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| PC/Fiji: Pre-Servic |
22 September 2007
Ideas for Care Packages
Personal Supplies
Recent Pictures of Friends & Family (Laminated if possible)
Nalgene Containers, 32 oz. (Be sure to fill them with something)
Magazines - Tricycle, Shambala Sun, Dharma Life, Martha Stewart, Good Things, anything Photography/Art oriented
Nice Cotton Bed Sheets & Pillowcases
Good Absorbent Towels
Games & Puzzles
Books (I am missing these the most)
Anything Buddhist/Zen - Examples: Pema Chondron, Thich Nhat Hahn, S. Suzuki
Anything UU or inter-faith related
Educational - Alternative Classrooms, Learner-based technique, Interactive Games
Health/Community Development - Nutrition, Gardening, Elder Care, Simple Crafts
Fantasy & Fiction - Harry Potter, Laurel K Hamilton, Sean Russell (Bodahist series), Dune
Consumables
Dr. Bronners Soap (Tea tree, Lavender)
Anything from LUSH
E-Z Fill Ziplock Bags 1.5 & 2 Gallon Sizes
Compilation Music CDs
New Release CDs (For ideas check out MySpace music section)
New Release DVDs
Extra Rechargable Batteries
Incense (Favorites: Cedarwood, Traditional Zen, Tibetan Rope)
Silica Gel
Non-Perishable Food Items (Vegetarian)
Anything vegetarian from Trader Joe's will earn my undying love
Spices: Mixes are great. Italian, Mexican, American, Japanese, Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Mix
Tea - Favored brands are Yogi Teas (Cocoa Spice, Simply Green, Sweet Thai) and Tazo
Powdered Soymilk
Vegan Chocolate, Dark (in packages that will not leak because it will melt)
Dried Soup Mixes
Dried Seaweed: Wakame, Hijiki
Dried Fruit in Ziplock Bags
Miso Paste
Dried Ravoli (No meat please)
Recent Pictures of Friends & Family (Laminated if possible)
Nalgene Containers, 32 oz. (Be sure to fill them with something)
Magazines - Tricycle, Shambala Sun, Dharma Life, Martha Stewart, Good Things, anything Photography/Art oriented
Nice Cotton Bed Sheets & Pillowcases
Good Absorbent Towels
Games & Puzzles
Books (I am missing these the most)
Anything Buddhist/Zen - Examples: Pema Chondron, Thich Nhat Hahn, S. Suzuki
Anything UU or inter-faith related
Educational - Alternative Classrooms, Learner-based technique, Interactive Games
Health/Community Development - Nutrition, Gardening, Elder Care, Simple Crafts
Fantasy & Fiction - Harry Potter, Laurel K Hamilton, Sean Russell (Bodahist series), Dune
Consumables
Dr. Bronners Soap (Tea tree, Lavender)
Anything from LUSH
E-Z Fill Ziplock Bags 1.5 & 2 Gallon Sizes
Compilation Music CDs
New Release CDs (For ideas check out MySpace music section)
New Release DVDs
Extra Rechargable Batteries
Incense (Favorites: Cedarwood, Traditional Zen, Tibetan Rope)
Silica Gel
Non-Perishable Food Items (Vegetarian)
Anything vegetarian from Trader Joe's will earn my undying love
Spices: Mixes are great. Italian, Mexican, American, Japanese, Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie Mix
Tea - Favored brands are Yogi Teas (Cocoa Spice, Simply Green, Sweet Thai) and Tazo
Powdered Soymilk
Vegan Chocolate, Dark (in packages that will not leak because it will melt)
Dried Soup Mixes
Dried Seaweed: Wakame, Hijiki
Dried Fruit in Ziplock Bags
Miso Paste
Dried Ravoli (No meat please)
16 September 2007
Poem: City Limits by A.R. Ammons
When you consider the radiance, that it does not withhold
itself but pours its abundance without selection into every
nook and cranny not overhung or hidden; when you consider
that birds' bones make no awful noise against the light but
lie low in the light as in a high testimony; when you consider
the radiance, that it will look into the guiltiest
swervings of the weaving heart and bear itself upon them,
not flinching into disguise or darkening; when you consider
the abundance of such resource as illuminates the glow-blue
bodies and gold-skeined wings of flies swarming the dumped
guts of a natural slaughter or the coil of shit and in no
way winces from its storms of generosity; when you consider
that air or vacuum, snow or shale, squid or wolf, rose or lichen,
each is accepted into as much light as it will take, then
the heart moves roomier, the man stands and looks about, the
leaf does not increase itself above the grass, and the dark
work of the deepest cells is of a tune with May bushes
and fear lit by the breadth of such calmly turns to praise.
