Back Home Again

The Fiji vacation with my parents has come and gone but it was a fantastic time!  We went on a zipline (my mom had the best time!), visited a few park reserves/historic sites, went to the Fiji museum and visited a village composed entirely of traditional Fijian thatched houses.  For meals, we ate good pizza/lasagna, Indian and food from the grocery store/market.  After about a week away from home, we all headed back to the village for a few days.  My parents and I had a special program for the kids in the village.  The kids got to learn how to make easy American foods (like Mac-n-Cheese) and then eat the food (my mom brought some stuff along on the trip for this purpose).  On Sunday, we all went to church (in Fijian), I bought my parents traditional cloths to wear, my dad and Matt drank yaqona (kava) and my friends brought us over a nice breakfast (Fijian pie and pudding cake) and lunch (fresh fish, dalo, cooked greens and chicken from the village).  We spent a couple of days in Savusavu and my parents agreed with us that its the prettiest town in Fiji. :)  It's been raining really heavily the past few days, but we were fortunate to have beautiful weather while they were here. Bye for now! 

Visit From Minnesota!

Matt and I are preparing for my parents to arrive this Saturday- yeah!  We are going to take a ferry boat down to the main island (it leaves at 7 pm and arrives at 5 am) and then take a bus to meet them from there (a 4 hour ride).  It will take a lot longer to arrive but will cost us about 1/6 the price!  Plus, we'll get a couple of days just to hang out in the city (there's only one ferry boat this week, so we have to go early).

Last week, I was gone from Monday to Saturday at a woman's skill building workshop in a nearby village.  I wasn't expecting to teach anything but at the last minute I ended up teaching knitting and how to make virgin coconut oil (or as everyone here calls it- virgin oil).  Also, I ended up giving a lesson on healthy eating and led a fitness walk.  In Fiji, 82% of deaths are caused by non-communicable diseases and there is a huge problem with obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc (just like in America).  Maybe it was a bit morbid, but I had all the participants close there eyes and picture 10 loved ones.  Then I had them choose 8 of those people.  Next, I informed them that they all had died.  Kind of mean, huh?!

Matt is still the gardening champion.  He goes up to the school 1 or 2 days per week and teaches the kids about vegetable gardening and taking care of the environment.  Also, his garden in the village is producing TONS of vegetables right now.  There's two types of cabbage, beans, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.  On top of that, people from the village have been giving us bananas (which Matt often goes with to pick), papayas, dalo, fish and vivili (the inside of sea shells!), so we've had lots of local foods lately.

In other news, Matt and I have been trying to start teaching people around here how to use computers.  Matt will start teaching the older children (middle school age) at our house after my parents leave.  I have started to teach two of my friends how to use the computers in town.  I showed them how to use the internet one day and one of them how to type another day.  Obviously, they will need more than two lessons but its a start!

Matt and I are really looking forward to my parents visit.  We will spend a week on the main island and I intend to pretend that I am a tourist (wearing shorts, not talking about Peace Corps, using hot showers)- LOL!  We will then fly back up to Vanua Levu and spend about a week in the village/Savusavu.  We have a special kids club planned with my parents where the kids will make American snacks and then we'll have a little party at the end where they get to eat what they've made.  Also, my good friends will be making my parents meals on Sunday, so they'll get to have Fijian pie, fish, coconut milk, dalo, Fijian greens (bele, roro) and 'village' chicken (ie one of the chickens from Natuvu).

There are other things going on but those are the interesting ones.  So long for now and many happy wishes to our friends and family back in America- especially those just getting married and having babies!  Bye bye!!!

Matt's Birthday

Matt just had his birthday last weekend and a gang of volunteers from 'the north' got together to celebrate.  We stayed at a campground outside of Savusavu and it was a great time!  The owner of the campground only charged around $15 per person per night and she cooked us a really nice steak dinner our first night there!  We also walked over to a nearby resort and used their pool (for free- we just bought some snacks at the restaurant to make up for it).  Enjoy the few pictures that I put up!  Bye for now!

It's been a while...

Greetings!  (Alyssa writing here)

I just realized that our last post was 1.5 months ago.  Oops!  Well, a brief overview of what we've been up to:

-We went to Nadi for our Mid Service Training (MST) in August.  That means we're over half done!  In Nadi, we ate really good pizza at "Mama's Pizza" and I had good Indian food at "Sitar."
-After Nadi, I went over to Suva for a few days.  I marched in the Hibiscus Festival Parade (for the Peace Corps float) and then headed to a workshop on health promotion in the schools.  The assistant head teacher from our local school attended with me.
-Matt spent a few days in Suva prior to MST, because he hadn't yet done his mandatory mid-year doctors visit.  So, he got lucky and was able to hang around the city for a few days.
-Matt's garden is growing again and we have a bunch of green beans.
-Our village is SUPER QUIET (and extra boring) because a lot of young men are gone cutting sugar cane.
-Last month, I help organize a village clean up day and it was a success.  I put up a few pictures below.
-Our anniversary and b-days are all coming up in the next couple of months and my parents are visiting at the end of October- yeah!

