mrcPeaceCorps

Green and Brown water floweth

2011-07-01T00:43:00.001-07:00

The water in Western Samoa is crystal blue with touches of green. The water in the Columbia River is a brownish color that is most definitely not clear. My friend says that in the future big money will be made in (keeping) water clean. BIG money. I believe her. I wonder where the brown water stops and the crystal blue water begins, and how fast the brown water is eating the blue water. We humans are f$%^#$& this earth, slowly. The big fires, floods, tornadoes are only the beginning. I think it will get worse. The area where I live is waiting for a big wave (to smash all the beach houses to bit and pieces and nothingness). I miss the crystal blue.

random, meet random

2010-01-20T23:25:00.001-08:00

left over pics: princess, with big smiles; a police band; samoan sunset; tall trees found in a secret place; and the famous vai O Sina (river named Sina), many legends about this, of which I don't remember any.

are you an umu?

2010-01-20T23:21:00.000-08:00

in the pics..a cooking umu and other things: an umu. the above ground, hot rock cooker method used to make hot yummy samoan food things (3 pics); my friend Ina, who likes to eat ice cream and sit next to me; my friend katrina, who is a teacher hails from germany.

some like their things

2010-01-20T23:17:00.000-08:00

many things in samoa....
in the pics: (well this isn't from samoa) pages from my alumni magazine (Portland magazine); a good example of a samoan market; a knife, a large knife; a "digger thing" my dad designed the teeth for these things.

food food glorious food

2010-01-20T23:10:00.000-08:00

in the pics: food! fishmarket, this is how we do fish in samoa; samoan food wrapped the samoan way; samoan chicken, ready for the eating.

pics to find more samoa

2010-01-20T22:53:00.001-08:00

in the pics: places! the blow holes on the island of savaii; top of a mountain (with a view of the power lines; a small church near where i lived; fence and road; a plantation with taro.

not the last post ha ha ha

2010-01-20T22:46:00.000-08:00

OK..so that was not the last post..here are some more pics I found on my flash drive..enjoy..m

in the pics: people! the ladies from my school; the guys too; rosie, another PC volunteer in my group (and her samoan mother); a student named joey, holding a play station portable gaming system..very popular in samoa; and Afa, my friend..

minority hand-writers unite for grandpa

2009-12-30T02:03:00.000-08:00

(this is probably the last blog entry I write for this peace corps blog...seeing as how my journey with PC is now finished/ended/uma/kapoop. for more fun see my other (main blog) at:

http://mrcmain.blogspot.com

in the pics: things that made the whole two years in samoa (lavalavas, my university of portland mug, random orange tupperware container, birkentocks!, Tevas, a few shirts and shorts, and the lovely Finnish pillow case; I'm still cold, so more clothing; now the only place I will see coconut trees is on things like this little coaster, oh and the yummy porkchop, rice, salad dinner. AKA: palagi food!
and I'm signing off. it's 2:11am, and I have to get up too soon to help my mom make some secret recipe finnish bread.

12/23
I bought a new Acer laptop, that came with Windows7. I've always used windows XP in the past. but after reading an article on www.techradar.com, I've decided to keep my windows7 OS. Windows XP seems to do pretty well, but is nearing it's lifecycle end. Windows7 seems to be doing pretty well, with a few improvements, BUT is at the beginning of it's lifecycle, with lots of improvement ahead (well, i hope). so there you go...I choose windows7..for now.

hmmm...a new laptop and a bowl of chocolate chip ice cream. I'd call that a good day. there was even a nice sunset (no rain, but still cold.)

Thoughts since arriving back home: my grandpa in hospice. I’m so glad I got to see him alive when I came back to Portland; waterproofing my jacket—2 years in humid climate made it lose its water resistance; trying to find my friend’s house on Pacific st, wondering why Finnish Brotherhood/sisterhood can’t attract younger members; creating a simp;le PC pamphlet to answer questions such as samoa…Somalia? Where? I’ve been trying to write down questions people ask me: what’s the pay? Do you get benefits? What do you miss the most?

12/18
My first full day back in the USA: go out to breakfast, visit my grandpa, ride back to Astoria with my mom(visit my dad’s grave on the way), eat food, feel crappy, immediately sleep 12 hours.

2nd day: walk, eat breakfast (yogurt, fruit), tea and plum pudding lunch at a FANCY house, make pork chops recipe with breadstick appetizers. Watch video.

My planner is messy again—well, back to the real world. Things that are different here (in the US): it’s COLD, but I’m glad I’m not on the east coast right now; my mom’s dog gets wet dog food and “dog bones” which are really fake bones. She does not feed her dog real bones. But she’s a spoiled dog. I wish there was a walking group near where I live now—walking group—is that an “old person’s activity? Oh well. I like to walk. And sometimes it’s nice to walk and talk.

Flying in the sky…
Says one of the stewardesses: “US law requires that you do not congregate anywhere on the plane.” I guess that is a good thing not to do. The cat and mouse game continues…

Eucalyptus drops—“dispose of thoughtfully.” I like that wording. This was a loooong flight. They fed us—dinner and breakfast. Yummy, or maybe it’s just being cramped into an airplane for 12 hours that makes everything taste good. I was wishing for some hot sauce with the egg breakfast. Overall it was a good flying experience. Yah for VAustralia. They gave me a glass of milk. That’s important. To me. And the personal entertainment device attached in the seat in front of me was cool. Everyone can listen to or watch whatever they want whenever they want it. Speaking of the entertainment device, I watched…Mao’s last dancer—a good movie. I want to read the book (and also A River runs Through It, and a book called The Shack).

People have made fun of me for writing things on my hand. So here is another installment of the hand list: 1)buy razor…for that small patch I missed because a hurry was seen in the shower); 2)milk…to go with my mint cookies. A glass of milk seems to be a hard thing to find in an airport—at least in LAX; 3)LA…get luggage. Not really needed on my hand, since everyone had to get their luggage—international arrival thing; 4)put alcohol in checked luggage. I probably wouldn’t have bought the Gentleman’s special, but I walked into the airport with $200AUS to blow away. Outcome? A present for my mom, didgeridoo, and the alcohol, which finished all my paper money. Coins distributed in the convenient blue donation bag held by the smiling flight attendant as I got off the plane; 5) grandma’s present…don’t forget to give grandma present before I leave Portland tomorrow; 6)brush teeth…after a 12 hour flight my teeth felt nasty; 7)learn Spanish…I was helped by at least six different people who looked latino at LAX; 8)cut toenails. It’s time.

Leaving Sydney, I realized there were only two people wearing sandles in the line for the plane to LA. This ain’t summer time fun anymore! It’s hard to come back to the grey, cold, drizzle that is many times the Oregon coast this time of year.

AUS pg34 top…
There were more lights in Australia, but the stars at night still twinkled bright as I listened to the crashing ocean. And I also saw no less than 12 or 13 rows of lights on the water—tankers/ships waiting to take coal from Australia to China (as Alan told me). I imagined that in 5-10 years AUS would by the shape of a donut—no middle—all the coal gone. Maybe that’s a bit extreme. So to wrap up this Australia adventure—the land of undiscovered territory, outbacks, and after a few days at home (USA) I realized the land of round-a-bouts. There were no traffic lights where we drove—round abouts abounded. I had a good time. Have I mentioned it was hard to come back to wet, grey, cold, Astoria, OR? It was hard. I can see my breath for the first time in 2 and a half years.

After being in Samoa and being the minority (white person), coming to Australia was kind of a shock, most everyone is white. Actually I saw many Muslims. Coming to Astoria—an even whiter community. I notice different things now.

a cold body does board on a trail

2009-12-30T01:58:00.000-08:00

in the pics: I'm cold now, so more clothes, and nice faces for the camera:)

12/17
December 5-17…there has been a lot of nature, a lot of sunblock. Body boarding, biking, hiking, and running—in my new running shoes. I stayed with a family I met in Samoa. They live on the central coast—Eastern Australia. In the middle of a strip of land between the ocean and a lake. Very beautiful. A trail called coast track (trek?) I ran on that trail almost every morning. I liked it very much.

But sorry, I gave my camera to my school in Samoa, so a 1000 words for every picture I wanted to take. Or not…
No reef, where I met the beach, so “big” waves crash on shore. When hot and sweaty, crashing against waves feels so nice. Not the sucking in ocean water part. And timing it right and actually riding a wave feels nice. The water is colder than samoan waters. I guess a good thing because Oregon waters are even colder—brrrrrr especially since it’s winter where I’m headed—double brrrr. Alan is a surfer, so knows what he is doing. I learned how to spot a rip tide (where no waves are breaking). I also learned Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer (deadly sun), and the highest cost of housing in the WORLD.

The ocean is colder, so when the waves are not bashing me around—when I was looking for sea urchins or shells, I was cold. Two years in Samoa and I still don’t have much fat on me. So Alan let me borrow a wet suit—first time…stretchy. My arms and legs are still cold. Wearing a wet suit was what stopped me from entering a triathlon b4. well, I have no excuse now. After two years swimming in very warm water it kind of feels weird to have to wear a wet suit, dry suit, hot suit, warm suit, cold suit. I miss my fins, and goggles, and high tide.

Back to Australia. The bike. There was a bike. Alan had a bike he let me borrow to ride around the lake. The seat was too low, but I was glad I had a bike. I have a sense that a box I asked a PC staff to mail for me might not be coming back. It will cost more than I left in Samoa.

The smorgasbord …hmmm a lot of food food. Good food. I always feel inadequate at buffets, or I should say my stomach feels inadequate, meaning not big enough. 4 plates. Is that enough? Seafood, salad, fried, desert.

I found a trail, the trail. I don’t know…the Central Coast Trail is very nice. It rocks. I like it. It’s very pretty. I bought new running shoes. (I gave my old ones to my students.) I ran four days out of the two weeks. And yes, I was also a tourist and went to the wineries (well, 2)…cheese factories and an art gallery. And bought wine, cheese, and a few picture books—very pretty-and seeing how I didn’t have a camera, I thought I’d let someone else’s lense do the talking (www.kenduncan.com). I watched Alan spear fish ( I did collect shells (snails), but I got to eat bbq fish—yummy in my tummy with sweet chili sauce.

sticky images have power of going away

2009-12-30T01:16:00.000-08:00

in the pics: my going away party at school (called a fa'amavae). some dancing and singing, speeches, giving of souvenirs, of course some eating, lots of picture taking...this was the last set of pics I got with my camera. the school kept my camera when i left.

12/05
Oka. Se long time since I wrote in you. Too much ka’a in the other book. It has been a very busy last few days. Two fa’amavaes. A whole lot of packing bags, repacking bags. Now headed to airport to Australia.

Images that stick: big samoan lady sitting in front of me, big hair, bare feet. Samoan man in shoes, last sunset at my village. Drinking and singing with the teachers, dancing around the bondfire at my school. Poka’s family around the laptop.

Sorry…no pics of a bucket shower. Use your imagination. A warm bucket shower under a clear sky and twinkling stars is very nice. And I’m not sure I have a picture showing just a knife (machete), coconut, lavalava, or rugby ball. More imagination. Oh and coconut shells and bamboo pieces used for drums. And the feau (chores) experience. I didn’t get enough feaus. “Begging for feaus.”

Business tips to remember (from a magazine in the airport): put it in writing, lead by example, provide a measuring stick. Chinese proverb: may we live in interesting times.
Yes indeed.

Things that are different: 1) I walked barefoot through the golf course—preferring barefoot to using shoes. 2) I’m more comfortable laying on the floor. 3) the van felt cramped when I got into it—and I hit my head getting in. 4) seeing fast cars on the freeway from the airplane.

Another flashback…Leata (our language trainer…I miss her) had a yummy pumpkin recipe using pi supo (corned beef), peas, cabbage, tomatoes, laupele (like spinach). Sounds good.

I miss Finland. I don’t miss the homogeny of people. I think being in a place where I am the minority had a big impact on me. I feel I’m more multicultural now. Attracted to that sort thing. God created all colors of people. I want to know more about my world. I guess I like talking to people more..more than reading books. That surprises me…not something I would have thought going into peace corps.

12/02
I’m leaving soon…and here are things I’m thankful for: swim fins I found in the office. Swimming in the ocean was one of the only ways I could really open my back (to make it feel better). I just love swimming in the warm south pacific waters too.; my bike…I love riding my bike. And I’m glad it held together for the whole two years; my MP3 player. I’m surprised it was functional for the whole two years. The music and the voice recordings I got (even if they are not the best quality) will be nice when I work on my presentation to people in America.

I don’t feel I have that many “accomplishments” …most of my efforts were in cajoling my teachers into doing the training.

“Worldwide project involved with giving hope to children of poverty stricken countries/communities”
I wouldn’t call samoa stricken with poverty. It is more of a creeping thing because of the culture and lack of industry. And the fact that much of the economy is supported by dollars from outside the country: remittances and aid money.

I didn’t really do that much with other volunteers. Especially my group 79…I felt our group didn’t want to do anything together. I kind of felt that all the palagis came to peace corps to work with people of other countries, not hang with palagis.

“Linking school ICT resources and education with the community” from the PC reporting form. I think I really sucked at this. The school didn’t seem to want to open it’s doors to the “community”

Learning not much happens in samoa just because you wrote it in a report, or asked for it in a report…you must go to that person and sit yourself in their chair and stare them in the eye. Then something might happen.

Digicel (cell phone company in samoa) network seems to send the texts whenever it feels like. I don’t like that. But it seems to know what the really important texts are and usually sends those when I press send.

James Woods 9-11 memorial

2009-12-30T01:15:00.000-08:00

I volunteered to write a 9-11 memorial for james woods. better late than never.

We may have never met,
But I know your face.
This ambitious person,
No one will ever forget.

How fragile this life is,
A million tears will fall.
Your smile, amazing smile,
Brightening hearts of all.

Friendships grew, will grow,
The Fellas hold you tight.
Bringing everyone together,
Your sense of humor flows light.

Getting the most out of life,
Who says it’s top secret?
Just look at this person’s laughter,
Making the world a better place.

Jimmy, James, Woody, Woodrow,
We love you.
We miss you.
You are loved.

--matt crichton

challenging computer topics requires flexibility

2009-11-14T15:25:00.000-08:00

in the pics: I like the pic of walking to church..nice sun; waterfalls; western union come to kua; and the group pic of boys during the last work day.

11/11
My leave date is set. I’m trying to figure out what to take home and what to give to people. I don’t plan to take much home. Some things that are important to me: journals, pictures, my bike’s bar ends and pedals. I’m kind of attached to them. It’s also getting down I don’t have that much money.

What is asked (of PC volunteers):
1) flexibility…when schedules change without your knowing; program. What program?
2) patience…for the waiting when a student REALLY gets “it.”
3) tolerance for ambiguity…not knowing until the day of
4) humor…laughing at yourself even when you want to throw something.
5) ability to stick it out…when the last three days were really sucky, and you still get out of bed for your morning walk.

The BIG computer test for my year 12 students is tomorrow. One more review paper, stressing questions I had in my notes as “difficult” and “problem” areas. I hope they do well.

11/10
I slept from about 4pm to 7pm toady. So it was dark when I woke up. The sky was clear at least enough to see a bit of the star circus in the sky. So I did a short workout/running/pushups on the rugby field. (two) storms on both sides…one over the ocean and the other over the mountains throw occasional lightning my way. Finishing with a headstand and a sweaty body. Tis good.

I think my laptop (and MP3 player) are showing signs of “wear” from the heat. The mouse touch pad is not working anymore on my laptop. So I plugged in the external mouse—even that is not working. Next step, rebuild the computer…Takes a long time. But good thing to do if I’m going to give it to my samoan family when I leave.

Movie: Michael Jackson: this is it
• MJ is an interesting person. The movie showed the cleaner points. I go the feeling he may have been rude to people he worked with. Why is it that rich people need a “handler???”
• Love lives forever…I agree. Even if you’re not with that person physically.
• “MJ taps a deeper level of emotion. I’ve never seen.” I can feel that in his music.
• Uses pure words.
• He seemed tired—(in pain??) at some points in the movie. I hope he’s better now, wherever he is.

Many computer terms/concepts remain a challenge for my students. A few
1. describing the advantage of a software program 2. word processor (no word in Samoan for describing “process”…edit, format, document, function, font, explaining relative/absolute cell references, pixel.

knowing the lingo talk talk talk about leaving

2009-11-14T15:17:00.000-08:00

in the pics: hurting your foot in samoa is a very bad thing; high school group from seattle, in full samoan attire, back at seattle(?) airport; kids in samoa love the camera..adults...not so much.

11/9
Things got set a lot more over the weekend. Well, I mean my leaving samoa. I leave on December 5, 2009. that’s coming soon. No need to keep it a secret. I already told my samoan family. Now everyone in five villages know when I’m out. First to Australia, and then back to the homeland—my mom is expecting me for Christmas, and it will be good to be home.

I have almost a month to
1. finish completing resources for computer teachers next year.
2. tear down and pack myroom
3. mail package home
4. create some kind of presentation using the pictures I’ve taken over the past two years.
5. go to all the farewells, as is samoan custom.

Exalt the Lord…praise, raise up. Sing your loudly out.

Today was a good day. Almost finished with my final exams—only two more weeks I think. The boys worked on re-outlining. The world map on our school wall. I went for a bike ride to the top of the mountain. I usually gauge my days by how much my back hurts, and how itchy I am. And if I have any fruit and/or veggies. Now I’m rolling in apples and oranges, bananas and cucumbers. Only thing missing was a sunset swim—I came back to my school too late. Now I’m going to see if I can bang out the PC Description of Service…well, a first draft at least.

Word study: dignity..worthy..worth..merit/(excellence)..(laudible)/character..distinguishing feature..piece of character/ reputation
White people who are trying to “help” other people seem to talk about dignity a lot.

11/5
Car commercial…Great Wall Wingle…oh no! the first “high power/flashy” car commercial I’ve seen in samoa. (Is this progress?) you know. The one with the car zooming through “wild country” desert, swerving around another car to show off the traction. Skidding to a stop around the other cars—complete with the large dust swirls. Everything that makes you (well, a man) want that car.

Movie: Catch me if you Can
Tips for being a good con-person:
1. smooth-talking (eloquent, persuasive)
2. knowing the lingo
3. power of the clothing
4. showing confidence
5. knowing when to look lost
6. well placed flirting/compliments
7. quick thinking in tight situations
8. learning from the best

Repetition is key in samoa—right now the TV is trying to drill the importance of movement/dancing into viewer’s heads. I have seen the commercial 8 times in the last 30 minutes. Or so it seems that way. Dance to make your body strong.

Suasusu—white milky liquid put into the eyes when they are red and watering…breast milk???

Toughest two minutes in sports: fireman’s 2 minutes. I want to try that someday.

