Work, Work, Work!!

I'm now working at Debenhams, Weymouth on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day to get as much Fiji cash as I can!!

On Boxing Day I start at 7am.. ouch!

Can't believe how soon it is now.. 20 days!! Finish work on January 2nd and fly out on the 10th!! Sooo excited :D

Holy Trinity Brownies Christmas Fair :)

Made some more jam today... well I helped with the apple coring and the labelling haha! Will be selling some this Sunday 11th December at Holy Trinity Brownies Christmas Fair, Cross Road, Weymouth, so come down and buy some for £2 a jar.. it's a bargain!

Tomorrow I will also bake cakes for the stall at the fair, probably brownies (I have a killer recipe!). They will cost around 30p, 50p if I make bigger ones :P

Also may have a donation box.. every little helps!

All funds raised will go towards my teaching volunteering trip in January - what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to put money towards a good cause, don't be a Scrooge! :)

Not long now!

Collected the tickets today, thank you Bath Travel! Cannot believe I will be in Fiji in a month and eleven days :D The time has gone so quickly..

Time to start thinking about packing.. Sarongs, mosquito net, bikinis, etc ~ How will I have enough for three months?!

I also have some fundraising plans too.. involving jam, brownies and Christmas, stay tuned...

Such an amazing song :)

When We Stand Together ~ Nickleback

Love this song, the lyrics are inspirational and highlight exactly what my trip to Fiji is really about.

Story in the Dorset Echo :)

The picture to go with the story, had to separate it as it was too big to fit in the scanner! Grainy :/

I wanted this picture instead of the one chosen (above) as I look 'more excited' but my wish was not granted!

The story

Waitavala Water Slide, Taveuni, Fiji

What to do with those spare weekends? Hmm I don't know... maybe through myself down a waterfall? Sounds like my kinda fun! Don't worry it was recommended in the guide..

Fijian Food Specialities (this had to make a post!)

The traditional foods that I will be eating in Fiji are: tavioka (cassava), boiled or baked fish and seafood in lolo (coconut cream). Meat is usually fried and accompanied with dalo (a dry starchy rootcrop which has a taste reminiscent to artichokes).


Tavioka (or cassava) ~ A rootcrop with a bland taste but a lot starchier than dalo. When well cooked the taste could be likened to a boiled potato.


Fijian's like to put cassava in most things, including...

Cassava cake recipe

• Prep Time: 15 min(s)
• Cook Time: 1 hr(s)
• Serves 16

Ingredients

7 cups grated cassava
3 eggs
2 cups (440g) caster sugar
1/2 can evaporated milk
1 can (400ml) coconut milk
60g melted butter

Topping
1 can condensed milk
125ml coconut milk
2 tbsp flour
2 egg yolks

Preparation

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 7cm-deep, 28cm-diameter ovenproof dish.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cassava, eggs, sugar, evaporated milk, coconut milk and butter until well combined. Pour into dish and bake for 1 hour or until firm in the centre. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, place condensed milk, coconut milk and flour in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir until thickened. Lightly beat egg yolks, then add to condensed milk mixture. Stir until well combined.

Pour topping over cake and spread evenly. Using a kitchen blowtorch, gently caramelise the topping until lightly blackened. Alternatively, caramelise under a griller; be careful as it will blacken quickly.

Serve at room temperature.

Note: Cassava is sold in 250g packets from Asian grocers. You will need 2 packets for this recipe. Make sure to thaw before use.

Cassava cake is delicious (we shall see!) and is normally served with afternoon tea or breakfast.

Cassava Cake

(http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/12021/Cassava_cake)

Kokoda


Kokoda* is a popular dish consisting of cubed fish marinated in lemon/lime juice then squeezed and garnished with onions, chillies, shallots, grated carrots, tomatoes and combined with thick coconut cream. Usually served chilled.

Here's the recipe, looks delicious - I shall be looking forward to sampling some!

