Breakthrough

Bula!

Things are still good here in Fiji. My group of five great girls has left and I now have eleven more teens and a co-leader. He seems like a cool guy. Teaches biology in the Bronx, down to earth, lots of brain teasers, etc. That is mstly the big update. Most of my life is moving along in the same routine as my last few posts.

I have had a philosophical breakthrough. A common question I ask people is 'If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?' My breakthrough is this: I always want to be able to answer 'Right in this very spot at this very moment.' This is not saying that I would not go somewhere else if given the opportunity, but that I am content in my life right then. Sometimes it will be tough, but it's a new goal.

I realized last night that yesterday was Amy and mine three year anniversary. I realized so late because I did not know what yesterday's date was. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Neither of us are making a big deal out of it because of that whole being on the other side of the world thing, so I figure we'll head out to dinner next time we're together.

I am looking forward to the fall. There are so many unknowns, basically everything, but it should be good. I hope to get a dog. It's a goal.

8km

Check another one off the list.

Today I completed another task on my life list--to run in a race in a foreign country. This run was eight kilometers long, beginning and ending at the main sponsor's location: McDonald's. The finishing chute was the drive-thru. I will never get over the irony of that. My performance was a bit sub-par (not yet sure of my time, but I was dragging) but the competition was not what I am used to. I finished 17th overall--which does sound pretty impressive. At least a half dozen people ran barefoot.

I look to improve my fitness level while here. I am just now starting to feel better, so hopefully I can hit the roads on a more regular basis. I also have a running-buddy. His name is Bo and he is a very affectionate mutt. He does seem to be the alpha dog in the region, so I have no more dog confrontations while I run. He's a fit creature. I ran six or seven miles yesterday and he was right there with me.

There is some bad news. Last night, I finished my home-made chocolate chip cookies. Still soft. Well, I technically finished it with a spoon. I shared with three other people who referred to the cookie crumbs as crack. I've never tasted crack, so I imagine that they were refering to the addictively good quality of the delicious snack.

Until next time.

The Week Update

Things have been busy, allowing very limited time to escape the base and access the internet. The following is a brief run down of my life over the p-ast week and a half.

It began at 4:30am on the 12th when we left for the airport to get the first batch of children and hasn't quite stopped. We picked them up, gathered all their cellphones so they didn't call home, and brought them to the base. We then split everyone up into groups.

The day before, I issued a challenge to the rest of the staff. I declared that my group, without having met them, would beat all other groups in a game of ultimate frisbee. Arrival morning, three of my group and myself played against Phil, another staff member, and two of his kids. My girls dominated without being competitive. It was awesome. While on the topic of my group, they are awesome. There are 5 girls (there were 6--one went home) and they don't complain, work hard, and have bonded well together. After emerging from a school last Friday to discover our car battery was dead, they were great sports about giving the van a push so I could pop-start it. In the rain.

Food has gotten much better. Our chef, Lesi, is one of the best people I've ever met. He lives to please and seems to enjoy it all. He told me that he sleeps only two hours per night. Lesi's lunches still leave a bit to be desired, but his dinners are awesome. Last week, for one dinner, I had baked potato, tuna steaks, chicken, and steak. All done on the grill. I hugged him.

That night was cut a bit short for me, though, so I had to leave after merely two plates. One of the many students who was ill approached our table obviously very dehydrated. He had been throwing up all day. I left with another staff member to take him to the hospital. He was given an injection of anti-vomiting meds and told to drink powerade. While at the hospital I got antibiotics for my throat. It had been hurting for a while and is only now feeling better. I told the woman that my throat hurt and she wrote me the prescription without ever looking at it. Interesting.

Later on in the week, I brought a group to Koropita, a village created for homeless people. They pay a dollar a day for rent. We dug trenches for piping and taught computer skills. While we were there, it began to rain--in torrents. We left soon after, fearing flooding. As it turns out, the fears were justified. The dirt road up to the house was flooded in two places. It made for an exciting drive. The first crossing made us wait for a little while for the water to go down, and the second I just went through at a slow pace as to not flood the intake and stall out.

More kids got here on Thursday, adding to the fun. It should be interesting.

Peace at Last, Peace at Last.

