6 may 2010
the end of the first term of the school year is arriving! we have a 3 week break coming up, most of it however will be taken over by meetings and training sessions. i had quite an interesting experience at school today. a few teachers were missing so i had the year 7 class to myself. tests had finished up yesterday, so after i went over the correct answers (scores ranged from 101% to 0% in the same class - my main challenge here) we had free time. i wanted to draw with the kids since usually when they are seen drawing they get beaten. we drew a picture of the village and then i asked some students to draw me common samoan tattoo patterns. there were spears, birds, woven mats, a heart that said 'i love you', and then i saw one kid had drawn a swastika. i was immediately concerned and wanted to know more about this. i asked the child what it meant and with my limited language skills, understood that 'this is one of the tattoos my principal has and that is stands for germany'. i crossed it out and told them it was 'leaga tele' very bad. i wanted them to really understand i was serious and struggled with how to explain it. finally i could manage to say that picture is the opposite of the heart. one of the children said to me in english, the heart is love and the other picture is not love. i said yes and not to draw it. it was a curious experience and i'm not sure how they even know about the swastika but i hope they remember what i tried to convey…
mother's day is approaching and it is a big holiday here. samoans love to sing and dance, so naturally the women of the church will have a song and dance service on sunday. all of the churches that i know of will be having similar events. since i live in the church hall practice has been outside my room everyday this week. the women amaze me with their energy and complete lack of shame in getting down with it. i will be dancing in one of the more traditional dances on sunday. the women have put me front and center and i'm sure it will be embarrassing and amazing.
other than that, it is continually hot and humid. however, usually drink homemade hot cocoa everyday. i had the pleasure of learning how the koko is made and it is an involved process. it takes lots of time and muscle cooking and then crushing the seeds. it is so delicious though and may be adding a few pounds to my palagi (white person) frame. other foods i usually eat are fresh fish and taro cooked in coconut cream. i am getting quite spoiled living next to the sea and sometimes at night the crashing waves even wake me up. i am getting quite used to it though. i am also getting used to ants crawling on me at all times, termites, constant sweat, sleeping on floors while people blast music next to me, the most beautiful sunsets, and lack of privacy. : ) until next time…
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
simply having a wonderful xmas time
17/12/2009
the phrase island time is no joke. today exemplified that for me and it was one of the most hilarious life days so far. all i wanted to do today was go shopping for a few things in town, some hangers, a bucket for laundry, a blank cd, a christmas gift for my host family, some fruits, etc. i was told that the bus would come by my village at 8. apparently that was wrong info because after my cereal, yes cereal!!!, it was about 730 and i walked down the road to see the bus go by. the bus comes early sometimes. i tried communicating with some ladies that were weeding there front yard aka pulling the grass out(?). they said that that was the last bus until 11. i waited there a few minutes while they stared at me and decided to go back to my room. around 10 i went out again to catch the bus. i waited for the hour which was quite lovely. the bus stop stares straight out into the crashing waves of the ocean. the hot breeze made me tired but i stayed awake and the bus came at 1130. the bus was crowded of course but a lady let me sit with her. after she got off a new lady sat beside/on me. she was rather round and didn't mind really crushing me as the bus whizzed around the corners of the island. after about two hours i arrived in 'town'. i attempted to go to the post office. i asked a few people who seemed confused and finally got an answer, it was about 10 minutes away. i walked there in the scorching sun and found the post office, it was air conditioned. when i asked if there were other places i could put the mail to be sent out a 'mail box' she laughed. next i wanted to go to a store i took a taxi because i wasn't sure how far it was and melted on the ride there. after 2 minutes we arrived and after i explained my marital status, all that really matters here, i found a store with hangers. then i realized i had no idea when the bus goes back to my village. only that there is a 'last bus' and after that its a 70 wsdollar cab ride home if you miss it. i headed back towards town and asked some people when the bus came and where i could get it. they said i could wait there, at the bakery, and it would come at 330. it was almost 3 so i figured i should wait and forget about going to the market and other things. i waited until five and got nervous a few other buses went by but not mine. finally someone told me to go wait somewhere else and at 530 i saw my bus. the bus comes late sometimes, really late. it was the last bus of the day so it was as crowded as possible. i did get a seat however. on the bus, people hand out their belongings, babies to others to hold if they have to stand or there is no room. so as i sat ready to finally get going boxes, bags, a broom, and people piled up around me. i was sandwiched between my seat partner and a couple standing to my other side. with every turn i thought they might fall on me or that my spine might crack from the 45 degree angle i was sitting at. after about an hour they got off and i was relieved to straighten my back. an older man was standing near me so my seat partner asked me if i could sit on her lap to make room for him. i spent an hour there which was more comfortable then a wooden seat, but totally dangerous. soon the bus emptied out almost completely because my village is one of the last few the bus goes to as it is at the north middle of the island. i paid and some how got the circulation going to get off the bus and walk up the road home. all i had to show for my whole day were some hangers, but i had a nice day and i am maybe one step closer to understanding island time?…no way.
