Thursday, September 30, 2010

Halfway through Fiji

Day 76: October 1, 2010

1. I have so much homework, too much homework.. eeek.

2. None of my backpacker friends are coming to Suva.. sad.

3. Scuba Diving season is coming to a end.. correction good scuba diving conditions are coming to an end. Yep.

4. I woke up this morning and went outside.. to find one of my pet geckos dead.. the ants were eating it.. and it was terrible. RIP Gecko #7..

5. I have now made 4 Bula Mi Fiji Episodes.. that’s about 40 minutes of brooke there.. basically.. that’s pretty exciting to watch 40 minutes of Fiji and brooke together.. I should know .. me and cindy had a marathon the other day. Hahahaha.

6. I need to figure out what to do this weekend.. Rivers Fiji is booked.. sooo I have to wait to do that .. maybe scuba diving? But I did not book it.. so we will see. Hmm.

7. I need marshmallows and rice crispies.. I really want to make rice crispy treats.

8. The dogs… they keep fighting. Make it hard to sleep at night.

9. I need to be outside, but I a stuck in my classroom.

10. Did you know a crab is a detrovore.. and it eats dead things.. like bacteria.. well. Yeah bacteria in general.

11. I went on a snorkeling field trip yesterday… it was spectacular.. I saw fish, butterfly fish in particular, puffers, huge sea cucumbers, sea stars, and a sea snake. Yes I saw my first sea snake.. (they are one of the most poisenous in the world) and when I saw it in the water, the smart thing would be to swim away, but I swam closer, cause I wanted to get a decent photo. I did by the way.

12. As of right now I am here for 150 days.. I have been here for 76.. soo Half of my Fiji days are over :(

Monday, September 27, 2010

Happy Birthday :)

Day 73: September 28, 2010
1. Happy Birthday to my little sister Amber... the big 14..............Yayyyyyyyy..


Love you sissssss!

back to the real world, Suva.



Day 72: September 27, 2010
1. Well, last week, was slow moving, stressful, and depressing. I missed all the new people I met out in the Yasawas and well after having 10 amazing days of traveling and coming back to the real world.. it gets a bit depressing. Yes the real world for me is Suva, Fiji in case you were wondering.
2. On the up side, a grad student I met from austrailia who was studying backpackers and backpacker resorts came to my UNI to speak and so I went and listened in then went and had lunch with him and my other two homies who were traveling with him and I believe it was the chair of the department of tourism as well.
3. Said goodbye for the second time to them.. I hate goodbyes.
4. Had a bit of a stressful week with school.. It’s getting really busy at this point.
5. There has been no Sunday dinner for 3 weeks.. I’m sooo hungry.
6. Friday… no class.. I wanted to go out to another island, but I stayed up late Thursday working on my paper that was due Friday and then it took about 2 hours to print it and walk it down to lower campus.
7. Friday was open day at my school.. that’s when all the colleges and schools come check out the USP campus and they have a cultural show, it was a big deal. I watched some of it, but went to town earlier to find my so called mail that is supposedly in Fiji.
8. My package is lost… in the mail… and I really want it. ☹ It’s a I love brooke package with good stuff. From mi amiga ruthie.
9. Probably a bad idea to mail packages here.. maybe I just have been having bad luck.
10. Saturday came around.. woke up bright and early and went to Sigatoka Sand dunes (by myself).. got ripped off by a taxi driver again.. I had no choice, the bus driver was being rude and could not stop for one second to let me off at the dunes.. oh well. Point is.. I made it to the sigatoka sand dunes.
11. Sigatoka Sand dunes. == amazing.. and the coastal walk.. ahhh the waves were sooo huge.. so pretty… I love the ocean. Ahhhhh.
12. I lost my flip flops in the dunes… so I walked in my leg warmers on the sand, then barefoot into sigatoka town after.
13. On the cab back to sigatoka I met a girl from one of the close villages, we hung out in town for a bit and she got me shoes.. I was fine without them I really was.. getting my fiji feet on and all.. but she insisted on getting me shoes and well after a Fijian insists for so long, you just got to give up and accept what ever they are trying to give to you. I felt a bit overwhelmed.. nobody has ever done that for me… and I have never lost my shoes in sand dunes and had to walk barefoot.
14. I bought drinks and we ate some lunch over by the sigatoka river.
15. Yay… a new friend ☺
16. I then went to Kule Eco Park.. and I held iguanas, a baby boa, and bugged the birds that were there.. I teased them.. Like I tease Kya and byorn at home.. (mi doggies)… I missss teasing mi doggies.. I miss me doggies.
17. I helped one of the iguanas shed its skin.. its like when you peel off your own skin from a sunburn..
18. I decided I had to stop at beachhouse.. they have a swing at this resort.. and well. I love swings. Especially on the beach.. It’s like… I’m a swingaholic .. but the childish kind.. not the grown up weird kind. I went out to the beach.. and swang.. then decided I had no choice but to stay at the beachhouse. It was marvelous.. I love itttttttt.
19. Beach house.. has my love. Haha. It has a swing.. a pool.. ocean.. clear ocean at that..hammocks.. and good food.
20. I saved two crabs from the pool.. they were in it.. fighting and I saved them… they pinched me though.. not very nice there.
21. I met some really cool people at beachhouse.. I offered my house as an accommodation for them if they would like to visit the terrible town of suva.. some people actually do want to come.. which is cool with me.. I like helping people save money if I can…So far nobody wants to come to suva. Haha.
22. I had a nice dance party in my bedroom.. it consisted of me… and the black eyed peas… just saying
23. It’s raining, raining, raining……… yeah.
24. I have run out of internet for the month.. I ran out 7 days ago.. so I guess I better top up a little and pay up ☹
25. I don’t know if I mentioned this, but my camera screen broke when I was at beachcomber.. and was broken for all of the yasawas then on the bus up to Raki Raki it started working which was perfect timing cause I was super homesick and wanted to see my pictures.. I have pictures from home on my camera.. always ☺
26. School is getting stressful.
27. Sunday dinner is a go finally. Its been three weeks.. and I been starving.
28. My professor did not show up today.. and I had to do a presentation too.
29. It’s almost my little sisters birthday….she better be keeping the sister promise I gave her and my other sister. Haha.
30. I tried kava bread.. me no likey..
31. Technology has made me cry… I cant communicate with people back home so well ☹ it makes me sad.




Sunday, September 19, 2010

Spring Break Round 2 2010

Day 57: September 12, 2010

1. Had a girls night at long last. It consisted of 4 girls, 1 huge salad, grilled cheesed sandwiches, and Pineapple Fanta plus fancy nail polish designs. Good stuff there.

2. Got absolutely no sleep before leaving for Beachcomber at 2 am on September 10… pretty bad idea eventually.

3. Learned about Fiji ghost stories on the way to the boat from one of mi amigos from fiji… it was really hard to sleep on the bus.

4. Finally, made it to beachcomber for the field trip I was lucky enough to join onto. I went snorkeling immediately.

5. Beach at beachcomber was disappointing.. I got over it. It all worked out and in the end, I could not get enough of that beach.

6. When I was snorkeling, the staff in the boat thought it would be funny to feed the fish in my direction.. so out comes the food into the water, right where I’m swimming and over come hundreds of fish eating the food.. and me. (it was awesome, kind of surreal).

7. Thee barefoot bar at beachcomber=sooo cool. Best thing ever invented. The first night I won a free vonu beer, which I gave away to my german friend.. I won it from a relay race (my team won of course). Me no likey beer.

8. Next day at beachcomber consisted of fish feeding, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Scuba diving was to an old bomber from world war two.. cool right. Went down 26 meters too… saw the biggest sea cucumbers I ever seen down there. Oh yeah. but I was breathing to fast underwater…oopsie.

9. Night numero dos at beachcomber.. –well it was a Saturday.. and it was soooo fun. They had the limbo.. now.. I know a lot of you back home may not know this, but I am an expert limbo-er.. I promise. And well. That night….they had the limbo and I was one of theeee winners.. yes.. I won.. free beer.. which does me no good cause I don’t like beer so I brought it my friends, then my professor then my other friends and gave it all away… it was a huge pitcher of fiji bitter. Yepppers.

