Looking ahead

The Olympics are over. Tis a sad thing, and the weird thing to think about is that next Olympics when they're in Rio de janeiro, I'll be 21. That's weird!! But hey it's only a year and half till the next Olympics in Sochi, Russia. I'm so excited!!

Check it out:

I'm the most excited!!!

If you build it.....

So I didn't go to Fiji just to relax, enjoy the scenery, and eat. If you recall I did go to Fiji on a humanitarian trip so we could build bathrooms. I regret to say that I didn't get pictures of the first day or so, but we had to start from scratch, digging in the ground and everything. This was a very labor intensive project and I'm happy to say that I did come home with some new muscles!! And to be honest I'm very proud of myself and this project, it's my baby.

Day 2 of bathroom...

...beginning of septic tank.

Building the base of the septic tank.

Big Jim helping Sam get those higher nails in.

And TADA the finished product.

I'm incredibly proud of it, I can tell you how it works and everything! But regrettable we didn't get to finish 100% because it rained the very last day so the cement lids wouldn't dry and we couldn't put them on the septic tank. And that red is the primer, we had one more coat of the green paint. So they had to complete it without us. :(  But other than that we finished!!

I'm a Foodie

The food in Fiji is to die for!! At the beginning of our time in the village we would dare each other to eat the food, but once we realized how good it was no daring was necessary! I mean how often am I going to eat deep fried sweet and sour fish?! But don't eat the taro, whatever you do resist the taro at what ever cost!! I've never gagged before, but I gagged on the taro.

Now since Fiji is a British province the Brits have affected their culture in many ways. For example their money has the Queen on it, but the biggest thing is that they have tea time!! So twice a day I got to sit down to tea and some delicious food of some kind. I got to sample coconut bread, several pies, donuts dipped in lemon juice, this kind of panini things with fish and onions and much much more....

This is a cousin of the donut, absolutely delicious! And our tea was always lemon leaf tea, sweetened with REAL cane sugar!!

This is a kind of tortilla in a sweet sauce, delish! (And mind you this all made from scratch in a hut no less!)

The aforementioned REAL cane sugar. It's brown and courser like kosher salt and it's amazing, I don't think I can use white sugar ever again!

This was probably my most favorite tea time food. It's pancakes, but you unroll them put cane sugar on it, roll it back up and enjoy, heaven!

Then the fish. At first sight, not very appetizing, but I promise you it's good. They're not a fishing community for nothing!

Before....

After....

And last but not least. I know that I was in Fiji, but I really looked forward to this meal...

and it didn't disappoint. :)

Home Sweet Home

Well I'm home!! These past 2 weeks have been amazing for me. I've truly grown in more ways than one and I can't wait to tell all of you about it!

So everyday I'm going to post a plethora of photos and attempt to show all of you how amazing and life changing this trip was for me. But FYI these photos don't even begin to express how amazing this trip was or even scratch the surface of what I have learned. But still, they're fun photos. :)

These guys were singing for us at 5AM!!

Now here is Waya Lailai Resort (it means small waters). This is where we spent our first weekend in Fiji and it is everything you imagine Fiji would be: beach, paradise, swimsuits, jungle, the works.

the resort.....

Sitting in a hammock on a beach in Fiji; does it get better than this? I think NOT!!

the beginning of our treacherous yet beautiful hike in the jungle....

I made it!!!

doesn't it look like a bear and a gorilla?!!

So that was just a snippet of my first weekend in Fiji. But besides those 2-3 days I never saw the beach again while I was in Fiji. Well I never got in it again anyways and Fiji didn't stay paradisiacal. I got a very good look at the real Fiji and it's very filthy, very 3rd world, but I feel in love with it all the same.