11/2
Book: Survival Kit for living overseas
Three most important factors for your success overseas: sense of humor, low goal/task orientation (also the ability to put your type A personality to sleep for a while), Ability to fail (you will fail, not all failure is bad, as long as you learn from it).

Never a dull moment…water leaks through roof and drops on computer. Right before final exams. The bottom of the computer was soaking wet. …water dripping off of it. Very lucky it still works. Ok for now. My practical exams start this afternoon.

Final exams start this week. I try to work on stuff to prepare the Malaga (travel..back home). Oh I got a call from my friends who I will visit in Australia hopefully I know when their daughter is leaving. I will go with her. Now I just have to buy my ticket. I’m waiting for mealofa fares (Christmas specials). I don’t know if that’s going to happen.
I’m subbing for someone’s suega (test). Talk talk talk ..to much talking in the classroom.

lying in bed with bling bling dreaming of journey

2009-11-14T15:08:00.000-08:00

in the pics: the SMALL tsunami damage to my village (it could have been A LOT worse); my sitting place almost every morning; the packing in emergency.

11/1
mmmmmm…more good food. Aggie Grey’s Sunday (all you cat eat) brunch. Awesome food. I forgot how good a buffet can be. I think I ate eight poached eggs on top of toast, with some sausage, bacon, tomato soup something or other, fish cakes. And lots of fruit. And tomato juice. Also good value at $25 tala.

10/31
Today is Halloween. I think there is some kind of party, but I’m not sure if I’m going. I don’t have a costume, and I’ve never been good at being creative with costumes. And some peace corps volunteers are going to one location, and some to another location. So people are not very decisive.

It feels nice just to lie in bed after waking up…for more than five minutes. Hey I’m in samoa. I’m supposed to have more “leisure” time. Ha ha ha…more relaxed. I don’t feel more relaxed. I do have a lot of work work work work …

Other volunteers rode in a taxi to the PC office from our hostel. I walked. I like to walk—especially in the morning or late evening. And seeing how I’m in samoa, and the dogs come out to play at night, that leaves me with walking in the morning. Some observations:
The telephone pole I saw has MANY wires on it and wires leading up to the top from the ground. I’m guessing power and internet and TV and some other things. Hmmm…is this development?
The sound of the birds twittering.
Stubbing my toe twice…that’s not nice. I guess I should pick up my feet more.
Buying cucumbers at the shop…oh and the lady gave me an avocado. Which I will eat shortly.

I took a TESL training. Interesting. Too bad I’m leaving Samoa so soon. But it’s still time to go home. Nice comment I heard: “you can’t embezzle a person, only money. Send more people to act as aid.” Go peace corps!
Notes: Experiential learning curve, Predictability factor in the classroom, TESL breaks things up, big pig, the 5 methods of TESL

Food tonight: spicy fish enchilada. Good blend of flavors. Not enough spicy. Good food for $25 tala. Let’s do it again.

10/29
Two years of teaching in samoa have ingrained in me that I don’t get enough physical work/exercise. Maybe it’s the teaching, maybe the culture, maybe both. What would make me really happy? Hmmmm. Ride bike to top of mountain; swim in ocean to cool off—see very pretty sunset. Warm bucket shower; work on my “stuff” (random files on my computer that should be done before I leave samoa, and more important stuff like my COS (close of service) document; do some yoga—always helps me sleep.

I’m leaving samoa soon, so it’s time to start cleaning my room and decide what goes home and what stays here in samoa. Some things I haven’t used in two years:
Long sweats. I sweat enough without wearing sweats. Maybe Australia though.
Waterproof top and bottom. It’s too hoooot to wear waterproof anything. When it rains hard, you get out of the rain, unless you want to get really wet too.
The finnish cooking apron. Most of the time other people have done the cooking for me.
I also found a poem (?) that was written at the beginning of this adventure.

First night in Samoa

First night in Samoa
And I drank some kava.
Got too relaxed
And I lost my lava—
Lava is hot.
You don’t want to get burned.
Walking home at night,
Apply what you’ve learned.

You gotta get an escort,
Walk with a buddy.
It’s rainy season,
Man these roads are muddy.

Walk around the corner,
Into a big Samoan.
Who stole all my bling,
Now I’ve got to be rollin on.

Wake up the next morning,
Man I feel inferior.
Pick up the phone, called my superior.
Told the sad tale,
About the loss of my possessions.
Respect the kava,
Gotta learn your lessons.

(I have a feeling this was a group effort. When it was written…?)

father's peace corps measures house of skulls

2009-11-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

in the pics: learning the samoan haka...well not very well (I don't think you're supposed to smiling when you make the haka); two signs: one of my village (savaia); sign to the mountain (where my bike frequents)

10/24
“It offends our values when executive compensation is too much.” As stated by Obama. As I watched from Samoa. “how much greed do you need to fix the system?” as stated by the TV. I don’t know how much greed. The real talent doesn’t involve greed. The USA seems so far away right now. It seems to be an interesting time to be going home. I heard that three of the volunteers from my group are not going home yet...two may be continuing here in samoa, and one is going to Ecuador. Yeah for them. That rocks. I need to go home and work on my ideas.

Saturday I could have been hiking through dense jungle to visit the house of skulls, but no. the leader had 10 people for a different hike. I had one of the year 12 students help me type tests, because there was no way I could type them all myself. I got help typing (and we finished), and the student got extra practice and new skills in Microsoft Word. Then I had a snack and nap. Got up and went for a swim—to my samoan family’s house. The tide was going out. I think I slept too long. The coral was very high (or the tide was too low) I got stuck in a few places. I saw crazy schools of fish. There were a lot of fish. See the fish—catch the fish—eat the fish. I saw the fish, ate the fish, but didn’t catch the fish. So many pretty fishes. I’m getting very good at eating a whole fish. Practice almost every night I’m at my samoan family’s house.

10/23
What is it? Five or six questions on the year12 final I did not even cover. Many yr12 classes did not happen. Too many unexpected events. Too many holidays…some from the swine flu and tsunami. Too much content. Not enough time. Well, hopefully we will review those questions before the School C, which is the test that really counts.

Hmmm…two architects came today to do measurements—including my room. I’ve been living in a space that is about 6m x 9m. could be worse. I was told all renovations and new construction would be finished by the middle of next year, if everything goes smoothly. Usually it’s not samoa if everything goes smoothly.

10/19
On the bus this morning—breeze blowing through my hair. My thoughts were far away. Horse farms for..after Peace Corps? Is it a dream? We’ll see. And then the 100111100110—or a bunch of 0s and 1s. my students need to understand this for the exam. Fun fun.

Wall Street Journal article, Not Your Father’s PC; Friday august 21, 2009
(my comments/thoughts in the ((()))
Most Americans…familiar with PC only nominally. (why is that??)
Most PC iconography—africa. (meaning most pictures about PC have scenes from Africa??)
In 1965 PC was twice today’s size (hmmmm…but I think people may have a poorer perception of the US today than in 1965)
But indoor plumbing does not make a developed country. (so true)
Teenage democracy…
Improving in fits and starts …(yes samoa is “improving” in fits and starts)
Talking with neighbors about American history. (gee I wish I could do that. I don’t talk about much of anything. Good conversation, that’s one thing I miss.)

Thailand—what is it? Is this the last cheap/undeveloped/unwesternized/unspoiled area in the world? My tuna fish is from Thailand. Young couples go there. I still just want to go home.

star fiafia 13 different ways

2009-11-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

in the pics: fia fia fever...two fire dancers strut their stuff; the food.samoans know how to do food and we palagis try to imitate; the group 79 pic. 10 volunteers survived and some even have smiles;)

10/17
I sliced the end of my index finger on my shaver feeling around in my backpack—trying to find the chapstick. I have a feeling that particular cut is going to be very troublesome. I use that finger a lot.

Fiafia last night. samoan style party—(welcome to new PC group 82) with singing, dancing a pretty lady, and LOTS of food. It felt kind of weird to know that would be the last fiafia (at least PC related) I would be a part of. (sorry, no oily body for me. I played the drums for one of the dances. (oh yes, I’m ALWAYS up for drumming)

Did I mention food? Plates and plates and plates of palagi food—and one dish of little bitty pieces of taro. I took one piece. My plate was a very large heap by the time I finished loading it up. It all tasted very good. And that, along with the few beers I drank made me very sleepy. So I went to the hostile, brushed my teeth, lay down, then sliced my finger, then had trouble going to sleep. Darn it.
Hostile—a samoan fale style house the PC rents from a family, so volunteers that live away from the city have a safe place to sleep.

Thoughts on development….a slow slog.
Upena (fishing net)…get more fish easier.
My family recently got a fishing net. Tonight there were three different kinds of fish on the table for dinner…plus one I’ve never seen before..a type of puffer fish??? I wonder if that means the samoan fishing boat (pao pao) will not be used any more…

Doorknobs…on the doors in my samoan family’s house. I don’t usually close the door anyway. I’ve slept with no door or the door open since they remodeled. Now I can lock my door—but I don’t think I will even close it. I’m use to no door knob.

Speed bump…in front of our house. I just laughed because it seems when you are the pastor and the mayor and the high chief, so many resources come to you—food, churches, fine mats, speed bumps…maybe not in that order.

Watching the NZ news—a baby was found in the gutter—today’s breaking news. Is this the future Samoa is hurdling towards? I hope not.
Development sometimes keep others….well I didn’t finish my sentence and I have no idea what I was thinking.

10/10
I watched a movie recently…13 conversations about one thing. A movie about spirals, and how one small gesture can change the momentum of a tsunami. A bit of a whack movie with a _______ and a _________ ending (I’m not going to spoil the ending). We’ll see if you understand after watching. Unless you’ve already watched. Here are a few words of wisdom:
Happiness is only average,
When you don’t get your share.
Wisdom scoffs like everyone else,
When the answer you’re looking for
Is only a mantra.
Make amends for a happy ending.
The answer you’re looking for,
Is in the smile.
Having faith in something is to important
As family is to relationships.

A piece of paper does not do the light justice. A picture of the stained glass at University of Portland (Christ the teacher) chapel kept in my journal for two years. Something to sustain me. Until the day of the real thing…

10/05
Another random thought: if I ever own a café or restaurant I want two things: many different kinds of chairs/couches (some people like it hard, some like it soft). And iced rooibos tea, with a bit of lemon. Yummy. Although I’m sure it tastes better when your hot and sweaty—like most days. So it may not work so well in the middle of winter in Minnesota.

The large clam shell…good for a necklace. Add a few rings.

Book: Leaves of the Banyan Tree
“taking everything within reach and shaping it in your image.” Something about that way of being really bugs me. What is it? That is opposite of how I operate. Or so I think.

“as you lie on the ground and look up to the stars, void of city lights or noise, you will probably come to the realization that you haven’t actually missed much at all, in fact, I’m sure you’re gained more than you ever imagined.”
Although you may not know it at the time.
(Peace corps times newsletter; issue 3; 2009)

riding in grandpa's smoked salmon rattletrap

2009-11-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

in the pics: close of service. amazing samoan weaving; innovative "pee and see" toilets (for the men only); coconuts x2; widening the road...progress? sorry...i don't have a picture handy of grandpa's jalopy. I still loved that truck.

9/26
The busses here in samoa remind me of my grandpa’s old pickup truck—the one I grew up with loading and unloading grass clippings and yard debris. The rides to the city dump were treats—well I mean the breakfast—I got to eat after the (easier) work of unloading the *(sometimes very smelly) grass, branches, leaves, flowers. Usually eggs and bacon and toast and sometimes pancakes. I guess I ate a lot of food way back when I was just a little thing. Well back to the truck. My grandpa’s truck (I think it was a 1950’s model) had all these levers and knobs that my grandpa would push, pull, sometimes push and pull. Sometimes he would say a few words to help the truck go. When he started it up it would rumble and groan loudly, not sounding happy to wake up. But I never remember it breaking down—it always worked when we wanted it to. The busses in samoa have a long handle for the gear shift, all the way down to the floor…like grandpa’s truck.

Reaching out to people for jesus—don’t make people come to your home. Go to where they are. Especially when transportation is difficult.

Most widely spoken languages in the world: 1. mandarin 2. Spanish 3. hindi 4. English 5. I wonder where finnish and samoan are on this list.

9/25
From our close of service PC conference: “moving on”
1) When I think of returning to the states I feel…happy to see my family and begin the next opportunity.
2) I’ll be going back to…my mom and grandparents. Somewhere that’s hopefully a little cooler.
3) I expect that for me the process of returning will be…OK… I’ll take it one day at a time and see what comes.
4) When I think of seeing my family again, I…am anxious to see my grandparents. They are getting old. And my grandpa is in the hospital.
5) I think my family will expect me to…give them a big hug and tell them about my adventures.
6) In terms of future career plans…I have a few ideas, but not much internet where I am, and phone is not really an option, so I sit and wait until I get back to usa.
7) I expect that my friends will…want to hang out/have a welcome back party. Go for a hike (well, that’s what I want).
8) Regarding money, I’m going to be…broke; sing that broking song. Sau le faigaluega (come to the work)
9) Going back will enable me to…ride my bike more, do more yoga, figure out the next step.
10) I think the hardest part of going back for me will be…if I let the emotions surface, well, then, that’s hard. Leaving a place I’ve called home for two years.
11) I think the easiest part for me to handle will be…leaving the heat.
12) I’m really looking forward to…a big bowl of ice cream after a HOT sauna.

9/20
So what does it take for the economist to shine over other mags? In the digital age, razor sharp clarity and definition are keys to success. A true global digest, smart analysis of what it covers, and smart packaging.

Oh I don’t think it can get much better than this. A cloud cover to lower the temp (a little bit). Toasted cheese (and smoked salmon, tomatoes, chili sauce, mayonnaise) sandwiches, cucumbers and the rest of the iced wine—well, that white wine didn’t really freeze so well. How about a wine slushy? Whatever it was, it was cold and it felt good. AND, I get to eat outside on my “porch” in front of the rugby field overlooking the ocean. I usually eat inside. I really don’t want to share my lunches, especially if they have cheese in them (I have found samoans don’t really like cheese). More for me. That’s good.melted.cheese.good. I’m the only one sleeping at the school building now. The vice principal is out and about—I have no idea where he is. I’ve heard he is sick and I’ve heard he is in Australia.
Mautinoa (not sure)
Le mautinoa toe alu i lo (not sure if we are going back down)

simple life is bumpy when capacity searches

2009-11-14T14:26:00.000-08:00

in the pics: yoga by the sea (awesome); Italianos (a yummy pizza place); samoan tupe (money...very colorful); chicken and rice dinner made by me on samoan open fire.

9/17
Bumping along in the bus to apia. I see a dry river bed and think of my friend Michael, who likes to hike (as I do) up dry (or wet) rivers. Not enough hiking in samoa. Hopefully that can be remedied when I go home.

I was thinking about “development.” It seems to be such a complex process if you do it well. How my image of “kicking and screaming” puts it in perspective when thinking about samoa. It’s not a quick thing.

Lizards really like the new Weet Bix I got—the one with Manuka honey and coconut. There have already been two places chewed through the box. It does smell good.

I think I already posted about the book: The Gift by Hafiz. Here is some more.
Profound courage to never relinquish love
Come dance with me. It makes the body and spirit feel good
Lodges itself between one’s teeth. And stays there while you struggle to get it out.
Nothing evolves us like love. Can be a hard road.
Wonderful game. Games are fun.
Laugh…the purest sound.
Singing…it is needed.

9/13
Sunday’s feau (chore): seep room, mop room, clean water filter, spray bug killer everywhere. Ahhh..my room is the cleanest it has ever been.

My family shot three of their dogs…I don’t think they want the female dogs to reproduce. I don’t think shooting is the best way. But they don’t ask me much of anything about what goes on in the family.

It’s still nice to listen to the ocean and the crickets. I won’t get this when I go home---which gets closer and closer.

9/11
Two weeks turn into one week school break.yucky.
I visit my family in lalomauga. Traveling. Can be an “every time adventure.”
I road in a car, bus, walked, taxi, and finally car. Coming back to my village I walked, car, bus, walk, bus, walk.

I’ve spent two years, struggling with sustainability—how to make change that will last after I am gone gone gone—back in America. I wonder how that translates to the work back in America. Well, here’s what I think: nonprofits operate best they can—that’s all that can be asked. Making a change to any system (organization or person) that is welcomed will want to continue. “capacity building” I guess is the technical term.

Another word study: capacity
capacity… Ability…capability… aptitude…faculty… competence…facility…power…gift…Talent…Knack…Skill

I’m not used to being “Loud” whenever I want something. My nature is to just do it. But in samoa it seems I need to be loud and act excited if I want something. That takes a lot of energy …I usually don’t have.

9/02
The simple life (in samoa): traveling shorter distances (to work—teachers usually teach in their own village). No rush; tomorrow is another day. Vocabulary…a small vocabulary. As the vocab increases, the complexity of life seems to increase. One thing at a time; no multitasking here. (ALTHOUGH, I was talking to a friend who lives in apia. He said that his family does not eat dinner, but eats as they do other things…sounds like multitasking).

superfat tattoos will travel with shepherd

2009-11-14T14:18:00.000-08:00

in the pics: people; a blast from camp kilwanalong past (thanks kathleen); my german friend aaron; my samoan mom and ina; three handsome boys before white sunday service.

9/1
Diary of a superfat dinner: fried pig (no fat removed), dipped in generous dollops of mayonnaise (with a little hot sauce), taro and yams in coconut cream sauce. Bread with butter and coco cola. I guess a Mexican combo platter might have the same fat content???

8/28
“Your most hurtful pain is also your most powerful action.” From a book called The Shack. I like it. I’m not done with it.

Simple words in a definition; no circular definitions; one or two example sentences. This is the type of dictionary I look for after bouncing around samoa for two years. The simple word.

I was talking to a man from the ICT (information and communications technology) office in Samoa. “I had no other option other than computers (for a job).” It’s hard for me to think in terms of “only option”. I guess I have a lot of privilege that I don’t think about. Is that the right word? I’ve had a lot of opportunity. What am I doing with that opportunity?

8/26
The tattoo page…wow…my first tattoo is uma (finished). On permanently—forever. But I like it. I wish I recorded the taptaptaptap of the Samoan tattooing instrument. Only red pen today—make quiz corrections quickly.i chose a taulima—a simple band—because simple is better (for me) and I can always add more later—MUCH harder to take away.

Here is a psalm I wrote for my small group:

The Lord is my shepherd. I will not want.
The Lord is my starlight in the dark of night.
When despair closes in I will not fight.

Strong is the lord with the power to crush.
Any evil that cometh out of the brush.
The Lord is my shepherd, a strong hand to hold tight.
Through the jungle of frustration will he be my sight.

