tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40466351635618051882024-03-04T21:35:05.488-08:00Isafjordur and The Independent PeopleRecent posts in this blog document my experience in Iceland as a grad student at the University of Westfjords. Older posts document my experience as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji.Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-70835939640871037412011-11-27T13:40:00.000-08:002011-11-27T14:18:59.884-08:00Ain't No SunshineLast Tuesday, when coming out of the school building, I glanced at the sky. It was a clear, cloudless day and was about 1 pm. And the sun was not there. Without even realizing it, I had forgotten to say goodbye to the sun. It has gone behind the mountains and will hibernate until late January. We still have hours of daylight and will so through December, yet the sun itself has gone bye bye. If you forget what time it is and look up at the sky and it is only dimly lit, you can't tell if you are looking at the sunrise or the sunset. Does it matter? Also, I have noticed that it is quite important to look at your watch before you go to bed and right when you get up. With such darkness, you have no idea how many hours you slept unless you make an effort to keep track.<br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><strong>Sunrise or Sunset?</strong></em></span><br /></div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679795983749759186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivNZXOcaTqI9CbnXp7CR3mqzEAGpGA3o2g93vSQ3zkvSdgCkz9B7psjG54yBwG1I9iMkSplWbeMr_jXRIijCcx7AXdXGZ-4KklKxsd6EQzHgkLyExY6umxtn3rOBunWNZ-8kPF1YTLoZSV/s320/SAM_3208.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>It’s also pretty cold right about now. I know what you are thinking: “Isn’t Iceland the warm, green one, and isn’t Greenland the cold, icy one?” No. They are both very cold.</div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div>manage to get in some kayaking every Sunday and Friday with the local sea kayaking club. We paddle around the fjord Sunday mornings and practice rolling in a pool in the nearby village of Flateyri on Friday evenings. Icelanders practice a style of kayaking known as Greenland style, which was perfected by the native Eskimos over thousands of years. Greenland-style rolling uses a lot less energy than the typical North American whitewater style and is more dependent on body form – so its sometimes used as an art form and there are many different rolling competitions here that judge purely on style. So I’m learning a new technique, but until I master it I will continue the roll I’m accustomed to when I accidentally flip in the 40 degree ocean.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Kayaking in Skutulsfjordur</span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679796007870725762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzED_VrF0czECt1YPoUzyeZeWBN9jIBe1kvGd-ne-58PobNt_VvEDlllTqjIKvTt-A3sDjv8N_tHEAaj1pm7wlv3AIaZwIvesWExIYuKbMLSPoAivhnh-eym64nwZbMftQRgQmiWAwbXBR/s320/SAM_3154.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">An 8-year old Icelandic girl practices her roll</span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679795997080122834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT9pLlgX13aQWT8Qu26LP45RbGiu65x9tJySk1tCvwpnmlCrRtGchpEnuVFaavQLs9EL3TGrbcxg6XxX0z4_N7DoyIQZsgPT0ZRZtKkSlsOTYggFTjs1F_hT_PR5rcpcR1dNBSiixcccZe/s320/SAM_3174.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div>My buddy Gordo visited me for five days at the beginning of the month. The shitty wet weather didn’t stop us from biking to Bolangarvik village where the swimming pool boasts a water slide. Yet we arrived during “kid’s time” and couldn’t swim so we drank coffee and watched the kids spend their time splashing in the hot tube while we air-dried ourselves. That weekend we drove to Heydalur with a couple classmates with the plan to camp next to some hot springs. While hiking to the hot spring we had to cross a river. I fell on a rock, busted my lower lip, scraped the skin off my fingertips, and bruised my knee pretty badly. I nursed it in the hot spring which we eventually reached, and numbed it with whiskey. But my wounds and the weather led us to the decision not to camp, so we rented a summer house for the night. Not a bad weekend! Gordo and I had our share of traditional Icelandic food (which I typically can’t afford) which included lamb heads, puffin, and rotten shark meat (which Anthony Bourdain described as "the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing" he has ever eaten.)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Gordo, biking back from Bolungarvik</span></strong></em></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679796652726187762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzc0JtdhGcCsepYw_vWV0EsyFjPPNrCG04V0ET16bjXMJ4C2eeww7Z92pbdMtyy9y-LwssUZ4UqSpzyX_tPd3W5dwlovWFmi4jCAQmGnQwjaEKbp6YI5e1FQHLFzVGgE-fnITis2EwkZW/s320/SAM_3053.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Clasina, Gordo, Lisa and I at Heydalur</span></strong></em></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679796631707569698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmUBueB80_QIsx-cr85baAPuENVyG3fGkDX3ChuQ-Bp-NU26C1KPdXSFHvS20MItzRpBbkEBzRTMRU7mDLkFk8BBKqKBxpthyphenhyphenH-qnwSPqv-X-UvQ0vt9wN3CpDaeqHRL8qqHlsex1-nC9/s320/SAM_3118.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Sheep head and rice - like an edible Leatherface</span></em></strong></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679796632582155554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KsLMAnyTMxtu3xgNGwQV8sBe1gUb54BU1ARKATEKCgCd5txZhGGRfFsKF-_i0Wk_13exRC0HckWwTo2m9GL4OprrZ6x5ooNaPP8K1HsDhxARWv0i9AtXyjndlLlbmBl4rNMlcqgFrznb/s320/SAM_3125.JPG" /></div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">An Arctic Fox, Iceland's only native mammal (in winter its fur turns white)</span></strong></em></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679796634230058354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMbpqgC3iNFu6qPuHQkNgHD_uFeCsG-e5NRNuntZ-krFgujeHU5gas3lSlwVoizZr0Gnnn-7tMLxEacmuSKubR8Fwl0nFMbP1XWp04Mhe0Kj4TzZWR75HTt_R4cdAiAxUROHUbvhZTsL_/s320/SAM_3089.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><div>I just finished a course on research methodology and currently studying Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) – basically setting aside portions of the sea for improving biodiversity, scientific research, and fishery stocks. It’s really interesting. It’s a growing concept and practice and has lots of uses globally. I have nothing else to say about school.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>To the stateside: I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving and let’s hope the Dawgs win the SEC!</div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong></em></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong></em></div><br /><br /><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Hiking to a reservoir</span></strong></em></div><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679795980267367170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWt2TP9Wa_TUKYdo3L-CZd7WZbE51YXn8rgHOi7vOoyJipfKFYNRL3-Nl_HrbXprJLtEj6nCPrOjkhL5LFxfT9_kmy6Shv7z41tjJwwADzZzenF96xLRN1Z51hyTQS-oGUV6vwco_T8b-u/s320/SAM_3221.JPG" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-47623508976654184412011-09-28T05:21:00.000-07:002011-09-28T05:54:46.631-07:00Trip to the Southern Westfjords<div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><br /><strong><em>Me, sitting in a garbage dump</em></strong></span></div><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauYpVbNB6urZr-u6ATbo16MEGC1j8pZwTPIdrXdOBLRzcNVUFGjZhe4amMMUv1rWlR07Q29rnfjYDsmQ4lXNnCNnnu4BPwIIzZ6BPwo0d8qI0nqcK4aowDvMNigNcW1xTRDL05B764Arb/s1600/SAM_2618.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 321px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 268px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657385620124645410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauYpVbNB6urZr-u6ATbo16MEGC1j8pZwTPIdrXdOBLRzcNVUFGjZhe4amMMUv1rWlR07Q29rnfjYDsmQ4lXNnCNnnu4BPwIIzZ6BPwo0d8qI0nqcK4aowDvMNigNcW1xTRDL05B764Arb/s320/SAM_2618.JPG" /></a><br />A few days ago I opened my front door and realized that the yard was flooded in pink water. The pink water came up to the doorstep and was about a foot deep. When I looked closer at the water I noticed little shrimp body parts – little legs, little tails, and little heads – bobbing in the pink water. About 20 yards away I saw a busted pipe spewing the shrimp waste. The shrimp factory next door had a busted pipe and shrimp stew was flooding the yard. It found its way into the laundry room, which still smells shrimpy, before the pipe got fixed and the fire department came and sprayed our yard down with a hose. </p><br /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Shrimp Juice at my doorstep</em></strong></span></p><br /><br /><p><strong><em><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657387503691907698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKZNWIAqw_HYuea4yCI3YcHGaXKWatCTHxGhkXgNccmBthSvxlMUW7QHqQrMNDgixkS1RFAvovc_5fzzRCQ5Nw0xRsCul0yvANjRVsjw6G5Mg07krLS2IgKNOLmEw0Id4xpjiFKsrLU6i/s320/SAM_2550.JPG" /></em></strong><br />In our last class, Iceland Environment Natural Resources, we took a bus trip to Bolungarvik, an old fishing village, to look at antiquated fishing techniques, and then to Skalavik, a beautiful beach at the bottom of a fjord.</p><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657387495152070514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjjGg_HNyQniADZwPOrTdRQf0nbMV0NW9KOro9f6NgMqxZMqBr1VUm2Mb8bu2qYMQDBTjF9hfi09SC6vvf22eJ5sn3XEgcOxNfmeQs0P6jD2OEUszwMFWyeC_PgiTWwo3JJq-EujAo4IA/s320/SAM_2605.JPG" /></p><br /><br /><p></p><br /><br /><p>Having an internationally-focused approach to natural resource management, students in my program come from all over. We have a lot of Americans and Canadians, some Germans and Icelanders, and others coming from Holland, Spain, England, Finland, China, Israel, Australia, et al. Having an eclectic, multi-national mix brings a various viewpoints and experiences to approaches to natural resource management. And it allows us to make fun of each other when we let shine our respective stereotypes.<br /></p><br /><br /><p>I’m still exploring the area on foot and bike – finding new things to do when not studying. Right now the weather is cooperative enough to hike where I want and camp, but that time is coming to an end. Fortunately the views are good enough to make a hobby out of sitting on a bench in town with a pair of binoculars.<br /><br />Last weekend a group of students and me went to a lady’s farm an hour and a half away from Isafjordur to help her herd her sheep. She has around 300 sheep that she butchers and sells for meat once a year to feed her small family. The sheep are free range and graze throughout her very large valley. This requires lots of man labor to round them up. We camped there on Friday night. It was nice to test the durability of my sleeping bag in Iceland for the first time, although the weather was quite nice and wasn’t completely representative of a typical September night in the Westfjords. Anyways, we had fun sipping beer and whiskey around a campfire (a rare occasion in a treeless land), playing guitars and harmonicas. The next day we spent divided up into herding teams and spent the next six hours finding and moving sheep. My team was assigned a very steep mountain/valley where a few sheep had wandered to. I made a video of the day, which you at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3K6hdxsgdg">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3K6hdxsgdg</a>. It was fascinating, interesting hard work that I really enjoyed but felt all through my muscles the next two days. </p><br /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Sarah, Scott, and Clasina, during sheep herding campout</em></strong></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></p></span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657385616591311634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsj-bEXCJfzcrDsc1tPVrywYuTYT49hVCMMT3DRxim8_gr2TsLuNmCyp01LNlMJcWguCSCW392x7LBzHxJpU5voaMqi9iw0tw3wB1q5RVhfJq4iiJoiiZ0MaNpWwgtwmDXBBwxC42EwCY/s320/SAM_2668.JPG" /><br />Following my final exam in Oceanography – my first exam in seven years – our class took a field trip to the Southern Westfjords. We went for practical reasons; visits to a salmon farm, a calcareous seaweed business, a museum, and a meeting with a municipality mayor. But we got some good exposure to Icelandic natural phenomena as well; a visit to Dynjandi (one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen), hiking in Látrabarg which is a future national park with 100 meter cliffs and a seasonal breeding ground for puffins, gulls, and other seabirds (this is currently not that season), and a walk among a vast coastal delta/beach called Rauðisandur.<br /><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><strong>Dynjandi</strong></em></span></p><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657385618469371090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiir_ll7CH_n3SppEB9ZOfTHhC0K-JFdsPP_VfRbToHtBnJT_sd06wLjbej046Eo_tO1c3k1Ozw6HLtZhCVCWpgyfGnxFj9Sk49nQ2u679xXYUY5ro7o6p6pTKIJGKRvLWDvabkDPgtk1fP/s320/SAM_2748.JPG" /></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Traditional Icelandic Fishing Gettup</span></em></strong></p><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 321px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 220px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657387497116755218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Hy77ULvRgfw7GE_P5JYSU9132xlcVonquEtO5xb8URyYcx7z2XH3eyt0FIKdP4G3qRkC9Htgpk8fPhi_E36CJyklrMegX0kFn4qY98BnWTRJXubLmLI4GmO3IS2lZoHekKZG_kZKuqSC/s320/SAM_2567.JPG" /></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Latrabarg - cliffs and bird nesting</span></em></strong></p><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 321px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 228px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657385610816594674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcyIXVoPADp7JF97glSv9LnrfD-u00ANxHgfS3jC2DvYddNkHK9nOyofgyWT0yGNmSUVjTQsGg4LpAR1GgAXQhK7vIv_5KOUyWMfVsCNsr5l1FaGgQG-HFv1MRbHIrfhjcltqen2NXx2n/s320/SAM_2852.JPG" /></p><br /><br /><p align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Raudisandur Beach Survey</span></em></strong></p><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657385606532110850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhRuoe04nroXnjwCxpokGT8WoBj6xBvnCUsuaE0Er2PitONrjclLn0odY-KyMMCbLJjXYVZUi6X8J-jzqBttSjfqyJBaohZ4AiJ9iAU0ufViPdBnvbj7DbdWtIysqwTeu5AeWCRmUceBS/s320/SAM_2872.JPG" /> We stayed the night in a nice but lonely hotel. We partied pretty hard that night and then at 2:00am we jogged twenty minutes down to the shore and jumped into the numbingly cold North Atlantic breakers. I decided not to shower and woke up salty and sandy.<br /><br />Now its Monday and I’m in my third course – Integrated Coastal Zone Management – taught by a professor from British Columbia and I find it quite stimulating. </p>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-67164203803823783082011-09-14T04:38:00.000-07:002011-09-15T01:39:24.946-07:00In Isafjordur<div><br /></div><br />
