Bula from FIJI!!! I am going to start writing down everything that happens on this blog and feel free to pass on the website address to family and friends! I know that I am already well into my trip in Fiji but it's been so busy that I dont have enough time to write it all down in one go.

This week started off being the Queen's Birthday bank holiday where all shops close for the day and we got to have a three day weekend (which is funny as the Queen's real birthday was in May, which shocked many of my Fijian friends!). On that day, myself, and 4 other volunteers decided to play card games outside at my homestay family which was really fun! I've made friends with 2 german volunteers; Isabel and Axel, and my roommate Tamara from Egypt, and Julie from USA.

My host family are lovely and quite young compared to the other host families. Unfortunately it takes too long to upload my photos but I will do my best to describe the family. Nia is the host mother. She is 23!!! and is married to Edward (etu) who works in a Fijian bank. They are both very friendly and etu is always asking about British customs and informing me all about the Fijian culture. He was amazed to find out that I've never met the Queen and I was even more amazed to find out that he had met Prince charles!! haha. They have 2 children; david (tu-te) who is 2 years old, very cheeky but adorable, and lera who is 2 months old and doesnt cry that much. They are very cute together! david cannot speak although he gets his message across very clearly and I have often been punched, hit or kicked both by accident and on purpose, always followed by a kiss on the area which was hurt!! Most common words are mamam (food now), kaka (pain/hurt) or kua (which means dont). He watched free willy every day about 8 times a day!

The food I eat is not as fresh as I had anticipated. We eat rice at every meal with noodles, salty corn beef and cabbage. this is sometimes submerged in soup form but with the same ingredients. I have honed my pineapple cutting skills and after I finish this blog, I intend to go back home and cut up a pineapple I bought yesterday- they are so good out here!

The town is very bustling but it is not intimidating and the Fijian people are friendly and don't hassel me to come inside their shop.

Tamara arrived at the weekend after an equally horrendous 30 hour journey comparable to mine. She is also 19 and was actually born 2 days after me. We are pretty similar and get on well... Today the two of us plan on heading to Sigatoka where there is meant to be a beautiful beach on the main island but its going to take a while to get there. I will take lots of pictures to document it. (my new camera continues to amaze me as it plays music when you watch the pictures in the slideshow setting and takes a picture automatically when someone is smiling!!!- or actually just showing their teeth which was how i spent a few amusing hours with some other volunteers at the start of my trip)

On Friday, 8 volunteers including Tamara and me are going to travel up to the yasawas to Oarsmans island resort and enjoy the picturesque beaches and yummy food.

The kindergarten where I work is also lovely. The teacher is caller Teacher Rikou who is a character and is very good with the kids although they still hit the children to discipline them. I am therefore somewhat of a pushover when it comes to telling them to stop hitting eachother/ running out of the class etc. I've taught them many songs which they all now know the words to and its been a very rewarding experience overall! I read the Gruffalo story to them today (a popular children's story in the London nursery) and they enjoyed this although did not know what a fox or owl was- even the teacher called it a fock!!! haha)

In the evenings, I've either been watching films at various volunteer's houses or enjoying some of the Fijian nightlife and meeting both foreign backpackers and fijian people.

So far I have been to the mud/ hot springs, Mana and castaway island where i sailed, kyaked and snorkelled, Natandola beach where I went horseriding and seen some Fijian fire-dancing (a somewhat incincere and touristy experience).

Hope this is enough to keep you updated for the time being and will try and do another blog as soon as... although I am on Fiji time :)

I hope you are all enjoying the summer back at home!

Much love xox