Just Let Loose !

So today was our monthly Healthy Day where the school sells healthy snacks for the kids to eat and I go around and talk to each class about a health topic.This month was exercise. So I got my jazzercise gear out and was doing different moves with the classes.One thing that was really apparent how alot of the older kids would not allow themselves to let loose and do some dance moves.
There were a real of excuses like my leg hurts or my head hurts or I don't know how to dance or the best one where they just wouldn't even try to move their bodies.I'm thinking why are you all being like this since it's just me and their classmates who they hang out with all the time.There is no reason to not let loose.A cultural thing that may go into this is that Indo-Fijian girls are taught to not allow themselves to let loose and have fun and just be silly. I can understand that to an extent but for all the other kids outside this category I think they just felt so self-conscious about what the other students may think.I thought that reason is so silly, like why does it matter as long as you're having fun and not hurting anybody?
Then I thought back to when I was their age and I remember being the same way at my 6th grade of school class party or ball at Immaculate.I was the same self-conscious girl that these kids are now.Realizing that I understand that there are so many things I miss out on when I close-up and not allow myself to experience different things and just have fun.
So this is my pledge to be more outgoing, to take chances, make mistakes and get messy and forget all those around me watching.

Math and Science

So one of my grand ideas was to plan a whole wee's worth of activities for the entire school dealing with Math and science. I being the last person to think things through to the end was greeted with many problems. But by the grace of God had a lot of support from local volunteers,teachers and peace corps volunteers who helped pull off an awesome week for the kids.Here's a few pics from the week.Also, be advised that I did nothing of consequence the following week.

What are you doing?

So since school started back at the end of January it feels like my work has gone into overdrive and I haven't been quite able to get my head into it.A big project i've taken on is doing literacy assessments for two classes.I am trying to assess their reading ability and from there I can know where to start to helping them.I understood it would take a while but I didn't know that this thing would take close to two months to get through.Man it sucks but it's a great way to understand a student's abilities.
Big things are popping in Fiji.Had our school's prefect induction.Prefects are the students who get a bit more power to be able to boss around the other students when need be.Nice to see proud parents.





























Also, had a celebration of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday which is observed by Muslims all over.A nieghbouring school came and did different prayers and speeches to teach the school about the prophet.















































Fiji also stopped to observe the death of the President(think King of England level) of Fiji.The school spent the day watching the funeral on t.v. and the special ceremonies that were held at the president's home village.

Another cool thing is that I attended my first Hindu wedding-well day two on the groom's side anyway.Indian weddings are traditionally three day extravaganzas where on the first two days the groom and bride have separate events and on day three is a joint affair.When I went, I got to witness the groom being blessed by his close family and being confined to his home.But man the true attraction was the sarees the women wore.All sorts of colours and patterns that you could never even imagine.It was beautiful.I think I've decided that I'll have an Indian wedding in order to have the excuse to buy a million sarees for the events.

Ringing in the New Year

So for the holiday season I decided to spend my Christmas with my host family back in the village and to spend my New Year's with a big group of peace Corps volunteers in Qamea-an island off Taveuni which is a smaller island in Fiji.I knew before hand that Christmas was going to be a very low-key affair but I wasn't prepared for how low key it turned out to be.The only way you could tell it was Christmas was because so many out of town relatives had come back to stay with family in the village and all the shops in town were jampacked with people buying for Christmas dinner- may I say that my Christmas gift to my family was two chickens and some cupcakes.My family along with many others did not have Christmas trees or exchanged gifts, it was more about getting together, seeing people you hadn't for a while and eating lots of good food.The one special Christmas thing they did was have the choir sing Christmas songs to the Chief and Turaga ni Koro (headman). Man those voices were so beautiful, even in Fijian you can recognize the song Silent Night.