<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgss6dQ-AVi3LsC8XSkfO8cvyeRZiktnT1cWUTEnkH6gujAXVgf5vDwpQEvbHiIoOLZ2BGMIS1kzWW9P638Xta34tE93XfDw8S7QE-p-mwiIMZW3_ZFTkjH1oReuYCE6jeZUkGDhuaLAfJS/s1600/SAM_2569.JPG"></a>Welcome to my new blog. I previously blogged about my two-year stint in Fiji as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I am now living on a different island – the island of Iceland. This new island is probably as opposite as you can get from the island of Fiji. It is on opposite hemispheres. The weather is consistently 18 degrees (as opposed to Fiji’s 81). People’s hair colors are opposite. Everything is different. Everything here is expensive and everyone is rich. (Everyone in Fiji is rich too, but a different kind of rich).</div><br />
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<br /><div align="center"><font size="2"><em><strong>View of Reykjavik, from the plane</strong></em> </font></div><br />
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<br /><div>I will be pursuing a Masters in Natural Resource Management (MNR) at the University Centre of the Westfjords for the next year and a half. (The program is one year of course studies followed by however long it takes to complete a research project, or thesis.) The University is located in Isafjordur, Iceland. Lonely Planet describes the town as “the most isolated town in Iceland” and if you look at a map you will concur. The town has approximately 3,000 people living literally on a spit of sand in the middle of a fjord in the northwest corner of the country. We are only a few hundred miles to the Arctic Circle. So it is always windy and cold.</div><br />
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<br /><div align="center"><font size="2"><strong><em>Some buildings in my town of Isafjordur</em></strong></font> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652181541197782082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp_GKRXbmDxwZcpdw2G6Q3NXqi-5squeaEKY38ht8r4FVm_zFlxpG2BntaPmkDe_TTCzmAziLQhW0WsOn31b8OZfQ2jB9h3jaxTZsi4ZbJvkhxiwnrgHyzFuWbWyL43ZYd6EbBr3lAZh3/s320/SAM_2562.JPG" /></div><br />
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<br /><div align="center"><strong><em><font size="2">A coastline in the Westfjords<br /></font></em></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652181534769963426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lfE4MAz0wlStbS1leVDMF5crQSYp5z15KiGMjeH3GgoZPOkwgWEMFxECICc7-sFB6PLfxcDmwrHLdmFXcwAolMbJF7-nayAAxJE3g6y7fY-Ob4kW6Hvb8wsCIrYviffZdqSopzYT0fcq/s320/SAM_2580.JPG" /></div><br />
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<br /><div>I live in a little yellow house made of corrugated iron. The house is next door to a shrimp factory. On weekdays, when the fishing industry going full steam, the entire town smells of fish. For some reason I find it quite pleasant. It makes me think of hard work, tradition, and culture.<br />So anyways I will update this blog as long as I have something interesting to say, which, considering I will be doing little else than reading text books in a cold, dark, isolated corner of the world, may not be often.</div><br />
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<br /><div align="center"><strong><em><font size="2">My House</font></em></strong> </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652181534798903746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16TnKVtKHjcgNMSHO9ibIPPUrcGqED8m4d14ceO53kxngZCZH-5ZqvnIFv3nhtLz1sDzJnrDtLUctlk7Dhk20OusBe7VD_OdHU_zS1BaLrS3b4RIrH49fKxt-DvXrIXeRpxomPEw5sJIF/s320/SAM_2632.JPG" /></div></div>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-52158595221944257712011-04-16T08:51:00.000-07:002011-04-18T20:01:32.717-07:00Isa LevuDue to a family-related matter I have decided to leave the Peace Corps. I left Fiji on April 1st, a few weeks before our Close of Service conference. I feel really good about my time spent in Fiji, in the wonderful village of Dravuni. Fortunately a FRE-9 will be coming in July as a replacement, so hopefully the projects will have continued success and support. <br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>Carolina graced me with her presence the last few weeks of my stay. She was a good sport and drank in the good, the bad, and the ugly of rural village livin'. We did a bit of meandering - a weekend trip to Caqalai Island (which was interrupted by a tsuanami warning which we had to evacuate to a larger nearby island and hike uphill through the jungle at 3 am), a weekend trip along the Coral Coast, and a few days in Colo-i-Suva National Park. But for the most part we were just village people together.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Carolina and I on Caqalai Island</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><strong></strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596300774598925026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedTJFsPvFADXr_Bd0pUTXIlFpgapU_GACxSNZQB9VuJE2b4wjV-CMbU3QUEM977neYTI8jgH-v-NzHxegWTP_Cvm8po0EBM1E4vxriadImsMjgUoS88UUSmkQUWRB9Us35OyNfiGXsOup/s320/SAM_2201b+%252867%2529.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 315px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596300771316306402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgDtcS4FmF60ERMdVyIc_AEtGSC7IwPOJ3K7v_1xqqJ6p8PQXC-pyWGvtlal4BKpVBC39Ra-UGBSbTmoTB3XlusMV9O494UQ2ZO59deo_fyNFSLQnztZ-8mhjyI88wmJQQ9MJG4Jll356/s320/SAM_2201b+%252817%2529.JPG" /></div></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong></strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">In the Caqalai Island dive shop: Looking at a map to determine the possible course of the tsunami to determine whether or not we should evacuate</span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 317px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 249px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596300758300086722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdl52taNJDr2az9tQZbuvZZ5qblAjSMR6HwCBuHQR97d_IjPFzJzaJl1SvVPW9-QOCFwkycDPRcnpovOKi7gG2urAqBMqdIUnHuD1VZfHYeoprR2tUvzVnIJ5Lc3NhlJs6pCWZRnSP-NDZ/s320/SAM_2201b+%252852%2529.JPG" /></span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Very isolated rain showers off the Coral Coast</span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 316px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 228px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596301529331996850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jhK_36MynuGOgWd7AIy9RLE6Oqtl90Eq6HEzY7j3yNevOXRlvh5Xq0uriYO-L_xJgW0PZ1GAkxTTFmMeRImBHJ4jd1t7WzbYnrSESm0wuc93z7SzONVFBwNhKtW81px8J9KWJhFqLWTZ/s320/SAM_2230.JPG" /></span></strong> </div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">My departure was kind of on short notice so I didn't have time to tie things up with strings and bows, but I was able to patch some holes. I attended an agribusiness workshop with our women's group leader to jumpstart the village's proposed chicken coup. I also had some good meetings with the Dravuni Village Committee to identify short-term and long-term plans concerning the crab farm and tree nursery. I also held a final discussion with the village youth about the solid waste management issues in the village.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Joana and I presenting our project at the Agribusiness Workshop</span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 316px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 245px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596300750716166690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmo011gwsFa8eeu4Ep5ldftJFhJuv-r9yW1w2znpUOV0C38tS0hWaDqdwVJgbdAPlm88QXIiehTsQFuwh_p6rg5H1K0TWgFdV7XzxixqZ8pTKhFngXq4lF3T_ZV-ZwzAd-jpqdCT1cYWXJ/s320/SAM_2154.JPG" /></span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">The final farewell ceremony was pretty tough. Lots of tears. I gave a 8 minute goodbye speech on the fly in 100% Fijian so as to excersize my Fijian tongue one last time. Then the elders took turns saying really kind things, and thanking me for my presence and help for the past two years. Then we feasted on blowfish (my favorite), oysters (which I had gathered), and taro. And of course this was all washed down with approximately 37 bowls of grog. The next morning I packed my bags, said some final goodbyes and walked the mile long Dravuni path to the road for a final time as the villagers stood and sang the Fijian farewell song to me.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Me, Kuli, and Carolina the night of my farewell ceremony</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong></strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596304101431285794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBe1Bbr6aytHui9NlRnHqADvjZU27F8GuDXsfitZGGjQybSC2bLjQyeyE-H0xqROc9IrSZgUmywX5TPSivAsrqy11NDmirvThn7egBg91LQXpHN_BhyBIdorFYkNTDfdAlFg0I8RmLNDD/s320/SAM_2174.JPG" /></strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong></strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Fiji was gracious enough to send me off with one final boil - which made my right elbow Popeye-esque</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong></strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 317px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 244px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596301539205472946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYRpig4qHPGAGfQqqBu1OgRpYUZKFXygDsBvQ_3_QK0u2O0AcxsPhNOnve_ITe0E9bzpTox7bd_YirTjGn5lF6G_xOtoBp8ruaFl9pzD627GoLN9eR8DK1YBcfW6oglxsHf-sc7A2SlNOR/s320/SAM_2251.JPG" /></strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">I am now back in 'Merika. Things are comfy and plentiful here. I will be here in support of my brother through his ongoing treatments until his health improves. I appreciate all of those who have offered their prayers and thoughts. We are optimistic that the path to recovery is underway.</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">A final shot of Dravuni Village, Tailevu Fiji</span></strong></div><br /><div align="center"></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596303355228508674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3bPuozMJhDoRdD0m1Y13fkiG5PLFtAIS53mpOA26wgosmO8TYzfrCuGuqdYjhrZz5-UY-FOh_NL3viFvohshoqhwJImAMToACmtw6D-3VMeq-u6wxcq9D_OHwXOF5aXl1JiKJIpgM6tE/s320/sam_2200a+%25283%2529.JPG" /> <br /><div>So until my next adventure... moce.</div></div></div></div></div></div>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-89900063154218892302011-03-21T16:03:00.000-07:002011-03-21T16:44:10.002-07:00Hot Ratz<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Kuli, Jesse, and Bill; swimming in the bay</span></i></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKF7LocwaAkPwL5A4xkKhJXkXtVQhkaWxRktOg0MvhXZK-bec-MljLNGTPAckDBgI4al5Kr__wpSjTiaYu6hfJWLtoAg0x_oPjl1haiXYXoNhUxAmytpqo5zI7rTjPejYEiYW3l_ch30o1/s320/SAM_1981.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586674608152916642" /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My bathroom has a leak in the ceiling directly above the toilet. When the toilet is sitting idle there could not be a better place for an overhead leak. Yet when it is in use there could not be a worse place.</div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I’m currently growing cabbage, radish, pap</span>aya, bananas, spinach, and some root crops. I’m eating healthy food but am losing a good bit of weight which I don’t want to do.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Some papayas beside my house, not yet ripe</span></i></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKAe7sAYXKxJ8sc911JNWq-gURP3r7M5c8xBlatyI76N7hiGmitkSCqeSRTLSa4fezqJU0UpEXo3tno5YLQlH9KS1CT_tfQZKICLSGLnkxcOv4TWXgrOhGXDC3wTeXzj1FA-IszbLeloV/s320/SAM_2034.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678004843648274" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Let me tell you about a funny thing the villagers do: They smoke a lot of cigarettes and the cigarettes, like the ones in the States, have big warning labels at the top of the pack. Some labels warn against heart failure, some against lung cancer, and some against harm to unborn babies. The cigarettes don’t have distinct flavors, but nonetheless the villagers refer to these cigarettes by these different labels, saying something like “I’ll give you .20 cents for two heart attacks” or “Can I borrow three unborn babies.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I haven’t done much travelling the past couple of month</span>s. I’m trying to hang on to my money for after service-life. Prices in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Fiji</st1:place></st1:country-region> have been steadily increasing the past two years without an increase in our living allowance which means I travel less and less. I am making weekly trips to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Suva</st1:place></st1:city> however, which I didn’t used to do, so that I can research grad school and job opportunities.