Loooong Overdue Update

This a bit of an experiment - I think I've found a way to update this blog from my email account on the Blackberry. If so, it will make it SO much easier to update this blog on a regular basis, so fingers crossed that it works!

We are all doing great - the simplicity of life here suits us very well. We head back to the states in 2 months and are getting *very* excited to see everyone we've missed so much again. I wonder what it will be like, being back. So many things to adjust to. Little things, like wearing shoes, living indoors, and having a big house to keep clean again. Big things, like the winter cold, lots of obligations and demands on our time, adjusting back American culture. Soooo looking forward to long visits with friends over coffee and chocolate, visiting family and sharing our experiences and hearing about theirs, seeing my great-niece Kristina who was so small when we left, and meeting my new niece Grace who was born whilst we were gone. Can't wait!

So, Ollie is still Ollie - always on the move, more Fijian than American. These last few months has been a lot different though, because his best friend Poi, whom he was with everyday from sun up to sun down, went away to live with an auntie and start school. So Ollie has been a bit lost without him. But, this means we see him more now, and he has grown closer than ever with Bethie and Lucas. He still fishes at every opportunity, and usually catches more than anyone else. It always brings a smile to my face when as I'm going about my day and happen to glance toward the sea, and see him poised with a spear, silently stalking something only he can see in the water. He's definitely an island boy, through and through! He's very much into school though, and begs for it even when we are taking a break! He's started a small business on the island selling snacks - he buys them with his own money in town and then sells them for a bit more on the grog mat, when everyone is feeling a bit snackish. He is so serious about it - it's amazing listening to him talk about profits and and buying strategy - he totally gets it. He has saved over $50 now - he says he wants to buy a DS when he gets home - I'm trying to convince him to take us on holiday. ;-)

Bethie is ever the social butterfly and mama - she is quick to befriend every new person who comes to the island, and keeping all the little ones around safe and happy (including Ollie, much to his dislike!). She sings constantly - she is never happier than when she has her ipod in and can sing along with her favorite tunes. As of lately she has been getting more and more compliments on her singing, and I can see she really loves that. I just wish people would stop telling her also that she should be an actress on the Disney channel - not a career I'm willing to support right now!!! :-). She misses her friends - homesickness has really begun to hit her lately. She looooves to receive letters from home - really makes her week. She wishes she had a best girlfriend here - but bounces back so quickly. One moment, a bit teary and homesick, the next, laughing and herding the toddlers. She really likes time alone with just me or Jimmy, taking a walk and chatting. I do too!

Lucas is very content - he has a best friend who lives on the mainland whom he sees at least one afternoon a week. His friend is from Australia and is living in Fiji for two years while his parents work for Save the Children. They are both Pokemon crazed - I swear when they are together, it is like listening to a foreign language! He is excited to see his friends when we go home, but is really sad about leaving Joe (his friend) - he worries he will be lonely. He has matured so much this year, physically and emotionally. In some ways, he is like a different kid - more mellow and much slower to anger. But still intense in everything he does, and always making somebody laugh! He has a small business as well, doing a few tribe members' dishes at each meal. He's very clever about it - he usually gets away with being paid for doing nothing by challenging someone who is not a paying customer to play him games of "rock, paper, scissors" at the end of each meal - winner does a set of dishes. He does this again and again (and usually wins) until he plays all the dishes away. But sometimes it backfires and he ends up with 20+ plates and cups! Bit worried about where this love of gambling could be headed... :-)

We live in an international community within a Fijian community and meet many, manypeople, and so many people have taken jimmy or I aside to comment on how well behaved, mature, or smart they observe the kids to be. I'm so very proud of the people they are growing into!

Jimmy and I are good - we are very busy in our jobs, and it is very challenging sometimes living where we work, but the cool thing about our life here is that everything we do, we love doing it. Very different from jobs we've had where the "fun and enjoyment" doesn't kick in until we've clocked out. The simplicity of our lives have allowed us to become closer as a couple and a family - we really like who we have become. And we really like doing work that is fulfilling and meaningful as a family. We are very blessed.

