I've been in Fiji for two weeks! I've been wanting to blog for quite sometime now, but just haven't found the time to sit down and write. Plus, I've been consumed with finding a flat, getting registered for classes, and adjusting to the super-heat that is the Fijian climate.
I must admit it's been a rocky couple of weeks for me. I've been in paradise for longer than most people take vacations here, but for awhile all I had was a farmer's tan to show for it! I've finally moved into a flat though and am getting settled into my life here. If any of you want to visit, it should be noted that I have a fantastic ocean view from my apartment so it would be wise to bring a book or two to read while chillin' on the balcony!
After moving into my new place, I finally felt ready to enjoy myself a little and do something fun. This weekend was the perfect opportunity. I was invited by my roommate, Nina (another Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar), to do a canopy tour in the mountain jungles outside of Suva. For those of you that don't know what a canopy tour is, essentially it's a series of zip lines set up in the canopy of the jungle. You zip from platform to platform through the trees and over rivers and gorges and such. Needless to say, it was a blast! Nina and I decided we needed some R&R after our adventure in the jungle, so we chilled ocean side on Sunday. We caught some rays and evened out the tan-lines. It was a rockin' weekend!
I gotta thank Rotary for the chance to do the canopy tour. Nina's Rotary host (prior to the move-in) was the one who invited us to come along with her on a company outing for the day. All the Rotary people here have been super helpful with flat-searching and getting settled. Plus, getting to do something like that would have been a lot more expensive than it was with they're help. The volunteer projects are on the way too, so soon I'll be blogging about that as well!
With the adventuring and R&R, I have to say that I still miss America from time to time. I don't think I quite knew what I was getting myself into coming to a developing country. Sometimes I'm a bit taken aback when I see the divide between the rich and poor here or sense the divisions between different races, which is a different story altogether. I cannot even count the number of times a day I hear comments that refer to the racial and cultural tensions that exist in the Fijian society. I remember reading in my Lonely Planet book (thanks Mom!) about the distinct cultural groups that are here in the Islands, but of course the tourist books won't tell you about the tensions that exist as well. You begin to get a sense of this within the first couple of days. It became clear to me that discrimination is common practice as well when I went to the High Commission to get my Visa processed. While I sat in a row of chairs waiting to be served, I watched others with darker skin walk through the door and get served immediately. At first I thought it was my fault; perhaps I wasn't being assertive enough, it had nothing to do with race. But when a white woman from Australia came in and joined me in a prolonged wait, I knew it was because of the color of our skin. It's been a really humbling experience living here and being judged by my skin color. The positive side is that I've grown in my empathy for those who've been discriminated against back home. I have an invaluable experience with knowing discrimination, a feeling which many white Americans will never fully grasp. I must admit this has caused me a lot of frustration in these past couple of weeks, but in the end I know it is a privilege to truly know that feeling.
So those are some of my first impressions/experiences. That's all I've got for now. I'm looking forward to getting into some volunteer projects here with Rotary and venturing outside of Suva a bit. I'll keep you posted. Overall, I'm excited to be here and adjusting to the idea that I'll be here for awhile. The biggest thing I miss from home is the people. Please stay in touch and know that you're in my thoughts and prayers daily. Peace, y'all.
I must admit it's been a rocky couple of weeks for me. I've been in paradise for longer than most people take vacations here, but for awhile all I had was a farmer's tan to show for it! I've finally moved into a flat though and am getting settled into my life here. If any of you want to visit, it should be noted that I have a fantastic ocean view from my apartment so it would be wise to bring a book or two to read while chillin' on the balcony!
After moving into my new place, I finally felt ready to enjoy myself a little and do something fun. This weekend was the perfect opportunity. I was invited by my roommate, Nina (another Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar), to do a canopy tour in the mountain jungles outside of Suva. For those of you that don't know what a canopy tour is, essentially it's a series of zip lines set up in the canopy of the jungle. You zip from platform to platform through the trees and over rivers and gorges and such. Needless to say, it was a blast! Nina and I decided we needed some R&R after our adventure in the jungle, so we chilled ocean side on Sunday. We caught some rays and evened out the tan-lines. It was a rockin' weekend!
I gotta thank Rotary for the chance to do the canopy tour. Nina's Rotary host (prior to the move-in) was the one who invited us to come along with her on a company outing for the day. All the Rotary people here have been super helpful with flat-searching and getting settled. Plus, getting to do something like that would have been a lot more expensive than it was with they're help. The volunteer projects are on the way too, so soon I'll be blogging about that as well!
With the adventuring and R&R, I have to say that I still miss America from time to time. I don't think I quite knew what I was getting myself into coming to a developing country. Sometimes I'm a bit taken aback when I see the divide between the rich and poor here or sense the divisions between different races, which is a different story altogether. I cannot even count the number of times a day I hear comments that refer to the racial and cultural tensions that exist in the Fijian society. I remember reading in my Lonely Planet book (thanks Mom!) about the distinct cultural groups that are here in the Islands, but of course the tourist books won't tell you about the tensions that exist as well. You begin to get a sense of this within the first couple of days. It became clear to me that discrimination is common practice as well when I went to the High Commission to get my Visa processed. While I sat in a row of chairs waiting to be served, I watched others with darker skin walk through the door and get served immediately. At first I thought it was my fault; perhaps I wasn't being assertive enough, it had nothing to do with race. But when a white woman from Australia came in and joined me in a prolonged wait, I knew it was because of the color of our skin. It's been a really humbling experience living here and being judged by my skin color. The positive side is that I've grown in my empathy for those who've been discriminated against back home. I have an invaluable experience with knowing discrimination, a feeling which many white Americans will never fully grasp. I must admit this has caused me a lot of frustration in these past couple of weeks, but in the end I know it is a privilege to truly know that feeling.
So those are some of my first impressions/experiences. That's all I've got for now. I'm looking forward to getting into some volunteer projects here with Rotary and venturing outside of Suva a bit. I'll keep you posted. Overall, I'm excited to be here and adjusting to the idea that I'll be here for awhile. The biggest thing I miss from home is the people. Please stay in touch and know that you're in my thoughts and prayers daily. Peace, y'all.
Esta demasiado temprano a visitarte? Te echo muchisimo de menos, Miguel!!! Espero que vaya a escribir mucho porque me gusta mucho leer sobre su experiencia. Estoy muy orgullosa de ti.
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