Wednesday, November 07, 2007
she is done !!!!!
Well I added the final touches and she is done!!!!! I am pleased with the results and looking forward to doing a series of faces with dots or ???? I have two local people I would love to photograph to paint, a Rotuman man and a Solomon woman. Both are totally stunning and more importantly have such beautiful energy and souls.
Friday, November 02, 2007
latest creation
I spent the day on Josie's balcony working on my girl, she is not done but this is what I accomplished today.
I could of finished her but we unfortunatly experienced some interuptions. Rugby players in the field across the street, shirts against skins need I say more!!!!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Sponge bob
I got my first taste of what it is to make a costume last minute. Josie did all the work, all I did was the hot glue. And the winner of the costume parade is.....
STEPHIE as SPONGE BOB!!!!!!! the crowd goes wild.
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| stephie wins! |
STEPHIE as SPONGE BOB!!!!!!! the crowd goes wild.
Slinky melinky
This is the new addition to the global household, Carmen's new brother of a different breed....
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| slinky the new addition to our family of animals |
My occasional guard dogs
Here are Cathlene (a boy), Bouser, and Carmen they are all adorable and incredibly loving for Fijian puppies...
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| my puppies |
figure drawing class
This is our second night of figure drawing. I was off this night, not nearly as successful as last week but Melanie assures me this is normal. I did learn that it is much easier to draw when your paper is on an easel and standing. It was suggested that I move my shoulder to draw with and not just my wrist, the movements become more fluid. Here are the results....
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| figurative drawings |
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Figure drawing class
We organized a figure drawing class, with a teacher from New Zealand. We arranged for one of the Oceanic dancers to come pose for us. As many experiences in Fiji he did not show up and showed no professional courtesy by letting us know he could not make it. So we convinced one of the gardeners to pose for us and we got our teacher to go home and change into tighter clothing so we could continue the class. The gardener was lovely and very patient with us and our teacher was a trooper. Here are some of my sketches, and Melanie our guest teacher supported our process by encouraging us to take one of the sketches and paint it. This is the result:
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| figure drawing |
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Our Crazy Canadian Thanksgiving
Three Canadian families got together at Robins house to have a Fijian version of a Canadian Thanksgiving. Robins husband tracked down "wild chicken legs" which are actually turkey, so we were able to have turkey soup for our dinner. We had a fabulous time and ended the night with dessert crepes.
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| thanksgivi |
png phallocrypt
My friend Ruth was going to PNG and I asked her to bring back a panis sheath, which are also called phallocrypts. I am now a proud owner of a phallocrypt:
Koteka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The koteka, horim, or penis sheath is a phallocrypt or phallocarp traditionally worn by native male inhabitants of some (mainly highland) ethnic groups in western New Guinea to cover their genitals. They are normally made from a dried out gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, although other species, such as Nepenthes mirabilis, are also used. They are held in place by a small loop of fiber attached to the base of the koteka and placed around the testicles. There is a secondary loop placed around the chest or abdomen and attached to the main body of the koteka. Men choose kotekas similar to ones worn by other men in their cultural group. For example, Yali men favour a long, thin koteka, which helps hold up the multiple rattan hoops worn around their waist. Men from Tiom wear a double gourd, held up with a strip of cloth, and use the space between the two gourds for carrying small items such as money and tobacco.
It is traditional clothing in certain New Guinea highlands societies including in the Grand Baliem Valley of Papua and the Ok Tedi and Telefomin regions of Papua New Guinea. It is worn without other clothing, tied in upward position (see image).
Many tribes can be identified by the way they wear their koteka. Some wear them pointed straight out, straight up, at an angle, or in other directions. The diameter of the koteka can also be a clue. Contrary to popular belief, there is little correlation between the size or length of the koteka and the social status of the wearer. Kotekas of different sizes serve different purposes: very short kotekas are worn when working and longer and more elaborate kotekas are worn on festive occasions. The koteka is made of a specially grown gourd. Stone weights are tied to the bottom of the gourd to stretch it out as it grows. Curves can be made in it by the use of string to restrain its growth in whatever direction the grower wishes. They can be quite elaborately shaped in this manner. When harvested, the gourd is emptied and dried. It is sometimes waxed with beeswax or native resins. It can be painted, and/or have shells, feathers and other decorations attached to it.
