FIJIAN JAMES BOND....~

So there is a man in my Village named Elia... He is a man that occupies the house directly behind mine is is roughly around the age of 65. Apparently Elia when he was a young man and living in the big city of Suva on the Main Island of Viti Levu, he was quite the rebel.. In the 1970's he had kicked over a garbage can in the city and a photographer had taken the picture and he was then put on the front page of the FIJI Times with the Title "FIJIAN JAMES BOND"!! So i am constantly giving him crap about being the Fijian James Bond.. :) To which he always replies that that was back in his younger and wild days... I don't have a picture of Elia yet but i will try to post one of him in the future... He is one of the guys who i am probably closest with in the Village.. Almost every night while i am in bed the village is pretty much dead silent and i can here Elia from his house letting out massive amounts of gas from his Sphincter(Sp?.)!!! So one night i decided to join him in this fun action!!! Well from there it kinda turned into a farting contest with plenty of giggling!!! So now when we want to communicate non-verbal at night all we do is let our anus's do the talking! lol If i had to make a top ten list of things i thought i would never be doing in my life i'm pretty sure that would rank right up there!!!!
We just had our Early Service conference a few days ago and now i have been in Suva for the past few days getting Quotations for a grant that our village is applying for so i can get them handed into the Ministry of tourism.... I head back to Taveuni tomorrow... I will probably be there for quite sometime as well as through Christmas and new years.... Should be an interesting time...... And lets cross our fingers for the Buckeyes....~~~!!!!
Moce...........

ISA ISA........... Fiji

ok.. soooo.. Its been quite awhile since i have written last hasn't it.... Lets see if i can remember what all i have done in the last month.. Peace Corps washington sent out a Lady(Lynn)(This lady rocked... Cool as hell) to check on the Peace Corps Fiji program to see if Fiji needs more volunteers and in what sectors.....One of her Visits was to my site as well as my friend Nicks sites here on Taveuni.... we took her around to all of our Projects and showed her a fantastic time i hope.. I have a hard time believing that there is anywhere else in the world where the water is this Blue!!!! Not only that but one would never think how many different shades of Aqua and blue that could exist. I'm getting to know a lot of the fish by site now and some even by thier Fijian names.... I really am fearfull though at the amount of fishing/overfishing that occurs here in Fiji... Our Oceans are being devasted at a rate that even is amazing me.... I'm witnessing this first hand and i will be the first to admit that i do eat fish here when it is given to me... Its a real issue out here and i imagine now after seeing all this , the whole world as well..... Makes me sad.... But on a brighter note.. work is starting to pick up... I'm hoping to do some Customer Service and business training within my village as well as other villages too...There is a real lack of knowledge when it comes to running a bussiness properly here and i want to make sure i take care of that before i do my time here... I am also hoping to do some guide trainings as well with the marine Park Guides... I'm working on Securing a Grant for a new water System in my Village as well as starting to initiate a whole New venture for the Village. This new venture involves building 3 new Traditional Fijian bures next to the beach for Accommodations for the Tourists... My village is different in the fact that it is very remote and bush and would provide tourists with an opportunity that is truly hard to find here in Fiji, an authentic Village experience... and not only that but my Village is one of the most beautiful villages in all of Fiji.... So this all involves a lot of Planning, trainings , and monitoring so things will def be picking up in the near future....My Dog is doing good and it seems as if i have adopted a new dog as well.. her name is Zero... She is a good dog and is Tukai's sister... she was wasting away and i just couldn't stand to watch anymore.. I am getting scared i might have about 7 or 8 dogs before i leave! lolWe just had our early Service conference a couple days ago and come back to the main island again in3 weeks for In service training as well as Thanksgiving.....I've been snorkeling a few more times and everytime i go others see a shark but i have yet to see one.... I did get to see some more dolphins when i was out in the boat again a couple weeks ago.... I've also jumped off a couple more waterfalls as well... the water here is soooo refreshing and pure here .. at least on taveuni in ther remote parts it is..... Half of the Island is Virgin rainforest and is still in its original state as it was 1000's of years ago.. For a whole ecosystem like this to still be intact here on Fiji is amazing because so much of the Original environment has been destroyed.... So its nice to know it is here and protected... at least for the time being....Bure life is still the same... No electric.. Bugs.. Kids everywhere screaming at 6 in the morning and 6 at night.... and misc rat heads left on the counter as an offering to me from my oh so kind cat Yali.... She is sweet enough to offer yet i haven't quite figured out yet how to explain to her that it is not necesary.
3 more books have been read....
And go Buckeyes!!!!

Books, books and more Books....

