Lets talk politics

Today I met with the Prime Minister. Somehow I was able to get an interview. So today marks my first meeting with a leader of a country, not a bad day at all.

R&R

Zoe and I had a wonderful weekend of rest and relaxation at Aggies. We took warm showers, snuggled into clean sheets and watched movies (7- to be exact), tanned on the beach, used the luxury gym and sauna, checked out the spa, dined on tuna and pastas and delicious desserts, and took avantage of the breakfast buffet. I felt a little like I won a reward challenge on Survivor...it was wonderful.

sunset at lalomanu beach fales

cooking at usp

15 minutes of fame

Yesterday I went in to a Samoan radio station to interview the radio personality about the government's control of the media. When I went into the building (which is the oldest building in Apia) the radio personality was busy editing the radio program for the next day. I sat and waited for him to finish working. (usual Samoan policy: you must sit and wait for a significant amount of time for interviews, classes, taxis, buses, phone calls, meetings, meals, pigs to cross the road...) As he was working and I was sitting, he turned and asked me if I wouldnt mind being the voice of a few commercials and adds for the station. Before I answered he handed me a paper (an add for Nike and another local shop having holiday sales), told me to read, and sat a microphone in my lap...so there I was, at a radio station expecting an interview and ending up on the radio! So I threw caution to the wind and I read the advertisments with all the gusto and enthusiasm I could muster! (they said I was a natural) Hooray for advertising, I had a lot more fun than I expected I would! And now, I am basking in my 15 minutes of semi-fame.

always prepared!

The other morning I was abruptly woken up by long, howling sirens and men on megaphones. I pulled the earplugs out of my ears, fought my way out of my mosquito net, and strained to understand the loud, muffled voices. It took me a few minutes to process that it was campus security, and they were pounding on everyones doors, screaming "A TSUNAMI IS COMING" and "EVERYONE REPORT TO THE FALE!" I scrambled out of bed and did a few circles around my room, trying to figure out what to do with myself. I rummaged through my dorm to find clothes to wear, and in the process of getting dressed, I decided to grab my rain jacket too- I figured during tsunamis things are bound to get wet, right? Then, as I started to go into survival mode, I proceeded to pack up all the antibiotics I could find in my FirstAid Kit. I marched out of my room and headed for the fale. As I came scurrying towards the rest of the students on campus, I realized quite quickly no one else was in a hurry like me, in fact, everyone seemed kind of annoyed, not at all scared...so there I was, rain jacket and antibiotics in hand, ready for the...tsunami drill.
Ive been through earthquake drills, bomb threat drills, fire drills, and the like...but a tsunami drill?? A 7AM tsunami drill?! Really.
Needless to say, my over-preparedness became the source of jokes for the day.