It is commonly assumed that there is a sexual display element to wearing the koteka, however, according to the locals, kotekas are worn only to cover themselves. Campaigns by the Indonesian government to suppress the koteka in Papua occurred in the 1970s. The campaigns have been largely unsuccessful in areas such as the Baliem Valley.
In 1971-1972 the government launched "Operasi Koteka" ("Operation Penis Gourd") which consisted primarily of trying to encourage the people to wear shorts and shirts because such clothes were considered more "modern." But the people did not have changes of clothing, did not have soap, and were unfamiliar with the care of such clothes so the unwashed clothing caused skin diseases. There were also reports of men wearing the shorts as hats and the women using the dresses as carrying bags.
Missionaries in the 1950s attempted to alter the local customs by forcing locals to wear shorts. Many of the Dani of the Baliem Valley felt exposed without their kotekas and could be seen wearing shorts with their kotekas sticking out of them. Eventually the missionary effort and the Indonesian government's campaign were abandoned. Nevertheless, western clothing is required in government buildings, and children are required to wear western clothing in school. Kotekas are still considered acceptable attire in church, however.
Phallocrypts are decorative penis sheaths worn in parts of New Guinea during traditional ceremonies. They are usually made out of gourds or woven fibers and decorated with feathers, beads, cowry shells, and small metal ornaments. The most elaborate phallocrypts are sold to tourists as souvenirs and are not usually representative of ones actually used in ceremonies.
A phallocrypt can also be a simple ornament hung from male genitalia as part of a cultural expression, for ceremonial use or pure decoration. Among a number of ancient and modern people throughout the Oceanic world (island cultures), Africa and many parts of the Americas it was (and still is in some places) a common form of ornamentation. Among Aboriginal peoples of Australia they wore an ornate carved pearl shell type called a Lonka Lonka. It is hung from the genitals by a twisted thong made of human hair. They are often ornately engraved with mainly geometric patterns and the grooves were colored with reddish ochre. Some South American cultures actually hung heavy, carved jade and other hardstone ornaments from piercings through the skin of their penis and scrotum. These were usually of a temporary ritualistic nature.
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| png phallocryp |
Koteka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The koteka, horim, or penis sheath is a phallocrypt or phallocarp traditionally worn by native male inhabitants of some (mainly highland) ethnic groups in western New Guinea to cover their genitals. They are normally made from a dried out gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, although other species, such as Nepenthes mirabilis, are also used. They are held in place by a small loop of fiber attached to the base of the koteka and placed around the testicles. There is a secondary loop placed around the chest or abdomen and attached to the main body of the koteka. Men choose kotekas similar to ones worn by other men in their cultural group. For example, Yali men favour a long, thin koteka, which helps hold up the multiple rattan hoops worn around their waist. Men from Tiom wear a double gourd, held up with a strip of cloth, and use the space between the two gourds for carrying small items such as money and tobacco.
It is traditional clothing in certain New Guinea highlands societies including in the Grand Baliem Valley of Papua and the Ok Tedi and Telefomin regions of Papua New Guinea. It is worn without other clothing, tied in upward position (see image).
Many tribes can be identified by the way they wear their koteka. Some wear them pointed straight out, straight up, at an angle, or in other directions. The diameter of the koteka can also be a clue. Contrary to popular belief, there is little correlation between the size or length of the koteka and the social status of the wearer. Kotekas of different sizes serve different purposes: very short kotekas are worn when working and longer and more elaborate kotekas are worn on festive occasions. The koteka is made of a specially grown gourd. Stone weights are tied to the bottom of the gourd to stretch it out as it grows. Curves can be made in it by the use of string to restrain its growth in whatever direction the grower wishes. They can be quite elaborately shaped in this manner. When harvested, the gourd is emptied and dried. It is sometimes waxed with beeswax or native resins. It can be painted, and/or have shells, feathers and other decorations attached to it.
