Although "bula" means "hello" in Fijian, I've learned that the direct translation of it means "live". So, as you greet people, you're telling them to live. If you sneeze, others are giving you well wishes by encouraging you to get better and to... live. Now, perhaps you understand why the word is so commonplace here as it's literally what people do... LIVE.
I've been so fortunate to "bula life" here for the past several weeks as Fiji is a beautiful place in every
sense of the word. I will forever cherish my weeks there as I have grown, experienced, and appreciated so many things in such a short period of
time. I will miss so many things about this country so, without further ado…
Top 10 Things I Will Miss About Fiji (note: this list,
apparently, is an annual one that changes for whichever county I’ve visited)
- The friendliness of people. I find it amazing that I walk down the street and every stranger that I pass smile and says, “Bula!” In addition, people actually take the time to get to know complete strangers and to truly make them feel welcome. In fact, I was so welcomed, that if I were to ever return, I would easily have a handful of places to stay, a cab driver that will drive me around the island for half price, volunteer work to jump into, and an endless amount of kava ceremonies with Vili. (He invited us all “home” for a goodbye kava ceremony on Wednesday night. Because of the craziness of the past couple of days, I had to decline… but how awesome that he, like Naomi from the village I stayed at, welcomed us “home” as if we were family despite having only known us for a short period of time!)
- The natural beauty. Fiji is only slightly larger than the state of Connecticut, yet there are both mountains and beaches, palm trees, rainforests, and lush green scenery everywhere. How could one not appreciate this?!
- The fact that everyone thinks I’m from Australia or New Zealand. Although I love the U.S., you have to admit that it’s kind of cool for others to think that you’re from such a sweet place. In fact, I thought it was so awesome, that I just started telling strangers that, “Yes! I’m from Sydney (or Auckland, Melbourne, Queenstown… you get the idea)! How did you know?!” My personal favorite response is when I get a very excited, “It’s your accent! I can tell from your accent!”
- Reggae beats. If you can find a song that can’t support a Reggae beat in the background, then I’d hardly call it a song because trust me… It’s possible! Don’t believe me? Here’s one that they played all the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmcKBBHeo1U and here’s one that I about died laughing over when I heard it on the bus because I, like you, didn’t think a Reggae beat was possible for a song like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waPhXBv_oNk. You’re welcome.
- My work. The workshops and professional development sessions were very well received. As I was speaking, I would see many teachers smiling and nodding along. Several would come up to me afterwards and ask questions, provide support, or share positive opinions. One principal even sent me an e-mail to share that her staff is now required to use motivational techniques (primarily movement) in their lessons to help students learn. It’s amazing to me that I have been so well received and have been able to share so much to a country with very traditional ways of running schools and classes. Without a doubt in my mind, I know that I’ve made a difference among 40 schools, 142 teachers, and countless students (which is nearly three times more schools, teachers, and students that I had anticipated working with! God is SO good!)
- The people here that I’ve formed lasting relationships with. I think this one has been made pretty apparent throughout the summer, but I will say that the only time that I cried was shortly after saying goodbye to Mere at FENC. She had tears in her eyes while she was saying goodbye and said beautiful things about how much she’ll miss me and how much of a difference HELP volunteers have made (and are still making!) among the students that we have been tutoring there.
- Fresh bread and exotic fruits. I’ll be honest in saying that traditional Fijian food isn’t my favorite; however, the bread and fruits will truly be missed. After all, I can’t get a loaf of freshly baked, Fijian home-made bread or locally grown pineapple and papaya for next to nothing in the U.S.!
- The simplicity of life. For example, when my bag didn’t fit into the overhead bin on my flight from Suva to Nadi, the flight attendant took it to “lock it up in the back”. Please see the picture below to see where I picked my bag up from. Enough said.
9. Fiji time. Lord help me! It's such a double edged sword, but without it, I wouldn't have felt so relaxed and so carefree for the past month and a half. Without it, the Fijian people wouldn't be so friendly, so welcoming, or so kind. By living without time constraints, they stop following their own agendas and, instead, do little things to make others happy. What a beautiful thing!
10. Fiji Meghan. Can a few weeks change somebody? Absolutely, and I like to call these changes "Fiji Meghan". This version of me makes time to do more of the little things that make me happy, appreciates living and loving simply, and (I think) is kinder and more friendly. I'm looking forward to being back in the "real world" and to bringing as much of Fiji Meghan as I can with me. I suppose that the first challenge will be making this work in Vegas as I visit my sister! (I'm planning on making a Vegas blog post in a few days as I consider it the "finale" of my trip!)
So, in a nut shell, what I've learned... Slow down. Appreciate the little things. Smile. Say hello. Serve others. Be kind. Share. Ask questions. Be grateful. Praise God. Have fun. Be flexible. Be thankful. Recognize beauty. Balance work and play. Love life. Bula.
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