fiji

Beyond the palm trees, white sand and sunshine, Fiji is an incredibly diverse island with a complex history and real people with real issues. Fiji hosts two main ethnic groups, indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians (who were brought to Fiji as indentured servants by the British during colonialism). The two ethnic groups remain incredibly separate and distinct even today, and many of Fiji’s political and social conflict is derived from the racism and misunderstanding between these two ethnic groups. I wont get into the nitty gritty details now, but while we were in Fiji our studies focused on the ethnic tensions, political coups and social conflicts within the country. When you travel to Fiji, you will see the village life and culture of ethnic Fijians, as well as Indo-Fijian- who have maintained their Indian language, food and religion. To experience both cultures, we stayed in Abaca, an indigenous Fijian village, in Suva- the largest city in Fiji, and in Sigatoka with an Indo-Fijian family. Abaca (pronounced Ahm-ba-tha) is an ethnic Fijian village of 96 people nestled in a valley in the hills of Fiji. The landscape of Fiji is a lot different than Samoa. Fiji is much dryer and more arid looking. There are pine trees (they look like wilty, sad pine trees though), mountains and sand dunes, as well as palm trees and bamboo that grow on Fiji’s gently rolling hills. Samoa is much more green, lush and humid than Fiji- with massive looming mountains. Fiji is less humid, and consequently more cool than Samoa-so many of us were chilly on our trip (in fact, im starting to despise the  bone chilling air produced by air conditioning-espeically on planes) I wore my warm rain jacket most nights- which made me giggle, because I realize that most people go to Fiji for the balmy tropical weather and I was bundled up complaining about the chilly night air. In Abaca our group went on a 3 hour hike to a beauitful waterfall. On our way down we had a massive view of Fiji’s other islands and the water. After our hike 4 of us decided we wanted to explore the hillside more. We saw a rocky mountain ledge that had a potentially beautiful view to watch the sunset- so we decided to try to climb the mountain and reach the top before dark. The only problem was, there was no trail, and no one in the village offered to take us to the view point. Most people warned us that the hike was difficult. Despite the warning, we ventured out anyway…I rationalized the bad idea by convincing myself that there was nothing harmful in the forest (no deadly snakes or poisonous plants) so therefore, nothing could really be that dangerous… We literally plowed through stalks of bamboo and  thorny plants to create our own path up the mountain. After thiry minutes I was drenched in sweat and my thighs were burning, and I couldn’t help but think “no wonder no one in the village offered to take us up this mountain” We cut a haphazard trail up the side of the mountain for about two hours, then after many tries to climb upwards, we concluded that reaching the view point was impossible and any more attempts were pointless. Now, our main mission became getting back down the mountain- and this proved to be much more difficult than we anticiapted. We quickly got lost in the thick patches of bamboo (to the point where we couldn’t see the sky because of the tall plants) and we cut up our legs and arms on the thorny plants and branches as we tried to make a new trail down the mountain. The incline was steep, so all of us tripped and slipped multiple times-adding to our collected of bumps, scratches and muddy bruises. It was around 4:30pm when things really started to go downhill (literally). It was getting dark, we were getting worried that we couldn’t find our way back, and then….it began to rain. Fiji has been in a drought for the past 4 months, but of course, the day 4 silly students decide to climb a mountain was the day that the rain came…. and poured…and poured….Soaking wet, completely drenched, dripping, we slipped our way through more forest, and finally, found our way back to the village. It was most definelty an adventure, and all 4 of us were happy to take a shower (even if it was a cold shower) and dress ourselves in our dirty (but warm and dry) clothes. Village life in Abaca was similar to that in Lotofaga. I slept on a bed (although it didn’t have a matress) under a mosquito net, because I was a guest. The house had one room, so everyone ate, slept and socialized together. We cooked on the floor, ate on the floor and sat and talked on the floor. Such is life in a pacific village.

Suva is the largest city in the pacific. It looks like a developing urban area, with the normal grime and dirt of a city and the flare of pacific culture and indian influence. There was an amazing spice market where I stocked up on curry, masala, tumeric, and chili peppers to bring home. There were both indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians living in the city and the shops and  merchandise reflected the diverse culture. Some stores had sari’s and curry while others had kava bowls and coconut oil, while other stores had a mix of both cultures. There were shopping malls with escalators, and traditional markets with street vendors, a movie theater, a McDonalds and many trendy clothing stores. While in Suva we visited the University of the South Pacific Suva Campus (which is huge and beautiful) and listened to lectues on Pacific music and arts, as well as the ethnic conflicts in Fiji and how they affect politics and society. At night we indulged in the delicioius foods Suva had to offer and ate delicious curry and vegetalbes as well as sushi! We went out to a karaoke bar one night, and explored the city. The nightlife was a far cry from the bars and clubs you might see in the States, but it was still a step up from the few little night clubs in Samoa. The food in Suva was excellent, and probably the best part of Fiji. Because the food in Samoa is pretty bland, and, dare I say, pretty disgusting, the spices and flavor (and vegetables!!) of Fijian cooking were delicious! You could buy a plate of vegetable curry and other spiced veggies and roti for $2 (that’s less than 1 US dollar)  I was in food heaven. While in Fiji we also visited a squatter settlement. Land ownership is a huge issue in Fiji and many people move to the city (to be closer to jobs and good education) and are forced to live as squatters due to high rent and costs of housing. We were able to see the conditions squatters lived in (which is actaully very similar to many villages we have stayed in, except villagers own their land) and hear about their problems and issues- which affect both indigenous and indo-Fijian families.               

