Wearing clothes from New Jersey definitely made me stick out, so I got new clothes that helped me fit in. It's very hot in Fiji, so you hardly ever see someone wearing sneakers. Everyone in Fiji wears flip-flops all the time. It is very acceptable for people to wear flip-flops to work, church, school and even while playing rugby. When we played rugby, people would run unbelievably fast in flip-flops. For shirts, most men wear Bula shirts, which are short-sleeve button-up shirts, very similar to Hawaiian shirts. Another big change for me was that men in Fiji wear a skirt called a sulu. You could wear a casual sulu during the day, but for church or more formal events, you would need a pocket sulu.
While growing up, I was taught, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do", and during my first 2 months in Fiji that is exactly what I did. From learning a totally new language to wearing a sulu, I made it my goal to assimilate into my community. This prepared me for my next journey. After my first two months concluded, I was moved to my permanent village, away from my Peace Corps colleagues and staff, host family and the Ovea Village which was my home in Fiji. I was going to Dakuibeqa on Beqa Island, a place I had not yet visited, where I didn't know anyone. However, I was not nervous because of what I learned in Ovea.