Kokoda (Fijian Spicy Fish)

This fish dish is a Fijian favorite and utilizes common ingredients of the islands. It is the Fiji version of ceviche. Serve it with a fresh fruit salad.

• 4 large fillets of white fish such as mahi-mahi
• Juice of 3 large limes
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1cup fresh coconut cream
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 small green chile, such as serrano, seeds and stem removed, minced.
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced

Cut the fish into bite-size pieces. In a non-reactive bowl, combine the fish, lime juice, and salt. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Remove from the refrigerator, add the coconut cream, chopped onion, and chile just before serving. Sprinkle the tomatoes and bell pepper over the top. Serve on a bed of lettuce in coconut bilos (half coconut shells).

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Heat Scale: Mild

(http://www.fijibure.com/namatakula/food.htm)

Kokoda :)

*Kokoda - Not to be confused with a WWII walking trail in Papua New Guinea! 

Kava

According to my trusty Fijian Lonely Planet: 

Kava, also called grog(!), is mildly narcotic, looks like muddy water and makes your tongue go furry. You won't escape trying it! How reassuring... The kava is made from Piper methysticum - a type of pepper plant.

'Having a grog' is used for welcoming and bonding with visitors, for storytelling sessions or merely passing time. At a kava ceremony, participants must sit cross-legged, face the chief of the village, and the tanoa (large wooden bowl). 

The dried and powdered root is mixed with water in the tanoa and squeezed out. The resulting concoction is drunk from a bilo (half a coconut shell). Very tropical! You then clap once, accept the bilo, say 'bula' (cheers) and down it. Clap three times in thanks. This continues until the tanoa is empty (could take a while...) but you don't have to drink every one offered, at least the first to be polite. 

So after drinking this delightful sounding drink, I will get a furry tongue and then possibly 'feel a slight numbness of the lips'. Heavy drinkers develop kanikani (scaly skin)!!

Traditional kava ceremony

Lovo

Lovo are traditional indigenous Fijian banquets in which food is prepared in an underground oven. A hole is dug in the ground and stones are put inside and heated by an open fire. Palusami (meat or corned beef, onions and coconut cream), whole chicken or pork is wrapped in banana leaves and slowly half baked and half steamed on top of the hot stones.

This sounds amazing.. but I am a vegetarian. However, I do eat fish and there's tons of other delicious food to eat. :) Usually, lovo is served for more formal occasions.

Lovo - looks like a banquet!

Being a vegetarian in Fiji is pretty easy (yay), especially if you're partial to Indian food (I am). There are also loads of fruit and veggie markets. 

Alcohol!

Fiji Bitter and Fiji Gold are locally brewed beers and most wine is from Australia or New Zealand. Decent wine is around $22 (£7.50). Beer is about $6 (£2) in bars. A 750ml bottle of Fijian Rum is $32 (£11). Sounds pretty good to me! I shall also be hunting down tropical cocktails of course..

Cheap restaurants cost between $4 (£1.30) and $8 (£2.80) for a main meal!!! In more upmarket restaurants and resorts, meals cost approximately $20 (£7). 

Looks like I will not only be eating extremely healthily - no chocolate (unless I want to go and make it!) but also my purse won't be getting worryingly light! 

Fiji ~ More about Ratu Meli Memorial School (RMMS)

Here's some more info about the school I will be volunteering at.

The Ratu Meli Memorial School is a Government School run by the community committee. It is affiliated with the Fijian curricula, so the classes are in English. However, because most students do not speak English at home many of the children are quite shy about speaking English and have a vocabulary less developed than children from the mainland.

There are currently 125 students enrolled at Ratu Meli Memorial School, both boys and girls, from class1 to class 8. The students are from the villages of Nacula, Naisisili, Navotua and Malakati on Nacula Island. Due to the distances between their home village and the school, almost 50 students who attend RMMS board at the school during the week and live with the school's eight teachers.

(Taken from the Fiji Education Training Manual, written by GVI)
http://gvifiji.blogspot.com


I will be assisting local teachers when it comes to teaching basic subjects as well as supervising and interacting with the children. I will also help struggling students by giving them the one-to-one attention they need. I may help to run workshops for English, Maths or other subjects, such as Arts and Crafts, in order to create an enjoyable environment by motivating the children.