itself but pours its abundance without selection into every
nook and cranny not overhung or hidden; when you consider
that birds' bones make no awful noise against the light but
lie low in the light as in a high testimony; when you consider
the radiance, that it will look into the guiltiest
swervings of the weaving heart and bear itself upon them,
not flinching into disguise or darkening; when you consider
the abundance of such resource as illuminates the glow-blue
bodies and gold-skeined wings of flies swarming the dumped
guts of a natural slaughter or the coil of shit and in no
way winces from its storms of generosity; when you consider
that air or vacuum, snow or shale, squid or wolf, rose or lichen,
each is accepted into as much light as it will take, then
the heart moves roomier, the man stands and looks about, the
leaf does not increase itself above the grass, and the dark
work of the deepest cells is of a tune with May bushes
and fear lit by the breadth of such calmly turns to praise.
14 September 2007
Connected
I am once again a part of the digital world.
I also have acquired Skype. I have enough bandwidth to be able to hold a conversation over the internet. This means if you get Skype too, we can sit and talk using our computers for free. So, all of you go get Skype. My username is the same as my email address, or you can search for me via my email. I hope to chat with all of you soon.
I also have acquired Skype. I have enough bandwidth to be able to hold a conversation over the internet. This means if you get Skype too, we can sit and talk using our computers for free. So, all of you go get Skype. My username is the same as my email address, or you can search for me via my email. I hope to chat with all of you soon.
13 September 2007
01 September 2007
Creating a Home
नामस्ते (Namaste)
A month into service. A month living in Ba.
So much can happen in a matter of 30 days.
Housing
I have a new address. I have updated my listing on the sidebar.
I have officially moved into my new home here in Ba. It’s a 2 bedroom flat with a lovely yard, which is half of a single story home. Overall, I feel comfortable here. Though I have found it is a great deal of work to maintain a neat compound when you have mangoes, coconut, starfruit, lemons, eggplant and pumpkin growing all over. As I spend half my Sunday (or all of it) raking, I just have to remember what a blessing it is to be able to go into the yard and pick a ripe mango as a snack or some curry leaves for a recipe.
There are times I wish that smaller home might have been available. My rooms feel quite empty, devoid of furniture as they are. But, really I have little need or ability to fill my residence with chairs and tables. “What is essential to a home?” turns out is a difficult question (made even more so if you have just finished reading Walden). Does one really need two pots? What about a modern can-opener or will a sturdy knife do? One can live without a great many conveniences, but is it pragmatic? Does denying myself a material possession that would save time bring me closer to my goals?
A Day’s Purpose
Days here meander… not without purpose but something akin to the way a brook might course through the woods. Each day has a general destination or goal but which path it will choose is a constant and fruitful mystery.
For instance on one particular day, my purpose was to clean my new flat and secure some basic needs, such as a bed, possibly going into town. I awoke early had something to eat and went to town and returned once more around 10. I met my landlord at my flat and we cleaned until lunch. Afterwards, I was intending to go back to the task of scrubbing walls when my new neighbor, came to greet me and ask me to tea. She instructed me to go visit a house in the neighborhood where a migrating family was selling their possessions. I made my way there, was invited in and looked at what they had available. Our conversation at first formal, it quickly became pleasant and familiar. She invited me to stay for dinner and her daughter and I exchanged emails. I asked her to write to me in Hindi so that I would have a reason to study harder. Life is truly miraculous when you let it take its course.