It is commonly assumed that there is a sexual display element to wearing the koteka, however, according to the locals, kotekas are worn only to cover themselves. Campaigns by the Indonesian government to suppress the koteka in Papua occurred in the 1970s. The campaigns have been largely unsuccessful in areas such as the Baliem Valley.
In 1971-1972 the government launched "Operasi Koteka" ("Operation Penis Gourd") which consisted primarily of trying to encourage the people to wear shorts and shirts because such clothes were considered more "modern." But the people did not have changes of clothing, did not have soap, and were unfamiliar with the care of such clothes so the unwashed clothing caused skin diseases. There were also reports of men wearing the shorts as hats and the women using the dresses as carrying bags.
Missionaries in the 1950s attempted to alter the local customs by forcing locals to wear shorts. Many of the Dani of the Baliem Valley felt exposed without their kotekas and could be seen wearing shorts with their kotekas sticking out of them. Eventually the missionary effort and the Indonesian government's campaign were abandoned. Nevertheless, western clothing is required in government buildings, and children are required to wear western clothing in school. Kotekas are still considered acceptable attire in church, however.
Phallocrypts are decorative penis sheaths worn in parts of New Guinea during traditional ceremonies. They are usually made out of gourds or woven fibers and decorated with feathers, beads, cowry shells, and small metal ornaments. The most elaborate phallocrypts are sold to tourists as souvenirs and are not usually representative of ones actually used in ceremonies.
A phallocrypt can also be a simple ornament hung from male genitalia as part of a cultural expression, for ceremonial use or pure decoration. Among a number of ancient and modern people throughout the Oceanic world (island cultures), Africa and many parts of the Americas it was (and still is in some places) a common form of ornamentation. Among Aboriginal peoples of Australia they wore an ornate carved pearl shell type called a Lonka Lonka. It is hung from the genitals by a twisted thong made of human hair. They are often ornately engraved with mainly geometric patterns and the grooves were colored with reddish ochre. Some South American cultures actually hung heavy, carved jade and other hardstone ornaments from piercings through the skin of their penis and scrotum. These were usually of a temporary ritualistic nature.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Barty
This little angle was dropped in our laps one Sunday morning. Born that day she was left in the gutter. We figure her mom was moving her litter and got scared and dropped this little gipper and never came back. Well we phone the spca and they told us to come down with the baby. We did and were told no one was available to take of her and we would have too till Monday. We would have to feed her every 30 minutes and stroke her genitals to make her pee and pooh!!!! Well we put on our big girl panties and hunkered in feeding and peeing Barty every 30 minutes.
Josie and I did it all day and evening and at about 11pm Stan and Chris took over, since they would be up till 4am watching world cup rugby they could take care of Barty during the night. I got up at 6am and started taking care of her with Josie till the spca opened at 10:30am.
I would love to say that this story has a happy ending but it does not. She was too small and the vet felt from his experience that puppies this young never make it past 2 weeks, so we had her put down.
We are very grateful for the time we had with her, and trust that she felt very loved, safe and cared for which is a very foreign concept in Fiji.
In tradition of our street our little girl puppy was given a boys name (the boy dogs have girl names, why I have no idea)
With great honour I share with you:
BARTY
Josie and I did it all day and evening and at about 11pm Stan and Chris took over, since they would be up till 4am watching world cup rugby they could take care of Barty during the night. I got up at 6am and started taking care of her with Josie till the spca opened at 10:30am.
I would love to say that this story has a happy ending but it does not. She was too small and the vet felt from his experience that puppies this young never make it past 2 weeks, so we had her put down.
We are very grateful for the time we had with her, and trust that she felt very loved, safe and cared for which is a very foreign concept in Fiji.
