Its t-3 days until ISP (Independent Study Project) time begins. That means I only have 3 days until college courses are over. Weird is all that can describe this feeling. I am still waiting to hear from Hawaii, and I am growing so impatient and so nervous! It is sort of distracting, so I am trying to convince myself that when I stop thinking about grad school, I will find out. Also, I need to be thinking about other options if I am not accepted into grad school. It has crossed my mind to go to technical school and become a draftsman for homes. This is also in my life plan to really learn how to design homes. It is a little hard to think about an alternative to grad school as technical school. We'll see what happens.
The past few days, we have been enduring our usual morning lecture from a new professor each day, 2 hours of Fijian language class (time could be better spent), and then we made visits to 2 Non-Government Organizations. One of which had to do with women's rights (had more to do with public knowledge of community issues) and the other had to do with HIV and AIDs in Fiji. This was very nice to be out traveling and seeing that "insider's" look at Fiji. We have to remind ourselves often that we are all outsiders in Fiji, no matter how long we are here.
4.28.2009
4.25.2009
ZIPLINING!
This past week and a half has been absolutely crazy. With assignments due left and right, us students haven't had much time to go and have some fun in Fiji. After all, I am coming home in just 6 VERY SHORT weeks, and there is so much left to do! In an effort to celebrate having a few large assignments turned in, it has been designated fun weekend. Last night, about 5 of us went to the local club, O'Reilly's and had an excellent time. Going out and partying in moderation is proving to me nice on my wallet. The occoaisonal wild night is also just enough for me to be completely rediculous when I do go dancing. Those who know me well know that I am an awkward dancer, and my friends in Fiji seem to be embracing this. I love them for that! Think Tina Fey in the movie Baby Mama.
So, clubbing last night. Today was the day of the ultimate zipline adventure. I really wanted the whole group of 11 of us to go, but I guess everyone else thinks that we are here forever and will have plenty of time to go in the coming weeks. It turned out to be Allison and I, the two captains of adventure. There is a village about 30 minutes by car west of Suva that has a rainforest zipline adventure. We found a bus leaving for $1.60 Fijian that dropped us off right in front of the driveway to the facility. Good point of the day #1. Then, we walked for about 20 minutes to get to the zipline location and the guides got us set up right away. I was quite impressed with the professionalism and safety of this place! Maybe I need to do tourist activities more often. They showed us the course and we went to town, all in all experiencing 8 different ziplines. At times, they said we were moving at 60 KM/Hour. I'd believe it, and with the added excitement of flying over rivers, dogs, rainforest plants and palm trees, it was quite amazing. They then took us again, because they said we needed to go a second time. Good point of the day #2. The second time was almost more fun. We left, and right as we were paying, I asked how much. They slashed the cost in half. For no reason. Good point of the day #3. We walked down to King's Road, the main highway that takes us into Suva, and we saw our bus roll away. This was a bit comical to Allison and I, because it was the first really not amazing thing that had happened all day. Within 10 minutes, a taxi van pulled over and drove us 30 minutes back to town for $2 each. Good deal, indeed.
Tonight, I plan to go to a boxing match at the Vodofone Arena, which should be quite the experience. Tomorrow is my host dad's birthday. I think I might make him cut his bday cake with the army sword, just as he made me do. Host mom is making a big lunch, and I cannot wait to see what we are eating. Probably fish in coconut sauce, chicken, chop suey, kasava, and pizza. That seems to be what we have for birthdays, and is probably the extent of the diet at my house. I have apples and granola bars in my bag from the store. Thank you Nature's Valley for providing me with snacks when I cannot eat any more fried food! Also, it is nice to eat something produced in Minnesota!!
I am still impatiently waiting to hear from the University of Hawaii. If I am officially admitted, I have decided to attend. Meaning I will be moving to Hawaii in August, which is only about 3 1/2 months from now! Grandmas and Grandpas, we will be spending a lot of time together this summer, because I won't see you again until Christmas, unless you come visit in Hawaii! This is not official yet, until I get the real letter from UH Manoa. My life story is becoming kind of cool. I will be able to tell people someday that I lived in Minnesota, Fiji, and Hawaii all in one year if all goes through. Cross your fingers and say a prayer for me please!
