Training

I was trying to wait to post this until I could attach the pictures, but I just don't see that happening....so this is from about a month and a half ago....

Peace Corps Training

I am at the end of my training for the Peace Corps Fiji.  Some days I can’t even believe that I am living in Fiji, speaking another language and loving my new life.  This experience has been the most wonderful thing I’ve ever done and I am excited to continue the fun!

Since my internet during training has been scattered, and uploading pics has been chore, I’ve decided to highlight some of my favorite things from my 7 weeks of training:

Week 1 – We arrived in Fiji, I met my host family, I learned how to take bucket showers, we had a cultural afternoon in one of the villages hosting Peace Corps volunteers

Week 2 -  Another cultural afternoon in a host village, Getting used to the huge lizards in my room, Continuing my Hindi language training

Week 3 – Cultural afternoon, we learned about bee keeping and other activities in Sarasawati, my family had a Raymaane (Hindi prayer) at our house - I tainted the ceremony because I was on my period & apparently I wasn't supposed to prepare any food or touch anything or even be in the house...oops!, my awesome host family took my friends and I to the beach

Week 4 – Cultural afternoon, Friday night dance party in the koro (village) – people tell us that we are very smart at dancing, there was an Iron Chef competition – our group won best side dish, coconut chutney but I didn't think it was very good..oh well, I got a cutting board out of it

Week 5 – Fun week! We stayed in a hotel in Suva for 3 day- it was very nice, I was lucky enough to have my own room.  One of our tasks was to make a presentation on HIV/AIDS to a school in Suva, we had a fun time with the girls. We found out where our sites for the next 2 years will be (I'm on the northern island), and ate delicious tacos. After site announcements, we all hit the bar scene in Suva.  We had another delicious dinner with the Country Director, and went on a scavenger hunt. Once back home we had to get ready for cultural night- Mendi on our hands, helping with the cooking for cultural night, dancing, and wearing a sari. One of the things we have to do is the emergency action plan EAP, luckily it happened in the middle of the day Saturday and not at 5am.  The chief hosted all of the PCT’s and their host families for dinner, some people danced the meke.

Week 6- We were all able to go shopping to get the things we’ll need for our houses. Sara and I spent about 3 hours in Cost U Less..its like costco for Fiji.  We had our final language test, we all rocked it!  Our settlement hosted a lovo disco for all of us, lots of fun dancing! It was also my host sister’s 7^th birthday, and I made the best chocolate cake with icing and crushed oreo’s. She requested a heart shaped cake, luckily someone had the tin!

Week 7 – It was time for me to start packing up my things again.  I had acquired so much stuff that I needed to buy another bag to fit everything.  I was very sad to leave my host family, I will remember them forever.   I met my ICCP (initial community contact person) this week.  Haemarie the head of the nursing school where I will be working, and she is so fun! She embarrassed me our very first day together by telling the entire group that she has a son my age who is single and thinks we would be a good match. I think I turned purple with embarrassment!  Thursday July 8, 2010 I, along with the 34 other trainees, were sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers. It was a really nice ceremony with the US ambassador and head of the Ministry of Education in Fiji. Sara and I did our Hindi dance one more time, and ended up in the local paper! They just love the hindi girls! We stayed overnight in Ndave before our official move to site. It was sad saying good-bye to all of our friends on the big island, but fun to be with everyone another night.  Three of us were scheduled to leave at 3:30am, we got up and all packed up – but the bus didn’t stop to pick us up.  So we tried to go to the boat landing, but it was full and we couldn’t get on. Next plan – go to Suva and take the overnight ferry with everyone else.  It was a crazy day to begin with and only got crazier.  I was dehydrated and felt awful, and I had my wallet (with my phone and all credit cards inside) stolen.  But I finally made it to my site and everything is great!