Have you ever used a Tahitian telephone?

Watch as our guide, Teiva, attempts to communicate with people throughout the valley. Although the "telephone" doesn't "work" as well as the modern telephone, Tahitians used to communicate throughout the valleys by knocking on chestnut trees and counting the echoes.

"Live" Tahitian Dancing Featured Online

I uploaded my first video from studying abroad this afternoon! It will be the first of several! It features Tahitian dancing, and the way the women move is truly amazing. Some of the female Simpson students took dance classes while we were abroad, and I tried dancing a few times... but couldn't quite get the hang of it. I think I'll stick to playing volleyball! Feel free to offer your comments after you view it!

I can't believe it...Only 28 days left

I have one month left in French Polynesia. Where did the time go?! Ever since I switched host families, the time has flown by, and I finally feel at home. For example, after I returned from Fakarava, I unconsciously included "home" in my Facebook status.

Ever since I began noticing "little" things like that, I started realizing I have made Tahiti my home, and it was an unconscious effort. I'm adaptable to situations and try to make them positive experiences, but this is a curse as well; I know I will shed more than just a few tears after I say my good-byes and the plane leaves Papeete.

A few of the other students are extremely excited to go back home. They began counting down the days our second week in French Polynesia. As for me, there were a couple weeks when I hit rock bottom and fell victim to this mentality, but I persevered knowing that things would truly become easier. Also, I didn't want to count down the days until I had to go home.... I wanted to think, "I only have X number of days left??"

My objective for this study abroad experience was to focus on enriching and broadening my international understanding of the world we live in. Having never studied abroad, I wasn't sure what to expect, but that is what I wanted. According to our text, based solely on how to maximize study abroad, it is helpful to have a goal but no expectations. Whether it is to strengthen language skills or dive into the culture, I agree that goals help and expectations harm. Or, if you have an expectation, you must be willing to recognize and accept it as a false hope. You will never fully understand or know what will occur. Sometimes the culture itself, or situations such as host families or friendships, doesn't measure up to what you imagine. Be willing to adapt to or let go of the image you have of how your experience will unveil.

Now that finals are over (YES!!), May term commences Monday and leaves us with four weeks left. We travel to three other islands the after next week. After we return, we have one more final week of class, and I leave the week after. I graduate soon, and finally it is the real world!!

I'm still not sure what to think about life post graduation. I won't resume classes in September, I won't have to work out for volleyball, and I won't have the luxury knowing what will happen in the upcoming year. I will work at Simpson as a mentor through June, but after that I am not 100 percent positive where life will take me. The "plan" is to be in Washington, D.C. by Aug. 1, but we all know plans change.

I do know though that this experience helped emotionally prepare me for the possibility of serving in the Peace Corps. Going from talking to my parents almost every day to not speaking for five weeks was difficult. I never thought it would affect me the way it did. They are my support group, and as I was undergoing an extremely emotionally charged experience, I was unavailable to reach them. The lack of communication with home is also difficult for Peace Corps volunteers. Lucky for me I got a taste of it! It really made me question whether or not I could make it as a volunteer. Also, knowing that I'm leaving a home in Tahiti will surely result again if I am accepted as a volunteer to serve elsewhere; it is always difficult to leave when you grow to be fond of where you live. Now I know at least a little of what to expect, and I still want to help others.

The weather is nice, the people are nice....even Polynesian sharks are nice

While in Fakarava, I snorkeled with sharks, scuba dived, saw one of the former presidents of French Polynesia, and took an 1.5 hr boat ride to snorkel at a motu while my host dad and host sister scuba dived with thousands of sharks.

Not only was the trip amazing because of what we did, but the hospitality of the people I met was heart-warming. We attended mass twice, once the night before Easter and once the second Sunday we were there. Both times random women would welcome us. Even with the simple faire du bisou (kissing of the cheeks), you could feel them welcoming your presence.

A beautiful Catholic church. Garlands made of shells strung across the ceiling, and  many shell chandeliers hung as well.

In front of us sat former French Polynesian President Gaston Flosse. He spent Christmas in jail and Easter at his home at Fakarava. Yes, you read that correctly. He was in jail for corruption that he committed during his presidency.

The first time I saw a shark, I was snorkeling by myself and swam back to shore as fast as possible. After the shock of realizing that I could quite possibly be attacked, I decided getting back into the water was worth price. Haha. Actually, my host parents convinced me that the Polynesians sharks are just as nice as the people. Rarely are there attacks, and people have safely swam with them for years.

The second time I snorkeled was at the motu I visited. At that time I saw six of them at once. I can't imagine swimming with thousands like my host dad and host sisters have!!