So, clubbing last night. Today was the day of the ultimate zipline adventure. I really wanted the whole group of 11 of us to go, but I guess everyone else thinks that we are here forever and will have plenty of time to go in the coming weeks. It turned out to be Allison and I, the two captains of adventure. There is a village about 30 minutes by car west of Suva that has a rainforest zipline adventure. We found a bus leaving for $1.60 Fijian that dropped us off right in front of the driveway to the facility. Good point of the day #1. Then, we walked for about 20 minutes to get to the zipline location and the guides got us set up right away. I was quite impressed with the professionalism and safety of this place! Maybe I need to do tourist activities more often. They showed us the course and we went to town, all in all experiencing 8 different ziplines. At times, they said we were moving at 60 KM/Hour. I'd believe it, and with the added excitement of flying over rivers, dogs, rainforest plants and palm trees, it was quite amazing. They then took us again, because they said we needed to go a second time. Good point of the day #2. The second time was almost more fun. We left, and right as we were paying, I asked how much. They slashed the cost in half. For no reason. Good point of the day #3. We walked down to King's Road, the main highway that takes us into Suva, and we saw our bus roll away. This was a bit comical to Allison and I, because it was the first really not amazing thing that had happened all day. Within 10 minutes, a taxi van pulled over and drove us 30 minutes back to town for $2 each. Good deal, indeed.
Tonight, I plan to go to a boxing match at the Vodofone Arena, which should be quite the experience. Tomorrow is my host dad's birthday. I think I might make him cut his bday cake with the army sword, just as he made me do. Host mom is making a big lunch, and I cannot wait to see what we are eating. Probably fish in coconut sauce, chicken, chop suey, kasava, and pizza. That seems to be what we have for birthdays, and is probably the extent of the diet at my house. I have apples and granola bars in my bag from the store. Thank you Nature's Valley for providing me with snacks when I cannot eat any more fried food! Also, it is nice to eat something produced in Minnesota!!
I am still impatiently waiting to hear from the University of Hawaii. If I am officially admitted, I have decided to attend. Meaning I will be moving to Hawaii in August, which is only about 3 1/2 months from now! Grandmas and Grandpas, we will be spending a lot of time together this summer, because I won't see you again until Christmas, unless you come visit in Hawaii! This is not official yet, until I get the real letter from UH Manoa. My life story is becoming kind of cool. I will be able to tell people someday that I lived in Minnesota, Fiji, and Hawaii all in one year if all goes through. Cross your fingers and say a prayer for me please!
4.21.2009
Samoa Students
The school that I am studying through, the School of International Training, has programs throughout the world. While I am in Fiji, there is also a program in Samoa (another island nation in the south pacific). We were fortunate to meet up with these students last night. Their program takes them through a program in Pacific Studies, starting in Hawaii, moving to Samoa, spending a week in Fiji, then moving back to Samoa.
It was really great to meet with these students because first of all, we are all afraid of the other American students in Fiji, studying through the other programs. We see them and run in the opposite direction (they do the same). So it was nice to talk about America, what it is like to be living in the Pacific as an American, and just to meet some cool people. I even met another Minnesotan who goes to St. Kates! Sam, she doesn't know you (as she hasn't been on campus all year).
It was really great to meet with these students because first of all, we are all afraid of the other American students in Fiji, studying through the other programs. We see them and run in the opposite direction (they do the same). So it was nice to talk about America, what it is like to be living in the Pacific as an American, and just to meet some cool people. I even met another Minnesotan who goes to St. Kates! Sam, she doesn't know you (as she hasn't been on campus all year).
