First Timers

We've been busy learning the culture ever since we arrived here in Fiji.  It's crazy to think that we've already been in Fiji for a month.  Even after a month, we're still learning and trying new things for the first time.  This past week, we had two new experiences:  riding the bus and eating Indian food.

No windows!  Great for a good breeze

Which bus should we get on?

Beautiful view of the coast from the bus

The bus is actually a lot of fun to ride in Fiji.  Since it doesn't have windows, there is a great breeze as long as the bus is in motion.  They always play really fun, upbeat music and occasionally you get to experience a view like the one above.  Buses and taxis are the main modes of transportation in Suva.  Not many people have their own cars and they rely heavily on the bus system.  Up to this point, we've been taking taxis when we need to get somewhere.  Taxis are very cheap.  They usually run somewhere between two and three Fijian Dollars.  This is less than two dollars American.  While taxis are not expensive for us, they are for Fijians, especially students.  A bus fare is seventy cents Fijian (about forty cents American) and much more cost effective for most Fijians.  Now that we know we can ride the bus and not get lost, we'll try to ride it as often as possible, especially to and from campus.

We also tried Indian food for the first time since we've been here.  Looking back, it's pretty impressive that we went a month without eating Indian food in Suva.  There are a lot of people in Fiji with Indian heritage (Indo-Fijians), something like 40% of the population.  Because there are so many people with Indian backgrounds, Indian food is very popular in Fiji.  If you like curry, you would have no trouble finding it in Suva.  I've never had real Indian food before so it was a new experience for me.  I'm not sure that I can tell you exactly what I ate but I'd have to say that my favorite part was the naan.  There's nothing really special about naan, it's just bread but for some reason it was really good.

It really is an incredible experience to learn a new culture.  Riding the bus and eating Indian food are just small examples of what life is like here in Fiji.  I hope that over the course of this year, I can paint a better picture of life in Fiji.  I feel like we've just cracked the surface of Fijian life and culture.  There's so much more for the team and I to learn and I can't wait to share it with you.  Have a great day!