A Most Unconventional Conversation
The other day, I was in town shopping at the market and on my way home, I saw a begging woman seated on some cardboard. I went give her some fruit and a small bit of change when she urgently gestured me to sit. So I did. We proceeded to have a conversation without words, herself being deaf and mute. She would write in my notebook and gesture emphatically, looking to me for comprehension. Then I would struggle to spell out in Hindi what I thought she was going for. Even she asked what religion I was. Just imagine me trying to gesture about the concept of inter-faith. But it was a success and we parted ways better for it. Now, each time I come from the market I’m sure to leave a piece of fruit or some such for my friend.
Identity
I feel as though I have become a different person here in Fiji. I already have gained a substantial social network and people seem to regard me as friendly and knowledgeable. I feel as though in some ways it is easier to be open-minded here. I am not tied to any one identity and I can learn to embrace each aspect of myself that in the past, may have been discarded from circumstance. One aspect being my talkative nature. In Fiji, it has become an asset that I can harness to make others feel at ease when talking about personal of difficult subjects. Also, my views on spirituality, although out of the ordinary are appreciated by most members of the various faith communities here whom I have spoken with.
Choti चोती
“The small one”
I adopted a dirty little abandoned kitten. She has taken to me very quickly and follows me from room to room. At the moment, she is on my lap trying to discover what is so interesting about the keyboard I keep playing with. Her fleas are mostly gone now that I have kept her indoors for some time. I try to give her a bath once a week to keep her infestation down. When she is bigger, I plan to let her out during the day while I am away at work. But for the moment she is still too young to be roaming where there are feral dogs.
My Work
Ba Methodist High School
I am creating a new reproductive health/ life skills curriculum to implement at the beginning of the next school year in January. I am using the upcoming national standards to guide my lesson plans, as well as taking into consideration various cultural factors, i.e. I am teaching in a Methodist school that desires a values-based approach to such sensitive topics. Also, I am developing professional teaching materials and workshops for my fellow teachers at the high school. These materials will focus upon learner-centered alternative teaching techniques, adolescent mental & psychological development and how it applies to teaching, and classroom management.
Ba Senior Citizen Community Centre
This is a small private non-profit organization that provides a much needed public service. It is the only senior citizen centre in all of Fiji. Each month the centre offers medical screenings (sugar levels, blood pressure, and weight) as well as activities (cooking, language, crafts, social games) and informative lectures on issues that concern seniors. They are completed supported by donations and grants. My role at this site is a bit more diverse… I am currently focused on the centre’s services and structure. I am working to more efficiently organize the centres procedures for grant applications and processing donations. As well as, seeking out new donors and more stable ways in which the centre might support itself. At the moment, I am developing a fundraiser with handmade paper cards which are designed using scraps of local fabric. I also participate in daily programs and sometimes facilitate programs on health. Recently, I did a workshop on HIV/AIDS for the elderly focusing upon their respected status as a means of educating and safeguarding their families and communities.
During my own time, I am creating a multi-racial, non-denominational youth group. The group will focus on leaderships skills, rights and responsibilities, peer counseling, and of course, cross-cultural awareness.
Reminiscing
Earlier this evening I made a music mix of various Irish folk songs. Music is my means of remembering vividly moments that have passed and this evening I was reminded of the last few years. As I composed this entry, my mind flooded with the past… early morning fight call, archery on the hill at Pennsic, the long drives to faire site, food cooked over a campfire. Even now, even after living in a village where every meal was prepared over a fire, I still think of faires and Pennsic each time I smell burning firewood.
It’s a strange thing to feel so close to these moments and know that even as you recall them to mind they are changing shape for those whom you shared them with. CT faire is about to begin once more and Pennsic has come and gone and with this year’s passing and you know that these events have grown and changed, as have the people who were a part of them. Part of me feels a sense of loss for these moments where I have been absent from my friends. Not being able to share these experiences, which we have all come to cherish. But as I am learning, this is the way of life. I cannot be ever present. Sometimes, we need to be removed from what we have come to value to realize its worth. I can only keep the memories of those I care for near my heart and in my mind, praying for their well-being and contentment.
The delicate black lace of a dying Imli tree
Set against the twilight’s mourning dove wing,
The play of shadow and light, solid and insubstantial
Draws my mind toward the Infinite.
