Jackson's rugby has triple digits
in the pics: the samoan flag, one of my students and the vice principal's son, my official looking hat (and the tongue) at the athletics meet, and a flash from the past--old housemates..i miss those days...
7/14
How does no “whys” (asking why about a certain situation) make life simplier? Today’s topic is the speech competition—for year 12 students. But none of our year 12 students can go because the speech competition happens to fall on the same day as the CAT4 computer exam. So we send our trust year 11 student—who probably has the best English in the entire school. The principal wanted me to write the speech and as usual—it needs to done tomorrow. The topic is “suicide is not the answer” how fitting. So I use some parts of speeches that other students had written, and some of my own thoughts. I’m still not a last minute kind of person, but I get to practice everyday.
Another new thing I learned: it is very hard for my year9 students to look at the computer screen and write or draw something they see (ie. I wanted them to draw the MS word window in their notebook.) that was a very hard thing. Oh mr. computer, you have such a powerful mesmerizing effect.
7/11
One thing I will miss when I go home is walking out of the (very hot) house to sit on the road after dinner—hearing the ocean lap against the rocks and the waves crash against the reef in the distance. God says hellos with a shooting star…and some other thoughts:
I saw a palagi (white person)...a man speaking very fluent Samoan on the news tonight. That was very weird…a white person speaking fluent Samoan. I think that was the first time I’ve heard or seen that.
Samoans sit on the road and tafao (hang out) with their cell phones. I wonder how it will be in 50 years. Oh my …that is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too far in the future. Samoa is trying to teach me the here and now—the very present moment.
Something to search on the internet: “games to play in the sand”
I saw the Michael Jackson memorial on TV. One of my samoan friends told me it looked like a funeral for a king—sa’o (right). For the king of pop. I think it was Brooke Shields that spoke of his love of laughter. Well, Michael would sure like Samoa. If he really did have a pure, child like spirit to go with his unmatched drive and talent—then the end of Michael’s life was a sad example of how American culture can twist the pure (spirit) until it breaks. I try and remember the pain the moment I knew Andrew had died. If that’s how Michael always felt—I’d want to end my life too. I think Brooke also said Michael wanted to be known as a person, not a personality. I try to think in those terms, but that is not something I’ve had to deal with, so it is hard to put myself in his shoes. I don’t think about life in that frame of reference.
(still lying on the road after dinner in my village watching the stars) I was going to say that the cars come by every 30-45 minutes on a night like tonight, but it has been more like every 6-7 minutes—busy busy busy.
Sapo…catch
Samoan rugby team plays PNG. The score: samoa-115. (yes that’s triple digits. Something like a basketball score, but no it’s rugby) PNG-7. well, Samoa had fun. PNG kept trying; I gotta give them props. PNG kept on trying, but the ball flowed so well when in Samoan hands, and just popped out, bubbled and bobbled when in PNG hands.
How does no “whys” (asking why about a certain situation) make life simplier? Today’s topic is the speech competition—for year 12 students. But none of our year 12 students can go because the speech competition happens to fall on the same day as the CAT4 computer exam. So we send our trust year 11 student—who probably has the best English in the entire school. The principal wanted me to write the speech and as usual—it needs to done tomorrow. The topic is “suicide is not the answer” how fitting. So I use some parts of speeches that other students had written, and some of my own thoughts. I’m still not a last minute kind of person, but I get to practice everyday.
Another new thing I learned: it is very hard for my year9 students to look at the computer screen and write or draw something they see (ie. I wanted them to draw the MS word window in their notebook.) that was a very hard thing. Oh mr. computer, you have such a powerful mesmerizing effect.
7/11
One thing I will miss when I go home is walking out of the (very hot) house to sit on the road after dinner—hearing the ocean lap against the rocks and the waves crash against the reef in the distance. God says hellos with a shooting star…and some other thoughts:
I saw a palagi (white person)...a man speaking very fluent Samoan on the news tonight. That was very weird…a white person speaking fluent Samoan. I think that was the first time I’ve heard or seen that.
Samoans sit on the road and tafao (hang out) with their cell phones. I wonder how it will be in 50 years. Oh my …that is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too far in the future. Samoa is trying to teach me the here and now—the very present moment.
Something to search on the internet: “games to play in the sand”
I saw the Michael Jackson memorial on TV. One of my samoan friends told me it looked like a funeral for a king—sa’o (right). For the king of pop. I think it was Brooke Shields that spoke of his love of laughter. Well, Michael would sure like Samoa. If he really did have a pure, child like spirit to go with his unmatched drive and talent—then the end of Michael’s life was a sad example of how American culture can twist the pure (spirit) until it breaks. I try and remember the pain the moment I knew Andrew had died. If that’s how Michael always felt—I’d want to end my life too. I think Brooke also said Michael wanted to be known as a person, not a personality. I try to think in those terms, but that is not something I’ve had to deal with, so it is hard to put myself in his shoes. I don’t think about life in that frame of reference.
(still lying on the road after dinner in my village watching the stars) I was going to say that the cars come by every 30-45 minutes on a night like tonight, but it has been more like every 6-7 minutes—busy busy busy.
Sapo…catch
Samoan rugby team plays PNG. The score: samoa-115. (yes that’s triple digits. Something like a basketball score, but no it’s rugby) PNG-7. well, Samoa had fun. PNG kept trying; I gotta give them props. PNG kept on trying, but the ball flowed so well when in Samoan hands, and just popped out, bubbled and bobbled when in PNG hands.
posted by bigchainring at 8:23 PM
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