My Peace Corps Experience @tayfayfiji - Tumblr Blog

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**LINK IN BIO** Some of you may or may not know that I was evacuated from Fiji early due to a safety and security incident. I never had the courage to post it on Facebook. But I found that what has given me tremendous courage and knowledge are podcasts (if you’ve spoken with me in the past year, you know I’ll be suggesting that you listen to one yourself!!). So I had an opportunity to tell my Peace Corp Story on one, mostly the good, but some of the bad. I am going to post the link here. But if you want to listen on wherever you get your podcasts, just search “My Peace Corps Story” and it will be the most recent podcast. Thank you to Tyler Lloyd for interviewing me. If you like the podcast be sure to listen and rate it! #mypeacecorpsstory #howiseepc #peacecorps #fiji https://mypeacecorpsstory.com/ep-017-taylor-faiella-fiji-2015-2017/ “Days from the end of her service, Taylor’s house was set on fire, sending a clear message that someone no longer wanted her there. That feeling, however, was only shared by one person in Fiji, a community that loved her as much as she loved them.”

#howiseepc #peacecorps #mypeacecorpsstory #fiji

Loloma ❤️ (at Buca Bay)

Couldn't leave without getting matching tattoos with my Nana. "Loloma" is translated to "sending love" ((in simplistic terms)). So whenever we look at our tattoos we'll always know we're sending love to other. She's been a tremendous influence in my time here, and will forever be one of my best friends ❤️ #peacecorps #peacecorpsfiji #bulafiji #loloma

#peacecorps #bulafiji #peacecorpsfiji #loloma

Feeling nostalgic, a little throw back with the worlds best baby sister #peacecorps #peacecorpsfiji #fiji (at Buca Bay)

#peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps #fiji

I can safely say that at least one time or another every single one of these women has lended a helping hand to me over the past 2 years. I will miss everyone or them dearly when I leave. #girlpower #peacecorps #zumba #welcometomyhouse (at Buca Bay)

#girlpower #zumba #welcometomyhouse #peacecorps

Who spends $27 on a cocktail??? #peacecorps #fiji #peacecorpsfiji (at Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort)

#fiji #peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps

Ask not what you could do for Fiji, rather what Fiji could do for You

A topic I have let occupy my brain space often is the issue of body acceptance and body image. Some of you may or may not know but when I was about 17 years old I didn’t feel good in my own skin and I was constantly trying to lower the number on the scale. I took this to new measures when I saw myself or rather didn’t see myself loose more weight with just the diet and exercise that I was participating in. Which if you had asked me at the time if I thought it was a healthy amount of dieting and exercise, I would have thought to myself that it wasn’t enough but, ask me now and I would confirm to you that was to excessive. When I wanted to eat anything, I wouldn’t closely look at the nutritional value to determine if it was healthy or not. I would instead weigh the food object by its net weight and determine if consuming it would make the scale go up or not. I just wanted to be skinnier than I was, I was constantly comparing myself to every girl around me. My body was what I constantly thought about and it was hard to be productive when thoughts of not being skinny enough, or not being attractive enough (according to society) was occupying every thought in my head. So in my high schooler senior mind, the solution was simple. If I became skinner, I would be more productive in life. My conscious would stop telling me that I had to conform to society’s expectation of beauty, because if I was skinny, I was already there. When those voices in my head stopped telling me I had to be skinner or prettier, I can put my energy toward more productive tasks, and therefore that is how I would become a more productive and successful person. The answer seemed so simple to 17 year old me, but it seemed impossible to achieve when I had been trying constantly and the weight on the scale was at a plateau. So I decided taking laxatives in excess amounts would be an easy fix. It was simple I ate, and it came right out the other end right? It was IMPOSSIBLE to gain weigh if I religiously took this pill that made it all go away. It was a miracle drug, and “why doesn’t everyone just do this” I thought. Depending on how “heavy” (weighing by net weight) the food I ate that day was, I would take the amount of laxative(s) to what I thought was equivalent strength to get rid of it by the next day. There was a point where I was taking up to 6 laxatives a night.

Soon after I was taking that 6 a night, my mom discovered my miracle drug, thankfully. She told me about all the bad effects of laxatives and how if I continue to use them I could seriously damage my intestines. I continued to do my own research and soon after I realized exactly why everyone did not use this “miracle drug”. I did stop using laxities the summer going into college, but it wasn’t easy. Every time I ate something that weighed heavy I would have urge just to take the laxative because I was nervous to get onto the scale the next morning. Sometimes, I still get urges. I manage my urges by eating right and avoiding the scale and practicing self-acceptance. Self-love and acceptance come from within and it’s forever evolving.