Will post more updates this week, sharing some talanoa (stories) about some things that have happened over the last couple months. Till then...

Jenny
Sent via BlackBerry from Vorovoro Island, Fiji!

Long overdue update...

Apologies to anyone that's been checking this blog and wondering where the hell all the updates are! The island blackberry has Facebook capability now, so I've been relying on that to let folks know what we are up to. Much easier and faster!

Request me as a friend if you want to follow along on Facebook. Be sure to write something in the request so I know who you are!

I will still post here, with proper detailed updates, as I'm also using this as a journal of our year. No time to post a proper update today, but will do so later this week. And, hopefully, loads of pics as well!

Much love to all!

A Glimpse Inside

(View of Vorovoro "Sleeping Dragon" as viewed from Mali Island peak)


Wednesday morning, I sat on the plank seat of the boat, huddled in my rain jacket against the cold rain spitting from the sky, as Poasa carefully navigated us to the far side of Mali Island to the small village of Vesi. Seated beside me was Keresoni, the Mali Peace Corp Volunteer and Tribe friend. At my request, Keresoni had arranged meetings with the women in each village so I could present to them my ideas for a fair trade project. We both lamented the weather, but decided we were grateful that it was at least cooler than usual. And besides, it was a passing rain – it would be gone soon enough.

Vesi was the first village we were to visit. When Poasa had poled the boat as close to the shore as possible, we left the boat and waded through the muddy water toward the village. The large plastic bag I brought with me was unwieldy and awkward to carry, but necessary to keep dry the kava I needed that day for my three village visits. As Keresoni and I approached the village, ladies called out to Keresoni in Fijian. He was a regular to their Wednesday Women’s Group Meetings, and they had been expecting us. We were quickly directed to a small cooking house, where a mat was already prepared with tea and scone for us.

We settled down on the mat, myself grateful to take off my dripping and cold rain jacket. The ladies tried again and again to persuade Keresoni to surrender his shirt so they could give him a dry one, but he declined. They were concerned that they would be to blame if he came down sick, but he reassured them that he would be fine, no worries.

The tea was hot, the scone was yummy, and I watched and listened appreciatively as Keresoni made small talk with the ladies in Mali dialect Fijian. Always impressed and inspired by his apparent ease with the Mali language, I paid close attention to the banter and was pleased with how much I could understand. Mali dialect is a very difficult language to learn, and as hard as I’ve tried, I’ve not became nearly as fluent as I had hoped I would be by now. I noticed that Keresoni’s method was to simply speak as much in Fijian as possible, even if it was somewhat broken Fijian. I vowed I would stop trying to perfect my Fijian, and just start speaking it more!

One of the women casually stirred a pot of coconut oil over the fire as she chatted. The cooking area was a simple stone alcove with a grate over a small wood fire. I watched her at work, wrapped in a worn red sulu and stained green tshirt turned inside out. Another woman sat on the floor beside Keresoni – a friend of mine that had prepared Fijian medicine for me many months ago when I was sick with a flu. I was surprised to learn she was expecting a baby, and even more surprised when she said she was 9 months along! I couldn’t see any baby bump, at least while she was sitting down. Her youngest child was 16, and now she was having another baby – oh my! Her new husband was hoping for a boy, as he already had several daughters.

Outside, we heard the sound of the conch shell, signaling that it was time to begin the meeting. We made our way out to wait on a mat laid out for us beneath a shaded shelter. The rain had already moved on and the temperature was rising quickly. As the other women slowly began to join us, I looked around and remembered why in many ways, Vesi is my favorite village. I like the way it is arranged – the houses scattered about, more or less in a circle, with a large common area of green grass in the middle, and a concrete church set off to one side. Set far back from the sea and surrounded by lush green vegetation, this village feels more isolated and remote than it actually is. It doesn’t have the noisy sounds of boats coming and going that the other villages have.