A month into service. A month living in Ba.
So much can happen in a matter of 30 days.
Housing
I have a new address. I have updated my listing on the sidebar.
I have officially moved into my new home here in Ba. It’s a 2 bedroom flat with a lovely yard, which is half of a single story home. Overall, I feel comfortable here. Though I have found it is a great deal of work to maintain a neat compound when you have mangoes, coconut, starfruit, lemons, eggplant and pumpkin growing all over. As I spend half my Sunday (or all of it) raking, I just have to remember what a blessing it is to be able to go into the yard and pick a ripe mango as a snack or some curry leaves for a recipe.
There are times I wish that smaller home might have been available. My rooms feel quite empty, devoid of furniture as they are. But, really I have little need or ability to fill my residence with chairs and tables. “What is essential to a home?” turns out is a difficult question (made even more so if you have just finished reading Walden). Does one really need two pots? What about a modern can-opener or will a sturdy knife do? One can live without a great many conveniences, but is it pragmatic? Does denying myself a material possession that would save time bring me closer to my goals?
A Day’s Purpose
Days here meander… not without purpose but something akin to the way a brook might course through the woods. Each day has a general destination or goal but which path it will choose is a constant and fruitful mystery.
For instance on one particular day, my purpose was to clean my new flat and secure some basic needs, such as a bed, possibly going into town. I awoke early had something to eat and went to town and returned once more around 10. I met my landlord at my flat and we cleaned until lunch. Afterwards, I was intending to go back to the task of scrubbing walls when my new neighbor, came to greet me and ask me to tea. She instructed me to go visit a house in the neighborhood where a migrating family was selling their possessions. I made my way there, was invited in and looked at what they had available. Our conversation at first formal, it quickly became pleasant and familiar. She invited me to stay for dinner and her daughter and I exchanged emails. I asked her to write to me in Hindi so that I would have a reason to study harder. Life is truly miraculous when you let it take its course.
A Most Unconventional Conversation
The other day, I was in town shopping at the market and on my way home, I saw a begging woman seated on some cardboard. I went give her some fruit and a small bit of change when she urgently gestured me to sit. So I did. We proceeded to have a conversation without words, herself being deaf and mute. She would write in my notebook and gesture emphatically, looking to me for comprehension. Then I would struggle to spell out in Hindi what I thought she was going for. Even she asked what religion I was. Just imagine me trying to gesture about the concept of inter-faith. But it was a success and we parted ways better for it. Now, each time I come from the market I’m sure to leave a piece of fruit or some such for my friend.
Identity
I feel as though I have become a different person here in Fiji. I already have gained a substantial social network and people seem to regard me as friendly and knowledgeable. I feel as though in some ways it is easier to be open-minded here. I am not tied to any one identity and I can learn to embrace each aspect of myself that in the past, may have been discarded from circumstance. One aspect being my talkative nature. In Fiji, it has become an asset that I can harness to make others feel at ease when talking about personal of difficult subjects. Also, my views on spirituality, although out of the ordinary are appreciated by most members of the various faith communities here whom I have spoken with.
Choti चोती
“The small one”
I adopted a dirty little abandoned kitten. She has taken to me very quickly and follows me from room to room. At the moment, she is on my lap trying to discover what is so interesting about the keyboard I keep playing with. Her fleas are mostly gone now that I have kept her indoors for some time. I try to give her a bath once a week to keep her infestation down. When she is bigger, I plan to let her out during the day while I am away at work. But for the moment she is still too young to be roaming where there are feral dogs.
My Work
Ba Methodist High School
I am creating a new reproductive health/ life skills curriculum to implement at the beginning of the next school year in January. I am using the upcoming national standards to guide my lesson plans, as well as taking into consideration various cultural factors, i.e. I am teaching in a Methodist school that desires a values-based approach to such sensitive topics. Also, I am developing professional teaching materials and workshops for my fellow teachers at the high school. These materials will focus upon learner-centered alternative teaching techniques, adolescent mental & psychological development and how it applies to teaching, and classroom management.
