a Rainy Wedding's reunion

pics: The bride getting picked up for a dance.

at the wedding--the mom, bride, and dad walk down the aisle.

The brides maids at the front.



the wedding crew smiles for the camera..



12/30/07
Vila told me yesterday that fa’alavelaves (big events that families are expected to contribute to) keep Samoans poor. Today we have a visiting pastor. My family cooked a pig in the umu (on top of hot rocks, surrounded by leaves to keep heat in), and a large plate of chicken to take as an offering talilauga. I asked Vila what would happen if a family didn’t contribute. She only said they are expected to contribute. It’s part of the faasamoa (culture). There are many family reunions this time of year—relatives coming in from New Zealand and Australia. Someone told me that all the rental cars are booked until the end of February; that’s a long time.


12/29/07 wedding pics
I’m at Lalomauga for Christmas and a wedding. We’ve been watching movies almost every night after dinner. It’s interesting the selection of movies on TV in Samoa., a nice cross section of America. One night it was the Sponge Bob movie. The kids were repeating “I’m ready…promotion.” Another night it was “Friday Night Lights,” a nice cross section of American high school football…the guts and the glory. “Death on the Nile” was on TV another night. A classic Agatha Christie flick. We also watched some music videos, and their imaginary worlds..one was pretty cool, people dressed in different color suits in a large warehouse creating different shapes. I have never seen any of these movies. I didn’t watch many movies in America. But at least a few Samoans have told me about their opinions based on movies they see about America…hmm…not always the most accurate perception.

Today’s big event is the wedding of Segia (man) and Fialua (woman). Segia’s family hosted one of our PCVs (Pisikoa), and she was in the wedding. The wedding process was remarkably similar to weddings in the USA: flower girls, bride walks down isle with father, brides maids, saying of vows, the rings, and even some funny by the pastor, although I didn’t understand any of the jokes. There is also bringing a gift. I brought some glasses my family had, wrapped in some shiny wrapping paper, and wrote a poem. The reception also had the first dance, loud music, feeding wedding cake to each other and food, yummy food. And I got to some dancing. The wedding was a morning event and the reception right afterwards. I asked my family if there are honeymoons in Samoa, and my sister told me sometimes. It did not include any alcohol. The reception did have something different: families and people offered gifts to the pastor (Faifeau) and groom and bride’s family: fine mats, mackerel, lava lavas, and of course, money. Because Segia’s family is part of our extended family, each Matai in our extended family gave $50 to the bride and groom.


12/27/07
RAIN! Today it dropped at least six inches of rain! The streets in Apia were rivers. I walked across the street to wait for a taxi. The water came up to my mid shins. It reminded me of Boston—how the snow first fell, then was pushed to the side, then slowly recedes. Only the snow recedes much much slower. Because of the rain, damp, wet, and wearing sandles (se’evae) all the time, rashes on me, and now they are multiplying not just on my feet. But I visited our PC medical officer and she’s got the goods.

I open my eyes after a short afternoon nap (malolo afiafi). I hear many interweaving sounds: the boom boom of the faguafe, crow of the occasional rooster, hum of the jungle nearing evening time, a bus rumbling by with the bump bump of music, kids talking, crying, Mr. Barney singing a song on TV.

Seed Magazine; June 2007 article about the future of science in the general public: science is too specialized for the “average” person to be interested. Article about the rigid process of scientific inquiry…Add some curiosity, attentiveness, and sense of play equal great discoveries. “just look around.” I’ve never heard of Seed Magazine before. The PC office is full of great and undiscovered things.