Submitted by Rebecca Bronstein on the 2013 winter session study abroad program in Fiji sponsored by the Department of Geography…
After bus rides, layovers, and plane rides, we finally arrived in Fiji! We left JFK on Dec. 31st and arrived in Nadi on January 2nd! We didn’t miss the New Year celebration however because the Fijian flight attendants led a boisterous countdown and paraded around the plane singing and banging plates. Accurate foreshadowing of what is to come! We arrived in Nadi and then took a three-hour bus ride along the coast to the capital of Suva. We spent the day exploring the city and we quickly became accustomed to constant greetings of “Bula!” with a friendly wave. That evening we boarded the Lomaiviti Princess to take us to the island of Kadavu. We arrived about 10 hours later to what I assumed was a scene out of Jurassic Park. We made it to the other side of the island and boarded boats to Dravulwalu Village. Upon our arrival, a group of villagers greeted us with a beautiful welcoming song and put handmade flower necklaces around our necks. We were ushered in to breakfast and then led over to the town hall for the sevusevu welcoming ceremony where we had our first bowl of kava. Kava is one of the main crops they grow and is actually a weak narcotic drink. We met our host brothers Maurika and Joleme who insisted on carrying our bags and helped us settle into our home for the week. They then showed us around the beautiful village. The following day we were invited to a 21st birthday party, which involved a quick ceremony, an elaborate feast, and a bumping party. The kids all had beautiful singing voices and loved to play with us (almost as much as we loved to play with them). The next day the kids took us to their school at the top of the hill where we gave them children’s books (I gave them Rainbow Fish) which they were really excited about. Afterwards, they took us to a private beach right out of a movie. We swam, played volleyball, and relaxed. A few hours in, a boat arrived with freshly caught colorful fish that a few of the men promptly began to gut and cook for us. As fresh as it gets! We finished the night by looking at the incredible stars, a night sky I’ve never seen before. The older man who lives in our house (Joleme Sr.) told us this…“Our village is like our home. Open doors. Peaceful heart. For people like you.”
Sunday is church day! A Methodist community, Dravuwalu has four services a day. We went to the 10 am service, which on “Fiji Time” really begins at 10:30 am. The pastor was extremely animated and cried twice during his sermon (which we couldn’t understand) and of course the service was filled with beautiful singing and perfect harmonies. Side note, the food is absolutely fantastic. The ingredients are as fresh as could be and without any of the chemicals or processing we’re used to. The following day we went on an ambitious kayaking trip. We kayaked 16 km total and snorkeled through Kadavu’s incredible coral reefs. The vibrant corals and fish were unbelievable. On Thursday we had the opportunity to shadow women who were making mats called imbe, which is made out of a plant called voivoi. We each tediously made one for ourselves and the women who helped were so friendly and patient. I had the phrase “Mino Na Lenga” written on mine which means “No Worries.” On Friday, we hiked about 10 km to the top of the mountain. A bit of a grueling hike, but it was well worth it when we saw the magnificent view at the top. That night we went to a goodbye church service where the chief of the village gave a moving speech thanking us for our visit. The elders also thanked us in the town hall and presented us with gifts that the ladies had made for us. We also saw the traditional meke dance which tells the history of Fiji. We were up and early the next day for a very solemn departure, then off on another long boat ride back to Suva. Though I dearly missed the constant sound of children playing and singing it was nice to have commodities like clean sheets and a sink again. On our first full day in Suva we went to the Fiji Museum, which is actually the only museum in the country. The museum archaeologists guided us through all the exhibits and I found the information about cannibalism to be the most interesting, but disturbing. On Saturday we went to the fresh food market, which was bustling to say the least. Rows upon rows of fresh seafood, fruits, and vegetables, along with the constant sounds of people saying “Bula!” to one another described the marketplace. We spent most of the day exploring the market, buying souvenirs for back home, and venturing off through other parts of the city.