So since i have come to my site, 1 and a half months, i have managed to read 9 Books... Mind you that most of these books are not small either.. they are as follows.... :

The Naturalist- by edward o. wilson

The 7 spiritual laws of success- by Deepak Chopra

Homelands"Kayaking the Inside Passage"- by Byron Ricks

The Longest Memory- by Fred D'Aguiar

Skinny Legs And All- by Tom Robbins

The Supreme Court "The Personalities and Rivalries That Defined America" - by Jefferey Rossen

The Prophet- by Kahlil Gibran

Sex Lives with Canibals- by J Marten Troost

Getting Stones With Savages- by J Marten Troost

I think i have doubled my entire book reading of a lifetime in only 1 month and a half!!!!!

Went fishing last week.. not an kind of fishing like anyone else might think either... Went fishing using snorkeling gear at night and with an underwater flashlight and Makeshift Spear gun. It was maybe 10 o'clock at night when we first entered the water.. The rain was pouring down and i took my first steps into the water and assumed the snorkeling position... We basically walk sometimes then float sometimes but the entire time little Bio-Luminescent Phytoplankton are lighting up in the water so as to make it look like 100's of little stars are twinkling in the water.. We swim/walk along till we find a fish laying half asleep then shine the light fully on him/her and shot the spear at him/her. We then empty the fish into a container that we drag behind us that floats on the water.... Its a pretty amazing experience the first time you try it, although I'm sure it has become a little mundane for the villagers to do it as it is for sustenance. So after we were finished i took one fish, a "Timor Snapper", and set it in water to wait to be cooked until the next day, which i did in the same fashion that me and my Dad used to do it.
1. Fillet fish
2. Pulverize "Ritz" Crackers into a fine dust...
3. Roll the Fillets in the Cracker dust.
4. lightly oil a pan
5. fry fillets until lightly crisp on the outside.
6. EAT!!
It was delicious.....
I'm sure i will be doing it more often as well.......
and to those of you who are or have sent a package i thank you so much.. It means a lot , it really does...... every little bit helps here.....
I will do my best to keep in touch on what limited Internet time i have! Just know that if you write that i do see it and appreciate. It just might take me some time to get back.
Vina'a Va'a Levu
Moce
p.s. Is it TRUE?? tHE WOLVERINES SUCK THAT BAD THIS YEAR??? LOL

OK OK.. WHOEVER STOLE THE MOON, PLEASE BRING IT BACK.. WE KINDA NEED IT.....~

So imagine you walk outside onto the front step of your traditional Fijian Bure looking forward to consuming a fresh breath of a cool Tropical breeze and Enjoy the Full moon that you had been taking photos previously that night ,when suddenly you realize your precious White marshmallow was being all consumed by the very planet that you currently stood on..!!! At first i was confused and though maybe a stray cloud had covered up the Moon until i looked in the sky and there were fewer clouds in the sky than teeth in the mouth of an English Bride. In about 30 minutes the earth had finished up gobbling what remained of the moon but instead of it dissapearing completely only to be thrown up later, the Moon turned an eary, yet beautiful shade of Blood- Orange.. It remained in this state for another Hour and a half where i decided to retire to my back for a bit on my front step and look through my binoculars at this Halloween production i was witnessing. It was impressive and amazing, if anything for its abrupt appearance that caught me unaware. I had never seen a Full Lunar eclipse before in my life and probably never will see one again quite like this one. Laying on my back, listening to the Waves break on the reef, watching the Flying Foxes swoop past the Moon , staring up at this beautiful Blood- Orange, dim lit, lightbulb, i had forgoten about the 50 misquito's making a buffet out of my viens of my legs.. Who cared.. This was sublime... It was then , thinking that the sublime couldn't become any more enjoyable that the little blaze of a rocket flew past the moon as if to salute it on its fantastic show much like an f-18 would do a fly by at the superbowl. I had seen falling stars before, even more prolific in size and brightness, but it was this one that i will never forget.... Such is the life in the South Pacific..

It is nights like that that make up for the days that leave you depressed , feeling down , and wondering why in the hell you decided to Join Peace Corps..It is the little things... The little things are what make it all worthwile.. Sometimes putting a smile on a kids face or making someone laugh at or with you is larger than any great "accomplishment". In Fact it is the little things that ARE the great "accomplishments". The sum of the whole is often overlooked and was even by me until that night. I am happy the moon showed back up though.. I was getting scared for a bit. :)

So on a side note.. How many creatures live in your house???

Lets count mine.....

1. Cockroaches

2. Spiders(sometimes as big as your fist)

3. Rats

4. Ants(3 different species so far from what i can tell)

5. My dog

6. My cat

7. My dog and my cats Fleas..

8. a multitude of misquito's(About 6 at night is tea time for them)

9.Moths, wasps, many other flying insects...

10. Gheckos!!!( they eat my bugs) :)

11. Land crabs

12. and other miscelaneous creatures..



The fun part is you never know which fun creature you will get to run into on what night.. :)



oh.. and i forgot the mildew.. Mildew forms on everything.. So i try to sun my clothes and everything else i have as much as possible.. keeping things dry here can be a task...

Paradise is swell....

So hopefully my new tooth will be flown or shipped in from Hong Kong here in the next 2 weeks so i don't have to keep this hideous temporary tooth in my mouth any longer...