In tradition of our street our little girl puppy was given a boys name (the boy dogs have girl names, why I have no idea)
With great honour I share with you:
BARTY
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| barty |
Nananu-i-ra
A group of us (15) decided to take off for the weekend and head to Nananu-I-Ra which is a small island at the very tip of the eastern side of the Viti Levu. Basically you go to Rakiraki and catch a boat to Nananu-I-Ra. We had a great time, I enjoyed reading, painting and hanging out with friends. Most importantly spending some quality time with Stan.
He did give me several scares that weekend. He tipped his kayak and could not get back into shore. He tried to swim himself and the kayak back to the shoreline but the current was way to strong. So he finally let go of the boat and swam to a reef and called for help for 30 minutes. Eventually someone saw him and contacted the resort that one of their guests was in trouble. He happily got rescued, by that time the boat had been swept by the current to the end of the island. The lesson of the story...He won't kayak by himself or if he does he will have a whistle with him!!!
The next day he decided to go for a run and he was gone forever and I was getting concern that he passed out from the heat. He had no water with him and it was very hot. He decided to go off the track and work his way down the slope to follow the shore line it was much more treacherous than he realized. Just as I was going to send out someone to find him he was coming back. I am relieved he is ok but at the same time I want to kill him for scaring me again!!!
Here are some pictures of our adventures....
He did give me several scares that weekend. He tipped his kayak and could not get back into shore. He tried to swim himself and the kayak back to the shoreline but the current was way to strong. So he finally let go of the boat and swam to a reef and called for help for 30 minutes. Eventually someone saw him and contacted the resort that one of their guests was in trouble. He happily got rescued, by that time the boat had been swept by the current to the end of the island. The lesson of the story...He won't kayak by himself or if he does he will have a whistle with him!!!
The next day he decided to go for a run and he was gone forever and I was getting concern that he passed out from the heat. He had no water with him and it was very hot. He decided to go off the track and work his way down the slope to follow the shore line it was much more treacherous than he realized. Just as I was going to send out someone to find him he was coming back. I am relieved he is ok but at the same time I want to kill him for scaring me again!!!
Here are some pictures of our adventures....
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| nananu-i-r |
Open day at USP
Every year USP has open day for high school students and potential students to explore the campus and see what programs are offered. The best part of open day is the show of dancing! Various countries will do their traditional dance, here are just a few pictures of just a few of the countries. The theater arts program also put on plays throughout the day!
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| open day fiji |
HomeStay gallery opening
Josie and I have our dolls and pillows for sale at homestay gallery. This is the galleries grand opening night...
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| home stay gallery opening |
Weekend away
After a week of having to listen to a Methodist Minister yell from 4 till 9 or 10 at night Josie and I had to escape the city on Sunday when we knew it would be an all day affair. I would like to mention that this gathering happened blocks from our houses but it was like he was in our room with a microphone.
On top of this when the methodists did there fund raising there custom is to have turtles. endangered turtles!!!! As a very hard compromise they were allowed 12 turtles to be caught to eat, much to WWF dismay, they felt it was too much. Well guess how many turtles the methodists caught.....84 thats right 84 endangered turtles!!!
Anyways here are a few pictures of the Warrick, our haven from the shouting.
On top of this when the methodists did there fund raising there custom is to have turtles. endangered turtles!!!! As a very hard compromise they were allowed 12 turtles to be caught to eat, much to WWF dismay, they felt it was too much. Well guess how many turtles the methodists caught.....84 thats right 84 endangered turtles!!!
Anyways here are a few pictures of the Warrick, our haven from the shouting.
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| warwic weekend |
Happy Birthday to Me
I started my day with Josie giving me a great present a basket from the Solomons filled with very important things like brown rice, strawberries, molasses and more. Then she took me for a hot rock massage which was heaven. Then for a surprise lunch with the girls. In fact the whole day was an amazing surprise!!!!!! The next night Stan arranged for a pizza night with family and friends and more cake! It was a great day, two days!!!
