I know where I'm going!

Hey everyone the big news has come! I will be working in town at a School for special education students. Apparently though special education covers a wide gambit of things. Some students with learning disabilities to others who have down syndrome and autism.I am replacing another volunteer who said the students and staff are wonderful. I am very excited to get started and really start being a part of a community.The students are from kindergarten all the way up to young adult age.There is also a vocational track for the girls who do not go into high school.the students and staff are a rough even mixture of Fijian and Indo-Fijians. This is especially exciting since I will be exposed to both cultures.
My home is minutes away from the school and is generally praised as one of the best homes overall of all the volunteers.YAY!I also get to share the home with another Peace Corps volunteer, which I am very happy about since I will not be so alone and can have a bit of security.There will also be 2 other volunteers living in the same town so we will all be able to see each other on a regular basis.I move in on the 8th of July.

Western thinking...Eastern living

So i came into Fiji understanding that certain practices may be done differently than what i am used to.However, sometimes I slip up and have a preconceived notion of certain things that I would be getting myself into.My first clash of East and West was at a festival for the province I live in.When I hear festival I think games, music, different food, sweets, booths,lots of movement and mingling.Over here in Fiji that is completely different.There were no games, two dances performed, practically the same food provided which anyone would easily make at home,a few sweets.For about 5 hrs out of the day I could easily say that it was taken up by all the spectators sitting down in sheds and watching the presentation of gifts to the chief.It was interesting to see, but I didn't stay as pumped throughout the day since my preconceptions were totally thrown through the window.

Second clash came at a youth meeting.In Fiji, youth are between the ages of 18 and 35.In my village there is a weekly youth meeting. When I heard youth meeting I thought it would be a very informal gathering of youth to talk, mingle , get to know their peers and have a guided conversation about things that matter to them. Well when I got there it turns out the meeting happens in the church sanctuary, the youth generally dress in what they would wear to church like suit and tie, formal dresses.Also, the meeting is basically a church service at times or just a sermon then everyone goes home.It doesn't seem that there is any time for the youth to just truly hang out , and chat.

Third clash was when I went to a local fast food restaurant and ordered a medium fries.When I got the fries they were on a huge plate which made it look like the fries were a small amount. I paid like $3 Fiji which is $6 US so I really wanted my money's worth. I complained and said that the least they could do was trick me into thinking it was more by putting it in a smaller plate.When I did so the waiters didn't do anything.Apparently people in Fiji don't complain even over food.Also, apparently fast food places only give you one ketchup packet. yes folks only one.

Overall it was interesting to see how differently things are done in Fiji and to realize that things done differently should be looked at as just that different, not any worse or any better.

Peace and Blessings

Our first grog session to welcome us to Fiji.Fijians must have a grog session as part of welcoming any person to their village or home for the first time.

So they used to eat people?

My host brother told me a story of how life used to be in Fiji and I thought I'd relay it onto you.

my village has poles from where homes called bures were used as foundational poles in olden times stood.In order to get that wood to this village which was surrounded by water was to roll them on top of people. These people were called the kaisi and were considered to be at the bottom of the hierarchy system in Fiji.Needless to say they died as a result of huge pieces of lumber being rolled on top of their bodies.then when the carpenters needed to make sure the poles were level inside the ground they had the kaisi hold the pole in place in the ground.When the pole was level the kaisi were buried in the pole as to ensure that the pole did not shift. Also, they were the lucky ones to be chosen as meals for the chief whenever he felt for food.There is an actual spot where the kaisi people would be strung up by their legs so that the chief could inspect them and choose which one he wanted to eat.Then Christian missionaries slowly came into the picture and changed that all around, thank goodness.

So what do you do exactly?

So many of you must be thinking to yourself... self what in the world is Janis doing in Fiji. I thought she was supposed to be saving the world but it looks like she's on a joy ride.On the contrary I am in the early stages of a 7 week training for my permanent placement. I am living with a host family in a village. My days are spent learning Fijian, learning how to create and tend a garden and learning different information about the culture,political and social structure of Fiji.

Alot goes into learning how to integrate seamlessly into the community in order to have the support of your village in order to get projects off the ground quicker.It's all an overload of information for me but it's going to be useful in the long run when I have o actually do it on my own.Also, I am living with a host family in order to learn how to be able to tend to doing basic tasks when I get to my permanent placement. I will learn how to use public transport,cook outdoors or on kerosene stoves,conserve water,keep my food safely away from rats, cockroaches,mosquitos and lizards and most importantly how to wash my clothes by hand.It's nice living with my Fijian family, they are so willing to teach me things and to open their culture up to me.