Long days, long night, the Lord’s work is good.
Do not tire; today or tomorrow.

The Lord is my shepherd.
In him I will take refuge.
On days that are tiring God sends reminders he is near.
A jumping fish. Star drops in the sky.
I will not forget. God walks with me.

Loving samoa today

2009-11-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

in the pics: what's the deal with a topless coconut tree? bucket laundry in paradise; inside a normal samoan bus; a very large blow hole (don't get too close)

8/17
I’m helping a year 13 student (who used to attend our school) write his speech/debate.
“why I love samoa”
Mativa—poor
1. there is enough money for basic needs.
2. there is enough good tasting and healthy food to raise a family.
3. I am happy. My family is happy.
4. warm weather.
5. There is no war.
6. We have freedom.
He knows the samoan. He needs help with the translation into decent English.

Positive effects of technology on our culture.
• Technology can help record (preserve and protect) our culture
• Technology can be a source of information about our culture
• Technology can help to spread information about our culture
• Make our culture more open to other people (who may live far away)

8/15
So I’m also the warm up coach for our athletics. The students usually didn’t do any warm up, and then did their exercises.
Warmup—reduces risk of injury.
Power—there is no substitute for raw power.
Technique—better utilizes raw power.
Hydration—muscles work better if properly hydrated.
Breathing—gives energy to muscles. Stops cramps.
Attitude—will determine if you use all the other pieces to their full potential.

I also had to whip them into shape…there was no water bucket in the beginning. One girl fainted. Too hot.

8/11
Book: My Name is Today (morley/ Lovel)
We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning the children, neglecting the fountain of life. Many of the things we need can’t wait.
The child cannot.
Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made and his sense are being developed.
To him we cannot answer “tomorrow”
His name is “today.”
(Gabriela Mistral --Chilean poet)

I wake up when my alarm springs to life with the alarm and the buzz. There is a faint light coming through the shades on my windows. I do my morning stretches and rub my feet, which are sore from standing most of yesterday teaching. My morning walk is something I look forward to each day because I get to be alone (something that’s hard to do in Samoan culture of togetherness) and landscapes are usually the most vibrant at dawn and dusk. I put my shoes on. This is the only time I ever wear my shoes—except when doing the river hike. I open my door, step outside and look to the left. The rising light is a blood red—the deepest red I have ever seen in the sky. Another example of when I stand in awe before God’s nature. I like nature.

moon drops lodge into an important spot

2009-11-14T13:55:00.000-08:00

in the pics: food. a plate of samoan food; pig's head (I eat a lot of pig in samoa. i like the crunchy pig skin); tattoos; vai ti polo (without any sugar--the way i like it), and samoan tea (with LOTS of sugar)

8/8

Poem: Moon drops in the ocean

Waves crash in the dark

Moon shines bright overhead

Puffy white clouds

Hang lazily in the sky.

Pale light drapes the landscape

Colors of darkness

In a bit

Moon drops into ocean

Returning land to a darkness

Where stars have a say

In the play of nighttime.

Night envelopes

Starry patchwork twinkles bright

Cricket song collides with waves crashing

A peaceful sound

Darkness enfold the eyes

Cricket sounds envelop the ears

Fully awake to the night sounds.

--matt Crichton

8/10/09

8/4

I was talking with some peace corps friends about being fat—overweight, obese. In samoa, a man wants to marry a big woman, or make her fat because it shows he feeds his family well. I asked “what about all the pulatasi and dress shops in Apia that have skinny skinny manikins?” someone said, “you can’t find a fat manikin.” Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. I bet such a thing exists.

A good day I think (those are important). Even though there was no school (the second week) due to the swine flue (scare). I taught the teachers how to do research on the encyclopedias installed on our computers. We do not have internet at our school. One encyclopedia is called WikiTaxi. I can’t copy and paste text in WIkiTaxi ;( then I made a draft of a year book I’m going to have the students do as a project. I created a lesson plan for the research—capturing what’s on the board, which I don’t usually do…documenting.

Important things

· Profound courage to never relinquish love

· Come dance with me

· Nothing evolves us like love

· Lodges itself between one’s teeth

· God is more interested in holy than happy

felolo le Faasamoa in the fire!

2009-10-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

in the pics: white sunday, best dress in white, three boys in my family (a miracle I got them to stand still long enough for the camera); valuvalu taro a special way to make it--faausi; the tattoo; and my culture: Finnish food and the sauna...sweetness.

10/22
Fire in the mouth. OK, so it’s mostly hot outside, but this morning there was a fire in my mouth—no not the hot sauce, but close. A PC staff gave me some supposed pulu (bubble gum). This gum happened to be an atomic fireball. Ahhhhh, brings back grade school memories of seeing who could put the most fireballs in their mouth for the longest time.

10/12
So it’s been two years and I think my Samoan language is about 40-50%, which is pretty good considering I didn’t reallyreally focus on it. Here are some respect words (of which I know even less) when giving food as a mealofa (of which there was a lot of mealofas to my samoan father—the high chief and pastor in our village). Yesterday was White Sunday, a big day for the children—they get special treatment, new clothes, eat first, and I bought the box of ice cream for everyone.

(Folafolaga o meataumafa)
Silafoga maualuga maia
Lau afioga Tuala ma le faletua.
O le a ou folafolaina atu.
Ua iai le vaimalau
Ua faliu ma fafao iai le susuga ia Mataio.
Faafetai teu, faafetai fa’aaloalo.

"there are no more families" in Samoan

2009-10-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

in the pics: two kids from one of my Samoan families; Samoan siva, with the fire! dancing that I like

10/6
...checking my email..hotmail..I see an ad for mypyramid.gov in SPANISH. wow..that's impressive. something is changing. this is the first time I've seen an ad on the internet in spanish. Granted since I"ve been in SAmoa i haven't really been on the internet all that much.

I guess you can tell which software is popular on Cnet...zone alarm has 46.4 million downloads. That's A LOT.

I guess it's a good thing to get at least one email contact person before you leave country. I checked my email--i had 150 emails. After scanning them I saw there were many related to the tsunami...asking if anyone had information about such and such village. A volunteer in country already texted me asking if anything happened in my villages. An RPCV wanted to know. sorry I didn't check my email more often...

10/3
“there are no more families” that was a quote I heard on the TV I think. When I sit and think about that, it’s pretty sad. No more FAMILIES. A tsunami can do that to people of samoa. I guess the tsunami doesn’t discriminate. If you are in its way, you will get wet. I heard one family has 13 dead. A woman has lost her three children. There will be sadness for a long time. They are in my prayers.

God thought: “my grace is sufficient for you.” I think I read that in a book called “the shack” I thought it was a really good book. I read it twice.

“everyone has a story” a line from the movie “Reign on me” interesting. Not your normal action.shoot.punch.kick.kill.bang.bang movie I see a lot of in samoa.

“by accepting all of who you are you will be free” a line from Cat woman. Nice movie if you like tight leather and lots of cats. Halley Barry is good looking.

matching bags for preschool

2009-10-22T16:08:00.001-07:00

in the pics: road switch: my samoan family, and making waves in the Wall Street Journal (thanks to my grandpa); Two kids from my samoan family; samoan money is very colourful...sorry no $100.

10/1
Tafagamanu (well all villages) need a preschool. I’m sitting in my Samoan family’s house watching the little kids (toddlers?) running around. There would be five kids (just in our house!) old enough for preschool. Oh there are many development opportunities—if I was staying here longer. It seems many times the thing you want to develop is not on the list of the people you are trying to work with.

Samoa may be a good (easy, relaxed, laidback, chill, simple way of life) place to live, but not until I have lost this urgency I have. Doing things….faster. that may not be the best way to put it. Life flows differently in America and other western countries. I want to work with people in my home. Well, in samoa there is this “last minute” syndrome. Many times people have come to me wanting help, but the thing is due or needs to be done that day or the next day. so maybe there is some urgency in Samoa.

Having to change bags (and backpacks) and have less pockets—I no like. Ahhh the English is getting away from me. I really dislike not having lots and lots of pockets to put things in. My old shoulder bag = 4 pockets. New bag = 3. I am grateful to my friend for making a new bag for me. today is just a day to gripe…it’s more about the backpack status…old backpack = 9 pockets. Other backpack = 2 pockets. The zippers on my old faithful are finally giving out. I hope I can get the bag reconditioned when I go home. That’s something that’s not going to happen in Samoa. What can I say? I like to be organized.

The PC experience will find that thing you are timid about or don’t want to deal with, and make you practice it—if you allow it. Wow..that makes it sound almost like a crucible. It’s not that bad. For me, it’s my personality of being quiet most of the time. To be here in samoa and be quiet all the time, will get you no where. I have found I talk louder now. Maybe that’s exclusive to teaching. I don’t know. The other thing is my not liking people asking me for money. Well I get to practice that at least 5 or 6 times a day. my family asking me for money, little kids asking me for money, teachers asking me for money. Well, not really asking—“mai sta tupe” means give me money. PC trained us not to give money, but bring gifts. So that box of chicken I bought for my family is just one example. There are other examples on my blog. But it never seems to be enough, or it’s the wrong thing. I guess it’s hard to be satisfied in Samoa.

Maybe someday the text and pictures on this blog will match. I’ve noticed that I post the text for one thing, and I don’t post pics until three weeks later.

quaking earth...run away

2009-10-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

in the pics: well, I already deleted the pics, and blogger only uploaded 2 of the 5 pics...that sucks. One of my students, and "how the road widens" a piece of development?? I guess next is a tar layer? I checked pics on my flash drive = le se mea (there are no pics of the tsunami damage in my village), of which only a deck going out into the ocean got washed, and a few rocks on the road. We were very luckyyyyyy.

9/29
Today’s newsflash-or should I say rumble…earthquake—a pretty big one (my mom tells me later it was an 8.5 shocker and I see on the TV that the center wasn’t too far south of Western Samoa.) walking back to my school during my morning walk I feel the earth start to shake…a sensation from down deep in the earth somewhere. It kind of felt like having too much to drink. Everything shook—a slow shake. Not strong enough to lose my balance. This is the biggest on I have felt. I met the mayor of the village; he told me it was the biggest one he’s ever felt. He speaks pretty good English. I saw some small waves approaching as I was walking back to my school. So I walked faster to my room, and checked my cell phone. There was a message saying find higher ground. I grabbed my emergency stuff and my backpack and was gone walking up the hill—run away run away. I appreciate the phone calls I received—three from PC staff making sure I was on higher ground and was OK. Five friends also called to make sure I was OK.

So here I sit in front of a shop—a very busy shop—for the last three hours. Shops are a very busy place, especially the John Pasina shop, well, at least for places “at the back” in tua, away from the town area—the country. Watching the people and cars. There are some NICE cars (meaning new Toyota trucks for the most part). After being in Samoa (especially Apia), one would think all white vehicles are taxis. NOT TRUE! I saw two white cars pull up to the shop today that didn’t have a taxi sign on top of them. Now the text message—tsunami cancelled…time to go. Then my friend calls and says Coconuts Resort (where our PC group recently had our Close of Service) is no more, destroyed, washed out to sea. I think that whole stretch of beach had a good smashing by the waves because I heard that 2 or 3 other resorts were also taken out by the Tsunami. I saw pictures on TV of palagis (tourists) standing near some rubble. That made me think of how lucky my area was, I mean to not be hit harder by the tsunami. It could have been a lot worse. The water did not come over the sea wall at my school or my Samoan family’s house. the Southeast side of the island Upolu was hit the hardest. That seems kind of weird when I saw the angle of the waves on the map on TV. It would have hit us first before it hit the southeast side of the island. But the waves we got seemed to be the crumbs. I heard that some waves reached 20 feet, but I’m not sure if that was in Western Samoa or American Samoa. I know in AS there was extensive damage—to the village of PagoPago—right in the harbor.

Tonight—reports on TV—some people dead, many injured. Tourists lose their vacations (or at least the vaca they imagined). No one is dead in my village, but I hear a fire truck crashed coming down a road too fast and one person died.

Taeao analela—this afternoon.

Then I hear no school for the rest of the week. no school for just today. I don’t know what to believe.

Firefox woes finds alone time at a school

2009-10-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

in the pics: the famous PC office oven, after the remodel (not to fear, we have a microwave and toaster oven now); three pics of my family at the school. The vice principal's family stayed there..well, last term any way. They haven't been back living at the school for the third term. I think they went to Australia--and doesn't want to tell people. Why is it bad(?) to have a secrect in Samoa?

9/28
Tonight is the first night I’m staying at the school building all by myself. The vice principal has not returned from …? I don’t really know where he went. I’ve heard he is sick and I’ve heard he went to Australia. It’s nice and quiet: leaves rustling, birds chirping, distant waves crashing—and…making dinner. The first time I have made dinner all by myself. I started at 6:30pm, and was eating at 9pm. Hmmmm..i don’t know if I want to do that again. The fire took a long time to start. Smolder smolder smolder…and then poof! A large flame. Well, large for my one small pot, but it sure was good chicken, lau pele (samoan spinach), and rice. Ohhhh I had some soy sauce and chili sauce to add some flavor. Maybe dinner will be faster (that sounds so American) next time. Making dinner on the open fire under the moon and stars.

9/27
I’m going through my old notebooks…and find an interesting myth/fact??? Spiders with even number of legs (4,6,8) are good luck. Odd numbers of legs are bad luck.

I like to have extra things, just be prepared for (I hope) anything. Samoans like to have not extras, to not be prepared. I think that may be part of the culture. If you need something, you ask someone else. I can see how that would lead to not wanting to get anything special, or acquire a lot of “stuff”. I think it was a shock when I first got to samoa to see the inside of the ‘palagi’ houses—very bare, not much furniture, if any.

9/18
I went on a "Senior Sneak Day" down the coast with First Lutheran people on a very uncomfortable school bus---- My rear end was sore from sitting on the bus, nonstop, from Tillamook to Astoria. When I finally was home, I mowed the lawn and worked outside to feel better.
…that’s my mom..i think we’re alike in that way…do something physical to feel better.

FireFox internet…problems with posting blogs. Don’t know how to download attachments from hotmail.

The internet is so awesome. My samoan father told me that my mom is concerned about having a stroke. She is a VERY big woman. I looked on the internet and found an English-samoan document about basics of stroke and prevention. So cool.
Direct link to samoan version plus other languages if you want it:
http://www.stroke.org.nz/pdfs/translations/

pics with firedancing...or dancing and fire?

2009-09-16T23:25:00.001-07:00

in the pics: I went to a siva (samoan dance) ..well to watch the dancers. complete with some of that exciting fire dancing. no hip hop here. there was a cool drum and dance piece...sorry nothing "electronic" here, other than the use of the CD player.

pics with kids

2009-09-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

in the pics: some of the kids in my life right now...all good smiles especially for the camera.

pictures only this time..

2009-09-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

in the pics: the tattoo; some more sports at our school..where i watched for the whole day;( i'd rather do something

samoan language in firefox's fireplace

2009-09-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

pics: cricket action and on the bus

9/15
Hey…real time posts…I’m typing this in the internet café..usually I’m typing this at my school..and it’s days days days until I post it on the internet.

Yo! An old peace corps volunteer created a web page with recordings of people speaking Samoan. This is the real dookie, the real stuff, the real deal, authentic samoan language. Go and check it out. Listen listen listen, because I’ll be back soon and need to practice my samoan. Thank you to danger danger hotrod.

http://www.waste.org/~danger/samoa_language.html (aaron’s samoan language)

internet explorer...to fire fox..the internet cafe i use now doesn't have IE...so we'll try the fire fox thing...seems to load fast, but my blog is giving me errors with this code:

speeches, tattoos, close the service...mint chip icecream?

2009-09-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

in the pics: hot cricket action, come and see it..i didn't do much with the cricket team. the students laughed at me when i tried to bat..oh well...not my thing i guess; one of my students, tasi, also notorious cricket buff; our cricket bus; one of the teachers, faatonu and me at a cricket match...fun fun fun.

9/04

It’s Friday. But a special Friday—the last day of term 2. that brings me that much closer to going home. The banana flavored ice cream here is not the same of Mint Chocolate Chip…after a sauna;) things I’m thinking about:

0. Project for next term: a school yearbook. Our school only has about 100 students, so the whole book will be 10 pages double-sided (I hope). I think it would be a good “stretch” project for my students. And we do OK on that, and have enough time (between tests and end of year stuff) there is the project to create a presentation using all those pics I’ve been taking over the past two years of school related stuff. And students (and big kids) really like pics, and music. I emailed some people at home to ask them what 2-3 questions jump to mind about samoa. A few responses: what is the largest crop in samoa? Is the ocean there very warm? What are three top places to take a visitor? Stay tuned for the answers.

1. Going to visit some friends in Australia on the way home. There is a mealofa fare (special rate) for people flying in December. I’d better buy a ticket soon, if they are aren’t all sold out already.

2. Grad school grad school grad school. I looked at graduate school before doing peace corps. I even took the GMAT for business school. Now I have the “go to a very far away place” thing out of my system (at least for now), and grad school seems to be what happens after undergrad. I printed the list of schools that have a PC Fellows program, but lots of questions such as: “are the only grad school options public policy or teaching?” “what degree would help me most working at a nonprofit (since that seems to be where my past experiences land)?” “are there professors doing the work I’m interested in?” “how can I narrow my interests down enough to choose one program?” (on that note there are a few programs on the list that offer joint/dual degree programs.) “how can I do GS in the northwest?” “is it really that important to do grad school in the NW?” that’s where I want to settle, anyway. That’s my home. Or so I think right now. “how can GS really be connected with my work?”

After a semi-quick perusal of the list, I circled schools in NY, NC, MI, OR, VT. I would like to GS in either Oregon or Washington (University of Washington, are you listening). I didn’t see UW on the list. Booooooooo.

3. Peace Corps close of service (COS)…happening mid September. That marks the three months group79 has left in Samoa, although at least one of us will be staying “a bit” longer. COS happens at coconuts beach resort—that’s over in my neck of the woods…well, sort of. Keywords: leaving, review, future, readjusting (ah…that lovely word I heard so much about before I began this adventure), the end (what has a beginning always has an end, doesn’t it?)

4. On that note of future things: my resume. Old objective: “to obtain an exciting peace corps position.” Well, I would say that objective has been achieved. What’s next? Right now, I couldn’t tell you…work or school; work and school. Probably the latter. I did some word mining in my resume and came up with: technology, implement, train, team, publish, grant, design, leadership…so we’ll see where that leads me.

5. important words to me: God, education, technology, youth, movement, service, inspiration. What about business and community?

6. Adding to the tattoo…we’ll I don’t know. I’m working on my own designs. I like something with waves, since I see waves everyday—I live at the ocean. I’m not complaining or anything.

