1. Fiji The Boat Ride

    Making a quick trip to the grocery store back home is rather simple. In Fiji, like most things, it isn’t quite so simple. Our opportunities for  shopping come once a week when the community’s fiber boat makes its weekly trip across the straight for some shopping on Taveuni. We can hire a boat but this gets very expensive. It hadn’t rained since we arrived and then a big storm rolled through Thursday. Friday some of the remnants still remained but the seas didn’t look too bad. We were suppose...

  2. Fiji Man Skirt?

    Yes, men wear skirts but in Fiji they call them sulus. It is really just 3 yards of fabric. They can be colorful with flowers or more recently they are screened with a logo, bible verse, or brand.

  3. Fiji A Warrior's Greeting

    The Prime Minister of Tuvalu came to Kioa during the Christmas holiday celebration. He is being greeted by a canoe flotila of men and women serenading him.

  4. Fiji Bravo Sprays

    The children are performing a traditional Polynesian dance during the Kioa Day celebration marking the day the first settlers arrived from Tuvalu. When a spectator is pleased with the performance they spray the dancer with perfume, as Kanesa is doing here.  

  5. Fiji Ice Cream Soup

    The children are swarming around Filo who is dishing out melted ice cream at a church picnic. The ice cream was brought from the nearest grocery store across the Somosomo straight on a hour long fiber boat ride. By the time it reached the island it was totally melted - but the kids didn't seem to mind!

  6. Fiji Fakaala All the Time

    The Kioans pride themselves on celebrations and what makes the best celebration - food. The more food, the wealthier you are, the more celebrated the individual (whether a birthday or funeral or wedding). We are probably the only Peace Corps Volunteers who actually gain weight during our service!

  7. Fiji Warrior Moves

    The men perform warrior dances during the fatele, traditional dance, as they tell their history. The traditional costume includes flowers and plants native to the island.

  8. Fiji Traditional Moves

    This is our friend Filo performing the fatele, traditional dance. The Kioans record their history only in songs - nothing is written down. So they pass their stories to their children during holidays, funerals, and celebrations by singing and dancing.

  9. Mozambique Little Brother

    My host brother was showing off his climbing skills for the camera.

  10. Mozambique Cooking Lesson

    During our PST, we had a cooking lesson with our Mozambican host families to learn how to prepare several traditional dishes.  Here, a fellow PCV is displaying her adept skills for pounding matapa leaves.

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“Sunset at the Railroad” by PCV Nicholas Baylor Hall. Namibia, 2011.