Time Warp: April 25th

This is a direct excerpt out of my journal. (Good thing I am a meticulous journal-er)

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Friday, April 25, 2008 10:25 PM
I'm in the Nadi airport right now. I'm wearing my carefully planned going home outfit. I'm wearing a teal Sydney Opera House shirt, red boomerang earrings from Australia, my orange bandanna, a multi-colored sulu from Fiji, and my pink turtle necklace from New Zealand. MOst of us are in sulus. Kathy and Taylor are in Aladdin Pants. Steph is sleeping. Jacapo is talking to some random person. (Kathy and her Aladdin Pants)

Everyone is in their own peace. We're all trying to grasp the idea that we're going home.

Today we packed up and put our luggage in the storage and went in the van with Christ. First stop: ATM. KPax unfortunately lost her card to a hungry ATM machine. It took us 40 minutes to get it back.

We did some souvenir shopping down the main street. KPax got a sweet wooden mask for $6. We met up with Chris and started to the Indian temple. It's very colorful-I think every color of the rainbow. We found out it cost $3.50 so we decided against going in and just went to Natadolla. On the way Chris pulled over, ran to a sugar cane filed, chopped down a stalk, pulled the leaves off, and gave us raw sugar cane.

Who ever thought of using sugar cane was brilliant. It looks like a hard stick. You have to peel back the bark with your teeth before you gnaw on the white, chunky middle. Kira Elliott would be jealous.

We got to the beach and Johnny "horse man" was there. He talked to Chris for a while then Chris called to me, "Marzie, here is yor freend" and pointed to Johnny. I thought this was weird because last time we were at the beach I barely talked to Johnny at all. He mostly talked to KPax. Maybe he just remembers me better because I'm blonde.

The beach was great but more crowded than last time. Erin and I took pictures with my snorkel, mask, and flippers and BULA written in the sand. Two native boys Gina and Tima were selling things and we got them in our pictures.

I ate my can of soup-chicken noodle-(which I let warm up in the sun) and tried my pineapple that I bought on Sunday. It was so gross I couldn't eat it.

I brought my snorkeling gear because Mary said she was going to. I decided to use what I brought and went snorkeling. I had a heck of a time getting past the breaking point. There wasn't much to see. Just sand. But it had cool patterns. I took pictures with my waterproof camera. I had gotten back to the breaking point. SMASH&CRASH. I lost my goggles. I had 'em on my arm because Myron (my SCUBA instructor) said to keep your mask on your neck or on your arm-never on your forehead. I went under the wave, felt it moving off my arm, and came up. It was gone and too sandy to see. I had managed to save a $10 camera but not a $100 mask and snorkel. Dang.

(This is the last of you will ever see of this mask and snorkel)

I was so mad that I was so close to shore, knew when I lost 'em, but couldn't get 'em back. Brooke asked me how it went. I looked out at the sea and yelled, "Damn it!"

That's the first time I've sworn. That's also the first time I've written a swear word in my journal. I don't like it.

I was way mad. I blew bubbles for a while until I could be positive. I consoled myself by thinking ....

-I can buy new ones

-I was lucky to have lost it on the last day, not before my scuba dive

-some little fishies will find my mask and love it

After that I went skinny dipping...in Fiji.

That was also a first.

I had to pee so bad I went in the ocean. Don't tell Brooke because I always get mad at her for that.

That is yet another first.

We came home and stopped at McDonald's to get 55 cent ice cream. That was amazing. I got pictures with Chris and gave him a thank you card I made last night.

We all showered in the outside showers at the hotel and took pictures with Mala.

I played Nertz with KPax. Then I played Uker (spelling?) with Kirsten, Ramsay, and KPax. I still don't get that game.

We had to go to the airport in two shuttles. I was in the first group. The shuttle was the last one from our hotel that night so we had to take the 6:30 shuttle even tough our flight isn't until 11:20 tonight. Check in isn't until 8, so we found some couches and sat to wait for our check in time.

"In two hours, we'll be home."-Jacapo

Isn't that crazy the way time works? I'm leaving in the future and arriving in LA in the past.

While we were in line to check our baggage I talked with KPax. I asked what she was most afraid of going home. She simply said, "Being replaced." I thought that was a good answer. Poetic, even.

My fear is that everything I want to be consistent will have changed and that I'll revert back to the mundane ruts I so willingly abandoned on January 10th.

We went threw baggage and found our way to the airport luggage. And there we sat.