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| My Birthday |
A day of face painting
As a fund raiser for Josie's girls school they had a carnival day and I helped with face painting. At some point however the kids decided that they wanted to create art and that I was there canvas this is what happened....
There are also shots of carmen our lovely house dog, she is very sweet (she is yawning in that picture) and I am so happy she has found herself a North American caregiver.
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| face painting |
There are also shots of carmen our lovely house dog, she is very sweet (she is yawning in that picture) and I am so happy she has found herself a North American caregiver.
ED 281
This is the next level of the class that I took last term, the only difference is we actually get to do art!!!!!
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| art class ed281 |
The Playhouse art exhibit
I entered my first art exhibit in Fiji, the ANZ playhouse art exhibit that has been running for years. This is what I entered....
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| playhouse art exibihion |
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Lawaki Guest House
Next we are off to Lawaki Guest house for the weekend! It was my favorite place on the entire trip. I love the peace and quite, the amazing simple healthy food, fresh made bread, fabulous preserves made from local fruit, and great meals. The the owners are great and willing to go out of there way for dietary needs and requests. They are completely eco-friendly and get what a gift they have, a little piece of heaven. In saying that, it is not for the person that wants the high end experience. Rustic is the best way to describe this accommodation. www.lawakibeachhouse.com
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| lawaki guest house |
Friday, September 28, 2007
Pacific Harbour
We are heading to Pacific Harbour for a few days. We will be staying at the Uprising so we can explore the local area. Spend a day at Pacific Harbour Village shopping for war clubs. Then the next day a river raft up the Navua river to the Nakavu village that was established by John Humphrey Danford and then to waterfalls in the Namosi Highlands. www.discoverfijitours.com
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| heading to Pacific Harbour |
Oceanic Art
Here is some of the art that gets created at the Oceanic Art Centre. This is just a few pictures from the last show that happened. This is where I hang out some of the time and create art.
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| Oceanic Arts Centre |
The exploration of Suva
There was no rest for the wicked and my family was up and ready to explore downtown Suva. We barely scratched the surface of what can be explored in what is known as the Pearl of the Pacific. First Stop the University to see where Stan works and I play .
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| exploring Suva |
Thursday, August 16, 2007
My famliy has arrived
Its Canada day and my sole goal is to keep them up till at least 8 pm. My friend Robin had a party Canada day party, and they had their first drink of Kava, well Michelle and Erick's second, third, forth...
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| family has arrived in Fiji |
the fashion show and more pottery
Here are some pictures of the fashion show, this was our year end project for my sewing class and some more pictures of the pottery.
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| fashion show and pottery |
Time flies!!!
How does it happen, after the last major blog session I promised myself I would never wait that long again to download pictures and guess what... here I am again. But at least I can say that for a month I was busy with my family. Amazingly it has been almost a month since their visit!!! I am back at school taking two art classes and not sure yet if I am enjoying myself. More about me later I am now going to upload photos and it seems to be going relatively fast so here we go.... In no particular order...
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Sigatoka sand dunes
The ocean is amazing at the sand dunes. The sand dunes are famous for finding shards of lapita pottery.
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| sigatoka sand dunes |
Various events
Here are some pictures of various events. Music at the Oceanic centre. A cow in our neighborhood, at a Hindu family's house that was morning a death. The baby cow would be given to the priest at the end of the rituals. That cow just added to the 3am yodeling that goes on by the dogs. Some shots of Tonga when I went back in May. Pictures that seem to be of empty lots are empty because of the riots and the buildings were burnt down.
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| various events |
Fund raiser
This was a fund raiser for the Solomon Island Tsunami appeal. Some of these pictures are actually video and I have to figure out how to download them. Enjoy till I get them done as video.