Sending my love to America (loloma),
Alyssa

Putting rubbish in the pit.

Cutting the grass the usual way (no really!).

Sweet gloves!

Prizes for the winners.

Hello Again

  Well after a long hiatus and a trip to America and back I finally decided I should post on this blog again.  My last time I think was in January so I am a little over due.  Since coming back from America, which was a great trip getting to see everyone and be back for three weeks, we are starting to fall back into our old schedules.  Once I got use to taking cold showers again it was like I never left, which by the way are not at all enjoyable in the winter season here in Fiji.
  There is actually quite a bit coming up for both us both personally and professionally.  At the end of August we meet up with our fellow 2010 volunteers that we came into the country with and have our mid-service training or MST, Alyssa is working with the Health Committee on doing a Village Clean Up/Waste Management Education Day, and I am working with the school to do an Environment Club sleepover.  All those hopefully will go well and should be fun.
  This past week though I got the chance to work with the Ministry of Fisheries and some members from my village to help setup an Marine Protected Area booth for the Savusavu carnival/show (they just called it a show but it is more equivalent to a county fair back home).  This consisted of us going out the day before and collecting samples of marine invertebrates and then the fisheries bringing them in to town.  They put them in tanks and the next day I came into town and got to hang out, talk to the kids and let them touch some of the creatures we brought.  I will put a bunch of pictures below sorry for cheap underwater case I use(that's what causes the ring in the pictures) but I figured why spend $200 when I can spend $25.  Overall it was a great chance to promote Marine Protected Areas there benefit but  also just to let all the kids get a chance to see all the cool Marine life.

Us departing off for our search from Natuvu

One of the divers trying to pull out a moray eel.  It actually ended up biting him and they killed it in the end but they ate it so it did not go to waste.

A triton, which is a large sea snail.  These are actually very hard to find and they eat Crown-of-Thorns starfish which are responsible for killing coral reef.

Manasa diving down trying to catch a fish

Giant Sea Clam

Baby Sea Turtle

The Fisheries Display at the "Show"

Me describing to the kids what a sea snail is and having them identify it on the poster behind me.

Well that is it from here, I hopefully won't take as long to post again.

Back to Our Fiji Home

Matt and I made it back to Fiji one week ago today.  Our trip home was really nice- the best part was meeting our nephew, Reece (1 year old), and our niece, Elsie (2 weeks old)!  Other lovely parts:  eating America food (particularly grilled meat, pasta and baked goods), not having to hand wash cloths (that's mine), watching baseball, driving (which was scary the first time) and of course just visiting our family and some friends!!!!

Since we got back, we've just been getting the garden back in order, cleaning the house (the sand from the beach blew inside a whole bunch) and trying to get back into the swing of old projects.  Also, Matt and I are working hard to eat healthier and we've been running together, too.  Most of you know that I'm now a flake about this kind of stuff, so it's nice to be back into a routine.

Today, Matt and I took the bus up to Labasa.  The new group of volunteers are here now, so my group is throwing them a 'Welcome to the North' BBQ.  Should be a good time!

That's all I know for now.  I am really looking forward to this year- my parents are coming, there are two Peace Corps conferences where I'll get to see old friends and I have established friends and work partners from last year.  Moce!

Good Day

Today, is May 4.  It was four years ago today that Matt and I had our first date (I remember because its the day before my dad's birthday) and in exactly one month we will be arriving back home for a visit.  Also, in two weeks from today we have been gone for a year.  Oh my how the time goes quick!

It's Been Awhile

Matt and I are still alive and kickin' here in the South Pacific.  A little update on what we've been doing...

Last month our Peace Corps friend, Stephanie, spent two nights in Natuvu and taught the women's group how to make virgin coconut oil.  While Stephanie was visiting I got a nasty cut on my finger from the back of our very sharp kitchen sink.  The worse part is I was trying to smash a cockroach with my hand when I did it!  Searching out and killing them is a new hobby of mine, as I came across three big ones last month.  Got to kill them when they're small and under control!

