diff ...
17 reads

Your Shiny Whites

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:50:00 +0800

(Fiji / A DiAmOnD in the Rough)
I thought I would add some pictures of the nasty “Fijian grape” thingies with glue that we tried in the market in Suva. Saturday February 13 2010Caught an early bus back to Rakiraki. When I chec ...
21 reads

2010-02-14: Yes I can take photos too!

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 07:14:32 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Interesting observations whilst traveling around Fiji: high security there are really too many comments to "list"...
30 reads

Talking Business (and Coral)

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:53:00 +0800

(Fiji / Leslie & John in Fiji)
John and I just returned from a very busy and productive week in Suva. John participated in a free workshop on Coral Identification at the University of the South Pacific. The workshop was four days ...
9 reads

Village altering decisions and fun in the city!

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:11:00 +0800

(Fiji / A DiAmOnD in the Rough)
Thursday February 4 2010This morning I had to decide which boat to take… the regular Thursday boat that stops at every village or my Ta’s boat which was overloaded and small. I decided on the r ...
24 reads

O Yau sa Qade: Vodo Na Waqa mai Vanua Le ...

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:43:00 +0800

(Fiji / Melissa is in Fiji!)
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 ...
12 reads

2010-02-03: Hydro Field Testing at Teum ...

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:51:54 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Today we traveled to the swampy area of the island called Teumanga for the third hydro observation. This area is within a reasonable hike from the island and was once home to most of the dalo crops. The farmers have...
12 reads

2010-01-29: Hydro Field Testing at Sakea

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:50:03 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
The holidays are over and most of the family visitors have left. School started and things are returning to ‘normal’. This means we can get back to business with some of the ongoing projects. Papa and I haven’t heard back...
5 reads

2010-01-25: This is a Blog

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:48:04 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Everyone knows somebody who is consistently stating the obvious. Most people will do it time to time but there are those with a special talent at maintaining a constant focus on verbalizing all that is happening around them even if...
9 reads

2010-01-03: Waterfall

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:26:06 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Here is the video I referenced in my earlier blog about our Christmas trip to Taveuni. Amazing beauty...Download Waterfall
8 reads

Girls Club

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:12:00 +0800

(Fiji / Rachel's blog from Fiji)
The girls club was very fortunate to have a generous donation from Tina's mom of lots of jewelry making supplies. At first the girls just played around making things for themselves but then some of ...
12 reads

Summer in Fiji

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 04:01:00 +0800

(Fiji / Rachel's blog from Fiji)
This is my namesake (the baby that was named after me). The poor child was prepared for a snowstorm in the sweltering heat and humidity of the Fiji summer. At the same time my clothes were drenched i ...
10 reads

Happy New Year!

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:28:00 +0800

(Fiji / Rachel's blog from Fiji)
New Year's lasts about 2 weeks in Fiji. Lots of kava water fights being thrown into the ocean and lots and lots of noise. Kids pretty much go around banging on whatever will make loud noises and se ...
8 reads

Kelly's Fiji Update - February 4 2010

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:34:51 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
Talofa!! I hope you are settling into your new year. We are back to work yet trying to do a little as possible in the heat. It is 95 degrees 100% humidity no breeze and no water. We have been...
12 reads

Gettin certified.

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:35:00 +0800

(Fiji / the island!)
PADI brags that I'll never forget the first time I breathe underwater. It's true. I was scared shitless. I hated it. The water was hot. I felt a bit claustrophobic. I wanted to shoot to the surface r ...
15 reads

Making History

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:06:00 +0800

(Fiji / Leslie & John in Fiji)
So according to the Fijians in Ra the Peace Corps Volunteers (+ one visitor) in this region made history last month by swimming across Viti Levu bay! The swim was exactly two miles. We paddled John's ...
14 reads

some reflections

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:56:00 +0800

(Fiji / Tropical adventure)
I'm a certified open water diver!!! Whoo hoo! So exciting! Getting scuba certified is something I never ever in my wildest dreams imagined doing. But I did it! Even when I was a little seasick a ...
5 reads

It takes a village to raise a child.It t ...

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:30:00 +0800

(Fiji / A DiAmOnD in the Rough)
Wednesday January 27 2010Kindergarten did start today! There were even several children who already had their uniforms! Adorable!Most of today I read through the “Choices” information and pulled ...
16 reads

Website Changes

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:52:44 +0800

(Fiji / Friends of Fiji)
The look and feel of the website is changing. It is still a work in progress so if you have suggestions please email the webmaster. No content has been throw out but some pages have been made into sub-pages in order to clean up the new pull down menu. If you [...]
10 reads

MANUIA TE ASO FANAU JACKSON!!

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:04:52 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
WE LOVE AND MISS YOU VERY MUCH!! ~ Auntie Keli & Uncle Mataio
14 reads

The Holiday Season in Fiji

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:26:00 +0800

(Fiji / Melissa is in Fiji!)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BOXING DAY VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTThe "tabu" on playing volleyball is lifted during every school holiday (right now it's Summer). Since the "t ...
29 reads

List Part 3 and Spearing Videos

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:36:00 +0800

(Fiji / Did Someone Say Paradise)
Video of my friend Uraia spearing a helpless parrotfish - the fish is caught in a coral head so you can't really see it - but thought it would be fun to watch anyway. Here is spearfishing video num ...
12 reads

Manuia te aso fanau PAPPY!!!

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:09:57 +0800

(Fiji / Vapor Trail)
0 reads

PiCtUrEs

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:01:00 +0800

(Fiji / A DiAmOnD in the Rough)
Tuesday January 26 2010Well the kindergarten was supposed to start today but most parents were taking their kindergarten age children with them to the primary and secondary schools to drop off the ...
49 reads

paddling wasp work

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:35:00 +0800

(Fiji / lisa goes to fiji..)
Fun stories from this week include a swim across the Viti Levu Bay approx. 2 miles in which I paddled a boat while 6 fellow volunteer swimmers swam. (Sorry dad I just didn't get those swimming gene ...
1 reads

Why I love Fiji:

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:00:00 +0800

(Fiji / Courtney Ray's Place of Bloggage)
So I feel like sometimes I complain a lot sometimes or don't recognize how many wonderful things there are here. So cheers to Fiji! These are a few of my favorite things.... I'm sure you all know by n ...
1 reads

It's raining PACKAGES! halleluliah! (but ...

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:57:00 +0800

(Fiji / Courtney Ray's Place of Bloggage)
Recently I have been utterly SHOWERED with packages...seriously it's been amazing! I now have TONS of junk food/choco and so many things from my Christmas wish list were given to me which I am SO th ...
2 reads

So..I feel like I always talk about the ...

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:38:00 +0800

(Fiji / Courtney Ray's Place of Bloggage)
So I promise this one WON't be about that. :0)This one's about my new house and new host-fam!ok so my house is SET now and totally awesome. Again it's all I need- one bedroom one long kitchen/sittin ...
8 reads

Goal 3: Helping promote a better underst ...

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:35:00 +0800

(Fiji / A DiAmOnD in the Rough)
Thursday January 14 2010Town – everyone came to town today! John is back from America and Lisa had a visitor from America and Joe showed up! It was great. I also got to talk to my sis and her bf o ...
16 reads