I feel like I did when I was getting to leave the US and go to New Zealand: I don't know what I'm getting myself into. Going to Australia and Fiji was different-those were just fun jaunts. I don't feel like I'm going home. I feel like I'm seeing my family and that's it. I don't really have a home anymore. Perhaps. Perhaps not.

(Continued after boarding the plane)
Air New Zealand has the best meals. Real dishes, (blue bowls for salad & desserts, orange tea cup, wine glass, and the best plasticware ever.) This meal was chicken and rice, potato salad, roll, New Zealand cheese <--so happy! and blueberry crumble-seeds of which are currently wedged in my teeth crevasses.

Anticipated Adventures for Utah
- job -$ -room -$ -concert -$ -scholarships -money
and that about sums it up.

Friday, April 25, 2008 4:53 PM

I went to sleep after I wrote in my journal yesterday...I mean today. This time travel thing is weird. Right now I'm just getting out of the outside shower in Fiji.

Well after waking up at 8AM Fijian time and 1PM L.A. time I had a breakfast of scrambled eggs with a gravy, sausage, a tomato, apricot yogurt, orange juice, and a raisin roll. I got an apple juice and some Milo :) Kirsten, Haeree, Caity, Erin came to visit me up front. Steph sat in front of me. Ramsay in back of me. I talked to Erin and I said, "Remember that one time when we were in Fiji and saw Polynesian fire dancing? My next door neighbors the Tiatias did Polynesians dancing and would practice in their back yard. My brothers and I would watch from the bathroom window. That was a long time ago. The End. Thank you for caring."

Erin said, "Didn't you say that yesterday?"
"You mean.....today?"

I've been planning that for a LONG time.

We landed. Coming in I got a glance out the window. LA is gross. It's all city. I haven't seen that much city in a long time.

Customs went unusually fast. I didn't have to get anything checked. The line to get our passports checked was long and I have never been so racially confused. USA is a melting pot. In Invercargill everyone was New Zealand. In Australia they all look like Aussies. Everyone in Fiji is either Fijian or Indian. Here there are Mexicans, Africans, Germans-or so they all look, but they are all Americans.

I'm in the LA airport now. This is the longest day of my life-quite litterally.

I didn't give anyone a goodbye hug. I didn't realize it. It didn't occur to me that I won't see them. Taylor is staying in LA for a while then going to Hawaii. Haeree is going to Devner. Kirsten to Indiana. A bunch like Caity, Ramsay, and Jacapo are going on Delta instead of Southwest.

So here we are: Brooke, Kathy Jones, Mary, Stephanie Richards, KPax and me keep waiting for more of our group to walk around the corner.

But no one else is coming.

(I finished the following after I got home)
We finally boarded the plane from LA to SLC. It was delayed 20 minutes. That wasn't so fun. I was number 47 in group B. The way Southwest works is you get to choose where you sit.

The plane ride was short. I sat next to KPax and we made our LIVE SIMPLY list (click on the link). I was antsy the entire flight. I wore my sulu and took off my shoes and socks because I wanted the full island effect when my family saw me. I saw snow on top of mountains and I got teared up when our wheels touched the ground of Salt Lake City.

We were the last ones off the plane. I walked rather briskly through the airport to the baggage claim. KPax kept pace-even with scuba fins and a didgery doo flopping out of her pack. I got to the escalator and saw a blonde head in the distance. Then a bunch of people started jumping up and down. THAT'S MY FAMILY!

I pushed KPax aside and ran down the escalator in my bare feet and I didn't stop running until I ran smack into a hug. I cried a little. I saw Brooke, KPax, and Steph's family though I didn't talk to them. Sadly, Taylor was still at a play instead of the airport. Jordan had a rugged poster for me. We picked up my luggage and got in Mom's purple van. I walked out of the airport and clung to Dad because it's so cold here. They showed me pictures of the family trip to Manti. I'm sad I missed that.

It's been a long time since I've seen so many temples or mountains or a lot of things. It was weird to see bilingual Spanish signs in the airplane.

We picked up Taylor on the corner. Everything is still under construction.

It was 10PM when I got home. I made a taco for lunch...well, lunch in Fiji time. We have new glasses, we use BYU creamery milk with an orange lid instead of the familiar blue or green lid. Dad doesn't buy ranch packets any more. He gets that pre-made at the creamery as well.

Oh how things change.

I handed out gifts and told some stories. This is a busy week because Dad is running for school board, Taylor has the play, and Sarah has the soccer tournament. Mom says she could really use a 3rd driver and she needs me to take Sarah to soccer in the morning.

My room is still messy. The toilet still takes talent to flush. The shower still has no cold knob. Some things never change.