10. Went swimming under the stars.. about three times. Pretty awesome.. skinny dipping might have happened too.. things like that are necessary if you are on the party island… right?

11. I can shake my booty like a Fijian.

12. Sunday morning came rolling around…and well. I was not sure where I was going.. except I knew it would be north… soooo. I got on the yellow flyer and headed north..

13. I ended up in the Yasawas at island #2 Wayasewa and stayed at Wai-Lai Lai eco resort… It was nice… I went snorkeling and did a super spectacular hike by myself-I realized it would have been safer if someone came with me, but nobody wanted to when I asked soooo. Yeah.

14. Hike view was amazing…

15. I ate my first lovo dinner.. soo goood. Soo good.

16. I had nightmares about bed bugs here.. three people had gotten them in the past couple nights.. and so now I am forever haunted with bed bug nightmares.

17. One of the guys that was staying at the resort got a phone call from his family.. I guess his mother has been in acoma for two weeks and has not been able to get ahold of him. Stuff like that worries me.. be safe back home, will you loved family? Friends?

18. Stayed up for a while and played “shithead” with some of the other backpackers.. it was way fun, but at 9:45 they decided to turn off the lights on us.. which was no cool… its all good though I used my travel candle for the first time.. and it smelled like delightful mango. Oh yes.

19. I taught some English guys how to make clothes out of leaves for themselves.. I told them that the girls would love it at beachcomber. Haha.

20. I decided to only stay at this resort one night then moved on to .. wherever the wind took me..

Day 60: September 15, 2010

1. Well, after I left Wai Lai Lai (wayasewa island) I was going to go to Manta Ray, but ran into a creepy guy from beachcomber.. who was also going to Manta Ray, so I asked how much more it would cost me to go a bit further and asked a friend for recommendations.. and it only cost about $15 more to go to the end of the Yasawas… so I did just that. I was going to go to coral view, but then another guy mentioned blue lagoon was close to that.. and I had a blue lagoon brochure at my home in suva and was looking into that.. so I decided to go with blue lagoon.. and also.. –this is going to sound a bit sketch and dodgy—I was stressing about money –as usual-and asked my new friend if he knew how much it cost.. he said that he had rented a villa and that I could stay on the floor for free.. so I thought about it.. and decided this guy was not a creep and went to blue lagoon and stayed on his floor for two nights –free of charge.. saved me over $200 and he was not a creep … true story.

2. Blue lagoon was amazing.. definitely tied for first on all the resorts I have been too.

3. I did a spectacular hike here.. the best hike I have done in Fiji actually!! Words can not explain how beautiful and breathtaking the views were and photos don’t give it justice! BEST HIKE EVER!

4. I snorkeled a lot out there. Every day.. and I did a night snorkel.that was intense..

5. I participated in my first even international crab race.. I was crab 21… and I could have sworn I made it to the top 10.. but I guess I didn’t … and I lost.. I will win the international crab race.. I swear..i love crab racing!! And I know the secret to winning.. now..

6. While snorkeling in the day I saw a lionfish.. octopus..stingray lots of other fish.. eel-trigger triton fish, big huge puffer fish..huge sea urchins (at night time)..and so much other cool stuff!!

7. On the scuba dive out in the Blue lagoon area.. I saw a sea turtle.. yes a real live sea turtle in the wild of the deep blue.. and my first thought was …. Crushhhhhhhhhhhh –from finding nemo.. I wanted to touch it, but I was too much in awe and did not want to scare it away.

8. I went out to the caves on Yasawa island as well, they were pretty cool. I saw an eel.. and I touched the only limestone in fiji.. or something like that… apparently its pretty rare and that’s the only spot with limestone.

9. I fell asleep in a hammock.. after going from huge morning hike to snorkeling.. to lunch… to scuba diving.. to night snorkeling… to dinner.. to buying a drink saying I earned it.. (long island iced tea) to drinking half of it.. and falling asleep in the hammock with it half full.. then waking up and drinking the rest of it… now that is what fiji is about.. yessss…

10. Walking around to go to bed should be really late if the person your staying with in the villa is chatten up a greece lady… enough said.

11. Well I stayed at the resort for three days two nights and loved it.. absolutely loved it.. food was good.. everything was soooo good..

12. I got on the yellow flyer in hopes of finding my next destination…

13. After getting on the boat.. I decided to go to Manta Ray at long last!! I have been making last minuted decisions as to where to go whereas everyone else has booked nights and stuff… I think I am traveling the best way… with the wind that is!! Hahahaha

Day 61: September 16, 2010

1. Oh Manta Ray… how I love your pina coladas that I get for free from winning the Limbo..

2. Yes I won the limbo yet again.. which means… brooke gets a free drink.

3. Manta Ray was quite fantastic.. I really loved the variety of hammocks.. awwe yes.. there were two types.. most resorts only have one.

4. Snorkeling was quite good… I must say.. I enjoyed it..

5. I did not see a Manta Ray… that was very disappointing.. I guess the season ends toward the end of September.. and I just got unlucky.. the Manta rays had not shown up for five days before I got there.. –manta ray season=may til September. Ish.

6. The lunch food.. was sooo delicious.. you got to choose from a menu.. and it all looked so good.. sooo good that me and my Scotland friend chose two items and shared them.

7. The night there was full of dancing, Limbo, and the two French guys.. yes they get a title.. because…. They were a hoot. Please bafg(bring a French guy) to a party.. and you will be laughing.. probably non-stop. Okay.. so that’s probably not true.. but seriously. These two guy cracked me up.. they could probably create a show in vegas.

8. I kayaked to another island from here.. all the way to drawaqa.. now that’s talent. .and I kayaked back.. how many people can say they kayaked to an island ?? hmm. Well I can now.

9. I met another American.. and well I realized.. that you either meet a down to earth American who is traveling with a friend.. most likely with a friend… a totally chill cool..down to earth American-like me.. traveling by theirself.. or the loud.. very loud American who talks and talks and talks so loud as if the world needs to know what they think.. anyways… the point I was trying to get to was that you don’t see many americans traveling..and if you do.. it’s a shocker if they are traveling alone…seriously.. people were surprised that I was an American.. and that I was traveling by myself.

10. People from other countries… like my accent.. one of the ladies even called it lovely. Hahaha. Another called it sexy… I always wanted an accent and now I finally have one.—lucky gal I am.. hahahahha.-representing the u.s. of a.

11. I had to make a hard decision.. to stay at manta ray.. or to leave… and go to octopus.. I decided to go to octopus.. and add another island to my island tree.

12. It was sad to say good bye to my new friends L

Day 62, 63, 64: September 17-19, 2010

1. well, I made it to octopus.. and it was lovely.. but I could not help but regret that I was missing Manta ray and my friends there.. Almost everyone at Octopus was a with their significant other… and that just made me depressed a bit. Luckily I met two other girls traveling by themselves at the resort and hung out with them while I was there.

2. I ate Tuna.. and I hate tuna.. If I eat tuna though, it will be the way that they cook it at Octopus.. or blue lagoon.. I eat fish.. in fiji.. at nice resorts.. and I love calamari.. in fiji.

3. Night time rolled around.. We played a questionnaire game.. and my team was good. Real good.. we kept winning.. basically all the alcohol .. champagne, more champagne, and more champagne.. and don’t forget some bounty shots.. oh dear.. after all that.. we had to do the talent show.. and well.. we started watching the other teams and decided we must jump in the pool and do synchronized swimming to two of our team mates attempting to play the guitar and my tambourine.. well needless to say.. my team won the talent show.. but we somehow lost overall. We could not unscramble “mbrlaleu” (umbrella) so we lost. Officially.. but I say we won .. we won big time.. cause we won the talent show..

4. I swam at night time again.. oh yeah. I love that.

5. I got a disgusting lunch packed for me at octopus.. they told me that I should take their boat “magic” back to the dock.. and that they would charge me the same as the yellow flyer –which they did-but I missed lunch –the good lunch-because it left at noon and they packed me a very yucky yucky wrap.. I was very upset considering they charge $70 for their food every day and you have to pay for it.. and I only got a decent dinner and breakfast..