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I’m working a lot with the Dravuni Development Com</span>mittee to help manage our agri-business activities; I’m spending most of my time in the tree nursery and trying to find some buyers for our seedlings. We are reforesting our watershed with some good fruit trees. I’m also doing a little more experimentation on the crab farm. The municipal government is really interested in this project and encouraging us to continue with it, but the unstable results are frustrating for the villagers, understandably. We might be getting a local guy to fund the project as a research opportunity – I’ll send updates on that later. While digging up on a hill a couple weeks ago some friends and I found a skull that still had hair on it. It was pretty weird. We put it back where we found it and just kept digging.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span">Cutting the village compound</span></i></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhndaq0gHtkxC2z1bzrepknQkr9AVsSyl6SQVWsPnVK8K35cSv4UDStRXcMF9bNdT8HbpxxjSRfa1Cc0Zyew1d5f2xI53OhfEXkRcKyr0sU0BbYmJpavqjLrpNVIXPq2O-T2T_xc53A8w9H/s320/1.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586677987067694722" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>Digging a grave. Seconds later we found a skull with hair on it.</i></span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglY63AN7R8CG0BSs3xoGaEaq0buLNgQAlnfKwEIOZxoJC63oHgZ2_DkfYNsUww6rOBNvUKgJp3jgzcC6ImkI3556P6fCTzdLkxSQxgM3iTtiOnn1goVqCd8oPYe6JAo_utdjhaMknuDhuj/s320/2.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586677994511540354" /><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Things the rats have eaten in my bure: my shampoo bottle, toothpaste, a drum, my antibiotic medicine, aspirin, my underwear, lids (and only lids) to bottles of vinegar, oil, and hot sauce, a book cover, and a shoe. I tried to catch them in a sticky glue trap. One got stuck but just dragged the trap all around the house getting glue on everything before he finally escaped with a gluey tail. I set the trap in a pile of trash outside and the next morning I found a bird stuck in the glue, flapping and gawking like a bird stuck in a glue trap. I tried to pry it off but that was only hurting him. The only solution was to delicately and peacefu</span>lly cut the bird in half with a machete and throw it in the ocean.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>A rat I killed. This has been one of the happiest moments of my service. I fucking hated this rat.</i></span></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAlpdNJL2-awxQJKUH7lzoR332FhhJf0dF5tDvRgE5VqUOrjQNY7GSpmy5bVZGqc3aKe97fEEizVa3WyQ8kAzaoA6qd8z2UUCkSalS2JZXOxcVpdcnDNxiR59TNT5UWTQs4gzeh3GodnB/s320/3.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586678013041521202" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">So as not to end on a gory note I will explain what I did yesterday: I sat on a log by the sea with an old man named Inia and talked about fish and the weather and the mangroves and school fees while he cut open coconut after coconut and we ate them all. All day.</span></p></div>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-5237697091477415692011-01-27T15:38:00.000-08:002011-01-27T16:05:00.897-08:00Boating and Beddings in January<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-AU</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> 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mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--><span lang="EN-US">The hot, wet months are here. Keeping clothes and beddings clean and dry is difficult. It rained for two consecutive weeks earlier this month which meant no sun to dry clothes which meant no doing the laundry which meant stinky clothes and</span><span lang="EN-US"> bed s</span><span lang="EN-US">heets with bedbugs – but a sunny week this week relieved us. Summer vacation just ended </span><span lang="EN-US">which means all the city folk that spend the holidays in my village with their families have returned</span><span lang="EN-US"> to Suva, meaning no more volleyball, much less grog, a</span><span lang="EN-US">nd time to get back to the crops. It also means I can continue with my projects which have been on standstill for two mon</span><span lang="EN-US">ths because of the holidays.</span><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Drinking tea on Kuli's porch, watching volleyball on a Tuesday afternoon</span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth9XHUfiGjU99KECyfLx10pQW-AsEBgk3BBmqSt3fvRcovjB0wIql-33f8FdIFl0mEbVz_XOQ9myqQMDhaaN_1r8rEyT-yVbPNe7hRR3iXDvudZ63u9x36IN31Ibj_7vZsGtcqDhFJ_yU/s1600/SAM_1871.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjth9XHUfiGjU99KECyfLx10pQW-AsEBgk3BBmqSt3fvRcovjB0wIql-33f8FdIFl0mEbVz_XOQ9myqQMDhaaN_1r8rEyT-yVbPNe7hRR3iXDvudZ63u9x36IN31Ibj_7vZsGtcqDhFJ_yU/s320/SAM_1871.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567017220161524018" border="0" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Kids in my bure with mouthfuls of breadfruit</span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWD07V9Fcyz-LwCj3IvzzfP1dcQNt79S_vLi2AavCfvEN2W5092COBCZwN-S-j507u1cuBDqCMGHy8QCSNvUvnwdxjZ31FoYE75cEw4IKfIJu-2-P0VV0cFlTgmGjU1BdDUzRNW5kgMsP/s1600/SAM_1838.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnWD07V9Fcyz-LwCj3IvzzfP1dcQNt79S_vLi2AavCfvEN2W5092COBCZwN-S-j507u1cuBDqCMGHy8QCSNvUvnwdxjZ31FoYE75cEw4IKfIJu-2-P0VV0cFlTgmGjU1BdDUzRNW5kgMsP/s320/SAM_1838.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567017244062795746" border="0" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Junior and Alewa in my bure - after the electricity went off</span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfMYUSF8erv7UwdKceMLPPQheM0XsSr7_mIKiRTb48aBzESWbMin4djgwR_Y6An5KTXliVPHXhw8aJFIqkNxeMr0x9Bb2nu2JZNBQaWaoQA9TGHp3Dh7O_1QlF34f4BV-c96bNC4KCyB8/s1600/SAM_1850.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfMYUSF8erv7UwdKceMLPPQheM0XsSr7_mIKiRTb48aBzESWbMin4djgwR_Y6An5KTXliVPHXhw8aJFIqkNxeMr0x9Bb2nu2JZNBQaWaoQA9TGHp3Dh7O_1QlF34f4BV-c96bNC4KCyB8/s320/SAM_1850.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567017227311037906" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I recently went on a long paddling trip with a fellow PCV. We paddled out of my village, crossed Dravuni Bay, and went up the Savu River for about five hours. The scenery was pristine – all mangroves and jungle with critters and flora I’ve never seen in Fiji. We didn’t see a human being or even signs of people until we reached Savu Village. We reached Savu, got out and walked uphill to the village. The villagers were shocked to see two white guys – and that we had paddled that far. They had never done it themselves (we had to bushwhack our canoe path at times because the river was blocked in places by dogo trees). At the first house we came to a fat lady who lived by herself made us come in and eat pineap</span><span lang="EN-US">ples. Then some local boys took us to a nearby waterfall which was absolutely beautiful, and we swam and relaxed there for an hour then left so that we could make it back to my village bef</span><span lang="EN-US">ore dark.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lucas clears the brush as the Dadakulaci pushes upstream along the Savu River</span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBn-0j_k3dhpUFM6fjJ_cZDAo0BHq_3rIDRFTSAFmY_dy-7HuOlodGfBlNc9xgm_PVFHl3iYnyKry7Eu5sFpjVfus51PbyPm65R6B36Nxa97H4IpPaRkimjRxxzujlVaE-bgQU5kflkFI7/s1600/vi2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBn-0j_k3dhpUFM6fjJ_cZDAo0BHq_3rIDRFTSAFmY_dy-7HuOlodGfBlNc9xgm_PVFHl3iYnyKry7Eu5sFpjVfus51PbyPm65R6B36Nxa97H4IpPaRkimjRxxzujlVaE-bgQU5kflkFI7/s320/vi2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567018653940140898" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A woman does laundry at a waterfall in Savu Village, an isolated village established for forestry workers and their families</span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBn-0j_k3dhpUFM6fjJ_cZDAo0BHq_3rIDRFTSAFmY_dy-7HuOlodGfBlNc9xgm_PVFHl3iYnyKry7Eu5sFpjVfus51PbyPm65R6B36Nxa97H4IpPaRkimjRxxzujlVaE-bgQU5kflkFI7/s1600/vi2.jpg"><span lang="EN-US"></span></a><span lang="EN-US"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGInazruPJn-QRShcrQo_F5C3CD-KdNupW6-BZTDZq4FMj6H3B8we4o9RJI4Z5e-5VH42NVjAiR8m4n1ojWtF3joQqLTZyqsDWZ3dg080xyNi4-uw__NWDEPI0v_TlwGHOv1aaqYXPkSw/s1600/vig.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGInazruPJn-QRShcrQo_F5C3CD-KdNupW6-BZTDZq4FMj6H3B8we4o9RJI4Z5e-5VH42NVjAiR8m4n1ojWtF3joQqLTZyqsDWZ3dg080xyNi4-uw__NWDEPI0v_TlwGHOv1aaqYXPkSw/s320/vig.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567018658605128434" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Speaking of boating, about two weeks ago I paddled the Dadakulaci (my boat’s name) up a different river that runs beside my village. About a mile upstream I saw a dorsal fin gliding across the river. Surely enough it was a bull shark, about 4-5 feet long. I couldn’t believe it. I knew they could live in freshwater but didn’t believe I’d actually run into one in a river. It swam right up to my boat, just out of curiosity it seemed. I swung my paddle at it and it swam away. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">My villagers are interested in starting a seawall to help protect against rising sea levels. I am game to work on this but they haven’t been very organized the past three months and I’m not sure if there will be enough organization to get the proje</span><span lang="EN-US">ct up and going before I leave. We currently have 3 projects in the village up and running with the crab farm, tree nursery, and the water project, and I’m not confident a fourth will be started before July (my month of departure). I am already looking at my future; my next move. I’m studying for the GRE and researching jobs on the internet when I get such opportunities. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I kind of adopted another stray dog this month. But I left my village for the weekend this past week and when I came back it was gone. Pretty sure someone killed it and threw it in the ocean. The ocean disposes of many “problems” in Fiji.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">RIP - Skipa</span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3Ibrdyn6mFMGBKXQ2QIfeWliOjViMI91fPio9OyVCbvrn-CH-cuHdhykYqn252dKEuLYOzteyqjOn7OYObgwsZ12rkn_7C_KvKQjtm9JZvwP5njRGoID-AoYhHCZzntCwEG3PkckyTbH/s1600/SAM_1863.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3Ibrdyn6mFMGBKXQ2QIfeWliOjViMI91fPio9OyVCbvrn-CH-cuHdhykYqn252dKEuLYOzteyqjOn7OYObgwsZ12rkn_7C_KvKQjtm9JZvwP5njRGoID-AoYhHCZzntCwEG3PkckyTbH/s320/SAM_1863.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567017211669064066" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span lang="EN-US">Good books I’ve read recently: <u>The Importance of Being Earnest</u>, by Oscar Wilde; <u>Shadow of the Wind</u>, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon; <u>The Third Chimpanzee</u>, by Jared Diamond; <u>The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway</u>; and <u>Netherland</u>, Joseph O'Neill.</span></i></p>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-25224723278923725962010-12-31T16:31:00.000-08:002011-01-01T10:46:56.328-08:00Another Fijian DecemberDecember is a fun time to be in the village. Visitors and villagers that have migrated to the big cities come back to spend the holidays in the bushes. The village is loud with children and wood chopping but its a welcoming change from the usual silence. All work stops and that's fine with me. Nobody wants to do anything but sit around, mingle, and drink grog. It rains everyday and its very humid, so I spend about an hour everyday just sitting in the stream that runs behind the village. We had a funeral recently and killed two cows and four pigs for the occasion. Also had baskets of fish and quite a few chickens to eat. All is well in Tailevu. <div></div><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong></em> </div><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></strong></em> </div><div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">Girls feasting after the funeral</span></strong></em></div><div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557287984247091922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuPuWy2JjbIKjBhd7JGoms6rZSIelU2Q6iMl5WVP6kO_KOyYyJpS5ZgWuqusvS2DdME7JPO-uRQJDD7g8y-QLeFxC4Qa1b9ldVWaPHHIWd6wK-axc7aqvQlKdRhbotxzVbfTJQczLROnhx/s320/SAM_1571.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em></em></strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Men relaxing on a boat</em></strong></span></div><div></div><div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557287979415755138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIliK38l-cyR6aNFA9peSXSermshX8UAFaBpzQe0h7TB5LoKAKyrvLIbUO2ZymmSAITjkg7q2_hDdYg7mY7ReAGbJP1l9TVFeU3Yy5jgaaWA-rpTIQI4W3MvmMtxMDoo31AG-t5uC_JiSL/s320/SAM_1568.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em></em></strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Jone butchers a cow</em></strong></span></div><div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557287974252876338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBXcVWnz4Rd4RwzRByONiuXCa6Nur_3dPyYkErzNs8d1t5o6BoTXhwRQOLTk9koCw0F1d7XhgA0nEt8XB6x6aPKCOwjIPM_IO3gYmZP_kX47pRP9eaa7c3EBxxbcykd4_JhSWUxwYtrbG/s320/SAM_1560.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Sunset in my village</span></em></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></strong></div><div></div><div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557287970252477538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6KQAK-oGX7iXctmh7lf8SeHcPv_ZKQbzp6PvY5IvA17A3rwJYkmrFc66KffOGPkbt9z6iQWpDdLNm-zL1z5lkI81bD145r50-FvetFOrqYuXrPZ21d7w1CFJ7y5tQse1EWrFTFWweE34/s320/SAM_1541.