Fiji: April 19-24

We arrived in Fiji around 8 o'clock Saturday night and met Ramsay and Jacapo at the dinky airport. We went through a joke line they call customs. I swear they would have let me bring in a rabid pit bull if I had one. Mostly we were just happy to be greeted by some more of our fellow Kiwis. Nothing is better than seeing a New Zealand friend you haven't seen in more than two days

We went to church Sunday morning (the 20th). Well, what I meant to say is that we showed up at the building and waited for three hours. No church today. (We later heard a rumor that they met up with another building but I have my speculations.) So while we waited we ate coconuts. You can easily find one in a gutter and not-so-easily open it. Fresh coconut is pretty good.

Fiji is just like I imagined it except with more litter. The road has old cars and palm trees and coconut trees overhang the edge. Everyone wears a sulu (a skirt like a lava lava) and tropical shirts. I thought only cheesy tourists in Hawaii wore those. I was wrong. They are very much worn by the local population. We stick out like soar thumbs because there's a lot of us white kids hanging out together. Locals pass by and say, "Bula! Bula!" Bula is the Fijian word for hello. That's the literal translation, anyway. What it has come to mean is, "Hi! You look like a tourist. I think I'll swindle you into buying some jewelry or a horse ride." I later learned to hate the word Bula but in the beginning I loved how friendly the people were.

And boy is it humid!

This is what our bunk room looks like. Imagine you are taking this picture and right behind you is another bunk bed and to your left is the bathroom and to your right is the door.

Remember that one time when I saved a bunch of granola bars? Well, they're all gone now. So I have to resort to buying food. Luckily things are cheap here. The exchange rate is AWESOME! But we didn't have any facilities in our backpackers hut to cook. So I ate lukewarm oats with some bananas for breakfast every day. That wasn't so tasty. Some things really should have sugar.

We ran around near our place and caught newts and frogs. I had never caught frogs before.

Monday (21st) rolled around and we spent the day at the beach: Natadola Beach, to be exact; the 7th best beach in the world!

Just for your information, in Fijian words, there is an imaginary n before a d. So words like Natadola are pronounced Natandola and the Nadi is pronounced Nandi. Got it?

(Note: I really did take this picture. It's not stolen from a calender)

Tuesday (the 22nd) was cool because we went to the only temple in Fiji. This took a 4 hour bus ride. I sat next to a man named Ratu. You'll hear more about him in a later post. (Ratu and I pictured below)

So after a 4 hour bus ride we went from Nadi to Suva. Then we took a taxi to get to the temple. We met this adorable lady outside. Her name is Sister Bale. She was quite the lady! Her smile STILL warms my soul. She was just so thrilled to "see so many young people coming to the temple." We did baptisms for the dead in the temple and go figure, most of the temple workers were senior missionaries from the States. We learned interesting facts about the Fijian temple. The land was actually owned by the Australian government and then the US government wanted the land for an embassy. Because of how long it takes the bureaucracy to get decisions made the Church was able to snatch it up. Also, the temple is so prominent that ships coming into the harbor look for the light from Moroni. I'm sure this information could be used in a lesson some time.

We went in to the temple and it was sunny. We got out and it was cloudy. By the time we got on the bus to go home it was pouring.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Breakfast: Three delicious rolls.

We met at 7:50 am at the front of the hotel and waited for the bus that would take us to South Sea. On the bus we met a guy from Michigan. He called us "Stormin' Mormons" and we shot down a lot of stereotypes and told him the truth about polygamy. *sigh* Oh how I love preaching the truth!

We got to the port, boarded a big yellow ship, and headed off to South Sea Island. The island is about the size of my home church building+parking lot. It's tiny! As we got off the boat and on the island a Fijian band greeted us with their ukuleles.

There was SO much to do on South Sea Island! We ate REAL food (not rolls or oats) I went on my first REAL scuba dive and I held a REAL starfish and touched a REAL sea cucumber. It was incredible. We dove near a sunken ship and saw Moorish idols (fish) and banner fish and I touched a soft coral. (It looked like an anemone but it wasn't'. It kind of stuck to my fingers.) I touched a giant clam and some weird jelly thing on the reef. One gigantic cod fish lurked around and I saw a sting ray and the fattest starfish I've ever seen. The colors were fantastic! Fish in every nook.

(Me, Erin, Mary, Stephanie Richards, KPax, Caity Smith, Brooke)
(Tiennus, Jo, Erin, Me, Eddie)

Thursday, April 24

Shh! It's a surprise. Today is Kirsten's birthday and she has been hanging out around the hotel because she has no money to do anything. So we are kidnapping her and paying for her ticket to join us on another day cruise.

