Donna Moraes

Yesterday was a day of many emotions. The village sacrificed a goat for us. Some of the students watched as the goat was being sacrificed It was hard watching the goat, but definitely something important to watch. In Canada we just go to the supermarket and get the meat there and don’t even think about the scarf ice the goat has to make. The experience had definitely made me appreciate my food more. The goat here in Fiji had a good life compared to ones in Canada. The goat here got to roam free and lived a good life compared to a goat in Canada who would have been locked up in a cage for its life.

Our group spent the day hiking around the village visiting the locals. The villagers were celebrating the festival of color. We were mostly dressed in white and the locals threw purple powder on each other. We later went hiking to the top of a hill. The view from the top of the hill was just amazing. I could seriously have spent hours up there.

Later that night, many of the students got together and shared stories. It was really amazing how fast we started connecting with each other. I feel like I know my classmates much better. I also feel like I know the teachers better from all their on the road stories.

Today is the third official work day and the school/community center is really looking good. I am very confident that the project is going to be completed. I am glad that the building can hold up when hurricanes hit the city and that there is a place for the locals villagers to be safe in. We finished digging the big hole and there are pictures posted on the global website. We have also put up most of the walls and even started painting.

We finally arrived at the village yesterday at noon, everyone was so excited to meet each other. The village performed amazing dances and there was lots of delicious food. I noticed that there was a divide between the people. The in-do Fijian sat in a different place than the indigenous Fijians. There was also a divide between the men and the women. The indigenous Fijians ate before the in-do Fijians. While eating our class decided to eat with the children and noticed that only the boys were being served. The girls were mostly scattered and ate last; some did not even get a meal.

During the first work day, my group started bringing rocks from near the stream to where the school was. Then my group started digging a hole 6 feet deep. I also did other activities like nailing, sawing and more. The fun parts were working together and getting to know the other students while working on our project. We even got our whole class to fit into the hole in alphabetical order for free ice cream. I am so glad that I got the chance to meet many new people. I am getting to know many of my classmates and am having a great time.

In less than 10 hours we will begin our journey to the village of Wavuwavu. I am just so excited that I am going on this trip and with an amazing group of people. I can’t wait to just go out there and give it my all.

This is the start of something great, let’s make the most of it.

-Donna M

In Fiji:
I will try new things
I will spend every moment taking in the culture, experiences around me.
I will try and get to know the people including the people I work with, the locals, my fellow classmate and teachers.
I will enjoy myself and make this a trip to remember.

Weeks ago, we got into small groups and each group had a topic about Fiji to present. My group had to discuss bures. A traditional bure is just thatched dwelling.
In the early days, the bure contained no windows and just a small low door and hearth pits for cooking. The ground was covered with woven leaves or coarse coconut leaves. The sleeping area was usually to one side of the bure. Traditional bures are rectangular and have timber poles holding it up.
In olden days, each village had a bure kalou, which is an ancient temple. The kalou was also a meeting place for the locals. The bete or the priest lived in the kalou and performed many rituals. The kalou had a strip of white masi, which is bark cloth hung from the ceiling. The cloth served as a connection between the sprits and the villagers.
I am so glad that we get the chance to live in a bure.

-Donna M

The other day we were all given a piece of paper with a role for us to play. Each person was given a personality type and had to go around acting the personality. My role was to always make eye contact with the person I was talking to.  Others were playing roles that involved talking loudly, getting uncomfortably close to the person you were talking to or running away from someone who did not have their hand on their head.

The exercise showed us that not everyone communicates with each other the same way.  People have different ways of expressing their feelings, making one wonder if there is any proper way of expressing opinions because people are so different from each other – and that is what adds variety to our lives.

