BULA!!

Hello again!! Everything is great here in awesome Fiji. Here is a picture I took on the bus ride from Nadi to Suva: 

Yeah I really can't wait to get in all of that. During the week I'm basically going to be working like a dog in heat (heh.. cause I'm working at an SPCA and it's really really hot out) and then on weekends I will be going off with other volunteers to awesome places. Ina (pronounced eye-eeena), my housemate from Germany showed me pictures of her last weekend getaway and everything just looks photo shopped and unreal. I'm meeting the rest of the volunteers tomorrow (I think there's around 15?) and I heard they are already planning a road trip around the island. There's a national Fijian holiday this Monday so it's going to be a long weekend of ridiculousness. 

Yesterday I was shown how to use the buses and where certain landmarks are. The city is extremely crowded and busy. When I got back home, there was only a few hours until dinner time. One of the most amazing things about this program is that I never have to worry about food. Food was great as usual, ate some mackerel which tasted like chicken. I was told that most of the volunteers that stay with my host family gain weight. One volunteer had gained 8 kilos! So yeah be prepared to greet all of my necks when I get home in 3 months. 

My host family went over some customs to be aware of. One in particular was that when passing too close to someone's space or interrupting their view of something, you should say "too low" (not sure about spelling). Last night I was really wiped out so I went to bed early again. The heat really takes a toll on your body. 

This morning I got up early and showered. Karishma picked me up and took me to my first day at the SPCA. When I got there I was welcomed and got the impression I was greatly needed. My role will be to help with education and fundraising along with taking care of the animals and assisting the veterinarian. There isn't a veterinarian yet, but there will be in a few weeks. This is good because then I have time to adjust to the place. 

The SPCA is quite shocking. The first dog I saw was one that someone brought in. This dog was the most emaciated dog I have ever seen. It would put Sara Mcglacuahgahan (pronounced Baklava) to shame. I didn't really have time to take it in since I was getting a tour of the facility but around 15 minutes later I saw the dog being carried to a freezer, dead. 

Many of the dogs here are a lot thinner than dogs in fat America but Fiji is a developing country so really dogs aren't a top concern. With all of the sadness that occurs comes the happiness that the well dogs give. They might be filled with ticks, mangy, smelly, and thin but they are still happy just like American dogs. 

Here are some dogs I bathed this morning: 

She's a mommy 

To this pup

The dogs are generally happy and most are non-aggressive. Most are mutty island looking dogs but there are also some beauties. Like this german shepherd: 

Sorry bad pic, but he's flawless

There are also lots of cats. They are the most crazy social cats I've ever met. 

They really liked their dinner of mackerel too. The dogs were fed rice and fish. They are livin it. 

Towards the end of the day, somebody dropped off 6 puppies. It was a pretty outrageous thing to do. She said they were 2 months old and couldn't take care of them anymore. To me, they looked lot younger. What do you think?: 

So my first day at the SPCA was great. I liked meeting the staff and the dogs. I'm excited to make a huge difference for the lives of these poor animals. 

I'd like to end this blog post on a Jillian Fact of the Day: 

These geckos are everywhere, all over the walls and floor. It's great because they eat mosquitoes. I really enjoy them because they sound like parakeets. BLU!! BIRDIE BLU!!!!! This one seems to be committing suicide (I feel like one of those natgeo narrators who think they are speaking for the animals). 

Lata.