Home.

Lately, I often find myself wondering why it is that we can’t live like nomads. 
Wander from place to place, with no citizenship or passport. No titles. I feel that destitution exists there which we allow ourselves to be trapped by. Living solitary lives, rather than branching out and away from that which we are familiar with. Gypsies are shunned in most societies for their lack of normative behaviours; but it is they that I envy, as their capacity to move and live freely is both rare and courageous.

Some days, I want to be a gypsy.

It is exactly one month since I left Fiji. Coming home has been more than an end to a semester abroad for me... it has meant leaving behind a life that I deem preferable. North America has too long been regarded as the ultimate destination for provisions and the achievements of hopes and dreams. This incorrect assessment of a place which I "should" feel fortunate to be living has become more clear than ever upon my return.

Over the years, I have made all sorts of plans for life after the completion of my Bachelor’s Degree, and yet as I approach its completion I am learning that plan-making is futile, as we have absolutely no idea where our paths will lead to. 

All I can hope is that someday I will find myself back on the sands of the South Pacific, where I was happier than I’ve been in all my life.

Vinaka vakalevu for caring to keep tabs on me during the last few months... until next time, xoxo.

Departure

[bits from my final journal entry; July 5]

It's nearly 9 pm, which means my flight will begin boarding within the next 25 minutes. 

I just underwent what was the absolute hardest goodbye of my life.

Despite how tough this all is, I find solace in knowing that from the very moment I first stepped foot in Nadi until now, I have LOVED Fiji.

I have always known that traveling will be among the pinnacles of my life – it's partly why I chose to major in International Relations. I know I should feel nothing short of grateful that my first time living away from home was in a country as incredible as this one. I arrived here a girl who thought she knew so much, but leave having learnt far more through a wealth of experiences that epitomize love, culture, knowledge and joy. My last few days in Fiji were spent in my Fijian home, with a couple of my best girls and with my favourite person in this world doing what we do best – having fun & loving life =)

I can honestly say that I will be back in the South Pacific someday... with arms wide open <3

Natadola

I’m currently on the bus ride home from Natadola Beach with Maka, Ang & Laura. Although it’s uncommon to do so on Fijian buses, I have my laptop open. This is due to the fact that it’s already dark out, and the bus has no light on for me to read to. I figured it’s a good time to get some blogging in!

The four of us, along with Christy, Kevin & Johana, all spent the last four nights at beautiful Natadola Beach – a wide stretch of suede-soft sand that rests along pristine, turquoise water. Our days there consisted of sun bathing and swimming, both of which Natadola was perfect for, as its waters weren’t shallow like most of the other beaches I’ve been to in Fiji. Also, the waves on Natadola break on the beach, rather than on reefs far out, so it was a great place for body surfing! We all had a blast playing in the waves and even tried out paddle boarding on Ang’s birthday. We stayed at Yatule Resort where we had two little wooden homes to ourselves – the architecture of the resort reminded of me Whistler’s cabins because the design was very homey, and the buildings were made of wood. 

I ended up extending my stay in Fiji by eleven days at the start of the month in order to do some post-finals traveling and relaxing. Natadola was a great place to spend time with friends and left me feeling so glad that I decided to stay in Fiji longer! 

-

Just after completing our term papers and before beginning our final exams, Ang, Jennie, Patrick and I went to Nananu-i-Ra (a little island just north of Viti Levu) for a few nights. The best word to describe Nananu-i-Ra is serene. It was an absolutely beautiful, laid back place to spend a few nights of calm before the storm of finals. I really enjoyed our time there and met some cool people who'd been lucky enough to embark on heaps of enviable travels. 

The weekend before we left for Natadola consisted of post-exams/final-weekend-in-Suva/Ang-and-Laura's-birthday PARTYING! It was a great time for all of us internationals, as we relished in our final days as a group. I can honestly say those two nights out were a perfect celebration of what was an incredible semester, at an an incredible university, with incredible people :D 

I've had a wonderful June. Let's see what my last 5 days in Fiji bring... I'm sure they will be bittersweet, as I'll be aching to hold on to each precious moment, whilst aiming to continue having the time of my life <3

Food & Friends

Bula!

So I leave in exactly 30 days... time is running out, but I’m trying my best to stay in the present and get over the anxiety I feel about having to leave so soon.

