Fresh Eyes of Fiji

Ooooooofff!!!!! Boy these past 4 weeks have been EXTREMELY busy in the best way possible. Both Mom and Johnny (brother) came to visit for 2 weeks and then one of my best friends from college (Shenandoah Conservatory/University) Shana came directly after for another 2 weeks. Both sets of visitors experienced a small view of life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji, while also seeing the tourist side of this beautiful paradise. I asked each visitor to answer the following questions: 

1. What were your expectations of Fiji before you arrived? 

2. Did those expectations change after your trip? 

3. What do you want Americans to know about Fiji?

4. What was your favorite part of your Fiji experience? 

American family with my kaiviti (Fijian) family

So below are some guest entries from Mom (Aimee), Johnny (brother), & Shana. Enjoy the fresh eyes and look into Fiji! 

Aimee’s Perspective

From Tim’s pictures, blogs and descriptions, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect in Fiji.  I knew there were beautiful tourist areas and I knew there was a lot of poverty.  I was expecting villages and towns like I have seen in Guatemala, Mexico and the Caribbean.  I don’t think these expectations were too far off, however, I did find things cleaner and a little more advanced than I expected.  The roads we traveled on were in much better shape than those in other places I have traveled and things were cleaner than I expected.  Schools were seen very frequently and appeared to be in good repair.  Tim tells me a lot of this is due to foreign aid; that most of the roads, schools and hospitals are provided and/or maintained by international aid, but, regardless, things seem to work fairly well.  The transportation system was another surprise.  I was very impressed with the public busses, ferries and taxi system that we saw quite a bit of!  I was even more impressed with Tim’s ability to navigate them!

Christmas dinner

I think Americans should know that Fiji is definitely worth the trip!  It can offer a real taste of a totally different culture without needing to feel unsafe or have major language barriers.  It would be easy to get around speaking only English, although having Tim able to slide Fijian or Tuvaluan into the conversation always helped.  The diving was amazing – probably the best I will ever do!  I have definitely seen more different types of underwater life on this trip than in the previous 48 years combined!

My favorite parts of our Fiji trip was visiting Kioa and meeting Tim’s original host family.  In both villages, I was very warmly welcomed, treated like an honored guest, and part of the family.  Tim has, without a doubt, been taken in by not one, but two families here and has had an impact on them, as well as they on him.  In Kioa, his adopted family borrowed desks and chairs from the school to set up a dinner table for us so that we didn’t have to sit on the floor like they do.  They also brought out silverware, which is not usually used.  They spent all day cooking a feast, like we would have for a major holiday.  They sent us off with gifts and lots of leftovers!  At his host village, a similar feast was prepared, and his adopted siblings took time off from work to be able to be there to spend the day with us.  Having my son so very far away from me, it made me feel much better to know he has such love and support here with him!  It was very gratifying to see how well he has assimilated into village life, how he is truly respected and loved.

It’s my last day in Fiji and I’m trying to hold onto every last ray of sunshine and warmth, every last song Tim sings with his iTunes, every last jab between him and his brother.  I don’t know when we will be together again, but I know we will all keep a bit of Fiji in our hearts and I hope I make it back someday!

Johnny’s Perspective

What an amazing breathtaking country Fiji is, in more ways than just the bountifulness of it.  Before arriving in Fiji I truly didn’t know what to except besides a vacation destination that has wonderful sunny weather and beautiful white sandy beaches with some of the most amazing diving in the world.  The ignorant American inside of me was surprised that Tim was sent here for the Peace Corp because this is known to us (Americans)/me as a vacation destination, not a third world country that needs assistance.  Upon arriving at the Fiji international airport I still couldn’t see much besides another vacation destination for wealthy Americans or foreigners.  Once Mom and I got to Tim I started to notice similarities to Guatemala by the infrastructure of buildings and homes of the people.  Not until we got to Tim’s village did I really notice the third world practices and poverty that this nation suffers from.   Yes people live in tin houses or simple wood homes with a tin roof that is about the size of a hotel room in America, for families upwards of 6-10 people, but these people care about one another, not just their families, but the entire village and each visitor that comes to their home.  The people of Fiji gave back my faith in humanity that we all can get along and love one another.  These people here help one another in more ways than families help one another in the states, it didn’t matter that my mother and I were “outsiders” we were part of the larger family of the human race and each individual that we met just wanted to know our story and wanted to help us in any way they could whether it was giving us food, gifts, or even a home for that matter – a gentleman that I met on the bus told me I could come live with him once I graduated from college and he was completely serious.   