As I looked around, I was reminded of how lucky I was to be in “real Fiji”. A Fiji that most people who visit never get to see, never even know exists. I watched the women arrive, some dressed in working clothes – faded sulus of every color, stained and ripped tshirts, others dressed up in colorful and bright sulu jabas. I admired their thick strong hands, curvy womanly bodies, their dark hair kept in traditional no-nonsense short styles – kind of like an mini-afro but shorter on the sides. Strong Fijian women who take pride in their homes, their families, their village. Babies crawled over laps and legs, big brown eyes peeking at me shyly before turning back to mother’s breast.

When finally it was determined that everyone who was coming was there, Keresoni turned to the only man present, a man whom I assume was the most important man present in the village that day. Keresoni presented the kava to him on my behalf, and then began the sevusevu ceremony with which I am so familiar now. The familiar words said over the kava, the rhythmic “cobo” (deep sound hand clapping). When the sevusevu had been accepted, it was time for the meeting to finally begin.

I explained to the ladies that the Tribe Members who come through develop a love for Mali and the Mali people, and would very much like to buy handicrafts, both as a way to preserve their Vorovoro/Mali experience as well as a way to offer support to the Mali community. So my idea is to combine the Tribe’s visit to the school on Fridays with a visit to the villages after school. We would walk home on the jungle path with the kids (which would be a fun experience all in itself!) and then visit the village, where the ladies could lay out any handicrafts they wished to sell for the Tribe to buy, with all money going to the directly to the artist. Each week, we would visit one of the three villages, on a rotating basis. One of the ladies translated this into Fijian, and I saw understanding slowly come across their faces.

After several minutes of rapid Fijian exchanges that I couldn’t even begin to understand, it was agreed that we would begin bringing the Tribe to the village the following week. As Vesi does not have a generator, so therefore no means of producing electricity to charge cell phones, Keresoni volunteered to be our liaison, checking in with the women at the Women’s Meetings each week.

We bid our farewells, and headed toward the footpath that would take us to the next village, Ligau Levu. As we made our way, several faceless voices called out greetings and invitations to us from inside the houses as we passed by. Keresoni politely declined, explaining that we were expected in Ligau Levu soon.

The bush walk was beautiful – just as green and lush as you could imagine. Whenever I walk through the Fijian jungle, I always feel like there should be monkeys in the trees and big carnivorous cats hiding in the bush. It is eerily devoid of animals, save for a few birds twittering about in the trees and random brown tree frogs we noticed on some rocks. As we walked the easy 30 minute hike, Keresoni and I chatted about everything from Fijian history to our respective homes in the States to how the Peace Corp operates. As we approached the village, I heard the grunts of pigs enclosed in wooden cages somewhere nearby in the bush.

The friendly face of Laite greeted us just as soon as we entered Ligau Levu village. Her husband, Jone, is one of Vorovoro’s boat captains, famous for his cheeky humor. As I greeted Laite, I was introduced to a tall but frail and elderly woman, Laite’s mother. She shook my hand heartily, and smiled a broad and toothless smile that brought light to her heavily lined face.

We made our way to the church to wait for the women. As in Vesi, they slowly came drifting in, chatting and laughing easily amongst themselves as they settled themselves on the floor. Babies crawled and tottered to and from laps belonging to mother, aunt, grandmother. I love how women kiss in this part of Fiji –it involves more sniffing than actual lip puckering! I watched the women sniff kissing the babies, and remembering how awkward it felt when I was first greeted in this way! Now I can sniff-kiss with the best of them!

When the women were ready, I launched again into the explanation of my ideas. A woman translated, and more rapid fire Fijian exchanges followed. I tried asking Keresoni what in the world where they saying, but he was too zonked on the Tylenol with Codeine he had taken earlier that day for a sprained hand to be of any help!

In the end, they were pleased with the idea and agreed to have crafts ready to sell in 3 weeks time. One of the men came briefly to accept our sevusevu. With business tended to, the serious air turned to casual conversation. At some point, someone asked me how Oliver’s ear was. I launched into what could possibly be the 50th re-telling of the story of Oliver’s Great Insect-in-the-Ear Adventure. The coconut wireless is lightning fast in Fiji when there is something newsworthy, and everywhere I go, Oliver’s ear is a hot topic of conversation!

