Um... Yes I live in Fiji!

Sites, leaving, Swearing In and my first week at site!!

So after waiting forever, it finally arrived, site announcement day! And I'm on the island I wanted to be on, near one of my closest friends and it's dirt cheap to go see her. Needless to say I am super happy about my site :) can't believe we found out October 26th! It's so weird to think that it was almost a month ago we found out!

Leaving my village in the Tailevu area was really difficult. There is a family that I didn't stay with but they will always be my family. That village is my village and they are my kin and my family. I probably wouldn't have gotten through training as well as I did had it not been for them! I learned how to weave mats, we watched movies, jumped off bridges, rode on bamboo rafts called billibillis, messed around, did church choir together, and became a family. Even now in my own village I call them all the time and tell them how I can't wait to visit in March! It's when all of our birthdays are so I'm going for a week hopefully to spend with them!! They sent me off with a new sulu jaba and a mat for good measure! I took a photo of the whole village coming out to say goodbye to us!! Its below!!

The week we were in Suva was great!! I went out and partied hard the night after swearing in!! Haha I think we earned it for sure! We learned a little more about our sites, how we get there and what's going on! They explained more thoroughly that my village is small and I will work at a district nurse station! Swearing in was sort of surreal! We promised to uphold the values of our constitution and got to meet the ambassador, the Minister of Health, a bunch of old and current peace corps volunteers and the ladies in our group did an amazing MEKE!! (traditional Fijian dance-picture of us below) I still dance and sing the lyrics to this day! I miss my friends from the Peace Corps but since we have this cool little text to talk network on Digicell they're just a free phone call away! But bummer is that I have absolutely no service in my village so I have to go to town more often that not to just make the call in the first place!

The rough and yet cool thing is that I have to travel by ferry to get to my island of Vanua Levu, but it's a 10 hour overnight ferry! I don't mind it but I know not everyone enjoyed the journey! Our rooms weren't air conditioned so while other peace corps volunteers toughed it out, I just went and slept on the floor in the rooms where everyone else was at. So I live about an hour outside Savusavu!! It's a wonderful village filled with great people :) right now I haven't quite moved in because my bure (a traditional Fijian straw house picture below) flooded so I'm living with the nurse but I of course love getting to know her and her amazing son! Her husband is funny too! It's seriously how amazing how welcoming the Fijian people here are. I find myself wondering if they're ever not so cheery or joking. They live by a very no worried be happy attitude. Of course there's a lot more to them than that, but it's all "under the iceberg" as Peace Corps taught us and it's difficult to break into!!

I'm seriously so thankful for my supervisor! She's so progressive and I can't help but think how bored I'd be if she wasn't! I have a picture of her, my closest other PCV on Vanua Levu and I on the compound I'm currently staying in. Sure there are days where I'm just sitting on my butt reading a book, but I get to talk to her patients on her clinic days, go with her on her house call visits, help make presentations and just get to know the area!! We already have long and short term goals and even though we know it will be a rough road we think we could make some great changes since Vanua Levu is still even a couple years behind Viti Levu in some areas!! I wake up sometimes and wonder, am I still living in paradise!? Sure nothing is perfect but I'm surrounded by wonderful people, who are very laid back, and the most beautiful mountains that take my breath away everyday! I know I'm going to have challenges and have already seen some but I mean... There's always a positive to see... HAH I LIVE IN FIJI PEOPLE!!

Six weeks

Let's see, where to even start!!

My picture!! Well that's the traditional grog or yagona drink! They do it for traditional, religious, forgiveness, wedding, and when coming into a village ceremonies! Then some people drink it just to drink it. It's also called kava. It's pretty good but most people can't stand it for some reason. Right now we're learning a traditional dance called a Meke for our swearing in ceremony. We wear grass cuffs, grass skirts with a black skirt under it, and peace corps is giving us a shirt for it! It's really fun and I'm super excited for that. Everyone has been really sick this past week so moral has been pretty low, but we've been pretty on our game every other week so I don't think staff is too upset with us. The roller coaster of emotions is truly a serious ideology that many people thinking about joining the Peace Corps need to understand, even people who have been away from home long periods of time. It's not about the being away, it's some of the difficulties that people can deal with; in terms of village problems, or problems that can arise because of the way your home-stay family may react towards things! But honestly it's been an amazing experience!!

