New Journal cooks pig with a side of Pringles

in the pics...my samoan mom at a siva, she danced with me once and was crying; Poka, one of my family members is a "fafafine" meaning 'wants to be a girl'; the son of my samoan father and his family Sia, Mona and kids Le and Ina.

2/22
The first page, of the new journal. Not just any journal, a Moleskin journal. A long historyr I read follows this little black book; a book used “to capture reality on the move…a reservoir of ideas and feelings.” I’ll try not to disappoint.

This journal is one of the things that was in a package my mom sent me,
Among other things: a valentines day card, a book about finnish heritage and customs, a Danielle Steele book for my principal, a bag of wooden blocks, which I think is supposed to be a mind-teaser or brain-buster, articles from the Daily AStorian, and the alumni magazine from University of Portland (which has good stories). This was on a trip to Apia, which justs to give you an idea of what I do in the main (well, really the only “city”). I woke up at 5:30am to catch the 6am bus, but a taxi stopped and offered me a ride to Apia for only $10—usually costing $40 or $50, but I think he was on his way to Apia any way. (even in Samoa a cat scratch will puff my skin). I arrived in Apia (about 7;30am) at the veggie/fruit market and bought some bananas and tomatoes. Then I had breakfast of keke pua’a—a fried round doughy thing filled with ramen noodles and pieces of cooked pig (pua’a). I walked along the sea wall, enjoying the waves crashing against the rocks. I walked to my favorite minimart—the one that has the yummiest cinnamon rolls, but it was still too early and they are not the 24 hour type of market. So I walked to the peace corps office. We had just gotten new computer (an “office refresh” they call it), and the internet just happened to be on. So, I got to use the internet to: email the group of seattle students coming to visit samoa, check the status of a tax stimulus package, download an MP3 audio music mixer program, find reports on the significance of inclusive education (for my friend who I help with computers and English), upload my 25 random thing to facebook (finally),k and go through the rest of my email.

Then I picked up the latest edition of our PC volunteer newsletter, got a bike part that I needed, looked for a book from our resource room. Oh and I almost forgot to print out computer studies prescription and yearly plans for my school (flash drives are so handy and durable). Then I headed back into the main part of the city to buy oranges and a newspaper for Tuala, my samoan father—a chore (fe’au) as it is called in samoan. Through town to a hotel where I played tennis with some Japanese volunteers. Then I ate lunch with them, bought mayonnaise, Pringles at Frankies Hypermarket (not sure why it’s hyper). I hopped on the bus, then asked the bus to stop so I could buy a cake for our church on Sunday. I came home and took a nap.