Talofa from Fiji

Talofa, (hello in Tuvaluan)

GCP Fiji has been up to quite a lot these past few days so please enjoy this first glimpse into our journey.

As all of you know we were a little terrified that our flight might get canceled and that we wouldn’t get our connection to Fiji in LAX. We the weather gods blessed us and we got in the air with only a minor delay in departure. Once we landed in LAX we unwound from our first flight and waited for our late night ride to Fiji. Fiji Air was incredibly accommodating and most of got some sort of sleep on the flight. Our first experience was observing a glowing rainbow colored sunrise as we dropped to a lower altitude. Almost in an instant after we landed we checked in for our next flight to Savusavu. As Tim has previously referenced our next plane slightly resembled a death trap, but once in the air those thoughts dissipated, as we were all finally able to come to the realization that we were actually in Fiji and we all just absorbed the gorgeous view. The ride was filled with “oohs” and “ahs” and momentary silence while we all processed how far we had come and where we finally were.

Upon arrival in Savusavu we finally got to meet with Tim, an SU alumni and Peace Corp Volunteer, face to face. We took brief taxi rides to our first nights location where we quickly realized we weren’t in America anymore. Steering wheels are on the right and they drive on the left side of the road. We settled into our dwellings atop a hill and started exploring the town below us. There was shopping, dining and just an overall culture shock experienced by all. And yes, just so you all know it is very very very HOT here.

This morning vans arrived at our hotel. We packed up again and started our journey to Tim’s island, Kioa. Our rides consisted of scenic views, gravel roads and great conversation as we drove around the coastline to meet our boat and finally arrive in Kioa to begin our full cultural immersion. A fiberglass boat pulled up and we were all quite a bit skeptical that we wouldn’t all fit. Well, we did and sped off in the water while cooling off with slashing water sloshing over the sides of the boat.

 

Once in Kioa we were greeted by Samalu, Chairman of the Council, who gave us a brief glimpse into the island. While adjusting to the temperature and the island in general we were invited into a feast to enjoy our first meal. We sat on the ground around serving trays overflowing with local cuisine. We didn’t know what most of the food was but we went in with an open perspective and just tried as much as we could. In this culture we experienced that is was socially acceptable to dig in and dine with our hands.

After this meal all groups were introduced to our very welcoming host families. We all split up and introduced to all the members of our homes. After some socialization and getting acquainted we all prepared ourselves for the evening church service. Though the service was mostly spoken in Tuvaluan we witnessed a traditional service full of faith and joyful singing.

We are all currently with our host families enjoying evening meals and conversation. Some of us have been exploring the village and just trying to take in as much as possible in our short time here on the island.

Tomorrow is already jam packed with a slew of activities such as observing a council session with our host, an afternoon lunch with the community, a welcome ceremony (in which Tim will be part of the dancing portion), playing with local children in the school and various water activities such as snorkeling and canoeing.

There is so much to do and see and we are continuously taking absolutely every moment in. We look forward to the rest of our time here and will update you all when we head to our next destination of Suva.

Tofa (Goodbye) for Now!!

-Taylor