Next Friday I will find out where I'll be living for two years and what I'll be doing! I'm so excited. All 25 peace corps trainees leave next Sunday from our villages to Suva (the capital) which will be weird. A lot of my hopes of getting awesome gifts for my home stay are totally getting dashed, but besides that things are amazing!! We went on a host volunteer visit and I got to be one of the lucky recipients who went to Vanua Levu to visit a volunteer who lives an amazing village surrounded my some of the most beautiful scenery I've seen in Fiji yet! Besides having the most perfect time, I learned so much about the culture in Fiji. The amount of Fijian the volunteer knew was a little intimidating but she's been here for 16 months now! I know it's too far away to think about it but I'm excited to host my own volunteer next year!! This week I am learning how to weave a big floor mat and one of the kids made me a fan!! I hang out with his family a lot, and his older brother in the village is the local monkey so I get coconut water almost daily. Their family is so good to me! They told me they asked to have a volunteer but since their shower and toilet are too far away from the house itself they weren't allowed one. This whole "coconut wireless" ideology is pretty remarkable, when they mean the whole village will know in a millisecond they mean it!! People talk about the smallest details too and it goes through our village and to other villages as well!! Haha one of the other trainees calls it the coconut internet because it's almost broadband fast.

Well there's not much else going on here, I miss my amazing friends and family back in the states! Today's my sisters birthday! Happy 11th birthday Hannah Rose! I love you with all my heart baby girl <3

I'm in FIJI!!

I'm so sorry about not being able to upload a post my iPad is having technical difficulties right now without being aligned with the Fiji network plus the SIM card is stuck!!! :( But life here is amazing! Seriously even here I somehow live like a princess, most of the trainees don't but I somehow (again) have gotten the best of the best. Most people live and eat on the floors, I have a comfy bed and have couches plus a table to eat on. I get corn flakes and most of them get curry/rice maybe a fried something for breakfast! SOO SPOILED!! I'll try to post again soon but just know that I'm happy and life here is amazing. You wouldn't think that so many people live here in poverty but it's truer than true. People here need help, especially with their problems with NCD's which is where my Peace Corps group will come in. Our jobs and sites won't come until the last week of October so I probably won't post again until then but this place is amazing. It can't disappoint, I'm sure I'll have down days especially when things don't work out and from what it sounds like I might live in the main island because most of us have really great technical training skills for the people and medical centers of Fiji but we don't know anything until then. I can't wait to find out!!

My homestay house I have been staying in is a princess house. There's no other words. Then the family is seriously amazing, and I'm not sure how I got so lucky. The other 24 volunteers here too are seriously crazy intimidating and perfect, but from what it sounds like we ALL think similar things. It's crazy to think how much we all agree on how amazing our group is too, I'm sure I'm not the only one gushing!! We have long term nurses, EMT's, DOCTORS, crazy travelers, everything. Our age ranges are actually pretty random too. 1/3 of us are over 35 "seasoned" but very experienced in the medical field, 1/3 of us 26-34 and in the middle of life stages, and then 1/3 of us are just out of college. It's crazy how different we all are. I'm so proud and excited to see what we do in the coming years, our group is out of this world with our resumes combined we could probably find solutions to most Fiji problems! (haha too optimistic but seriously they're crazy amazing). Plus the staff is really great to us!! Our country director and his wife love Fiji so much they've lived here almost longer than they did in the states. I can honestly see why!!