Things have been lovely as always. I went into town today for some groceries since I was feeling deprived of fruits and veggies. I stocked up big time! Got 3 papayas, 2 coconuts, a pineapple, half a watermelon (which was brought to Suva from Lambasa – the vendor told me it takes them a whole day to get to Suva in an effort to make their sales!), bok choy, green peppers, ginger, garlic, and the list goes on.

Our res hall held a ‘hall activity’ tonight, which was a cultural potluck/pajama party! I made a pasta with lots of garlic, ginger, herbs & veggies! I know I should’ve tried my hand at some Afghan food, but without the proper spices and such it's unlikely things would have worked out. Thus, pasta-a-la-Canadienne it was :p Everyone else on our floor made some really tasty dishes as well – Ang made chicken wings from a recipe that her momma passed on to her; Johana made homemade salsa with chips; Cinta & Ola made traditional Tongan dishes; Pari made Indian chicken palau; Hernandia made a Solomon dessert out of fresh coconut. The girls from the other two floors all made some tasty meals as well – it was great to try foods from different parts of the world! I’ve really enjoyed getting to know these ladies... they’ve made my time at USP so special, so it was wonderful to spend a night celebrating our cultures and friendships :)

Passionfruit.

It’s been months since I’ve been in Fiji and unfortunately I have only JUST tried passionfruit for the first time. It’s amazing... can’t get enough of it!

Today has been so nice, regardless of the fact that it’s definitely the coldest day I’ve experienced since being in Suva - 22º with wind & rain. It’s been nice because so far I’ve stayed indoors all day with my favourite Tokelauan, listening to the rain and relaxing, and then with Ang, having "deep and meaningful" chats about spirituality. It’s been, as Christy said in a Facebook status earlier today, “a Saturday of simple pleasures” :). The stormy weather has come at a bit of a bad time, as the big USP Social is tonight... pretty much everyone I know here is going to be attending it and we all plan on going into town after, so let’s hope the skies clear up come nighttime! 

Last weekend was Mother’s Day and my Geography TA invited the international students from our class to join his family at their church and home for the occasion. We had a wonderful day with Alex and his family, as they graciously welcomed us into their home and treated us to an amazing Fijian spread of local seafood, homemade cakes and more. Afterwards, we were all given pillows and instructed to take a nap on the mats of their living room floor. I'm not even kidding, I don't know of anywhere else where people are so hospitable and down to earth. Alex's parents explained to us that this is how they always spend their Sundays  – going to church, eating fresh food, and relaxing with their loved ones :)

Vinaka for now, xoxo.

Like Sand Through an Hourglass...

Well, there’s just over 6 weeks left of my time here in Fiji... can’t believe it. I think I’m officially in panic mode because I know I won’t be ready to leave when the time comes. I’ve formed relationships and have memories here that will be heartbreaking to turn away from... as much as I know that I have to return to Vancouver, where life will eventually go back to normal, I can’t help but feel discontented about it. I’ve fallen in love with the South Pacific... the lifestyle, the people, the nature, the beauty. I didn’t tell many people, but I was approved for a second semester here at USP... I wanted to stay longer so that I could explore the region further (I really would like to visit the Solomon’s, Tonga and New Zealand) and complete my degree here. However, after thinking and reflecting long and hard about it, I decided that it’s best for me to come home as planned... that way I’ll have enough money in my savings for the backpacking endeavors I have planned for next year, I won’t risk losing my job, and I'll be guaranteed to graduate on time – all very adult, somewhat boring considerations. I sometimes wonder whether I’ll regret this decision... and the panic I’m currently feeling doesn’t help... but I know I’ll be back in the South Pacific again some day, and I find comfort in that.

 This past weekend, I joined Greg and Lena (two lovely fellow Germans that are also studying here at USP) on a trip to Rakiraki, which is in the Northern part of Viti Levu. We took a 4 hour bus ride early Friday morning and arrived at Voli Voli Resort just after noon. It was a super chill weekend, where we read poolside and enjoyed our surroundings. I spoke to a diving instructor about the SSi and PADI diving classes, in hopes of getting certified while out there. Unfortunately, 2 days wasn't enough time to do so, so I'm hoping to perhaps get my diving certification elsewhere before I leave Fiji. I saw some neat insects/animals on our trip (a preying mantis landed on Greg, cows trekked on a road next to us, and a crab was chilling in our pool) which was fun. The mountains in Rakiraki were my favourite – so majestic and beautiful. It was a good place to be for a weekend, that's for sure!