4.20.2009
An Update
So, it seems that my concerns a few weeks ago are now concerning some of you back in the states. I didn't mean to concern you at home, I was just explaining what was going on. I spoke with my host parents about the situation in Fiji, and yes, the government is a bit unorthodox right now. There is no constitution, and the police kind of run the show. BUT you have to know that we are in Fiji. Host mom and dad explained to me that people here kind of laugh at the government situations. Think about it- there have been four coups in twenty years. Life is normal when the government takes a weird turn, because Fijians don't want their lives to change. Fijians are also pretty chill (we are indeed a pacific island). You get tired, you lay down on the floor and take a nap. So, when I walk down the street, shops are still open, people are still going to the movies, and the warf is still full of ships. It is hard to explain, but just know that life is alright.
In addition, I have this added level of security that others in the group do not have. My dad is retired from the Fijian army, and now works for an American security company as a guard in Iraq. His hands are the size of my host niece (who is four months old). Also, my dad is old friends (when he was in the army) with the military dictator. We borrowed his tent for a church function for my family's church, and I went to his house. This nice added level of security is nice just in case something would happen. SO, there should be no more lingering concerns of any of you at home. If you are concerned, you are welcome to call my phone here, though it might cost you a pretty penny. My email is wellman.austin@gmail.com and feel free to contact me if you want to chat.
In addition, I have this added level of security that others in the group do not have. My dad is retired from the Fijian army, and now works for an American security company as a guard in Iraq. His hands are the size of my host niece (who is four months old). Also, my dad is old friends (when he was in the army) with the military dictator. We borrowed his tent for a church function for my family's church, and I went to his house. This nice added level of security is nice just in case something would happen. SO, there should be no more lingering concerns of any of you at home. If you are concerned, you are welcome to call my phone here, though it might cost you a pretty penny. My email is wellman.austin@gmail.com and feel free to contact me if you want to chat.
4.16.2009
See my photos
Here is a link to up to date photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/Wellman.Austin?feat=email
http://picasaweb.google.com/Wellman.Austin?feat=email
Turmoil in Paradise
So, the last week has brought about some interesting developments in the Fijian government. I will see if I can summarize what has happened in a nutshell.
About one week ago, our group returned from a 2 week excursion from some of the most beautiful places in Fiji. I came back rather tired, walked into my home and had a rest. Later that day, my host dad was really into the news and a certain announcement. It was announced that the military dictator (basically) and all government was said to be illegal by the constitution. The only person left in power was the 80 something year old president (actually, the oldest president in the world). Many Fijians were excited because nobody likes the dictator man.
The next day, we found out that the president re-instated this man and completely got rid of the constitution. So, we were in a state of anarchy. We wouldn't know this by walking down the street, as everything went about normally. Now, Australia and New Zealand are angry with Fiji and saying that we are officially in a military dictatorship. The newspaper on Sunday had to cancel half of the articles because of government restrictions. The news was canceled on Sunday, and now they are watched with armed men in the studio, because they cannot say anything about the political situation.
A family friend here in Fiji was over the other day. She is a doctor and her dad was the governor of the reserve bank of Fiji, until Saturday. They fired him, and took him into a camp to most likely beat and interrogate him. Of course, we just hear about these things from the BBC and word of mouth, not from any internal source.
So, Fiji is a mess. Our academic director is home sick, so we don't know what is up with us. If things get violent, I guess they send us home on the first plane. Most of our families say we will be fine, but you might get to see me sooner than you thought.
On the bright side, I think I have been accepted into the University of Hawaii... I'll let you know officially in a few weeks.
Don't let all of this scare you- I don't think that Fiji would mess with any Americans. Our government is way too powerful, and would crush Fiji if any of their citizens were hurt. :-) Go America.
About one week ago, our group returned from a 2 week excursion from some of the most beautiful places in Fiji. I came back rather tired, walked into my home and had a rest. Later that day, my host dad was really into the news and a certain announcement. It was announced that the military dictator (basically) and all government was said to be illegal by the constitution. The only person left in power was the 80 something year old president (actually, the oldest president in the world). Many Fijians were excited because nobody likes the dictator man.
