Ive got a golden ticket!

I learned today that 13 miles is a very far way to run/walk. But know what? I finished my first half marathon (please dont tell my orthopedic surgeon)!! So that was fun. Anywho, spent the last 3 weeks in the village and have many funny stories and tales of explorations, but as always am in a hurry (and hungry). I wil give you a hint that the next blog title will be "a funeral, a wedding and an exorcism". So yeah, here are some fun pics. Please enjoy and feel free to leave comments so I know that people actually look at this and I dont feel like I am just writing down nonsense for myself. Kisses and coconuts!

Leading the sasa (the dance where I get to yell and scream and be silly while eveyone else sits on the ground and does certain dance moves that I tell them to) at the new groups Fiafia.

This is the part of the sasa where we "fai le lotu" or pretend to pray....that is neat

These are the year 8 boys behind my house one morning when the pipes burst. They came trudging down the the hill from the school (as they are sleeping there these days to catch up on school work for their national exams in Oct) as I was making my coffee. I was just deciding whether or not I wanted to go fix the pipes when they showed up not only to fix the pipes but to entertain me. Moega, in the back, was absolutely no help and merely stuck his tooth brush in the water each time the pipes would burst apart and continued brushing his teeth. Cute kid. Just another morning in Samoa...

One of these things is not like the other....Practicing our dances for the wedding at the mormon church.

Bride and groom and the wedding party. Very American eh? Check out the bride's bouquet...yeah we will talk about that later....

Sitting dance at the wedding. That is my BFF in the village, Nerisa, sitting in front of me.

Me and John rocking out in our guy/girl dance

Daddy dancing with his daughter at the wedding. I mean you cant tell me that he is not the cutest looking old samoan man ever!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on....

I was awoken the other night by a strange dream…but was that a dream. Did I just feel…no I was sleeping. But then, I could have sworn that something just…maybe was it a large cockroach that just ran over top of me. And am I still dreaming but did I just feel something fuzzy on my hand? As I was lying in my bed slowly coming out of comatose to semi-functional I could tell that something was not quite right. Yes I was quite certain that something had just scurried across the front of me. Maybe I was still asleep. So in my delirium I decided to do a sort of full body shake to see if A) I was awake and B) if my instincts were right and it wasn’t just me and critter in my bed. So as I did this full body worm wiggle, sure enough my foot connected with something about the size of a soft ball that went flying off the corner of my bed with a little squeak. My response was a calm and rational “WHAT THE…!?!” as I tried to jump from my bed to the light switch on the other side of the room forgetting about the mosquito net that surrounds my bed. So after untangling myself from my mosquito net I flicked the light on to see that our friendly neighborhood rat had somehow managed to get stuck under my bed and had used the mosquito net to climb up into bed with me. Right….that is just too easy to make jokes about, but lets keep it PG here.
I managed to coax my new bed mate out from under my bed only to fall over myself trying to catch him in a card board box (keep in mind I had been sound asleep not 30 seconds ago). Unfortunately he escaped through one of the many holes to the outside. I then proceeded to do what anyone in this kind of situation would do, I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And then I set every mouse trap I could find all over the house so now I have to walk on tip toes not to set of an explosion of traps. Fun times had by all.
I also experienced another first last week when I was going for a jog in my village. I was going by a house and all their dogs started barking at me, which is par for the course. I had my ipod on (though only in one ear because you have to be able to hear all the people yelling “FA LOLA!” so you can say FA back or else things just get ugly) so I was kinda rocking out to my self trying to ignore the pack of ravenous dogs barking menacingly at my heels. Next thing I know this sucker sinks his teeth into my calf and doesn’t seem to be in any particular hurry to let go. Again, I calmly turned around and asked him to please let go because I needed that leg to continue my run. Fortunately he complied, but his friends were jealous and wanted to know what the white girl’s leg tasted like. It was at that moment that I became a dog hater. I actually tried to kick them and now I hope they all die.
Aside from dogs and rats, things just couldn’t be more peachy. I had a funny food experience this week. Everyday at lunch all the teachers eat in a little one room house off to the side of school. There is some sort of rotation of the families in the village who make us food and on Tues I think something got messed up (not like I understand what is going on) but all we had for lunch was some boiled taro, pesupo (this “meat” substance in a huge can with white chunks of fat in it and tons of this ewwy brownish snot looking grease. I don’t know how people eat it, Ive never touched it), and eleni (tinned sardines in tomato sauce…yeah…). Luckily my teachers knew I was “le masani” or not used to these kinds of food (besides taro of course) so I had an easy excuse to go make my own lunch. I have never done this before, but I was so hungry and decided to take the opportunity to show off the fact that I can actually feed myself. So I went down to my house and made a tuna sandwich, nothing fancy just tuna, bread, cheese, mustard and lettuce and then brought it back up to where the teachers were eating. They were kind of just like oh ok, no big deal. So I started eating and it was so delicious and I was getting all involved in my sandwich when I looked up and a teacher was just staring at me with this disgusted look on her face like “oh my god I can believe you are actually eating that.” When she saw me looking at her she changed it to a quick smile and I just had to inwardly crack up because for the past however many months I have been watching samoans with that exact same expression while they suck the brains out of fish heads or crunch open pig bones to get the marrow out and here I was with a tuna fish sandwich and you would have thought it was the most grotesque thing this poor woman had ever seen. It kind of put things into perspective for me. To them, I am the weird one. Who knew?

she wears a ten gallon hat

Picture time!