Since junior year of college, I have been occasionally visited by nice little bouts of anxiety brought up, I guess, when things are overwhelming. Things that contribute: constant loud noises, crowded spaces, hospitals, etc. I'm a slightly intelligent person, knowing a little bit about mental health and have no suspicion that this is serious in the least. I don't have panic attacks, I just prefer to get the hell out of the situation. The day before leaving for Malakati I felt this after visiting the local third world hospital and returning to a loud crowded internet cafe in a loud crowded city. This should better give you the context of the following essay, written at Malakati village.


How do you find peace? And how would you know it once you've found it? So many people just go go go. Go through routines, go to starbucks, go to work, go to bed. Go go go. I feel they should stop where they are. Freeze. And reflect. Am I happy? When did I last feel peace? I am one of the few who is usually sincerely happy. However, when did I last feel peace within myself.

I have been to the tops of mountains, the spines of ridges, and the sides of cliffs. I have kayaked rivers, sailed on lakes, and seen lands unmarred by human presence. Even then, peace has been a rare experience.

Here, I have found peace. I feel my heartbeat slow and stress physicall lift from my shoulders. I feel lighter. Malakati village has no cars, no telivision, no video games. For amusement, the children play sports and push around small skis attached to a long bamboo handle. They call these boats. The families live either in thatch huts, called, bures, or small houses constructed of corrugated tin walls and roofs. People here smile and say bula when I walk past. They invite us to tea and readily share their possessions. The front yard in translucent blue water and pure white sand; the back yard is a mountain. I am at peace.

It took me hours to convince myself I am actually here. It is still difficult to believe that I am staying in a village on a small island in the middle of the pacific. I am truly thankful for this place and the welcoming nature of these people.

I feel alive, recharged, rested. I feel peace.

6/7-8/08 Malakati Days Two and Three

Not much beats waking up on a beach on a remote Fijian island. Trust me.

It was another rough day at the office. For starters, some one made my breakfast for me, again. Then, I had to suffer through hanging out at the beach until church.

Oh, church. We did not have the foresight to bring nice clothes to the island, so some kind villagers offered all the staff their Sunday Best. I wore a bright res and black button down shirt along with a dress zulu. If I have yet to describe a zulu, it is basically a brightly colored bedsheet that one wraps around their waist like a towel. In Fiji, this is considered unisex and not afeminite, whish is good for me because I occasionally enjoy to wear a zulu in lieu of pants. This particular zulu was plain black with a built in belt. I looked so good it rivaled my powder-blue prom tuxedo.

Despite the fact that I understood only about three sentences at the church service, I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was due to the choir. About half the village population seemed to be a member. It easily ranks as one of the best choirs I've heard. The power of their voices and the notes they hit brought goosebumps. Sitting in the second pew, with a hymnal, I felt priviledged to add my song to theirs.

My second favorite part of church was the old guy sitting in the back row of the children's section. He held a long bamboo stick. I imagine that stick to have a name. The Religious Regulator, or The Devil Deterrer.

Church ended and we waited on the beach for lunch. I know, life can be difficult. We ate, more staff arrived, and we left for snorkeling. It was nice. I saw two fish staring at something, so I swam down and joined them. I couldn't figure out was what was so intriguing. I soone decided to abort snorkeling and began diving from the top of the boat, perhaps a staggering meter and a half above the water. Not long after, we left, ate dinner, some delicous fish cooked in coconut milk), discovered that two of our staff were lost on this remote Fijian island. They were bushwacking/trailblazing a trail for their prgram. Senga na lenqa- no worries. They're more trained in the outdoors than I am. They returned for breakfast. We spent the first few hours of the night bonding as a staff, then went to bed.

Poor planning on the part of someone led us to running out of food. Well, almost out. Breakfast consisted of rice cooked in cocnut milk. Not bad, but insubstantial. We ate, lounged some more on the beach, and said our farewells. The people, scenery, and serenity of Malakati Village is not something that will soon, if ever, be forgotten by any of us.

6/6/08 Malakati Day One

We woke at 3:30am and were on the road by 4. Two boats were loaded with our gear and ourselves. We pulled away from the wharf at 6:15, or 5:30 "Fiji Time." Three of us, Tanya, Alex, and myself sat in the bow, above the small cargo hold, the best seats in the house. The water was like glass and parted smoothly on either side of the boat as we left the bay. The sunrise was breathtaking. Colors changed by the minute--purple to pink to red to orange to yellow.