Now you’re probably asking yourself, “Okay, what does your Peace Corps Service have anything to do with your body image?” Let me start by saying Fiji is not a fat phobic society. Fijians standard of beauty is thick meat on the bones, and a side of some. They believe that when you have extra weight on you, you are radiating beauty and health. They are also not shy to tell you when you are gaining weight or losing weight. When preparing for my new life in Fiji and hearing this, I became frightened. I thought to myself that comments on my body in general (whether they mean it nicely or not) will send me back into the self-loathing I was feeling when I was 17. Then when I got here, my host family would shove food in my face every hour telling me that I was too skinny and they wanted to make me fatter because it was a sign to their extended family and friends that I was being taken care of well. And I ate it, I ate everything. I love Fijian food, so much, it’s one of the things I’ll miss the most. Then when I gained weight, I almost became upset until my host family and other people in the village would comment positively on my weight gain and tell me how good it looked. If you lose weight here, people assume you are sick and immediately start questioning who is taking care [or lack] of you. Being constantly reminded of this did not hurt the way I viewed my body, rather it helped it. If someone said that I gained weight I would ask them “Yes but doesn’t it look beautiful?” and they would respond with yes 100% of the time. These people here constantly tell me how they like my wide hips and my “figure”. So after hearing 2 years of positive comments about my body, it helped steered me into the direction where I never thought I’d be of accepting and loving my own body.

Fiji has helped me in a million ways, but something I reflect back on and realize I have gained from this experience is self-confidence. I hope when returning to America, I can help reflect this on woman and men who may be experiencing a similar issue I went through when I was 17 and guide them into a direction of self-love and acceptance.

#peacecorps peacecorpsfiji bulafiji bodyimage selflove selfconfiedence

No Foffers Here

One thing Fiji really excels in is hospitality. Something I have noticed is that this country is extremely prideful on its amazingly gracious good hospitality. Whether giving up their own bed to make you as comfortable as possible when staying the night, or making sure there is a kettle full of hot water for tea or cocoa upon your arrival, you can be sure you will be greeted warmly. A phrase that is often used is, “You come home!”. I have met strangers in town, the cities, and on the bus and within 2 minutes of our conversation they are already extending me an invitation to visit their private home. I think it’s safe to say that if you happen to engage in conversation with the stranger sitting next to you on a NYC subway, you wouldn’t be invited to their house the very same day, not to mention the very same minute. But this is the norm for Fijian people – AND they really mean it too! When they say “you come home one day soon, okay?” they are not just saying it to be nice. It is not a “foffer” (fake offer) - they genuinely want you to come over, eat a good Fijian meal (or 5) with them, sleep on their homemade mats, drink grog, and “talanoa” (tell stories).

The first time I met my now “go-to cab driver”, he asked me what I was doing in Fiji, what village I stay in, how long would I be staying for, etc. Our casual conversation lasted less than 2 minutes. He then said, “Well if you’re ever feeling sick, you just “come home” and my wife will make you a nice meal. You can rest and sleep and we’ll get you feeling better. Please come home for however long you want”. His offer was so genuine. At the time, I wondered if his wife knew he was extending invitations to his home to complete strangers, but then I figured that if she was Fijian, she wouldn’t be opposed. I thanked him very much and said I would remember his offer the next I was in town. The very next day, I needed a ride from my man. I got into his cab and his wife was actually in the front seat. She asked me the same series of questions, and I kid you not, about a minute and 30 seconds into meeting her she says, “well one day you come home, I’ll cook for you. You can rest for as long as you need”. Now I knew she wasn’t opposed to her husband offering their home to strangers. I have not “come home” to their house yet, but I am planning on it.

Usually when you do “come home” to a stranger’s offer, they are nothing short of extremely generous. They will normally have a large “kana levu” (food big), meaning a huge meal prepared for you. If their house is located near the sea, most times they will spoil you with fresh caught fish, maybe octopus, or some other type of seafood that was caught that day. Other traditional foods include wace cooked in coconut milk (wace is the leaf that grows from the dalo plant), bele (another leafy green) in coconut milk, or my favorite vegetarian Fijian meal; pumpkin curry. It’s often too much food for one to handle and even more most assuredly, the Fijians hosting you will be telling you to “eat more, eat more!”. Eating a lot indicates that you like the food and that you’re really enjoying yourself, which in return makes the homeowner, and cook, very happy.

I am not sure it’s possible for a guest to overstay their welcome in Fiji. If I did take my cab driver friend up on his offer, I am sure he would let me stay for as long as I wanted. That’s just how it is here. Sometimes I come home to my Nana’s house (my Fijian mom) and there will be people there who I haven’t met yet from a nearby village, only to find out they are happily staying the weekend with my Fijian family. Usually they’re relatives, and it would be taboo to not allow family stay with you.

When I meet tourists or other foreigners staying in Fiji, one conversation that always comes up is how great the people are here, and how amazing their accommodations are. Not to mention the great views, and the crystal blue water. Needless to say, Fiji will always welcome you with open arms, good food, and lots of smiles. Anyone want to visit me?!

