I've been here for almost 2 weeks.This second week has been exhausting both mentally and physically. I've slept a lot and it still doesn't feel like enough. I'm definitely over jet lag, but now that I'm busy here it's been tiring anyway. But it's also been fun. Since I last posted I've been on more adventures, I've made deeper connections, and fallen into a more regular routine.
Seru and Kevin, two residents of the hostel, have been my best friends here. They have shown me around town, brought me out at night, and have made me feel comfortable. This week they have been tasked by Pe to show me the ropes. As I am technically staff here, I am in charge of the hostel boys on certain days, in the mornings. So my duties include waking the boys up for school (admittedly I have not successfully gotten up before them so far), and making sure they sweep, clean, prepare breakfast and lunch, and get ready for school. When I arrived here, it seemed to me that the hostel parents made the boys do a lot of chores and work at the hostel, but gradually I understood why. The boys need to be taught how to survive in the real world, which can be a harsh place for the deaf. Learning to cook, clean, wash and iron your own clothes, and take care of the house are essential skills that they need to live on their own. And as the kids are all away from their families, they need someone else to teach them. I'm trying my best to keep up and do my part.
I'm working in a classroom now with one of the deaf teachers, a young woman named Levenia. She seems to enjoy having another person in the class to help the kids. Primarily I am helping to check the kids' grammar and assisting them with spelling. The kids in the class are still in the early stages of learning to write, so it is useful to have a hearing person in the classroom. Hearing people understand proper sentence structure, something the deaf can struggle with at times. I have also been commissioned by Levenia to draw a picture on the wall. I was tasked with copying a picture of a coral reef with a few fish and a large eel. The kids seem impressed with my mediocre drawing ability and indeed, it is turning out better than I expected, but that isn't saying much.
My sign language is improving! As I'm told, by week five I will begin to be able to confidently communicate, but even at week 2 the progress I've made is astounding to me. To me, sign is similar to when you watch a movie in foreign language class in school. If you've paid enough attention in class, you just might pick up on a few words here and there. Similarly, I've had numerous "aha!" moments throughout this week, where I've observed two people signing and I see a sign or two that I recognize. Context is important as well, along with body language and facial expression. These help me to understand what is being said, despite not knowing every sign. The way the boys' faces light up when I understand something they sign is encouraging to me. They fist bump me or do a funny handshake-finger flick thing that everyone in Fiji seems to do. I've become so accustomed to meeting people with this handshake technique that when I return to the US it might take a little while to revert.
On Friday we went to a pool. The pool is open to the public and located in Suva. It's a huge pool, way bigger than the one I guard back home, with about twice as many people in it at once. My inner lifeguard was screaming at the chaos, but the pool staff didn't seem concerned so I relaxed. The school staff was all there, each assigned to a group of kids. The kids vary greatly in ability, which I found surprising. This is a nation surrounded by water after all. But apparently, according to Pe and Ini, despite the Ocean being everywhere, plenty of Fijians are not confident swimmers, and even more strange, some from farther inland have barely ever seen the Ocean. At the pool, I helped with the older group, with one of the teachers named Patricia. Patricia is a fourth generation Irish Fijian, (hence the name) and while she looks very Fijian, her hair and skin is much lighter than most. She is the only other person besides me who uses sunscreen. Anyway, I showed the kids proper freestyle stroke, and told them at the end of the term I would teach them butterfly. Then I made the mistake of teaching them how to swan dive. Before I knew it, a dozen or more kids were launching themselves off the side of the pool, mostly in poor imitations of my dive, although a few got the hang of it. It was very funny, but the water is too shallow for inexperienced divers, and they landed on each other.
On Saturday we played rugby. Rugby is HUGE in Fiji, and has only grown in popularity after the Fiji team's incredible gold medal win in the Summer Olympics. We went out as a group and met other deaf students on a large field near the school. Thinking I'd watched enough rugby on TV in the past week to understand the game, I jumped right in. Mistake. I learned quickly that I do not know the rules of rugby, nor are my lungs accustomed to the humidity. I was drenched, muddy, (slightly bloody) out of breath, thirsty, and somewhat confused after the first 45 minutes. But after Pe joined in and explained some of the rules that the deaf were struggling to convey to me, I began to understand the game more. I ended up scoring at least twice in the hour and a half I played. Unfortunately, in that time I gained two very ugly cuts on my legs, both of which I are covered in band-aids and disinfectant cream at the moment. The cuts were worth it though, and Pe told me I made the kids' day by joining in. Apparently most volunteers don't join in until they've been there a few weeks, and me playing the first week I was there means a lot to the kids.
Sunday church is something I will need to get used to. Not that it is entirely unfamiliar to me, it still follows basic church procedure, but some things are surprising. While church music back home and in most of America is much more contemporary, church here is all hymns. The content of the sermons is also a little less contemporary in comparison to the ones I am used to, but it is an insight into Fiji's values and traditions.
I'm excited for next weekend. I've made plans to stay at a resort in the rainforest! My hosts have been wonderful and very accommodating, but as I stated before, I am exhausted. It is essential for me to get some alone time, write a little, and recharge my batteries so to speak. After this week of school ahead of me, a quiet day and night away from the city will do me good.
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. I know it was long, but I have a lot to share. I will update again next week! Stay tuned.
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