                Sigatoka- my indo-Fijian host family was less than friendly. I guess I have gotten used to the generous hospitality and warm welcome of Samoans and I was shocked by the distant, noncommunicative nature of my host family in Sigatoka. However, looking on the bright side, my host mother was a wonderful cook and we had the most amazing vegetarian curry dishes (of my life). I looked forward to every meal. We ate all the meals with our hands, and I never realized (until this homestay) how difficult it is to pick up rice and curry with your fingers when you are really hungry. My fingers were stained yellow- and I loved it. They had a large, relatively nice house. But the house was also stuffy, and you had to fight off swarms (yes swarms) of mosquitos when you sat at the kitchen table…I concluded that was why I rarely saw anyone eat there…My host brother was getting married in a few weeks so they were preparing the house for the hindu wedding, and a room for the bride (because after the wedding she would be moving into the house)There marriage was a love marriage (they had met and starting dating on their own, it wasn’t arranged) Our host mother explained traditions of an Indian wedding, which lasts 3 days. They cook only vegetarian food, the bride travels back and forth from her home to the home of her husband during and after the wedding and many people are invited- they sent out 800 invitations to friends and family. Learning about the indo-fijian culture was pretty neat and I was happy to have had the experience. However, unfortunely for me, the family had a cat, and I realized I am just as allergic to Fijian cats as I am to American ones. I suffered through two nights of allergy attacks and mosquito bites, so needless to say, I was happy to leave. After leaving Sigatoka we stopped by a trendy touristy beach before we went to the airport. A few of us snuck into a resort near by (think 5 star, marble floor, infinity pool, $30 pina colada-type-of-place)…I sat on the lawn chairs and enjoyed a few minutes of tourism…

My Independent Study Project

Okay, lets talk academics....so, my SIT Samoa program is basically an independent study program, and we are reaching the point in the program where it is time to independently study. I have decided to focus my study on politics (partly because I promised my advisor at Villanova that I would research a political science topic here so that I didnt have to take a similar course back at school... I figured if I could get credit for a difficult research class  in 80 degree weather near a beach- it was a good idea to do so) In order to understand my research topic, I need to give you a little background on Samoan politics...
Samoa has been independent since 1962. Although Samoa is a democracy, there are many elements of Samoan culture that are included in politics, so democracy functions differently here. For example, only matai (the chiefs of villages) were allowed to vote up until 1990-when universal suffrage was introduced, and even today you will find that the prime minister and the members of parliment hold many, highly respected matai titles. The complexity of the fa'asamoa and politics is very confusing-especially to explain in a little blog like this- but just understand, Samoan culture greatly influences and drives political activity. Although Samoa is a democracy, it has often been a 1 party state. The Human Rights Protection Party has dominated politics in Samoa. Currently, the party basically controls the country uncontested by any political opposition. However, there are general elections in March of 2011, and therefore opponants of the HRPP are attempting challenge the party and create a formal opposition. I am going to research the formation of the opposition party, and look at the challenges of creating an opposition to the HRPP- which has been incredibly successful in maintaining popular support and control of the country. Add one part political parties and two parts Samoan cultural influence on politics and you have the recipe for my research paper-in a nut shell.
During the month of November we dont take any classes, and we are free to roam around the country and study our topics. I am planning to interview some members of government, some academics and some villagers to get a nice range of opinions and feelings on politics. At the end of the month, we present on our topic and turn in a 40 page research paper- then we pack up and head home...