The next day, we found out that the president re-instated this man and completely got rid of the constitution. So, we were in a state of anarchy. We wouldn't know this by walking down the street, as everything went about normally. Now, Australia and New Zealand are angry with Fiji and saying that we are officially in a military dictatorship. The newspaper on Sunday had to cancel half of the articles because of government restrictions. The news was canceled on Sunday, and now they are watched with armed men in the studio, because they cannot say anything about the political situation.
A family friend here in Fiji was over the other day. She is a doctor and her dad was the governor of the reserve bank of Fiji, until Saturday. They fired him, and took him into a camp to most likely beat and interrogate him. Of course, we just hear about these things from the BBC and word of mouth, not from any internal source.
So, Fiji is a mess. Our academic director is home sick, so we don't know what is up with us. If things get violent, I guess they send us home on the first plane. Most of our families say we will be fine, but you might get to see me sooner than you thought.
On the bright side, I think I have been accepted into the University of Hawaii... I'll let you know officially in a few weeks.
Don't let all of this scare you- I don't think that Fiji would mess with any Americans. Our government is way too powerful, and would crush Fiji if any of their citizens were hurt. :-) Go America.
4.09.2009
2 weeks of fun
It has been quite some time since I've written a posting, but there is good reason. I've been traveling around Fiji for two weeks, and just returned this morning. Here's what I've been up to:
Two weeks ago today, I packed my duffel and messenger bag not really knowing what to expect for the next two weeks. I knew that I would be living with a few families, that I would be trying new food, and that I would be throwing myself into uncomfortable situations. Well, I did just that these past few weeks. On Thursday morning, March 26, I loaded all of my gear into a taxi and went to the University of the South Pacific Campus. There, we all hung around for a while (which is very usual in Fiji) until loading our gear onto a carrier truck. A carrier truck is a pickup with a tarp over the back end used for hauling people at a very low cost. Our gear was not alone: we also were loaded into the back.
From USP, we drove about 3+ hours up the east coast of Viti Levu on rough road to the village of Silana. This is an Indigenous Fijian Village right on the ocean. We unloaded our gear and had lunch in the community hall. Silana was about to be our home for the next 3 nights, and soon after lunch, we met our homestay families. I lived in a one room house just across the path from the community hall. The inside of the house had two beds (they gave me the big bed), a dresser, a small china cabinet (with one piece of broken glass), and a large, woven mat covering the 20'x2
30' floor. Outside on the wrap-around porch was a bathroom and a cooking stove. My host family consisted of my dad (who was only 32) and my younger brother (who was four). I also had a mom, but she was in the city preparing to give birth, so I never met her. It doesn't sound all that great, but my host dad was awesome, and they took care of me very well.
During our time in the village, we spent a lot of time on the beach. The white sand stretching across the bay was beautiful, especially with the backdrop of the many hundreds of coconut trees. During the mornings, we went on several excursions. My favorite had to be our time spent out on the small, fiberglass fishing boat in the sea. This particular day, we ventured out to the big, open waters to see the reef and the dolphins. Boy, did we see dolphins! Once we came into the reef, the locals from the village began to blow on the big conch shell. about 20-30 dolphins then surfaced and welcomed us into their reef. I did get to blow the conch shell, and I must say, playing trombone for 12 years has made me quite good! We then jumped into the very clear water and spent some time snorkeling. Some of the water was rather shallow, and with all of the coral, I freaked out a bit. Luckily, seeing some of the blue starfish helped me to relax! Another day, we went to a lovo, which is a type of party/cooking of a pig in a fire pit. This celebration was in honor of a girl's 1st birthday. The whole village was there, and everyone prepared a dish to share. We also spent time swimming in a waterfall. Overall the village was fun, yet exhasting and dehydrating.