On the first day of school after the winter break, we had a different experience in class and this is how it went……the teachers hissed at us when we were wrong and said ‘hmmm’ when we were right.  All the girls were hissed at to remove their shoes before they entered. The guys were hissed at because they took off their shoes, so they promptly put them back.   The girls were not allowed to sit or speak to one another. The guys were supposed to sit on the chairs and were not allowed to put their legs on the ground. Later the girls were supposed to put a timeline together, while the guys walked around the room making sure we finished on time.

We discussed what might have been the motive of getting us to do this exercise. It could either be that the girls were considered inferior and were not allowed to wear their shoes inside the class or it could also mean the ground was sacred and only females could touch sacred ground. The guys on the other hand had to keep on their shoes and not let their legs touch the floor.

For the timeline, maybe the girls were considered smarter and knew where all the events fit in. The lesson surprised me, was a real eye opener because I didn’t realize how easy it was to make conclusions based on the western way of living.

Again these blogs are from a while back

I love Christmas, the decorations in the house, the Christmas trees, the beautiful lights, the decorated malls, carol singing, presents etc. It is one of the most festive seasons. My family usually starts Christmas by going to church. Then we usually go over to our close friend’s house and share a traditional Christmas lunch and in the evening we go a Christmas dance.

Christmas is a holiday that is widely celebrated by many Canadians. It made me wonder if Fiji celebrated Christmas. I did some research and found that Fiji does celebrate Christmas. They do however celebrate it a little differently. Families get together at least two weeks before Christmas at the biggest house and stay there for two weeks after New Years. Everyone gets together and sings Christmas carols. Neighborhoods do traditional “meke” dances and light up the place with hurricane lamps. They also celebrate mass at church during Christmas Eve. Most of their celebrations are similar to ours.

Bula,
These blogs are from a while back.

We started examining the flag. It is of a light blue color that represents the Pacific Ocean. On the left side, there was Union Jack representing Fiji’s ties to Great Britain. On the right side of the flag was Fiji’s ‘Coat of Arms’. The ‘Coat of Arms’ contains sugarcane, a coconut palm tree, a dove, bananas and a lion holding a coco pod. The lion holding the coco pod symbolizes Britain. The dove symbolizes peace. The sugarcane, coconut palm trees and bananas symbolize the industry of Fiji.

My parents grew up in India and have experienced the intense school system there. They have many expectations of me, education being paramount. They expect me to do well in school, get into a good university and get a good career. They emphasize on hard work, especially in the next five years at University so I could make a career for myself. I fully agree with their views!
A brief comparison of the school system in India, where my parents studied and Canada, where I grew up, is what I wish to examine. Both countries not only differ in the education system but also in competitiveness. Learning strategies are different between the two countries. In Canada teachers try and engage their students in activities to try and get them to learn something. But in India, the teachers just give you notes and you are expected to know the material. In Canada, your grade is evaluated by homework, participation or tests. However in India your mark depends solely on the grade you get on your exams. This example has to do with elementary school. Exams begin at a very young age; when I lived there I began to take exams in grade 1.
I started out my school life in India and had only moved to Canada when I turned 10. When I first began school in Canada; the teaching style of my teachers amazed me. People often complain that teachers don’t teach well and view that as a reason of why students don’t understand a subject. In Canadian schools, it’s very easy to walk up to a teacher and ask for help. You would most likely get the help needed. But in India it’s much more complicated. Teachers don’t stay after school and writing notes on the board is their way of teaching.

-Donna M

Many people say that when they travel somewhere, they are going to a foreign place. The word “foreign” denotes strange or that which is unfamiliar. When we think of travel, the picture that emerges is a new land, different people, different cultures, languages, landmarks. However once in a new land, it is we go with our ideas and culture and the locals are the ones who find the travelers doing things differently from them.
Fiji for all purposes seems like a foreign place; but if we are to go by R L Stevenson’s quote, we will be the foreigners. The goal however, is not to remain foreigners but to integrate with the people of Fiji, share ideas and activities. If we achieve this, we will be one step ahead of our goals.

-Donna M-