 Since being back, I’ve begun to realize that I have a good amount of school work that I need to start on... I’m hoping to get it all out of the way so that I can go away to the Mamanuca Islands during our designated study break week. We’ll see how that goes! Other than that, all else is well here... sorry for the procrastination on my updates, it definitely lessens the quality of my posts, but I just can’t be bothered :p

From Fiji, with love <3

April Showers Bring May Flowers

It’s 12:30 am on the first of May – can’t believe how quickly time is flying – I’m already nearly four months into my trip. Some friends have been not-so-subtly reminding me that I haven’t written in forever, lol. I think it’s because I’ve just been so happy here, that I’ve lacked any motivation to sit and write about the past, instead opting to indulge in the present. April was a very happy month – despite the massive amounts of rain we got in Suva, things were all around good! We're finally seeing more sunshine than rain lately, which is thoroughly welcomed :)

 Today is Monday, which means I luckily have no classes. I decided to go into town for some groceries, and realized that it was the first time since being in Fiji that I’d gone into town alone. Back home I’m incessantly independent. Here in Fiji, I’ve come to realize that my habits have definitely changed. In my Lonely Planet and on Trip Advisor there are recommendations made that tourists should opt not to frequently go places in Suva alone. Despite feeling both safe and at home in Suva in the last few months, I guess my subconscious has lead me to take that advice to heart. It was great to have some alone time away from campus, even if it was mostly spent in Suva's outdoor farmer's market. Oh, that’s another thing that I’ve failed to mention here – the market in Suva is awesome! Countless vendors come from all over Viti Levu to sell their goods, so finding produce that's organic, fresh and well priced is common. I especially love the local papaya, ginger and green beens =)

 The last few weeks since Spring Break have been relatively uneventful. I’ve just been continuing to enjoy life with new friends & new surroundings (well neither are technically very new any more, but still). I went to a yoga class with Christy for the first time since I left Vancouver, which I was really excited about! It was great to be testing my strength again – that’s what I love about yoga – it makes me push the boundaries of my body in a peaceful environment. The class wasn’t bad, but it made me miss my regular instructor at home – can’t wait to get back into a regular practice of it. On Friday, Christy and I explored a bunch of side streets in Suva and came across some great finds – particularly at a thrift store, where I found a secondhand dress that is officially the greatest item in my wardrobe! That night, a flood relief concert was held at a park in Suva. A few of us went to it, not expecting it to be as big and exciting as it was! It was a great way to donate to an urgent cause whilst enjoying the company of Fijian music, dancing and locals.

 That's all she said for now... xo

Yasawas

We’re now in the final days of our mid-semester break here at USP. It’s Saturday, which means tonight will consist of a reunion at good old O’Reilly’s with friends who are all back from their respective vacations!

 Josh, Jo and I got back from the Yasawas on Thursday night. Having never been to a tropical destination before, I was beyond stoked to get to those white sandy beaches caked along turquoise waters! My friends here in Suva always make fun of my obsession with seeing “blue water,” which is a result of the fact that beaches in Vancouver consist of murky, cold water. Well, safe to say that the Yasawas were the ultimate beach destination!

 We left Suva for Lautoka last Thursday night (Kelly and Mara were also with us at the start of our trip). Our first night was spent in a dingy little hotel where we were greeted by two roaches (thank God we had Josh along to kill them). After a short sleep, we caught a resort boat at 5 am, which was our home for the next 7 hours. We finally arrived at Coral View Resort on Tavewa island by midday, where we got our first glimpse of real Fijian beaches. The resort was essentially a backpackers lodge, so we met some cool people right off the bat. Staff members at Coral View became friends pretty quick too. While on Tavewa, Kelly and I decided to go on a cave trip to the famous Sawa-I-Lau limestone caves on the great Yasawa island. This trip had us on a spectacular 30 minute boat ride to the cave, which sat on one of the loveliest beaches where scenes from the movie Blue Lagoon were filmed. We went inside two caves – the first one was easily accessible, as it was at the end of cement steps, so we just hopped straight into its waters. The second cave required us to hold our breath and swim through a little underwater canal to get to it. In this cave, we could only see with the help of the guide’s flashlight, as there was no natural light shining into it. I put on my goggles and looked beneath the water into the depths of the cave and was blown away! It was an amazing place to visit. That day we also took a short boat trip to the infamous “Blue Lagoon” waters. The actual beach that rests along the waters is privately owned, so we were only able to stay in the boat on the water and feed some fish. Several meters away from that particular beach however lied another beautiful beach that was open to the public, so we spent a few hours snorkeling and sunbathing there. Later after dinner that night, I enjoyed some Fiji Golds next to a bonfire on the beach with new friends and island locals. We visited 3 different islands in the span of 24 hours (Tavewa, Yasawa, Nanuya Levu) and had a great start to our week in the Yasawas!

