Cola Vina!!! First blog from my site!!!

Sooooo, holla from the Yasawas! It feels incredible to be sitting at a computer reconnecting with everybody via this message. I am using a computer at my village's hotel called Oarsman's Bay. Feel free to google that ;) Hmmm, where to begin. I've been at site for a little less than a month now and have been in Fiji for almost 3 months - holeeee sea squirt that's a long time. Initial submersion into the village was rough for me. I was getting the sense that I was not very welcome by the majority and that there was a lot of confusion as to exactly what the hell I'd be doing here. So, as I like to do, I began cooking. I would make a dish - octopus curry, dahl soup, Japanese-style fish-in-broth, papaya fritters with coconut cream sauce (TERRIBLE for the body but very well-received by the masses), etc. - and then take it to a house or group in the village. This was helpful in getting to know some of my neighbors and showing them that I have every desire to be friends and CONTRIBUTE. I also feel like a huge social breakthrough occurred when I spoke to many village members at the village meeting held this past Monday. I gave a short synopsis on my educational background, work experiences, and Peace Corps mission. After that, the turaga ni koro (village-to-gov liason person) made many efforts to have me meet and eat with families. In fact, that very night, there was the celebration of a birth and I was allowed to hold the newborn as prayers were said and sevu sevu presented. What an honor... and to hold that precious little Ame in my arms. You know I'm a sucker for kids... The next day I attended a chiefly meeting held by the remarkable Richard Evanson - owner of Turtle Island - and his lovely wife. This man is something else. Billionaire extraordinare. The sharpest wit I could not have ever fathomed in an 80-something year old entrepreneur. This man had gathered the 7 chiefs of the 7 villages in our tikina with the purpose of allocating $5000 each to be used in a village project. He then said he wanted to hold such meetings again on a quarterly basis and without hesitation, pointed out a most trust-worthy, wonderful man named Poni to oversee progress for the gracious sum of an additional $5000. He furthermore announced creating a vocational school on his island for any "youth" (ages 18-30) wanting and willing to do something with themselves. After the formal meeting I mozied up to this brilliant fellow for further convo. I mean, who would not want to bask in this undeniable glow!? We chatted solar panels, wind turbines, and gardening. He proved to me that my math skills are quite rusty if not all-together rusted through (he is an engineer) and offered to show me, Connor, and Dennis a little bit of the property... including his gigantic and productive garden complete with hydroponic lettuce and sugar-dripping corn you can eat right off the cob. Goodness. What a fun trip. Upon returning from the trip, I have since told every villager I have encountered about the great news. The more transparency the better!! The next day, I was chatting with some ladies about the now burning prospects of starting a much-needed kindergarten and it was decided that a meeting would be held that very day. The meeting was incredibly well attended and the ladies selected a viable Kindergarten committee complete with Director, Treasurer, Secretary, and two teachers. HOLLA!!!
Wow wow wow. I say let's rock out on this momentum while it's here, there's no stopping progress when it's happening.