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| Soloman's fund raising |
An Ode to Mold
Mold and mildew are my friends
I bleach it, frebreeze it, and they will still be here till the end
Black spots do abound, especially if you leave your sweaty cloth on the ground
I surrender to the mold and chose to accept it
So if you see black spots on my white t shirt its because I have embraced it!
I bleach it, frebreeze it, and they will still be here till the end
Black spots do abound, especially if you leave your sweaty cloth on the ground
I surrender to the mold and chose to accept it
So if you see black spots on my white t shirt its because I have embraced it!
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| the mold series |
Ah more photos!!
Well this has only taken me an hour to download these last two entries, god bless fiji!!!
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| some pictures of life in fiji |
Almost Finished
I am almost finished school, I have one exam next Friday so I thought I will persevere and load some pictures, even if it take me all day! So here we go....
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| making an art box |
Friday, May 18, 2007
the reason why I can't blog
I have been trying for days to download some photos of my life and adventures but
I keep getting timed out! So here is a link to a story that may explain why I can't get my postings up!
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=62944
Anyway life is good, school is great I love being a mature student and giving teachers heck when they don't follow through or basically screw-up. I have pottery on Wednesday and Fridays which I am totally loving, but finding the clay difficult to work with. My family is coming to visit for a month in July, which I am totally excited about. I am super busy with adventures with Stan and Josie, pictures to follow soon I hope! Well I am off to write up my labs and a balcony party tonight.
Jay
I keep getting timed out! So here is a link to a story that may explain why I can't get my postings up!
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=62944
Anyway life is good, school is great I love being a mature student and giving teachers heck when they don't follow through or basically screw-up. I have pottery on Wednesday and Fridays which I am totally loving, but finding the clay difficult to work with. My family is coming to visit for a month in July, which I am totally excited about. I am super busy with adventures with Stan and Josie, pictures to follow soon I hope! Well I am off to write up my labs and a balcony party tonight.
Jay
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
A day of pottery
We met a lovely woman at the fiji museum and her and her mom make pottery. We asked if they would teach us how they make pottery in fiji, and they we happy to teach us at their village. The village is about 1/2 hour by car from Suva, before the airport. They collect the clay from the river bank of the Rewa River, and make all sorts of traditional pots and little pigs, ducks and bura's to sell at the museum. I made a little pig and Josie made a little pot. We had a great day and feel very inspired to do our own pottery here at the house.
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| day of pottery |
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| day of pottery |
Being creative
I don't remember how this creative endeavor started but this is just a sampling of what we are doing:
I remember now, we went to an outdoor craft market and decided that it would be fun to do a table, and since it is only one Sunday a month it is not a huge commitment. We have now decided we won't do the craft market, too unpredictable with the weather, so we are currently looking for other venues.
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| creating |
I remember now, we went to an outdoor craft market and decided that it would be fun to do a table, and since it is only one Sunday a month it is not a huge commitment. We have now decided we won't do the craft market, too unpredictable with the weather, so we are currently looking for other venues.
gifts and valentines day
Stan and I went out with Josie and the family for valentines day! We went to Stan's favorite restaurant.... McDonald's, thats right McDonald's for Valentines day dinner. Look at photo to understand...
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| gifts and valentines day |
Getting use to the heat and the military
Well we are now back home in Suva and getting use to the humidity again. Here are some random photos. It is interesting that while I was taking a movie with my camera of the pot holes and a military check point my camera died!
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| getting back into the groove! |
March 24th
Well I have great news, Josie has lent me her old camera and my dad is sending me his old underwater camera! So soon I will be taking tons of pictures again. Also I am home today working on the computer writing up my labs that I did yesterday for class, so I can work on the blog at the same time! The internet connection has been very slow so it has been near impossible to down load the pictures, but today it seems to be working. So finally! drum roll please... PICTURES:
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| denarau weekend |
Friday, March 09, 2007
March 10th 2007
March 10, 2007
I am sorry for not working on the blog, several things have happened that have stopped me. The worst is that my camera has gone on strike!!! It will turn on but it refuses to take any pictures! I think it is the humidity. I tried to find a place to get it repaired but it seems they have to ship it to Japan and it will cost me hundreds of dollars. So I will take a hairdryer to it and see if that will help. A piece of advise to anyone buying a camera, if you plan on taking the camera to a really humid place for an extended amount of time buy a underwater camera even if it never enters water.
