mother's day loves large rains

in the pics: it's been WET in Samoa recently, large rain drops; the inside of my room at school, with three flags. do you know which ones?

6/20

Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve said anything in here. Latest news: I don’t think I’m defending Samoans and they way they do things. I told Maria and Ross (staying in Samoa to remodel a house) that this is the way things are done. (eg. Hitting students, garbage on the ground). I don’t like it, but I found the best way is to just be a good example. Ross and Maria seem to complain about many things in Samoa. I think complaining wastes energy. I don’t like to waste energy. I am working on changing things. I can be a long process.

5/11

Happy Mother’s day to all the mothers, especially to my mom and grandma. It’s hardest to be far away from home and hear that my grandpa had a heart attack. I hope he’s OK. Grandma says he might be out of the hospital tomorrow. Part of me assumed I might not see one or both of my grandparents alive again when I went to Samoa. But just thinking about it and being faced with the reality are two different things. Went for a walk in the morning. Today was a good day. I rode my bike to a pastor’s house to help Norman, a university student. I’ve been helping him with English papers. His dad is pastor of a Presbyterian church (called an Assembly of God) complete with drumset, pianos and bass guitar…nice. They fed me good food (curry, sausage, mamoe). Watched the pink rise off the water and into the clouds. Always nice colors here in the South pacific. I came back to my school room at 5pm, just in time for rugby practice. It was nice to run a little and stretch my back out. I’ve lost a lot of cardio ability since coming to Samoa. Hopefully daily rugby practice (just the drills, not the tackling) will get me back in decent shape. We’ll see. It just feels nice to run. And I guess I’ll be substituting a rugby ball for a Frisbee. I’ll try to keep out of the rugby tackle games. I’m only in it for the training. I came back to my Samoan family and took a shower, ate good food, and watched the current hit—Sa Piling Mo—a soap opera with a lot of crying and yelling—drama. I’m reading my book: Snow Falling On Cedars. Unsophisticated promptHere am I World of whisperingIt’s simply reallyNot much to sayNever above a stroke throat.

4/23

Wow…the last entry says 4/23. I’ve met another palagi—Allen—who’s wife is Samoan (her name is Newyear). They live “down the road”…a few villages over and have a daughter, three sons, and two girls (relatives) who are staying with them. Newyear’s father is a Matai and gave them a big chunk of land. I went over because I want to do work after school, not just sit around. I happened to come when he had just shot a pig—a size 4 pig—well that puts it at about 200lbs or so. I got to carry 30lbs of pig guts back to Allen’s house…fun. But the hike through the jungle was good. Allan said something that made me a little sad or angry.. “all the films that come to Samoa are form the states—it filters down” all the movies? Wow. There’s a lot left out that Samoan people are not getting to see and experience. American movies are such a small slice of the world.