Next, we were off to the second largest island of Vanua Levu (which means big land in Fijian). We took a plane, which seemed a little posh after living in a village for 3 nights. Here, we were meant to experience Indo Fijians (Fijians originating from India), as they make up almost half of the population of Fiji. The city we lived in is called Labasa. Brian and I were teamed up here with a couple who were recently made empty-nesters. They smothered us with attention to say the least! This family lived in a more rural setting in Fiji on 4 acres, and raised many animals. I felt very at home here! They had about 20 chickens, 10 goats, a cat, and 2 dogs. Brian and I each had our own room in this home, and for the 4 nights we stayed there, we stayed plenty busy. This family happened to be Hindu in religion, so we got to experience some of the different religious celebrations going on in the preparation for the birth of the Hindu god Ram (who is kind of like Jesus to Hindus). I didn't really know what was going on, but they fed us well. Here, we also visited a pearl farm ran by Fijian women in a village. We visited a school another day, which was probably my favorite part of Labasa. Also, my host mom here made Brian and I quilted pillow cases and she also bought us new Bula shirts! Our host parents were very sad to see us leave, and Brian and I miss the smothering a little bit :-).
We were now done with the deep exposure part of the trip and on to the "oohs" and "aahhhs" of Fiji. So, we went to Savusavu, a city which has been described in the past as the Honolulu of Fiji, set back about 50 years. I don't know if I would compare Savusavu to Honolulu, but I will say it was a bit different than other parts of Fiji. Europeans and Americans have loved to move to Savusavu throughout the past 100 or so years, because of the beautiful bay, perfect to keep a yacht. There were quite a few large yachts parked, and also many large homes. It was wierd to walk down the street and see white people around, as we were usually the white people being glared at. Savusavu thrived off of tourism, and this was apparent when the cruise ship came into the harbor, and bus loads of Australians, Europeans, and Americans came in by the hundreds. They were mostly ripped off by locals, but I don't think they cared much. This was the only stop for the cruise in Fiji. Most of our time in Savusavu was spent relaxing and preparing for the next stop of the trip. Though, we did visit a place where coconut oil was made.
The last stop of the trip was the island of Taveuni, the garden island of Fiji. Up to this point, I thought that most of Fji's landscapes were pretty spectacular. None compare to those of Taveuni. Lush flowers, palms, and stretching trees sprawl across the mountains and beaches of this island. We stayed on the beach at a place called "Beverly's Campground." Life was not plush here either, as we stayed in tents and cooked most of our own meals right on the beach. Not much is to be said about Taveuni, but let's just say that in the 3 nights I spent there, I took 500 photos. If there is a question to ask me when I return home, it is "what did you like about Taveuni?" I will talk for a hours and show you photos. I saw about 7 waterfalls in 1 day, and even used one as a waterslide.
Well, I am tired. Luckily, Fijians take a 4 day weekend for easter. Imagine that!
Two weeks ago today, I packed my duffel and messenger bag not really knowing what to expect for the next two weeks. I knew that I would be living with a few families, that I would be trying new food, and that I would be throwing myself into uncomfortable situations. Well, I did just that these past few weeks. On Thursday morning, March 26, I loaded all of my gear into a taxi and went to the University of the South Pacific Campus. There, we all hung around for a while (which is very usual in Fiji) until loading our gear onto a carrier truck. A carrier truck is a pickup with a tarp over the back end used for hauling people at a very low cost. Our gear was not alone: we also were loaded into the back.
From USP, we drove about 3+ hours up the east coast of Viti Levu on rough road to the village of Silana. This is an Indigenous Fijian Village right on the ocean. We unloaded our gear and had lunch in the community hall. Silana was about to be our home for the next 3 nights, and soon after lunch, we met our homestay families. I lived in a one room house just across the path from the community hall. The inside of the house had two beds (they gave me the big bed), a dresser, a small china cabinet (with one piece of broken glass), and a large, woven mat covering the 20'x2
30' floor. Outside on the wrap-around porch was a bathroom and a cooking stove. My host family consisted of my dad (who was only 32) and my younger brother (who was four). I also had a mom, but she was in the city preparing to give birth, so I never met her. It doesn't sound all that great, but my host dad was awesome, and they took care of me very well.