6. Taking the boat “magic” back to the dock, was a very terrible idea..it was the second most dangerous boat ride I have been on out here in the south pacific.. and it was about two hours long ish.. I met a lovely lady on it, however we could not talk cause of how bumpy the ride was.. we were holding on for dear life. So people.. just take the yellow flyer home, its worth the wait.. your booty can thank me later for that recommendation.

7. I got to the dock and headed to Lautoka after that brutal boat ride.. went to the bank to get some cash from the atm and it said.. I did not have enough money.. and I thought well that is weird because I deposited 500 last week.. before I left and have not touched it cause I have been in the yasawas ever since.. soo I luckily found the receipt.. and well. I am not sure abou this.. but I think that the banker I deposited it with tried to steal it from me…. My money has always been deposited the day I bring it to the bank.. soooo. Not cool. It all worked out in the end.. but that is very sketch!

8. I forgot my food at octopus.. my backpacker food.. it was very sad.

9. I waited for a bus in Lautoka to take me on Kings highway up towards Raki Raki and ellington warf.. it eventually came.. and I made my way up towards that.. did I mention.. I had no idea where I was going or where I was going to stay.. I had a book I was using as a reference, but I was not sure which place would be closest to stay at…. That book saved my life.

10. I got to ellington warf and said is there a resort around here.. the lady showed me a brochure… and I was like.. alright they have dorms.. I’m going to go there.. can a boat come out.. (it was sundown at this point) and luckily they sent out a boat and I made it to safari lodge on nananu-i-ra island.. sooo lucky there.. I seriously lucked out big time.

11. The safari lodge is supposedly the windiest place in Fiji?? The best getaway for wind-surfers and kite surfers.. after this trip.. I would really like to learn how to kite surf!

12. I wakeboarded on a kite board.. first try.. oh yeah baby.

13. I really want to learn how to kite board.. but I do not know if my funds will let me.. considering how badly budgeted my traveling in Fiji was planned.

14. I really liked this resort.. it was a shame cause I got sick the second night and spent my last night of my break on the bathroom floor.. then I spent the rest of the next day sleeping.. and reading.. and relaxing.. feeling better eventually.

15. Took the 7 o clock pm bus back to Suva.. –blah.. back to the real world. School and such..

16. Spring break gone Fiji.. was thee best 10 days of mi life…in a row. True story.

17. Hopefully the bed bug nightmares stop soon.

Monday, September 6, 2010

150 Days of Fiji

Day 52: September 7, 2010
1. We are currently experiencing 7 days of strong winds here in Fiji, I forgot the actual term for it. Yeah... Wish it would stop i feel like I'm a plant or something getting blown around.
2. I don't know if I mentioned this, but I have joined onto a dance company at the oceanic center here at USP. It's a bit intense.. I have never moved my body like they move theirs. Pretty exciting though. I have practice every day and well, it will be a bit of hard work, but it's totally worth it!
3. Coca-cola is one dollar a can at the school store! Yippy, i'll take two.
4. I have a midterm tomorrow and I am stressing ---yikes...
5. I am traveling to the yasawas next week for the semester break. That is my plan.
6. I have established my todo list here in Fiji, I'm always adding things on it, but here it is thus far!!

Fiji To Do List:

1. Shark Diving at Pacific Harbour and Scuba Diving

Aqua-Trek: August 21, 2010

2. Zip Line at Pac Harbour

3. Rivers Fiji at Pacific Harbour

4. Beachcomber Island

5. Tavenui

August 23-29, 2010

Lavena Coastal Walk

Tasoro Waterfalls

International Date Line

6. Colo-I-Suva Forest park

Waisila Falls: July 30, 2010

7. Sigatoka Sand Dunes

8. Koro Yanitu National Heritage Park

9. Vitilevue Islands

10. Tom Hanks Island

11. Find where they make Fiji water

12. Snorkel

Mango Bay: August 21-22, 2010

Nanuku Island: August 27, 2010

Qamea Island: August 26, 2010

Pac Harbour: July 25, 2010

13. Go to a Village

Sote Village: August 14-15, 2010

Somo Somo Village: August 23-26, 2010

14. Go on the Eco Tour in Nadi

15. Climb to the Highest peak on the island I live on

16. Make a skirt out of leaves

Nanuku Island: August 27, 2010

17. Get a cigar (for a gift, cause it sounds cool).

18. Go to an inactive volcano.

19. Be a Mermaid

20. Go to a Mangrove

Nasoata Island: August 13, 2010

21. Go to Hibiscus Festival

Festival: August 20, 2010

22. Go to an Indian/Fijian wedding

23. Go to the 7-star Resort Island Laucala

Swam and stepped on Island: August 27, 2010

24. Jump off a waterfall

Jumped of Tasoro Waterfall (20 meters): August 25, 2010

25. Go to the Museum in Suva

26. Go to the Cinema

Eat, Prey, Love: August 22, 2010

27. Go to at least 25 islands in Fiji

Islands Checklist:

1. Taveuni

2. Viti Levu

3. Vanua Levu

4. Qamea

5. Nanuku

6. Makaluva

7. Nasoata

8. Mosquito Island

9. Laucala

Islands I want to go too:

Beachcomber

Turtle Island

Treasure Island

Castaway

Tom Hanks Island

Kadavu

Sengalai

Yasawa

Malolo

28. Wakeboard in Fiji

29. Attempt Surfing in Fiji

Qamea Island: August 28, 2010 with auzzies

30. Swim with the Sea Turtles in Fiji

31. Swim with Manarays in Fiji

32. Swim with the dolphins in Fiji

33. Swim with the sharks in Fiji

Scuba Diving: August 21, 2010 –saw eight species of sharks

Snorkeling at Mango Bay: August 22, 2010-saw a white tip shark

Snorkeling at Nanuku Island: August 27, 2010-saw a white tip shark



150 days of Fiji Adventures

Day 3: TUESDAY: July 20, 2010

1. Fiji time is going to make me a very patient person.

(Airplane was late, bus was late, etc)

2. I am extremely homesick—to the point that I just wish I were home. I got to my house and just started crying because I felt so lonely, and no one was in my house to make friends with. I was under the impression I would be living with about 4 dorm mates, I have one, the other ISEP person and it’s weird. At least I am in a nice house; People from home should come visit. (Reese, Mom, Amber, Sierra, Willson Family!).

3. Taxi drivers are a rip off! By the end of the bus ride from Nadi to Suva, I was so tired and ready to get to USP already! Locals told me that a taxi was only a couple of dollars, so I was like okay I’m taking a taxi. So I got a taxi and his meter was off (first sign of bad news). I asked why and didn’t understand what he said (so tired). He asked me if I wanted a tour of the city (I said no, I am tired, just take me to USP please). He took the long way anyways, and kept asking if I wanted to stop for a picture and I was like no, just take me to USP. Then he started talking about weed and asked me if I smoked and was super creepy. He ended up charging me 15 dollars when it should have only cost me about $5…. I told my advisor later and found that out.

4. Groceries are expensive; thank goodness I brought wheaties (In the store they are 19.99)! I spent $72 on a bag of rice, mountain dew (yes they have mountain dew), 2 big Fiji waters (Yes I got actual Fiji water in Fiji), a box of saltine crackers, 3 seasonings, spaghetti noodles, spaghetti sauce, rolls, peanut butter and some jam. (Fyi, peanut butter cost me about $10).

5. I still need to try this kava tea!

6. I definitely experienced some culture shock—people in Fiji are very friendly (sometimes they are driving and yell bula (hello) and it makes me think of the creepy Latinos back home in Ogden. They are very friendly, good pick-pocketers, and did I mention maybe too friendly sometimes?

7. Lots of Fijian language-all the locals seem to speak both English and Fijian. I think I better learn some Fijian instead of Hindu.

8. I stayed my first night in Fiji alone in a house; my other house person has not shown up. (There are only two of us in a pretty nice house).