 Mara and Kelly had to come home for a field trip after our time in Tavewa, but the rest of us headed out to my all time favourite island – Nacula. We stayed at the backpackers’ dorms at Blue Lagoon Beach Resort. I instantly fell in love with the beach and turquoise waters of Nacula... it was a spectacular place to spend 3 days snorkeling and relaxing. I met some great people and formed a couple of lasting friendships, as one of the couples we met live in Suva as well! One point to note is that the food at Blue Lagoon was absolutely amazing – we were seriously spoiled in that regard – indulged in gourmet meals and desserts, it was fun!

 I loved Nacula so much, that I ended up staying an extra night longer than Jo and Josh... they left for Waya island, where I joined them a day later. Waya was beautiful as well – its mountains and vegetation left me feeling like I was in an episode of Lost. We spent one night at the Octopus Resort on Waya, and it was a great way to end our trip. After 6 nights in the Yasawas, we headed back for the mainland where we caught a bus home. Coming back to USP made me realize just how comfortable and happy I am out here... Suva really is home, and it is sweet <3

Life after Lutu

It’s exactly one week since we got back from Lutu Village. The end of our trip was as amazing as the beginning! The night after I wrote my entry on the veranda was spent festively drinking kava and dancing with the Lutu community. We had the pleasure of seeing performances from the Kiribati, Fijian, Vanuatuan and Polynesian students! We international students were certainly the highlight of the night – with our incredibly cultural performance of the macarana LOL. It was all in good fun and everyone was humoured by our efforts, so it went as well as any macarana would.

On our final day in Lutu, Apolosi walked Ang and I over to the community church. It was built in the ‘60s on a massive hill, just above Apolosi and Taina’s home. I was in awe at how much effort it must have taken for Apolosi and his friends/family in Lutu to construct their beloved church in that location. Looking out at beautiful Lutu from the church steps with Apolosi was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

After a farewell lunch (where the community sacrificed a cow in honour of our visit) and dance, we shared goodbye hugs and tears – yes, leaving Lutu meant that some of us (who shall not be named) were pretty emotional. This is because (and I am by no means exaggerating when I say this) the people we met at Lutu (and in particular Ang and I’s host family) were absolutely INCREDIBLE people. I’m lucky enough to have experienced amazing hospitality and kindness within the Afghan community, and know what it’s like to feel at ease in the home of a stranger. But the community at Lutu really stood out as the most amazing, hospitable and kind people I’ve ever been fortunate to meet. We’ll really miss being there and seeing Apolosi and Taina. They both honoured Ang and I by calling us their daughters, and Apolosi was in legit tears as he hugged us goodbye. We’re hoping to see them once again before we leave Fiji!

This last week has gone well – we were all pretty busy with assignments and such. I’ve really been itching to get out of Suva in search of one of the many amazing beaches Fiji has to offer, so I’m hoping for a trip away either this weekend or next.

That hall block party I mentioned a couple of entries ago is actually tonight. The residential assistants seem to have been heavily planning for this event, so I’m betting it will be a fun night!

Everything else is going well here, I’m happy and grateful to be here in the South Pacific. I wish some of my friends and family members could come out here and share some of these wonderful experiences with me, but I’m also glad to be away from “real life” and to be exploring things on my own. I hope everyone is well and happy!

With love from Fiji,
G.

Lutu

(entry taken from my travel journal - March 9, 2012)


Today we are in Lutu Village – a dalo plantation cooperative, which is the only one of its kind in Fiji. It is the second day of our three-day field trip, as part of our Geography course. I am currently lying down on the veranda of my host family’s home, relaxing after an action-packed day.

