yadra!

So, I thought I'd write a blog that delves into things a little more - not just me fishing for laughs. Although, laughing is a VERY serious coping mechanism here. Let's go through a day-in-the-life sequence.
I wake up to roosters around 3am, dogs around 5am and then finally to the sounds of roosters, dogs, chickens, children, and adults hollering at all of the above at maybe 7 am. Thus begins the day. I open 2 out of my 3 doors because that's how you say good morning to the village and let them know you are indeed, still alive. The couple of mornings I slept in, I heard everybody who passed my house ask my neighbors if I had yet awoken. Close tabs are kept in the village, and not just with me. You could ask almost anybody where somebody else is, and they would have a good idea. In fact, GREETINGS are most often "I have returned," or "Have you returned?" or "I go" or "are you going?" No hellos or how are yous. Funny eh!? I'm sorta used to it now, but I remember the first month being so frustrated that I couldn't say "hey, how are you doing?"
After rubbing the sleep outta my eyes, I lumber over to my bathroom which is about 30 ft from my house. This involves greeting about 4 people. Once back in the house I either make some hot chocolate (staying away from coffee for a while) and frech toast or cereal (with evaporated milk) or wait for my neighbor to invite me over for "somi tea" which literally means "drink tea" but really means breakfast. We sit on the floor, eating, slurping, and chatting whilst constantly swatting flies away from EVERYTHING. The flies are awful now and I frequently fantasize that I am a horse and have the ability to constantly twitch my skin so the damn things can't land on me...
Then I go back and continue working on my house which is kinda like a glorified campsite. Putting nails in here and there to hang up random stuff like my snorkel, my fishing line, my elastic exercise band that hasn't seen use yet. Yeah, it's taking my quite a while to get situated in this new place. But, when it's done, it's going to be amazing because there's plenty of space and I have enough beds to comfortably sleep 5!! YAY.  Bring on the visitors.
OK, so in the village, women must wear below the knees and unrevealing shirts that cover the shoulders. This is quite a feat for somebody who has never been much of a skirt-wearer and who is perpetually hot. Thus I find myself constantly taking clothes on and off. Stripping to boxers and a tank top upon entering my house, and bundling up again when I leave. What a pain! Fijian women do not know any different so they think it's silly of me when I say it's SO silly to have a dress-code for LIFE!! There's also no running or loud playing allowed in the village. However, I have had to run a few times to catch the one carrier (pick up truck) that goes into town.
Recently I hiked about an hour to the outskirts of a nearby village with some of Rukuruku's youth (my village). We located a stand of bamboo, cut down 7 huge beams, hauled them to the shore and latched them together to make a raft, or bilibili. Me and 2 of the guys then rafted back to the village. They have deemed it as MY bilibili, but such concepts of possession do not really exist in the village, hence, since the introduction of the bilibili, everybody has had a ride. haha. I'm in heaven because I can take it out on the ocean and use a paddle to j-stroke myself to contentment. Reminds me of being on the river, except there aren't any class V's to schmutz my pants about. And, I can glide over the reef and look down to see fish and (delapidated) coral and such. Very special.
There is a lot more to describe but I will leave you with one last thing, Fijians believe illness comes from either "the cold" or a curse. The cold refers to like, 78 degree weather and, curses come from other people. Hence, when I've been sick, I always here,  "oooooh, you must have gotten cold in your belly. Maybe from the fishing, no more fishing for you." I'm like "NOOOOOO," don't take that away from me, pleeeease. My neighbor mother (Na) gave me a bottle with hot water to put on my belly to get the cold out. It made me sweat and did not make me feel better. Finally, exasperated one evening, I tried to explain the western concept of little tiny organisms, er, bugs called bacteria and viruses. They smiled and placated the hell outta me ... meanwhile they are thinking "little bugs, huh?... those people over there in America have issues. What'll they tell us next? That putting butter on top of deep fried dough causes bad health!? hahaha."
It's a trip way out here, on a land dot in the pacific. OH, my new island is a volcano! So, it's like a mountain in the ocean with one bumby road going around the periphery and a stoic misty crater smack dab in the middle. There's a village there called Levoni. Back in the cannibal days, this was the undefeted village in all of Fiji because of it's excellent elevated position. My Ta is great friends with the chief from there, and he says he is excited to take me there soon via an epic hike through the jungle. There is also a waterfall near my village that I am eager to explore on a scorching day. Alrighty, keep it real guys! Miss you lots. If anybody feels like sending me music or the makings for smores (the village kids would just go bonkers with a real American "campfire night") I will love you forever. ADDRESS:

Zoe Manickam
C/O Levuka Post Office
Levuka, Ovalau
Fiji Islands
South Pacific