7. Farewell speeches…lauga fa’amavae. Goodbyes seem to be important in samoa. And a goodbye forever might be really important. In our PC training we were given some pages on how to create an appropriate speech. Let me pull those dusty pages out now;)

9/3

The $50s and $100s rolled aplenty today. The day of settling accounts, paying IOUs and late bonuses. I think the goal is to walk out with more money (even if you have loans) than you came with.

Playing the heart is sturdier in Samoa

2009-09-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

in the pics: a nice picture of palms swaying in the breeze; a cold coconut, so nice on a hot, sweaty day; a BIG two story house, not the norm in samoa; another house with...is that tattoo designs on it?...why yes it is! the photographer's shadow, cannot escape..

8/29
I met another PCV at the market. She was walking fast and talking on her phone. We talked for a short time. Then she said “gotta run.” That phrase stuck in my mind for a while. I have never heard anyone samoan say that—even the palagis (white people) who live here. There is no rush rush—at least out here in the village where I live. I sense a bit of rush rush when a car from the city comes to make a delivery at our school. Apia is wanting to be a big “city.” Things move faster, people, cars. There are new sites and smells.

Things in samoa are “sturdier.”

What is hard: planning—not knowing what’s going on until the day or two before. Me—type A personality. Samoans—very type BB personality.

8/28
Today I got pricked and poked. Oh a tattoo I mean. On my virgin skin. My first tattoo. I like it. The students seem to like it. What will my mom think? It’s a small taulima—a band around my right arm. I’ve spent two years in this place and I want something to remember this experience—something that no one can steal, or borrow and it’s very hard to make it go away. I don’t need anything fancy, but a ring (a circle) is an important symbol for me.

Departing words of Tupua Tamasese Lealofi: “My blood has been spilt for Samoa. I am proud to give it. Do not dream of avenging it, as it was spilt in maintaining peace. If I die, peace must be maintained at any price.”
Those are pretty powerful words. Samoa is still a peaceful place. Cool. Peace is very important to Samoans.

I asked my students to name the shapes of playing cards…they did good and the heart seems to be called “love.” And it’s Microsoft Ware we’re using on our computers. China uses a computer, and we don’t slap our feet on the floor. Such are the answers I see on the exams. Spices things up a little bit I think.

I guess I will always have a “boss”—so it’s good to know that I like a boss who gives me a lot of freedom—of which my current boss doesn’t. but I think that is more the culture here in samoa—keep your people very close. I like to roam around, not stay in one location.

reports with more than just the dry after taste in your mouth

2009-09-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

in the pics: more food, special spaghetti sauce and lots! of cucumbers; where will you go in samoa, road signs abound, well, not really; two shots of a "fancy house" in samoa. i was impressed. A banyan tree. I"m reading a book called "Leaves of the banyan tree" ..very interesting.

8/18

Report time…doing the PC trimester report…some snippets. Sorry if it’s dry…but might give you a different feel for what I do.

Community integration…I feel I am integrated into my community. When school is in session, I live at the school, and eat dinner with the vice principal's family and play with the children, suipi with the vice principal. I miss the students who used to live at school and help us, but now live at home. I’ve learned that Samoans want to have something of yours in their possession. I feel that might be a samoan thing. But they rarely return my things—I have to go and get them…that is still irritating. My teachers keep asking me if I am getting an extension. I tell them it is past the deadline. They want me to stay, but I feel that two years is a good length of time to do some capacity building and sustainability training. And it’s time the teachers did the computer thing without me. it’s time to go home. I tell them I miss my family—mom and grandparents. Most recently my teachers are texting me dirty jokes…is that a sign that they accept you?

Success stories…I guess my biggest success I could have is to train teachers at my school how to teach the computer topics and maintain the computers. Towards this end, I have created a document detailing what it is I do in the computer room everyday—the teaching and the maintaining of the computers. I’m more worried about the maintaining of the computers because if one computer dies for some reason (and a computer could stop working for MANY different reasons) it could sit unused for a LONG time waiting for MESC to come and repair it. I don’t want that. I’m training two teachers and our typist to maintain the computers. I am still trying to do the classes for teachers, but lately it has been difficult—cricket practice, and the principal not reminding the teachers. My latest idea is to create some activities that teachers can do on their own time, since the computer lab has become a popular after-school hangout for teachers.

I've also been helping to university students with their computers and writing papers in English. That has been a fun side activity.

Planned activities…The biggest activity that I am completing right now is the year12 IA for computer studies. Because of the swine flu,my time table has been squished. We do not have as much time...I don't think the quality of the final products will be as good, but we'll do the best we can.

I also want to continue helping with the reading with primary school students (15 students, once a week, 1.5 hours). I am planning to do a yearbook at my school, with each class completing their own page with all their classmates in one page. I think it would be a good "data integration" activity. Later, if there is time, I want to do a PowerPoint project using pictures I've taken throughout the year, stories from the students, and maybe some music. we'll see...

Challenges…So far, there has not been any co-teaching, or other teachers taking computer studies when I have been away. I want to know if there are anyI feel that to have at least two or three co-teaching sessions would be a key part of the sustainability. Another challenge has been the hitting of students that still happens at school. I see the smarter ones being held back by the “box” that students are put in. I have cheeky/disruptive students do a 3-minute wall sit or push-ups, or write me a letter about why they have been disruptive.

The teacher training has been "hit and miss"...it has not been consistent. I want to know if there are other approaches that are effective when training is not on a consistent time table. What could I entice the teachers with?

Apart from school, when I heard three of the dogs at my samoan family’s house get shot, I really wanted to go home. I tried to explain to my father there is a different way. You don’t need to shoot dogs that annoy you or you have no more use for.

My bike has been broken for a while and it has been very wet (raining) for the last few weeks, so I have not gotten enough physical activity. That has been hard.

I've been attempting to talk with my principal about corporal punishment. Recently I gave her suggestions of what I use in class to keep students attention and and curb disturbances (ie. the cheeky students). She read them and then gave the report back to me. I thought it had good ideas in it. The reason I keep trying is that she keeps telling me the students in her class cannot express themselves adequately. I have told her that I think it is because they are scared of her and the physical abuse she uses with students. I want to know if there are any suggestions for increasing self-expression. I also want to know if there any examples of teachers who have changed their classroom discipline procedures and seen better outcomes (more self expression).

I have been showing two of the teachers at my school how to do basic (and not so basic) computer repair and maintenance. Basically I"m trying to show them everything I do to keep the computers running. One day I was showing a teacher how to replace the computer's battery and he said to me, "I'm not a computer technician." I guess that's true, but someone will need to fix the computers when they break, and so far our school has not had to call the ministry's computer helpdesk because I have fixed all the problems. I think someone that can fix the computers who teaches at the school is a much faster option than waiting for the ministry. I want to know if there is anything I can say to my teachers to encourage them.

Lessons learned…I have had many lessons, some I feel I cannot put into words right now...only will come when I look back at this experience. I'm too deep in the middle of it right now. I have many good ideas, but I've learned my principal just wants me to teach computers. so I can stick to that. It is hard to be proactive when the culture is very reactive. I'm not used to waiting for people to come to me. I want to go out and make it happen, and sometimes I hit the wall of lethargy.

I have my students who are disruptive or have not completed their homework write me a letter describing the problem and why it happened and will not happen again. i think this is an effective tool that gets students to think and express themselves.

to love more in a "value added" world

2009-09-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

in the pics: a picture of a yellow samoan flower and flag at my school; food food glorious food: I stayed at a friend's house (a palagi) and made crepes and lamb curry...yummy in my tummy;) i don't get that very often.

8/13
I read the “PC Improvement and Expansion Act of 2009” a very good idea. But as a read recently…ideas are easy, implementation is hard.
“the act of volunteering has inherent value.” Yes yes yes.
“…to promote world peace and friendship by helping…”
“meeting the basic needs…” sometimes I wonder if teaching computers is really a “basic” need…well I guess in the future it will be a ‘basic’ need if computers are going to be everywhere and all the time.
“how the PC can utilitize information technology to improve—program efficiency, effectiveness, and coordination and communication among volunteers.” …sounds like something I would want to do…as a job after pc..just a thought.
“…in which they have maximum value-added for the host country.” Palagi wording …value-added I mean.
2010…$450,000,000
2011…$575,000,000
2012…$700,000,000…that’s a lot of money we’re talking about..but I wonder if the PC budget would ever get close to the military’s budget.

Today at a staff meeting my principal told the staff there are two SROs (I think they are like the principal’s direct supervisor) and a palagi (a white person) from NZ are coming to our school to observe us in action—using new techniques from NZ. I think her exact words were “we’ll give these things from NZ a try.” Should be interesting.

I finished another book: the Gift; by Hafiz…cool poems. Here are a few pieces I like:
What is the root of all these words?
One thing: love.
But a love so deep and sweet
It needed to express itself
With scents, sounds, colors
That never before existed.

The heart is a thousand string instrument.
Our sadness and fear come from being
Out of tune with love.
The heart is
The thousand stringed instrument
That can only be tuned with Love.

The wise man learns what draws God near.
It is the beauty of compassion
In your heart.

God wants to see
More love and playfulness in your eyes
For that is your greatest witness to him.

When all your desires are distilled
You will cast just two votes:
To love more,
And be happy.

Laughing about human values and "my people"

2009-09-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

in the pics: some of my students, always more than willing to pose it up for a picture; big machines invade apia--to begin the big task of redoing the water lines; my desk at school in my room...a camera, book, laptop, among many other things; the 7 year old girl--vice P's daughter. I will miss her when I go.

8/12

I found this on my internet travels (I would say wanderings, but I don’t have enough time on the internet right now to “wander.” )

“We are raising money for one of the most important gubernatorial races of our lives. It is completely embarrassing to me that what I believe is the greatest state in the nation, Oregon, has one of the highest unemployment (3rd), hunger (3rd) and homeless rates (1st) in the country. We have to focus on creating jobs and building our economy.”

This is very distressing to me. Samoans are very big on “their people.” So what about “my people”? My people are very far away now. My mom is very far away now.

Saw one of the “new” movies in town—harry porter—or that’s how it was spelled on my ticket stub. If that was a stamp, it would be worth lots of money. It was a good movie, but kind of an abrupt ending…or is that so you will want to see the next installment?

I was reading another PCV’s blog…her village banned the practice of giving large quantities of BOXes of tinned fish (pusa apa). Hmmmm…I wonder how it is affecting things, and I wonder why the village decided to do that? When their pastor goes to another village, does he refuse any pusa apa? My village still has the regular practice of giving anywhere from 10 to 15 boxes of tinned fish (eleni) when a pastor visits. I think that is a huge strain on families who do not have ‘extra” money. There is not very much disposable income in the “regular” samoan family. I say regular because more and more I see late model/new cars driving around—money from overseas I’m betting.

That same volunteer had a good observation that made me laugh … “and you need the ability to laugh when things are not funny.” Very true.

Another volunteer…a comment about having students doing exercise /training in the hot sun with no water/food. Yes yess yes…there was one of our students who passed out doing exercises in the sun. she was not “flopping around limply” she was just limp. Aand weird friendly people…I think I may have that virus. I’ve been told I’m very friendly. Am I weird? Only if you look too close.

Latest essay topic I’m helping my friend Norman with: “discuss the importance of human values and how it contributes to better teacher-student relationships.”

Hmmm..that is an important topic.

magically running says the Observer

2009-08-07T20:31:00.000-07:00

in the pics: athletics training, and the t-shirts...

7/20
Today is brought to you by the word “optimism” and the number 7. I showed the samoan teacher how to do the disk defragment and disk clean up, and copy student pics on 7 computers. I’m also helping a year11 student prepare for the speech competition. It’s funny how things come around. The speech is a combination of speeches written by other students and parts I wrote.

After school I settled down to my toasted sandwich of mayo, cheese, chili sauce, corned beef, and tomatoes. Sounds yummy doesn’t it? It’s what I got now. Mexican comes in December.

Lack of resources—can I really appreciate this? Yeah teaching, but lack of resources for living? Lack according to who? Polynesian ways of living, or Western ways?

A few phrases from the july 20th samoan Observer: 1) “Let’s all just take a moment to appreciate life in general…we are all so blessed and so lucky to be alive.” Madonna talking to audience after a stage crashed down on her crew. I agree. Being alive is quite a blessing. One we don’t recognize enough
2) …that they’re uncharted territory for all of us. Uncharted territories are tugging at a lot of young people these days. And tugging at me. well, they got me..here I am on the small island of western Samoa.

A few phrases from the PC samoa newsletter I thought were interesting:

“Don’t put time tables on work related goals that involve other people.”
Yes yes yes…I agree with this. I don’t have time tables. I just have a list that needs to get done. And get done in it’s own time. Some things are done when I most unexpect it. Hmmmm…unexpect is not a word.

“Understand that plans don’t often work as thought, and always have a fluid plan B.”
Yes yes yes….and how about a fluid plan c and d? and sometimes no plan works best.

A nightly tradition I hear on the radio—the reading of money waiting to be claimed by people in Samoa. It is an advertisement for the money remittance company..but I think it’s a good service. I guess people overseas send money to family here (a HUGE flow of hard currency) but they don’t tell their family???hmmm.
From the dictionary: “finance: money matters” yes it does. Interesting definition.

7/17
What motivates a Samoan to run—for pleasure? I’m not talking about running after the rugby ball. Just jogging down the road, or seawall for that matter. I’m in Apia at dusk watching the evening activities—jogging, soccer—I see a big tent—Magic Circus of Samoa. I think I’ll go and see—and lots of taxis driving by because…have you ever had that feeling that the dice are against what you want to do? I want to go to faofao beach fales tonight. But no bus. But there was the Lefaga bus going back to my village after the athletics day, and then the lady that was going in the car back to Lefaga. Makes me wonder if I should really be in my village this weekend. (side note—I wrote outside my border on that page (20.5) so my tattoo picture/design will be leaga/bad.

United to be the athletics

2009-08-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

in the pics: training for athletics day

7/16
So this morning I’m the only palagi sitting in a meeting to prepare for our Zone D athletics competition tomorrow. I guess Samoa is split into 4 geographic “zones” for secondary school athletics (maybe primary school too if they have big competitions). The island of Upolu has zone a, b, d. the island of Savaii has zone C—that’s a lot of land for one zone. ..but I don’t know how many students. My job at this competition is to write the history of who is da winner (oh my…texting language creeping into my writing)…also known as the recorder. Ok, I’m the recorder’s assistant. I’d rather be running or jumping or throwing, but I get to sit sit sit…fun. I hope our students do a warm up because I don’t think I will be able to lead the warm up—as I have done most days at school. Oh, and the athletics day starts at 7:15am…that’s a bit early for me.
Today is overcast and a gray, blustery day. I want tomorrow to be the same, none of this hard hot sun that Samoa is famous for. Speaking of sun—I saw one of my students putting on sunscreen. I’m not sure if it was for the protecting quality, or the glistening sheen affect it makes on the skin.

I took the bus to Apia this morning. It was filled with the usually twists and turns—but this time “bumpier the bus to Apia.” The road are getting really bad, in our village, and in the big city of Apia. It’s another issue of mainenance—something Samoans don’t
Seem to be very good at. Roads, bodily health, computers, bikes, or otherwise. Teletele pot holes (what’s the faasamoa for pothole???).

But the meeting just finished and it’s 10 minutes to 11am, which means I will have a few more hours on the free internet at the Peace Corps office. Yea, but I have no desire to leave quickly and go out into the pounding rain, which conveniently, just started to fall.

I guess the only reason they wanted me to be a recorder was to use my laptop. Aua leaga tele. I said no, it didn’t work. They said they would find me a laptop to use. We’ll see. My laptop does not leave my room. I really don’t want it to walk away….back to our journey on the but this morning—I saw an old yellow bus—like the school busses in America, and then I saw two more busses. The only thing missing was the sing that said “bus graveyard.” Speaking of graveyards—I’ve seen two or three in Samoa. I wonder if it’s shameful or “bad” to put family members in a graveyard, when I’ve seen that almost every house has 1, 2, 3, or more graves in front of the houses. Samoans like to keep their family close, in this life and the next. When I think about my family—one is buried in my home city. And the ashes of the other family member is floating through the waters of the world. That’s not very close. Or it could be very close. I’m in the water almost every day. The bus passed a church with two bell towers. On top of those towers were three or four cell phone repeaters (I think cell phone hardware). I’m not exactly sure what they were , but I wonder how much the cell phone company paid to the village to use their church. “Have cell phone, will pray.” Maybe they have better reception if they talk to Jesus on their cell phones ;0 oh and finally—the famous (or in-famous) 2-story palagi style house, which looks like it was plucked out of some suburb in CA. it comes complete with a two car garage and—well, I’d like to see the inside of that house. And I wonder if there is a samoan fale in the back.

Title of one of my Samoan father’s sermons Sunday.
United we stand, divided we fall.
Tutu faatasi malosi, fevaevaeai pa’u tu i lalo.

Jackson's rugby has triple digits

2009-08-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

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.

happy countries know essence of God

2009-08-07T20:18:00.001-07:00

in the pics: There is a couple a palagi man and samoan woman who are remodelling her family's samoan fale/house, and are making it into beach fales as a business...they put me to work one day...that's good because i don't get enough physical work in samoa.

7/5
Hmmmm..a lot to think about. Today is Sunday. A day to eat..and rest. And not much else. I’m still uncomfortable with not doing anything. So I will keep my hands busy by writing these words.

What is it you can release into the world that would create the most change? A book? A poem? A movie? A person? That might be why I’m drawn to teaching. It’s a way to change opinions, open minds, transfer (knowledge, habits, love, a better life).

So I sit here trying to absorb the essence of God. It’s a Godly day—Sunday. A day people go to church. But then rush off—I do mean rush. Why not sit and be still for a while. But Samoans usually do not eat a “breakfast” before church on Sunday, so I’m guessing they are hungry to eat the toana’i—the Sunday “brunch.” And yes, it usually has many different kinds of food. Samoans like food, but on Sunday the food is special. God wants a daily relationship, not a hello and goodbye on Sunday morning. That’s not a real friendship. Yeah, well the other part of me says a real friendship is with someone I can see, touch, hug, and talk to—and get a verbal or written response. ..oh…there’s that voice, saying faith faith faith. Yes, my dear. So that’s something I miss…being in a community with other people trying to figure out the God thing. I’m at a Catholic mass this morning with my peace corps friend. “My ‘second’ breakfast this morning” says my (palagi—non-samoan) friend. After toast and pizza..the second breakfast. The Samoan teacher says she has not had any fod yet today. A different way. Some parts I may never understand, or really appreciate…the part about not having “enough” food.