I've starting working a lot more with the women's group.  They have a Tuesday exercise class with me, I've been helping with their commercial planting and hopefully the group will be starting a couple of projects to make money (like virgin coconut oil). 

For Easter, Matt and I stuck around home because we were helping with a youth (ages 18-35 yrs) retreat.  I gave a session on communication skills and Matt on money management.  We also sat through a 3 hour church service in which we were seated on a wooden floor, in a crowded room and with no fan or A.C.  Woot woot!

Exciting news- I am going down to Suva in a couple of weeks!  I have been up here since the beginning of October and want away for a bit!  I am going down for a training because I will be helping with the new group of Peace Corps Volunteers when they arrive in a few weeks. I am planning to meet my friend Marie and stay an extra night- fun times!

Matt was down in Suva last month for an agro-business training and he went with a counterpart from the village.  The counterpart is his friend, Luke, and it was Lukes first time to go to Suva. In Suva, they went to see a movie and that was also a first for Luke.  It made me smile to think of those two hanging out in 'the big city.' LOL!

In just five short weeks, we will be bound for America!  We have all of our flight tickets (three flights each way) and will be bringing our big suitcases to stuff full of things.  I am going to buy a bunch of 'bathroom' items, shoes, a few office supplies, spices, a little food/candy and maybe a new piece of workout gear.  Matt wants books and candy. 

I am in town today and Matt was here yesterday.  Maybe people think it's strange that we do stuff separately but still have just one cellphone but that's life! :)  Happy mother's day to mom, Becky, grandma(s), Kaity and Maggie (soon!)!!! 

Alyssa aka Liss

Big Time

Last week the Prime Minister of Fiji came to Natuvu to open the new community hall.  Everybody worked together to prepare the village and make a big feast.  I met him and Matt took a couple of pictures. :)

When I Hunt......I Hunt to KILL!

Hello All,  I have not posted on our blog here for quite some time and you may be asking yourself what is with the title to this blog post.  Well you will have to keep reading to find that out.  Last time I posted I also said I would talk about what work we are doing, so I should probably get around to that as well.

But first off, Alyssa and I just got back from our first vacation in Fiji, with my parents who came to visit us.  They arrived on Saturday the 19th of Feburary and left on Saturday the 26th.  We tried to show them everything of Fiji we could while they were here, from the rich and fabulous resorts (they more so showed us that part, which I am very greatful for) to the village life we live in everyday.  Here are a few of the pictures we took while they were here visiting us:

My Dad and Mom on their first day.  My Mom brought a project for the kids to do during our Saturday Natuvu Kid's Club

My mother and her new best friend Sailosi.  Although she likes the kid, she hates the name : )

My parents with their new Fijian clothes just before we are about to go to church.  My father likes to call them a dress, even though they are called a sulu and all the men wear them here but for everyone back home just tell him you saw him wearing a dress.

All of us after church with the Turaga ni Yavusa (chief) far right, the Turaga ni Koro (mayor) far right, and Peni putting the moves on Alyssa (middle).

Our third day we ventured off to Tavueni and the Lavena Lodge and Coastal Walk.  This is at the beginning Alyssa and my mother are displaying their Fijian fly swatters.

A picture of the orange dove.  It is only found on the islands of Qamea and Tavueni and no where else in the world.

At the end of the Lavena Coastal Walk you come to these two waterfalls.  The only way to get there is to swim up river along two cliff walls to the right and left of you and then sit and enjoy the view.

Alyssa snorkeling on the fifth day our first whole day at Qamea island.  We were taken out by the resort to see cabbage coral.

Here is another picture, the coral coming out of the ground looking like cabbage is the cabbage coral.  The pictures don't really do it justice it was quite remarkable.

The next day we all went out kayaking with a guide early in the morning.  This was taken by our guide as we were about to go through mangrove filled coastline.

My parents navigating through the mangroves.

My father and I beginning a game of chess.

On our last snorkeling trip my father and I got lucky and got to swim with a White Tip Reef Shark

Some coral on one of the snorkeling trips

Alright well it takes forever to load these pictures on to our blog here, so unfortunately I am not going to post on the work we are doing here.  I do promise though I will make another post on that in the coming weeks.  Anyway about the post title, which is very random.  Alyssa and I yesterday took a 6 hour ferry ride from Tavueni back to Savusavu to go back to our village.  On these ferry rides they have a main lounge area where they have two big screen t.v.'s they play movies on at extremely loud volumes.  One of those movies was called "A Hunt to Kill" starring Steve Austin.  At the very end of this movie Steve Austin mounts a 4-wheeler, revs the engine facing the main antgonist who is standing against a fuel tank of some type beaten half to death and states "When I hunt, I hunt to kill!" and then rides a pop-a-wheelie for about 50-60 ft before slamming the 4-wheeler into the bad guy.  I could not stop laughing and I think it makes a great blog entry.  Miss everyone and I will post again soon.
-Matt

Horray for Family!