At 7:52 we walked into her room (and by room I mean the bunk room where 6 people sleep) and we sang Happy Birthday to her. She thought we just came in to sing to her and say goodbye for the day. WRONG! We better believe we dragged her into the bus. I think she's pretty excited about it.

Next stop: Robinson Crusoe Island.

I love when they greet you in song!We went snorkeling an I had a nifty underwater camera.

(Above: Erin Below: our snorkeling guide)
Then we watched Ziggy climb up a tree and get everyone a coconut to share with a buddy

Then we ate and watched a dancing show. Here's a segment from the fire portion. Oooo!

If that doesn't make you want a Fijian man, I don't know what will.

After the show we had a bunch of activities like crab racing. I'm proud to announce that my crab was number 1. (That's right, raise the roof!) And that is why I am wearing a necklace and flower in the picture below. I won them fair and square. My favorite part of the day was the dance Ziggy taught us. I wish I could remember it because it's probably the most awkward line dance you will ever do.

When we got home we threw a party for Kirsten. Mala helped us out. Actually, Mala helps us out a lot. (Mala works at the motel. She's pretty much amazing.) Mala managed to find candles to go in the cake (which we purchased for $2 Fijian).

Side story: Last night the hotel had crab racing. Winner got a free drink. Taylor Porter in our group won but since she doesn't drink they gave her orange juice. Mala told us that all the staff was absolutely shocked that there were 12+ Americans all together, all college age, who did not drink. We gave her a Book of Mormon.

To finish off the night some of us had kava. Blech. Kava is a drink made from a mushed up root. No, it's not tea. No, it's not alcoholic. We checked before we had some. It tastes kind of chalky.

Sydney: April 15-19

We got to the Brisbane airport and laughed for a considerable amount of time at the signs for Virgin Air.

• At the airport in Sydney we met Matt Krok and Ben and Abby.
  Who is Matt Krock? Matt Krok and his family are saints. Sister Krock was serving a mission in Invercargill. Upon hearing that we were traveling to Sydney she opened up her parent's house to us. Her parents are also serving a mission (in Japan?) and so the house is lived in and operated by friends and family. This is code for "this house is always full of young single adults.)
  At this particular time the Krok resident was a hotel for about 14 NZ kids. Dang. They really were looking out for us. I truly learned a lot about being a good Samaritan during my time in Australia.
• 
  
• Matt took our bags to his house and so we could go see the city. So we didn't waste any time. First stop: Darling Harbor. Okay, so it wasn't actually our first stop. We may or may not have gotten a bit disoriented at the Central Point For some reason I really struggle when I can't navigate by mountains. AND it was drizzly. I had no idea where the sun was so I had no idea where East was. So we wondered around buildings that eerily reminded me of Wall Street. Until BAM! There it was. Shopping central: Darling Harbor. We saw this really awesome swirling fountain of doom.

(Across the harbor and near the tall buildings is where the Aquarium is. Just for future reference)

We also hit up Chinatown. I really think that China will one day rule the world. They just keep staking out major cities. One day, you just wait, they'll all blitz the place and suddenly we'll find ourselves waving the red flag with yellow stars. But until that day, we can all appreciate the cheap shopping such Chinatowns provide. I got some magnets, postcards, boomerangs, kangaroo crossing signs, and some sweet earrings.

And then at 3:42 we had to start walking because we have no rented car. :( We are reliant on the public system and the bus doesn't run very late. Public transportation now holds a special place in my heart. I have grown very close to the bus schedules and train patterns.

• Town hall= get on train, ride for a long time, off at...
  
• Parrmatta= take bus 603 to .....


• Castle Towers = wait for a long time next to the bench where the birds filled the trees. And I mean filled. I felt like I was in the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Birds. The sound was deafening. Get on the 639 bus and this is the only bus NOT covered by our pass so we had to pay $4.

I told the bus driver, "If I have to pay that much every night I'm a goner. What if I make you cookies?" *laughter*

"Where are you from?"

"The States-Utah"

"You Mormon? Yeah my brother is there. Actually I knew you were either Christian or Mormon when you offered cookies."

That bus driver's name is Tony.

Here is a few of our crew enjoying one of our many hours on one of our many buses.

• Then we hopped off that bus to get right on another bus. We didn't get off at a stop or anything, the bus drivers just tell us that our transfer is here and then we transfer onto the other bus on the street. I guess they're all just tight like that.