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em></em></strong></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><em>Palm tree in the village</em></strong></span></div><div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557287964387112354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmbXbxy8-TFRfu0O_0Q6Gr0TZA-9k1mQGO-HuyZTY-L6AzYBzeC_MZ-UGtWrJRy8pULFR-ME4OkmHfLFgyCBK7B-RE4eLqkjII5FBNVNgijakaqVKYDCdIDsL9IQ7W6W7JYxnp2V3wSz7B/s320/SAM_1539.JPG" /></div>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-32432834293649477672010-11-05T15:11:00.000-07:002010-11-05T15:37:44.459-07:00Halloween and Truckin On<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >Halloween was crazy just as I expected. About 20 of us volunteers got together at a backpackers resort for the weekend. Costumes included four Lady Gagas, a Catholic school girl, a girl scout selling cookies, Jesus, a beer bottle, Spider-Man, Santa Clause, a construction worker and others. At night we drank and danced and built a bonfire and at day we did beach stuff.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Halloween: Dancing at the Beach House</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM0hGAa9RmVV0qnYNMjdTm-eH438_aNBxA1M-Xp2vVtvbo8Z0xe2hd9SiD-OVhqRaoAiS2Tc3rpTPMpMCil0hkLbyIfzLvkBNIN-LdKgmnjYvws-OO5q-AWJOTb0vafWcb0xnWMdhUzLx/s1600/SAM_1431.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM0hGAa9RmVV0qnYNMjdTm-eH438_aNBxA1M-Xp2vVtvbo8Z0xe2hd9SiD-OVhqRaoAiS2Tc3rpTPMpMCil0hkLbyIfzLvkBNIN-LdKgmnjYvws-OO5q-AWJOTb0vafWcb0xnWMdhUzLx/s320/SAM_1431.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536195853049055586" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Halloween: Lydia, Christa, Lisa, and Natalie as Lady Gaga</span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFM0hGAa9RmVV0qnYNMjdTm-eH438_aNBxA1M-Xp2vVtvbo8Z0xe2hd9SiD-OVhqRaoAiS2Tc3rpTPMpMCil0hkLbyIfzLvkBNIN-LdKgmnjYvws-OO5q-AWJOTb0vafWcb0xnWMdhUzLx/s1600/SAM_1431.JPG"><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ></span></a><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NczPBcxww9GCUzZ8-vwn97xxlXE_ur6TO-WdB5KztC5gEm1iUjglxv6K9A1IodSO_J9flgo8beG0bUIkeSOE8zxVM1DtASj4o_Qm5ThW_BH7wqxYiFgqCm-ddvhCVLPOTn4FbKhuTtVI/s1600/SAM_1376.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3NczPBcxww9GCUzZ8-vwn97xxlXE_ur6TO-WdB5KztC5gEm1iUjglxv6K9A1IodSO_J9flgo8beG0bUIkeSOE8zxVM1DtASj4o_Qm5ThW_BH7wqxYiFgqCm-ddvhCVLPOTn4FbKhuTtVI/s320/SAM_1376.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536195840229736994" border="0" /></a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > Back in the village now. My first days back in the village after a weekend off involves nothing but cleaning. The ecosystem in my bure takes over and I spend 24 hours cleaning rat and gecko shit, knocking down spider webs, sweeping dust, and generally reclaiming the bure as my own.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > My environmental class I teach for the 7th and 8th graders onc</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >e a week is getting out of control because they have figured out that I am fake grading them. I "grade" them to motivate to do the work I ask, but because my lessons are not in the mandatory cirriculum the grades actually mean nothing. So now I have to come up with a reward system to encourage their work ethic that actually works better. I still really enjoy the teaching - I think the kids are learning a lot and they like me and the class. We do a lot of hands-on stuff outside and get dirty an</span><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" >d that's where Fijians excel.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">My 8th graders identify insect habitats</span></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68Tnf1BLx7TkUf6A4F7JPmaAa_XStw6sIRs1fYj3NyA5yQLzM0H4_DnGeP8EiVI-mFi0ulmNlWRBBqmAI5k4lG2yy8TE4Bd6j8VmDfZ8Cv66khgutN4cyzkaKgKhov2WBk6BUKxoGOw8g/s1600/P3190530.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68Tnf1BLx7TkUf6A4F7JPmaAa_XStw6sIRs1fYj3NyA5yQLzM0H4_DnGeP8EiVI-mFi0ulmNlWRBBqmAI5k4lG2yy8TE4Bd6j8VmDfZ8Cv66khgutN4cyzkaKgKhov2WBk6BUKxoGOw8g/s320/P3190530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536195821407624770" border="0" /></a></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" > Life in general is still really good. It's no longer "fresh" and a lot of aspects have become very mundane, but that's the case wherever you are after a year of living - you just have to keep finding things new to try. And that's pretty easy to do when you live in the bush by the sea. I have approximately seven months left.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Bill and Kini, cousins and my neighbors, go spear fishing just outside my bure</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><span style=";font-size:100%;" lang="EN-US" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidx8Va-0HdgKuogLQCF0o1FfP3MyqNFL6Vv9sisWzmykdWUARkUjkZmEhRU4YzU6aFbhBBHXkmV7wdFcG8zXVt5ER3xC5DYlmiWxdobDkyIRDI7CB8m_gP59qb-F8nr2K0DUCMxaNQsVMA/s1600/SAM_1502.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidx8Va-0HdgKuogLQCF0o1FfP3MyqNFL6Vv9sisWzmykdWUARkUjkZmEhRU4YzU6aFbhBBHXkmV7wdFcG8zXVt5ER3xC5DYlmiWxdobDkyIRDI7CB8m_gP59qb-F8nr2K0DUCMxaNQsVMA/s320/SAM_1502.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536195828853660834" border="0" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></p>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-86419597173129192582010-11-01T14:27:00.000-07:002010-11-01T14:57:58.537-07:00Parent's Visit and Completed Water Project<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />Mom and Dad on Caqalai Island<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pYJ9XsteV4tKJT3ftTSgkTdDVzRB67kGWktrdJttKvnqnM8Dx3jUUH-ItsltpxAVS_xIEXJRX_OWcPYyTHmxG-bFUkLj8xA9tAmG3x61VKJC32i6FiTOoo9AkPN4eJyHINvMrUPOjj_v/s1600/SAM_1312.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pYJ9XsteV4tKJT3ftTSgkTdDVzRB67kGWktrdJttKvnqnM8Dx3jUUH-ItsltpxAVS_xIEXJRX_OWcPYyTHmxG-bFUkLj8xA9tAmG3x61VKJC32i6FiTOoo9AkPN4eJyHINvMrUPOjj_v/s320/SAM_1312.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534700344820232994" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dad shows some village kids some pics</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_2TJEIQs9ZtWRSSdSfTWZByWeMQhANxqOEu49z2wY73YIpJVVlhjf6hGPGaMTtJCIL_5DNxAhSmmkchY-yA0RvBHhkPf3NJjGdvcP57gbEyGQird0kosPii1ixde_XcaBGbvmBN5SiSL/s1600/SAM_1302.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_2TJEIQs9ZtWRSSdSfTWZByWeMQhANxqOEu49z2wY73YIpJVVlhjf6hGPGaMTtJCIL_5DNxAhSmmkchY-yA0RvBHhkPf3NJjGdvcP57gbEyGQird0kosPii1ixde_XcaBGbvmBN5SiSL/s320/SAM_1302.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534700352040540690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mom chats with the women in my village</span></span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDdLXkEpnGnPCLuX5cqHfnwJYLtSX5QGCmie5fVxUzlB8zY0NAtQehGvE9G4NzdZCZDL7dWFORqVoG5XTuNnau3Y-ZnUt9Nd75sRQ6sZt-JbXMmAjqduhRjDCBLZPSyRjLoxkKD7ijUG2/s1600/SAM_1286.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDdLXkEpnGnPCLuX5cqHfnwJYLtSX5QGCmie5fVxUzlB8zY0NAtQehGvE9G4NzdZCZDL7dWFORqVoG5XTuNnau3Y-ZnUt9Nd75sRQ6sZt-JbXMmAjqduhRjDCBLZPSyRjLoxkKD7ijUG2/s320/SAM_1286.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534700347824374786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">My parents just visited me for about eight days… it was a great vacation for them and me. They spent a few days in my village and were treated like royalty which was not the least bit surprising to myself. We did some hiking around my village and enjoyed a few rounds of grog with the locals. Everyone thought my dad was younger than I was. Then we had a little dance in the community hall where my parents’ dancing had the villagers on the floor laughing. When they left some villagers shed some tears, including my counterpart who was so s</span><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">addened by their departure that he couldn’t eat for two days. My parents and I then travelled on</span><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US"> some smaller islands off the east coast, and then headed back along the Coral Coast where they departed from Nadi – back to labels and airplanes. Thanks parents!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">One sad reoccurring behavior on the part of villagers in Fiji is that they poison dogs. To them dogs can be pests that mess with livestock, steal food, and shit all around the village. So they set out little trays of poison mixed with some tasty fish rubbish, and next thing I know I am trying to sleep with the sounds of dry heaving outside my bure for four consecutive nights. Last week I watched a child crying while digging a grave for hi</span><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">s dog, all</span><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US"> the while watching his dog vomit himself to death. The issue will be brought up at the next village meeting.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US"><span style=""> </span>Sorry, that was very depressing. On a lighter note – our wat</span><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">er project has been funded! The project involves a borehole to be dug (which has been completed and we hit fresh water about 30 meters deep), reservoir tanks placed on top of a hill (see pics – I thought we would all be squashed by a rolling, out of control 10,000 liter water tank), and pipeline to be laid from the borehole to the tanks to the village. Most of the work has been completed. All that is left is to connect the piping. We have been working on this project since I got </span><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">here so it is quite a relief to have it done with. Now the villagers will have drinking/bathing/cleaning water come directly inside the house. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Preparing to haul a one ton, 10,000 liter tank up a 300 foot hill, we contemplate whether its a good idea or not.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVwKspbzrOdQ7SLBoCBP8owQNFTY2T_3whSsZSjReNdT8_Q25fynWFAhMaieCFx5Zdjyaabz9zctjTDG-rd-VwLgIdI-xN4egqTy7nyLk7JTWQDoN4Uz2Ab4Ae0CCCRq2o2xo_pd1nSgO/s1600/SAM_1481.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVwKspbzrOdQ7SLBoCBP8owQNFTY2T_3whSsZSjReNdT8_Q25fynWFAhMaieCFx5Zdjyaabz9zctjTDG-rd-VwLgIdI-xN4egqTy7nyLk7JTWQDoN4Uz2Ab4Ae0CCCRq2o2xo_pd1nSgO/s320/SAM_1481.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534700365798081842" border="0" /></a></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Etuate, Momo, Lase and I haul the tanks using a rigged up pulley system</span></span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuv9yE6l6LyhRcE_ayT8Q1BZPn6EG5qPblCL62C5yphvzdAqmb6XB__-zXUyQDnl_PKLpGco6LiJvQsuaGYHADnbBjxZ-FKyX3O4NhNIR8J_Zm186A8E3ci3YmQMP4ZWi66sDwMvjRCAl/s1600/SAM_1491.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyuv9yE6l6LyhRcE_ayT8Q1BZPn6EG5qPblCL62C5yphvzdAqmb6XB__-zXUyQDnl_PKLpGco6LiJvQsuaGYHADnbBjxZ-FKyX3O4NhNIR8J_Zm186A8E3ci3YmQMP4ZWi66sDwMvjRCAl/s320/SAM_1491.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534700373847344562" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">The crab pond continues to struggle due mainly to the villager’s lack of interest. I’m not going to force it down their throat but I am going reorganize the management of it to stimulate the involvement. It really just needs some TLC and attention like the tree nursery has, which is generating a good bit of income and will be the foundation of improvements to be made to our watershed. We will start reforesting locally very soon.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span style=";font-family:";" lang="EN-US">I am traveling further and further in my boat. I have to really time it well with the tides and weather if I want to go anywhere outside of the mangrove forest that I live in. I also have to make another paddle because I flipped the boat recently and my paddle broke so I’ve been using a shovel.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dolphins in the channel between Moturiki and Caqalai Islands</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER73L06BuRjDHFvMURmbjblATe5Z4jOd7hAzNgkqdIw7ivo10XNzR-y5GTnbv3PVQ7IvtmRa7G-E43QDyYYDl22FkwjJepdtYmFMRvaGhTvipiCZl6hlu9TU2A4-Q0oYDH1ZI9h-A3VP_/s1600/SAM_1313.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER73L06BuRjDHFvMURmbjblATe5Z4jOd7hAzNgkqdIw7ivo10XNzR-y5GTnbv3PVQ7IvtmRa7G-E43QDyYYDl22FkwjJepdtYmFMRvaGhTvipiCZl6hlu9TU2A4-Q0oYDH1ZI9h-A3VP_/s320/SAM_1313.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534703304317607730" border="0" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></p>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-42826464662405731422010-09-10T18:43:00.000-07:002010-09-10T19:34:33.441-07:00Northern Islands and My New Blue Bucket<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Yalewa on Kia Island</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDH7ddCCpvDi5uH-YHSWs6vB-PfmsfKvdGGuRpqjU3T9Xe3Imh7Xbok1JiKwL3iXnajVO0xIfI5lMshzxoyHeOxdSuQoYKYI-Kk5ag7zQXWjA-83Pz9EjH8Xn_ILA-5Mbm-oWP-kZJ084/s1600/SAM_0952.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDH7ddCCpvDi5uH-YHSWs6vB-PfmsfKvdGGuRpqjU3T9Xe3Imh7Xbok1JiKwL3iXnajVO0xIfI5lMshzxoyHeOxdSuQoYKYI-Kk5ag7zQXWjA-83Pz9EjH8Xn_ILA-5Mbm-oWP-kZJ084/s320/SAM_0952.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515475303733089874" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Another boil - I really hate these things</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2dX2deNPj9p__7zIBm3b3knnjtEn9StdQOPpkqrsasvoSlEWDUVB8bXP7HOLYcyolrmrCdbtk72tW02QUaIW8BYaL29n-OpMdZ9zybT7cvWI7BXUBOWsi_bpvSblzP3jubKGSD7J2Cxs/s1600/SAM_1182.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2dX2deNPj9p__7zIBm3b3knnjtEn9StdQOPpkqrsasvoSlEWDUVB8bXP7HOLYcyolrmrCdbtk72tW02QUaIW8BYaL29n-OpMdZ9zybT7cvWI7BXUBOWsi_bpvSblzP3jubKGSD7J2Cxs/s320/SAM_1182.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515473663191069810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;">Yesterday I bought myself a blue bucket. I will use this bucket for bathing and carrying water. My old bucket got a hole in it and I found myself racing against gravity’ pull on water to bathe myself before the water flowed out and into the banana trees. You wouldn’t believe the outcry when I strolled into the village from town with a brand new shiny blue bucket… “Oi! Veremo tiko dua na bukete vou!” (Graham has a new bucket!) “Rai rai vinaka nomu bukete!” (Your bucket looks great!) “Na cava kena yaga na bukete qori?” (What are you going to do with that bucket?) “E vica kena sau nomu bukete?” (How much did you pay for that bucket?). You would have thought I brought the circus into town.