  People can live in this country without working a 9am-5pm job everyday because people in the village or neighborhood will help them in every way possible and that individual will do everything in their power to give back to the people who have helped them, or better yet that individual will pay it forward to the next person who is in need of help.  If I could bring one thing back to the states it would be the concept of “Fiji Time,” the simple fact of everything doesn’t have to happen right now!  Fijian’s have a very relaxed and slow pace of life and therefore have much less stress than we Americans who have to have a routine and a structure and a set time for everything in life!  I truly loved my time here in Fiji, getting to understand the culture and how Tim operates day to day.  This place I feel has changed me for the better, it doesn’t matter who comes into your life but they came into it for a reason and we, as humans should embrace each and every person we meet with openness, kindness, and love of family.  Just that simple word is what I am taking with me, Family, doesn’t have to be your mom or your dad or your cousins and uncles it can be the man you sat next to on the bus, the bartender at a hotel, a host family, a Fijian family, we are all one and its time people in the United States start to realize that again.

Shana Entry

This trip was the vacation that came at the perfect moment, and how wonderful is it that one of my best friends is only 3.5 hours away from me, while we both are on the other side of the world, in such a beautiful area.  I had last minute thoughts about Fiji, honestly, I wasn’t even prepared to leave Australia because life was so busy and consumed all of my brain capacity to realize that I was traveling to Fiji the next day.  Before arriving, I had people tell me different opinions about their experience, so most of my thoughts were based around those stories and Timmy’s photos.  I knew Fiji was an island (go figure!) and that it was absolutely stunning.  I also knew that there were two different points of views when it came to the Fiji experience, the tourist side and the real side.  The tourist side seemed oblivious to what was actually happening to the people of Fiji, and the real side showed how much of a developing country Fiji truly is.  Thankfully, I experienced the real Fiji and even though it is my last day on Kioa island, I continue to be impressed by the people I have met, the lives I have seen, and the way that the entire island functions. 

We did the Sabeto Mud Baths

 I compare Fiji to my experience in Jamaica, where people made it work in very supportive communities.  Although, this was not the case in all of Fiji, overall it seemed that everyone knew someone that could help with something, and would do so without hesitation.  By the end of this trip, I have been adopted by Timmy’s Fijian family here on Kioa, and his “Mom” continues to refer to me as the “Big Sister” when I am playing with the younger siblings.  Everyone was very welcoming, many in the village were very interested in me (noticed I said interested and not judged) because even though I was stared at, asked about, and people would come by to meet me, I never felt uncomfortable like I would in a situation in the States or even in Australia.  Many of the people either thought I was Fijian or Timmy’s wife from Suva, so that was fun J (Tim, still waiting on my ring!).  I had many talks with Tim’s friends, and spent much of my time describing America to them, and one day I was asked whether it was easier to live here in Fiji, or in America and I was honestly stumped.  I thought about all the things I love in America, and all the things I love about Fiji, and it’s two totally different answers of what is easier.  In America, things are instant, typically convenient, way more advanced, cleaner, more places to travel, lots of opportunities and provide a secure way of living.  In Fiji, it is truly a paradise, the sense of community and tradition is amazing, people are active all the time, there is a general sense of happiness, and people make it work under not so wonderful conditions.   So, I would say to Americans to think if they could make it on 4-5 hours of electricity at night, not have consistent water resources, lack of easily accessible transportation and handle physical labor as a job and that is only a slight view into the life of a Fijian.  
 Besides the bugs, I have absolutely loved being in Fiji and the perspective it has put back in my life.  As mentioned before, this trip strongly reminded me of a Field Service Project I did in Jamaica, and I compared that point of view of the resort/real Jamaica and found many similarities.  These people work hard day in and day out, are constantly friendly, and truly look out for their families as most people who live here have lived here their entire lives.  Going back to bucket baths, mosquito nets, sweating throughout the day, and having breath taking views constantly, while seeing how much of an impact my best friend has had in this beautiful area has truly been the best experience, and the best way to bring in 2015.  Tim has continued to spread his Timmyness to the people of Fiji, immersed himself in the culture, and it’s been so fun seeing all that has been done since he’s been here, meeting the people that he has talked about, and feeling a part of this beautiful culture.  I urge you to take a closer look into Fiji life and see the truth behind it; these people deserve that and more. Moce Fiji, until next time!