How about a funny story - this one had my friend Sara in stitches. So, maybe the first week I was staying in the village, I asked if I could go fishing with the ladies (the guys are STILL resistant to take me spear fishing, but I will NEVER relent, just a matter of time). While we were out coral stomping (as I call it - that's project #10) - one lady, Auntie Ru, called me over as she had cornered an octopus (sulua). She showed me how she used her 3 long metal skewers to wiggle it from its hole in the dead coral, and proceeded to reach her fingers along the nape of its bobble head and flip the head INSIDE OUT. Yes, that's right. It's ink squirted and darkened the water around our calves. She then held it up and wacked it several times to insure it wouldn't slink out of the fishing sack in the hours to come as she perused the substrate for more slinky meals. We used a leg of the octopus to do some handline fishing. I caught 2 red fish (damu damu), but put one back because it was so small. Here, you certainly eat the small fish as well, just fry it whole, but I tried to explain that if I put him back, when we go back out, he'll be bigger and might have had some babies. Who knows, maybe it got through. As we line-fished, I found that my niche job was diving into the water to un-snag the line from the coral. The ladies shrieked with laughter at my lack eagerness to leap off the coral ledge. I was hoping that word would get out in the man-circles so that I might eventually be nominated to assist in spear-fishing. No invitation yet ;)
After the fishing adventure, we crunched our way back to shore where my friend Wakesa told me to go to the sandy part of the beach and "wack" the octopus. I must have asked her 6 times what the hell that meant, and upon being handed a stick I figured I'd just go start wacking it, and get further direction as needed. So, I stood first by sand stone and asked if I could do the wacking there ---- "NO NO... sand!!!" was the response. I walked over to the sand and reluctantly dropped the gelatinous mass into the sand and began hitting it with the stick. Laughter from the tidepool ensued. "What!?" I called back as I continued to smack the octopus. An old, sinewy, withered but bright-eyed woman strolled up with her very own octopus. She sidled down onto her rear, gingerly spread the sulua out in the sand,and grabbed the stick from my hands. Much like a baseball player or golfer swings with incredible force and follow-through, she raised the stick parallel to her ear and proceded to beat the ever living crap out of the octopus. Chunks of sand were flying, oftentimes straight into our eyeballs, yet the beating continued. I was handed my very own stick and the women were happy when I really hunkered down on my gooey octopus. I thought it would have broken to pieces, but it never did. We beat our octopuses until we were covered in sweat and sand and the octopuses had gone mostly white in color. That was to tenderize the octopus. Later, it had to also be boiled for about 45 minutes for the same reason. The resulting octopus curry, I gave to my friend Wakesa and her family. I had about 4 bites before I decided I was octopussed out for the day.
During the fishing expedition, I also tried to explain how we can avoid stomping the colorful alive coral so that it too can reproduce and make more "houses for the fishes." That one did NOT get through as I saw my guide/friend Wakesa standing on a bright purple coral 2 minutes later. Sigh. Like I said, project #10.
So, I was sent here under the premise of doing coral reef management projects, water, and sanitation. As of now, a kindergarten has been spearheaded and EVERYBODY wants some bloody water. Thus, at the moment, I say focus should be on a water project and compost toilets (right now most peeps use water seal toilets). I'll update you all more on that later.
My cat bogi has taken up residence with a family several houses down that eats a lot of fish and thus have many fish remnants to feed him. I don't blame him, and quite frankly, he turned out to be a REALLY annoying cat. I do have a mouse now however. So, I'll probably have to find another kitty --- perhaps one that's not such a pussy this time. Seriously, Bogi never wanted to go outside and seemed to totally lack in the hunting department. He would merely toy with the myriad number of roaches zipping around my bure - but would never actually kill them. Very frustrating. On that note, I have taken to killing roaches bare handed or bare footed. Yes, it has reached that point.
The happiest thing going on right now is that I have been able to communicate openly with important and seemingly good-hearted women and MEN (woo hoo) about the REAL needs and concerns of the village. About how we should go about managing the new $5000 and such. One woman who works at the hotel is particularly candid, funny, and therefore a superstar in my eyes. She'll tell it like it is.
I guess that's all for now. I am stoked about all of the generosity happening towards me at the moment, perhaps people are getting to know me better now and understanding that the biggest reason I am here is to bring about goodness and happiness and healthiness. Maybe Mercury is in retrograde --- I don't friggin know, but I'll take it while I can. Amidst a total void of partying or playing or much socializing, I find it's the glimpses of hope in peoples' eyes that make me able to breathe in the face of being here for 2 years.
I think of you all often and ever so fondly. Frequently while listening to a song or artist that I associate with you. For instance, I think of Teddy when I listen to Deadmau5, Jordy when I listen to Beck's "Milk and Honey", of Eva when I hear "So Damn Beautiful" blasting on a Fijian radio, or Brentley when Wilco comes on my Shuffle. When somebody was confused as to what EXACTLY R&B is, I thought of Balinda! Love you all so very much and I implore you to start saving now, because this place with blow your lids. Please send emails, facebook messages, or snailmail to let me know what you are up to. Makes me remarkably happy to hear about other peoples' business. hehe. Love ya