#peacecorps peacecorpsfiji vinakafiji hospitality fiji vanualevu bula

Interviewer: "so what other special skills do you possess?" Me: *hesitates, stares blindly* "I can make you a fan out of a coconut leaf..." #peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps #fiji #weaving #vinakafiji (at Buca Bay)

#fiji #vinakafiji #weaving #peacecorps #peacecorpsfiji

Since 1961, 141 countries have welcomed Peace Corps Volunteers to work beside them in peace and friendship. http://thndr.me/2XKkte

Why Does Everyone Keep Calling Me Fat?

I remember when I first arrived in Fiji and some current Peace Corps Volunteers warned us of some of the harsh cultural differences that we may face. I specifically recall, as one volunteer explained, that it is likely that Fijians will often call us fat, particularly the female volunteers, though they also call males fat occasionally. I became all worried as I thought these comments may hurt my self-esteem and self-confidence, no matter the context. The volunteer tried to reassure us by telling us that usually people don’t mean anything by it and that it’s a good thing. Well, let me tell you, the first time I was called fat openly I didn’t remember that it was supposed to be a good thing and I was offended. Up until recently every time anyone commented on my weight here I was insulted and annoyed. But now, it runs off my shoulder as I truly don’t think my friends and family here mean anything by it. The culture here in Fiji is ALL about food. When you’re walking around the village in the morning and someone sees you for the first time that day, they don’t ask how you’re doing or how you slept, they ask what you ate for breakfast or to join them for breakfast. This concern comes out of care. Fijians just want to make sure you are being fed, and fed well. The children here would mostly likely rather receive Bongos (Fiji’s version of Cheese Doodles) than a Barbie doll or a puzzle. The way you eat is almost a way of showing how hard working your family is. If you have fish, that indicates someone in your family went out fishing. If you have chicken that means your family raises poultry themselves and they killed and cooked their own chicken. Also, when I am eating with family they will always say to me “ana va’a levu, ana va’a levu” (Cakaudrove Province dialect), which means “Eat big, eat big” (aka “eat a lot”). So needless to say, it’s hard to eat a little when someone is constantly talking at you telling you to eat a lot. That’s why it’s hard to diet here. But honestly, the food is so good I wouldn’t want to give any of it up considering I’m only here for 2 years! Over the past year, my weight has fluctuated and I’m trying to worry less about it because I think it is important to enjoy myself and not be consumed by negative thoughts of body image. I probably get called fat or “levu levu” at least 8 times a week. But on the same day another person can tell me I look skinny, which is a little “offending” here because they may be indicating that I am not being fed well. When someone calls me “levu levu” (fat) I usually respond with “Aw thank you! Does it look nice?” and almost always they will respond with “yes!”. Sometimes though, if someone catches me on a bad day, I’ll respond with something like, “Yeah all the Fijian food is making me fat like all you people!” and they will still always laugh. People will also refer to me as “bula bula” which means that I look healthy, which to me is the best compliment. If you are called “levu levu” it is considered a good thing, but if you are called “levu levu ca” this is referring to you being too fat and it then turns into an offending comment. People will still say it though. Fijian people don’t sugar coat, whatever you look like that’s what they will call you. Fat, skinny, really fat, etc. I am not sure if I see this as a good thing or a bad thing. I’m just happy that I no longer become offended by their comments. These lovely people are really toughening me up! I often times think about how lucky I am to live in place where my weight doesn’t define me - as opposed to living in America where there is so much emphasis and discussion on body weight. Anyway, I have one more year of enjoying the delicious Fijian food that I often indulge in! Bon Appetit!

Helicopter view of a little section of the market in Fiji's Capitol city, Suva! #peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps

#peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps

Jerry Tuwai, who played for the Fiji Olympic rugby team! He's from a village right across the bay for me and they put on a HUGE celebration for his homecoming! I got to wear a gold medal from Rio 🏉🎖#peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps

#peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps

"Talei, me next Talei, next me me!!" #peacecorps #peacecorpsfiji

#peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps

We are in the process of a beautification project! We've gathered about 50 bags of trash already just in our village and our beach alone! Tomorrow we plan to plant flowers all around our home 😊🌺🌸🌍 #peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps #beautification

#peacecorpsfiji #beautification #peacecorps

Tis the season of the Octopus in Fiji. My family goes out to sea for the day and comes back with usually at least 10 of these bad boys. They taste delicious and pretty healthy too!! #peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps

#peacecorpsfiji #peacecorps

This cutie killing 2 birds with 1 stone, bathing & washing the dishes for nana. A little Spice Girls action ✌🏾 #peacecorps #peacecorpsfiji #babiesoffiji

#peacecorpsfiji #babiesoffiji #peacecorps

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