During our time in the village, we spent a lot of time on the beach. The white sand stretching across the bay was beautiful, especially with the backdrop of the many hundreds of coconut trees. During the mornings, we went on several excursions. My favorite had to be our time spent out on the small, fiberglass fishing boat in the sea. This particular day, we ventured out to the big, open waters to see the reef and the dolphins. Boy, did we see dolphins! Once we came into the reef, the locals from the village began to blow on the big conch shell. about 20-30 dolphins then surfaced and welcomed us into their reef. I did get to blow the conch shell, and I must say, playing trombone for 12 years has made me quite good! We then jumped into the very clear water and spent some time snorkeling. Some of the water was rather shallow, and with all of the coral, I freaked out a bit. Luckily, seeing some of the blue starfish helped me to relax! Another day, we went to a lovo, which is a type of party/cooking of a pig in a fire pit. This celebration was in honor of a girl's 1st birthday. The whole village was there, and everyone prepared a dish to share. We also spent time swimming in a waterfall. Overall the village was fun, yet exhasting and dehydrating.
Next, we were off to the second largest island of Vanua Levu (which means big land in Fijian). We took a plane, which seemed a little posh after living in a village for 3 nights. Here, we were meant to experience Indo Fijians (Fijians originating from India), as they make up almost half of the population of Fiji. The city we lived in is called Labasa. Brian and I were teamed up here with a couple who were recently made empty-nesters. They smothered us with attention to say the least! This family lived in a more rural setting in Fiji on 4 acres, and raised many animals. I felt very at home here! They had about 20 chickens, 10 goats, a cat, and 2 dogs. Brian and I each had our own room in this home, and for the 4 nights we stayed there, we stayed plenty busy. This family happened to be Hindu in religion, so we got to experience some of the different religious celebrations going on in the preparation for the birth of the Hindu god Ram (who is kind of like Jesus to Hindus). I didn't really know what was going on, but they fed us well. Here, we also visited a pearl farm ran by Fijian women in a village. We visited a school another day, which was probably my favorite part of Labasa. Also, my host mom here made Brian and I quilted pillow cases and she also bought us new Bula shirts! Our host parents were very sad to see us leave, and Brian and I miss the smothering a little bit :-).
We were now done with the deep exposure part of the trip and on to the "oohs" and "aahhhs" of Fiji. So, we went to Savusavu, a city which has been described in the past as the Honolulu of Fiji, set back about 50 years. I don't know if I would compare Savusavu to Honolulu, but I will say it was a bit different than other parts of Fiji. Europeans and Americans have loved to move to Savusavu throughout the past 100 or so years, because of the beautiful bay, perfect to keep a yacht. There were quite a few large yachts parked, and also many large homes. It was wierd to walk down the street and see white people around, as we were usually the white people being glared at. Savusavu thrived off of tourism, and this was apparent when the cruise ship came into the harbor, and bus loads of Australians, Europeans, and Americans came in by the hundreds. They were mostly ripped off by locals, but I don't think they cared much. This was the only stop for the cruise in Fiji. Most of our time in Savusavu was spent relaxing and preparing for the next stop of the trip. Though, we did visit a place where coconut oil was made.
The last stop of the trip was the island of Taveuni, the garden island of Fiji. Up to this point, I thought that most of Fji's landscapes were pretty spectacular. None compare to those of Taveuni. Lush flowers, palms, and stretching trees sprawl across the mountains and beaches of this island. We stayed on the beach at a place called "Beverly's Campground." Life was not plush here either, as we stayed in tents and cooked most of our own meals right on the beach. Not much is to be said about Taveuni, but let's just say that in the 3 nights I spent there, I took 500 photos. If there is a question to ask me when I return home, it is "what did you like about Taveuni?" I will talk for a hours and show you photos. I saw about 7 waterfalls in 1 day, and even used one as a waterslide.
Well, I am tired. Luckily, Fijians take a 4 day weekend for easter. Imagine that!
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