Tanya best voiced our sentiments: "People work, 9-5, every day, at an office to make money. Of this money, they may save 5% for vacations. After doing this long enough, they can see the sun rise over Fiji's big island from a boat on smooth water."

Alex: "This is the best commute I've ever had."

Once the sun was fully up and we left the main island behind, the sea took a short break from tranquility. In other words, it went from peaceful to, in my opinion, fun. Soon, the water was hitting us in spray and bucketfuls. Those in the main area did not share my opinion in what qualifies as fun, particularly the girl that threw up over the side of the boat. Another took some dramamine and hid in the cargo hold. Nearly everyone was soaked. I remained on the bow, holding on to the three inch tall rail/tie down and laughed. Headphones and raincoat on, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The main island fell from sight and the smaller islands of the Yasawa group rose from below the horizon. We reached the safe waters between them and the see was calm once again.

Picturesque best describes the sight that welcomed us to the island. We arrived at Malakati village, greeted by singing villagers. Lunch was soon ready and we ate. It was good, and afterwards we rested. The staff enjoyed our newfound peace in different ways: some sunbathed, some swam, and others rested in the shade. I partook in all of the above. After an hour or so of this hard work, we set up some tents.

Between tent set up and afternoon tea, I played rugby with some of the village boys. To sum up the athletic abilit of these Fikian kids, I would say quick. These teens and preteens seemed to burn me on nearly flat our run. Quick little buggers. I had a blast.

Then came, in order, tea, medical meeting, dinner, swimming, kava, bed. Swimming was amazing. A handful of us went out after dark to jump off the boat into the still, warm Fijian waters. I tried standing on a surfboard on this still water. It didn't work.

Throughout drinking kava, many of the village men played guitar and sang for u. Once again, more proof that Fijians are great musicians.

Then, bed.

Cold Showers and Hot Mud

Due to the fact that my memory fades rather quickly, the following entry of last Thursday and Friday will be bullet-point form. It makes things easier.

-On Thursday I spent the day at the school I will be going to each week over the summer. We taught english to 1st and 2nd graders and art to 3rd and 4th graders. These kids are super happy to have us and are quite cute.

-I'm wondering if preferring to be the group leader means I have control issues. I don't like not being able to decide what will be going on. Other people were deciding what activities we'd be teaching and who would teach what. I'm also about to have a discussion with one of the leadership staff about her, well, leadership style. More on that later.

-I am now driving here. Thursday was the first day of this. The most difficult part is remembering that the turn signal is on the opposite side and to watch out for potholes. Driving on the left and sitting on the right isn't too bad.

-After school we went to a hot mud pool (outdoors). It was odd. On top of the mud was water, followed by a layer of leaves. The hot mud was good though. Except for the old guy that owned the place. He had us get out one by one an he rubbed us down with mud. He did not miss a single spot. He was THE dirty old man. I felt offended for the girls. He will not be going near my students.

-We occasionally hang out with the Fijian staff drinking Kava and listening to them play guitar and sing. They are great musicians.

-Friday we went on a more official tour of Nadi. It was crowded. We visited the hospital and I didn't like it. I got out as soon as I could.

-The cook's food is getting better. Lunches are okay, but his dinners rock.

-The end of the day saw me packing for the weekend island adventure, tune in later for details.

Once again--healthy, safe, and still snacking on cookies.

Momi House

I arrived in Momi Bay, to my home-away-from-home on Sunday. It's nice. I doubt I'll have a hot shower until I return home, but it's nice. The people seem real cool. There's a comptetitive streak in a few folks, but still they seem like decent people. The food the first night was pretty good-lamb chops, chicken, cassava, and salad. That went a bit downhill, so there's some constructive feedback going on. Today's lunch consisted of egg salad sandwiches. The egg salad was chopped egg and butter. I have home-made chocolate chip cookies to supplement my diet, so I will stay well fed, don't worry.

Training seems like it's going to be pretty intensive. There's a lot to cover. I'm really excited for the next three months because of everything we have to go over. I will be working in schools, doing construction, doing sports, and all sorts of other stuff. We need to visit all the sites before everything gets going, so it will be hectic training. There are other people that want to run in the mornings, so that's really good. It's a good way to energize for the day.

I wish I could tell more, but I am pressed for time and must say farewell for now. Things are good, I am safe, and I can play connect the dots on my legs and arms with mosquito bites. There isn't malaria here though, so no worries.