I have so many people to thank for all of their amazingness and so many friends and some great people who have entered my life this year that I couldn't have even been able to understand this experience without them!! First my dad, he's been phenomenal and seriously even though we fight all the time I love him more than anyone. My grandma, she is my saving grace, enough said. Anne, thanks for being awesome! My beautiful siblings! Seriously you are perfect and I miss you everyday <3 I think about you every time I look in the face of another child. My family overall is seriously just phenomenal. My little, Sam Pastran, she hasn't forgotton about me yet and it makes me so happy. My best friends Justin, Madison, Shannon, Frank, and Amanda! I miss you more than you'll ever understand :) Just know I think about you almost everyday if not everyday! I'll try to get a hold of all of you when I can! Stacy Hopkins and Nonnie Owens, please know your giving grace will always stay with me, I think about your kindness and know you have given me more than just gifts to help me here but intangible gifts no one can see but me! I love you both so much <3 I will always go back to Fort Myers for you two! :) Staging was amazing and really overwhelming, the place ride over too! It's weird to think I'm a Peace Corps trainee right now. Or that I've just spent an hour on the internet! Obviously I've been having withdraws.

I leave today...

So today I leave for Fiji.

Last night we had a nice meeting with the other trainees. I'm not sure of much besides the fact that today I will know more about my time in Fiji and get to know the other trainees a little better. I'm excited, nervous, anxious and ready to go! I was so fortunate to see so many people across Michigan and Florida! I'm already missing everyone but I know this experience will be fulfilling to say the least!! I will promise to listen to what my dad says and make the best out of every situation, everyday, even when I want to cry lol.

Today, I got to know a little more about a couple of the other trainees and it makes me really excited to see what we all focus in once we're there. The group seems really well educated and come from all different educational backgrounds!! It's sounds like we have a really driven group of people, so I think it'll be crazy to see what we all do with our two years in Fiji!

Well... We're about to leave for sessions! :) hope everyone is having a great time in school!! I love you all and thank you so much for all you have given to me over my last four years and especially everyone who helped me with my Fiji packing list!!

Neerrrrrvvvouuusss me

Some Fiji Facts

So Fiji... Wow. Fiji. FeeeeeJeeee

For those of you irate with jealously, don't worry your country will be just as cool... Sort of ;) or for those who are dear enough to me to read my blog...just come visit so you can see all the beauty that Fiji has to offer to!! But let's have a little history lesson while we wait the arduous 7 weeks before I leave!

The Republic of Fiji is composed of 332 islands, of which approximately 110 are inhabited, spanning approximately 500,000 square miles of the South Pacific Ocean. It is known as the soft-coral capital of the world and thousands of miles of coral reef thread throughout the islands. It is home to a population of approximately 883,000 people.

Fiji obtained its independence from Britain in 1970. A succession of coups - in 1987, 2000, and 2006 - has left Fiji struggling to regain political and economic stability. Leaders of the most recent coup in 2006 established an interim government led by Commodore Bainimarama. The Fijian Court of Appeal declared the December 2006 coup and the interim government unlawful and the 1997 constitution was abrogated. A state of emergency was imposed in April, 2009 and in July 2009 the interim cabinet appointed Epeli Nailatikau, a former military commander, diplomat, and speaker of the House of Representatives as the new President.

Following the coups, Fiji has suffered a high rate of emigration of skilled and professional personnel, causing shortages in the service sectors and in the areas of education and healthcare. Half of the population lives below or close to the poverty line, particularly in rural areas. Over-fishing and environmental degradation have reduced food security from traditional sources. Revenues from tourism, expatriate remittances, and exported sugar and garments remain the largest contributors to the economy, though these have dramatically fallen with the current worldwide recession. Fiji ranks 86 of 169 comparable countries on the Human Development Index (composite indices .669), and places above the regional average of East Asia and the Pacific (composite indices .650).

The currency of the country is the Fijian Dollar.

Although the country has a combination of both native Fijians and Indians it is an English Speaking nation. They do however speak their own dialects but all staff at resorts, restaurants, shops and the like are English speaking.

One of the most common words you hear in Fiji is a cheerful "Bula". This is the Fijian word for "hello" but in Fiji it can also mean a plethora of other things too!

The country's capital is Suva which is located on the eastern side of the main Island, Viti Levu. Suva is also the largest city in Fiji and contains one of the two ports in the country.