This is very cheesy and clique (right spelling?) but we am so thankful for the support of our family while we am over here.  The whole Maurer (Afatika) and Wolf (Goldade/Frikman) gang have been so helpful in keeping us motivated and going.  They keep sending us care packages, calling us and some even visiting (or planning to visit).  A great big thank you and hug from across the world!

Love,
Liss

PS- Mom, you always know just what to say to make me feel strong and able to keep on going! :)

Less Depressing This Time

Hi y'all,

It's Alyssa and this post should be quick and less glum.  Matt and I had a busy and good past couple of weeks in the village.  We did two seminars each for the high school aged kids in the area on health relationships, sexuality and making good choices.  I think each of us talked with about 25 kids (him the boys and me the girls).  We also helped to paint the school, as 'summer break' is coming to an end and school is actually starting again today.  In the upcoming weeks, we have a super bowl party in Savusavu and Matt's parents are coming at the end of February- very exciting!  Other than that, it is deathly hot here and I have taken to wearing headbands to hide my sweaty head....

Bye for now!

 Serema (age 9) at Natuvu Kids Club.

Semi (age 3) at Natuvu Kids Club.

Emeli (Age 13) and Rabuli (age 12) at Kids Club making Xmas cards.

Natuvu Kids Club Xmas party 'tea'.

'Healthy Relationships' seminar for the girls doing a warm-up game.

 'Healthy Relationships' seminar boys (they met in the church in Natuvu).

 Shift clinic (travelling medical care) in Natuvu.  Alyssa got to talk to people about healthy diet, exercise, etc...

 Matt and Alyssa on Xmas Eve having their own little party.

 The Natuvu women (and a couple from surrounding villages) on New Years Eve partying it up with yaqona (aka grog).  We went to bed around 4 am and were some of the very first to leave.

Oh what a day (actually month)...

It's me (Alyssa) again.  I am in town by myself today because Matt is sick with a nasty head cold.  These past few days have been really rough, particularly yesterday (I cried four times).  Being away from home and the familiar is just starting to wear on me.  When I am busy with work (which I haven't been now for a month), I am distracted and feel like I have a purpose.  When I have nothing to do, I question why I am here and not at home with my handsome little nephew (and the baby on the way).  It is tough to explain, but the way of "getting things done" is very different from America and follows a complex hierarchy system.  Basically, you need a lot of cooperation from all participants and, most importantly, approval from the proper chain of people, or you are completely stuck. Unfortunately, a lot of 'educating' about our purpose of being here (improve the capacity of the people here and cultural exchange) needs to be done.  Often times, people think we are here to hang out or bring them money.  I feel very discouraged right now, so that's all I will say about the matter.

On a positive note, these are the best things/people that I have experienced while here:
1.  My friend Vika and her mom.  Vika will help me with any project for kids or youth and just wants to hang out with me.  Her mom talks to me in Fijian and includes me on crafts and random activities, sort of like a mom away from home.
2.  Matt's friend Manasa.  It sounds cheesy but Manasa being around as a true buddy for Matt is one of the things I am most grateful for in this whole experience.
3.  Manasa's son Semi.  He is three years old and (unlike a lot of other kids) he doesn't think anything much is different about me or Matt.  He just acts goofy, smiles and genuinely makes me happy. 
4.  A complement by a women visiting her sister that I am very quick to learn how to speak Fijian.  To speak Fijian is not like learning to speak German or Spanish.  It is nothing like English and there are not countless pieces of literature to help you learn it.  The only way to really learn it is to talk with people and find anyway possible to commit it to memory.  To me, this is very intimidating.
5.  A comment made to me by a man from a neighboring village.  To paraphrase, the man told me how it must be very hard for me and Matt to be so far away from home and that he respected what we were doing.  Often times, I feel like I can't bear another minute of being stared at as the 'keivaligini' (white person) and for him to step into my shoes and sincerely appreciate that is something I will never forget.  Just writing about these things is almost making me cry yet again.

Indeed, I will survive and probably by my next post will be happy as a clam.  But for now, I am learning important lessons.  I am learning that it is so important to see how people are more the same than different, make others feel welcome and like they belong, celebrate and truly be interested in the differences in other people and see how other ways of living are good, too.  These are simple concepts but it seems that every group of people (including me) needs to remember over and over again to put them into practice.  Peace out y'all.