Peace Corps Volunteer Tina in Fiji



Overall the village is really great and all the people are super friendly. They always invite you in to eat as you walk around and everyone is welcome everywhere. When the whole group of volunteers got back together I think we were the most excited with our place and ready to go back right away.

Peace Corps Volunteer Tina in Fiji

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Mokani

Last Friday I moved into the rural village of Mokani. Its a total of about 100 houses, all wood and tin, connected by stone or dirt footpaths. The amenities vary, some have flush toilets and some don't, somtimes they're inside and sometimes they're out. Some of the houses are nicer than others. Mine is pretty modest and has an outside latrine and sinks and we cook over portable burners.

My host family is just a mom and dad and a little girl, who's almost two. They're really nice, but its really quiet around my house. In Fijian culture to be an adult you have to be either married or 35. So with that, plus my host mom is tries really hard to be accomodating, I'm feeling a bit smothered. And my host dad is not around a lot so if I go off to hang out somewhere else I feel bad leaving her alone. Its a bit messy and I miss having my own apartment. I look forward to being out on my own.

But overall the village is really great and all the people are super friendly. They always invite you in to eat as you walk around and everyone is welcome everywhere. When the whole group of volunteers got back together I think we were the most excited with our place and ready to go back right away.

All the kids here are really great. They're all sweet and well mannered and have fun just running around the village. I could actually learn to like kids. And they're really tough. They can take spills that make me cringe and just get up and keep on running. They do some crazy things. And they laugh at everything. Sometimes they'll just stare at you and giggle. They're great to get help with the language as long as you don't mind being laughed at.

Ummm, I really feel like there should be more to talk about but I'm at a loss and I didn't bring my journal with me.

I'm very disappointed I don't have a funny stories to tell yet.

Some of the volunteers are having a mustache contest, to be judged when we get back together in two months. That should make for some interesting pictures.

Some of the volunteers in our village, who were just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, got to borrow special outfits for church. They were kind of a mix between the Partridge family and the Jackson 5 and had giant American flags on them. Hilarious. If only I could get pictures posted.

When this story was posted in June 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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American Taboo: A Peace Corps Tragedy Returned Volunteers met with author Philip Weiss in Baltimore on June 18 to discuss the murder of Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner. Weiss was a member of a panel that included three psychiatrists and a criminal attorney. Meanwhile, the Seattle U.S. Attorney's office announced that Dennis Priven cannot be retried for the murder. "We do not believe this case can be prosecuted by anyone, not only us, but in any other jurisdiction in the United States." Read background on the case here.

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June 16, 2005: Special Events Philip Weiss, PCV murder writer, speaks in Baltimore June 18 "Rainforests and Refugees" showing in Portland, Maine until June 25 "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 NPCA to hold Virtual Leaders Forum on July 29 RPCV's "Taking the Early Bus" at Cal State until Aug 15 "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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June 14: Peace Corps suspends Haiti program After Uzbekistan, the Peace Corps has announced the suspension of a second program this month - this time in Haiti. Background: The suspension comes after a US Embassy warning, a request from Tom Lantos' office, and the program suspension last year. For the record: PCOL supports Peace Corps' decision to suspend the two programs and commends the agency for the efficient way PCVs were evacuated safely. Our only concern now is with the placement of evacuated PCVs and the support they receive after interrupted service.

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June 6: PC suspends Uzbekistan program Peace Corps has announced that it is suspending the Uzbekistan program after the visas of 52 Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were not renewed. The suspension comes after a State Department warning that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in Uzbekistan and after the killings in Andizhan earlier in May. Background: PCOL published a report on April 23 that Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were having visa difficulties and reported on safety and visa issues in Uzbekistan as they developed.

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June 6, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Kinky Friedman will "sign anything except bad legislation" 6 Jun Niels Marquardt Makes Chimpanzee Protection a Priority 6 Jun Laurence Leamer needs approval for "Today" appearance 6 Jun Desperate Housewives' Ricardo Chavira is son of RPCVs 6 Jun Anthony Sandberg runs Berkeley sailing school 5 Jun Amy Smith field-tests sugarcane charcoal 5 Jun Mary Johnson organizes workshop on genocide 3 Jun Jonathan Lash in 100 most Influential Business Leaders 3 Jun Hastert jump-starts Chris Shays' Campaign 3 Jun John Coyne says 41 RPCVs applied for scholarships 3 Jun James Rupert writes on bombing in Kandahar mosque 1 Jun John McCain says to expand opportunities for service 1 Jun Jay Rockefeller's relationships with Japanese go way back 1 Jun Anat Shenker met her husband during service in Honduras 31 May Ryan Clancy punished without hearing for visiting Iraq 30 May Melissa Mosvick remembered as a fallen American hero 29 May Kurt Carlson played basketball against Togo's national team 29 May Helen Thomas's favorite president remains JFK 24 May

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