9. I have maids, who will clean and stuff, I am not use to that, nor do I want that, it’s weird and makes me feel like some high-class biotch…, which I am not.

10. There is a perfect spot below my deck to hang my hammock.

11. Went to my first rugby game (only 5 dollars) pretty neat, although I did have expectations of Utah football. It could not even compare to it.

12. The ocean is about a five-minute walk… and that makes me happy.

13. I am very upset that McDonalds has made it to Fiji. I have never lived so close to one in my life. It’s about a three-minute walk… yuck.

14. I do not feel comfortable eating meat here… the cows is definitely not happy, they are too skinny!

15. If I do eat meat, it will be chicken.

16. Met the other people from the U.S. here with australearn, that helped make me feel not as homesick, which was good.

17. I wish more people lived in my house, it is too quiet…. To the point that I have walked around naked and stuff. (The first night when I was alone). It needs to change.

18. This homesickness will be with me for a while… I miss everyone so much already and this adventure has just started.

Day 5: THURSDAY: July 22, 2010

1. Last night I drank Kava Tea! It’s interesting. Kind of like a mouth massage. Can’t wait to taste it in the village with dirty water… hopefully I don’t get sick from it.

2. Went to the Fiji markets today… so cool, I wanted to buy everything. (Jewelry, sulu’s, fans, purses, beach mats, dresses, etc.)

3. I need a sulu.

4. Went to McDonalds for the first time in Fiji, got frozen coke. Yes

5. Joined a bank in Fiji today…BSP

6. Got very frustrated today, I need to get to immigration. and I don’t know how too.

7. I love the Fiji buses! Reggae music blasted so loud and open windows, coolest transportation of my life! Me and some of the girls from australearn danced and the Fijian little girls found it hilarious on the bus. I love Fijians!

8. Internet sucks. As always, but I hear there is a café down the street that works pretty well, just cost to use it. (I think it may be worth it though).

9. I withdrew $200 FJD from my America first account today; need to transfer money to my bank here in Fiji.

10. I tasted really yummy Raman noodles… with onions, cilantro, and something else?

11. Rice and crackers could be my main meal here.

12. Cooking rice and corn last night = a disaster. (Cooked way too much rice, and burnt the corn!

13. I do not like papaya. and I wish I did because it sounds cool and reminds me of my puppy kya.

14. I took a cold shower today.. I should really figure out how to turn on the heat for it.. If I have it?

15. Signed up for classes yesterday. I am taking Coral Reef Ecology and Management (I snorkel on a coral reef for this class, how cool is that), Intro to Fijian, Social Economic development in the third world (takes a field trip to another island), and International Tourism. Pretty excited for classes to start, as weird as that is to admit!

16. Bula= Hello---I am speaking Fijian already!

17. Went to my first bar in Fiji tonight-O’reillys… then another one… I forget the name… (Girls night out)

18. I caught a frog yesterday night… they are everywhere during the night

19. I found a baby scorpion in my house yesterday. I meant to kill it, but it got away.

20. Cockroaches=huge, nasty, sons of biotches!

21. Ate at a Chinese restaurant and found several things wrong.

a. Two or three bands were playing at the same time, a little off key.

b. There were no Chinese people working.

c. The food was Fijianized Chinese food. It did not taste that good, it took forever (it was on Fijian time), and it made my stomach hurt.

d. There was some kind of interesting religious speeches randomly throughout the night.

22. Fijians think the simplest things are hilarious. Example: The bus broke down on a hill and they started laughing hysterically. If this were Americans, they would start getting angry for sure. I’m glad people still laugh at the simple things.

Day 12: Wednesday: July 28, 2010

1. Food here is making me quite ill.. it’s not all full of preservatives like it is in the U.S. –its actually real healthy legit food.. bacteria and naturalness J

2. Basically due to either my change of diet or the fiji water that is not nearly as good as utah water I have been sick for a raging five days. (Headaches, Belly aches, Extremely Tired, Cough, etc) It’s no bueno, but nothing too serious.

3. I hope to encounter a bull shark this weekend at the beach.(I need to face my fears).

4. Classes have started, I am worried about my coral reef class, it’s crazy intense, but I think it will be worth it, because we go on field trips. (No school does that in Utah..)

5. I am starting to acquire a taste for cucumbers…

6. I tried my first passionfruit.. very interesting.

7. My application and check for my student visa got lost in the mail, so basically.. I get to pay the school to do my visa. (an extra 200 fjd)…not too mention I got to redo all the paper work.. I hate ISEP ( the program I came through) they were no help at all for this whole ordeal.

8. Did I mention that classes clash.. and you can sign up for them. My coral reef class and international tourism class clash.. on Mondays.. and Wednesdays… They are at the exact same time, but I really want to take both of them and apparently.. that is a usual occurance here, to have class clashes.

9. I ate chocolate cake today.. first time I have had chocolate out here.. it felt like home. In my tummy.. it’s been so twisty and sick lately.

10. I like dream time tea.. it helps me sleep.

11. I am getting very sick of taxi drivers driving slow by me and thinking I want a ride, it’s cause I’m white (and look like a tourist). Someday they will learn.

12. Internet still does not work at my home…My light use to flicker for twenty minutes in my room, now it is dead. Always.. but it’s okay… that’s not really a big deal, just an inconvenience..

13. I appreciate America so much more after being here. Fiji is very nice, Suva is just a bit polluted, I try to get out of the city as much as possible for this reason. It’s such a beautiful island, and I don’t think the locals even realize it sometimes because of all the litter, etc.

14. ants are eating my bananas..

15. I cant cook, not like mamma, reesie, reesie mamma or papa, or like gramma. I try and I try.. and it does not end well. Send me recipes? For yummy food that does not take too long…

16. I am an expert at raman noodles though.. I must say.. I make the best in town..

17. Here’s what it goes down too at the moment… Suva is dirty, ISEP is terrible (apparently I am suppose to have an ISEP coordinator out here at USP and I don’t, that would have made my life so much easier), I am so frustrated at U of U study abroad as well (I did not get a scholarship, and I was so qualified for at least one of some kind), I wish I was home (I am so homesick), oh and I am sick in general with a common cold and stomach issues.

Day 13: Thursday: July 30, 2010

1. Wow starting off a morning by going and hiking at Colo-i-suva forest park is a must do! At least once a week. It is in suva, but it’s not so filthy, it’s beautiful and has two of my favorite things (Nature and Waterfalls).

2. I finally gave in to the mcdonalds that is a 3 minute walk from my house. (I got a Mchicken. I felt like I really needed to get mcdonalds and eat meat because I have basically became a vegetarian out here due to (bones in meat, funky tasting meat, and lack of turkey, ham, or bacon) It has made me a bit ill and not so high on energy.. or maybe I am still suffering from the time change… I don’t know?

3. Mcdonald’s Frozen coke = I may be getting a new addiction?

4. I got “Nature Earth” chips today.. it’s fiji’s form of Doritos. (I need a salsa recipe (ps)

5. A girl threw out the comment that “I just think that you drink and smoke because your so cool, but you don’t really do either”.. It made it sound like most people she hangs out smoke and drink, therefore they are cool? Haha I dunno?

6. It’s raining again. But the rainforest hike in the rain was amazing.

7. My view on fiji has changed a little since this rainforest hike I had this morning… that is for sure.

8. I made chocolate cake with the homies (steph and sarah).. so good, chocolate cake + vanilla frosting + sprinkles = pretty yum, but not as yum as Mrs. Diana Willson’s cakes and Funfetti (Nothing tops my top two caker makers J)!

9. People always want to go out clubbing (as in the American exchange students), it’s getting so old.

10. Some of the Australearn boys got in a fight tonight, It was pretty intense and annoying..

11. Let a gecko into Sarah’s apartment today.. cute little thing, I still need one for my house to eat my ants!

12. Oh yeah, I changed one of my classes because in my third world geography class I was the only American student (which at first I thought was awesome), but then my teacher kept asking me questions about WW2 and the civil war and I did not know the answer so I felt dumb. I don’t like to be pinpointed all the time and the teacher would not stop so I dropped it and got into Biogeography.. study of animals, plants, and human evolution.. I am pretty stoked about it because it has two field trips (1. To a village on Tavuini- which is the garden island of fiji and a ten hour boat ride and 2. Somewhere else kinda close by).. pretty cool ehh.? Well I think so! Then I also still have Coral Reef Ecology and Management, International Tourism, and Integrated Arts. I have class every day of the week, but it’s okay..