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Unsettling ride at a festival in Labasa</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-nDnPoL7s5LT4DE68zugnx1hkUv8Ei8ua81hqbFdiMeaPEybjQVI9ITlwmrhkJf_rx78cDnt7na4HBLgDW1T4icNiyi1C-yPeeaJYDiLL1OG8eLWNite_wsVPxPLSPPyVD9naT_opAxZ/s1600/SAM_1101.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-nDnPoL7s5LT4DE68zugnx1hkUv8Ei8ua81hqbFdiMeaPEybjQVI9ITlwmrhkJf_rx78cDnt7na4HBLgDW1T4icNiyi1C-yPeeaJYDiLL1OG8eLWNite_wsVPxPLSPPyVD9naT_opAxZ/s320/SAM_1101.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515473656076823682" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Water is scarce this time of year. I’ve had to do a lot of recycling. For example, rain falls from the roof into my bucket, where I use it to wash my dishes. Then I take that water to “flush” my pit toilet, where it flows into my banana trees which breaks it down and drinks it up. I haven’t bathed in a few days because our stream bed is dry.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>My work still revolves around the crab farm and tree nursery and 8<sup>th</sup> grade teaching. My efforts for the next year will be focused on having the villagers take ownership of these to keep them sustainable.</p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Samu, Nei, Mere, and Na Levu working in the tree nursery</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlB7p10T5J2tdD8tnisQLKYoLbkcYF3DS3XknHIryRXa6T9NX1w5oDXJM55xqUgu0-Jk9dgSpF2SEhZfXGxu5fV7JJYFpy6evo2m_jG1XClBZw2LxqrjW9UY1gPjK-q-PadPCDQwMMWeL/s1600/SAM_1199.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlB7p10T5J2tdD8tnisQLKYoLbkcYF3DS3XknHIryRXa6T9NX1w5oDXJM55xqUgu0-Jk9dgSpF2SEhZfXGxu5fV7JJYFpy6evo2m_jG1XClBZw2LxqrjW9UY1gPjK-q-PadPCDQwMMWeL/s320/SAM_1199.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515475320632391826" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Drinking at the campgrounds in Savusavu, Kia at sunset, and view from the top of Kia Island</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXZoKPIVQWNiQtAeqJNj3uqyLwFRGm0b4qtSVlkVIWFDLotckUyGglyHNSLrWW_1ilucJAiLeBrwYa7xAbxznFyPtP1Bik68dezK990enufmOvHtngxpQoapolANNuPBWss8CPF-mk4rr/s1600/SAM_1077.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXZoKPIVQWNiQtAeqJNj3uqyLwFRGm0b4qtSVlkVIWFDLotckUyGglyHNSLrWW_1ilucJAiLeBrwYa7xAbxznFyPtP1Bik68dezK990enufmOvHtngxpQoapolANNuPBWss8CPF-mk4rr/s320/SAM_1077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515475298060241250" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKfSf-TmDEHh1BIVMPEMoFrysNvfd6p37u9jB3rLJkM7N7MIdYZq2jIxFZmjBwFkzzlAbXZMr0UV9fx5gHJGoC8CCYrPXGkvrQKZxZH-pvC5K2IIakRCablDK6rycAwutX87kVaaCSlui/s1600/SAM_1114.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKfSf-TmDEHh1BIVMPEMoFrysNvfd6p37u9jB3rLJkM7N7MIdYZq2jIxFZmjBwFkzzlAbXZMr0UV9fx5gHJGoC8CCYrPXGkvrQKZxZH-pvC5K2IIakRCablDK6rycAwutX87kVaaCSlui/s320/SAM_1114.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515473649240196594" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_QYxuB3aBjpi_WBEYGGje9M7QoyyJlUuDbdSWx6AWI7tIlSrHeVbld__xNoWg-tBUsMTFhT-bWYHOc_YvQNPXA495ROts07VmnHD6lISu7zn72pMBlau_q3iMu2O0YD4FTpJ4ofnteap/s1600/SAM_1105.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_QYxuB3aBjpi_WBEYGGje9M7QoyyJlUuDbdSWx6AWI7tIlSrHeVbld__xNoWg-tBUsMTFhT-bWYHOc_YvQNPXA495ROts07VmnHD6lISu7zn72pMBlau_q3iMu2O0YD4FTpJ4ofnteap/s320/SAM_1105.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515473635804492642" border="0" /></a>Recently I returned from some northern islands- Kia and Labasa and Savusavu on Vanua Levu. Kia is very isolated and beautiful. The people subsist on pretty much fishing only. We slept on a floor with rats and ate fish and drank kava. The island jets out of the water and climbs maybe 800 feet, is very green, and surrounded by fringing reefs. We did some hiking and snorkelling. The people of Kia are being pressured to open their island for commercial activity which will redirect the lifestyle of the people, for better or worse, forever. Salt factories, hotels, and diving and surfing ventures are among the prospectors. Some fellow PC’s and myself discussed at length with some elders the pros and cons (mainly cons) these businesses would bring and the impacts it would have. I think they appreciated our two cents. In Labasa we marched in the Friendly North Parade, representing Peace Corps well, and camped and snorkelled and talked to white people <span style=""> </span>in Savusavu.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >Marching in the Festival of the Friendly North Parade</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFxrQBuhBASMuTGh9BybEsTfVWz4wfNkaqcnqS-tXKq3OOV8WJ0BUuT4QAksn0XhyKDYhfBNVopwkTJrjg7IUmhmn3DuYCcpH3426HIkpU4CIRyBQvFKw-LiUn-xq_qgqqmcwlu4g_VHU/s1600/SAM_1091.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFxrQBuhBASMuTGh9BybEsTfVWz4wfNkaqcnqS-tXKq3OOV8WJ0BUuT4QAksn0XhyKDYhfBNVopwkTJrjg7IUmhmn3DuYCcpH3426HIkpU4CIRyBQvFKw-LiUn-xq_qgqqmcwlu4g_VHU/s320/SAM_1091.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515473671945141858" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Go Dawgs!</p>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-17920124394121871232010-08-17T19:04:00.000-07:002010-08-17T19:37:25.354-07:00Incapacitated<div><div><div><div> </div><div>I have been in the PC infirmary for three weeks now and will be here for one more before the PC doctors let me leave. I am fine, but I had to have surgery and have to have the big hole in my back taken care of twice daily by the friendly nurses at Suva Private Hospital until it heals enough.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506572095142739426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKGYymwc81EdN0lKvcxAdQos8ogdZwZcI76AAjxh2NdC68FziKHTCP0Y_jMFchN_DeFXQni4HfJeugBR4O9o3p41y_ol3v_HC-Y-VozO8YsdEBaeWUnxVQI0BURs7sAfuNFU9PlON6MLFd/s320/SAM_0918.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506572100522279570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutds_g7erGD5YTKMad3wOWjM5tT6EjSLDjSYvdO755BqLQtUFHYimGuaw4F6vNdhSh-f8trjG0tdIuV-7vSxCYIOXs9dC30b9x0Df60DFe9oIWkHsYyu7ic73QQlxyFWpEYSb4bA7cTfQ/s320/SAM_0914.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>My room is a white box with a twin bed, chair, electric kettle and a tv that picks up two stations - Al Jazeera and FijiOne (Fiji's local station that airs dubbed Korean soap operas).</div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506572103713830802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoro9YAtTvdsMji9az9VX9Pz8h1otdan8mSkAggn73hnrAjV-Cd_EMXRaygQuOykz-ty0rc7epUylnEm0Ku_oQTcVXmPQwj2h030B3-tVksKxWtThUjeB2WjXlhoqwhXn1cQ0vsjMiHkmA/s320/SAM_0920.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div>I try to get work done while here. I meet with Government agencies - Ministry of Environment, Land and Water Resource Division, Department of Tourism - to get assistance with projects. But for the most part I'm useless because the real, meaningful work is done in the village, working with the villagers. I just can't wait to go back.</div><div>But I fill my time and try to enjoy myself as best as I can. I swim, go for walks, meet friends for happy hour drinks. </div><br /><div>Suva is a really nice city for being a major international port. Its got about 80,000 people of very mixed ethnic backgrounds; predominately Fijian and Indo-Fijian, but heavy influences of Polynesians, Asians (Chinese and Korean), and European descent (Austrailian and New Zealand, with some British and American expats.) This stew creates a lot of good looking people. Very pretty women. USP, the largest University in the South Pacific, is here, and so are plenty of jobs (relatively speaking) so the area attracts a lot of young people who flee the villages in droves in hopes of adapting the western way of living they see on the picture screens. So its a young vibrant city that is a paradox to the village life - its difficult to shuffle back and forth between the two. I'm really looking forward to getting back to the village and staying there.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506572118102474450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz5ZFzolnsv7IIXSpcbeKn5j0YozKdQj5s6pMQp3k87agAXiQNmwoh2Cq8joTGQ9P8Zmo6CRR74WvL9ziNlQt3JJ1r3ZIf5XDhmT30afAF-xgBsh6f9cDGZA8LTG5u1_VuE929fIJGPfP/s320/downtown-suva.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5506572123268466082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 219px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCwAyzDIlnu24tO31aZ42qnfC6ByDSKpXDAFai6Fhw4Ud_rYZuK7KVN0lYLHOsbpD9CwFPvia5wv8j69eDMXwc7c-cXkzIEMON05cGOu_sG0LxFaX7DPhIXZjLQuBO8dbWiRHGXtTfCyq/s320/suva-fiji.jpg" border="0" />Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-50586019508112474652010-08-04T21:07:00.000-07:002010-08-04T21:29:59.827-07:00Boils and Language<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GCDQyvyYRntBGZCX0v-gx7WC8xN_VEUPsOnkN1h9i9jSDNhZleee2uHCIUirhQOIY-j_AAbQRcx5h8HeHYhpcPqO_fSQ4CzC7c_LplOXPAjccCHIkjO8LjAUqRFtWy35ZnNMsnsIHq3A/s1600/IMGP0834.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501775276385654370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GCDQyvyYRntBGZCX0v-gx7WC8xN_VEUPsOnkN1h9i9jSDNhZleee2uHCIUirhQOIY-j_AAbQRcx5h8HeHYhpcPqO_fSQ4CzC7c_LplOXPAjccCHIkjO8LjAUqRFtWy35ZnNMsnsIHq3A/s320/IMGP0834.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My schedule has been pretty regular for the past couple months: wake up, have tea, wait for high tide to take my boat out (there are two nearby rivers and I sometimes paddle upstream to nearby villages to storytell – sometimes I fish, sometimes I don’t), then I bring the boat in, eat lunch, read, nap, then go to the farm a couple of hours, then tend to the crab pond or nursery, whichever is needed. Then I eat dinner and am in bed by 9:00. I go to town once a week for food, meetings, computer, beer, whatever. And that’s life.<br />But this past week I’ve been in Suva because of an infected boil. It sounds gross. It is very gross and very painful. (See photo below). So on the 1st the Peace Corps doctors sent me to Suva Private Hospital for surgery. They put me under the gas and the scalpel and a few hours later I had a huge hole in my back. Somehow the problem is solved, but I’m still in Suva for a week recovering and getting the wound dressed twice a day.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501773800313191554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ETpJtQhJRNAtLvTn5Kgk-KWtDC_pOB5ltyzkB96bS1PrwarEZgvQKvDUHgUjh0siiY6aKTzjCGCHcEDdRtXP42-MOV5aFMBa7Cqe4rABP3DdRcpLG2vQnmM23P0w0akTZnknXqV2RWO0/s320/SAM_0911.JPG" border="0" /><br />In my garden I’m growing French beans, carrots, taro, and spinach. The crab pond is having problems – mainly a result of poor water exchange with the tides. This is because our drain isn’t deep enough and the pipe isn’t big enough. There is an easy solution; dig deeper and buy a bigger pipe. But getting these little tasks done here are what makes my job difficult. They don’t get done. I could do it myself, but the whole point in me being here is to build their capacity to manage and sustain projects like this and a quick fix by me gives them the illusion that foreigners will continue to come in and improve their simple little lives. At the last village meeting I expressed all this and they agreed to fix the drainage issue. But they didn’t. All that being said we do have healthy crabs.<br />The Fijian language is great because it, like most indigenous languages, is based and revolve around the natural environment. Siga means both sun and day and vula means both moon and month There’s about eight translations of the word break, depending on whether you break a stick, a vine, a bone, etc. Same for the words cut, carry, pull, and other verbs. They are all related to things you find in nature.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_XgJcVDruYe9Svr9VPRRuSNvi3EZE9B8saQ4BFRkfVAGH9XNJaCUj35Q7fqbXSUV2hjJWizu9tahVXhzBILgaE2tLxUVX_V7EFZ-yPOHNyTG15pwX90201psQphT1xRxOWHkwLbbONFi/s1600/SAM_0877.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501775258279148274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_XgJcVDruYe9Svr9VPRRuSNvi3EZE9B8saQ4BFRkfVAGH9XNJaCUj35Q7fqbXSUV2hjJWizu9tahVXhzBILgaE2tLxUVX_V7EFZ-yPOHNyTG15pwX90201psQphT1xRxOWHkwLbbONFi/s320/SAM_0877.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />They use animal names as sexual references. Without going into details (partly because some are too dirty but mainly because I still don’t understand them all), examples are crabs, clams, different types of fish, goats, and eels. So if I ask a girl from Nadroga (a southern province), Vakacava tiko no mē? (How’s the goat?) this is a way of flirting. It confuses me and sometimes when I just want to ask someone if there are lots of oysters in their bay they just laugh and give me a high five. Whatever.<br />All in all things are really good. I’ve been in the village a little over a year and have another to go. Someone come visit. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZPQ-nncJz22gTUd3phnrnPtnlNFzjElzhcei7Q39KQFkixoi59GB1SkQDEpB8jQQA-J6KqWdLa17bNsM4YjWNaRl6dD8KZUfa7WuA11bXhdTIzkI5O9pv7HtWi09oWkzkNe90sZn-ScM/s1600/IMGP0820.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501775267977720322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZPQ-nncJz22gTUd3phnrnPtnlNFzjElzhcei7Q39KQFkixoi59GB1SkQDEpB8jQQA-J6KqWdLa17bNsM4YjWNaRl6dD8KZUfa7WuA11bXhdTIzkI5O9pv7HtWi09oWkzkNe90sZn-ScM/s320/IMGP0820.JPG" border="0" /></a>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-89331444647321037672010-07-16T16:05:00.000-07:002010-08-04T21:33:12.931-07:00Questions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2XGgduWSwTu00jdQMw1gJVV97dX-TMEBtGyovSwoPaYsmdI8rq_5Z5LNtrtBMTVu6vJ3zfix9fpRc13gQAlkzhjI4GIkyApsDi5fAE-cJliFenrcg09fyZGN7hUSK4dTh6yVvtpqdi7q/s1600/SAM_0311.