First of all, I have become aware of a perception created by my last blog post that I did not foresee occurring. In my "disappointment" of missing the hurricane I may have portrayed my thoughts as being completely ignorant to the danger I could have been in and insensitive to all of the damage suffered in the northern and eastern islands of Fiji. I was aware of these things, but it did not dawn on me to express the happenings from somewhere I was not. Also in an attempt to entertain not only you, the reader, I also desire to humor myself by drastically exaggerating the true emotions of my experience. I did feel all of these emotions, but not to the full extent of how I described it. I am sorry if anyone misinterpreted my intentions, but in no way was I intentionally making light of the loss Fiji has just been subject to, but only to make light of what I personally went through.
The mindset of another culture is something I have found to be very interesting, but also a concept which one doesn't grasp within the first month of being apart of it. Mostly what my experiences and insight involve is me being able to actually apply real situations with all the experiences that I read of others. Initially, since I already knew everything there was to know about this alternative way of life, so I thought, I believed there wasn't going to be anything I struggled with grasping. On the contrary, The instances I have gone through may not sound like a big shocker, but before I come to the realization that this is the way things are it can be very frustrating and confusing.
Probably one of my favorite conversations I have been involved in recently took place. As I wandered, as I often do, a Fijian, who I did not recognize, began to talk to me. I find that I cannot recognize anyone, but so many people are able to say "Hey Danny," and I would just politely chime in a return completely baffled by who they could have been. I figure many of them are from the Rugby team especially if they happen to be athletic looking. Like usual one of the questions they ask me is if I like to go out downtown. My normal response is usually saying that I don't go out as often as the other Americans, in an attempt to disguise the truth, but yet give the impression I do so not to offend him, because if I did express my true feelings we probably wouldn't talk anymore. Usually I expect to hear the same old reasoning about why he enjoys to go out so much but his was truly unique. He told me many stories explaining situations he had gotten into where most of the time he beat the snot out of another individual. He had so many stories! One involved him in an attempt to escape his pursuer, and the big ugly bruiser behind him gets blindsided by a truck. Not waiting for an instant he jumps on the poor guy and unleashes the beast all over his face. There were also a number of failures, one which left him in the hospital after getting a bottle smashed over his head. This just gave me a little insight on what I don't want to do, piss them off. I feel this happens often possibly no more than anywhere else, but the fact he sought this out actually put me on my guard the rest of the day. Besides fights, we bumped into his friend who could steal anything he could ever need for $10. What a handy friend I thought, but I told him I'm not ever welcoming his friend to hang out. This just seemed so odd to me to brag about to a little white foreigner who the only person he ever hurt and felt good about it was a racket ball to my opponents face. On accident of course, but I smiled for a second.
Next, I have heard of a whole lot of racial tension between the two different major racial groups, Indian and Fijian. I've been told a number of accounts where Fijian thugs will search out Indians and just beat the crud out of them and take there money, why I asked, "because they all have money." Good point and then one Indian asked what "race" was the taxi driver in who's taxi you lost a cell phone. And because he was Fijian we were never going to see the cell phone again. I've never quite seen anything like this coming from super diverse western Wisconsin. The most interesting accounts came from two other students in my human rights class. One being a middle aged Fijian woman came straight forward and said the human rights people were outrageous coming into Fiji and telling them their culture and traditions were not right and needed to be changed because some people did not agree with them. When asked who, she pointed to the group of Indians in the room. Next an Indian in my class explained to me that there were only problems because people were uneducated and were unable to conform to the laws that have been placed by the national government. Many provinces in Fiji have Chiefs that call the shots and most people are loyal to them. If they contradict the law set forth by the national government then the people break the law. He said through education they would be able to see the wrongs they are committing and everything would be more peaceful. I felt he was implying that the Fijians were uneducated, because they are the group that lives under this chiefly system creating all of these problems. Two completely contradictory points of view that I feel will probably need to have a compromise eventually, but it doesn't seem as if either side is currently willing to do so.
Wow if you read that that will most likely be pretty boring. But recent happenings. Colo-i-Suva, Colo means inland, and c's make th sounds in Fijian FYI, the National Park just outside of Suva, is unbelievable. Lets just say time of my life. First I saw a group of parrots. Unbelievable, but probably the most annoying birds ever created. If I needed a name for a group of them it would be a squawble, because it pretty much sums up the noises they make. Also met a new friend who is in the Fijian Military, and they often train in Colo. They use paint balls and during a battle he climbed a tree to hide for whatever reason, but ditched his gun because it was heavy. The other squads officer walks up to the tree he was in and begins peeing. Being completely oblivious to the danger lurking above he set himself up perfectly. Completely silent he jumped down from the tree onto his back in mid pee and apprehended the enemy. Leno is a beast, and he even taught me self defense moves, which usually ended with me bent with my wrist touching my elbow doing the limbo, while he calmly explains where he is applying pressure to immobilize me. I would politely whimper back an understanding sound and he would release, and I would massage only to be placed right back for the next maneuver.
