Hi all!
Time is flying relentlessly by and in just over 3 weeks it will be time to bid a fond “ni sa moce” to our lovely Fiji and join the real world again. I think we all have mixed feelings about leaving. Our time here has been invigorating, exhausting, exciting, frustrating, challenging, rewarding, surprising, and at times even a little scary. I sincerely hope Riley, Declan and Flynn are old enough to retain some lasting memories of their time here, and know that all our lives have been a little enriched by the experience.
The last few weeks have given us the licorice allsorts of Fijian encounters. One you may have heard of in the media was the coming of Cyclone Gene on Mon 28th Jan. Seems the fruit sellers at the local markets are a much more reliable source of information than the TV or newspapers here, as that was the only way we were warned of this one. We battened down the hatches and were rewarded with a truly exciting night, listening to the creaks and groans of this rather substantial house as it fought against the deafening ferocity of the storm. No serious damage for us, but lots of flooding, lost crops and damaged buildings across the country. The cleanup is still going on. The main casualty for us was losing power and water for 3 days. Anyone who has spent 3 days of a wet holiday stuck inside with 3 kids and no TV or even lighting may sympathise. Of course we were lucky to have the pool as a diversion. Trying to sleep at night with no ceiling fans was a challenge, as was the prospect of losing all our frozen goods, including a huge meat delivery we had just received.
A less dramatic (yet in its way fascinating) development has been the start of the school term. All 3 boys are attending Tagaqe (pronounced Tanungay) District School, which is about 2kms along the road. Riley and Declan are in Years 5 and 2 and go from 8am to 2.30pm. Flynn is at the kindy, which is 8am to 11.30, but so far has insisted on me staying for the whole session. That in itself has been an education for me. There are 36 kids in a small, shabby classroom, with one friendly but apathetic teacher, a small box of Duplo and bugger-all else. So far there are still about 10 of us mums sitting on the floor watching. Just watching, and waiting for 11.30 to come. Thought I was a reasonably patient person, but the Fijians leave me for dead in the waiting around department. They seem really happy to just be there. I have to look at it as a great opportunity to learn more of the language, which I am doing slowly.
Riley and Declan are happy at school and are relishing all the differences. The whole country is deeply religious, so even at this state school there is lots of praying and bible reading. They’re also into corporal punishment. Riley has chosen to sample this piece of Fijian culture while Declan has so far chosen to avoid it. The school facilities are basic in the extreme. The teachers are really lovely, though the teaching is very old-school, with lots of rote learning and heavy emphasis on “the 3 Rs”. Most kids in Declan’s class are 7 or 8. Declan is 6 and they are astounded at how well he can read.
At recess the teachers sell the most toxic assortment of iceblocks and lollies I’ve ever seen, and the kids buy it. These are children whose parents earn $2 an hour, and every day they send their children in with 50c to buy poison. The kids demand it. Consequently, there are lots of 5, 6, 7 year olds whose teeth are literally rotting in their heads. Maybe you get this in parts of NZ too, but I’ve never witnessed it. On the plus side, there is compulsory tooth brushing after lunch every day at school. Doesn’t make any sense to me, but I truly believe they don't know any better.
I could go on for pages more about school, about Fiji in general, and our lives here, but this is not the right forum to offload all my observations. Maybe I will have to write a book about it. In fact, I am, kind of. In my limited free time I’ve been writing a kids chapter book set in Fiji, with Riley as my co-author. You never know, one day it could even get published! Paul is making good inroads on a document he has to submit to update his qualifications, and we have great expectations that both our writing projects will be completed before we leave.
For those of you who have been sending emails, apologies for not replying sooner. Another casualty of the storm was out internet connection, which only came back on Friday. And every school in the country was closed for 4 days as they had no power and the school buses couldn’t run due to flooding. The principal also told me he thought it was too cold for school. The temperature had dropped to 24 degrees!
Have managed to include a few new photos, including some of the boys at school. I’ll leave you with that thought as I sit here sweating in 32 degree heat. Time for a dip, I think....
Love Mich