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494649184239546290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2XGgduWSwTu00jdQMw1gJVV97dX-TMEBtGyovSwoPaYsmdI8rq_5Z5LNtrtBMTVu6vJ3zfix9fpRc13gQAlkzhjI4GIkyApsDi5fAE-cJliFenrcg09fyZGN7hUSK4dTh6yVvtpqdi7q/s320/SAM_0311.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Here are some common questions I get that I will answer here in one spot...</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">What do you eat?</span><br />Typically, Breakfast includes crackers with jam, fruit (usually papaya or some citrus), and tea. For lunch I'll eat a can of tuna with salt and fresh chili peppers and lemon juice along with some root crops. And for dinner some type of fish with a local spinach and root crops is pretty typical.<br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br />How do you bathe? </span><br />I fill a bucket with water that is piped in from the nearby creek. Or if I'm really dirty I just lay in the creek.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">How do you know how to build a crab farm?</span><br />I don't. I just tried it and so far its working.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Do you miss home?</span><br />Family and friends.<br /><br />Do you live on the beach?<br />No. I live on the coast and it is beautiful, but surrounded by mangroves and no sandy beach.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">What do you do at night?</span><br />Read, write, help kids with homework, drink grog.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Do you get paid?</span><br />Enough to live at the local level. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbBXGI5dxDD62zuiANrzZUWCtaA4harkvLD2ECsOaRfgCHgFOoFKvlGiYTdqYUYxQuVeG5rc0AD5yIktqj7GbpTiXe_gEW-CQogs2BUFko1APA4GP8n6GevX9UuSqma9knxz5Nzo2joWx/s1600/SAM_0305.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494649178473724258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbBXGI5dxDD62zuiANrzZUWCtaA4harkvLD2ECsOaRfgCHgFOoFKvlGiYTdqYUYxQuVeG5rc0AD5yIktqj7GbpTiXe_gEW-CQogs2BUFko1APA4GP8n6GevX9UuSqma9knxz5Nzo2joWx/s320/SAM_0305.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br />What are your most valued possessions?</span><br />My boat, my hammock, and my ipod.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Do you have to wipe gecko poop off your bed every night before you crawl into it?</span><br />Yes.Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-9085477274007094062010-07-02T18:41:00.000-07:002010-08-04T21:36:19.270-07:00Hotels, New Boat, Tree Planting, Bylaws<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmfKeHwFj6G_bOa3uKqn7baQDWSOcMxvr3XeDphv-7Qo0AHNa789Fu9mtLCpyJ6cLp_yG-QD2Hpfe-3zUNZ8zqEdBptPXS5vryCgIGJxzcp7psxuhPbQ7Cl7iWum1bJQu0QlsfBWW3_id/s1600/SAM_0535.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489497699874188706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmfKeHwFj6G_bOa3uKqn7baQDWSOcMxvr3XeDphv-7Qo0AHNa789Fu9mtLCpyJ6cLp_yG-QD2Hpfe-3zUNZ8zqEdBptPXS5vryCgIGJxzcp7psxuhPbQ7Cl7iWum1bJQu0QlsfBWW3_id/s320/SAM_0535.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0QNIOM_3Ep1kIOmaujP0PITPzget72YmMy2uv8qqu6ekbvHvXSFEhO5IIsXara8ocWF6DQTbmHcaPhWTBxOHb6YA96hn8In_JjjPeja0XJQR1Z2ZHHvcRcrFRy2IyllsyCOf08eVbWHl/s1600/SAM_0552.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489497711036934722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0QNIOM_3Ep1kIOmaujP0PITPzget72YmMy2uv8qqu6ekbvHvXSFEhO5IIsXara8ocWF6DQTbmHcaPhWTBxOHb6YA96hn8In_JjjPeja0XJQR1Z2ZHHvcRcrFRy2IyllsyCOf08eVbWHl/s320/SAM_0552.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I just spent an entire week at Tradewinds Hotel courtesy of U.S. Peace Corps. The first few days was the Connect Conference in which we basically just get to know the fresh-off-the-boat-PCV's. The second half of the week was mid-service training: We discuss successes, failures, projects, language, and all things PC. It was beneficial. Almost as beneficial as the $4 Austrailian wines I consumed each evening at the happy hour of a nearby cafe. We also danced a lot. Also watched U.S.A heartbreakingly lose to Ghana (with beer in our hands at 6 am). It was really great to see some friends from other islands that I haven't seen in some time. It was a grand old time.<br />I just became the proud owner of a new boat! My worlds has literally doubled. It is a handmade 12 ft. outrigger canoe, painted blue and called the Dadakulaci ("seasnake"). An older PCV made it and gave it to me. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiT011lFYVmlCS7s7I6iT20vy7_Kp1Ge41y-FkdaolH0XD18w54VJNQMzN855wxAqKYlhQlk-JbA14AgZYd6MgJn0zw_4whMG8BXS2LGjtR2fTELdfqTljOR9tAHRdLhnbdV6H8Ct5LuNA/s1600/SAM_0642.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489495743318724018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiT011lFYVmlCS7s7I6iT20vy7_Kp1Ge41y-FkdaolH0XD18w54VJNQMzN855wxAqKYlhQlk-JbA14AgZYd6MgJn0zw_4whMG8BXS2LGjtR2fTELdfqTljOR9tAHRdLhnbdV6H8Ct5LuNA/s320/SAM_0642.JPG" border="0" /></a>I spend my mornings rowing out, exploring the mangroves, fishing, whatever. There are about 4 islands I can paddle to from my village, one of which has a Peace Corps Volunteer on it, so I look forward to visiting those. <br />I am proud to say I have two projects not only implemented but successfully operating: the crab farm and the tree nursery. After weeks of trying to figure out how to coordinate the depth of the crab pond with the rise/fall of the tides, we got it down and the water now changes daily which gives the crabs an environment they can live in.<br />We currently have 2,000 trees growing in our tree nursery. Fiji is aggressively pursuing a 1,000,000 Tree campaign, in which Fiji will plant 1,000,000 trees by the end of the year (there are 900,000 people in Fiji). <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-qKXNV3qXgeE8G51qHgImLxu5MPal_mzJKICtHl7b_S-GMdb9cSiCRzOYCTzLCbH_rCwoRDosjBrbjB9Af_Tg-aTVJZrGbC4dGkB80mqf5WFhN0reGO82f3uKIVOedwvUu1m5LyimOUN/s1600/SAM_0633.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489497690645555202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje-qKXNV3qXgeE8G51qHgImLxu5MPal_mzJKICtHl7b_S-GMdb9cSiCRzOYCTzLCbH_rCwoRDosjBrbjB9Af_Tg-aTVJZrGbC4dGkB80mqf5WFhN0reGO82f3uKIVOedwvUu1m5LyimOUN/s320/SAM_0633.JPG" border="0" /></a>This is great for the environment, and for the economy (assuming at least half will be cut for timber, food, medicine, etc. But the problem is that there are not 1,000,000 seedlings of which to plant. Enter my village. We started a nursery to meet the demands of this campaign. We spend mornings looking for seeds in the bush, and afternoons mixing soil with compost and potting them. Its dirty and fun and takes a long time.<br />At the recent village meeting the villagers brought out a 22 page document of bylaws that were written and put into effect in 1967. The purpose of this was to reinforce these bylaws and revert back to the traditional codes of conduct and rules. The villagers felt modernity was encroaching too fast and needed to go back in time. This means girls won't be able to wear shorts and shoulders must be covered, no cursing, no playing on sundays, old-timy things like that. We just set ourselves back 50 years, for better or for worse. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCRnf1fxbk2tD2G9EvvtyaRZtMwiPLdCRqe5m7AkyxF4c3sTArCmTIKeEPl6ISD9nd93PIJJ1UtV8Rd5sXADzBcSfn-D6N6CVyAtmqy1sCnzyU-TsgYSUQ1XIQE6DSqsFbYUh0WUjB4y8/s1600/SAM_0376.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489497716975420162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCRnf1fxbk2tD2G9EvvtyaRZtMwiPLdCRqe5m7AkyxF4c3sTArCmTIKeEPl6ISD9nd93PIJJ1UtV8Rd5sXADzBcSfn-D6N6CVyAtmqy1sCnzyU-TsgYSUQ1XIQE6DSqsFbYUh0WUjB4y8/s320/SAM_0376.JPG" border="0" /></a>Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-88713926694903353382010-06-28T15:25:00.001-07:002010-06-28T15:25:34.926-07:00Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4046635163561805188.post-21669314090614203562010-06-16T20:04:00.000-07:002010-06-28T15:16:55.225-07:00Year 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPtihN4a-rfMuMOkx_fySXIpWf1NKsvuKXs7ARqUQyXEsJ98Ihdf8huBIgkNypccPepW81EgHxeYAio0KImARvzf_tbAnBs-T8IomeGbWPdnyp-wRfUWPcq8lJrbOT2Bkb76qVSMX56Dm/s1600/SAM_0600.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPtihN4a-rfMuMOkx_fySXIpWf1NKsvuKXs7ARqUQyXEsJ98Ihdf8huBIgkNypccPepW81EgHxeYAio0KImARvzf_tbAnBs-T8IomeGbWPdnyp-wRfUWPcq8lJrbOT2Bkb76qVSMX56Dm/s320/SAM_0600.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487951925138052002" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLcxpBlyB0lcHCWpWrq15JAQcPthoFjBtntZcVLGbM24t4TkCQqT_H4i8qQY3fE6o_nSdiRTqiYKJ65WtwnSLTR81vngl5-0QbD6TJXWoJuthrIEaVYog5yx6RANT7ALsysnYI_0iTDO4/s1600/SAM_0321.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLcxpBlyB0lcHCWpWrq15JAQcPthoFjBtntZcVLGbM24t4TkCQqT_H4i8qQY3fE6o_nSdiRTqiYKJ65WtwnSLTR81vngl5-0QbD6TJXWoJuthrIEaVYog5yx6RANT7ALsysnYI_0iTDO4/s320/SAM_0321.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487951915838283394" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJio5-9yxoWPdQQWaTCiMWt2DH7YOliEl8qZB854d9hARv9WUueyu_em2F5yGUJBYddVaVXEFlLPBV4MdGW8e72ovdoQivUkP4GB12Mjqaur4_saJUAv2UAz8CEg6zrJY36qPb2W9cCknA/s1600/SAM_0115.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJio5-9yxoWPdQQWaTCiMWt2DH7YOliEl8qZB854d9hARv9WUueyu_em2F5yGUJBYddVaVXEFlLPBV4MdGW8e72ovdoQivUkP4GB12Mjqaur4_saJUAv2UAz8CEg6zrJY36qPb2W9cCknA/s320/SAM_0115.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487951903668540386" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">June 4th, 2010</span><br /><br />At nighttime, about three or four days per week, the men in the village get together just to “talanoa” – storytelling. They sit around the grog bowl and tell elongated stories of what happened in the bush that day, rumors about their neighbors, or the size of the fish they caught that day (I can’t count how many times per week they hold their hands out and say “ka levu vaqo” – it was this big). They drink grog the whole time, usually until “they can’t feel feelings anymore,” as Homer Simpson once put it. I enjoy these talanoa sessions but have to limit myself to four or five hours because their sometimes is no end.<br /> We have completed the construction of the crab pond! It is the first crab fattening pond in Fiji, as far as the Ministry of Fisheries knows. I have worked with them, aquaculture professors at University of South Pacific, and local community members to design and implement this experiment. Many people are very excited about this project; if we have good results it could open a whole new sector of income generation for coastal communities in Fiji. This is a sustainable approach to the current near-sighted mining of marine fish along Fiji’s coasts. Work wise - also starting a tree nursery in cooperation with Conservation International. We gather seedlings of native tree species from the forest, grow them and sell them to villagers. But I just started that so I'm not going to go into that because it may fail like 80% of projects in Fiji do.<br /> I’ve done a good bit of travelling recently. Took a trip to the northeast coast of Viti Levu with six other volunteers to celebrate our one year anniversary of being in Fiji. We did some great hiking which involved crawling vertically on all fours to the peak of Mt. Tova. In evenings we did what we do best – build a bonfire on the beach, drink beer, and talk about how hard/easy, fun/boring our lives are. I do say that after a year we are all in generally good spirits. Of the 32 of us that came, only three have left. A new crop of PCV’s arrived – (they are called FRE-8’s, we are FRE-7’s which stands for Fiji Re-Entry Class #7) – so they will replace the FRE-6’s that go home next month. As part of their training they came to my site to learn about my way of life, my work, hardships, easyships, etc… It was refreshing to have new Americans around me. Americans are great.<br /> Last weekend I went to a wedding. A girl Peace Corps Volunteer married a local Fijian. 24 of us PCVs were there to celebrate. After a traditional Fijian ceremony (grog, church service, gigantic lunch, grog, guitar/ukulele playing) we went to Uprising Resort to celebrate in the traditional American way (beer, bonfire, ipods, dancing to the B-52’s).<br /> Now I’m back in the village – beginning year two of my service. Went fishing yesterday, caught a delicious bass “It was this big!” and ate it with ivi’s, a gigantic nut that falls from the trees in May.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">April 14th, 2010</span><br />I’ve recently returned from Merika; my second trip home since I’ve been here which is a lot for being so far away. Yet both trips were very important to me – the most recent being my brother’s wedding. Neil married Miss Margaret at her beautiful farm near Jackson, Georgia. It was the most beautiful ceremony I’ve ever been to and was followed by an equally awesome reception. I had a stomach bug and was vomiting every half hour and danced more than I ever have in my life while sober. Getting back on the plane was difficult; not just because I was saying goodbye to loved ones again, or because of the 23 hours of flight time that loomed ahead, but because the emotional transition between the world I was leaving and the one I was re-entering was quite overwhelming. That being said, once I was situated in my bure, reclined in my hammock, looking over the bay at dawn, I was perfectly content. But between the wedding and my hammock I spent Easter on Taveuni Island with my good Peace Corps buds that I rarely see.<br /> Taveuni is widely regarded as the most scenic of the Fijian Islands. It rises 3,200 feet direct from sea level, completely blanketed in tropical forest, and is home to a large array of endemic species (found nowhere in the world except this island). The first day we played on some natural rock slides and slept at a beach that was no longer a beach because Cyclone Tomas swept it away two weeks prior. The second day we climbed Des Veoux peak, at about 3,100 ft. the 2nd highest on the island (this is really hard when starting at 3 feet.) It was about a three hour climb up a 40 degree slope. We got to the top and were greeted by a cloud cover eliminated any chance of us seeing what must be the most gorgeous vista in Fiji. The next three days we spent at Lavena Lodge (where another PCV works) and hiked and kayaked and jumped off multiple waterfalls. An eight-seater prop took me back to my island so I could resume being a PCV again.