Fiji Time

Bula!

Unfortunately, most Fijian computers are unable to upload my pictures, so the visuals on this blog will not start until New Zealand and Australia.But do not worry, I have been taking a lot of pictures.

We had an amazing four days of orientation in Mango Bay, on the southern coast of Fiji. Activities included beach volleyball, swimming, a scavenger hunt in town, long beach walks, frisbee(a group member brought one, much to my excitement), going to a Rugby game in town, which was unbelievable, and getting to know eachother and start to devolop as a group.

On Monday, we embarked on a long journey via public buses to the north coast of the island to our homestays at Rabulu village! The village itself is breathtaking, tucked in the valley of two mountains, only a few minutes walk to the coastline. We were greeted by a warm welcoming ceremony in there community center. We participated in a traditional Kava ceremony. Kava is their traditional drink, made from a root, it tastes like I imagine dirt tasting. But, to be polite, we all indulged in cup after cup. It also makes you relaxed and turns your mouth numb, fun stuff... I am in this homestay with fellow group member Colin Martin. He is from San Francisco and is really good with kids, he is great to be around. My homestay family is really nice, it is a husband and wife, with two daughters who each have one or two kids, I am not sure. On Tuesday, we started our project of building a cement pathway through the village for the villagers to walk on when the ground floods during monsoon season. It is hard work. Today, we had to take a break from work because of a torrential downpour, now we can see why they need the pathway, it completely floods with any amount of rain. The kids are amazing as always, so friendly and outgoing. They know a surprising amount of American pop songs, we are really enjoying spending time with them. We eat each meal in the community center, on homemade mats, similar to tatami. The food is all fresh, homemade, and delicious. However, I am struggling to sit in criss-cross applesauce at each meal.

I will be able to check in one more time before I leave Fiji. I am so happy here, it has blown away all of my expectations.

I hope you all are enjoying getting your respective fall plans underway! Welcome back from Japan, G&G!

Stay Tuned!

-Arthur