Ba Senior Citizen Community Centre
This is a small private non-profit organization that provides a much needed public service. It is the only senior citizen centre in all of Fiji. Each month the centre offers medical screenings (sugar levels, blood pressure, and weight) as well as activities (cooking, language, crafts, social games) and informative lectures on issues that concern seniors. They are completed supported by donations and grants. My role at this site is a bit more diverse… I am currently focused on the centre’s services and structure. I am working to more efficiently organize the centres procedures for grant applications and processing donations. As well as, seeking out new donors and more stable ways in which the centre might support itself. At the moment, I am developing a fundraiser with handmade paper cards which are designed using scraps of local fabric. I also participate in daily programs and sometimes facilitate programs on health. Recently, I did a workshop on HIV/AIDS for the elderly focusing upon their respected status as a means of educating and safeguarding their families and communities.
During my own time, I am creating a multi-racial, non-denominational youth group. The group will focus on leaderships skills, rights and responsibilities, peer counseling, and of course, cross-cultural awareness.
Reminiscing
Earlier this evening I made a music mix of various Irish folk songs. Music is my means of remembering vividly moments that have passed and this evening I was reminded of the last few years. As I composed this entry, my mind flooded with the past… early morning fight call, archery on the hill at Pennsic, the long drives to faire site, food cooked over a campfire. Even now, even after living in a village where every meal was prepared over a fire, I still think of faires and Pennsic each time I smell burning firewood.
It’s a strange thing to feel so close to these moments and know that even as you recall them to mind they are changing shape for those whom you shared them with. CT faire is about to begin once more and Pennsic has come and gone and with this year’s passing and you know that these events have grown and changed, as have the people who were a part of them. Part of me feels a sense of loss for these moments where I have been absent from my friends. Not being able to share these experiences, which we have all come to cherish. But as I am learning, this is the way of life. I cannot be ever present. Sometimes, we need to be removed from what we have come to value to realize its worth. I can only keep the memories of those I care for near my heart and in my mind, praying for their well-being and contentment.
The delicate black lace of a dying Imli tree
Set against the twilight’s mourning dove wing,
The play of shadow and light, solid and insubstantial
Draws my mind toward the Infinite.
10 August 2007
Grace
Here in Fiji, religion is as commonplace as technology is in the West.
Upon first meeting someone - they will ask you your name, your age, for myself... country of origin, whether you are married and what your religion is. For many, this is not a simple one word answer.
In fact, my explaination often begins with saying I am inter-faith which of course requires some explaination. I often continue on to say that my spiritual tradition is something more of Hinduism and Buddhism than Christianity. I explain that my congregation in America (UU) values compassion and love as well as equality and justice. I also usually add something a little more concrete about my practices often saying that I try to maintain daily meditation and yoga and I am a strict vegetarian.
This is all well and good. And hopefully I enlighten my audience more than baffle them. But then there comes the time when I am asked to pray or say grace aloud. I often fumble through some vague blessing asking everyone present to remember person and circumstance that has allowed this food to be present, the whole time sweating the fact that I am not going to mention Jesus or Allah or even Lord at all. I don't quite feel comfortable saying Goddess aloud in public. A possible hang up from Catholic School days. So today, I've been rumaging around the internet for inspiration... something universal and inspiring... so that I can use the precious moments I am given to express my faith with conviction.
Here are some of the things I have come across.
Gatha Before Eating (And other prayers)
"Bless all of those who have brought this nourishment to our table -- through their labors and their lives."
Have any thoughts or inspirations you want to share? Please feel free!
12 July 2007
Site Visit - Inspiration Manifested
I would like to just briefly comment on my impression of my future placement and home of the next two years... Ba.
Within just two days of arriving, I have already begun integration into the community. I have individuals, strangers, invite me into their offices to sit and chat about what I will be doing here and why I have chosen the Peace Corps. One such person, related his experience of having a teacher 20 years ago who was from the PC and how he was very appreciative of what I was here to do. He mentioned that at anytime I was welcome to come and talk and that he would like to invite me to have dinner with his family once I was settled in Ba.
My work looks challenging but productive and sustainable. I feel competent with all that is being asked of me as a volunteer.