Its not the purtiest thing you ever saw let me tell you...

Other than that things are good here.. I miss the States, my friends and family, the redwoods, the coast, the mountains, all tremendously, so if you could all just quit what you are doing for 2 more years that would be great. i don't wanna miss out on anything.. I truly do feel like i am living on the moon sometimes here in FIJI.......

almost forgot....~

I left some things off my wish list.... Sorry to seem so greedy but if you were here you'd understand ! lol
I just realized that i have been breathing in toxic fumes everynight in the form of my kerosene lantern when i read. So if anyone has the kind enough heart to send a coleman type led lantern(full size) i would love you forever.. (helps me ruduce my carbon footprint too!)
Something similar to this would work fine.... anything as long as it doesn't send toxic fumes up my nose... :)
http://www.summitcampinggear.com/coledsela.html
that is just one site.. i'm sure there are many other sites to find it on....

and also, q-tips would be great too!(ear wax builds up here so quick.. no joking either.. its a problem!)
and any kahki shorts , about knee length with cargo pockets are always good too(size 34)

and a private jet, and... j/k

This week has been pretty good.. Got a few things done around the bure.. starting to beautify it on the outside now with some landscaping.....
Attended a Tourism Board meeting Yesterday with most of the Hotel and Resort managers to organize a national tourism Day for the island of taveuni... Met some great and very generous resort owners.. Its a pretty tight community around the island.....
So as part of the national Tourism day here on Taveuini, we plan on making a Brand New 180th meridian sign and having ceremony for the new sign as well as a Meke competition (Native Fijian Dance) for the tourists.. FIJI ONE should be there as well to broadcast the event. They aare the only tv station in Fiji.....
Hope as is well with everyone back home!!!!

TOOTH PROBLEMS....

So i had to come back into Suva today from Taveuni because my front tooth broke off a couple days ago while eating some food...~! lol Whats up with that.....! I had been at my site about a week and a half and was just starting to get settled in and then this happens.. Oh well.. Off to the dentist today to get it fixed..... I'm really starting to not like the 20 hour boat ride though.. Always feels like i am wobbly for about 5 hours after i have been off the damn thing.. I now have a little Puppy named "Tukai"(Too-KYE) who pretty much rocks other than he likes to chew on everthing that i own and i mean everything including my head and arms..! I also have a cat that i inherited from the Previous volunteer at my site, Niko, and her name is Yali(which means Dissapear in Fijian). She does a good job of keeping my rats in check and i have quite a few apparently... So far since i was at my site i have met 1 german, 2 from the Czech Republic , 2 from canada, 2 from Great Britian, as well as some Americans, New Zealanders, and Austrailians. My island is just small enough that when i come to the West side of the island to shop at the "big Town"(Nagara) that many people already recognize me and call me by name...

I have been snorkeling a few times and jumped of another waterfall while i was there... Life is rough huh...? :) There are some good things about my site but it def takes patience and finding things to do to entertain yourself.. I have a feeling that i will be reading more now than any other time in my life....! Also when i shower at night i can look up at the stars while showering under lantern light.. My shower has no roof to it which i actually like... The Stars here are unlike the stars you will ever see in most any other places... When i lay in my Bure at night and am trying to go to sleep i have no fan, which anybody who knows me knows that i love my fans, so it helps that i can hear the waves crashing on the reef just about 100 meters from my house...! Its a soothing sound and has become comforting..... As for the people in my village i am getting to know them slowly but surely.... I go everywhere with a pad and paper to write down peoples names and ages whenever i can.. I was bad with names in the states but over here i am even worse since a lot of Fijian names are quite different from those we are used to in the states.

So now here it is.. What some of you have been wating for and asking....! My wish list and my address...!!!!!!!!!!

Keep in mind i know that some of these things are def out of the realm of reasonability maybe unless you are just feeling really generous or came into an inheritance but there are quite a few things on here that i just can't get in Fiji... So here goes....

1. Labtop (no chuckles)(doesn't have to be expensive)( i may be able to get internet in my village and it would help me out as well as me networking with other agencies within Fiji and Austrailia, new Zealand , the States and the European Union maybe.)

2. Under Armour Boxer Briefs(http://www.underarmour.com/ProductDetail.cfm?site_id=1&dept_id=7&coll_id=1114&pf_id=1000667) Black and size xl

3. Any cool t-shirts(size large) preferably darker colors(white is a pain to wash here in FIJI)

4. Mach 3 Razor Blade Cartridges( or if anyone wants to send me a Gillete Fusion Razor with blades too! :) he he)

5. Rolls of 35 mm film(200 speed)Fuji or Kodak

6. New Battery For A Minolta 450 SI 35 mm camera

7. Big Bags of Peanut MM's

8. Taco Bell Mild Sauces and Hot and Fire sauces

9. Small Bottle of either Aqua Digio colgne ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002GREBU/ref=noref/104-6478714-4449553?ie=UTF8&s=hpc ) or Cool Water Cologne(find it at wall mart, even though you all know how i feel bout them) Believe it or not the Local ladies like a man who smells of nice Cologne.. :) lol