13. University of South pacific is a very frustrating school, A lot of us Americans were super stressed today because it was the last day to register for classes and there was long lines and we didn’t know what we were doing.

14. My bedroom light is out yet again, showers are cold, and no internet is working here at my house.. I have been trying to post pictures on facebook, I tried for three hours tonight.. (it gets dark early, so I sometimes sit on the internet when it gets dark) I was able to get five pictures posted.. super lame.

15. I am going to adopt a beach side, not legally, but just because it’s dirty ( like the rest of suva) and that upsets me.

16. I started to boil my water again, Fiji tap water is part of the reason I think I have been getting sick.

17. The taxi driver who took me and one of the australearn kids to colo-i-suva kept telling us stories about girls that got raped there and a Fijian man who ate people.. it was really weird.. I later noticed that the chair covers said “bad girl” all over them… I felt way uncomfortable and me and the australearn kid came up with a plan in case he tried to do something bad to us in the middle of the forest park, luckily nothing bad happened, just a crazy Fijian telling crazy stories…

18. I do not like taxi drivers..

19. I’m ready for a real winter, not this tropical winter… yeah. I need some snow!

20. I am hoping to go deep sea fishing soon with Shannon.. we are determined and our professor knows the number 1 fijian deep sea fisherman (he just got named that) so hopefully that works out!

21. Sometimes at night, I think the fruit bats are eating eachother, they make such loud noises sometimes.

22. I am running out of wheaties… and they are 19.99 at the store.. how can I move on to all non preservative food.. ???

23. Sometimes I wish I could go into hibernation till Utah’s Winter, because I am homesick and my stomach is suffering from culture shock. (Healthy food, dirty water, and chocolate cake and not so good after all?)

Day 17: Tuesday : August 3, 2010

1. This past weekend was a good one, I went to Pacific Harbour and stayed at the T’sulu Hostel (it had a way sweet pool and pool bar and some way yummy food!).

2. I saw part of a sailing competition and hung out at The Pearl Resort (super classy place). So so so nice there, now that resort is what I pictured fiji to be.

3. Did I mention I navigated my way to Pac Harbour by myself because I got ditched yet again? Yeah I did, safely of course. Met a very interesting girl on the bus named Ashley from Navua.

4. My stomach is still trying to adapt to Fiji food, it is getting there slowly, but surely I think.

5. My cough illness got worse over the weekend…probably should not have played in the rain, danced in the rain, and swam in the rain as much as I did… It was just so lovely though.

6. Got home safely (ve naca baca le vu mamma)

7. Went to Monday classes and Tutorial for International Tourism. Met two girls (Lucy and Pudgy) and they are from Vanawatu which is where Bungee Jumping Started. Pretty cool eh? I hung out with them the whole morning after tutorial and before our class. Yeppers.

8. I also met some other locals when I was at Pacific Harbour, they have connections to boats and well, I like boats soooo pretty sure I will be keeping in touch with them.

9. We (Me, Lena, Maranda, Shannon, Megan, Lee, and Greg (roomie) had Sunday Dinner on Monday.. it was Italian night on the floor in a Fijian style. Yeah I am classy like that. Sunday Dinners are the best.. next week.. it’s breakfast for dinner.

10. Tuesday.. as in today…decided to take it easy all morning because I need to get rid of this stupid cold. So I relaxed till class at 2 pm then went to the dead polluted coral reef beach and found sea shells, played on the play ground (which has the best teeter totter ever) and ended up running into people from pacific harbour and hanging out with them the rest of the night.

11. Rest of the night consisted of going to the Suva Yaht club (no boats are currently looking for crews unfortionately), played pool, then ate and went to the chareokee bar to meet up with others. I must say I am pretty dang good at singing (play that funky music) in kareokee style.. seriously..

12. So tired, no voice anymore, and I came home to find my roommate sitting on the porch locked out of the house cause he walked out to let a cockroach go and the door closed and locked with his keys in the house. OOOps. That sucks for him. I felt bad though, I promise.

13. I am officially an illegal immigrant here I think.. I don’t have my passport cause it’s at immigration and honestly.. I have no idea what is going on with it… so.. that is no good.. yep.

14. Good Night

Day 20: Friday: August 6, 2010

1. I touched a gecko, a real life gecko.. and it was gooey and grossed me out a tiny tiny bit. I need one to put in my house still.

2. I went down the the closest beach again (even though it’s dirty) and I found hermit crabs.. lots and lots of hermit crabs.. I wanted to take one home ( I named it pepper) but I did not want it to die.. I don’t know what they eat!

3. Have you ever wondered what a hermit crab looks like without its shell? I have.. and I found out.. enough said.

4. I went to circle time (the meet and greet meeting for the girls dorms).. even though I do not live in the girls dorms.. and it was the best idea I have had yet.. I got to meet people from islands in fiji and close by this country (like tonga, vanawatu, samoa, cook islands, Solomon islands, etc). They are awesome J

5. I got my ears pierced again.. now I have two holes in both my ears… it was a pretty spontaneous decision.. and only cost me $7 US dollars J cheap? I think so.

6. I get to pay $200 FJD more to the school so that I can get my student visa (I blame this on ISEP).. my student visa should not have caused me this much stress, especially since I came with ISEP.

7. Speaking of ISEP, I found out I do have a coordinator.. she just decided to leave town the week I got here and has not showed her face whatsoever! (I thought it was her job to help the ISEP students and she has failed miserably).

8. Tonight I am having a sulu party.. it was a last minute decision.. actually it was not even my decision.. but its cool with me.

9. I have an incredibly terrible cough.. I may cough up a lung tonight.

10. Just when I think I am not sick anymore.. I get sick with the cough of doom.

11. I really hate the pollution from all the cars.. I use to love the smell of gasoline, but now.. now it just makes me feel dirty all the time and cough up my lungs. Yep.

12. I have two field trips coming up this next week and I can’t wait!!! One to the coral reef and another to some island close by J

13. I am going shark diving in two weeks. (So Stoked!)

Day 22: Sunday: August 8, 2010

1. I went out on a yaht fishing today and we caught nothing. We almost caught something, but the fish got away.

2. I went to mosquito island and I got bit.

3. I saw the bluest water I have ever seen in Fiji, this is when me, Shannon, and Megan continueously started quoted Finding Nemo. (What a good day out on the deep blue sea).

4. I showered in a hot shower, 2nd time here.. felt soo sooo good.

5. My stomach is adjusting to food, for the most part and I am sick with the lovely whooping cough. The whooping cough is whooping my ass! I have got little sleep the past couple nights due to coughing my lungs up.

6. I have been getting medicine from the group of locals we met. When I say locals I have met, one is austrailian, one is American/Fijian, one is samoan, one is Chinese, but Fijian.. yeah.. but they have lived in fiji for most there life or all of it, just interesting combo’s.

7. I got the sniffles today as well.

8. I ate a legit meal made by austrailians today.. on the barbe eh.

9. I have a presentation tomorrow.. oh geez… which is actually today, cause I have not been able to sleep at all tonight.

10. Yesterday I went to a place called pure fiji… it’s a little piece of heaven in fiji with delightful essences.

11. When I was out on the yaht today we saved a boat that ran out of gas and had about 10 little kids on it.. we were there heroes. Pretty cool eh.

12. I am starting to speak like a local.. bula bula va naka, chulow, put that in the rubbish bin please, van aka baca le vu, and much much more.. I speak like a lot of random English, Spanish, French, and Fijian here because it makes me feel like I am multi-langual and intelligent.. Everyone seems to know two languages and I know bits and pieces of four languages.. yeah.. oh yeah.

13. I hate the dragon bar, had a pretty sketchy/scary encounter there.

14. I had a sulu party at mi casa.. I didn’t know about it till somebody told me about it the day of, but it was cool.. It made me come to the conclusion that if people come to my house for a shindig.. they will have to dress up like something cool. There will be a theme.