Just as I was starting to notice some rumbles in my tummy, someone placed in our hands Bu, which is the name for a green coconut. Laite expertly cut holes in the top, and we thirstily drank the sweet water. Laite then struck the coconuts with a knife so that they broke in two and handed us spoons. The soft and somewhat slimy flesh of the green coconut was amazingly refreshing – I’m sure I left all manners behind as I gobbled mine down.

Tummies full, it was now time to haul ourselves to our feet for the last leg of our journey. We were nearly in the bush when we heard someone call our names. A man ran up and gave us two more husked green coconuts, for the road. Fast food, Fijian style!

This final hike between Ligau Levu and Nakawaqa was the longest and most physically challenging, but also had some of the most breathtaking views of the mountainous terrain of Mali. At the peak of one of the larger hills, you can glimpse Vorovoro, the shape of the island imitating a majestic dragon, curled and sleeping. Every now and then we would come upon someone doing work in the bush, collecting firewood, tending a garden, or collecting voivoi for mat making. Firm handshakes, broad smiles, and a hearty “Bula sia” always followed.

About an hour later, we finally arrived in Nakawaqa, Keresoni’s home village. As made our way through the village, I was greeted by friends I hadn’t seen in many weeks. Mila saw me and came over, smiling her wide, white, welcoming smile and sniff-kissed me. Mila and I have become good friends, bonding over many chats about motherhood and raising children. She has 8 children, one of whom was lost to leukemia a few years ago. He was an identical twin. She talks about the loss easily, but it is clear to see that the pain of losing her child is still fresh. It broke my heart when she confided to me once that as she goes about her work caring for the children she still finds herself looking for the one who is missing, before remembering that he is gone for good.

As Keresoni headed off to his bure to drop off his things, I dropped down under the village’s largest shade tree on a mat with Mila. As I looked around, I could see women washing the lunch pots in the outdoor cooking areas and women shaving off the barbed edges of the long, broad leaves of the voivoi plant and rolling it up into fat rolls. At some point, 20 or so young men trotted by in their rugby practice uniforms, headed to Ligau Levu for practice.

Mila and I chatted and got caught up as chickens pecked around us, babies crawled on and off our laps, and slowly the women began to join us. I brought out a mandarin from my backpack and laughed at the puckered faces the toddlers made when they tasted the sour juice. I passed around a bag of spicy peanuts and some crackers, grateful that I had remembered to pack a snack. For now, the hunger pains gnawing in my belly were gone! Keresoni returned and it was time to begin. I noticed that Mila had gone, but I figured she had work to tend to and carried on, knowing that the women would pass along the info to anyone not present.

Again, I put forth my ideas. Translations were given, rapid conversations followed, and everyone agreed it was a good idea and that they would be ready when we visited in 1 month’s time. Not long after we wrapped up the meeting, a dish of hot, fried fish and cassava was set in front of us. Mila stood above me, laughing. “I knew you were hungry. I could tell. Eat! Eat!”

The fish was hot, greasy, salty and delicious. The moment the smell of it hit my nostrils, I was ravenous. Keresoni and I dug in, eating fingerful after fingerful of the tender white flesh. I ate and ate, until I was pretty sure I had cleaned the fish of all the flesh and all that was left was bones. And the eyes. (I know the Fijians say this is the best part, but I just can’t do it. Oliver loves them – I usually give him mine!) So I watched with amazement as a group of toddlers sat down as if I had left a full plate, and proceeded to have a go at the remaining fish. They worked quickly, quietly, and precisely, picking and sucking at the bones intently until all that was left was a tiny pile of tiny, clean bones. They showed me how to REALLY eat a fish.

My meetings for the day were finished, and with evening approaching, it was a busy time of day for work in the village. The women left to begin preparing dinner for their families, Keresoni left to unlock the fresh water tank for everyone to fill their canisters, and I sat waiting for the boat to arrive to take me back to Vorovoro. I knew that as I guest, I would not be allowed to help, and if I approached a house, they would be obligated to make me comfortable. So with my tummy full of fish and cassava, I laid down in the shade, listening to the sounds of the village and feeling very, very content.

