DAY 5- cooking up some fun

Waking up in the village was a strange experience. I had slept on a mat on the floor for the first time ever, and my back was aching. Nonetheless, we woke up a bit late, so we had time to relax as we got up. It was the first introduction of our everyday meals; bread, coffee, and fruit for breakfast.

I was on the cooking crew for the day, but since that didn’t start until 10:30, I had a bit of time to myself. Madiha, Jacob, and I spent some time talking to Angie and Aunty Emilie, and we all came to the conclusion that we should make nametags for the students. This idea expanded to also making nametags for all of the adults in the village. The real task was finding the villagers that the nametag belonged to. We walked and walked around the village, until it was time for me to start cooking service.

Once it reached time to cook, I headed back to Angie’s house. I helped for lunch and dinner simultaneously by cutting up various fruit and veggies. Aunty Emilie was buttering bread as various women were preparing canned fish and veggies. The whole time, every woman working had a smile on her face. It was like they couldn’t be happier, while making food for and with us.

After that came the first lunch of the village, which I would learn is practically identical everyday. I stayed under the community center after I ate, and chilled with the toddlers. I met Lela the toddler (further addressed as little Lela). She was most definitely a character; she loved hair, being picked up, and making random little noises. She easily attached to Lisa, Katie, and myself. She was the nice one compared to the other little boys. They jumped on and attacked us. It honestly was a fun experience, though a bit painful.

The rest of the day was chill, all up until the night. It was a night of kava and dancing, which was so fun. I probably only had five bowls, while watching my friends down many more than that. It was a man and his guitar playing Fijian music, so all we could do is dance and have a blast. This lasted until about 10:00 pm, and wore us all completely out.