We arrived in Nadi yesterday morning at 3 AM. We got off the plane to the sounds of Fijian men playing guitar and ukaleleis (spelling?) and singing in Fijian. Even at 3 AM it was so surreal! Oghale, our country director was waiting for us, along with some of the PC staff and even some current volunteers were at the airport to greet us. I couldnt believe it, it was 3 am and the volunteers and staff were all at the airport just there to welcome us. we were all jet lagged, of course, but excited, at least i know i was... still am, i still can't believe i'm here.
so far the days have been jam- packed. Although we only arrived yesterday early morning, we had to be up at and at it at 11 am and ready for meeting after meeting after lecture after introduction... The good thing about Fijians is that they are very laid back, and FRIENDLY! they are alwasy laughing and cracking jokes. it's great. So anyhow- after our meetings and PST (pre service training) orientation we had our first KAVA ceremony! They gave us sulu's to wear around our waists and they welcomed us as trainees. men sit cross legged and women sit with their legs to the side (kind of uncomfortable, it'll definately take some getting used to). There i s absolutely NO talking during the ceremony. They talk in Fijian, which I couldnt uderstand a word of, all i heard was "Peace Corps" interlaced with Fijian that i could not grasp for the life of me.
Matty was right. They do the whole clapping thing. First they offer you the bowl of Kava and you accept by clapping your hands. then you say Bula, and you drink the whole thing... no sipping. then you give the bowl back and clap 3 times. It was a very interesting experience to say the least. The kava tasted kind of strange. definately not like anything i've ever tasted before... it numbs your tongue for a bit, but it was definately not as bad as i had expected it to be, of course i heard from someone that they were easing us into it, and they had diluted the kava so we could drink it... anyhow- there is another long day ahead of us tomorrow, and i must go because i am getting killed by mosquitoes.