Today marks one month in Fiji! I can't believe I've been here for that long. Just four short weeks ago I nervously stepped off a bus in Suva, frightened to hail a taxi. Nothing was familiar, and I wasn't comfortable in the slightest. Now, just a short time later I am perfectly comfortable catching 3-4 buses in a day, conversing with locals, and walking the city alone, confident that I know my way around. It's gone by so quickly. At least once a day, I have a moment where I stop and think "whoa, I'm in Fiji!" So much has happened in so short of a time. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Fiji, and a month later, I still encounter the unexpected on a daily basis.
Recently, I have found myself speaking full sentences in sign. I'm still slow, and don't know a lot of words, but the first time I realized I knew all the signs for what I was trying to say, I was so excited! I continue to have encouraging moments like this throughout the day. Learning sign has been such a fun challenge for me.
As far as adventures, almost nothing happened until the weekend. On Saturday night I was invited to an event at the Vodafone (cell phone company) Arena for an event hosted by the Government of Japan. The event was part of a program that started in Japan, focused on introducing Japanese students to other cultures. It has since grown to involve students from many other countries, as a worldwide effort to help young people learn about cultures other than their own. The event consisted of performances by 13 different countries, including among others, Canada, Japan, Egypt, the Ukraine, Brazil, and of course Fiji. The performances were mostly dancing and singing in the traditional style of that country. Each performance was amazing in it's own way, but the highlights for me were India, Egypt, Kenya, Fiji, and New Zealand. For part of the New Zealand performance, the men did the "Haka" which is a ceremonial dance. Videos of it can be found on the internet, and I recommend watching. The Haka is a powerful, intense routine that gave me goosebumps throughout its entirety.
On Sunday I explored Suva with Ratu, Pe and Ini's oldest son. We went to the pool, and were going to go to the historic museum located in Suva, but they tried to overcharge me so we left.
Monday, I went to the beach for the first time since I have been here. I would have gone sooner, but its an almost two hour bus ride. I have always loved the Ocean, and while it wasn't life changing, my first time in the Pacific Ocean was a special moment, and one I've dreamed about since I was a kid.
The beach at Pacific Harbour
Bonus: Most nights I go out on the porch and watch the fruit bats fly around outside. They're huge. If I had to guess, some are maybe 2 feet across. They're really fun to watch glide and zip in and out of the trees, so I thought I would share one of the better pictures I got.
fruit bat in the evening
No comments:
Post a Comment