15. I love Sunday dinners, so far, we have had a vegi and rice night, Italian night, and tomorrow (Monday is the new Sunday), we are having breakfast for dinner.

16. I ate a bite of a fish here.. that’s all thus far though. It was okay.

17. I hope to get better and not be sick anymore here in Fiji. Swimming is definitely not helping my whooping cough situation, but I love water and this mermaid needs here agua.

18. I am avoiding tap water to the max, been told by locals that it is a bad idea, so yeah… tap water is going to be avoided unless boiled.

19. Somehow the people I have met are what they like to say, rich wealthy and have connections out here. They are nice and all, but I have never heard someone talk about themselves so much in my entire life.

20. The bats are so loud at night, I wish I had a stun gun or something cause I cant sleep.

Day 24: Tuesday August 10, 2010

1. Breakfast Sunday dinner was sooo soo good, it was the most food I have ate for a meal here in Fiji guaranteed cause it was soo delicious.

2. I went boating again today and skipped class, it was sooo worth it. I went tubing and when I fell off all that I could think about was sharks. Then I tried to scurf? I think that is what it was called, (surfboard behind a boat, but you use it far back and carve. It is so hard, I could barely balance on it.

3. I got no sleep Sunday night to Monday night for various reasons, like being sick, etc. I finally fell asleep at 7 am just to wake up at 8 am to get my presentation ready.

4. I have sooo much homework to do right now, it is insane.

5. I can’t remember everything I was going to write, but I will figure it out soon.

Day 28: Saturday August 14, 2010

1. The guy that me and the girls went boating with (He owns the boat) on Sunday and Tuesday is such a creeper!! I will not be left alone ever with him. He knows that myself and one of the other girls have a boyfriend but he continues to be a creeper! I wanna punch him

2. I caught up on some homework Wednesday night.. it’s about time, I got to stop forgetting that I am in school.

3. Thursday = field trip to Makaluva island! Soooo much fun. I touched an eel, sea star, sea cucumber (2 kinds), snail, fish, clam, sea urchin, and some other cool stuff. We took one of the sea cucumbers back to the school for the aquarium.

4. After we finished the lab (my group finished early). I roamed the island with a lady from Samoa and she was eating everything we were finding on the sea shore. I ate some sea grapes with her, but I could not even try the clam, sea urchin, or sea snails. That was too much for me, but it was interesting to watch her eat the live creatures. Yeah. got some sweet pictures too.

5. Makaluva is my favorite island thus far, its very small lots of beach, coral reef, and cool watering holes and the ocean is sooo blue over there. Love it!

6. On Yesterday, we went to another island! Nasoata Mangrove Island! Also very cool. It was another field trip for another class.. we took a hour bus ride, then got on small boats, and went to the island. I got soaked the boat ride there! That’s why the locals in the boat were like oh yeah come on our boat, so I would get soaked in the front! Its all good though, I met a lot of very cool people on the field trip! Touched a freshwater eel .. it was huge.. made a peace sign out of leaves for the peace movement with a girl I met (Amelia), she was in my lab group and I walked to another island, yes I walked to an island (I think). The tide was low, so we could walk over to another small island. Jealous? I thought so.

7. I am a bit homesick, I think it is constant cause I miss reesy-roo. Gotta make the best of this while I have the chance though. I feel like a caterpillar or something.

8. Today, I am going to a village. Should be exciting, I hope that I do not get sick though! Bringing 3 liters of water and 2 pb & j’s.

9. My internet is not working… still .. it worked for ten minutes. Once!

10. I am pretty good at cooking eggs lately.. I have been making egg, onion, capsicum (green peppers), cheese and chile pepper omelets a lot, grilled cheese, and French toast… told you I would learn how to cook out here.. I really need some easy recipes though (people who are reading, send me some like how make salsa, mashed potatoes, and chicken (what seasonings are good too).

11. So chile’s are really hot.. when I chop them up.. I get their pollin/juice stuff on my hands, so I wash them.. and touch my eyes.. and my eyes burn.. how do I get hot pepper juice off my hands.. washing with soap is not good enough and I’m sick of my eyes burning on fire when I put my contacts in!!! help!

Day 30: Monday August 16, 2010

1. Got back from the village yesterday, it was awesome.

2. Met the cutest girls there, in fact all the kids were adorable. They all walked barefoot around, so I joined in on that too.

3. I gave 3 or 4 of my bracelets to three of the little girls, if I go back, I told them I will bring them chocolate, even though it’s a bit pricey here, they are worth it, they have so little yet seem to be so happy! One of the ladies mentioned that when we came (visitors in general) the kids go crazy, they love it, and want some more of it! Wish they lived closer, I would go play soccer, ride that pony, and duck duck goose with them all the time!

4. Played in the river there with the kids too!

5. Drank soo much Kava.. the just keep going and going and passing you kava bowl after kava bowl. Luckily, I did not get sick from there water that was in the kava.

6. I was about to fall asleep when me and another girl (laura/ginger) decided to go watch the stars… we ended up getting on the roof with one of the members of the family that lived above where we were staying and we layed on the roof and watched the stars.. I saw three shooting stars…. It was unbelieveable how many stars you could see in the village. It was legit a village, not a touristy one like in Nadi. It was hidden away on a dirt road past nausori.

7. The truck ish we drove in.. reminded me of some kind of illegal way to sneak immigrants into the US.

8. I think I ate intestines, by accident.. I did not know they were intestines… I did the best I could to eat the food in the village.

9. I went to church in the village on Sunday, (all of us did, it was the polite thing to do). I have had the worst head cold and had to blow my nose to bad, but could not, cause 1. I did not have a tissue and 2. It would be rude to get up and walk out of the church.. so I didn’t do it and stuck it out.. then I took a nap after, I felt miserable.

10. So we leave the village.. after a million gazillion goodbyes.. start driving.. after about 8 minutes I was like oh crap.. my keys to my house, pretty sure I left them at the village, so I searched frantically.. and we turned around since we were still pretty close (I live 2 hours away from there and its not very easy for me to get back there unless I pay a taxi a million dollars) and we turned around. I felt sooo bad.. but I really needed my keys, I cant afford to replace them! I found them in the couch cussion .. luckily! The reason I took them out of my bag was because they were at the bottom and I wanted to put them at the top so it would not be a hassle later! Oh geez. Anyways.. then we got to try and do a faster version of goodbyes after that. I no likey goodbyes.

11. I probably will go back to the village before I leave fiji. I got to bring ma girls some chocolate’.

12. I have to go grocery shopping.. this is going to be a massive bill.

13. Have a huge paper due this week.. and I am in charge of Sunday dinner.. which will be tonight.. on Monday yet again.. ( our Sunday plans seem to keep slipping cause we get home later than six o clock)!

Day 32: August 18, 2010

1. Sunday dinner on monday was Mexican food and me and Miranda did a great job! I make really yummy salsa.. (my secret recipe). Oh yeah.

2. Had a big laundry day! Brought way to many shirts… normally I layer, but here, its too hot, so I don’t.. I just have too many clothes.

3. I emailed the housing guy and said how frustrated I am because this housing is costing soo much and internet, a safe, and other things were supposed to be here and functioning when I got here, but its been a month.. and I paid for a month of having those things and they are not here, that’s not right. Sure it will be nice for the future ISEP students, but we just get to pay extra even though we don’t have those things… blah.. whatever.

4. I emailed my ISEP coordinator because of my student visa nightmare, housing problems, etc.. she should have been here… and I did not know she existed till a week ago and she wasn’t. She was not very helpful at all.. did not even reply to my email.. she just forwarded it to the advisor here who got mad and said it was not her job either. (which I knew, but I thought my ISEP coordinator should know whats going on with the ISEP students, I thought it made sense??)

5. Oh … apparently… immigration supposedly got all my visa information, but did not bother to contact me… so I ended up paying the school $200 at academic services because of immigration not getting my papers.. It’s sooo frustrating.