Headed home from Christmas Dinner

















Village Turaga Ni Koro( head man in red) ready for cutting of the ribbon














Brand spanking new community hall













It was nice having such a low key Christmas, without the pressures to buy the perfect gift for family and not worrying about getting caught up in the pomp and circumstance and missing the true meaning of Christmas.With this low key Christmas I was able to reflect on all that God has provided in my life and be thankful for the wonderful people and opportunities afforded to me.Remember Jesus is the reason for the season.
There were also other big things happening during this time. A local man was getting ready to be married on New Years eve in the village. I had the privilege of participating in a tevutevu. This is the process of bringing gifts to the home of the bride or groom-whomever you're related to and presenting the wedding gift which 9/10 times is one of these things-pillows/pillowcases/mosquito net/blankets.This can happen up to a week before the wedding or even years after the wedding when you are able to afford a gift.Please keep in mind that the gifts are presented to a representative of the one getting married and not the bride/groom.Also the family receiving the gift must host the gift-giver by preparing grog for them.
In addition to the tevutevu there was a death in the neighbouring village-apparntly he was the oldest living man in the village.Most importantly the village's community hall was finally opened to the public officially.It was a real joyous occasion with the Chinese Embassy in attendance to cut the ribbon since they had given a substantial portion in the building of the hall.It's quite large and will soon be used for a kindergarten and library.
For the New Year which has to be hands down the most fun new year I've ever had I was beach-side with a great group of people, dancing and singing the night away. I should have you know that Fiji is one of the first places to ring in the new year.














So with this new year comes new responsibilities, challenges and triumphs and I'm ready-are you?

Is that Sincere?

I just wanted to write a quick thing about invitations here in Fiji.As I had said in previous blogs people here are very friendly.Even when it comes to special events.It is very common for a local to invite you to any function being planned such as a wedding,funeral,birthday party even if you just met them and hardly caught each other's names.You think that maybe the person was just trying to be nice and just said it, just to say it.However you quickly find out that it was truly genuine when they see you again after the event happened and ask why you didn't come and that they waited forever for you because it turns out you were going to be the honoured guest or were told about to all the other guests. Many PeaceCorps had this happen and it surely won't be the last.So anytime you're in Fiji that what you think maybe be a non-committal and informal invitation to an event is really a heartfelt, sincere invitation.

Stuff's a Happenin!

So two great events that recently happened is the celebration of Diwali-festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus all over and Halloween celebrated by Americans all over.Diwali is the celebration of the return of the Lord Rama after 14 years of exile.The story goes that his father had three wives and one wife asked to be fulfilled to wishes without disclosing the wish first. The father agreed and then was told the wishes were to send Rama into exile and then make her own son King.Distraught the father did not know what to do but Lord Rama went on his own free will. While away the city went through a time of great darkness and despair.As soon as Lord Rama came back the twon went back into prosperity.Now Hindus celebrate this event by lighting hundreds of candles all over their home outside and then making and eating alot of sweets to share.Also fireworks are used to lgiht up the night's sky which is really nice to see from my roof top deck.Even nicer is that people decorate their houses with all sorts of Christmas lights.Fun fact is that these lights will be nowhere to be found during Christmas.The actual holiday was yesterday and I went around with my school's head teacher visiting her families and eating sweets for about 6 hours and then drove around the neighborhoods to see the lights the families put up.Man did these people go all out.It truly was go big or go home.They also did it big by buying new sarees and of course I partaked in this and bought myself two sarees, you know I'm always a sucker for a reason to go shopping.
Halloween was celebrated by having a costume party at a hotel. So many of us got together and have such a good time.Lady Gaga made an appearance, spiderman, Jesus, tom cruise in risky business and a few girl guides.The night was awesome and yes I did dress up- a hippie.My first and definitely not my last costume party.Next up is Thanksgiving.

Even more epic failures

I tried to make potato curry today...epic failure
I tried to wash a shirt without letting the dye bleed onto my other clothes...epic failure
I tried to have a sex-ed class with two combined classes...epic failure
I tried to walk up the footpath without hacking up a lung...epic failure

Don't worry there will be plenty more in the years to come