10. Axe Dry Deodorant/antiperspirant (CLIX Scent)

11. Wind Up Radio from Radio Shack(Mine Died)http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2807555&cp=2032052.2032073&parentPage=family

12. Any kind of ball(Tenis ball, ping pong ball, football, soccerball, rugby ball) for the kids of the village(Would score me some major points w/ the kids! :)
13. Sleevless Athletic Shirts(Black or Grey Preferably..) i think they have them at target for like $6 bucks a shirt
14. Any Ohio State T-shirts(once again black or Grey)

15. and a mountain Bike.!!! (damn it would make stuff so much easier... )waiting on the busses sucks and thats if they even show up! lol
16. 2 or 3 treatments of Frontline( i think thats what its called maybe) for my litle puppy...

16 1/2. 2 books by Daniel Quinn.. "Ishmael" and "Story of B"

17. and just for those of you keeping in touch to keep keeping in touch....~! Every little bit helps...
18. and anything else you just wanna send my way that might brighten my day or suprise me..!

Things can be sent to :

Matt Briscoe
P.O. Box 171
Waiyevo, Taveuni
Fiji Islands
South Pacific

Make sure to ask your post office employee about the best way to send things and about insurance for items that may be expensive.. It always helps to write something about Jesus or god on the package too!
Packages clear customs better than boxes(just a side note)
Once again i understand some of these things might be out of peoples price ranges but i thought what the hell.. :) maybe someone did hit the Lottery.. :)
Also I would love any new pictures of you people and letters from all of you as well...!

OFFICIAL NOW.....!

So i am officially sworn in now as a Peace Corps Volunteer...! The rest of us who gtot held back for Language improvements got sworn in Today by the US Embassador to FIJI at the US Embasy...... So off to Taveuini i go today.. Nothing like a nice 20 hour boat ride to get you excited...!!!

PHOTO PAGE

I have a new photo page up with some new pictures on it.. Feel free to check it out.. Hopefully more pics to come soon as well.... Enjoy....

Swearing In....~

So here i am sitting in the Peace corp office with with 8 other people from my training group because we have had to stay behind one moe week because our language was not up to par. This is the first year that Peace Corp Fiji is holding people back if thier language isn't good enough... I tested at a novice high and we needed to reach intermediate -low. So we all just need to re-test at one level higher and off we go to our sites... I'm not too upset as it gives us a chance to hone our language skills and also another week of air-conditioning in a hotel before leaving for 3 months of heat, rain, bugs, humidity and isolation.... It has also been a chance to bond with a few other volunteers from the other training classes... My class is whats called the FRE(Fiji Re-Entry)-5 group.(Since Peace corps was kicked out of fiji back in the late 90's and came back in 2003, we are the 5th group to go through training after Peace Corps Re-entered the Country) So we are FRE-5's. We had our Swearing In Ceremony Last Thursday with a representative from the US EMBASY there as well as some other people and all of our Host Stay families came as well.. We were on the Radio and i also made my first appearance On FIJI-1 TV. Yup.. i'm a star here in Fiji!! lol Which brings me to my next subject.... I think i know how Famous people feel now.. Everywhere i go people want to touch me, talk to me, get to know me, know where i have been , where i am going, what i ate, ect ect.. It never ends and can be tiring sometimes... Its wierd to say but we all kinda feel like rock stars here in Fiji..... Some of that has to do with us being Peace Corps volunteers here in Fiji as we have a good reputation here... I just hope my head swells back down before i come back to the US..
So by next week sometime i will hopefully know what my Postal Address will be so hold off on those packages for now or else i won't get them until 3 months from now! :)
Hope everybody is doing great!!!!!

TAVEUNI.................~~~!!!!!!