<br /> Work wise – we have been awarded a grant to begin work on a crab aquaculture project in the village. It’s a pilot project for the Ministry of Fisheries in that there are currently no successful crabbing programs in Fiji, that I nor the Ministry is aware of. Basically we catch crabs in the mangroves, put them in a pen, feed them fish scraps to fatten them up, then sell them to resorts and markets to bring some income to the village. We are really excited.<br /> Every Wednesday I take a 45 min. stroll up a hilly dirt road to the Tai District School where I teach an environmental awareness class to 7th and 8th graders. I enjoy it but prefer the village work. But the kids are very responsive and much more capable of adapting to environmental practices than the elder, more stubborn villagers. So that is good.<br /> Aside from that I am reading, writing, drinking grog, fishing, farming and watching frogs and geckos slurp up bugs in my bure at night time.<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />February 9th</span><br /><br />My village is so small. The old people and young people that have nothing to do during the day just watch me all day. They know everything I am doing - whether I am at the farm, fetching water, using the bathroom, or reading. I can't lie or hide anything here. It's all in the open; fish in a fishbowl. <br /> Dancing is "taboo" in my village. If the village wants to have a dance we must get permission from the "Vakatawa" who is like the ethical/religious advisor in the village. Permission was asked on New Year's for a dance and he said no. It's like living in Footloose. (However he did grant permission the evening Neil and Margaret visited.) <br /> The village went about a month without rain which is extremely odd for a tropical climate in the wet season. As a result, we drank up all our rain catchment water and our creek bed ran dry for the first time in anybody's memory in the village (we have 80 year olds that have never seen the village creek dried up.) Some people claimed the devil was in our village; they say this whenever something unfortunate happens. So for about a week it got scary. There was a lot of water recyclying going on which is fine up to a point. That point was crossed and I told everyone to stop because it was becoming a health hazard. Some listened, some didn't. We then decided to search for a well. Some of the old-timers in the village knew of some old water depots that they used back in the day. It was deep in the bush. During the trek we waded to our armpits in mucky swamp and ran into three-too many hornets nests. They stung the piss out of me. But we hacked our way to the the spot which was also the head of our stream. We realized there was water just under the stream bed. We dredged the stream bed and weeded the grass out of it which created a flow of sub-surface water that eventually reached our village dam. Now we have water dripping into the village.<br /> I counted: I ate eight whole watermelons this week. About 120 of my projected 900 watermelons could be harvested. Most parrished in the cyclone a month ago. Still have carrots and cucumber growing and my okra is coming up fast. <br /> Work is slow because of some political issues within the village. The villagers say they want to leave the traditional system they have going on for a more modern, democratic system. But they don't really want to change, otherwise they would. So I just have to be patient when it comes to getting things done. I started teaching in the district middle school. I teach environmental awareness to 7th and 8th graders every Wednesday. Its good, tangible work - the kids are a lot more influential and are very responsive which is a nice change.<br /> <br />Here are some interesting customs that one finds in my village and most of Fiji:<br />- When people greet or say goodbye they don't kiss on the cheek. They sniff each other's cheek. Yes. That's right. They sniff each other's cheek.<br />- The head is considered sacred and no one can touch or even reach near another person's head without verbally excusing oneself (by saying "tulou") before doing so.<br />- Villages are headed by a chief. Each village is then broken down into tribes and then clans and then families.<br />- If you receive a gift you must clap - before and after receiving it.<br />- In a crowded room, the sexes are segregated and if a woman wants to come to the men's side for any reason she must scoot there on her knees or on all fours.<br />- Married couples don't touch each other, kiss, or tell each other they love each other in public. The world "love" does not have a direct translation so therefore it is seldomly used.<br />- Every morning our village headman walks through the village and shouts the daily news. This is how everyone is informed of what's going on. My language is still developing so I usually don't exactly know whats going on.<br />- Meetings are called with a conch shell. Like Lord of the Flies, without the fat kid in glasses.<br />- Doors are never shut during daytime. There is no such thing as privacy. This one is difficult for me.<br />- Cannibalism is still practiced by the elders in the village... just kidding.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />January 9th </span><br /> I just found some waterfalls and swimming holes about a thirty minute hike from my village. Also I just got some quality rope to string up my hammock inside my bure. So my quality of life has just tripled. <br /> On Dec. 8th I went to my sister's wedding in the States (Charleston, SC). Although I only had five full days and couldn't truly taste the "fruits" of America, the wedding was awesome and it was great to see my family for the first time in seven months. I had a fantastic time, ate lots of good Southern food and drank a lot of good beer. <br /> I got home jet lagged and hungover and just in time for a Fijian Christmas. The holidays bring all extended family (those who have moved out and away to "bigger better things") back to the village from about mid Dec. to mid Jan. So my village has swollen in size with people that I don't really know. Its refreshing/frustrating to have so many new faces. But Christmas in Fiji is very simple; lots of grog, lots of church, and lots of food. No gift giving. No Santa Clause. So its actually a pretty legit deal they got going on and something Christians should take notes on. Yet it is overbearing if you're an outsider and right in the thick of it. <br /> Also, with holidays at every corner, my work just stopped completely. Still taking care of little things on a day to day basis; like trash management, farming, and water testing, but our big projects (the new dam project and organic farm project) has halted for the timebeing. Fine with me. I'll just swing in my hammock for a month. <br /> New Year's was incredible and a good escape from all that I mentioned above. About 12 of us volunteers met up on a small island called Caqalai, just south of the larger island of Ovalau (for you cartographers). I actually live quite near it (20 min. walk, 20 min. bus ride, and a 30 min. boat ride and I am there.) It is a very rustic getaway with great soft coral reefs. So I hiked around the island about 10 times, snorkelled the incredible reefs, saw two small sharks and two banded sea snakes (the sixth most venomous animal on the planet), built a lot of bonfires, drank a lot of beer, listened to music and camped under the stars. We brought in the New Year at midnight by running into the ocean with too many clothes on. <br /> The word kavalaqi is the Fijian word for a white person. It refers to all Europeans, Americans, Austrailians, etc. The word comes from the Polynesian word palaqi which literally means "Sky Burster." This is because when natives first saw white man hundreds of years ago, they assumed it was impossible for them to have arrived by sea. It would have been more probable had they come out of the sky. So sometimes I like to go to a new village, with my whiteness and gadgets, and play "Graham Gaines, Sky Burster." <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">December 1st</span> <br /> <br /> I am lucky because when times get tough there is a little joint about a thirty minute bus ride away where I can drink all the beer I want, courtesy of American taxpayers. Very nice. But things aren't tough too often, so my Peace Corps experience has been quite a sober one. That's probably for the better. <br /> I've been trying to get a community farm together. It would be organic and we would grow pinapple, papaya, cabbage, and bell peppers and target nearby hotels and the toursim industry in general. All revenue would go towards environmental projects in the village, such as foreshore restoration and a new seawall, with some going towards the construction of a new community hall. The farm won't begin operating until next year because Fiji (and the southern hemisphere) completely shuts down this time of year. School is out, holidays are abound, and it is really just too damn hot to do anything. So we will comatose ourselves for the season and drink lots of grog and lay on the ground.<br /> I went to Peace Corp's Project Design and Management Workshop a few weeks ago. It was much better than it sounds. There were eleven of us volunteers, each with a work counterpart from our respective villages. Basically we were teaching our village counterparts how to implement, manage, and sustain a project. Very good. And lots of fun too. During the day, after the workshop, we played volleyball or went to fancy resorts and posed as tourists and lounged poolside. A couple of nights we built bonfires on the beach and swam in the ocean. Very Peace Corps.<br />Also, because there are Indians here, Fijians believe in Thanksgiving. So we celebrated that. About 27ish of us volunteers met in Suva at a volunteers house with 27ish dishes of food. Very yummy. Then we went out daincin' in Suva.<br />Last weekend I held the Trash Olympics in my village. The objective was to get the kids to clean up the village, but of course I had to make it fun for that to happen. So of course I combined picking up trash with relay races and it was very successful! We also had a learning activity where I taught them how long different items take to decompose, and we played elbow tag, and we painted the village trash cans. Very clean.<br />I'm probably just gonna chill in my hut for a week before going to my sister's wedding in America - so a shout out and congratulations to Kelley and Courtney! I'm gonna miss my village; starting to form good relationships and my language skills are going pretty good and work is moving along. But I sure am looking forward to seeing my dog. And my family.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">November 11th</span> <br /> The time is going very fast - I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. My health is good. I've been eating a lot of bananas, carrots, and oysters. I went to a Halloween party in Northern Viti Levu and that was pretty crazy. While there me and my friends Lydia and Sean took a couple kayaks to a nearby reef to do some snorkeling. On the return trip Lydia and I (in a two-person kayak) were blindsided by a wave and flipped. We immediately grabbed the kayaks and paddles because nobody wants to be afloat in the Pacific without a boat. But snorkels, masks, my sunglasses and my camera were all swallowed by the deep blue. My camera is waterproof so its not broken. Its just gone. <br /> A lot of people have written me about the recent tsunamis. The first ones hit while I was doing a training workshop up in the highlands area. It devestated parts of Samoa but Fiji was left unscathed. Then only a few weeks later, an earthquake of 8.2 magnitude alerted the tsunami whistle blowers in Fiji. Announcements were made on the radio and phone calls were made and coastal towns shut down as people made mad dashes up hill. I was called by my supervisor at 10:23 am and was told the tsunami ETA was 10:40 am. I had 17 minutes to gather a backpack of provisions, spread word all over my village, and get everyone on top of the hill behind the village. I put two water bottles, $36, a radio, and a sack of tomatoes in my backpack and ran around the village telling everyone to get uphill. We climbed up and were sitting on a tombstone overlooking the village and bay by 10:36 am. A few elders and some lazy and/or proud villagers stayed by their homes, continuing to weave mats and pound grog, not at all threatened by "a few big waves." With excitement and fear we listened to the radio and waited for the big ripple to come. I shared all my tomatoes. Nothing came. They renounced the warning over the radio at 11:45 am, and we climbed down the hill as the ones that stayed behind laughed at us and asked us if we were hungry. <br /> Workwise, we are waiting for Fiji Water to review our proposal. In the meantime we are starting an organic papaya farm. Should be good eatin' and good Benjamins for the villagers. Might start teaching in the middle school up the road. Might not. <br /> My bithday came and went; it was a quiet birthday in the village. I only told my neighbor and the chief. My neighbor gave me 6 bags of grog and the chief gave me an eel. I must say I enjoyed the day thoroughly in this way. Bookwise - just finished Cadillac Desert (great) and Tropic of Cancer (terrible) and now enjoying a great Paul Theroux book called The Happy Isles of Oceania. <br /> 'Bout to go buy an ice cream.