What a relief and revelation this has been. I was fearing that the rigours and stress of training would be just a reflection of my future service. I am not deluded in thinking that my service will somehow be straightforward and easy... I acknowledge that there are many challenges ahead. However the main difference between the two being that I will be able to rely on my own techniques for remaining mentally and emotionally stable throughout.
Within just two days of arriving, I have already begun integration into the community. I have individuals, strangers, invite me into their offices to sit and chat about what I will be doing here and why I have chosen the Peace Corps. One such person, related his experience of having a teacher 20 years ago who was from the PC and how he was very appreciative of what I was here to do. He mentioned that at anytime I was welcome to come and talk and that he would like to invite me to have dinner with his family once I was settled in Ba.
My work looks challenging but productive and sustainable. I feel competent with all that is being asked of me as a volunteer.
What a relief and revelation this has been. I was fearing that the rigours and stress of training would be just a reflection of my future service. I am not deluded in thinking that my service will somehow be straightforward and easy... I acknowledge that there are many challenges ahead. However the main difference between the two being that I will be able to rely on my own techniques for remaining mentally and emotionally stable throughout.
07 July 2007
Training: Weeks 4 -6
I let it go again - however I have used entries from my written journal to fill in the details of what I’ve been doing the last several weeks.
The Big News
I’ll start with this exciting tidbit. I have received information about my placement for the next two years and will travel this weekend to visit my site.
I will be serving as a Health Promoter in the Ba Province.
The Big News
I’ll start with this exciting tidbit. I have received information about my placement for the next two years and will travel this weekend to visit my site.
I will be serving as a Health Promoter in the Ba Province.
Wikipedia Entry on Ba Province
Map of the Region
Ba, Near the Coast
Market in the Town of Ba
I will specifically be living in the town of Ba in a flat and working on three separate main projects…
1 – Developing and HIV/STI and Life Skills program for the Methodist High School
2 – Creating a multi-racial, non-denominational Youth group focused on diversity and leadership
3 – Helping with finance and program structure at the Senior Citizen’s Center
Additionally, I would like to work on developing an Indo-Fijian oriented youth program that would build life skills through the arts.
On Integration…
In general, I’ve noted that people appreciate stability – this includes consistent behavior in individuals. The villagers seem to value the fact that I go running/walking each morning around the same time. Sometimes I’ll even have children from the village following behind me.
On Interaction…
Everything is such an event here – every passing. Each entrance and exit takes nearly 15 minutes. There are series of motions and considerations you are expected to conform to… confirming where you have come from, where you are going, how long you expect to be gone and what time you expect to return, not to mention your purpose in going. Despite the annoyance, I can see the value of being so polite in such a communial setting. I am not against these rituals but I am a bit awkward in performing them. Saying “vinaka” after everything seems a bit excess to me still. I have been trying to use each of these interactions as a meditation on empathy and consideration for others.
Things I miss from home…
- Good pens (specifically Pilot Precise v5)
- Green tea, Red Tea Chai & Decaf Earl Grey
- Waste free water puddles
- Dry, mildew free clothes
- Voluntary & enthusiastic spiritual practices
- Trader Joe’s
- Wireless Internet
- Game Nights
- Thai food
- Privacy
- Choosing and cooking my own food
- Skin so Soft (layering repellant and sunscreen daily gets old quickly)
- Riding the T
Training thus far…
My training is difficult and challenging, for so many reasons.
I do not feel as though I am grasping the language but I feel that it is not due to a lack of effort or desire but teacher qualifications and time being allowed for study. Our technical health training is many fields and facets of Fijian healthcare but all of it seems a bit shallow sometimes.
My family is wonderful. My mother is a warm and caring woman who seems genuinely interested in my welfare and has no hesitation in calling me daughter. My father keeps to himself but has a good sense of humor. My younger sister, Marea, is very hard working and friendly. Even if my family can be overprotective at times, they have said they are honored by their role and its responsibility.