6. I got my passport back though.. at least that nightmare is over with and I’m not an illegal immigrant anymore.

7. Started my ten page paper, the past two nights I was up till about one am working on it.. its taking me forever…ahhhhk. The teacher extended the deadline, but I still need to get it done by Friday!

8. Google earth.. is soooo coool.

9. I’m going shark diving in two days.. totally freaking out.. I had a dream about me and shark diving and it was scary.. because at home.. I normally will tease the doggies.. byorn and kya.. but they don’t have razor sharp teeth.. and in my dream.. I was teasing the sharks.. even though I knew it was a bad idea… I so scared.. but excited.. and ready to face my fears.

10. On Monday I leave for Taveuni (the garden island of Fiji)! It’s for a field trip.. and we will be there Monday till Friday.. the boat ride is super long though.. were looking at a twelve hour boatride and a field trip with over 100 students.. crazy.. I think soo. But sooooooo awesome!!

11. Taveuni is also the island with the most shark attacks, I looked that up before I left.

12. I am going to beachcomber for a field trip too.. I don’t know how I did it, because my actual tourism class is not going.. it’s another one that is very similar to my entrepreneurial recreation class I took last semester.. but I want to go on a field trip.. and not have to pay that much.. (I get a group discount). So I went to talk to the professor for that class and asked her if there was any chance I could go because I am a tourism major and because I would have taken her class, but I already took it with Kelly Bricker (she knows my professor cause my professor owns a business out here)… she said to keep it on the down low to the other international students and added me to the list! ( I just need to pay the group fee which is about 150.. ish for the boat ride, 2 nights a beachcomber island, and food)… that is a really good deal considering the boat ride is normally 150 round trip.. and a one night stay at beachcomber is 119 … in the backpackers resort too!

13. I have been watching a lot of south park lately.. like every night before bed.. just saying.

14. Walking around in the dark is always sooo freaky.. mostly because your walking and then suddenly.. 2 frogs will start jumping away from you.

15. The bats… they need to fly away.. they are sooo annoying. Wake me up every day…. Like today.

16. I’m missing a field trip in my coral reef class when I go to taveuni.. and that is a huge bummer, but taveuni, will be sooo cool.

17. I’m out of salsa.. and onion. Crap.. I don’t want to go shopping again.

18. I miss frozen pizza. It’s so easy to cook and so yummy.

19. I don’t understand kilo’s and their other measurements here

20. I have a very bad addiction to oreos dipped in vanilla frosting.. its insane.

21. I want to try milo… its an austrailian malt drink.

Day 36: August 22, 2010

1. Went to Day 1 of hibiscus festival.. it was.. just like any old festival.. just different people and sketchy ferris wheels.. of all sizes (they were so fun though)..

2. Got me some cotton candy and snow cone too… at hibiscus.. its not as good as home to me.

3. Watched some of the pageant.. oh geez. It was.. well.. I had better expectations I suppose. Watched a girl sing on tv.. and the song never ended.. she was pretty, but her voice.. not so much.. it was like american idol in fiji almost.

4. I went shark diving with aqua-trek! It was amazing.. saw at least 7 different types of sharks.. including a massive 12 foot bull shark.. almost touched one, but then I missed my chance and got nervous.

5. I got sea sick.. first time in my life.. pretty positive it was because I freaked out when the current took me up from 9 meters ( roughly 27 feet) underwater to the very top.. which is bad… very bad because we need to stop at 5 meters for five minutes so that we don’t end up getting decompression sickness.. so yeah.. I freaked out a bit and got sea sick.. I ended up being fine after jumping in for the second dive though.

6. Second dive was even better! I went into the feeding area with one of the guides (that’s lucky fyi)… and I was surrounded by thousands of fish of all sizes.. pretty intense! Hopefully, that is on camera.

7. I love shark diving.. diving in the ocean at that.. its amazing. Im addicted.. I need to live in the ocean and be a mermaid forever!

8. After the lovely shark dive.. I decided I did not want to go back to suva.. so I went towards the coral coast by bus.. and ended up at mango bay.

9. It was a resort that was about a mile back on dirt road.. I had to walk that because I did not call or have a way to call, no big deal though.. it was very pretty.. once I got back there.. it seemed like quite the nice little getaway..

10. It was a very quiet night for me at mango bay since I went alone, but sometimes its nice to go out on your own I suppose..

11. I thought it would be a nice view up to the side of the resort.. so I hiked up.. and out.. and got stuck in a whole massive group of plants.. tall plants.. pokey plants, massive plants.. I thought it would end, but it never did.. I was only wearing a short dress/long shirt and flip flops.. and when I got out.. I was hella scratched up.. bad.. everywhere on my legs and feet. Soooo painful.. the view was still pretty, but man did I sting with lots of battle wounds from the plants.

12. Went to sleep early.. after hanging out with some villagers and a couple from Romania.

13. Next day.. I went snorkeling. And I saw a white tip shark.. and stingray….it was awesome. Luckily there was a couple out there from Isreal who helped me find a shark.. and it was also good when I got a massive charly horse in my leg too. haha

14. Left mango bay and headed home.. time to get ready for taveuni.

Day 44: August 30, 2010

1. Went to Taveuni for my field trip.. it was a long boat ride, full of.. weird sleeping spots, shanai twain concert played over and over.. and my best friends wedding played over and over.

2. Another description of the boat ride.. it was almost a cruise (16 hours long) but without the delicious food buffet.. (delicious food at that), without the comfy beds, without the nice clean smell (it smelled like urin), without the dance club, without the bar, without the swimming pool or hot tub, and without clean bathrooms.. and toilet paper… but hey it got us to taveuni.. so its all good.. haha. Just saying.. how it was not like a cruise ship except for the fact that it sailed the ocean blue.

3. Stayed in one of the four villages in somosomo village area in Taveuni.. My adopted mom there was sule and dad was Abraham, and there adopted kid joe. Myself, Charlene, and wendi from my biogeography class stayed there for our field trip stay (2 nights, 3 days).

4. Drank kava.. so much kava, both nights I was there.. one of the village guys came to my house and said the women of the village want you to drink kava.. and it would have been very rude and offensive if I said no, so I was like alright.. I’ll come for a little bit.. I had him translate all the Fijian that night. I also had a hard time leaving because the chief would come and your not suppose to leave if he is there.. I have never tried so hard to not offend people.. Americans don’t get offended like Fijians…different cultures.

5. Two of the woman.. (sarah and pawel) made me a sulu gamba ( a decorative fashionable sulu that people wear to dress up in fiji).. I wore it that night to be polite).. its really not my style so much though, but it was very sweet for the them to make it and give it to me. I had not covered myself with that much clothing since winter time.

6. Went to Lavena village and did the coastal walk… barefoot. It was far too. Not sure how far.. but a good 2 and a half hour walk there.. it hurt sooo bad.. but I wanted to prove I had Fiji feet and I did.

7. We ended up at a beautiful waterfall and natural waterslide! I jumped off the tallest waterfall there (about 18 meters) roughly.. it was a bit scary to climb up it, if you fell on the second half of climbing.. you were dead.. so I only did it once to satisfy my waterfall needs. It was awesome. Major wedgie though..

8. Did I mention I was the first girl to jump off the waterfall. Only 5 girls did.. yeah.. I felt like a bad ass…

9. We all went to the international date line.. the miridian line I think its called.. so I was at today and yesterday.. at the same time.. that’s almost as cool as four corners.. almost J

10. Everyone left on Thursday to head home to suva.. but me, cindy, greg, brett, and pawl decided to stay behind and travel a bit.. we ended up at qamea island at this amazing resort ( I forget what its called).

11. We stayed right on the beach there for three nights four days.. it was beautiful.. we took a trip to nanuka island (got sooooo sunburnt.. and I got lip blisters, sexy right)?. We went snorkeling, swam around, make clothes out of nature, you know.. the usual.. then we stopped at the 7-star resort island on the way home (there is only two in the world.. and one is right here in fiji…. We wanted to go on it, just to say we had been on another island.. so me and Cindy walked up and I told security I was looking for my uncle sam.. they didn’t buy it.. then I was like can I just step up on the dirt (we were on the boat ramp) he said no.. but I can touch the rock.. so I did that and then we left.. as we were driving past more of the bures at the resort.. I jumped out of the boat while it was moving.. and pretended I fell. Then yelled “I’m swimming at a 7-star resort baby and I don’t have a million dollars sheahhh!” I felt pretty cool. Haha. We later went to the other side of the island and really touched the island and stuff. Sooo sweet stuff. Ehhh.