We left Suva yesterday at 9 am. On our way to Lutu we stopped at three separate farms – one that raises chickens and pigs, and two others that grow ginger and dalo (the fijian term for the root crop commonly known as ‘taro’). Upon arriving in Lutu, we completed the sevusevu (an official Fijian ceremony for greeting visitors and thanking hosts) and met our host parents shortly after. Ang and I stayed with an amazing Fijian couple named Apolosi and Taina. They’re both in their sixties and have lived in Lutu essentially their whole lives. Alongside participating in the dalo plantation, Apolosi and Taina have coconut, lemon and banana trees, a pumpkin patch, and grow several other agricultural goods. Despite their age, they’re both incredibly hardworking and resilient people.

Our first night here went very well, as I experienced a completely different kind of sleep. There was a torrential downpour throughout the entire night, which I loved because I love storms! Then, starting at around 5:00 am dozens of roosters began crowing us awake... I found it pretty neat, having never been awaken that way before.

After waking up to a lovely breakfast of pumpkin curry and roti, Ang and I met up with the rest of our classmates who’d decided to participate in the planting of dalo. We began a long trek to the plantation – walked through mud, took a little rowing boat across a river, and walked through even more mud. After we finally arrived at the site of the dalo farms, we began planting dalo suckers. It was very interesting to do farm work barefoot, in 35º weather, wearing a sulu and t-shirt – I tried to keep mine on the entire time, out of respect for Fijian village customs. This opportunity allowed us to see one of the initial steps of Lutu’s dalo export process. It was amazing to see firsthand the amount of effort that is put into the plantation everyday.

Upon heading back to the village compound, we planned to walk to a nearby waterfall. After a pretty strenuous barefoot walk through bushes, mud, and cow/pig dung, we finally made it to the beautiful waterfall. It was lovely and worth the walk!

Since we’ve been back from the waterfall, we’ve had lunch (where we had the pleasure of drinking Taina’s amazing homemade lemonade) and have been relaxing on the veranda. Ang and I are both pretty pooped from the day’s activities! What inspired me to write this entry was something that Apolosi, Ang and I were just discussing: that one of the best things about village life is that there is absolutely zero noise pollution – no highways, fans/aircon or music. Just the sound of birds, bugs and laughter <3

Life at USP

Everything has been as lovely as ever here in Suva. School’s good, the wonderful people I’ve met are all good, life is good =)

I’m currently sitting at Coffee Central (the only coffee spot on campus) taking a study break after reading about 50 pages for my Sociology class. I’m genuinely enjoying the reading material that I’ve been given for my classes out here... not sure if that’s a result of my lack of interest in the internet since being here, or if the slow paced lifestyle makes me want to pick up a book and read... regardless, I’m happy to be studying during my down time. Not to mention, sipping a long black whilst straining to hear law students’ philosophical debates over the sound of a torrential downpour – in my summer dress & flip flops – makes studying fun!

One of my favourite things about Fiji is the buses. They're windowless and play reggae music so loud that you can barely hear yourself think! Also, boys possess a quality that we seldom see in North America – chivalry. Each and every time a woman (regardless of age) gets onto a full bus, men stand up and offer them their seats – *swoon*.

Last night I was in a full blown battle with two geckos – trying to kindly get them off of my ceiling and out the door. I’ve grown far more confident in my bug-killing skills, but still require poor Ang’s assistance at times... she’s graciously fed up with it hahaha. Unfortunately, such gecko troubles have been commonplace for me as of late. On Friday night we all went out and I found myself trying to shoo out another gecko at 3 am in the morning, whilst not in the clearest of minds =_= On a brighter note, a bunch of us international kids went to the Colo-i-Suva Forest Park waterfalls on Sunday. It was a beautiful day of rope swinging, waterfall bathing & swimming!

There are lots of exciting things to look forward to this weekend! My Geography class is heading over to Lutu Village for a two night field trip from Thursday to Saturday. We’ll be observing the village’s agricultural practices and participating in their day-to-day activities. I’m anxious to learn about subsistence farming and to see what Fijian village life is like. We’re very fortunate to have this opportunity! Then on Saturday night the male & female buildings of 10th hall are participating in a big block party before a night of dancing in town! Suffice it to say, schooling at USP is significantly better than SFU =)

Start of my blogging efforts...