Ok.. So no more leaving anyone hanging here.. I have been stationed on the Island of Taveuini in Fiji... It is Considered the Garden island of Fiji and the Most beautiful... Here we have it all.. White sand beaches.. Some of the best Diving anywhere in the world... And we also have the World famous waterfalls you see in the postcards and Tv and some of the most remote old growth Virgin Rainforest in all of Fiji. I will be staying in the village of Waitabu(WHY-TOM-BOO). It is on the Eastern side of Taveuini and is considered to be the most beautiful side as well... My main Project here will be working with the Local Takina(Collection of villages) in Bouma to help develope their World Famous , BOUMA NATIONAL HERITAGE PARK. My village runs the Waitabu Marine Park portion of the Park so i will working heavilly on this aspect of the park.. I have a fellow Volunteer who will be stationed about 10km away from me(2 hour walk, 1 hour kayak ride). we will be working together to come up with a marketing, business, ecotourism management plan for the park as well as ensuring the protection of its natural resources.. My fellow peace corps volunteer lives in the village of Lavena where the movie ,"Return to the Blue lagoon" was filmed.. In the BNHP(Bouma National Heritage Park) we have a trip to our marine park, a rainforest hike, a waterfall hike and also a coastal walk that ends in a fantastic waterfall that can be jumped off of for those with the balls enough to do it!! Needless to say i did it.. About 45 feet high ..!!!! Crystal Clear water with fresh water trout swimming everywhere.. And to top it off we have a backpackers lodge for you to stay in and enjoy the night, or even a few days.. i would recomend a few days here though to truly take it all in... I will also be coming up with community projects for the women of the area to help bring in a sustainable income or to at least supplement the current incomes... Plus some communtiy projects with the kids as well.. I will also be working on learning a totally new Dialect as well..!!! As if it wasn't hard enough learning one!!!! Guess i have 2 years huh.......
So i may beg some of you for a care package from time to time.. Nothing to expensive, just things that i can't get here.. I'll keep anyone up to date on that who might be interested in helping out with that.....!!
Hope everyone is doing good, and don't forget if you comment on here make sure i already have your email so i can get back to you!!!!!
Take care,
matthew

EMAILS.......
For those of you who i don't have emails for when you leave a comment on here please leave an email for me to get back to you on or else i have no way of contacting you!!! I have some exciting info for you all.. Lets just say i will be living the dream...... More to come later....
Peace out.......

Bula... Au sa tiko mai Nasouri, en a Internet Cafe. Au na gunu bia yakavi levu. Hello, i am in an internet cafe in Nasouri. I will be drinking beer late this afternoon.!Just sharing a little of the language with ya'll......So i thought i might take this time to let you know more about my daily life...So usually i wake up around 6 am everyday and have breakfast which my Host mom(Nau) has already prepared for me.. Most time it is something like Bread and butter with bannana's(Jaina)(Pronounced"CHI-E-Na") or Papaya and bannanas or oatmeal type stuff with powdered milk, or Vundi(Plantain) which are basically HUGE bannanas and taste so good right off the tree.Then most days i go off to language training with my LCF(Language teacher) and the other KaiValangi's(White people/ peace corp Volunteers) in my village...There are 4 of us total that stay in my Host village.. Me, Carina, Joe, and teri.Language lasts until about noon.. Then its home to have lunch already prepared by my host mom or sister..... A lot of days it is things like fish(with the heads still on), roro(Giant boiled leaves of the Dalo Plant which is a root crop) this is often time served in a coconut milk type concoction called Lolo. Some times Chop Suey. , rice, mangrove crabs and lobster, and the root crops(Dalo, Tavioca, Sweet potatoes,and yams.. Not like the ones you think of back in the states either).... They like to have Tea at every meal but i have managed to tell my family that i don't like the tea so they never give it to me any more but they do still offer it... So moslty i just drink water at every meal and that is it.. On a rare occasion i will drink fresh guava juice that was made with guava fresh off the trees....After lunch, its off to peace corp functions and workshops with other PCT"s(Peace Corp trainees)... This usually is over by 5 or 6, but sometimes the villages that we are in having the workshops like to have dances and grog sessions for us.... Basically what this means is sitting around and having lots of Yaqona(YANG-GO-NA) and having the village woman ask us to dance constantly... It can be very entertaining since thier idea of dancing is way different than ours...... Then its back to home where even if i get in late my mom or sister is waiting up for me to feed me... I never wash any of my clothes or cook yet.. the woman here do everything domestic and then men nothing other than the handy work like building and maintaining things.... Each Village has a Mayor(Turanga ni Koro) and a chief.. My host dad is the Chief of my village... But my family rocks.. they take great care of me..... And i am usually in bed by 9 pm most nights.... WAYYYYY different than i am used to and it has def been an adjustment to get used to after 10 years of staying up till after midnight each night......So i am going to come up with a wish list of things i could really use so if any of you can find it in your heart to send me anything it would rock!!!! They will be simple things most of them... If not no biggie..... I'll keep you updated....Till next time!!
Peace out,
matthew

So i just got back from a Trip with a few other Peace corps volunteers to a Village in the Interior up in the rain forest and the mountains called Namosi Village..! It was pretty amazing.. We hiked up to a couple waterfalls which were beautiful and we laid under them for awhile and relaxed in the water pools.. Pure mountain water runoff.. It was great.. we stayed there for a couple nights as part of what is called a site visit where we go around and stay with another volunteer to see what life is like for other volunteers. Last night i gave a speach to the village letting them know and understand how much we appreciated them leting us stay in thier homes for a couple days and feeding us... The ride there and back was pretty bumpy in the back of a truck in which we sat in the back.. It had a canopy covering it and we had other villagers with us who were coming and going into the big city and coming back from the big city... Some guys who drank too much Yaqona(Yang-go-na)(It is a mild narcotic drink that is made from a pepper type plant.. It tastes like crap but makes you really mellow.. Makes you really tired the next day too..), ie grog, ie , Cava, the night previous, stopped and got a bunch of beer, Fiji Bitter, and we had what was called a "Wash Down" where we basically chugged beer on the way back to the village. They do this in order to move the Yaqona out of thier systems and make them feel better.. This was good for me as well because i had had too much Yaqona the night before too! lol The scenery in the mountain village was just amazing.. Something out of a postcard... On the way back to town our truck stopped to fill up with gas on the main road(Queens road) and they filled it up with unleaded and it needs diesel, so we had to empty the tank out and put the new gas in which took another hour... It was like a 4 hour drive there and a 5 hour drive back... We got there on Saturday night and left this morning at 6 am..
Keep the emails and letters coming.. it helps...
and i did get a couple pics posted.. But those are really only the tip of the ice berg.. It is so hard to post pictures on here as the conecction speeds are not the best...... More to come soon..!