I spend all day struggling with my projects trying to make the world a better place, even if it’s only in the small village of Savaia, on the small island of Upolu, in the LARGE ocean of the Pacific.

O le a le mana’o a’u?
What do I want?

Hmmm…service is not about demanding wants..that I have. But do I have to want something to make service effective. Sometimes, I sure have to be directing, demanding and loud to make things happen in samoa.

“The happiest country in the world is Coasta Rica…cananda is #2..many countries in South America top the list.” Where is the USA..oh, I hear it’s waaaaaaay down on this list. Hmmmmmmmm costa rica……nice yoga retreat.
Top the list because “they are not big consumers” I hear, unlike the USA. Can you be a big consumer AND be happy? I think yes…when you’re consuming for God’s purposes. CONSUME. PRODUCE. What do you do whtn you’re not consuming? ..just being…when I eat a lot I feel bad. When I but a lot I feel empty. When I drink (alcohol) a lot I feel bad also, unless it’s the fruitiness of a strawberry daquri; mango passion yumminess. Raspberry bite.

I don’t like my health right now. I can feel my knees getting weaker…oh hohohoh you might say. That’s old age, well I’m only ………well, why don’t you guess. But I think it has more to do with my not exercising nearly as much. As much yoga. And NO ultimate frisbee. That will change when I go home.

the busses and the crepes go drip drip drip

2009-08-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

in the pics: a hike up the side of the mountain, at the beachfales called Faofao. there was even a "hiking" sign. i was impressed.

6/29
I’m trying to get back to my village this Monday morning. The first bus that usually rolls out about 7:30am didn’t show. I saw another Lefaga bus, but the driver said he wasn’t going to Lefaga. So here I sit, drinking some ginger tea with some time to watch the world go by. The bus drivers like to have hood ornaments on their busses. Usually I see a female figurine with wings. I just saw a small rack of antlers. Different. Unique.

Another lefaga bus goes by. It is going the wrong way…it is going to town, not back to the village, which is where I need to go right now.

I associate Hitachi with electronics, TVs, circuits, computer-type things. I guess they also make large earth moving machinery. Or maybe a twice removed subsidiary cousin??

6/28
A weekend house sitting for my friend Kat. Making food is fun: crepes, lamb curry, all with a layer of cheese. The downside is that after gorging on yummy food my stomach feels of—not hard cardio or workouts ;(
Watching the new Star Trek: “Let go of logical. Do what feels good. What’s necessary is always wise.” I think that’s good advice…from the Vulcan.

6/26
Today has been brought to you by the formulas that float in MS Excel and by the word “drip.” My computer students took their third practical test on the computers—MS Excel. Half of them did not remember how to enter the first formula. That was kind of disappointing. It still seems like it is a black box of reasoning and synthesis of information for most samoans—and I think two years will not be enough time to crack it. The kids are raised on direct commands about how to do everything. Thinking on their own is very outside the samoan culture.

Drip drip drip…goes the shower faucet in the peace corps office—oh well, it’s back to (cold) bucket showers. I did wash my hair three times again (with shampoo). That was nice. Now we need to add to that a sauna and hot water and things would be awesome. Ahhh…but then it wouldn’t be a peace corps adventure, would it ;)

Drip drip drip goes my nose. I’m house sitting this weekend for a friend. I don’t know what it was but when I stepped into the house I started having a sneezing attack. I must have sneezed about 30 times—maybe more. Not enjoyable, but yes, my nose did feel cleansed, or is on fire more like it? Then my nose starts dripping, not the green goo, but clear, almost water-like. And it wouldn’t stop. I haven’t been swimming or riding my bike because it has been grey and constantly raining bad excuse, but it’s what I got right now. My eating of fruit and drinking milk is almost non existent. Oh—the challenges of staying healthy. I ate three samoan oranges yesterday to try and blast some vitamin C into my system.

big dog speaks english

2009-07-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

in the pics: it's good to speak in english, the big dog named symba. i like animals.what can i say? Sepa's family. sepa is my samoan father's daughter. my friend peata. and the LARGE church mormon campus at pesega village.

kitty meets tiger inside the lumbering bus

2009-07-18T13:33:00.000-07:00

in the pics: all sorts of things go on the bus in samoa, not just people: baskets of veggies, fruit, boxes, cans, and lumber. making a loooooooong lavalava with some print designs made from x-ray paper. Lotu is funny. he always is so serious, but a rare smile is nice. and the big kitty peering into my camera.

have pics, no text..look look look

2009-07-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

i have a lot of pics and I have no new typings...so here are some pics. enjoy;)

Rugby is life in Samoa, at least for the boys..OK and some girls; the great banyon tree. I'm always in awe when i see one. i like the system of branches that go up the trunk; keke pua'a (pig in a fried blanket) yum; a sports complex built by the Chinese..very large. and it has a nice pool. oh yes, and the drumset I got to play for about 5 minutes. there was a worship conference and they gave sessions for musicians and singers. i miss my drumset.

2009-07-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

american samoa 5

american samoa 4

2009-07-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

american samoa 4..Carl's JR ( i did not eat there)..seasame street (woops..that was at the samoan airport), big industry (tuna packing), and a good view

american samoa 3

2009-07-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

american samoa 3...american football..and the mix of samoan and the red/white/blue

american samoa 2

2009-07-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

american samoa 2..large McDonalds...OK a HUGE one..buying lots of stuff...mountains..sun

pics has american Samoa

2009-07-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

set #1 of pics in american samoa.. starting with..a hike..

nothing evolves us like love,...and hot rocks

2009-07-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

no pics this time...

6/20
So I tried to go to a Samoan wedding today. One of our teachers was getting married. Another example of “don’t get your hopes up” in samoa. The taxi left without me. so much for their pictures. Maybe it’s better, because today is a very wet day. I hope the rain stops to I can ride my bike to the hike later.

The movies shown on TV always seems to have a monster of some type involved. I’ve seen a lot of water monsters. Today we are camping with a baby Bigfoot. I wonder where the mommy Bigfoot is. Well, the last few paragraphs were a little down huh?? To balance things out a little-after missing the wedding I had a yummy sandwich with egg and tomato, cucumber, lettuce, and sliced meat. Then my friend Olsen took a group of us on a hike (a trek, and jungle adventure deep into the green, where the wild things are). ..up the 7 waterfalls. We got the big waterfall at the end, I climbed up behind the fall. Falling water is very powerful, and LOUD! I jumped in the water fall. Slam. Into the water I went. I came up and threw my head back and laughed at God. That was awesome. I did it two more times.

So now you are caught up in my journal. I have no more to tell you.

Blog 06/18/09

It’s been a long time since the last writing (or I just haven’t typed up my thoughts I already wrote down). Sorry to those who track these pages.

I just finished reading a book called “the gift” by Hafiz. Some nice poems. A few pieces I really liked:

“nothing evolves us like love.”

“There is nothing in your mind
You have not invited in.
There is no event in your life
You in some way
Did not drive a hard bargain for.”

“You need to become a pen
In the sun’s hand.
We need for the earth to sing
Through our pores and eyes.”

Well…I like the poems.

Watching a DVD called Exploration northwest (even when the picture skips and the sound slurs—bad computer!!) makes my eyes water and my longing to be home …become very big. I found it in the peace corps office. Someone else from that neck of the USA had been to the office and forgot to take it home. But i had to stop watching. The other teachers wanted to watch a Pilipino movie…I’m not so into that, but it’s the current rage in Samoa. And speaking of DVDs…the dvd player on my laptop decided to stop working last night, so I (probably accidentally) uninstalled the drivers…and now I have find some internet to find the drivers, because for some reason I either deleted them from my harddrive, or put them somewhere I can’t find them. since I choose not to have internet at my school (or there seemed to be a problem with finding our schools landline number when I went to the samoaTel office) it will take a bit longer than I’m used to. And NO, I’m not used to not having fast internet at my finger tips when I want it.

One of the teachers is getting married! And I’ve been helping him create an invitation. I think that would be a great lesson for the teachers. It uses many features (and more advanced ones) in MS Word that are good to know.

Tonight is a rainy windy night, and the millipedes are out by the 10s probably many more I don’t see. But where there is rain and millipedes, there are usually centipedes—the bigger, more vicious brother that also likes to bite people. I have not been bitten yet, and I would rather not try for a first time.

So here I sit this night listening to some piano music, that is not remixed with the “DJ OK” bumping the beats. But my friend Norman is mixing his own beats under the DJ Norvia a mix of his name and the girl. Maybe if I come back in 10 years, he’ll be the big name in Samoa. Oh, and I’m eating my sour neon gummy worms my mom sent me, or I was eating them. I gave the rest to the teachers that live at the school…since they seem to like sweet things…but maybe not sour things. Oh well. If I ate the whole package by myself all my teeth would fall out the next day.

Here is some Samoan language, since I still do want to learn some more samoan before I leave, which is growing closer and closer…and closer and closer. The first one is for my cheeky students, and the ones who know I won’t hit them so they push all the boundaries.

There is a time to have fun and a time to work hard.
E iai le taimi e fiafia aia ma le taimi e galue malosi ai.

Hot rocks on my back make the muscles feel good.
E lelei maso o lo’u tua pe a tu’u i ai se ma’a vevela.

And here is a samoan prayer…of which I do not have memorized. Leaga tele huh??? Though my samoan family still asks me to say prayer.

Faafetai Iesu ona o mea ai ua e foa’I e tausi ai lou matou ola, fa’apaia ma e fa’amanuia fai ma fa’amanatuga o lou maliu I aso uma matou te a’ai ma feinu ai. Ona o lou suafa Iesu, Amene

I made a list of what I want to do in the first few weeks when I get back to America. Is it too soon for that:?? Here are a few: read the sun magazine, eat a good Mexican meal (who song and larry’s, or a place called Mazatlan), eat some Finnish fruit soup with rice porridge, take a nice hot sauna—and then eat a big bowl of chocolate chip ice cream, hike/run on Indian Head Trail, get a big hug from my mom and grandparents, play my drumset, plan a yoga retreat, visit my dad, eat a big green salad with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, maybe some salmon, etc… the list isn’t done yet.

It’s amazing how effective “wall sits” are at redirecting students’ attention. When they are cheeky, talking when another student is speaking, 3 minutes seems to be a magic number. Wall sit = sit with your back against the wall. Thighs are parallel with the ground. Hurts the muscles, but it works to ave’ese the cheeky. I usually give them 1 or 2 chances to answer questions or read something in class after that.

My friend Norman was explaining to me about hitting students. “if you hit a student, that does not motivate them to keep trying.” I have hope for future teachers. But change comes slowly.

Sii I luga lou lima pe a e alofa i ou matua.
Raise your hand if you love your parents.

back to school tastes better with toasted cheese

2009-07-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

in the pics: english day pictures. the students tried their best with a solo poem, a chorus poem, a drama, and song, and a dance...i think they liked the dance and drama the best...

6/15
So starts another term—actually this is week two, but the training for athletics started this week—meaning I help with training and I won’t get done with school until around 3:30pm. Most days my eyes hurt at the end. (could it be be running in the hot samoan sun???)

One of my samoan families has a DVD player that is broken. I thought it would be easy to find info on the “magic” internet about how to fixx the DVD player. (if I only get one thing out of this two years, might it be an appreciation of talking to PEOPLE to get information, not only the inter-webbed highway). All the websites I visited said to throw it away and buy a new one. In Samoa, that would be very hard (faigata!) there is no money for a new dVD player. Samoa doesn’t know the same “throw away culture” that the western world knows.

I was thinking about computers…I’ve done user interface design, now I’m teaching computers. I wonder if I’ll ever be developing SW, or working with people who do develop. I tried in college. The code and I didn’t converse very well.

6/10
Two Germans came to visit me at my school this afternoon. The weather was not cooperative. This must be the cold week. the weather is bad and there is a “cold” wind that blows. They asked me “what is the Samoan dream.’ ..like the American dream. I laughed. I told them some really want to go overseas, and some want to stay right here in samoa and work on their plantation and make the family. Life is slower here and not everyone wants to speed up western style.

Even though it’s cooler, the mosquitoes still seem to be snacking on me. rugby is big in samoa. Here are the names of the village teams in my district: Savai Spiders, Matautu Ainiusami, Safaatoa Puaanifo, Faleaseela Maroon, Matafa’a ama’ama (a small crab), Gagaifo Jungle.

6/9
Back to school…term two starts this week. toasted cheese with smoked salmon, tomatoes, and gouda cheese—rock. (thank you for the package mom!) Yes, but put too much salmon in the sandwiches. They still tasted good. I’ll never get tired of melted cheese. Cucumbers and French sauce complete the yumminess.

Iesu e, o lau tatalo
Ia o’o mai lou malo
Ia faia lou finagalo
E pei o I luga.
Amene.

OK, so I’m starting to draw tattoo designs around the edge of my journal pages—which is something I can’t show you in my blog…well, maybe if I get a good version I can scan it.

pondering random phrases while cutting thick jungle

2009-07-03T20:33:00.001-07:00

in the pics: some pictures from the English DAy BBQ...lots of BBQ and ice cream

6/8
Some food I can add to my list of “liked” foods: faiai eleni (coconut cream with eleni—small fishes in tomato sauce). Failifo (taro or green bananas with coconut cream).

Watching the full moon (actually reduces star gazing by about 80%) slowly rise over the tree tops, my tummy is full of faiai eleni. (I think it’s pretty good and chicken soup with rice and laupele—a green leafy veggie, like spinach). It’s windy—I like these nights, both because I like to feel the wind and it keeps the mosquitoes down. Today was the first day of the second term. only two afternoon. It feels like my time is gown downhill—it’s getting closer and closer to the end of my samoan adventure.

It’s hard to think I took 550 pictures during my school break—only 3 weeks, but I’ve been to American samoa, a computer teachers training, and a visit to my training village family. I don’t get to see them that often.

I see the difference between dropping money on someone or some project and spending time to develop a relationship, sharing your skills and knowledge. I think it really comes down to giving away your love to other people. I chose Peace Corps because of the two year time span, which I thought might be long enough to share some of what I know, and get to know the people in samoa. This was the longest structured program I could find when I looked—other then just moving to a country and living there for a period of time. Peace corps is much different. Volunteers get support when they ask for it and need it.

6/5
I went to a Christian worship conference. Very good music. Rally style. I was wondering when I would get to go to something like that. Yes, they had drums, keyboards, guitars, singers. The music was a little heavy on the guitars…at times it drown everything else out.. the speaker was good “water is to the body as worship is to the spirit.” Well, if you put it that way, with the amount of water I drink, I had better be in worship A LOT more. “everywhere Jesus went, SOMETHING happened.” Hmmmm… to think about. “connection with God is more important than doing your duty.” Really? Well, then if another religion or spiritual way has a very effective way of connection with God, why not at least try it? There’s my openness again, of which one of my friends said she was scared of. It’s not worshipping two gods, as there is only one God.

There is a lot of duty in Samoa. That’s not necessarily, just the culture. “work on getting to ‘encouraging worship’”.

6/1
Five hours of cutting down dense jungle brush, I wonder how I’ll feel tomorrow. When I go visit people I like to do “work,” which in samoa usually means moving rocks, or cutting the grass with a machete, or using that machete to cut and clear jungle. I did the last one for three days straight in Lalomauga. And it felt really good…especially the jumping in the river part after we were done each day and splashing around. My sister and I get up at 5am each morning for exercises. That’s really good. But hot rocks on my back are really gooooood too.

I talked to someone who said “I wanted to make money.” He was a retired computer “everything man” as I understood it. A company or a person had a problem and he found a solution. I think he charged $150/hour. Wooooo…that’s a a lot of the money he was looking for. I doubt I’ll earn that much working at a nonprofit. But you never know. Mix community and business. Never say never. I’ve never really thought about it in terms of ONLY making money. How about helping people find/get/remember better lives in the process…and having fun too is important. I think my gig right now is pretty fun! Even if some parts are frustrating.

Another random phrase I found in my journal “giving up expectations and preconceived notions”…can be hard, and not knowing that I even have the preconceived ideas—although my mom reminds me about some of them regularly. It can be freeing to release our preconceived ideas, but it can also be scary. It’s good to be surrounded by people you care about and trust. Truth = freedom = scary(?)

mom's facebook has warm chinese food

2009-07-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

in the pics: some random pics...the hat my mom bought me...in savaii, a sweeeet sunset from the top of the hill i like to ride my bike too; singing for mother's day; some cool refreshment.

5/31
It’s school break now….LALOMAUGA. coming to my family yesterday. Lalomauga means under the mountain—meaning it’s inland, not close to the ocean…well, relatively. It’s hard to walk to the ocean from LM. So that means no swimming in the ocean while I’m here…swimming in the waterfall?

I taught the kids the connect-the-dots-to-make-the-boxes game. The person with the most boxes wins. I don’t know the official name. and we played some Frisbee..of course.

Yesterday: went to watch the rugby games. Lalomauga won both games (team A and B). the A team will be the champions I think. They have not lost any games. I wonder how excellence arises out of the culture of not striving to get ahead.

5/27
In Apia…Some good Chinese food, a warm shower (I washed my hair three times…warm water in my shower (or bucket for that matter) is a rare thing where I live. Warm ocean, cold showers), some stretching (finally), and now writing in my journal—of which I’m doing very much of right now. AND I have some keke saina and yogurt for a snack before bed..yum!

Samoans like to be around and talk to people—all the time. Being around people usually drains my energy. I get recharged by myself. Tonight was a very be-by-myself night—while many other PCVs are out drinking—I’ve been drinking (Vailima Gold—the strong stuff) for the last five nights. I miss feeling healthy.

It is really hard to sit with someone and have them tell you things. ..such as:
“my kids respect me…I think”
“I drink every night to stop the nightmares. The bombs go boom and I wake up screaming if I don’t drink.”
“I lost my best friend and lover. I’m scared to open to someone else.”

A picture in my journal of a compass with some words on it: God, youth, education, yoga, computers, movement, service, inspiration.
Where is love…with God.

Ocean of light—there’s a lot of light for one thing. But swimming in the ocean would be awesome.

I’m in Apia for a few days for a computer teachers workshop. We are at a mormon school compound. Very fancy compared to my school. The room we are in is sealed, has a network, internet, and air conditioning. I’m glad I’m not working in a room with air conditioning. My skin was very dry after just 3 days. I like where I’m working just fine. I taught a session on file management. Other teachers seemed to enjoy it. How much they will take home/back to their classrooms I ddon’t know. I didn’t have a fancy powerpoint set up…but that may have helped them later. My teaching style right now is so “in-the-moment”

5/23
I found a Bible story book in English…and one in Samoan. So I’ve been reading with one of the samoans. He reads the English version and I read the samoan version.

God begins to make things
Amata ona faia mea e le Atua.