Also there was a rope swing flying above this 10 foot deep natural waterfall pool, which you nearly needed to jump to hang onto. One small slip and its onto the rocks about 15 feet below owwey! Lucky no damage done. Next Waisaloi, or something around those lines, a really neat waterfall portrayed in a Fanta commercial I was told. Turns out you can climb up it, which I did of course if it is possible. Best rock climbing ever. And then to the upper pools for a good back flip off a wall overlooking a pool, which I might add set up for a fantastic picture. We exited the park through an alternative route, because Leno said it was a good route, and it also looked shorter on the map, but it turns out it was the longest walk possible down a dirt road through a village and finally into Suva 8km later. But luckily there was a bread store and I found actually some delicious baked goods I've been searching for. Cream scone and a single serve apple pie with a little mold anyone, delicious. I of course returned the moldy pie, but fortunately was able to enjoy another. Overall the trip was a success, and Leno invited us to his village at some point, but I've heard that so many times I really don't count on it. But he is shipping out to Taveuni to help with the hurricane victims.
Ok, now to speed things up a bit, something I have obviously struggled with in my epic story telling. Concert of hope on Friday the 19th I saw some really hilarious cultural dance called a Maki, and I think it is there version of the chicken dance except consists of a large group of shirtless beefy Fijians sitting cross legged swinging there hands and arms really fast all over the place and every time the beat would get faster and faster. There also was a really old woman there who would snag the mic and say something in Fijian sounding just like a parrot, and everyone laughed hysterically as I awkwardly laughed alone like I knew what was going on. Later they tossed out snacks from the stage and the younger crowed ravaged the front of the stage. Unfortunately for them I'm a champion rebounding machine. So I didn't get any. And Rob Sanders and the Hearts. Best leader of the band ever. He was an old asian man who talked incessantly, but didn't sing only played two little baby green maraca's, but if anyone knew how to play gourd miracas with 3 beads in them it would be him. There were little kid dance offs on stage where they had terribly violent hip gyrations as their dance, and also they did some sort of mock killing in slow motion of each kid, which was pretty gruesome.
When I decided to leave my friend Rubin decided to come with me. He brought his entire entourage with also. I explained that he didn't need me to come with me, but he insisted saying the concert was boring and he was worried about me. Bam! just like that all of my pride left, because come on, I don't need someone to hold my hand and walk me to the bus. After I entered the bus I sat down and his cousin sat right next to me on an empty bus, which I was guessing under instructions from Rubin. And then to make things worse Rubin went back to the concert, which he early told me he didn't like. I can appreciate the dedication, but please don't make me feel less of myself by leaving something you want to be at, and then having your cousin keep an eye on me on the bus ride. Woofta did that bug me.
On Sunday Rubin actually makes up for things by culturing the crap out of me. He invited me out to his place to drink kava and watch the rugby game with his family. Well I had a few shocks of reality, and it turns out his family lives in a two bedroom tin shack in a little village within Suva. It was sort of sad, but when everyone is so nice you really can't feel bad for them I actually start to think why I can't be as friendly. Grog was good, and U.S.A won, but I experienced another cultural aspect that I learned about before I came, which is Fijians are very content to only be around each other even if they aren't doing anything. Well right away after the awkward introductions conceded things got pretty quite, and the reality hit that they really don't talk all that much. Just sit and space out while everyone is around. Whoo, if I knew culture was sitting silently cross legged on a floor with 5 shirtless men I probably would have reconsidered, but this is what I am here for so after I was able to reflect and enjoy the experience. Blank faces with only a few comments made in Fijian when they needed to talk. Even during the Fiji rugby game no one got really all that excited. And also women mainly sat in another room while we drank grog. But yes I must say Rubin you have totally redeemed yourself and I suppose if I need to have a bodyguard forced upon me to be accepted into a village I will do my best to deal with it.
Monday I wake up and grr I'm angry, and I have found that this is one thing I cannot tolerate when it comes to weird pains. My mouth is covered in canker sores and I just get so bitter all day. I think I may have talked back to my professor today. But story goes PL 307 no doubt. Thinking back 2 weeks ago when I went to class at 12:30 and class was halfway over, so I figured in that room at noon. I get there and class seemed a bit more packed than usual and I really didn't recognize anyone. I bust out my notebook and glance at the course reader the girl next to me had and it was something AC 111, whoops this doesn't make any sense. Then the Professor must have seen my countenance and said "are you in the wrong place," as the entire classroom turns to see the butthead who disrupted class. In response I put on the biggest dumbest smile and looked cute saying "must be" and skipped off attempting to play it off, but go figure more problems. Class was supposed to be at 1 in the room I was in, but AC 111 was in there until two. Once I bumped into the class we played musical lecture rooms, and jumped from one to another, and finally kicked out AC ha! now who looks foolish. But one of the professors said "Danny class is at 1 do you understand write that down so you don't forget, do you understand," and I was a bit offended because she talked to me like a little kid, and remember canker sores, so I responded with a surprisingly bad attitude and blatant response of ill intent. The comment I would prefer not to repeat and I really feel bad about it, but hopefully she wasn't paying too much attention, because she was already on a rampage.
Well I ate an entire loaf of bread, no exaggeration, and went for nearly a five mile run if I had to estimate, but probably more like a 5k because metric confuses me. So the story ends with me here, toiling in my angry aloneness while everyone else watches movies, which I disagree with because we've done that too much. Only a little bitter though. Tomorrow is another day and will bring a whole new adventure for me, even if it is just writing a paper :( Darn
No comments:
Post a Comment