So my Fijian is Coming along Slowly.. I can converse a little better now... I am going Snorkelling on one of the reefs later today.. I will know on July 4th where i will be placed Permanently for the next 2 years... My village is hosting the event and there wil be a huge festival, with native dancing, tons of food, and the US Ambasador is coming over to celebate with us. I bunch of us Peace Corps volunteers got our picture taken by the FIJI SUN newspaper on Monday!!! So i'm already famous here! lol I leave on Saturday for a remote village in the Interior called Namosi Village. I am staying there for a couple nights with a few other volunteers to experience village life in another place. Issac, another Peace Corps volunteer is hosting us since it is His Village.Its alot colder up there and there are waterfalls and Mountains.. Apparently a plane crashed into one of the mountans a few years back because of cloud cover.So we started out as a group of 30 and now there are just 28 of us , as 2 have went home.... hopefully all of us can make it through the next 2 years but stats would say not. Guess we will see.. we have a pretty good group. And just to let people know if you put a comment on here make sure you leave an email address so i can write you back.. For some reason it won't let me write back on here...
Keep the comments comng.. it def helps.....!!!

FIJI Fun.....~

So here i sit at an internet Cafe in Suva, FIJI. First day in the big city after having been in my remote village for the first few weeks..!!!
Internet is $5 an hour here(about $3 U.S.) but seems like alot with our allowance, lol. i've been swimming in the ocean a few times now as i will take a jog down to the beach and back and when i get to the beach i usually take a swim or do some lame attempt at body surfing since i have no board... I usually have class all week long with my fellow PC trainees and then sometimes at night i drink Grog(i.e Yaqona, Kava) till i about fall asleep..! lol The stuff tastes like crap and pretty much just makes your head into a fog. The language is coming along ok but i'm still not the best.. I can actually form sentences now and tell people where i am going and where i have been and what things i like and want , plus i can count past 100 in Fijian now. I am visiting and staying in a remote Village in the interior part of FIJI next week called Namosi Village. You might be able to find out some things about it if you do a google search but i'm not sure. It has dramatic beautiful waterfalls from what i hear along with dense Jungle. Guess i will find out. Life isn't always easy here that is for sure.. Waking up in the morning and pouring that first Ice cold bucket of water over my head is still something that takes getting used to. That and the million bug bites i have. Hopefully i will be able to make it to one of the reefs soon to do some skin diving and maybe get some underwater pictures.. I really am working on getting pictures up and on the internet but just understand i am dealing with 3rd world computers and internet speeds here. I hope everyone is doing great back home in the states!!!!

Bula Vinaka...~

So for all of you who thought FIJI was paradise well let me tell you.. After your first Bucket bath and first 1000 misquito bites and the insane humidity you might not think the same !!!
It is truly an alien world here.. I go to church all the time, have no running water and live with a host family of about 7 and have about 30 cousins aunts and uncles....
I live in a small village of about 80 people called Muana I Ra(Sp?).. Its a methodist community.. I have 2 brothers 23 and 27, and 2 sisters.. not sure how old they are.. maybe 20's? And i have a cat named Mini and a dog named Tailevu... My brothers are Netava and Sekeli. My mom is Mereami and my dad is Jolame.. My sisters are Merama and Ranadi.... I have no running water so i take Bucket baths everyday and it is hot as hell and its only the cool dry season! lol(It still rains almost every day...) With all that said my new family is great.. They feed me way too much!!!!! So i run every other morning.
My address here in Fiji is :
Peace Corps/FIJI
Private Mail bag
Suva, FIJI
SOUTH PACIFIC
I hope everyone is doing good and please feel free to write me on what is new in the world as i have no idea what has been happening the last couple weeks...!!!
Sota Tale... Moce.....
Matthew
p.s. I will try to get some pictures up soon but this internet cafe connection is way too slow.....

GOODBYE U.S.