Every so often a group of older women from my Nou’s (my mother) church will come over and she will have me sing and dance, a mini show if you will. I try singing different songs I know that are religious… Godspell, Children of Eden, and Prince of Egypt songs. Oh and Amazing Grace. Its her favorite to sing along with in English. She also has been asking me to dance for the group. (This is activity is often accompanied in giggles because dancing is not allowed by the Methodist church here) Last time, Bollywood style dancing was the request. Who knew I would be starring in my own personal talent show when I joined the Peace Corps?
Humility
It is a fine line between accepting disrespect and serving another.
I would be the first to admit I can be prideful but sometimes I find it hard to determine just how far I can submit and have it still be healthy. I am working towards humility but one day I was tested. I was told to go sit and wait on Ratu (my father) and the other ministers. For nearly and hour, I waited silently at the side of the room until I was requested to go fetch something. The men present thought nothing of ignoring my presence completely. I tried my best to adopt a spirit of humility but it was very difficult.
Sounds
I can hear the sounds of yagona (kava) being hand-pounded somewhere in the village. The sound reminds me of children playing at a playground. There are also men chanting as they drink yagona. The songs and the clapping - both rituals from antiquity.
Latoka
I went to visit several PCVs staying in Latoka who are currently finishing up their two years. The first night there we made a dinner of hummus and burritos with cheese. I could not have been more pleased… everything tasted like heaven.
After dinner, we went to a nightclub. An unforgettable experience that involved Island-style covers and several very intoxicated members of a local hospital. And I thought they were just trying to impress me by saying that they worked in the medical field (like a guy might in the States)… I came to find out later that the one guy wasn’t lying when he said he was a surgeon. Oops.
The next day, we took a carrier truck to the mountains and went hiking at Koronanitu National Park. (I’ll post pictures eventually) There was a tree you could walk through and a beautiful waterfall. But most importantly, I was able to get out in Nature and retrieve some of my sanity that I lost during training. I pondered the uses of different types of wood and seashells in jewelry projects… in short, my creativity had partially returned.
Finally, We went to a movie theater to see “Number 23” which I thoroughly enjoyed. His tattoo in the movie was really attractive. The movie overall was well done, I thought. I liked how it turned things around in the end to be somewhat realistic.
A Reflection
This experience is the unraveling of me.
Already my time here has forced my foibles to the surface. In this environment, I am capable of observing the negative and destructive tendencies I could easily mask back home.
I am prideful and controlling. And when faced with intimacy (some forms anyway), I find subtle ways to avoid the commitment. Do I fear the responsibility of someone’s well being or the unspoken expectations they have of me?
I can appreciate the task of supporting another – to act as a counselor is a role I have always thought suited me. But is that because acting as a professional in that role is a distanced and controlled matter?
The demands of a relationship (in this case a familial one) seem to outweigh the possibilities available by the connection.
Will It always be like this…. An all or nothing scenario? A situation in which I hold those around me to impossible standards and instead of finding solace in the human community around me and continue to look instead to an abstract ideal of the Sacred?
My life back home…
I wonder if my imagining about others lives back home will fade? Will I eventually be so out of touch with that way of life that I no longer have any material to shape the fictional reality from?
15 June 2007
Training: Weeks 1-3
I will begin this by saying that I have learned that I should not let three weeks go by without a record of what I am doing with my days... When I finally get the chance to pause and reflect upon my activities, I am overwhelmed by the task and can think of nothing to say. Lesson learned.
I couldn’t precisely say what in me has changed since Kiribati. Though, I will note that I have felt a distinct shift in my attitude and the “lenses” through which I observe my world. No longer am I drawn to reflections of spiritual importance filled with wisdom gained about my own nature. I feel a sense of regret at the loss of that perspective and I hope it will return.
Three weeks.
It feels like so much more and also so much less. The Peace Corps has seen to it that every day of my training is packed with cross-cultural and health development goodness.