I met several interesting people who were visiting Fakarava. After I landed, no one was there to pick me up because my host parents thought my plane was stopping at another island before landing in Fakarava. As I spoke to a woman that worked at the pension we were staying at, I'm pretty sure this one couple overheard my feeble attempt to speak my accented French because after I hung up the phone, they asked if I was American. Haha. Come to find out, this couple had been traveling the world for the past year and wrapping up their journey in French Polynesia before their final destination in southern California.

I also met a family of five on a five-month world tour. They were traveling en route to Peru where the father will be working for a NGO. Their last globe trotting adventure lasted 18 months!! Their next destinations included Tahiti, Easter Island, Chili and finally Peru. What I would give to be able to do that with a family of my own one day!!

Back to the real world

I returned today from Fakarava, the most beautiful place I have visited in my life thus far! It was absolutely gorgeous, and it was an amazing week spent with my wonderful host family! I will post tomorrow about the week and let you know more! For now, I have a quiz to study for and e-mails needing responses!

The Real Tahiti

This is for all of you who thought I would be spending the semester in paradise....

The real Tahiti... Approximately 131,000 people reside in Papeete, the capitol of French Polynesia and located in Tahiti, and its development shows. Hundreds of cars travel to and from the city; commuting is extremely time-consuming because Papeete is where a majority of people work, and there is also only one main road that enters and leaves the city. If someone lives across the island, oftentimes they have to leave work two or three hours prior. Traffic is mainly regulated by round-abouts, which can back up traffic the same as stoplights. Also, businesses that are based in Papeete, such as Hinano and Air Tahiti, contribute to the amount traffic flowing in and out of the city because they are sources of employment. 

Tahiti is not as clean as most people might believe. As beautiful as the island is in certain areas, trash is littered throughout the streets, alongside the roads and corners, as well as on the beaches. Clusters of trash, cans, and bottles are observable once you leave the resorts. In addition to trash, sometimes the occasional smell of sewage occurs in Papeete, and wild chickens and dogs stroll throughout the island. 

Homeless dogs roam the streets throughout the island. At the university, they stroll through the café or cafeteria and lounge where students congregate. Personally, it is difficult to watch these dogs beg for attention or food. There are simply not enough people who want to own a dog, nor do a lot of people desire to keep a dog as a pet. Owning a dog is quite difficult because most people keep their homes as open as possible for ventilation, and dogs can also run away when the gates to their driveway are opened. People can call an organization that will come to euthanize a dog, but it does not appear many people do this. 

Despite what people believe, Tahiti is not a paradise. Living in Tahiti is different than vacationing the island. Although it has gorgeous beaches and beautiful colored water, paradise does not consist of geological landscapes, like I once believed. When living in Tahiti, you notice cultural differences and experience the hospitality from others living on the island as well as the frustrations that result in adapting and integrating into a different culture. It is sometimes difficult, but if an individual has the desire to become familiar with Polynesian culture, he or she will leave with a greater understanding of what lies behind just a beautiful beach.

Downside: Exhausted from hiking ... Upside: Visiting another island soon

Meeting prior to the hike.

We- Simpson group- finished hiking up a mountain about an hour ago. I am exhausted!! Not only was it quite a long hike, but it was also pretty steep. There was even a rope at the end that you had to use!!! Luckily, what greeted us at the end of our hike were three waterfalls! We were able to slide down the first two, which were pretty small. If you went down the third waterfall, you would die.

Right before we had to use the rope, we saw a decrepit stone wall. Our professor informed us that it is a wall of a fort built by the French during the French-Tahitian War in the 1840's.

Fakarava, which is an atoll, is only about 2-3 meters high. I've included a picture of the island. As you may have already noticed, there's no land in the center! Before studying here, I always thought islands were an "island." You know, land throughout the entire thing. Well, here's a geography lesson for you! Islands are formed by underwater volcanoes. The lava builds up and hardens enough so that it peaks out from the water and continues forming. Eventually, the volcano stops erupting and begins sinking and coral forms-creating a lagoon- around the island. The volcano will eventually be fully submerged under the ocean, leaving the coral reef, making it an atoll. These specific island formations are common throughout the Pacific, because of the warm ocean waters. I learned this in our first geography class of the semester.... Interesting!!

The water was FREEZING, but it was still a great to swim with everyone and eat lunch together. We even had a few extra people with us that were friends of another woman that came with us.

Oh!!! Exciting news!! I will be going to Fakarava in the Tuamotu Islands with my host family next weekend!! Last week they invited me to go, but I had to see if I could rearrange a final, and they had to check on seat availability. Well, it's official; I have my ticket!!

I'll be missing a week of school, so I have quite a bit to accomplish before I leave!! I have to complete my cultural rich points journal and take my French exam and Polynesial cultural oral exam. Busy!!

*I wish I could post more pictures, but the pictures aren't going through the upload.