I will be leaving Mt. Vernon on Sunday and flying out of Columbus to LA. for my staging there... We start our training that day at like 2:00 pm and it ends at around 7 i think. Then wake up the next day on Monday and have training all day till about 4pm then head to the Airport to leave at around 11:30 for a nice smooth 12 hour flight non-stop to FIJI . lol As the time comes closer about a million things start inundating your head.. Things like, "What the hell am i doing?" and,
"Did i remember to buy and pack everything?" and,"Wow I'm leaving behind my friends for soo long..?" And of course the occasional Anxiety and panic attack that comes and goes. There is definitely a certain level of stress involved here. I'm still very happy about my decision and am just looking forward to meeting my fellow trainees and getting to know them and developing relationships with them. They will be my family for the next 27 months i guess along with my FIJIAN friends.
Once i get to FIJI i will make sure and let everyone know where any mail can be sent to me. And please keep the mail coming... I don't want to be the lone looser who never gets mail! lol
I will see you all in a couple years...! Wish me Luck!

Back Home for a Little......

So after a 5 day stint on the road from eugene Oregon back to Mt Vernon Ohio, i am finally back in my hometown where i grew up for about 10 more days... Its kinda nice to unwind after travelling for soo long and nice to finally not be working !!! Its a little more slow paced life back here which is just what i needed.. I am basically enjoying friends and family and getting all my things i'm gonna bring with me to FIJI figured out... If any of my Oregon friends are reading this i will def miss all you guys... I will also miss that beautiful state and the Oregon Coast...
Hopefully i will come to feel the same way about the FIJIAN coast and sunsets.... I'm having mini anxiety attacks from time to time when thinking about leaving for FIJI but hopefully those will dissipate with time! lol
Once i figure out my contact info in FIJI i will make sure to post it on here as well as my myspace account in case anyone actually reads this! lol
I'll prob update this one more time before i leave!!!

Possible Packing List????

Ok.. So everyone Keep in mind here that i may not be taking all this stuff..~! lol But if i can keep it all underweight i may just. : )I just kinda puked all these ideas onto a sheet of paper so here goes...:
-80 gig Video Ipod + mini speakers
-Sony Cybershot DSC t-100 Digital camera w/ marine Pack
-Motorola 2 way radio(walkie talkies) about a 1 to 2 mile Talking distance depending on topography
-Minolta 35mm slr Film Camera
-Laptop maybe
-Folding 6.5 watt Sunlinq Solar Panel(only weighs about 1 lb and can fit in your pocket...)
-Tent-Mask, Snorkel, + Fins
-Chaco Sandals
-Raincoat(Lightweight)
-Binoculars
-Coleman Mini LED Light
-Divers Watch
-Toiletry kit
-Leatherman-
Aqua Socks(If you have yet to wear these they come in very handy!)
-Pictures of freinds and family
-Gifts for my Fijian freinds
-Katadyn water filter
-Sea(Dry) Bags(if anyone needs an extra one i have 3 so probably will only need 1 or 2) tell me and i will bring em all
-Daypack
-2 lightweight towels
-Silica gell packets
-2 small locks
- Mini Mag Flashlight

Like i said i know this may seem like a lot but i'm not certain about some things.. I'm sure this list will shrink once i realize how much i have!!! And if anyones Hot Sauce comes up missing i had nothing to do with it!!!

A Lot Has Happened....~

So since my last post about a gazillion things have happened... I am now officially Open Water SCUBA certified and have my own set of fins, snorkel , and mask..~! lol I have completed all my Aspiration statements and all those other goodies Peace Corps Wanted From me...
I have sold about half of my stuff in my Apartment as well as SOLD my car~!!! Whoo hoooo...
Huge weight off my back , let me tell you....
I've been in touch with now 6 people who will be going with me to FIJI and they all seem great...~!
I haven't recieved my Staging kit yet but i'm assuming the staging will be in L.A. which will give me a chance to see my Friend Buddy , who i haven't seen in a long time.....
I have managed to finally work it out so that i am going to see one last TOOL concert before i leave the States!!!! It is in Reno and i am going there the day i leave Oregon for Ohio.. After i hit up some TOOL in Reno i am heading to the Tetons of Wyoming and also Yellowstone for a couple days...
After that i plan on going across wyoming into South Dakota and visiting the Black Hills of South Dakota...~ If you have not been there yet go.. they are amazing....
Then from there it is across Minnesota and the Mississippi and down into Wisconsin and into the Stinky depths of Chicago and Gary(and believe me .. both these Cities smell... You feel like you are eating the air its so polluted..) from there its Indiana and back to good ole Ohio to spend about 12 days with friends and Family before i take off for L.A.
Its been crazy trying to get ready for all this... I am shoring up my financial stuff, sell as much stuff as possible too, and working to make as much money i can before i leave..... For anyone who has gone through this , they know just how crazy it can get.....
Other than all that life is great~! lol Just getting anxious to get to Fiji and see what i am getting myself into..... And i can't wait......
So just so anyone who might be reading this knows, it will be of great help and inspiration to me if as many of you as possible write me while i am gone.. I'm sure i will miss many of you.....
So, my next 3 weeks here in oregon are now dedicated to busting my ass and working as much as possible and to learing A good deal of Fijian....
Take Care,
Matthew

MORE PAPERWORK....!