Eventually the boat arrived, and it was time for me to head home. As the boat was leaving and I looked back on the village, I felt a strange bittersweet emotion. Joy, love, and affection for this island, for these people, for this culture. But also a twinge of sadness, for I realized that as much as I am accepted and welcomed into homes and families, I will always be an outsider. I can observe and even take part, but I will never be an actual piece of the fabric that weaves these people so tightly together. But so it is, and so it is meant to be. My experiences leave me more motivated than ever to nurture my own “tribes” in my life, to keep alive traditions and connections that enrich my life. And as always, grateful that my path in life has lead me here to this place where lessons and wisdom abound. Vina’a va’levu!

Good omens

One morning last week, Jimmy and I were lingering over breakfast, watching the water dance in patterned waves as large fish moved just under the surface, chasing hundreds of smaller fish, driving them toward the surface where they exploded from the water in a spectacular rippling motion, hundreds of tiny fish moving as one large body. When they first arrived last month with their aquatic acrobatic act, they captured everyone’s attention. Everyone flocked to the beach to watch them. The Fijians remarked that they were happy to see them, that they had been gone a long time. They cautioned everyone not to spearfish them, because it would certainly make them go away.

As the weeks have ticked on, they have become as much of a part of the island as the sea itself – always there, always moving in or out with the tides. The fish are silver, about 2 inches in length, and have surrounded the island by the millions. Looking down on the sea from a high vantage point, a thick ribbon of these silver fish is visible around the entire island. If you watch long enough, you will see barracudas, sharks, and trevali moving amongst them, feeding like kings.

As we watched this awesome display as we have so many other mornings this last month, Leavi came and sat down at the table across from us. From the excited look in his eye, we could tell he had something to say. In his kind and gentle way of speaking, he began, “Lately, I have seen many things for the first time on Vorovoro.” He gestured with his hand toward the sea, where the fish were still dancing. “This is the first time for these fish to come like this to Vorovoro. Before, they only come a few days, or not at all. These fish, Daniva, they are a very good thing, a very good sign. They mean good things for Vorovoro. They bring us what we need, they bring the big fish. This morning, Jone and I picked up 3 dead Daniva from the sand, put them on a hook and pulled in three big fish.” He shows us on his forearm the length of the fish, at least 2 feet long.

“In our culture, these fish coming mean very good things. These fish coming back, they come back because good people are here, people who care for the land and care for the people. Someone to look after the island who is good in his heart. Does not speak harsh and does good work. Cares for the people, the Mali people. This makes us very happy. Good things happening with Vorovoro.”

Jimmy and I listened to Leavi’s voice, and his kind, wise words. A truly beautiful compliment if there ever was one. We tried to accept it graciously, “Vinaka vakalevu, Leavi”, and then quietly tucked it away in our hearts.

Whether the fish coming back has anything to do with us being here is not for us to determine. But, we do not doubt the wisdom and the intuition of our Fijian friends and teachers. They understand things in ways that we do not, cannot, because we are not Fijian. Fijian culture and ways are intricately subtle. I’ve heard it said that you could live in Fiji for 10 years, and then you just might begin to really understand. I believe there is truth in that statement!

While living here, we’ve witnessed the Fijian people’s remarkable connection with one another, with the sea, and with the land in amazing ways, and it humbles us. It teaches us yet another way of interacting with our lives and the land, and so we open our hearts and our minds and try to learn the Fijian way – by paying attention and not asking too many questions, because when you are busy asking questions, you often miss out on the answers you were after all along.

Hell week coming to an end!

So some of you have been following the latest Cahill Fiji adventure by Facebook. If so, most of this is old news, but I know some folks don't follow FB so here goes...

A week ago Friday, Ollie's ear was paining. Took him to Dr - there was an insect (dead) in there. Was told to take him to hospital on Monday for removal.