• So we got on this other bus and I saw a girl holding flowers and asked her if it was for a special occasion. She said it was her 21st birthday. I said, "Well, what's your name and we'll sing to you." So we sang happy birthday to Caitlin. We were only there just long enough to sing and then we were told to get off the bus (because our transfer was there, not because of our singing) and then we got on the


• last bus with the old man driver who had to get directions to our stop from a teenage boy.


• Then we were off at Jones St. and looked for number 6.

And after 4 hours of public transportation we finally found the Krok's house. Wow. It's a mansion. I feel like I'm back in America: the house is adorned with pictures of Christ, stars, a pool table, 3rd flor stairs hinding in a closet, a home theater, and it's HUGE! No wonder the place is always running wild with visitors.



Wednesday, April 6th


I'll spare you the details, but we took 4 hours of public transportation getting to the city. The highlight of today's agenda: Opera House. This is Erin inside the Opera House. I took the picture and right behind me there is a guy washing the windows outside the Opera House. Check out my listitup blog to see Cool Things You Probably Didn't Know About the Sydney Opera House.




We also got to see Kurt Elling rehearsing. Can I say that almost nothing is better than free live music.


After the tour we had lunch and checked out the Botanical gardens.
Here is us at the Wishing Tree. Instructions: walk around three times forwards and three times backwards and then make a wish.

We also made a point to find (or make) 42 Wallaby Way, as in the very 42 Wallaby Way of P. Sherman from the movie Finding Nemo.

Then Brooke, Stefanie, and Erin went to a show at the Opera House while Megan, Mary, and I checked out the bridge and went home. We spent a lot of time talking to Paul. Paul also lives in the Krok's house. (Below is the view of the Opera House from the Bridge)

Thursday, April 17

Paul rode with us on the bus. He works at a bakery.

We are actually getting to know a few bus drivers. They love us. Maybe they just love us for our accents.

After we did an awesome job with our buses and trains we got to see the Sydney Aquarium. That is a real shark you see pictured. They have gigantic tubes you can walk through and you are surrounded by sharks. That was a pretty cool thing to see but didn't make for such cool pictures.

Then we hit up Paddy's Market. This means more shopping for souvenirs. I was wandering around and came across a kebab stand. Just in case you are not aware, kebabs ARE the BEST thing EVER to have entered my mouth....perhaps with the exception of orange juice. So I was salivating over a particular kebab and then reminded myself to keep walking. I had gotten just down the aisle when I heard some man calling, "Pretty girl! Pretty girl!"
I turned around. He was talking to me!?
He said, "You want a tasty kebab? They are so delicious"
"This man is going to swindle me into buying a kebab," I thought. But that was okay because it was a kebab.
He turns to the lady behind the counter and says, "Whatever this girl wants she gets. Okay? It's all on me"
And then it occurs to me that I am being hit on by NOT the store owner. Yikes! He offered to take me in his jeep to see the city tomorrow night.
I ran away.

Friday, April 18
Today we took the ferry to Manly Beach. It was drizzly and so it wasn't the best day. But that didn't stop us from having fun in the sand.
And of course you have to look MANLY on Manly Beach

Then we split up: Brooke, Mary, and Stefanie went to Paddy's Market again while Megan, Erin, and I had the most amazing adventure. In fact, this adventure is so amazing that it must be written in a separate post.

Since it takes us 4 hours to get home and the latest one of the buses runs is around 7:30, most of our days end around 4. That kind of puts a damper on a vacation. And that REALLY bites if you want to see the Opera House at night.

Solution: rent a car.
So we rented a car for one night and got to see Sydney thriving in the dark.

Note: the picture does not do it justice

Saturday, April 19
It's a good thing we rented that van because the buses don't run on Saturdays. Whose idea was that? So we packed the car with as much luggage as possible and then Mary and Erin drove us to the nearest train station. Erin and Mary took the luggage and met us at the airport. Megan, Stefanie, Brooke, and myself lugged what didn't fit in the car as we took a few trains to the Sydney airport. It looks like a fairly simple procedure when typed in an orderly paragraph but I assure you that today was nothing short of hectic.

We met KPax and Haeree's group at the Sydney airport. That was a joyous reunion if I have ever had one. Yelling and hugs and songs all around. No one really understands the bond we all share. I'm not even sure if any of us in the bond understand it. But for some reason we just love each other. A lot. And if we cause a scene in a major airport, who cares?

We flew from Sydney to Auckland and we left Megan there where she will be for 5 days...alone...while she waits for her family to come enjoy New Zealand with her. That was heartbreaking. She cried. We cried. We left. She stayed.

And then we landed in Fiji....