1. Fiji Yaqona Ceremony

    Everything in Fiji starts, continues, and stops with a traditional yagona ceremony. Yaqona comes from the dried root of the pepper kava plant and is a tranquilizing but nonalcoholic drink served in a coconut bilo.

  2. Fiji Lessons Learned

        1. Always wear a sports bra when riding the bus. 2. Hiking for an hour burns 500 calories. 3. Your dream needs to become a reality when it haunts you like a nightmare. 4. Powdered milk ain't so bad. 5. In Fiji, I am more likely to die from a falling coconut than a shark attack. 6. When traveling to the big city concentrate on the 3 C's ... cheese, chocolate, and cold beer! 7. You know you go to bed too early when your neighbor asks if you have problems with your electricity. 8. M...

  3. Tonga Why the old King's village is famous for its pigs

    Mark dug the knife into the side of the pig, it's golden roasted skin crackling as he drew it down to its foreleg, carving out a generous haunch for the guest of honour sitting to his right: a pastor that would, at 10PM later that night, be one of the dozen preachers to give consecutive messages until bell rang 2011 in at midnight. We were sitting at a long table, looking out across green Tongan fields from the airy porch where the feast was set, red flowered cloths tacked up in horizo...

  4. Tonga The Peace Corps Experience: The Next Generation

    A lot of people assume that Peace Corps is a certain way: noble, self-sacrificing people leaving it all behind to live among throngs of starving children in the middle of nowhere -- or, The Peace Corps Experience. We are not living the Peace Corps Experience. No doubt, some people do live something more similar to this way, but even then, it is almost never exactly the noble ideal.Instead of living the Peace Corps Experience, my husband Mark and I are living what could be called The Peace Cor...

  5. Samoa Dramatic Coastline in Samoa

    Eight-year old Lio, explores lava fields on the coast of southern Upolu.

  6. Samoa Gazing into the ocean

    Three Samoan boys gaze out into the vast blue ocean on a southern Upolu beach.

  7. Samoa Sili River

    Local kids playing in the river on a Saturday afternoon.

  8. Samoa Lotofaga beach

    View of the beach by Lotofaga village, in the Aleipata district, Upolu island.

  9. Samoa Miko and the cat have a snack

    When his older brother fell asleep while babysitting, Miko and the family cat had a snack of leftover ramen and boiled taro (then offered me some when he saw me snapping his picture).

  10. Samoa Miko and Lio

    Lio gives his baby brother, Miko a piggy back ride.

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