So after much nagging from my loves back home, I’ve finally been both inspired and motivated to sit and type my thoughts. I haven’t written electronically as I’d promised friends/fam that I would, but I have been jotting down some stuff in my travel journal. For those who are interested in what the last eleven days of my life have consisted of, I’ve taken those journal entries and written them in here (dates and all, just start at the bottom). Here goes...

With love from Fiji, xoxo

The Coral Coast

It's a lovely Sunday night in Fiji... Ang and I are hanging out in the lounge of our flat, listening to music and writing whilst enjoying the breeze from our balcony – a lovely way to end a lovely weekend.

We got back from the Coral Coast a few hours ago... it was was so beautiful! About 30 of us exchange kids got on some buses and headed to a backpackers resort called The Beach House. Our little crew of ten (Ang, Christy, Kevin and I; Johanna, Mara, Kelly, Brendan and Josh from the U.S; and Greg from Germany) spent a night there - just enough time to have some fun in the water and relax on a white sandy beach! It was great – so many activities to take part in and the staff was super friendly. We had the opportunity to learn how to make jewelry from coconuts (Fijians LITERALLY use every inch of a coconut for various things, including food, weapons, accessories, tools, utensils, medicine, baskets, rope, and the list goes on). I made a really neat ring which took two hours of sanding and shaping. By the end of it I was pissed to learn that such rings cost roughly one dollar to buy at tourist shops, despite requiring so much effort to make... not right.

Since Suva doesn't have clean/clear water like most of Fiji, we were all really looking forward to being able to swim in the ocean. I went snorkeling for the first time today and it was absolutely incredible. There is literally a whole other world under the sea and it's a beautiful one! We celebrated Christy's birthday at the Beach House last night. The highlight of the night was sitting on the beach under a ridiculous amount of stars, discussing international development issues, and watching lightning in the distance brighten up the entire sky! So magical.

I'm hoping to get out of Suva as frequently as possible and explore Fiji thoroughly... the Coral Coast shall be the first of many weekend trips =)

First weekend in Suva =)

We’re wrapping up our first weekend in Suva and it has been lovely. We went on an excursion to Pacific Harbour yesterday, as part of the Orientation Week. It was great because we went to the Arts Village where we got to see what village life was like in the past and how its influences remain in Fiji today. Fire walking, kava drinking and ocean swimming were what our day consisted of. We got a greater feel for Fiji’s history and incredible culture – ‘twas great!

Today is a Sunday, which in Fiji means all businesses and shops are closed (Christianity is highly prevalent here and people set aside Sundays as a day for worship and family). Fortunately, there was a little flea market going on in town that Ang, Christy, Kevin and I checked out. I bought honey that was made here on Viti Levu, Noni Juice (which is ridiculously overpriced at home and well-priced here), and lovely locally made jewelry. Safe to say it’s been a good end to our week :)

Adaptations.

It’s crazy how quickly we can adapt to our respective environments. New friends, new living spaces, new pass times – all of these are adjustments that are made during travels, and we seem well-equipped to deal. Since arriving in Fiji five days ago, Ang and I have been without internet because Macs are incompatible with USP’s WIFI. As frustrating as it’s been for us trying to configure our laptops, I can’t help but feel as though this predicament is a blessing in disguise. I say this because I’ve just spent my second night in a row on our balcony where I’ve eaten local foods with friends, gazed at the stars, and enjoyed the impeccable evening weather. I feel as though such evenings often fail to be prioritized as a result of technologies that we’ve grown to be dependent on to entertain us.

I’m so grateful to have Ang here on this experience with me – it’s nice to have a person from home whose going through the same transitions and such. She’s an awesome person – very chill and embraces everything that Fiji has to offer with open arms (she’s a true Pacific girl, as her mom is from Papua New Guinea). Christy and her husband Kevin are staying in the married quarters on campus so we don’t get to see them as frequently, but we all get together for outings as often as we can. They were traveling in Australia and Fiji quite a bit before we all arrived to Suva, so it’s been awesome to hear their stories and recommendations. I’ve really been enjoying exploring Suva and USP with them all.