Monday - went to hospital, waited 4 hours to see doctor because it was the day before school started again after break, and everyone was having their child seen. They tried to remove it with a saline flush. Ollie screamed a scream no mother should ever have to hear, and I knew they had damaged his ear. Admitted for IV antibiotics and they wanted to do exploration under anesthesia the next day. Needless to say, were were NOT keen on anyone but a specialist to go poking around in there. No specialist in Labasa. Would have to travel to Suva. Spent night in dirty, crowded, hot, and mosquito filled children's ward. Very sad night filled surrounded by wails of sick and hurting children. I'm so grateful for my healthy children.

Surgeon that ordered the flush was new, and assumed the flush would be given my skilled doctor, not nurse. Very, very remorseful and helped us with our transfer to Suva. Also heard a heart murmer she wanted us to have checked out.

Tues-Friday - Flew to Suva and then spent the week back and forth from hospital having ear and heart checked out. ENT specialist was able to remove a bit more of the insect and said the damaged canal is healing, although Oliver is still in a lot of pain. After loads of test, turns out his heart murmer is just an innocent murmer - just a funny sounding heart.

During this week, I developed a terrible flu that morphed into a cold. Kept myself nicely medicated and was able to function pretty well, but by the end of the week was just wiped out. Still feeling very ill as I write this, but will be as good as new with some good rest.

Finally cleared to go home on Friday. Decided on the cheaper way - overnight by boat. Waited 4 hours to board boat, then 2 more for the boat to finally leave harbor. Fiji time! Paid extra for a bed for us to share - couldn't wait to sleep. Really feeling ill by this time, and Oliver's ear was hurting terribly. All the beds were crawling with roaches. Thought I would cry! I just wanted to sleep. Someone sprayed out our bunk area and we just hoped for the best. Ollie slept with a shirt over his head lest another bug was tempted by the coziness of his ear canal, and I tried very hard to sleep with my mouth closed, despite the very stuffy nose.

Had to wait few more hours to get off boat because some work being done in the harbor - several hours behind by that time. Now we are awaiting a bus that will take us the last 3 hours to Labasa. Then it is 1/2 hours taxi and a 1/2 hour boat, then HOME! Couldn't be happier about that.

Through all of this, Oliver has been amazing. Hours of waiting everyday with nothing to do, with a sick and not-fun Mommy, and he was patient. No whining, no complaining. So very grateful for his easy going nature!

We managed to make the most of this time together - never before has it been just the two of us for such an extended amount of time. Lots of cards games, stories, books, and snuggles. Despite the troubles and illing, we managed to have a pretty good time.

But we are both missing J, B and O like crazy. Hugs all around, soon soon soon!

Hopefully the next update will be a better one! Love to all!

Quick Check-in!!!

We've been on the road lately and haven't been able to be online, so sorry for the lack of updates and email. And we have't had a Blackberry on the island for several weeks now, which has made keeping in touch by email a lot harder. Hoping this will change in the next few days, and then we will be able to email from the island once again.

We had to travel to Tonga to renew our visa, and couldn't have been happier to step off the plane back into friendly Fiji. Anyone who thinks that South Pacific countries are all the same couldn't be more wrong. Tonga is just a rather unfriendly country, from all we saw - at least to visitors. No smiles, no greetings, no help with directions, ripped off at every opportunity. We were even lied to by bus drivers who did want us on his bus. And the island is very Western influenced, complete with thug culture - it felt a lot like LA. Not at all what we expected from this tiny country. Isa au lomani o Viti dina! (On I really love Fiji!) There's no place like home!

We are on Viti Levu now (the large island) taking the long way home, meeting with friends of the Tribe and business partners along the way. Doing a little PR work along the way. We are taking the bus up the coast, and will eventually end up in Suva, where we will make the long journey by bus and boat back to Vanua Levu, then finally Vorovoro. Hoping to be home in 3-4 days.

Will try to post again soon! Even though it might take a little while for us to respond, keep the emails coming - hearing word from home means so much to us. Much love to you!

Jenny

Let's try this again...