Hooray Boobies!

Breast Cancer Workshops!

Go Boobies!

 I don't think I've had a more successful yet LONGER two weeks in Fiji. After a quick weekend visit with two great gals (where although it was pouring the whole time, we still enjoyed eating sweet treats and coffee with homemade, 14 year aged Kahlua...thank you Audrey's Sweets), I headed to the village for a week visiting other vol's- I got a chance to help out Sally with her 2 workout sessions a day with the Fijian women, and also with her literacy testing program. I don't think I've laughed harder than when the kids joined us for the afternoon exercise sessions and were enjoying making farting noises while doing the squats....not to mention the fact it was totally mayhem with 20 kids bouncing everywhere and then also 15 women trying to get a workout. SUCH a good time.

Sally and her exercise classes with her village

Making bookmarks for her literacy program

 After that I began my week of Hindi-ness where each day I stayed in a different location and did breast cancer workshops with each womens group in that area. Although I informed my contacts over a month ago that I would be coming on these dates, things couldn't have been more on Fiji time! It worked out though (just like it always does) and I had at least 12 women at every workshop. They went SO WELL though; Indian women are suppose to be/act more shy by nature and so it was great to show them that these things are natural and need  to be talked about. I cracked a few jokes to get things feeling easy, and made them practice rubbing their boobs just for fun..which is always hilarious.

Teaching the women about exercising

I ended up having this RANDOM, last minute exercise classes with the women. It took a lot of encouraging to get them to do it, but all of a sudden (totally fiji time) it happened and the women were ready. I started with some basic steps, which turned into them just bouncing around...which hey, they're moving so I'll take it.  At first I thought the ladies would never do this again but then felt super accomplished when one lady, who didn't really get into it until the end, said 'After Diwali, we are so doing this every week!' I felt like screaming 'YESS!' ....mission accomplished....capacity built (a peace corps term)...done and done.

Teaching about how to open an email account and also about websites!

And although Hindi food is delicious, it got pretty difficult talking in Hindi 24/7 for a week straight. Plus there's the extra factor of being a single, american female...it gets exhausting when women repetitively try to get me to marry their sons. These people are relentless. And at first I would get angry because in America we don't care about color of the persons skin...we're interested on what's inside. So it's not only a giant insult that they want me to marry their sons based on my looks, but also the fact that I don't even know/or like their sons. But then you realize marriages are different here, love is seen as something that comes over time, and is shown in how hard you work for you family. So I can't judge it...but it still really annoys me when people say they want to marry me so they can go to America. But then you feel kinda bad because some of them are really poor and just want to escape their lives....and I get that. I feel fortunate to come from awesome family & friends and to have been raised having so many amenities. These people don't have a lot.

Loved this lady.....she was making Goorama aka sweet mango chutney

From the night I was Chief Guest...sitting with  My 'Grog Uncle'

  Next day though I was OVER visiting with people/was exhausted because didn't good sleep past 2 nights, but I think God was teaching me a lesson in patience when I went to a lady's house and was visiting some more (really annoyed in the beginning) but our conversation ended so amazingly. We just started talking about God, and how it doesn't really matter what the name of your god is: Phaguan, Jesus, Raam, etc but as long as you just believe. Because all the holy books pretty much say the same thing: be good people, give to one another. I even got a little teary-eyed when I realized it was a Sunday and how I haven't been to church in so long and just felt like this was even better than being in a sermon. so thanks Chisu.  It was nice to have someone to have that kind of conversation with, I really liked that lady. They were poor as can be (in a sense they don't make a lot of money...but then again  if you're a farmer you don't really need much money), and yet she still sent me away with 3 tubs of food.

whilst making papaya curry: don't cut chilies and then put your contacts in. Lesson Learned

With Moss in her village near the sea...on our way to Church.

Random: While on the northern island, we had a party that combined one girl's birthday, one girl's going away, and also halloweenie. I was a bula cleopatra, it was a TON of fun. However, it got a little crazy when we started playing flip cup. scratch that...the craziness started whenever all chugged beers to see who would win the last three pieces of AMERICAN chocolate cake (like the BOXED Duncan Hines kind and the TUB of icing...that stuff is gold). I've never chugged faster in my entire life...and I totally won that cake.

Anyways....had a blast. hope you guys enjoy and weren't too bored! :0)