Man, just when u thought it was gonna get easier i totally read over all my paperwork for my invitation to FIJI.... The red tape and essays and resumees never end..~!!!!!
I need to now file a new updated resumee for my in country officers to check out, and answer a 5 part essay about what i am plan on getting out of this experience, ect ect... Guess i had better get used to it huh.. Its not that hard, just one more thing on my plate.. :)
For anyone thinking of getting into the Peace Corps, just know, that you will never be done filling out paperwork, filling out forms, getting medically probed and prodded and writing essays or statements!!!!
On a better note i now have a new IPOD Video 80 gig !! So now i can take all my music with me as well as some videos too....~!!! Sweet... I have to get SCUBA certified so i am in the middle of taking classes right now and i'm glad i am.. I've always wanted to but Since my placement officer wanted me to get SCUBA certified it kinda forced me to, which i am glad....
Going to bed now.... Soooo tired and worn out.....

FIJI HERE I COME...~!!!!!!

So I have officially been invited into the Peace corps to serve in FIJI...! My Program is "Integrated Environmental Resource Management project" and my job title is "Environment resource Management Promoter" Now this is all a little vague to me still but basically from what i understand i will be working on helping a community or communities to develope and manage their natural resources in a way that is not only a benefit to them but is sustainable. This includes their marine ecosystems as well as thier terestrial ecosystems such as Forests and also agriculture... There will also be many education programs that i will need to initiate and develope as my time there goes on, especially with the youth and the women of the villages and communities. So seems like it will be a balanced mixture of both... I'm a little nervous having been out of college for so long and not having been rehashing my environmental awareness and biological studies classes everyday like many people fresh out of college but i'm pretty adaptable and willing to do whatever it takes to learn the material needed and apply them in a way that is not only beneficial to the community but that they will be able to continue to do long after i'm gone.. I don't want to just go there and put in my time and sip pina colodas on the beach like many people think i will be doing as soon as i told them i was going to FIJI..~! lol I have certain goals i want to achieve from this experience as well as just taking it all in being in another country and beautiful part of the earth.... I hope to become more of a citizen of this planet than just of my own country of origin...
If i may take this time to make a personal disclaimer on my grammar, please if you are reading this at any time and it is not that great and i have many typos, please understand that i may not have internet access for long periods of time and internet access is very expensive in FIJI so i will be writing fast..!!! So don't expect much from me on the grammar end.. : )

And please feel free to write me on here any time, or on myspace as well..... my link is on the right hand side of my blog page....

Oh.. And i leave for FIJI on the 23rd of MAY............. So always feel welcome to call me whenever ya want!!!!! 406-396-5759 that phone number will no longer work as of may 23 so be aware.....

Vinaka and Shukriyaa!!!(THANK YOU~!)
Here are a few pics from Fiji....

WHOOOO HOOOO>>>~!!!

So i have been Medically Cleared~~!!! Hell yes.. Damn i'm so glad thats over.. lol

MY FIRST THOUGHTS...~

So here it is Monday night February 26th 2007... Just a brief Synopsis, i had my Peace Corps interview the end of July 2006 and was nominated into a Position in August of 2006. Now originally i was nominated for a position Doing Eco-tourism and Conservation work Somewhere in the South Pacific. The deadline for me to be Medically Accepted and still be able to be invited into that nomination has passed though, so it looks as if i will be nominated now for a new Position somewhere else.. Kinda Bums me out because i was looking forward to that area of the world, but i'm still excited no matter where i will go.... Hopefully tomorrow i should be checking my Status and it will say i was medically Cleared!!!! Then its pretty much a waiting game from there.. Now i've read over a Hundred Blogs just like the one i'm about to start So i'll try not to be redundant in some things but i'm sure i will repeat from time to time what other people have said.... :) For anyone new reading this let me just say that it is my belief that if you can run the Gauntlet that is known as the Peace Corps Medical evaluation Process then the rest is cake~! lol (i'm sure i'll still be saying that 2 and 1/2 years later too right? he he ) As with many people who have decided to join the Peace corps i am having about a Gazillion Feelings that are going through my body.. I'm Nervous, Anxious, Scared, excited, sad, worried, so full of anticipation, and really just want this to all get started already.. But what i keep telling myself is to enjoy every step of this.. Enjoy , and yes i am even gonna say it, the Medical evaluation Process(hoping to have a good laugh with Peace Corps Volunteers(PCV) over how ridiculous the process is), the nervous and anxious feelings, and the tension and excitement i am having right now because when i look back on this experience i want to remember who i was before and who i will be after because there is no doubt in my mind i will come back at least changed in some manner much different than what i am now. I want to relish in every memory i will have from Start to Finish and be able to share with others my Adventures. Thats what life is About right? exploring the World and yourself to find out what its all about? Maybe making a difference in someones life throughout the way..? We will see.......