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!

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.