request.

Please send me any recent photos. For the next two years, I want to be able to see faces. It's also to track if you are getting Fijian fat. Just kiddin. Email or snail mail. I'm not picky. Ok, thanks.

iron chef

I have been a busy busy bee.

Today I learned lots of fun facts about food and how to cook in Fiji. We had Iron Chef day and it's exactly like it sounds. Each team had to incorporate ramen-style noodles into their recipes. We made pizza (with a roti crust), spaghetti sauce and fried eggplant and onions and garlic. Amazing. We also made carrot cake! With cream cheese icing. In a fire oven. Yeah, we do that here. And a salad. The other teams made some enchiladas, fried fish with mango salsa (delicious!), and some tasty hummus. Man, everything was so good. It gave me hope for the next 2 years! I think I'll start a garden. By the time I get back to the States I might be able to make dishes that don't come in boxes! Watch out Martha Stewart.

I've had kind of a rough week. My Mini language test didn't go so hot. I thought I was speaking pretty good Fijian but apparently I'm missing some key words or something. Then I haven't been sleeping because the village drums are right outside my house. I think the drummer from Def Leppard plays every morning at 4 and 430. Sweet. That means it's Jisu (Jesus worship) time and then the choir jams around 5ish. And since my house is right next to the church as well...It's really freaking loud. My biggest problem right now is the drums, which play 7 times on Sundays. I almost lost it last Sunday. I almost ran out and just shouted, could you give it a rest, my god! But I managed to control myself. Patience, darling, patience.

Other than that, the weather has been rocking it. I should be at a Rugby match right now. Our village is playing the city in the Shield Match. Not really sure what that means, but I think there's a monetary prize involved so it's kind of a big deal. And instead I came to the internet cafe. And I'll probably grab a beer after this. Maybe a Fiji Bitter, which is home style dank beer. Fiji Gold is what everyone likes but it takes like American Lager (aka lite beer, and for those of you who know me, you know how I feel about lite beer.) So probably Fiji Bitter. It's got kind of a bite to it, but it'll do. :)

Let me make it a point to say that I miss everyone that is reading this right now (unless you came upon this randomly, I'm basically talking about friends and family here, so sorry. get your own friends.) Ok so I miss my friends and family. And not in that way where I'm just saying that to be nice. Really. I. Miss. You. We did a visualization exercise and part of it was "Imagine the best dinner ever. Who is with you?" My table was so big. It had nearly 50 beautiful faces around it. Family, coworkers, friends from college/high school, volunteer buddies, parents of friends from high school, my sisters and cousins, game night buds, everyone I adore. So please know that I'm thinking of all of you. Singularly. Take care, all! :)

is this really peace corps?

Hello lovers! Wow, it's been so long. I have no idea where to start. Fiji is beautiful, but that's no new news. We have been very busy with training, learning Fijian and doing our health training. I will probably repeat stories to you all at some point. Get used to it. It's hard to remember who I've written snail mail and emails and who got what details and all that jazz, so be under the assumption that you'll receive duplicate info. Also assume that as my Fijian improves, my english will deteriorate. Most of us, myself included, have already witnessed this as I try and locate the correct english word from my brain files and usually fail. So don't say I didn't warn you. Now on to the fun stuff!

Today we did a scavenger hunt around Suva, the capital. Just to familiarize ourselves so when we come here to do official PC business or talk to government officials, we'll know how to get around. Needless to say, my team kicked butt. We ended up in a mad sprint up a hill that would rival water tower hill at the hilly. And then we ran down it. And then up the PC hill. And all that with my 10 pound backpack on. And the other teams thought they had a chance?! Not in their dreams. They had no idea the dedication involved by group 3.

Basically, we have a lot of fun. There I said it. We spend most days learning language, going to tour a health facility, listen to talks about health, do hands on activities like lesson planning for presentations, and then we sit around with our host families and drink grog or play cards. I'm trying to learn Fijian but it still sounds like gibberish. For instance, Na yacaqu o Emi. Na vosa mada vakavalagi. My name is Amy. Please speak English. haha No it's not too bad and my teacher Dee says that my mouth moves like a Fijian and my pronounciation is spot on. Or so she says. :)

I love all the emails and letters from home. There are a few things I wouldn't mind receiving from the states. Little candies. Candy is super expensive. (like starburst and sour patch kids don't exist here) I definitely miss the food of America. Probably Fijian food is often fried and they love root crops, which I affectionately call "blah" because that's what it tastes like.

I'm getting used to being sweaty all the time. Or wet. Or both. hah They often happen simultaneously. But I like it here and I'm excited to find out my site on July 4th. We will start living at our sites in 4 short weeks! It's coming up so soon. I definitely miss America, but I feel like this is the right thing for me now. I'm reassured that I'm doing the right thing when I hear from you all. I guess I'm just glad you're all still living life just fine without me. :)