Grog

I tried grog for the first time yesterday at another welcome ceremony for the ambassador at the Peace Corps office.    It is made from the kava root and used in all the traditional ceremonies here.  I get the feeling that it is used a lot in the villages just when people are hanging out in grog circles.   Here is some more information about it if you are interested.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kava.  It does not taste nearly as bad as it looks and it sort of just made my mouth numb for about 10 minutes.  You  have to drink it all in one swig and clap once before you drink it and three times afterwards.  I am not sure I was supposed to drink it because it was all men in the circle, but the Peace Corps staff is laid back.   Nice Fijian experience!

I should also mention I got to meet a few of the volunteers there.  Two of the volunteers live in the Southern Lau islands of Fiji.   They are so hardcore.  They only have electricity for 3 hours a day.  They live in a small village and said they never sit on chairs because no one does.  There is a cell tower on the island, but it's hit or miss and most people don't use phones.   The cell tower is new and phones are not really a part of the culture.   The female volunteer wears a full traditional ensemble (long skirt and shirt) everywhere even when she runs.  She said it's like 1910 on the island.   There is a plane that flies out once a week and a boat that comes monthly.   Her and her husband moved from living in the city of Chicago to this small village in Fiji.  Their lives couldn't be more different than before.   I admire them.