university of the south pacific

When we are not living in villages, or packing up and heading off to American Samoa or Fiji, we spend our time at the University of the South Pacific (which we all refer to, lovingly, as USP) USP is a beautiful campus. It sits in a valley and is surrounded by mountains covered in greenery and coconut trees. The campus is sprawling and large. The university studies focus on agriculture, so there are fields of taro, mango trees, and other pacific island food staples planted around campus. Most of the students who attend USP are majoring in agriculture, which is a very popular and relevent major in the Pacific.
My time at USP has been full of emotional highs and lows, new experiences and challenges, and a whole lot of mosquitos...
First of all, I live in a single room, but share a common room with 4 roommates. Unfortunatly, I also share my room with an army of ants. After losing too many packages of crackers and jars of jam to the ants- I have taken extreme measures to ensure my food stays safe from their mini-ant mouths. All my of food is placed inside plastic baggies, which are then zipped inside my backpack, which is then placed inside my suitcase and stowed away- so far, with this new method, my food is untouched and the ants have gone hungry. Creepy crawlers are common here- on an average day I come in contact with  mosquitos and flies at the gym, milipedes and centipedes in the grass, roaches and ants in the bathrooms, and lizards and geckos (i like those!) everywhere at night.  I have also hung a mosquito yet above my bed, which i love- the draping netting is a lot like a canopy and it makes me feel very cozy at night.
My roommates love to play their music (imagine, the "best of the 90s", and you have a good sense of what they play) all day, and all night, all the time...every day. They talk loud and laugh louder, and because there are no soundproof walls, or windows that shut, sound carries incredibly easily... I have learned that in the Pacific, it is incredibly rude (and completely weird of you) to ask people to "please, turn it down". Thankfully, I have finally escaped this volume problem (after a month of sleepless nights) by employing the use of earplugs- which might be my new favorite things on earth. Showering at USP, is not my favorite activity. There are often lots of milipedes and ants to keep you company in the tiny stall. I have not had a heated shower since I left Hawaii. The cold water, although refreshing, is always a shock when you first get in. Cleanliness is a constant battle. My feet are covered in a thin layer of dirt 24/7. I tried to hand wash my clothes for the first 2 weeks while I was on campus, but I quickly learned that hand washing is quite possibly not one of my talents, so I resorted to paying for the washing machine (and I havent regretted my choice) I dont mind being dirty and sweaty all the time, but it will be nice to feel clean again some day...
Every day Zoe (my best bud on the trip) and I wake up at 630am and do yoga in the fale on campus. Its a pleasant way to wake up, and afterwards we head to breakfast. Breakfast at USP includes, one tiny apple-bananna (a mini, sweeter version of the palagi banana), a slice of papaya (not my favorite, as nice as it sounds), 4 pieces of white bread, and usually oatmeal or cereal or sandwhiches or something like that... Breakfast is one of the best meals. We spend the rest of our mornings (and much of the afternoon) in language class, or traveling around Apia to visit NGOs, universities, organizations, or listen to speakers discuss social and political issues in Samoa.
In the afternoon I try to hit the gym. It is the same gym that the national Samoan rugby team uses, so the weights are SUPERSIZED. It is hard to find any machine that doesnt have less than 200 lbs. stacked on it. However, Im happy to have a gym- although the only machines are bikes (with broken seats, so you must stand to ride them) or urging machines (that are also broken). Exercise, therefore, requires a good amount of creativity. Some people on campus play volleyball before dinner, and some of the boys play rugby in the large open field.
Dinners at USP vary, but a generous serving of white rice, taro or boiled green banannas always accompanies the main dish. Veggies are a rare sighting.
There is a lot of time at USP to read, so most of us spend a significant amount of our time diving into some good books. There is no TV, and the computer lab is open occasionally (the only place where there is air conditioning) but the internet moves at snail speed and is tempermental so we spend a lot of time just talking.
It is nice to spend some time, in between traveling, on campus. My room is comfortable and feels like my little home, for now.

american samoa

After spending 3 days in American Samoa, I am happy to be back. We took a teeny, tiny 16 person plane from Samoa (called Western/Indepedent Samoa) to American Samoa. The view on the 30 minute plane ride was spectacular- you could see the entire island, the reefs and the open ocean- I even saw a huge whale! American Samoa's geography looks very similar to Western Samoa, plus the "luxuries" of American culture-including: KFC, McDonalds, Cost-U-Less (likes Costco), Pizza Hut and all the candy bars and junk food available in the States. In fact, American Samoan's pride themselves on their American fast food, and as a result we ate fast food for ever single meal. Because I am not a fast food fanatic (in fact, I really dislike fast food) eating McMuffins for breakfast, fried chicken for lunch and burgers for dinner was slightly painful. The living conditions in American Samoa span a wide range. Some peope stayed with families in "palagi houses" (two story, concrete houses that look like ones from the States). However, I stayed in small house on the beach- our kitchen was outside, there was no running water so we bathed in a bucket, and we slept on the floor. We ate McDonlands, with extra Mayo, and Top Ramen for our meals. Oh, I also rode around the entire island in the back of the pickup truck. My host sister (who i loved) woke me up at 5 AM so we could tour the entire island (which takes only 45 minutes) before I left.
In class, we listened to speakers discusses Samoan music, the matai system (the village form of governance and order), archeology and history of the islands. We even made our own lavalavas in a traditional samoan art class! We also hiked up a stream using ropes to climb up sheer rock- the hike was nice, but the mosquitos were fierce-and I was happy to be done. In other news, everyone is continuing to get sicknesses (mostly fevers and sore throats) and huge infected cuts and boils- all common ailments in the pacific. Im trying my best to stay healthy and keep my distance from flesh eating bacteria....

