Shock and waves

Yadra readers,

The South Pacific and Asia have been dealt a serious blow. The tsunami and series of earthquakes that hit this region last week are shattering and mind numbing. Whenever a tragedy happens near you...could have happened to you... affects those people around you...it is cause for reflection.

So far Rotary has put together a drive for clothes and supplies--which Mike and I happily added to after reading the instructions and going to Nivis Motors in Nabua to drop of our bags of clothes. The very nice men at Nivis motors, who sell Mitsubishi cars did not know what we were talking about...a Rotary donation? Bob...oh, io our boss "Rob..." We can open a bank account for you and you can donate there.....OR you can head down the road to Niranjan Motors in Raiwanqa. Ah...set, wrong business sent out on the newsletter.

USP has started a few fundraisers and has also opened some revolving bank accounts that donate to various organizations and families in Samoa. I will be attending one of the fundraisers tonight and wearing feathers in my hair (a traditional hair piece being sold to raise money for the victims) and may attend a prayer vigil.. although in the South Pacific, those are fairly intense gatherings with large numbers of people and very passionate guidance.

Meanwhile, on Tsunami day I was on my way to work, next to the sea wall, and I received a phone call about the disaster that already struck and the thought that it might come our way by 10 am. I called my boss and she said we would have a work from home day since we were in the tsunami zone...so I worked from her home. Fortunately for us in Fiji it was a beautiful, calm and sunny day. The kids were released from school and some people were released from work and there were large waves experienced on the outer group of Lau (near Tonga) and a small quake felt in the North (Labasa) and a push towards developing a warning system in Fiji.

The next day, since the weather here is finally sunny, me and my mates went to the beach! On the way home Mike and I caught a local bus--45 minutes away from Suva. A small girl got up so I could sit in her seat and I put her on my lap, while her mother took a nap in the seat next to me. The bus stopped every 20-100 yards... letting passengers off and on, filling up the standing room in the aisles. And when the bus stopped, after some trouble catching third gear, and we were told to get off the bus and hop on the one behind it--I wasn't fazed because I was thrilled they preempted the broken down bus we were on and brought another for us to switch onto.

Two hours and three busses later, Mike and I arrived in Suva--happy and tired. It is amazing how Fiji has changed my sense of urgency and time. Last week I went to a friend's house for dinner--a new friend I had never met, and we headed over around 9 pm on a Monday night. Masta had invited me, Mike, and Brittany over for Eid (Muslim celebration). We were considered chief guests in his home and were fed a table full of sweets before we sat down for a delicious dinner of curried delicacies. Sweets before dinner was different, but tasty and all of the food led up to the viewing of Mecca. In side his house, his lovely parents showed us all of the large plaques and pictures, some with gold leafing, depicting Mecca and the millions of people who journey there to worship Allah. I felt very welcomed, culturally enriched and exhausted by the time I got home at 12:30 am.

Next week I am looking forward to Diwali celebrations (Hindu festival of lights). I am getting a new sari blouse tailored and am anticipating many dinners of delicious food, as well as the delivering of Diwali baskets to needy families in the area.

The next two weekends are three day weekends and I will hopefully travel to an outer island for one of them, continuing my exploration of Fiji and begin bringing my experience to an end as an Ambassadorial Scholar.

Matakatale