the phrase island time is no joke. today exemplified that for me and it was one of the most hilarious life days so far. all i wanted to do today was go shopping for a few things in town, some hangers, a bucket for laundry, a blank cd, a christmas gift for my host family, some fruits, etc. i was told that the bus would come by my village at 8. apparently that was wrong info because after my cereal, yes cereal!!!, it was about 730 and i walked down the road to see the bus go by. the bus comes early sometimes. i tried communicating with some ladies that were weeding there front yard aka pulling the grass out(?). they said that that was the last bus until 11. i waited there a few minutes while they stared at me and decided to go back to my room. around 10 i went out again to catch the bus. i waited for the hour which was quite lovely. the bus stop stares straight out into the crashing waves of the ocean. the hot breeze made me tired but i stayed awake and the bus came at 1130. the bus was crowded of course but a lady let me sit with her. after she got off a new lady sat beside/on me. she was rather round and didn't mind really crushing me as the bus whizzed around the corners of the island. after about two hours i arrived in 'town'. i attempted to go to the post office. i asked a few people who seemed confused and finally got an answer, it was about 10 minutes away. i walked there in the scorching sun and found the post office, it was air conditioned. when i asked if there were other places i could put the mail to be sent out a 'mail box' she laughed. next i wanted to go to a store i took a taxi because i wasn't sure how far it was and melted on the ride there. after 2 minutes we arrived and after i explained my marital status, all that really matters here, i found a store with hangers. then i realized i had no idea when the bus goes back to my village. only that there is a 'last bus' and after that its a 70 wsdollar cab ride home if you miss it. i headed back towards town and asked some people when the bus came and where i could get it. they said i could wait there, at the bakery, and it would come at 330. it was almost 3 so i figured i should wait and forget about going to the market and other things. i waited until five and got nervous a few other buses went by but not mine. finally someone told me to go wait somewhere else and at 530 i saw my bus. the bus comes late sometimes, really late. it was the last bus of the day so it was as crowded as possible. i did get a seat however. on the bus, people hand out their belongings, babies to others to hold if they have to stand or there is no room. so as i sat ready to finally get going boxes, bags, a broom, and people piled up around me. i was sandwiched between my seat partner and a couple standing to my other side. with every turn i thought they might fall on me or that my spine might crack from the 45 degree angle i was sitting at. after about an hour they got off and i was relieved to straighten my back. an older man was standing near me so my seat partner asked me if i could sit on her lap to make room for him. i spent an hour there which was more comfortable then a wooden seat, but totally dangerous. soon the bus emptied out almost completely because my village is one of the last few the bus goes to as it is at the north middle of the island. i paid and some how got the circulation going to get off the bus and walk up the road home. all i had to show for my whole day were some hangers, but i had a nice day and i am maybe one step closer to understanding island time?…no way.
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