savaii

The birthday celebration began on Friday when we all boarded the ferry from Upolu (Samoa's main island) to Savaii (the more rural, largest, most naturally preserved island)...our suitcases were full of sunscreen, bug spray, boxed wine and grapefruit flavored vodka (we thought it sounded refreshing, and semi-tropical...it would do the trick) The ferry ride was about two hours, a perfect time for a nice little power nap curled up on the seats. The view of Savaii from the ferry is vast and amazing. The coastal water is tiffany blue and sparkling,  the volcanos on the mountains are covered in dark green swaying palms and tropical trees and the whole island is scarecly populated (compared to Upolu) so the dinge and grease of the city is no where in sight. We disembarked and headed for Tanu beach fales-where we would celebrate my birthday! We were greeted at the fales with young coconuts- which have a carbonated, delicious flavor. (all of us have become pro's at identifying, opening, drinking and eating good coconuts.... and, i will never want another coconut again after this trip) After we settled into our fales we all got changed for dinner. I was sooo excited to be able to wear palagi  clothes for the weekend (at the fales you are allowed to wear bikinis and shorts...something not allowed on the rest of our trip) we all even put on some makeup! its funny how little things are such a big deal and soo much fun when you go without them for a while- like having clean feet, or wearing makeup, or eating icecream (things we all look forward to when the occasion arises) That night we drank wine, watched the sun set on the beach, ate dinner together then played in the water and looked at the stars. The nights in Samoa are absolutely stunning, the sky is so massive and the stars are so bright you feel like you are inside of a snow globe and the sky seems to curve around you.
Saturday morning: we wanted to maximize the birthday celebration soooooo....we got into our swim suits at 9:00 am and opened some bottles of champaign on the beach and drank a little, swam a little and enjoyed the pleasant morning sunshine. the rest of the day was spent frolicing in the sunshine and doing other activities one does when one turns 21. at night there was a fia fia (a samoan performace/talent show). i was, of course, called up and everyone sang happy birthday and gave me flowers. we all performed in the fia fia, danced and then ate chocolate cake (which was the first time i had eaten chocolate cake since i arrived, AND it was refridgerated!-which is amazing, becuase all of our food is normally served at room temp, including milk...interesting huh?) The day was absolutely wonderful and I couldnt have asked for a more untraditional, exciting way to turn 21!
The rest of the week: we spent the rest of the week exploring Savaii (and doing very little, if any, school work at all...which was a nice little break) We spent our time with Warren, our 80 year old Australian tour guide who spent his life traveling the world and studying geology . On our first day with Warren he casually explained, "today will be relatively easy, in the morning we will eat breakfast and then hike a small volcano..." That set the tone of the week and we were off and exploring!! We went to the lava fields and Warren described the most recent eruptions in Savaii and the impact of the lava on the coast and the villagers. As Warren had promised we also hiked a small volcano (and Warren, at age 80 also made it all the way to the top!) at the top we saw the endangered flying fox (a bat, one of the samoa's 3 native mammal species). It was a gorgous hike, it reminded me a lot of hiking at home...only there was a lot more mosquitos and sweat involved. Later on in the week we did an all day driving tour around the island to see some of Savaii's famous sights. We saw the powerful blow holes and shoot water over 200 feet into the air, the jagged coast line made of lava, huge lava caves and arches that extend into the water, and we also went to Savaii's most western point....the furtherest west you can go and last place the sun sets in the world!
highlights: instead of having language class one day, our language teacher bought us all Vailima (Samoan beer) in honor of my birthday, and we played drinking games in Samoan...so far a GREAT trip....more updates later
buggs