To start, I will say that I received a disappointing hit on my first day when I was assigned to a Fijian village after clearly listing my preference to learn Hindi. I’m trying my best each day to see the positive in this choice but some days are more difficult than others. To see years of study and understanding about Hinduism and Indian culture set aside without any specific explanation as to why I was being asked to do so. I must mention in fairness that I brought the topic up to my Program Coordinator who promptly told me that they lined us up on a grid by job and placed us where they thought we might be needed, which is logical enough. But her demeanor seemed slightly dismissive and my preference was not simply out of desire but a clear understanding of my ability to integrate with the Indo-Fijian community. Something in me is still upset with the decision... but I will remain positive. I can learn Hindi on my own later and find some way to integrate with the Indo-Fijian community here, most likely through attending functions/holidays at a temple. But, for right now, I am getting a rare opportunity to experience Fijian village culture and learn the language.
Life as a Peace Corps Trainee...
A typical day.
Sundays.
Ah, Day of Rest… in theory. In reality, the most exhausting day of my week. I am living as a Minister's daughter. 6 hours of church on Sundays starting at 4:30 am. The Methodist here are not what I remember from back home. But its good to see that aspect of the culture... if it is exhausting to have to sit in church for an entire day with every word spoken in Fijian.
I'll continue this another day when I have time.. my precious hour at the Internet Cafe is up.
I couldn’t precisely say what in me has changed since Kiribati. Though, I will note that I have felt a distinct shift in my attitude and the “lenses” through which I observe my world. No longer am I drawn to reflections of spiritual importance filled with wisdom gained about my own nature. I feel a sense of regret at the loss of that perspective and I hope it will return.
Three weeks.
It feels like so much more and also so much less. The Peace Corps has seen to it that every day of my training is packed with cross-cultural and health development goodness.
To start, I will say that I received a disappointing hit on my first day when I was assigned to a Fijian village after clearly listing my preference to learn Hindi. I’m trying my best each day to see the positive in this choice but some days are more difficult than others. To see years of study and understanding about Hinduism and Indian culture set aside without any specific explanation as to why I was being asked to do so. I must mention in fairness that I brought the topic up to my Program Coordinator who promptly told me that they lined us up on a grid by job and placed us where they thought we might be needed, which is logical enough. But her demeanor seemed slightly dismissive and my preference was not simply out of desire but a clear understanding of my ability to integrate with the Indo-Fijian community. Something in me is still upset with the decision... but I will remain positive. I can learn Hindi on my own later and find some way to integrate with the Indo-Fijian community here, most likely through attending functions/holidays at a temple. But, for right now, I am getting a rare opportunity to experience Fijian village culture and learn the language.
Life as a Peace Corps Trainee...
A typical day.
- 6:00 Go For a Run
- 7:00 Bucket Bathe, Brush Teeth & Get Dressed
- 7:30 Eat Breakfast - Today, Papaya, Banana, Roti, & Green Tea (from my depleting stash)
- 8:00 Vuli ni vakaViti (Fijian Language Lessons) - Today we studied: Subjective Pronouns and all their exciting and specific forms. For example: “Keitou” is the pronoun for “We” when there are more than 2 people and the speaker is included.
- 10:00 Morning Tea
- 10:30 Fijian Lessons Continue...
We continued our studies by reading a bit of article on rugby from the local paper. - 12:00 Lunch
Today: Ginger Broth Soup with Egg and Ramen & Cucumber - 1:00 Community Assessment Activities or Health Technical Training
- Ex. of Community Assessment Activities
Going house to house and asking (in as much Fijian as you can muster) about rubbish disposal in the village
- Ex. of Health Technical Training
Visiting the only Mental Health hospital in the Pacific... St. Giles Hospital. And realizing there are no services available there for adolescents or elderly. - 6:30 Dinner
Today: Dhal Soup Fijian Style with Rice & Milo - 7:00 Evening Family Prayer (like a Mini Church Service in Fijian)
- 8:00 Study with Fellow PCTs
- 10:00 Bedtime
So...Thats my day, everyday with some small variations to keep things lively.
Sundays.
Ah, Day of Rest… in theory. In reality, the most exhausting day of my week. I am living as a Minister's daughter. 6 hours of church on Sundays starting at 4:30 am. The Methodist here are not what I remember from back home. But its good to see that aspect of the culture... if it is exhausting to have to sit in church for an entire day with every word spoken in Fijian.
I'll continue this another day when I have time.. my precious hour at the Internet Cafe is up.
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