<br />October 16th <br /> I have been quite busy the past month - We had Early Service Training the last days of September and All-Volunteer Day October 1st. EST is a chance for all us FRE-7's to get together and see each other's new hippie beards and congratulate each other on sickly weight losses. Actually everybody looks pretty good - we have a very healthy and happy group. EST is really a chance for us to learn project specifics; like how to plant mangroves, reforestation techniques, conducting money-management workshops, etc. We spent three days there before going to Suva for All-Vol. All Fiji volunteers (60ish) go to All-Vol. We had an American-style cookout at the County Director's house then went out that evening for pole dancing purposes. Then we woke up feeling great and had a Resource Fair at our hotel. The fair was very helpful; representatives from many different environmental and health organizations around Fiji come and set up booths and we went to them seeking advise and to collect little info booklets. I stayed in Suva another couple days - went to parks, a museum, and bypassed a rugby match to sit on the seawall and drink beer and I stand by that decision. <br /> Back in the village I am trying to finish the grant proposal for our water project. Basically that means coming up with a plan, detailing that plan, attaching a dollar sign to that plan, and laying it all out on paper for some NGO to read and agree to pay that dollar amount. Its taken about two months now but we should submit it this week. We recently tested our water; the water in our stream (where we bathe and clean) is cleaner than our rain water tanks (used for drinking.) That's pretty gross so we'll do something about that this week. <br /> I have a healthy supply of cabbage and beans in my garden, and an absurd amount of carrotts should be ready soon. What does one man do with 1,400 carrotts? I'll let you know. I had lettuce but birds ate it all so I had to build a scarecrow - dressing the scarecrow was odd because he doesn't need to look good yet I spent too much time deciding what he should wear. <br /> What's up with the Dawgs, man? <br />September 15th<br /> Life continues to rock softly and sweetly in my corner of the world. Today I came back from the farm and sat by the bay reading books and listening to the BBC for about 3 hours and assimilated the immediate surroundings. It really is absolutely beautiful out here. And the people compliment the place perfectly. <br /> Work is gathering steam. Concerning the water project, I have had the village surveyed by an engineer to determine the logistical requirements of getting water piped into each house and have also had the Health Department come and do tests on our drinking sources (still waiting on those results). Now we are in the oh so important phase of putting together a proposal for funding. Around the village we have cleaned the rain catchment roofs and have set up three compost pits. So things are happening and that is good.<br /> A funny thing happened on the way to the farm: I stepped outside my bure into a puddle of water. I looked around and noticed the foreshore of the village was flooded. The odd thing was that it hadn't rained in a week (nobody has ANY drinking water and we are going to have to truck some in but that is another issue). I then realized it was the "once-a-month mega-hightide" they had warned me about that caused the water. The sea level was higher than anyone in the village had ever seen it. It was like Katrina divided by 2 million. And it keeps rising every month. Assuming climate change doesn't suddenly halt, the sea will drown the village in a few years... just take it out to sea. We will be taking measures to delay the inevitable for as long as possible, like building a sea wall and lessening upstream soil erosion, but the local government is asking the village to go ahead and relocate to higher ground. Easier said than done when 85% of the village population are subsistence farmers and don't have however much it costs to move an entire village. Anyways we'll worry about that later - right America?<br /> This place and this job is a reader's paradise. I just finished three books in three weeks: 1. Tolstoy's Anna Karenina (pretty good) 2. Cod, by Mark Kurlansky (possibly the finest account on codfish I've ever picked up and an excellent lesson on natural resource management), and Annapurna, an awesome narrative by Maurice Herzog of the first ascent of a 8,000 meter mountain. Now working on some Ayn Rand.<br />Go Dawgs!? <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">August 19th</span><br />It has been a while since I have updated this. I have been busy the past month for various reasons, which is a good thing when living on an island. The moving in process is complete and my little home is now complete with the recent additions of kitchen shelves and a cabbage farm. My home is also home to other uninvited guests such as two wild dogs, a rooster, three ginormous 1/2 pound spiders that live in my bathroom (usually under the toilet and I verbally say "please go away spider" everytime I enter the bathroom and I think it works), and about 12 - 18 cane toads (they only come out at night). I feel like either the toad or spider should eat the other and that would at least take care of one species, but I can't figure out which would be prey and which would be predator in that situation. We have been very busy with guests in the last week - most excitingly Neil and my brand new sister-in-law Margaret came. They travelled around Australia for a week then got engaged in Nadi before visiting my village and hanging out for a couple days. We had a traditional Sevusevu ceremony in which Neil and my sister-in-law presented a kava plant to the village as a gift and then we drink from the grog bowl. We then feasted on crabs, prawns, and various fish before dancing the night away tralala style. Villagers from nearby came for this party as well as a couple Peace Corps friends. The next day Neil, Margaret, myself, and my good friend Kuli walked around the countryside and talked with farmers and drank some coconuts. We then proceeded to Colo-i-Suva, a forest park just outside of Suva, and did triple cannonballs from a rope swing. We really had a great few days...<br />On a gloomier note a man in the village died last week. It was weird for me because I loaded him into a car to go to the hospital on Wednesday night - the doctors said there was nothing they could do for him (he had a very severe stomach ulcer) so he came back home and he was dead the next day. However, being a very religious country, passing away is a celebrated event so for four days we ate lots of food (we killed three cows and two pigs), drank lots of grog and mingled with relatives.<br />Workwise I am working on funding for the water project. We are trying to get water piped into each house (24 houses in all) from a stream that runs off a hill behind the village. Also, we started a couple of compost pits for food rubbish that the village can eventually use as fertilizer. <br />Aside from that I am spending a good bit of time in my dalo plantation - trying to grow some root crops the village can eat or sell. I really don't know what I'm doing though. And that goes for everything. <br />July 31st<br />I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. Approximately 2 years after I sent in my application, I am a PCV. So, a note to those even considering joining the Peace Corps, apply now because maybe not now but in two years you will want to join. We had the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Ambassador's house which was a pretty cool event. It was televised here in Fiji and in the newspapers. Then we had to say good-bye to our host family villages which was a pretty tearful event. We had a farewell party on Tuesday night and invited the volunteers from other villages and some of the Peace Corps staff was there. At these parties we basically sit around drinking grog while someone plays the guitar. Everybody sings and all the women dance the tralala with us. Its this really awkward dance where you just stand beside a partner and walk 3 steps forward and 3 steps back for about 5 minutes. But everybody laughs because I am white and white people are funny no matter what they do in this country. Anyways, we then had our own personal goodbyes with our families and headed off.<br />Most volunteers stayed in Suva for the night at a hotel because they had to take boats the following day to get to their site but I just hopped in a van with all my luggage and went to my village where I will situate myself for two years. My village is really cool but my house is even cooler. It is a pimped out hut made of palm tree leaves. The women in the village gave me blankets and mats and cooking stuff, but I am in town today to buy some essentials including food.<br />The plan from here is to spend some time getting situated and socially involved until I get a good grasp on how things run in the village. Then I will slowly immerse myself into work. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July 10th<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br />One day pictures will be on this site. I just don't know what day that will be. Until then... some are on facebook. But all is well on the island. Classwork and training still occupies most of the day. Two days ago a lot of volunteers and trainers, about 10 of us total, got really sick from some mal-prepared coconut desert called "lolo." I threw up all night and was sick for about 24 hours and missed class but actually got off easier than some. A few went to the hospital but I think more for precautionary reasons and dehydration than anything else. Everybody is fine now. It is not swine flu. Just bad coconut desert.<br />Yesterday we did some reef monitoring off Viwa Island. Basically we snorkel in sectioned off areas of a reef with ropes and quadrants to count certain species. These are indicator species which, when tallied, tell how healthy a reef is. So we counted surgeon fish, parrot fish, and giant clams. It was cool to finally do some work in the water. And Viwa Island is in sight of my permanent village so I hope to do some work exchanges out that way. Other than that, I am going to an Indian high school dance tonight that should be fun. It is for a fundraiser. Not prom. A bit of history: Fiji is 40% Indian. They were brought here as indentured servants in the 19th and early 20th centuries and now make up a large part of the population and a majority of the economic prosperity (being more business minded than the average Fijian). However, there is still some discrimination towards them as they are not "native".<br />Hope all is well in the States - drop me a line. Moce Vinaka... <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">July 3rd<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br />I recently got back from a 5 day visit to my permanent site. It is a cool little village on the east coast of Viti Levu Island. Small village - population about 88. Its tucked away by itself and pretty isolated in its own corner of the bay - but a 20 min. walk will take you to the main road where I can catch a 1.5 hour bus ride to Suva for office work / shopping / superclubbing. Everybody in the village seems really ambitious which is encouraging. The problem is they don't have any running water so I am going to help them with a new dam project. Until then it is rain water for bathing/cleaning/drinking. As long as the catchment systems are maintained the water is fine. The town built a house for me which is cool - its a bure, which is a traditional Fijian home. It is made of palm tree leaves and bamboo. The house cost a total of about $6 which went to buying a few boxes of nails. Other than that it is all raw material found around the bush in the village. Its small but really awesome. And I have purple bathroom put up beside it which those of you who know me well know about my childhood dream of having my own purple bathroom. The two main environmental projects I will be working on are 1. fresh water supply and 2. foreshore restoration. The village has lost about 2 sq. km. of land in the past year due to climate change and deforestation. That is more than a square mile of land just swept out to sea. To fund these projects we are going to do a few different things: develop eco-tourism on the hillside behind my village that is aimed at Austrailian cruise boats wanting a "traditional Fijian experience". We also want to construct a talapia farm and maybe a prawn farm. All of these projects are subject to change, as I am in a 3rd world country, but I have already started making some contacts around Nausori Town to help facilitate the projects. I will keep yall posted as work develops - but until then I have 3 weeks of training left. That's my momma! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">June 24th</span><br />Hey everybody - well this is my blog that I hope to update as much aspossible. As of now I am in week 4 of a 9 week training program to serve as Environmental Resource Manager in Fiji for the next two<br />years. I will be moving to my permanent site in 5 weeks on the east coast of the main island, Viti Levu. My specific job will be to manage their marine area and resources. This means reef monitoring, mangrove and foreshore rehabilitation, and proper waste management along the coast. Currently there are 32 volunteers here to work in environment, health and business sectors. All in all its a pretty sweet job in a pretty sweet place so I'm lucky and happy. During training I live in a village on the east coast with a cool Fijian family. In my house I have a mom and dad, 5 yr. old brother Jope, 3 nieces, an aunt and an uncle, and a grandmother. Most speak at least some English. My dad is a farmer, with 6 cows, 19 pigs, a handful of chickens and some root crop farms. But his specialty is crab farming. My day consists of some cow milking at 6, Fijian language class from 8-12, technical training from 1-5 (this includes everything from grant writing to water catchment practices to beekeeping to how to open a coconut), then dinner which is either fish, crab, or chicken with some kind of root crop and coffee,<br />followed by a bucket bath at 8 and some reading/writing/ipod till 9-10. So these days i'm megabusy but that all slows down exponentially once i get to site. Please write and let me know whats going on with youens. I'll also work on getting good pictures up but facebook is probably the best bet for those. Keep it real.Veremohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11508329117711681169noreply@blogger.com0