The first rainbow
O le uluai Nuaanua

A brave man
O se tagata toa

Almost a month: hmmm many thoughts in purple book (#8) that I’m too lazy to write out, but I will, all in good time. It’s amazing how when you’re in the middle of something you don’t think about how it’s changing you. I was not thinking about teaching, faith and service when I was in college. I was thinking about electrical engineering, digital nose breaks up with my multimeter. Oh, and a little boom boom toot toot of the musical instruments. I’ve been doing the Peace Corps thing in Samoa. It’s been intense. Everyone wants a piece of you, whether to laugh at what you’re doing, or ask you where you’re going, or share some food with you. Have we heard of “I want to be alone, walk alone.” Well, I usually get that time when I walk in the morning. Which is a good thing.

My mom sent me an email “you mom is now on Facebook!” wow mom, I’m impressed. Now how many friends can you stack up? I haven’t spent much time on facebook..usually my meager internet time is taken up with just checking my email, posting blog adventures/pics, and download drivers/software for my computers at school. Such as life in the land of slow internet.

To live gratitude is to touch heaven…hmmmmm.

4 people find curious question of the day

2009-07-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

in the pics: my samoan family!! ice cream ( it was banana flavor i think), sunday eating (toanai), and pre-mother's day church dress..

5/20
I’m visiting American samoa. ..staying with a samoan family. Not in a hotel. Well, I didn’t think I needed a break.

Awesome sunrise in American Samoa. …
Finally the first leg in the postcard journey is done. I mailed them today. It has been a long process—from take the picture, to gluing the poster paper to the photo, to writing the notes to people. Altogether I’m mailing 50 to the USA and 7 postcards to Finland.
Mexican food at Evie’ss Taco Hut. Yummy. Yummy. And some more yummy. I ate the Jumbo California Burrito—it had French fries in it, the same way I make burgers, with fries inside. It was good eating. I might come again.

Saw on a sign:
There are 4 kinds of people:
1. Those who make things happen
2. Those who watch things happen
3. Those who tell others what happened
4. Those who make up what happened.

I had 4 different people ask me “why do you want to go to American samoa?” usually people visit to buy things, or if they family to see. I did buy some stuff. …about $400 worth of gifts for my samoan families. Don’t worry, there were a few things for me. it’s amazing what you can find at a hardware store. I found sweet full finger “biking” gloves, and a set of tools, including the needle nose pliers I’ve been looking for.
A few things I found: blank DVDs, a new handbag for my principal, compact mirrors for the teachers, chocolate, new headphones, colored pencils. Things I did not find: orange tinted goggles, a very small projector for the computer.
Tuesday, I went to look around town. Wednesday I went on an awesome!!!hike up Mt. Alava, then a swim and I saw 5 blue star fish. Thursday I hopped on a bus to the eastern most point on the island. Bus stops for a rest, stops to get the stereo fixed. The important things.

I’m still amazed at how much is determined in a student’s life by how fast they can write. Many of the students in my school who write slower are in the lower level classes. Those who can write fast are in the upper level classes..

5/19
Curious question of the day: take a 50sene piece and spin it on the table. Why do I only see the picture of bananas while it is spinning?
I always meet interesting people. At the airport in samoa I met a man named Lemi. He had lived in Colorado springs for 5 years.
Leaving Western Samoa in the SMALL plane, the tallest structure I see in Apia is the Catholic church. Speaking of the airplane—it has two “inoperable” signs on the control panel in the cockpit. But we still got there in one piece.
I was talking to our Peace Corps medical officer. She said people in American Samoa speak American, not English.
American Coins seem SOooo small compared to samoan money now.
My host family insists I go to town every day or “you might be bored”
They showed me to my room “this is your private room”…hmmm….private. sounds American.
I was looking for signs of America: seat belts required when riding in a car, a cheese burger at AS airport.
The family I went to stay with didn’t know I was going to stay with them for 5 days. The family member was talking to didn’t tell them. made for an uncomfortable experience. Let’s not do it again.
There are more cars, newer cars. All things that glitter.

Cinco de mayo sings Japanese

2009-07-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

in the pics: a day to celebrate the Cinco De Mayo, jump in the ocean (ok I did the simple forward jump, feet first; others...a little more on the difficulty scale), the hard work of making the salsa that everyone else can eat, and don't forget the birthday boy gets to use big stick to bash bloated vailima bottle. yahhh for candy!... it was fun. I had some drink and some eat, and was carried to bed early...nothing new there.

5/10
I’m trying to learn some Japanese.
Hello…kon-nichiwa
Good morning…oha-yo
Good evening…kon-banwa
Good night…oyasumi-nansai
Good bye…sayo-nara
Thank you…arigag-tou
Please…Onegai-shimasu
I love you…ai-shiteiru

5/9
Gone to apia today..to make the shopping for Mother’s day (aso sa tina). It is VERY busy today. The shopping includes: a bottle of perfume, 6 bottles of bingo dabbers, 2 bags of candies to make a necklace.

I don’t see much sunblock for sale in stores. I don’t see any. Samoans don’t tan, but I guess they do burn—someone showed me.

Look—it’s a palagi—white white white. It’s weird when I see a white person, especially in the village.

I’m going to try and capture some sounds of samoa: roosters, Sunday singing, sea/waves, the sa bell, night crickets.

When I grow up, I want a huge reflecting pool for the beautiful sunsets and sunrises…and the moon too.

5/6
One of my favorite songs the kids sing at school:
pese Ainiusami
nai tamaiti Ainiusami
ainiusami sauni e folau
Nu’unu’u ou fulu apa’au
Ma faaolioli o lau la’au
Aua e te masani
I le feliuai
O la ua tau ma la ua tonu
Saili ai malo Tuia ma Tama a le lagi

O muagututia ma to le afoa
Tama o le fuafuataga
Nai la’au e fuamutala e ola Faalaseela ma Lefaga
Sau laia e masavai nei e filifili ai sau paaga
E te faaipoipo ai ina ua lua lima ou tausaga.

Another song

A e alu e te fagota,
Alo lou va’a I tai I le
Tafolal, vaai lelei sauni o le
To velo o le I’a ma fafao
I le ola, faafuata le papatua
Si’I vae lua lau solofanua
Masamasa le lo’omatua
Ma ua tiga lona papatua.

5/1
I’m in Apia getting ready to travel to Savaii for Cinco do Mayo party. Some quiet time at the Peace corps office…ravioli and meatballs in a can (from America). A long shower with warm water. I shampooed my hair 3 times. It feels nice…soft. Some hot tea, and then mint cookies cooled in the freezer. I sat on the sea wall listening to the beat from a club called paddles.

I thought all samoans were loud. I’ve met a quiet one, well at least …

All students have a book from our library to take home and read. It wasn’t planned, but 9.1 was the first class to get books. I was the instigator. I just hope they bring the books back.

new babies and dragonflies use Wikipedia

2009-07-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

in the pics: Mother's day ...a day to celebrate mom. lots of candy necklaces (ulas), my mealofas (gift) for my mom included some candy, bingo dabbers, and perfume. oh, and a church service with singing and performances by the mothers!

4/26
There’s a new baby in my samoan family: Faavai ma Tagi Lelei. To make the total in our family ….hmmmm 12 I think.

Movie tonight: Twighlight. More reminders of home: Columbia River Gorge, Indian Head Beach. The lighthouse. I don’t see any lighthouses when I look out in the samoan ocean. ..well I guess technically it’s the Pacific Ocean.
Misty green—waterfalls—lighthouses
Hmmm…

Went on a hike up a hill in Apia…wrote this poem:

Smoky light dragonfly
Coming down Mt Vaea on a steamy Samoan afternoon,
I come to an opening in the jungle and look down.
Many small fires
No, not smoldering war.
Samaoan umus baking taro, maybe ulu
I refocus my vision.
Something else in the sky, dragonflies.
Through smoky late afternoon light,
I realize I’m amidst a dragonfly’s
Playground, 20 or 30 I guess
With their quick erratic flight pattern.
Two things here that keep me in awe
Makes for a good afternoon jaunt
Up and down the mountain heat.
Smoking light dragonfly’s playground buzzing.

4/25
Today is Saturday. I got a lot done: 3 hours on the internet to check email, update my blog, download song lyrics for my school’s English day. Ate lunch at Skippy’s—yummy fish burger with egg. Stuff I bought—5 bottles of chili sauce, French dressing sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, oranges, a large jar of crunch p-nut butter, a small can of (pi soupo) corned beef. For my Samoan family—a 3 pound can of pisoupo, ,a tin of crackers, ,and 2 pairs of sandles. Thing to remember—I need to install Wikipedia (the offline version—there is no internet at our school) on the computer the principal a and VP use. Wikipedia is like an encyclopedia, only on the computer. So it is a very BIG folder of MANY different text files and pictures. Well, I thought I could use a search function on this encyclopedia, but I don’t think there is a search function :(… tear. I wonder if there is another version with search capability. A few teachers also use the Encyclopedia Britannica on a computer in the lab. I sense I will doing a a lot of writing things down both for the samoan teachers, and other PCVs if they want to try and do classes with teachers. The bus just started, and here comes the boom boom music.

4/12
It’s harder than I thought it would be to explain that the index fingers stay on the key with a bump—the F and J keys.

I’ve had more than a few people ask me about cheap places to stay in apia..here are a few: hidden garden, outrigger hotel, samoa hotel accommodations, Lynns

Big cheese has bike

2009-07-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

in the pictures: a girl is making a "kauaga." Samoans use this for washing and making the yummy pe'epe'e (coconut cream).

2/19
It’s been a while huh?.it is hard for me to be around a drunk samoan. I usually just try to steer clear. They always want me to come and inu le vai malosi (drink the strong water). I can’t deal with those kind of mood swings. The happy, the not happy.

My mom asks: “are the samoans ready for computers?”
That’s a good question.

Fixing my bike. The rear shifter is loose I think. I ride it pretty hard up and down the mountain. I need to get needle nose pliers to pull the shifting cable.

2/6
Ok….so this is a LONG time ago. But here are some thoughts from feb09.
More fun and frustrations today. I fixed two computers, then I lost my key ring, which also had two flash drives on it. I think the vice principal has it, but he likes to play many jokes, so I don’t know if I’ll see them again.
A weird lesson of I’ll get things when I really need them, which is not part of my culture. Especially when they are MINE. I did get my keys back, after some pressure from my samoan father, who is also the BIG CHEESE in these parts.

Rugby culture…what can I say? A stadium full of wild people. All different colors; all different costumes. It’s interesting how the Wellington grand final compares to the Superbowl. SB on a much grander scale—at least with the fireworks and singing. But I have to give points to the rugby crowd.

more pictures..new haircut

2009-04-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

more pics..

2009-04-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

image fades to a rippled red cheesy

2009-04-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

in the pics: my year 9 students had a project to draw a picture and write the definition for a piece of computer hardware..I will put the best pics up on the wall..soon.

Some images don’t fade so easily. The little red headed bird with his head in a white flower, the family of pigs saddling across the road in front of our car, the sunset that lights up the whole sky and water.

4/25
Coming to apia/….i’m going to the city, with all the city sensations—sights, tastes, smells…last night was pizza (yummy cheesy bbq and Milano), and then fast faster fastest cars of Fast and Furious ummmm number 4. I guess that’s the end because our hero slows WAY down…but I won’t give away the ending if you haven’t seen it yet.

Today is brought to you by the Ball ‘O matic in Niles, MI, which the lady and the shop gave me when I bought some cucumbers and tomatoes. The coin does look like a Samoan one tala coin. Also brought to you today by the all American converse patch, which I found on the road. It looks like someone cut it out of a shoe.

4/16
I still don’t want to hit my students, but I did hear of a few ways other PCVs are exerting ultimate control. I tried the “wall-sit” exercise with one of my cheeky students. She laughed at first, but I had her do the wall sit for about three minutes. It was interesting to watch her eyes, a kind of shock-surprise-this really hurts that I wasn’t going to hit her for goofing off, but still disicipline her. She has been quieter since then. I guess that is rather effective. I will also find two medium sized rocks and have the cheeky boys hold them at arms length for…we’ll see how long they can stand it. I’ve also had other students write letters to me explaining such things as not listening, forgetting homework. I think most students just laugh at the hitting and have an excuse to tafau (hang out) during detention. Hitting also does not encourage motivation to learn, or even be “present.”

Red rippled Sunset

A small snack.
A small sleep.
I awake and see the sun descending behind trees.
It’s time for a swim.
I step through the tall grass.
The boys only cut short the “rugby grass”

The water is low today.
Rocks at the reef expose their jagged edges.
I step into warm water made cold only
At the surface from a nearby stream
Sun is lowering
Water is a shimery yell-orange
Red patch in the sky expands
Shimmering reflection bleeds red
A single rock creates perfect
Ripples of red expanding back to me.
Time is brief, red quickly fades to
A dull gray, a fish jumps.
Crickets begin their nightly song.
It’s dinner time. Return tomorrow for another
Episode of the red rippled sunset.

--Matt crichton
4/16/09

residual effects of blue/green sea enjoys a full tummy

2009-04-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

in the pics: my friend Kat making bread, and pizza. it was yummy.

4/15
Ahhh…full tummy (beef soup with rice—soupo povi ma alaisa), and tara. A cool shower after riding my bike to the top of the mountain. I went to help with reading class for primary school kids, but only 10 showed up. We usually have about 35 or 40. so it was cancelled. I said i can’t usually count on samoans to do anything for me, and jane said “where did the pessimism come from?” no pessimism, just what I’ve experienced and observed.

4/14
A good day: sports day at Peace chapel: touch rugby, soccer, netball, apply bobbing, a hike up a mountain in apia, and then a yummy spaghetti/cheese/avocado/cucumber dinner with wine and friends.

4/11
I went to the beach on my side of the island today with my friends Kat and Richard. As the car came out of the jungle and I saw the beach fales and blue/green sea stretching as far as I could see, I wondered if it really was real. I’ve been in samoa for 17 months, and it still doesn’t feel real.being in a place like this. I tried to let the water bump me up and down and absorb it’s essence. I’m not here that much longer.

4/10
Negative residual effects..aahhhhh the “I didn’t use my credit card for a while so Bank America issued me a new one” episode is still not solved. And BofA also cancelled my checking account. So I get to try and open a new one from Samoa—with my mom’s help. I appreciate her helping. Before I left, I gave her power of attorney, but she can’t open my accounts without my calling and signing papers. Big deal, power of attorney. Means give them more money, huh…? I think I want to get my skype account going.

Today is Good Friday. It’s good because it’s raining, which makes it cooler. It’s not so good because I’m still fighting this head/nose/throat cold that I got last weekend after having wet shorts on for too long.

rainy, blustery day makes heros observations difficult

2009-04-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

in the pics: the making of cocoa samoa. step 1: take the beans out of the yellow/orange/red shells (suck the beans first if you like sourness); step 2: put the beans on the fire, stirring frequently; step 3: as they cook the outer shells will be taken off. step 4: crush the beans into a paste; step5: (sorry, no picture) mix your cocoa samoa with hot water, and sugar if you want pur in cup, and let your dark chocolate taste buds endulge.

4/6
Seattle high school students came to Faleaseela (a village close to me). only two weeks, but I think they got a pretty good sense of what Samoa is like. Probably a lot of sensory overload. Although I felt a little bad that they had such a lax schedule for the first few days, since the pastor was away in NZ and Australia. But a relaxed schedule is also good when you are in a new country—many new sights, sounds, and smells. Which reminds me—I was very impressed by their observations about the village and people—on the first day in Samoa. A student said the colors were very bright and alive. Maybe I’ve lived here so long I’m getting used to the bright color—or have forgotten the grayness of Seattle—but I though –yeah, bright. I don’t think about that much—except when I see bushes with the (bright) white and red flowers. I’m glad they could come. I hope the relationship between the village of seattle and faleaseela continues for a long time.

My favorite (well, my only TV show) right now is Heros. I am watching season three right now on the computer, not the TV. We don’t have a TV at my school, so I don’t watch much tv, or see many movies (at all), or look on the internet (the fast fast hippity hop hop of dial up). Heros always has interesting narration..one was about hope and urgency. There is not usually not much urgency in Samoa, but when there is urgency (usually at the last minute), all hell can break loose. That’s just the way the culture is here, which is one thing that has made it hard for me, who likes to see a bit into the future about what will be happening and be prepared.

4/1
A blustery, rainy day here in Samoa, well at least my neck of these coconut trees. Stark contrast to the last 20 weeks of bright hot sunshine with the lightest trace of breeze. Today is what I’m used to when being close to the ocean. The strong wind, droplets of water shooting through the air. The only thing I miss the strong scent of the ocean—maybe I’ve been near the ocean so long I don’t notice it anymore. Ding ding—the bell signals the end of first period. Year 9.3 (the weakest year 9 students) are computer-bound in period 2.

Samoan Observer, 24th March, 2009…Overseas remittances through Samoa Commercial Bank…Jan-March 2008 = $110,874. Same period 2009 = $849,294. The “global economy downturn” doesn’t seem to be affecting families sending money to Samoa…New Windows (no not the windows in the frames on your walls, the “other” windows) Server 2008 R2 “with petrol prices rising and a slow economy, investment in remote access to various systems is the way of the future.” So true….outlets for being with other human beings [is very important]..boys need to do activities to feel a sense of belonging. “rather than saying ‘we should all stop watching TV, let’s teach young people to analyze and evaluate what they see and realize that everything they see is not reality.’” Do samoans really think all things on TV are true? TV can be very convincing you know…

Seattle students come to samoa with crazy old pics

2009-04-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

in the pics: giant bags of skittles, fancy chocolate covered blueberries and cherries comes my way via seattle group; the board in my room, with pics and drawings and other stuff; brooms and bananas in Apia.

3/29
My friend Norman asks me if anybody dies in America during the day—if anyone is shot…hhmmmm I didn’t really know how to answer this question. He said he was watching the news. The daily paper in Samoa is following in the footsteps of American papers—putting sensational events on the front page—is that the only thing that sells.
Here is the web address for the Samoan Observer:
http://www.thesamoanobserver.com/

I’m at norman’s house to help him write a paper about nature vs. nurture. I help him with computer assignments and get music from him.a.nd play the drums that are in his father’s church..and hang out/

I finished an interesting book…called Wake Up Call…about 9/11…a mother and widow gets tough on Washington and the people who pull the strings.
“always give people the room to do the right thing. Always leave the door open.”
The widows and I live our lives so as to not have any regrets at the end of the day.
“mom, sammy is in the moon. He died like daddy died. It’s just the way life goes.”
Just expect to have more sadness than happiness and then you cant’ get angry and disappointed.
Lose what is priceless and everything else is cheap.