12. I love the swing at Qamea island. Oh yessssss. Its amazing..

13. I went surfing… attempted with some of the Auzzies we met there.. my adopted uncle Bill, uncle Ross, and adopted older brothers Marty and Tom.. I spent some of my time napping in the boat with the anchor down on the reef then uncle Ross let me use his surf board to go out to the others.. so I did.. I thought it would be cool to catch one wave. So I tried.. then I tried to dodge a wave and duck into it.. (probably about 5-7 feet tall).. it did not work.. the wave made me go under flipped the board around and I held on for dear life.. I thought I was done for.. it was soooo strong. Then I opened my eyes realized I was breathing and riding a wave.. I was soo confused.. I hit the reef a little but somehow still ended up being on the board.. I got very worried once it slowed down cause I could not see any of the others.. I thought I was lost.. then big brother tom came.. and I finally was able to see the others.. I was about 200 meters away from them.. I rode sooooo far.. scared the living daylights out of me……but more soo. Out of my adopted uncles and brothers.. they could not believe that I came out with almost no scratches!! I suppose I was extremely lucky..

14. I think that the uncles and older brothers tell the story soooo much better than i… but that is my version..

15. Later I was using a boogie board.. and I went out on a wave and everyone started freaking cause they were pretty sure they saw a shark.. L scary right.. it was a mana-ray I think.. but still freaky deaky.. I kinda froze.

16. I have never felt such a strong current before in my life in the ocean.. its been the strongest ever over by Qamea, nanuku, and taveuni.. its pretty intense.

17. We did the jungle trek.. thought it would be nice and simple, nooo. It was legit jungle trek.. swinging on vines and everything.. saw some way cool birds too.

18. It was sooo sad to leave Qamea island yesterday morning.. the adopted uncles and older brothers were sooo interesting.. and nice.. but not creepy at all.. (that’s a rare find).. there’s a lot of creepo’s here.

19. So we all headed back to the ferry.. and indulged in several super exciting weird movies about relationships and high school.. then we sat there and watched the Dolly Parton concert twice.. when this was playing.. we were trying to sleep.. and I rolled off the chair onto Cindy and tom cause I wanted the floor.. more room than the chair and hit my head sooooo hard. It made me sick I hit it so hard, but I lived through that too. I blame dolly parton and the terrible concert we were forced to listen too. Ahhh yes.

20. I hate goodbyes… its amazing how much you can click with people in a short time and then you have to say goodbye. Possibly forever. The memories are what count though ehh. Make good for stories.

21. Back to school. Blehhh no me gusta..

22. I am soooo hungry.. good thing its Sunday dinner.. even though its Monday.

Day 47: September 2, 2010

1. Oh dear lord… I have been so sick this past week. Ever since I bonked my head on the boat.. then I got a sore throat.. or a razor blade in my throat.. it has gotten better ish though.

2. I have been watching a lot of chick flicks before bed and stuff. It gets me all giddy.. then homesick cause I want my chick flick in real life.. which I have .. its just soooo far away L (yes that is a sad face).

3. I keep trying to cook me some milo (austrailian hot cocoa basically).. and I keep forgetting about it.. therefore I boil hot water.. and it boils.. and boils.. and boils.. then just fries with no water.. and fries and fries.. then I start to smell something burning.. and gooo ohhhhh shittttt.. (parden my language) but that is my reaction.. how can I forget I am cooking milo soo much.. this is the second time in a row. Gahhh.

4. I’m going to try cooking milo again after I write this.

5. I have finished my record of study .. a week early.. for international tourism.. I win J

6. I’m still soo mad about my milo. I want it and I want it now.

7. I watched the blindside.. and it made me cry when I saw football .. I love football. I miss football.. and I wish I was able to watch my utah football team make it all the way again!!!

8. I LOVE FOOTBALL! GO UTES!

9. Next up.. im going to watch sex and the city 2 tonight..

10. Basically.. I could go clubbing with some of the other americans.. or watch movies.. I choose watch movies.. like sex and the city 2… better choice.. I think soo.

11. You all better be watching my movies I posted.. I worked soo hard on them. Hahahaha. I think they are hilarious.. but then again. When I spoke to reese I said how funny I thought they were.. and clearly.. I just think I am soo funny and I laugh the hardest out of anyone.. I think. Ahhahaha.

12. Alright. Milo.. here I come.. and im not forgetting about you this time..

13. MILO MILO MILO MILO MILO.. how I love me some milo. (it’s the new cheesy potatoes!).. substitute cheese potatoes.. I still love me cheese potatoes too

Day 48: September 3, 2010

1. I have three blisters on my left foot. Ouch.

2. I made a yummy quesidilla tonight..

3. It’s one of the girls birthday tonight so we are all going out.. the theme is Disney.. so I am being arial’s sister brigitta.. yes… a mermaid. My costume. Was thee coolest. Ish.

4. I ate the nastiest hot dog after clubbing.. my friend said it was amazing.. but she was drunk. And I was not.. so I think that’s where the line of deliciously amazing. Differs.

5. I watched someone pee on my lawn today.. it was nasty..

6. I am frustrated with fijians who litter.. I had a bottle to throw away and I said where is a garbage. Then a guy takes the bottle and throws it under a car.. I got soooo pissed. I looked at him and said.. you cant do that… you assss hole. And went under the car to pick up the bottle and throw it away in a proper garbage can…..It’s not okay to litter!!!

7. Pretty sure my ear is getting infected.. my ear piercing that is… may get my nose pierced soon.. just because… I can… and its cheap. So cheap here… we will see I suppose.

8. I have spent so much money already.. it’s so weird to not have a job out here.

9. I have realized that I am a workaholic.. back home.

10. I am not a city person, but I already knew that…

11. I am sooo sick of people asking me if I am a tourist.. today I had some random guy say..where you going? Can I walk with you? And I was like I would rather you don’t.. thanks… alright bye.

12. I got in a fight with a man selling me a pineapple..

He was selling a bundle of four for $7.. I say can I just get one.. he says yes.. so I say how much.. he says $2.. then I give him a $5 and he gives me $2 back.. I say you owe me one more dollar and he says no.. I do not I said $3.. so I sat there and argued for about fifteen minutes trying to get either my money all b ack or just the dollar back.. eventually it worked.. it was retarded. But I needed that dollar.. to get home.. sooo yeah.. story of my life and annoying people here thinking I am a tourist and trying to rip me off.. creep on me.. and blah blah.

Day 50: September 5, 2010

1. Well Saturday, I went to a cultural night. Not sure how I ended up there, I was just walking up the street and thought wow, this looks interesting. So I went to cultural night.

2. Culture night was full of dancing from all the pacific islands and it went from 6 pm till 12 am.. I sat on concrete watching people dance and not dancing myself for 6 hours.. pretty intense!!

3. I think americans need an island dance.. I’m thinking the makarana. Yeah.

4. I went to pure fiji to buy stuff.. and there prices went up. I was soo mad. Ahhhh.

5. I cooked a cake on Sunday, because it was fathers day. Happy belated fathers day dad? Ahha sorry I ate all the cake.

6. I cooked my first decent meal thus far, mashed potatoes and gravy.

7. I am trying to figure out what to do during study break.. I’m thinking Yasawas after my field trip to beachcomber this weekend. Yep.

8. I’m going to swim with the sea turtles and manarays next week? What are you doing? Hahaha

9. I can’t believe it’s been 50 days since I have been here. 100 more days of adventure left.

10. I need to buy my plane ticket to new Zealand before I run out of money. That would be awful to run out of money before I buy my birthday present for myself.. (my birthday present is new Zealand and bungee jumping in queenstown!!)