Fiji is so beautiful. It has so much to offer. I’ve seen so little of it, and yet am taken aback by its wealth of opportunity. Part of that has to do with being surrounded by people who judge little and embrace a lot - USP is made up of twelve official regional states (Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tokelau, Kiribati, Niue, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, Tuvalu). Then there are international students here from literally all over the world (Canada, the United States, Mongolia, Japan, Papua New Guinea, China, South Korea, Germany New Zealand...). In Vancouver we have so much diversity and yet people lack the motivation to get to know one another’s cultures and backgrounds. Here it is the complete opposite – we learn from each other by learning about each other and I love it.

The last two outings that we've went on as part of the Orientation Week have been great. The first one was to the Fiji Museum where we saw some amazing artifacts and learned a great deal about Fiji's history and culture. The second one was today and it consisted of various traditional dances and songs from the twelve regional states of USP. I can't adequately describe how amazing the various cultural performances were. I loved seeing how people from places I'd honestly never even heard of before celebrate and express themselves.

We've been really lucky to have been provided with so many fun and informative sightseeing opportunities through USP!

USP

I have no idea where time has flown off to, but we’re officially on night three of being at the University of the South Pacific. My last entry ended off with me en route to Suva, so as one can imagine, a lot has happened since then. One of the International Program coordinators met us where the bus dropped us off – the Holiday Inn in downtown Suva. We caught a cab back to USP and learnt that the new res halls that were recently constructed for international students were not ready to be moved in to immediately. As such, we spent our first night sleeping in the res halls that locals stay in – which Angela and I were both happy to do. Keeping in mind that Fiji is a developing country, the locals’ res halls here are far different from what we’re used to back home. The living conditions were a tad startling, but I knew what to expect so it wasn’t so much shocking for me as it was a reality check. I was left unsettled over the circumstances under which university students in such parts of the socioeconomic world live in. I appreciated the experience, as it reminded me that when we complain for ANY reason whilst studying back home, we need to shut the eff up.

Unfortunately, my first night in Fiji left me battling a cockroach. As my family knows, I am terrified of spiders and generally don’t do well with any sort of insects. Thankfully, lovely Angela came to my rescue and all was well (although the scene of me screaming while she tried to trap and kill the roach was like something out of The Exorcist). As you can imagine, I’ve been paranoid about creepy crawlers ever since, but considering the fact that I’m living in a tropical environment for the next 4.5 months, I know I need to get over it.

By the second night we were moved into the new halls along with the other international students. It consists of apartment style living – so we have shared bathrooms and a kitchen. This place is a castle in comparison to what the other students are living in, and I’ve been feeling pretty unsettled about this fact. As I unpacked my belongings and setup my new room, I couldn’t help but feel nauseated when thinking about how much I have to call my own when people here have so little. Spending the small amount of time that I have in Fiji has left me feeling so grateful for the life I’ve been blessed with. This night I found a gecko in my room (Ang thinks all creepy crawlers in our area are conspiring against me because they can sense my fear, lol). Gah. Thankfully I’m no longer bothered by geckos - apparently they eat the insects, so they’re friends ;)

Today we started Orientation Week (information sessions and planned events/excursions for international students at USP). We finally saw Christy and met her husband Kevin, along with a bunch of other international students. All of the other students are incredibly friendly and we’re all really enjoying familiarizing ourselves with USP together. This is the first night since I’ve been at USP that I’ve really had the chance to write. All in all, I am enjoying Suva greatly!

En route x2.

This is it. We’re in Fiji and are currently on a bus heading to Suva. As I write this, a song titled “Don’t Forget Your Roots” is playing in the background, which I’m finding quite symbolic of my feelings towards the trip ahead. Despite all of the incredible adventures I know are awaiting me, I will never forget my roots – my family, friends, Vancouver.

Within the first fifteen minutes of this bus ride we’ve already met a trio of backpackers hailing from Germany. One is surprised to learn that I’m from Hamburg, but I told her to get used to it, as I’ve been told that crossing paths with people from similar backgrounds is a big part of such trips.

My first impressions of Fiji are as follows: lush, humid, beautiful. My surroundings are very different from back home, but I find comfort in knowing that one thing is for certain... the sky looks the same no matter where in the world one is. So anytime I feel that I’m missing home, I’ll do what I do when I’m missing Hamburg - I’ll look to the sky :)

En route.

Angela and I are at LAX now - waiting for our eleven hour flight to Nadi. 

Seriously can’t believe it’s here!