The long term aim is to make children confident, help them get up to level required for them to pass subjects and to improve their spoken and written English.

My Daily Schedule

06:30 - 7:00            Breakfast
7:00                        Load boat and get ready to deploy
07:30                      Departure
07:55                      Arrival at project site
08:00 - 15:00          Teaching at assisting in classrooms
12:00 - 13:00          Lunch
15:00 - 15:50          One to One teaching (not Fridays)
16:00                      Depart from projects to base
16:30 - 19:30          Lesson planning/Base chores/Free Time
19:30ish                  Dinner

Young girl studying at desk at Ratu Meli Memorial School.

Fiji :P

On January 10th 2012 I will be jetting off to sunny Fiji for my volunteering adventure! Less than two months away now.. I am so excited :)

I will be teaching children aged between 3 and 13 years old at the Ratu Meli Memorial School on the Yasawa Islands. My primary aim is to improve the level of English but I will also assist with Maths, Sports and the Arts.

Typical Day

Your days normally start very early with breakfast, before travelling to work by boat. At the school most of your morning will be spent teaching and organising educational games/activities for the children. English is taught in schools but grammar and reading is usually particularly poor and children are rarely encouraged to speak together in English. Your most important role is providing face-to-face contact with children that need positive role models and education support (feeding, teaching, interacting with them daily), whilst simultaneously providing them with an exciting cultural interaction.

Usually school starts with an assembly, a great way to start the day. You will then meet with your fellow teachers to discuss the day’s activities. The rest of the day will be spent teaching, assisting teachers with daily goals, marking homework, playing games, and providing one on one support for students. Students benefit from this valuable interaction at an early age with volunteers fluent in English. One of your primary aims should be to improve the level of English in your classes. You will also assist with mathematics, sports and arts and crafts. You will also have the opportunity to learn the local language from the kids in your class. After school finishes in the afternoon volunteers may help with sports and extra-curricular activities. In the evenings, back on base, there will be time to lesson plan and prepare for the following day.

(Taken from www.gvi.co.uk)

I have arranged my three-month trip through the gap-year company, Global Vision International and my travel insurance with Campbell Irvine. I have also sorted out my CRB check, all my flights through Qantas Holidays  with help from Bath Travel. My accommodation for two nights is also all paid for at Aquarius Fiji in Nadi, booked through Awesome Adventures. 

So I am flying at 3pm on January 10th from London Heathrow to Los Angeles. I then leave L.A at 9.30pm their time and arrive in Nadi at 5.15am.. two days later!! Yes, I arrive on January 12th in Fiji as it is a whole day ahead. Mind boggling. I will be beyond jet lagged. Hence, the two days rest when I arrive as the program does not start until the 14th.

I shall then be travelling to New Zealand to see a friend I knew in Nepal, of whom I haven't seen for five years. I fly back to London on April 19th via Sydney, Australia. I arrive back in England on April 20th at the horrideous time of 6.25am. Cannot wait. I am setting off on the above trip alone but I know I will meet loads of lovely people out there.

Obviously this adventure is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but it does come with a hefty price tag..

GVI fee: £2095
CRB: £5
Insurance: £111
Flights: £1611.73 (including New Zealand)
Two nights accommodation: FJD 132 (around £26)
Plus any extra spending money, so in total over £4000!

I'm not doing too badly with fundraising, having raised around half the money through my two summer jobs and selling homemade jam for £2 a jar. I have made £92.71 from selling the jam to the ladies at a Weldmar outlet in Weymouth where I volunteered every Wednesday and also at Pekoes Cafe in Weymouth where I worked during the summer. I now have a part time job at Debenhams which will help to raise the rest of the money.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support, your donations and for buying my jam! :)

Watch this space...



Go to the GVI website: www.gvi.co.uk to find out more about various volunteering opportunities.