3/25
Students from Seattle are in a neighboring village. I was on a bus headed to the airport—at 4:00am this morning. A boom boom bumping bus to exact—the bass was boming and the shocks make me be bumpity bump. Ten high school students (who have been here less than 24 hours). We had a meeting today. One question: what is one observation about samoa? I was impressed by the insights: importance of family and being close physically; but also seeming OK with children overseas; samoans OK with “boredom”—not doing anything, where Americans may not be as comfortable with this; bright and brash colors and smells; samoans being OK with playful touch (but not OK with hugging, kissing).

It’s fun when I can close my eyes and feel itchiness ripple across my back. Part of my skin is moisturized with lotion, another patch is kept dry with powder, another has fungus killer on it. I feel like a Petri test dish growing different things.

I didn’t tell the samoan people I was married—now they want to marry me off to a woman who is a teacher and has a brother married to a seattle woman (ex-peace corps volunteer)—that would be convenient, wouldn’t it? Marry for love, or for moving up? Why does that phrase so turn me off? Can’t two bright stars meet in the middle of the light field? I want to be with someone I can relate toooooo opposite and it doesn’t work.

One seattle student talked about the racism against the samoan and Maori people in NZ—I can think of a few reasons: not knowing about someone leads to fear…hate…untrustfulness. Many samoans are moving into NZ territory—and especially if they excel at something it would make the palagis uneasy. Also if Samoans do not “hold up their end of the deal” it might make people “not happy.” The NZanders may be the minority in certain places in NZ—that would be kind of scary.

It is crazy seeing old pics—especially peace corps volunteers doing the gang symbols young people like to flash for the camera. What crazy, zany, not to be missed experiences I have had. Experiences I don’t really know how to process at the time, but I feel there is a lifetime to “process and unpack” all that I have seen and done.

bit by bit info for the faamati

2009-04-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

in the pics: 10 students and 2 teachers came from a high school in seattle to visit samoa. they also came to my school. it was a fun experience, and the second year University Prep has come to samoa; also..the rain..which can be pretty hard and LOUD when it wants to be...no drizzle here.

3/24
In samoa, people gain information bit by bit it seems, usually more bits as they get older. Many times information is gained through talking with people. Like a slowly expanding world limited only by the people who one talks to. Kind of like an RPG (role playing game).

In america (or any country with easy/fast access to the internet) people, even young people—have instant access to a HUGE amount of information about almost any topic. Information is gained by reading and email with other people. Just not as much face to face.

3/22
It breaks my heart to hear of violence, pain, attempted suicide because of what the eyes have seen, what the body has experienced. But in a way, it’s a weird coincidence I’m here in this place right now.

3/21
So how do I feel about being in samoa? It’s good, but some days it just goes. My fasts are not as quick and my stillness is not at deep in this culture. That may be sad, but that’s what I feel. Swimming and biking are still good. My back is rarely totally relseased—doing butterfly stroke with fins in the ocean is one exception…so awesome, especially when I get a close close up of the coral right before I surface again.

Saturday morning on the “new” bus (an old pasi o vaa), but it works, and it has the booming bass samoans dig. I’m going to play tennis with my friend Kat.

Afea taunuu tamaiti Seattle?
When do the seattle students arrive?

March is Fa’amati month. As much as I’ve been able to figure out is villages with methodist and EFKS prepare the house for the pastors. I’m not sure exactly what the list is, but my sense is it’s a lot. Faifeaus get a lot, are highly respected.

In samoa, a lot of determined if you’re married or not—much more important than I thought it was. You are considered “laititi” (young) until you are married, then you are matua. I guess even if you’re 18 and married you are still matua. It’s not age, but marriage status that determines so much.

Tattoo of my aerobics, with a side of mutton flaps

2009-04-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

in the pics: cricket is in full "swing" at our school. the boys have played 3 games, and won three games. I guess kids on our team are good. I know two have played internationally. it's exciting. i have not watched them play in a game.

3/20
My village has started an exercise/aerobics program…Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the late afternoon. Every time I ride by on my bike they “grab” me to teach them some moves…well, not that I have any good moves. There are kids, and senior citizens, but very few young adults and middle-aged people. We need to get some new music for the dancing. I have some music that might be just the thing. And yea for friends in America who send me web sites with good aerobics information and give me dance CDs.

3/11
I write my emails in Microsoft Word, and by the time I get to the internet, I have no emotion of the email, just a copy-and-paste-send thing…very time delayed.

I feel different—I'm not caught up writing my thoughts down on paper. For me—that’s important. Tonight—I bought 6lbs of mamoe (mutton flaps) home today. Everyone is happier when there is enough food. I shared some cocoa samoa with one of the teachers, a time to sit back and do nothing…and then my type A personality kicked in again and I went for a swim around the giant clam’s protected area (fa’asua).

I’ve started drawing tattoo designs (in the back of this diary). I guess I want some inspiration—re: what kind of tattoo for me. I want to be part of the “tag and release” club of Samoa.

the smiling thought monster runs after me, has no food

2009-04-09T20:55:00.001-07:00

in the pics: my friend Kat at a dance; one of my students Ruta and the same dance; The vice principal's family.

3/11
I write my emails in Microsoft Word—and by the time I get to the internet, I hahve lost the emotion of the email, it’s just copy—paste—and send.

I feel different—not caught up writing my thoughts down on paper. For me—that’s important. Tonight—I brought 6lbs of mamoe (sheep—mutton flaps) for my samoan family. Everyone is happier when there is enough food. I shared some cocoa Samoa with one of the teachers, a time to sit back and do nothing…and then my type A kicked in again and I went for a swim around the protected clan area. (faasua)

3/9
I have a headache. I didn’t ride my bike up the mountain or swim in the ocean—that’s probably why. My stomach has been bothering me last week and this week. I feel like it’s because I’ m not drinking much milk. High school students from seattle are coming. Fun fun fun. It is very hard to pin down information in Samoa. I (feel like i_) can’t ask direct questions because it would be offending.

3/7
When I first came to sAmoa, I noticed many people in photographs didn’t smile. I wondered why. After living here a year and seeing how they live I understand why (maybe). Life in samoa is hard; it is hot all the time. The pictures and postcards tourists see of white sandy beaches anda sunsets is not the ‘real’ Samoa—maybe a very small piece of it.

Another couch surfing episode. This time having nothing to do with couches or surfing. A guy from the Ukraine sends me a message through CS website…wanting to exchange postcards. Ok. I just got his postcard, and mailed him one today.

Samoans [[[really]]] like to sing on the radio. Every time I turn on the radio, I hear someone singing. It’s nothing for them to spend 10 minutes singing into the radio…well, I mean singing.

Computer teachers meeting at the Teuila Hotel…white male peace corps teachers,..and Samoan female teachers. Hmmmmm.

Two big changes at school this year: no food prepared by families for the teachers to eat at the interval (recess). And no smoking in the staff room. Now I eat less and also inhale less smoke. I see a less less trend here.

put lotion on your flu, son

2009-04-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

in the pics: three pics of me me me..i'm still alive and kicking, and having a pretty good time too.

3/5
I never thought I’d put lotion on my hands in Samoa (because it’s soooooo humid) but here I am—after my shower—lotion on hands and feet.

“oh but you’re on a budget” my friend kat says. Well, if there’s one thing the samoans have instilled in me, it’s the recognition that it’s sometimes nice to not worry about the budget.

2/28
Oh…I don’t like having “fancy” journals because then I feel I have to write fancy thoughts and fancy words in them. I have no fancy words, just what’s happening. Here’s what’s happening: more swimming in the ocean, my village has started an exercise program mon, wed, and Friday in the afternoon for about 45 minutes. I’ve been the teacher twice. It’s been a while since I’ve done any kind of aerobics. It’s good to see people especially the older people shaking what they got.

Last night we had a dance, or a fundraiser for the new church my village is starting. I think we raised about a $1000 tala. I got to shake my booty so that was fun.

Now it’s saturday morning, I think I’m finally getting over my flu, my friend kat is visiting my samoan family, and it’s going to be a bright, hot, sunny day.

2/23
Today is monday—I have 3 classes with students and one class with teachers. Things never cease to amaze me—usually no teachers come for computer class if the principal is not there—but today there were 7 teachers!

New Journal cooks pig with a side of Pringles

2009-04-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

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.

making samoan food requires massage

2009-03-07T15:50:00.001-08:00

in the pics: drawings from a little girl; carvings with paua shell; my friend norman, a student at national university of samoa

some random phrases i liked/thought were interesting

People are very time poor these days
Out of context…bible/my theology/Unitarian
Readiness to die…
Pick and choose…theology
Break with tradition
Obedience…to god/ parents/ the system
Beautiful poetic spirit…richard
Peace is a lie. There is only passion
Is loyalty always the same as obedience
How you use it defines who you are (the force)
Accept the will of the force vs. imposing your own

2/7
Somehow people in my family kept asking me to massage their feet, and back. So I gave Mona a back massage today. I think that might have been a bad idea because now they are calling me foama’i (doctor). And I can guess that they will ask me more often now. That’s fine, as long as I get a massage every now and then. The samoan oil works well for massage, and for keeping the flies off of open wounds.

2/2
My first REAL attempt at making a samoan dinner—fried mackerel and onions, and I forgot the oil (ga’o). add tot that the fa’i (green bananas) and taro. I wanted to warm up the food before we ate it because food tastes better when it is warm. But now we sit and wait for the tea to be done. Broken bike, no swim this afternoon. Not good (leaga). I hear rumors that my bike might return tomorrow. Also, no year 12 boys to help us this year with chores and making food. “cheeky” says the vice principal. And in samoa, cheeky just usually gets hit. I don’t think the food will be warm when we eat it….ahhh but I have my block of cheese and bread for later.

New samoan :
Au mai se oso?
Did you bring me an oso (gift)?

O fea le maumaga lae alu ai mona?
Which plantation did mona go to?

Scratch
Po’u or mafo’e

Save room for lunch
Faagaogao le manava mo mea’ai.

Bbq chicken (special samoan style)
Moa tumu pa’u

bluegreen water hides flying fish

2009-03-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

in the pics: many many samoan foods from last year, when the supervisors came for our year12 schoolC examinations, there's palusami, raw fish, pieces of beef, bbq chicken, taro, sea eel + other stuff I can't remember; my training village family had a baby, and named it after me...so it's matthew and matthew looking at you; two young boys from my training village family Lotu and TJ.

1/28
It’s a Saturday morning. …Words and pictures cannot describe how it feels to be sitting here right now. A blue-green crystal clear ocean stretches out before me. the tide is going out. I can tell because the tops of those rocks are now above water. 20 minutes ago they were not. Orange-brown-yellow leaves float in front of me. reminds me of the fall season. The only reminder . (the light breeze) I hear the rustle (it’s almost like a gentle clap) of the coconut leaves. Not the tall monsters that sway gently over all. These are more like bushes, and line the top of the rock wall in front of my samoan family’s house.

The light breeze that ruffles the coconut leaves also creates gentle ripples that hide the fish so well. First two larger fish with black stripes, then a single fish, and a whole school of fish who swim here and there, turning their silvery bodies to reflect the sunlight. Sometimes I don’t know if I’m seeing fish, or just the ripple of the rocks underwater.

Ahhh…whaat a life. One day I can be swinging a machete and planting (toto) taro up in the plantation. The next day I can be floating in the ocean, my spear at the ready, looking for that next big fish for dinner. My samoan-style fishing needs a lot of practice, so more often than not the fish escape, to grow bigger for the next, better-aiming fisherman.

The sun is sneaking around the coconut leaves. My feet are exposed. I think it’s time to move to a fale. I’m waiting for someone to bring my camera so I can pu tpics on a CD for them.

seeing, feeling, hearing after one year

2009-03-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

in the pics: two views of christmas. one from the lighted McDonalds Menagerie, some hersey's kisses...chocolate is always good; some keke saina, a chinese type cookie, it's pretty good, and very filling.. i like it with p-nut butter;)

1/25
Today is Sunday…about 6pm. I’m sitting on the third floor of our peace corps office, of which part of is a hotel. .i’m feeling the warm breeze on my face. It’s a cloudy day, so not too hot, and this easterly blowing “breeze” I feel musts be a little stronger in the harbor because the water is white capping; further out past the reef it looks like the waves are rough.

Today has been a very “sit in the office and do nothing day. I’m usually very quick in and out of our PC office, but today is Sunday, and all of Samoa goes to church ( I went to a Baha’I temple), eats toana’I (I made cheesy eggs, black beans, and bread, with a liberal dabbing of hot sauce), and sleeps ( fell asleep listening to my MP3 player). Until afternoon church.

So here’s a random rundown:
What I’m feeling: the sun burn I got yesterday at the beach during our mid-service conference. (did I say MID service conference. Yes. Now the downhill until we get to the end of this journey). The breeze with intermittent drops of rain.

What I’m drinking: previously—mint tea. Now, just plain old, good for you water.

What I’m seeing: a cow…that has broken it’s rope and is mooing in the driveway across the street. It’s eating grass at the taxi stand and no one seems worried. I guess this is a normal thing. A samoan girl is petting (and kissing ) the cow. A palagi is jogging down the street in short shorts (above the knee) not faasaoma on Sunday. I hear a samoan say something about the runner. The darkness of evening creeps in.

Sitting on the third floor also provides a good vantage point. I wonder if the Samoans concept of time has changed at all…the fastest things moving are the cars, which zip around the bend. It sure looks like life has speeded up. Some cars outdo themselves with the boom-boom of a stereo and tinted windows.

What I’m eating: I just ate a keke saina (Chinese cookie), which was very filling. I like them from the Chinese convience store next to the PC office the best. They have the software, moistest cookies I’ve found.

What I’m reading. Two books: the Bone people, by Keri Hulme. The Gift. By Hafiz. More on these when I finish them. I’m about to read Obama’s inauguration speech. The story of the Peace Corps. Fact: early PCVs endured intense physical training at fitness camps to prepare them for service. I didn’t get any physical fitness training. The village based developmentn annual report. I also looked at sports Illustrated pictures of the year—the one with Michael phelps on the cover winning one of his crazy8 gold medals.

What I’m hearing. Cars. People’s voices. Loud, chirpy birds. They are congregating in one tree, which seems to amplify the sound. The moo cow (he wants to have a walk like everyone else). dog barking.

What I’m smelling: dinner smells. Ocean smells.

It just feels weird that a whole year has passed. It feels like the blink of an eye, even though I wouldn’t have said that in the thick of things. One more year to go. Many things to do with my school…and village. I want to start some kind of exercise program at my village. My samoan mother can hardly walk up our front steps. I feel I won’t be able to do much once school starts because I’ll be at school all the time.

time magazine's midservice asks big questions

2009-03-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

pics from last year: two year12 students holding the nets used to fish for pololo--a very small white/clearish very salty worm(?) that only comes out of hiding once a year, a big event; two year12 students in the middle of rugby kicking; matthew and the science teacher during the end of year bbq (I think) having fun, acting foolish...having fun ..eat lots of food.

1/23
Our peace corps group 79 had the mid-service conference. The safety and security officer made a comment about the “threat environment in Samoa.” …hmmmm…the only threats I feel are the dogs that want to eat me, and looking out for the next joke from my vice principal…ha ha ha…ho ho ho…he he he…hu hu hu
There will not be another “computer teacher” ICT group coming to samoa. Group 81 was the last. This means there will not be anyone replacing me. that’s too bad, considering there is currently no samoan teacher teaching computers, or even working with me. the next groups will be (certified?) English teachers for primary schools. That is a good step. Get the teachers who do the teaching. We also talked about “counterparts” and “sustainable” projects. It seems it is very hard to make teaching computers sustainable, but I have a feeling when the samoans deem it necessary, it will happen in the snap of the fingers. The real time is not yet. I am teaching years 9,10,11,12 computers this year. That is a lot. Samoa has text books for maths, science, business studies, English, etc. samoa does not have a text book for computer studies. I’m working on my own version for my school. Another PC volunteer is trying to help the government put one together. I’d be surprised if one gets completed before my two years are done.

One of the volunteers in our group is working at a “private” school, and seems to enjoy his work, and has a lot of work to keep him busy. Private school: one person has complete ownershipàleading to more motivation to “get things done.” Government school: who owns this? Less motivation to “get anything done”

Notes from reading Time Magazine, Dec29-Jan5…Obama…he possesses a rare ability to read the imperatives and possibilities of each new moment and organize himself and others to anticipate change and translate it into opportunity.
“a presidential campaign is like an MRI of the soul.”
Good nose for talent…hire really good people…hire the smartest people…low tolerance for nonsense/turf battles…send that message clearly…people generally want to do the right thing… “it is important to carve out time to think and not spend the entire day reactive.”

Big questions…what is my work?...where is my love?...who makes me laugh?...when do I play?...why is the sky blue?...why Andrew?...

Jungle hands learn to pray holding samoan tea

2009-03-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

in the pics: the green bananas...a staple (boiled) in samoa. i eat them a lot; giant clams from the fa'asau (marine protected area) at the event where villagers show off their best fruits/veggies (and I forgot the fa'asamoa for that word...)

1/20
I’m at my training family in a village called Lalomauga. I’ve been helping to cut the grass, and clear land for a plantation. I’m swinging a three foot long knife. I’m reminded of a long time ago when our family went to a beach house, that was kind of in the beach “jungle.” I would take a stick or piece of bamboo and whack and whack and thwack the bushes. Only now I have a real knife, and an unlimited amount of jungle to keep me happy. My hands usually get blisters before I’m tired or out of jungle. After about an hour or so of hard work, its time for rest (coma), and jumping in the river to float down to the deep part and play throw my samoan sister in the water. The cool water feels so nice after dripping sweat. Drinking coconut juice isn’t so bad either.

Why are two tiapula leaves bad?
Aisea e leaga ail au tiapula lua?

We want all the taros to grow the same size.
Fia fai taros ituaiga tasi.

Why are three or four tiapulas good?
Aisea e lelei ail au tiapula tolu po’o fa?

Because all the tiapulas will be the same size, and will be mania in the mouth;)

I have to give two thumbs down to computer programs that require an internet connection to access the HELP feature eg. Google’s Picasa. Most people in Samoa do not have internet. So if one of you smarter-than-me people knows how to get picasa help without internet, please shout in my ear.

It was also hard for me to figure out picasa—I’m a windows explorer kind of person. Yes I subscribe to the Microsoft machine. This was in an ubuntu (yeah open source) environment…which I’m not familiar with at all.

I’m still trying to learn samoan prayers.
Iesu fa’afetai mea ai foai mai tausi ai matou, amene.