Fiji’s current government is headed by the military, per the 1999 constitution. In April 2009, Prime Minister Bainimarama and then-President Iloilo nullified the constitution, restricted the press, and pushed the date for elections to 2014. As a result, Fiji was excluded from the British Commonwealth and the Pacific Islands Forum and has ongoing disputes with other countries over its governance, most notably with Australia and New Zealand.

Indigenous Fijians have a well-developed local system of government, beginning at the village (koro) level. Each village is represented by a village headman (turaga ni koro), who is elected by the villagers. Villages are grouped into 18 districts (tikina) and these districts are grouped into 14 provinces (yasana). The Fijian Affairs Board appoints a “Roko Tui” to head each province.

Indo-Fijians and other non-Fijians are served by a provincial administration that represents ministries at the local level, provides funding for infrastructure projects, and maintains government services. An advisory counselor represents Indo-Fijians’ and other non-indigenous Fijians’ interests at the provincial level. The traditional sociopolitical governing system of the indigenous Fijian people is the chiefdom system. The chief can be male or female, though most are male. The Fijian word for chief is ratu for men and adi (pronuounced “andi”) for women. The chief has sovereign power over the people of his or her village.

(references: Wikipedia, Fiji Welcome book, and CIA World Factbook!)

INVITATION!!!!! FIJI!!!!

HELLOOOOO FIJI!!! 

  Or should I say Bula!! Can't believe it!! I'll be leaving September 4th for 27 months to Fiji!!! :) 

  The unfortunate part is that I am in Ghana still so I haven't actually received my invitation just a welcome packet, and job assignment!! I will be working as a Community Health Promotion Facilitator! Working with several different outreach programs with a long range of items to educate communities on! 

  Of course the over achiever in me has already looked up information from WHO, the Peace Corps Fiji Program Evaluation, and the Fiji Health Systems Review. Yea I'm awkward like that. The opportunities are endless! Can't believe I ended up in Fiji when I was so sure I'd be in Africa!! Everyone keeps telling me we've hit the Peace Corps lottery and I can't help but agree. Not only will this be a great experience but if I live in a more rural village, and when family arrive they can see both sides and still get an actual vacation out of it too!! Now I know since there are 8 weeks away something could happen to not go through but I'm hoping for the best!! 

  Just want to give a shout out to everyone who has been following or supporting me through this process! Thank you so much for everything :) can't wait to see what the next few years bring!! 

Dreams...they do come true!

Not to put all my eggs in one basket as I am still two months away from when I could possibly leave... But after speaking with my placement officer and getting the questions such as: How is your family support, where are you in terms of safety and precautions, what have you been doing to live the life of a volunteer, really everything that they should but after the phone call and a check with legal my placement officer emailed me the most amazing news, I did the happiest happy dance I've done in years:

Hi,  

I checked with the Legal Eligibility  Office and was informed that your ticket was/is not a problem. So, I am clearing you for Peace Corps service and issuing you an invitation to serve in a Peace Corps health assignment departing for the Pacific Islands September 4th .  However, there is one condition.  I will need a final transcript that has the words “degree conferred” and the date by the first week of August at the latest.    

Your invitation should arrive in 5-10 business days.  After reading through your invitation materials, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.   Otherwise, please follow the detailed instructions in your invitation packet on how to accept your invitation.  

Thanks for the information regarding your address. I suspect that our mail room will not be too keen about sending a packet to an addresses in Ghana without numbers.  Therefore, I would be inclined to use the P.O. Box address, as it seems a bit “safer” if you will."

seriously can't believe this...

Sometimes I really do wish I was a crier. I feel amazing. I know it's all speculation and things could happen to make me not be apart of it but... Im on cloud 9 right now so I'm just thinking about all the positives. I probably won't be too crazy until I'm on that plane over and have fully be swore in after training to know that everything is real, but until then I'll be in my dreamland just happy to know that my dreams are coming true. <3 thank you everyone for their support. It's been an amazing ride just to get this far. I love you daddy, my life would mean nothing without you.