kava

After one week in Samoa, I have begun to adjust to life in the pacific. I have moved into campus at USP (university of the south pacific) and I live a house with 4 girls from Fiji. My roommates are incredibly sweet and generous-they always invite me to eat with them and share any of their food. Sharing food is something that comes naturally to people in Samoa, hospitality is extended even to strangers. I have my own room, and I share my room with an army of ants, who i constantly battle over rights to my peanut butter and honey. At night geckoes wiggle across my ceiling and walls, i like to watch them as i go to sleep. My roomates love music, espeically music at high volumes, so there is always something playing-day or night. They really like soft traditional Fijian music (my personal favorite) or sometimes some 80's R&B and even a little taylor swift. In this first week I battled my first samoan flu. It was a nice little stomach flu-meets regular flu-meets general fatigue and exhaustion-kind of cold. Seven other members of my group came down with the same thing, so we all laid around and suffered together. My group is my support system here, and we are all learning and experiencing together, which is nice. We washed our own laundry the other day. Handwashing laundry is a LOT harder than it looks. After scrubbing for an hour I was dripping with sweat-but it was kind of nice to use a little elbow grease and feel self sufficient. A few of us used a scrubbing board that was in the sink...however, i learned today that in fact that is not a scrubbing board but rather a cutting board for chicken...suprise! Despite the satisfaction of hard work and feeling self sufficient, I think ill pay the 2 tala (1 dollar) to have my laundry washed next time...
I attended my first kava ceremony...We went with our Fijian friends to a house off campus. There we all sat in a circle and the host explained to us the history of the ceremony and his village. Before drinking the kava you clap once, say bula, and drink it all in one gulp. When you are done you clap three times. Each person takes turns and the cup is refilled and passed around the circle. You sit cross legged, and if you want a small cup you request a "low tide" or if you are brave and want a big cup you say "tsunami!"...I went with low tide. At first the kava makes your tongue feel numb, and then after a few cups you feel relaxed and sleepy. Our host explained the kava ceremony is more about socializing, telling stories, and listening than it is about drinking the kava. Kava ceremonies help resolve disputes between families, greet strangers, send off relatives  and offer a forum to discuss issues in a village. The kava itself tastes like chalky, earthy water. I wouldnt call it a good taste, but it isnt too bad either...
Each day here is never the same, sometimes we have classes, sometimes we go into Apia (the city) and shop or look around or eat. Its hard to desribe my routine, because i really dont have one-which i love.
Learning samoan has proven to be most difficult. We have language class for 2 hours every day-and by the end of class my head is spinning. We (are supposed to know how to) make full sentences in the past presenet and future...but im still taking the whole learning process at nice, slow pace...
Talofa-hello (formal, when you say hello for the first time)
Malo- hello (more casual, use it on the street to greet people)
O lo'u igoa 'o Hannah ma 'o lo'u atunu'u 'o Amerika (thats my name is hannah and i am from America)
More samoan language to come once i figure it out....
Yesterday I spent the day with Zoe at a beach fale. We did our homework in a fale and laid out in the sun. When we got bored of homework we went snorkeling, then read our books under some coconut trees. Thats a pretty average weekend day-and i really cant complain, its pretty awesome.
The food, however, is no so awesome. We eat wheat bix, peanut butter, white bread and coconut. There are few fruits, almost no veggies, and absolutly no dairy...but if you go to the market you can drink a coconut with a straw and snack on some bananna chips-which is pretty cool. Here samoans eat green banannas, so yellow banannas (the kind we like) are only 1 tala which makes for a super cheap snack! Its interesting how different cultures prefer to eat foods in different ways...
Next week we are spending 10 days in a village with a family. Ill keep you posted.
Buggs

arrival

I arrived safely in honolulu today-around noon. I met a girl from my trip, shes from Oregon (fellow west-coaster) at the baggage claim and we became instant friends. After collecting our bags we decided to sit outside and wait for our academic director. so we waited....and waited....and waited. Three hours later, we were still waiting for her. We ran into 2 other girls from our group wandering aimlessly through the airport-so we all waited some more together...after 4 hours I offically decided I was on island time and settled in to just go with the flow. Finally we decided we'd make our way to the hostel so we hailed a cab and off we went into a honolulu traffic jam. Once arriving, we settled into our hostel. It is homey, adorable, very accentric, and very hippy-esc-right next to the Univerity of Hawaii's campus. I feel like im at college-with warm breezes and coconuts. Our academic director is a kind, warm woman, probably mid sixties, who seems like a perfect mother hen for all of us wildly excited chillens. Im staying in a room with 4 other girls. So far the group seems very diverse, and everyone has amazing stories. Lots of people have done a TON of travelling-some had just returned (days ago) from China and Uganda. Others are muscians, artists and adventerers. Its going to be a lot of fun. WE have jam packed days of exploring, both with the group and on our own. Ill keep you posted.
Bugs.