That was pretty easy. Here is a harder one:
Iesu fa’afetai mo fua o le tino ua e foai mai tausi ai lou matou ola. I lou suafa Iesu, amene

1/15
Hmmm..the last two days I’ve been working in the plantation. Sa ou futifuti taamu (I cleaned the taamu)..the mushy stuff off the root/taro part of the plant. The next day we toto (plant) the stalks to create new food and make the plantation bigger. I didn’t take a shower after the first day and after the second day I have red bumps on my arm and sunburns in random spots—well I guess wherever I didn’t put sunblock. We (me and mona—the family member who works in the plantation) go in the morning—about 7am, so the sun isn’t as strong as in the afternoon. I just swam in the ocean and took a shower. I feel better. Tonight’s dinner was taro and cut cucumber with mackerel.

I could increase my sugar consumption by 100% if I had the Samoan tea every night with dinner. Let’s just say my family likes their sugar and other sweet things.

Movie: Dreamer. A little girl with spunk and determination gets her dream—her horse racing, and winning the Breeders Cup. It’s amazing how things change when you give a young person ownership. Little girl got ownership.
When you ran the earth shook
And thunder rang clear
A space was made
For squeezing the win
(I don’t remember the exact words to the poem in the movie…)

heading to NZ is developing its country

2009-03-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

in the pics: the making of a very sweet Samoan specialty called fautala. made with a special breadfruit. i think the pics are in order of 1,3,2 from top to bottom...first cooking the sugar over hot rocks, then the mixing the coconut cream, breadfruit and sugar, then the finished product. It was very sweet, very filling.

12/27
Our journey within a journey beings—to NZ that is. Here I sit veggie stand waiting for Mike’s family to pick me up so we can go the airport.

I met a samoan today, who lives in Australia, but wants to start a computer training center to link with things like music and art. Cool. His enthusiasm really impressed me. the problem is—he’s going back to Aus for two years before I get back from NZ. So our time over lapping in Samoa was about 10 minutes (actually, later when I got back he was still in the village, so we talked some more). If he’s for real, his goals will be a big boost for samoa, and especially the area where I live. There are so many applications that can generate income about and beyond knowing the basics of computers. I with my time with Andrew was longer. He has the intimate knowledge of samoan language and subtle culture that I will never have. I guess for now, our collaboration will be by email.

Today: rebuild norman’s computer (dr. Watson failed>…;( sasa le vau, jane and olsen’s, school building: pack, hot rocks on back, yoga, home: pack, shower, eat, wait and 4 corners…and now we are to the present time. (faatali I le magafa)

12/26
Why does it seem that developing countries (OK…so I’m going to use a generalization…and sometimes that’s bad) are hot(ter) and have different color skin?
Why not white people in less developed countries? Hmmm…less developed, but who’s measuring the “developeness?”

I hang with pulenuus (mayors) and faifeaus (pastors). They are poor by western standards, but live like kings by Samoan standards—especially pastors. They get A LOT of money from people in their village. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I was living with a family who was ever more poor.

fasting makes door hollow

2009-02-14T17:45:00.001-08:00

12/20
I’m at my friend richard’s house, looking through his pantry…ummmm..because I’m curious…about the food, and where it comes from, and who’s building empires in skies. Western family (from Portland, OR!), has butters milk and canned mixed up vegetables. Unilever (with the big U) has many many offices it seems: Australia’s food includes chow mein mince, Australasia has chicken powdered stock, and pure classico olive oil. NJ, USA has yummy skippy—this is what keeps meat on my bones here in samoa. Well…that plus the taro and bread fruit, and canned fish. And fresh frish. Frish frash frosh…well, it works in Samoan.

I watched a movie: “sam I am” I like it. Here is why:
“your eyes are older”
“I need love”
“I love yoU”
“you’re the red in her painting”

I was reading the big newspaper in Samoa: Samoan observer Dec 19th. Topics range from parents and children, to the business confidence survey, to power in rugby, to alcohol hangovers, being victims, prices of things in samoa, and also “the dilemma facing the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) is that while we have contributed very little to the causes of climate change we are among the most vulnerable to its negative impacts.” I agree, ocean water rises 6 inches, many houses will be in water. Climate change brings more hurricanes and cyclones, right though these islands. There are many interesting articles (I wonder how they choose topics) in the paper in samoa. I have to say it is a WIDE variety of topics.

I was reading a book called Spiritual discipleship. “he was not yet ready for service.” Hmmmmm..I wonder what not ready for service means>..?.>?/

12/17
I saw a sign for a HOLLOW DOOR. $30 for each. The first thing I thought of was my grandpa: “I will only use solid core doors for the front door.” I wonder if they sell solid core doors in Samoa. Speaking of doors, my principal called me yesterday—someone had forced the computer lab door open at our school. I don’t know if anything was missing. But that is not a good sign. The door was NOT a solid core door. As people learn about computers and the potential value they hold. Their “value” will rise. We had a new lock installed recently, but if we have a hollow door, it’s pretty easy to get in.

Today I am fasting until about 6pm. We’ll see how far I make it. Drink lots of water. I only had a banana, and tea and water. My friend kat was doing a fast “to get closer to god.” I thought I would try because I want to fast, but not by myself. I don’t like to bounce my blood sugar like that. But I didn’t feel faint or have a headache. I prayed for my mom, grandparents, and the students, teachers, and my school—right before a Japanese woman sat down next to me. she just finished a year in Fiji studying English and was visiting samoa for 7 days. I took her to the JICA (Japanese volunteers) office because I thought they might be able to help her better than I could.

If I don’t learn anything from this PC experience, I know it will have opened my eyes to what is really sustainable. I showed my german friend how to reinstall windows on his computer. He wants to start a TV/electronics repair business and asked if I wanted to be partners with him—fixing computer. I told him I would rather teach him how to fix computers because I can only in samoa for one more year and her will be here for a LONG time. I think that would be more sustainable.

I had another thought while sitting on the bus feeling the breeze on my face. Samoans seems to have the ability to let their feelings out very easily. I see that they are very angry for a short period of time, then the anger leaves and they are happy for most of the time.
Back home in America. I see many people hold bitterness and bubbling anger just under the surface of their daily lives. It’s a different way of living. I see that way starting to enter the samoan culture. I think decisions made by the land and titles court creates bitterness. Just an example, but western court system seems to foreign to the samoan culture.

Awe in God: a halo around the cloud in front of the sun; a seed with a cape, made naturally, so it could fly far and make more.

reading community's visual box

2009-02-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

in the pics: cleaning the pig at school... a little boy named bubba,. he.s so cute with the crispy things on his fingers...

12/13
I was thinking about samoan community, and how it seems there are many many tight connections. It may be the ultimate in “social capital”…to take a buzz term I’ve heard in America. I drew a picture of the samoan community. It was a small box with many criss-crossing lines (representing relationships) inside it. I drew a picture of community in America. It was a much larger box with maybe the same (or less) number of lines. The blank (white) space between lines is much larger in the American community box.

Reading the samoan observer…December 4 edition. Article about freedom of religion in Samoan constitution (article 11). I sure don’t feel freedom of religion in my village. If I want to fit in, and keep relationships, I go to the church (which is now being created, after a split with the neighboring village) in our village. Actually it’s a fale in front of our house. the same one used for dances (sivas), meetings (fono), bingo, and sleeping (moe).
Mr. Chief Justice: “my concern is that new religions will become a way to remove the blessings of communal living because of desires of individuals.” Hmmmm…religion clashing with communal living. BOTH very important to samoan life.

Poetry book: Raw edges. By Juliet Enid Westerlaund… to represent our country.

Visual artist: fatu feu’u
“our pacific people have opportunities but they don’t take them.”
“it is easy to walk away but hard to focus on something.”
Ingredients to success: patience, hard work, consistency.
An art studio in Samoa? Where?

“Pledge” dance group wins HIV/AIDS competition. Social dance movement and radical act of self expression. KRUMP: kingdom radically uplifted mighty praises

Daltron group computer company coming to Samoa.

Tower of girl power…line from article in teen page.

12/10
School almost finished. It was a long year..but it went by in the blink of any eye. I guess I was busy. Writing comments in school reports for students:
Very good student…lelei tele tamaiti aoga.
An average student…feololole taumafai
Good improvement…lelei taumafai ua alu i luga
Paie…lazy
Tautalaititi…cheeky
Needs to study more…toe suesue a tili
Pay attention to the teacher…Usi tai i le faiaoga

sliding rock's long name peels the onion

2009-02-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

in the pics: some views of Apia, the main city...a big building (I think a hotel??...having a store really means the family can afford to build things, like this two story palagi style house...a view of the ocean and an old boat.

12/01
It’s December 1 with 82 degrees and 72% humidity with a nice westernly (well I cant really tell which way) south pacific breeze. I just bought three prizes for my school’s prize giving on Wednesday this week. I wonder why the soft-cover planners are more expensive than the hardcover planners. I think a hardcover planner is more elegant.

I went to the sliding rock place yesterday with Aaron, a German boy who I’m helping with computers and maybe English. He’s lived here all his life. That’s not something I could imagine myself doing. I gave him one of my helmets because I have two and he has none—and rides his bike all over town. He works at an electronics repair shop—fixing everything from TVs, stereos, VCRs, Microwaves—I think even cell phones. He knows more about the practical side of electronics and circuits that I remember from my five years of college doing electrical engineering. There are five kids in his family, and no dad, and no car. That would be tough for me. I have no car now, but also no family yet. I guess they manage, as does everyone else. Aaron says his family has land in Samoa, and wants to build a house, but they don’t have enough money. He says he will own the business someday. He seems like a quick learner. This morning I helped him find instructions to make a tent on the internet.

Let’s talk about wounds, cuts, owies, open skin on the feet. You don’t want them, because your healthy feet are very important; very hard to heal when always being bumped or rubbed against.

Samoans have long names…because of the titles?
Mulitalo Siafausa Seali’imalietoa Siafausa Vui
To’omata Alapati Poese To’omata
Seupule Afutoto T. Onofiatele leaoaniu Tuita’asauali’i
My samoan father: Tualatamalelagi Peniamina (Benjamin)

Some samoan:
Share with our extended family…fa’asoa I le aiga to’atele
Church building dedication…fa’aulu fa’alega o le falesa
Family tree…la’au o le aiga/ tuaga le aiga
What day you come?...3 ways to say in samoan
O le a le aso e toe fo’I mai ai oe?
O le a le aso e toe sau ai oe?
E toe sau foi afea?
Many words, same meaning…tele upu, e tutusa uiga

I was interested in my samoan family’s EXTENDED family, which I learned includes 5 families branching from my father, with 50+ people included.

Samoans Use information immediately….me=store information for “later”…just what I need to be faced with for two years.

new Zealand's rambling, and riding, and swimming, and...

2009-01-19T17:17:00.000-08:00

i'm back from New Zealand. It was a good trip. I've put the text and pics on a different blog, that can be found here:

http://mrcnewzealand2009.blogspot.com/

and happy new year to everyone.

follow the strings to the milk and cookies

2008-12-24T14:19:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-24T14:12:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

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.

Thanksgiving's faitala

2008-11-29T21:52:00.000-08:00

in the pics...
matthewINA: white Sunday is a day for kids. They perform their songs and dances, then get food and ice cream, call it day.
whitesunLe: Le is a little girl in my Samoan family. At first she was very shy of me. Now she likes to climb on me.
Whitesunsticktongue: my samoan father doesn’t very often …lost the words. But the camera caught a fun face.

11/27
I’m going to apia tomorrow for the peace corps Thanksgiving party. I hope I don’t get too homesick. I don’t think so…because it’s so hot my body doesn’t really know that it should be cold (and snowy..) singing Christmas songs doesn’t work either.

Samoans …if they like something, and you’re younger, they just take it. I guess I don’t have much privacy anymore. The little girl comes in my room regularly. I’m sharing my bike, peanut butter, and flashlights, among other things. I was reading the social studies book from our school. It said along the lines of …development is improving peoples standard of living. Hmmmmm…I wonder if all the things I share improve the standard of living…that’s not really the main reason I’m here—it should be to teach computers. I won’t see any of the results from that…sometimes that’s hard.

11/24
Latest issue of Faitala (the Peace corps volunteer newsletter in Samoa)—Extreme bussing. See new Zealand face first! Collect some of NZ’s fine insect life…IN YOUR FACE. Improve bus aerodynamics and fuel efficiency… WITH YOUR FACE. Get amazing second-degree sun burns…ALL OVER YOUR FACE. (fine print: sun burns are free. You may take them wherever you wish.) I wonder if you get paid for saving fuel.?.

11/18
I read another article in National Geographic, march 1993, Easter Island Unveiled
It was really interesting. I want to go visit.
“shrewd exploitation of limited resources”
What I felt listening to Teao wasn’t so much the isolation of EI but the richness of local knowledge and culture that isolation had produced.
(I feel that is how Samoa is, but the outside world presses in more and more)
The start of regular air service in 1967 created a tourist industry, and the old cashless society of families sharing the work of farming and fishing began to break apart, replaced by the colder logic of commerce.
“the old family union is gone.” In the old system, large extended f amilies lived close together in compounds…
(that’s how it still is in Samoa in many places on the island)
The sense of place was ingrained in her in a way almost unfathomable to an American.
(as I look at a photograph in the magazine, with it’s pink sky sunset, clouds hung randomly, it almost looks like a samoan sunset.)

sturdy Toa Samoa

2008-11-29T21:45:00.000-08:00

in the pics...
Whitesunbanner: this is the banner that I guess gets made every year for white Sunday. They lined the church rafters. Shortly after, there was a “disagreement” and my village doesn’t attend that church anymore. I’m sad.
Whitesundaypokagirls: it’s not so much the actual program that samoans like taking pictures of. It’s the after party where everyone poses for the camera. I thought this was a good picture. I usually just give the camera to someone in my family and tell them to get some pictures.
Whitesundayprogram: a picture of all the kids doing their white Sunday program.

11/15
A good game of ultimate Frisbee yesterday. I just wish we had a Frisbee that glowed in the dark. We were playing at dusk and it got so dark I couldn’t see the white Frisbee touch my hand when I was in the goal zone…ahhhhhh…!
Waking up to the sound of waves on the beach is nice. I’m at Tafatafa—some beach fales right at the water. It was a good party for Peace Corps volunteers who are leaving Samoa soon..they are done done DONE! I have one more year.

Sturdy. Hardy. Durable. I was talking to a Samoan friend. She is very “type A” personality—always busy doing heavy work in her yard—cutting grass with machete, moving dirt, setting posts in the ground, making lists, thinks ahead. We were talking about palagis (white people), not being as “sturdy” as Samoans. That wasn’t the word she used, but that’s what came to my mind…probably because it’s a Finnish word (and I’m Finnish). Finnish people are sturdy. But it sounds better if you say it with the Finnish accent. And I remember a play called “Shangheid in Astoria” where they talk about being sturdy. That’s the town my mom lives in.

I’m always saying how great is the Internet—find all this information, change your life kind of great. And then I find out that it’s better to wait until I get to NZ to get a camper van—don’t rent on over the internet. Same for reserving Beach fales in Samoa on the internet. Come here in person first—you’ll get a better price. I heard one fale’s internet prices are triple.

11/11
New samoan words
Fa’amama fa’i means clean banana trees
La’u palapala means move dirt
Fa’aputu mai means pile rocks
This is what I did at New Year’s house. I always want to work (hard physical work), because teaching is not hard work physically.

There are different names for the Samoan sports teams:
Toa Samoa – rugby league
Manu samoa – rugby union
Manu sina – ladies rugby (I didn’t know there was organized ladies rugby. It’s not happening at my school).
Manu mea – samoan soccer

new president watches bananas

2008-11-29T21:38:00.000-08:00

in the pics...
writingtatoosJuniorglen: two of my year9 students who like to dray tattoos on themselves.
Bopsamoan: my year nine students really liked to draw tattoos on themselves. Here is one example. One of the year 12 students told me they were being cheecky.
taoleumu: making the umu. I like to try and help. my family laughs. It’s all good.

11/5
First day of a new Presidency..i guess I’m curious to see what Obama will do in the first 100 days. Ha ha ha! No internet, no TV (only on the weekends), and I rarely see a newspaper. Life by the ocean, in Samoa.i feel total disconnection from events of the outside world. There is an Australian radio station that I get on my MP3 player…
If you happen to be reading this and feel so inclined, please send me articles about Obama.

“I’m dreaming of a white Christams” says Bing Crosby. So do I, but right now I’m sweating in my room at school. There is no breeze. There is no rain. It’s hot.

National Tsunami drill today? Well, not in our village. I didn’t see anyone running today. It is only 9:10pm, so about three more hours before 11/5 is over. We have had much preparation for a tsunami: run to higher ground. If time, go to consolidation point.

I’m interested personal development. Here is a bit from a PD newsletter I like

Creating Change
Purposeful Wanderings
A Monthly Newsletter for Clients and Friends of The Road Not Taken

“The future is unknown. Potentially world-changing (transformative)
experiences happen all the time. We miss most of them because we’re too busy trying to create them.
Change simply happens. The most powerful tools you have, then, are patience, to wait for changes; awareness, to notice when things change; acceptance, that your life will unfold in a way that serves you; and trust, in your own power of creative expression.”

Some of MY thoughts:
patience--many times difficult, especially if you come with a type A personality. It can be hard with teaching--allowing the student more time to answer. It can be hard with community groups, not to lead, but let other people come with an answer.

awareness--of yourself, of what is happening around you. Deeper than just observation, awareness is comprehending the observations you take in. It can be very energy draining because it requires much concentration.

acceptance--of what is happening. not trying to fight it. Let go of the command and control mindset you may have preinstalled. Things will be just fine.

trust--that you are here for a very good reason. You have power and abilities. Go use them to the service of others. You wanted this. The time is now. Yes you can. ha hah ha. rock on!

11/4
Something different and powerful cometh this way. Something different is taking shape. Can you feel it? I was at the US Embassy in Apia for 5 hours to see Obama get elected president of the United States! I want to believe the hype is what it really seems, but his acceptance speech was cool. I wonder if he’ll get to place any judges. It was a moving afternoon. Even the cynical part of me was touched. It was a very exciting moment. My tears said “bomb-rush the eyes”. A commentator made a comment after his acceptance speech about how calm, almost somber he was, as if he knew the task ahead of him “this only gives us the opportunity for the change we seek.” Yes we can. I could feel the energy crackling through the tv.

11/3
So here I sit this fine morning at the veggie market, watching the banana bunches arrive in the back of pickup (pikiupu) trucks. Christmas must be coming…I hear Jingle Bells remixed to a dance beat. You’re right. Today is Monday and I’m still in town. I have finished teaching classes. This week is School C exams for year 12 students. I’m also staying in town for the US election action tomorrow—there is a party at the US embassy. I got good sleep last night, but I’m still yawning for some reason.