The week in Nausori

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I started back at school this week on Tuesday. The kids were very rowdy. I think it was the long weekend and the excitement of seeing their friends again. I've really gotten into the classroom and so enjoy going everyday. I walk across the bridge with a smile on my face and am welcomed by children and parents as I enter the school grounds. Its wonderful!

I talked to the teacher and on Wednesday, I was able to teach a new song to the kids. Its something I learned back in high school and its called Singing in the Rain. I taught it to my cousins years ago and they loved it too so I figured the kids would here as well. Its an easy song to sing and you use different body parts, so it was a good teaching tool too. The kids loved it! There's this little part where you dance a bit and say Whoo...that's the kids' favorite part. They all scream the whoo. Perhaps I should teach them the FSU fight song...LOL It was such a hit, we practiced it two days this week and we plan to do it several times next week. The other teachers giggled as the kids did the dance and even the parents that saw it were really impressed and enjoyed it. A couple of the kids have even attempted to do it at home, but they haven't quite memorized all the words and actions. I'm sure they'll have it down pat before I leave! It was super fun to teach them something new too.

I've also been getting better at calming down those that don't like it when Mom leaves. Some of the kids have a hard time and on Thursday, I was able to help out one of my favorite little girls, Rebecca. She's so adorable. Apparently, her mother got sick overnight and she was all upset in the morning because she had to do to the hospital. I ended up with her in my lap, then sitting next to me while we worked on the chalk boards. She's so smart and a really good listener. She's eager to learn new things and works hard. Its so wonderful to see. I think she has a very bright future!

On Thursday I also met the new volunteer that just arrived in town. He's from the UK, working at the boys school and coaching rugby. He's 19 but very nice. We walked around downtown Nausori after school let out and I found a new grocery store that has some cheaper things. Most items here are very expensive (candy bars are like $3 or $4!). I bought some cookies for 99 cents and was quite excited about it. It made for a great little sweets fix! Then he and I headed into Suva for our weekly volunteer meet up and dinner. We took the mini bus again and he, Joe, was looking to me like I knew what I was doing. Oh, how little he knew! When we got into town, we have to go to the main bus terminal and pick up the bus heading out towards the University. I had never picked up a bus at this terminal and it was interesting. So many buses and so many people...I eventually found the right bus, double checked with the driver and we sat down. I said to Joe, it may seem like I know what I'm doing, but this is all just trail by fire. He laughed and said I was making it seem easy! This was his first bus ride and much like me, he's a fan of the no doors and windows. The driver on this bus also had his seat all decked out included a leather fringed cover on this gear shifter! It was great! Each bus driver also is blasting music all the time. Depending on the driver depends on the kind of music you get. I've heard Lady Gaga, Oldies (think 50s music from US), Hindi and on this trip we got Reggae. I quite enjoyed it! We took the bus about 20 min to the Fringing Reef. A shack like looking place that is built out over the water. It was very cool on the inside - most of it was a covered outside area. We settled into the bar and ordered some beers. The others showed up a little later and I met Andrea, from Switzerland and also 20 yr old. (Ok, more of you need to do this career break thing and get out and volunteer! All the youngesters are having all this fun and the rest of us should have some fun too!) She's also working in a kindergarten but is in Suva. She was quite soft spoken, but very nice. The Danish girls were there again and I had a good chat with them. I also took a great photo of sunset! Finally, it wasn't cloudy and you could see it!!! I was really excited for the socializing and the food. It was another welcomed break from curry. I had fish and chips and the fish was marlin. It was really good! After we were down, Chinn gave Joe and I a ride back to Nausori. When I got to my house, it was band practice night. I had completely forgotten! My host father manages a Hindi band and they were up playing. There were 6 of them there and the music was super fun! I settled in on the couch and ended up staying up until midnight chatting with them and listening to them play. Talk about something I'd never do in the States! They kept trying to get me to sing. I was like, um only if you want to hear something that's off key. Besides, I don't think they could have played Don't Stop Believin' (my favorite song to drunkenly sing to in the bars at home!). But, I did get in on a little singing during Hotel California. I also had a lovely chat with Eddie, the bass player. He was really intrigued with my volunteering and we talked about traveling and religion. He's a very religious fellow. I was talking about how my next stop was going to be Australia. That's when I got a bit of "the white man killed all the indigenous people of the world." Now, its not that I disagree that much of the world exploration and settling was not handled in the best of ways or that it didn't harm some of the regions of the world with the introduction of foreign diseases and animals, ect, but its not as if I personally did these things and back in the 1500s, 1600s, 1700s, 1800s, people did what they thought was special or great without much knowledge of anything else. So if you think about it, its easy for us to sit back and say, they were fools, when we are looking at it from the perspective of 2011. Ultimately, I chose not to engage in the conversation last night. I have to live at this house for the next few weeks and the man that made the comment is a good friend of the family, better to just smile and say good night which is exactly what I did.

I was super tired when I got up this morning but still happy to be going to the school. While I was playing with the kids today I realized how special this whole experience is. These children are just wonderful and the teachers I'm working with are so special. Today, teacher Ester, the head teacher, brought me in a special dress and one of the mom's tailored it for me so that it would fit right. Its beautiful! Its a traditional fancy dress here that you'd wear for special occasions and is red with white and blue flowers and trimmed in gold ribbon. I can't wait to get it home! I think I'll wear it again on the last day I'm at the school. The school experience is something that I'll never be able to duplicate. I really wish I could stay with the teachers and students for a couple of more months. Its going to be so hard to walk away. After I had on my new dress, a couple of the girls came up to me and were like, teach Courtney, your dress is so pretty, you look so pretty! Then I'd get a hug and they were off playing again. My heart is so full!

This weekend, I'm going to spend the day in Suva on Saturday. I'm going to see the Museum and sights and try to catch some local rugby. They have a huge provincial tournament and it should be good fun! Joe and Andrea are also thinking of going, so I might hook up with them as well. Should be all good. I'll be sure to get another post out soon.

Miss you all and hope you are all well. Love from Fiji, CJ

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Photos

Part of downtown Nausori
This is from outside of the Patterson Shipping Company office which is where I caught the bus to Levuka.

The holiday signs
For all the sales at the stores, they use these big hand painted signs. Its fun to walk thru town and see them blowing in the wind.

Me with the sunset
Even though I'm hard to see, I like this photo. And its proof that I'm still actually here since most of my photos are of scenery :-)

The Suva sunset
It was finally clear enough to see!

My new dress!
And I love it!!! Teacher Shavin is on my right and Teacher Ester (the one who gave me the dress) is on my left. Oh how I love these women.

Comments

[Elise]

Dress
LOVE your dress! How sweet of them to do that for you. They must recognize a true soul when they see one.