The other reasons I have not worked on the blog is that I have started school!!!!! I am two weeks into the program and loving it. I am taking textiles and apparel, I have 3 classes; the first is the apparel class which is learning to make garments and sewing. The class final project will be a fashion show, where the students will have to model there originally designed evening wear. My second class is an art fundamentals class it is a total blast, tons of homework that I love, and again a huge finally project. This project is to explore a major theme like death, birth, and or ritual and apply it to a medium that you enjoy working in with a pacific flair. I have not decided what I am going to do yet, but I do have a few ideas’ floating in my head. My last class is the textiles course, basically the chemistry of fibre’s. This class is a distance class so I have to be very motivate to stay on track and stick to the time line. I have 7 labs to do for this class, like burning fabric and pour acid on it and things like that. And again a final project! On Masi, which is fibre cloth that is made and used in many Fijian ceremonies, it is the same as ngatu in Tonga. I am really enjoying this project since I feel somewhat comfortable with the process of making Masi after watching Stan’s mom make it. I am glad I took so many pictures of her working through the various stages of making Masi; they will come in handy with the paper.
Very exciting news Stan’s sister and youngest Tua ofa has joined us. Ana is taking a double major in English and geography and will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts. Well that has you up to date with my life. I do have pictures to down load and I promise I will get to it in the next week. Josie has kindly lent me her camera so that will be a lifesaver. We are off to a village about 1 hour from Suva to spend the day with a local potter; she is going to take us through the whole process of pottery in Fiji. From digging the clay to firing the pieces, I am totally excited. More news and pictures soon!!!
Jay
I am sorry for not working on the blog, several things have happened that have stopped me. The worst is that my camera has gone on strike!!! It will turn on but it refuses to take any pictures! I think it is the humidity. I tried to find a place to get it repaired but it seems they have to ship it to Japan and it will cost me hundreds of dollars. So I will take a hairdryer to it and see if that will help. A piece of advise to anyone buying a camera, if you plan on taking the camera to a really humid place for an extended amount of time buy a underwater camera even if it never enters water.
The other reasons I have not worked on the blog is that I have started school!!!!! I am two weeks into the program and loving it. I am taking textiles and apparel, I have 3 classes; the first is the apparel class which is learning to make garments and sewing. The class final project will be a fashion show, where the students will have to model there originally designed evening wear. My second class is an art fundamentals class it is a total blast, tons of homework that I love, and again a huge finally project. This project is to explore a major theme like death, birth, and or ritual and apply it to a medium that you enjoy working in with a pacific flair. I have not decided what I am going to do yet, but I do have a few ideas’ floating in my head. My last class is the textiles course, basically the chemistry of fibre’s. This class is a distance class so I have to be very motivate to stay on track and stick to the time line. I have 7 labs to do for this class, like burning fabric and pour acid on it and things like that. And again a final project! On Masi, which is fibre cloth that is made and used in many Fijian ceremonies, it is the same as ngatu in Tonga. I am really enjoying this project since I feel somewhat comfortable with the process of making Masi after watching Stan’s mom make it. I am glad I took so many pictures of her working through the various stages of making Masi; they will come in handy with the paper.
Very exciting news Stan’s sister and youngest Tua ofa has joined us. Ana is taking a double major in English and geography and will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts. Well that has you up to date with my life. I do have pictures to down load and I promise I will get to it in the next week. Josie has kindly lent me her camera so that will be a lifesaver. We are off to a village about 1 hour from Suva to spend the day with a local potter; she is going to take us through the whole process of pottery in Fiji. From digging the clay to firing the pieces, I am totally excited. More news and pictures soon!!!
Jay
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