Wednesday, December 24, 2008

follow the strings to the milk and cookies


in the pics: prep for prize giving: my vice principal prepares the valuvalu, a taro paste type stuff; 4 students and house prize; post prize giving=next day we had a social, with some dancing..yes, i did dance;)







12/23
I finally received the official ballot for the presidential election two weeks ago. A bit late, but my heart was voting Obama anyway. It was a fun election party.

I’ve asked a few Samoans how old they are. a few had to think for a while before they gave me an answer. I wonder if that means it’s not really important to know the exact age of people in Samoa.



12/03
Overheard at the all volunteer conference for peace corps volunteers: “follow the strings” that’s the way one PCV described his experiences helping his village. No project goes in an orderly fashion. You may have one idea, but the village probably has a much different idea, or no idea at all what they need. He just listened to what he heard and put pieces together and followed the pieces and interest of the people. He presented his project about diabetes, which is a big health problem in Samoa—lots of eating, lots of fat and starch, little exercise. “nobody wants to find out they are sick.” I wouldn’t either. But I wouldn’t run from it. That’s one thing that makes it hard to start that project. Coincidentally, he had a new volunteer visit him who takes insulin shots. The mother saw it and starting asking questions, can she be tested?, and it goes from there.

Note to self, if I ever design anything for Samoan living: make it with NO removable parts. First things to get lost: the battery cover to the cell phone/ radio; the cap for the bike wheel. It would be a good design challenge to make something that can withstand the samoa life.

I was told by our medical officer to use a mosquito net at night in my room, even if I have mosquito wire on my windows (which I do). Hmmmmm…I haven’t had any problems with mozzies yet.

We heard from other volunteers who had been to far away lands, e.g. New Zealand and Australia. Good pictures, good stories, I hear the food is good in NZ. That’s good because I’m headed there end of December. I want to find good Mexican food, take a power yoga class, listen to live music (classical?), find a good mountain bike ride, do some hiking, eat milk and cookies, get some more paua shells at the factory, find a cd/dvd fixer (do those exist?).



falling water drops reminds matrix

in the pics: prize giving, a very long day, but celebrating students good works.







11/29
I feel I haven’t written much lately. A lot has happened lately. Thanksgiving/church/prize practice.

Waiting for a bus that may never show up. Could be frustrating, but this is Samoa, and my sense is the All Volunteer conference was not very well planned. (but it happened nicely). Someone told me “oh, whoever was in the office got asked to help plan.” Also said there is a bus at 8:10am. It’s not 8:45am..i’m still a very time oriented person it seems.

I sat on the ocean wall last night after a yummy thanksgiving dinner (with all the trimmings) and a movie (eagle eye—scary and sad at the end). It’s interesting who comes to say hello when you just sit, be still. I can sit almost anywhere and a samoan will come to say hello, or just sit next to me


11/20
I was watching the rain (fall from the roof) framed by the door. It reminded me of the falling symbols of the Matrix—I wonder if that’s where they got their inspiration.


11/2
Friday was the Halloween party for all volunteers in Samoa (Peace Corps, Japanese vols, Aussies)—grissly ghouls and demons from every dimension (not to mention teenage mutant ninja turtles, litterbugs, and a baby). I was Found Object man. Not the scariest of things, but oh well. The party was a hoppin at a cozy little joint called Zodiac café. The green beer was cheap and flowing. The food was a scary price for a bit of fries and a hot dog. I had a slamming headache to go with the slamming music. I sat back in the chair and let every thing absorb…looked up and saw a star fall out of the sky.

Star light, star bright
Falling fast and furious

Do not forget the fight
Of those before and
Those after.

Shine light bright in your flight
So that you will fight with right might.



Democratic candidate eats history with his beans


in the pics: Thanksgiving! two peace corps friends and a BIG plate of food. yum
also, my principal (seated) and vice principal I think this was prize giving day.






10/25
Yesterday, we bought a ticket to NZ. That seems like a big relief. Having a definite plan. Now…who’s brain can I pick that has been to NZ? South island, that is. Apia to Auckland to Christchurch…dec 28-jan12.

This morning…a relaxing, slow morning. Sip tea, read book, feel the heat rise. Listen to the rustle of leaves, drip of brief shower rain. Time to go to PC office, make breakfast, buy food, hop on bus, bounce back to the village, go for a swim.

End of the day: I made breakfast, finished the baked beans my mom sent me, along with some bread and cheese and eggs. I watched Team America with another volunteer. It’s amazing what you can get puppets to do. Walked to the store, waited for the bus, got to the village at my school, did some yoga by the ocean, swam around the great clam protected area (faasua), drank some samoan beer with the matais, dinner and a good sleep.



10/24
From a newsweek article about the republican vice presidential candidate…The fundamental process of upward mobility has broken down…are you better off than you were four years ago?...they know not what they are. we know not what to do.
…I’m always interested when I read or hear that the upward mobility ability has broken or stopped or slowed. I believe America has always been (and always will be) a place where someone who is inventive, persistent, patient, and decisive will get to where they want to go in their journey. Even those who are in the “minority” or “at risk” label, though it may take a little more of these qualities.

Another movie: Mirrors. No happy ending. Sad. Man protecting family; digs deep; kicks butt; looks on from the other side of mirror. What a twisted ending.

much Payne helps to satifsy hungers

in the pics: two pictures of busses, each one has a very different personality. although there is a "fleet" of yellow busses that are very much the same.
Fixing computers at my school. A view of the "guts" of two computers with that extra special (and expensive) canned air to keep the pesky dust away...well, we try anyway.

10/20
“we just eat to satisfy the hunger.” Said our science teacher. Just to satisfy hunger…because there may not be enough for everyone to eat until they are full (maona). Most times in America I’ve eaten until I was full, way past the “just to satisfy hunger” stage. I think a lot of it was because I was so active I felt I would melt away if I didn’t eat a lot. And I was hungry all the time. I don’t know if I can relate to this very well. I’ve always eaten as much as I wanted.

I watched a movie called Max Payne. There was a lot of pain in the movie, but peace at the ending, which is nice. Man kicks butt for family. I like that. Isn’t that what anyone would do…well, maybe not as violently. Based on a video game…aren’t movies usually based on books or plays? Another video game called Resident Evil is having movies made, and I hear they are doing quite well at the box office.

There are many countries I see helping samoa: USA (peace corps volunteers), Japan (JICA volunteers), Australia sends youth ambassadors and some money (AusAid), New Zealand gives money, Canada builds health supply storage buildings, and I just saw a white van that had the Turkish flag on it…something about health I think.

Some reading that I did…I don’t even remember the title of the book..but it was in the afterword (or whatever the part after the book is called):
“fourth and most important issue hinges on a word much in play these days: offence. I find this most worrying aspect of the whole affair because it is symptomatic of deep and far reaching changes in our political, social, and cultural life.
If the feelings run (or are seen to run) high and deep enough, a good price will be fetched.
If the best we can say is how we feel about something, we turn from reason to a type of emotivism in which the frameworks for moral and political judgments collapse.
If offence is felt, the artists has no recourse.
Accepting that that voice can be every bit as rich and nuanced, individual and interesting as any other is profoundly political in a society which too often measures its minorities in banner headlines.”

I believe that many times the minorities are more rich and nuanced than the…non minority labeled group. They just need to turn up the volume on that richness. I say “they” because I am not a minority and no where else have I seen it more than right here in Samoa. I am a minority on this island, but this is a small island. All islanders seem to know that white people lead to help and possibility a better life. Why is it that skin color so often seems to determine how well off financially we one is? Notice I didn’t say happy…I know many samoans who are more happy than many of my friends in America.