Our Cinco de Mayo venue in Savaii. Peace Corps makes us very smart...we can all now jump into the ocean simultaneously! I am so smart...s-m-r-t

Never trust a texan...

Hana, louis and Sina. They are all children of a teacher at my school. I have been going over to their house for dinner a lot recently because they love to feed me. Their other brother is Iemi from the truck pic. They are a very funny family so it kinda makes me a feel a little more at home...

Yeah we could beat you up...and believe it or not I actually was cold here hence the long sleeve shirt courtesy of Mary's rugby team....

This is Ela, Naomi, Malaki and Issac, and this pic is VERY exciting because they are all doing sign language!!! Malaki is the little boy in year 1 who is partially deaf who I have been working one on one with him and his mom. Here, they are doing the sign for Father because Malaki's dad was sitting next to me (except Issac is doing the sign for the letter G, but close enough). You might also notice the large plate of panikeke on the bottom left part of the pic. I go to Ela's every sunday afternoon because she fries up Panikeke for the whole village and my plate is never empty at her house.

After prize giving, we got the trophy for our under 12 and under 14 boys winning the district. They were obviously pretty pumped. The best part is the hand coming out from the truck on the right side of the pic is the Mormon ministers hand, whose truck we all rode in to the prize giving.

This was all of the year 6-8 and teachers and my bike piled into the back of a pick up truck on the way to prize giving a few villages over. In pic from left to right Mercy, Mariota, Iemi, and Tonip. Really funny kids.

Count 'em, 5 mormon missionaries in my house. These are my new best friends. Yes things have changed a bit...

Wow, its been awhile eh? Well, a lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same. I guess I should go back to the bike ride around Savaii. Sally and I met at Dylan’s place in Tuasivi a couple miles from the wharf on Sunday night May 6. The next day we rose bright and early to bike up to Sarah aka Texas’ place in Avao on the north/east corner of Savaii. It was a very nice smooth bike ride with no hills and we made excellent time so we stupidly thought we were a lot stronger than we actually were. Fun to see Texas’ place. She lives next to a nice little touristy spot and I found some nice beach fales where I am planning on staying with the family in August. She has a cute little house in the middle of her family’s compound where we hung out. Tuesday we rose a little later as it was pouring down rain in the morning and headed out for Asao on the north/west corner. Now you would think that after working at a summer camp for 7 years (did I really just admit that?) I would be able to read inclination on a map, but alas, no. So that day pretty much sucked. We curved inland a bit and up and down a lot of mountains (ps- there is only one road that goes in a big circle around savaii so there was really no chance that we could get that lost…). We also thought since the day before was so easy and we were clearly in such fantastic shape that we could take a little detour to see the Dwarf caves. Unfortunately this “little” detour turned out to be off trail biking straight up a mountain for about 45 min. When we finally got up there we found 2 Samoan men who were very eager to lead the two of us into this 4 foot wide hole in the ground. This was about the time we realized this might have been a bad decision, but it’s too late now, so down we went. The caves were actually pretty cool. It was basically a huge underground pathway with water dripping all over and at one point there was a short little water fall we had to slide down into a pool of water that was up to our shoulders. Good thing I wore my backpack. Oh and to all those who like to make fun of me for carrying a headlamp around, I have never been more happy to have one on me in my life. Anywho, we some how got out alive although I ripped my lavalava all the way up the back and had nothing on underneath but my bikers, which may not sound like a big deal to those in the US, but around these parts thats about on par with modeling for Playboy.

Well, we made it to Asau to find out there were no beach fales there and we would have to go another hour straight up a mountain to get to Falealupo beach fales (the same place we stayed for new years). So that sucked, but we made it and that night was the most terrific thunderstorm I have ever experienced in Samoa. Good thing we left all our clothes out on the line. I am sad to say that my “Bucky” shirt became a casualty that night. The next day we slept in and enjoyed the few hours where we didn’t have someone asking us to dance for them or help them with their homework or come over to their house so they could feed us more and we actually read our books and enjoyed…silence…

That afternoon we headed down to Salailua where Derek (pcv) lives with a family. Some of the Peace Corps boys were also biking around the island and we had been seeing them all along the way, but they were a bit faster than us so we never biked with them for long. At any rate we all met up at Derek’s for a nice little dinner and whatnot. The next morning we just had to go about 3 hours to the wharf but unfortunately it started raining and just didn’t stop. Sally and I sucked it up and headed out. Unfortunately for those around me, when I am in situations such as these, i.e. exhausted, wet, and generally not very happy, I go into a sort of camp counselor mode where I try to see the good in everything and cheer up group moral by doing something really obnoxious like singing very loudly and saying cheeky things to every Samoan we passed. Luckily Sally put up with me for 2 months during training so this kind of overly obnoxious behavior didn’t faze her too much. So we made it to the wharf and finished all 120 some odd miles of that big old island. Unfortunately batteries here hold a charge for about 2 hours so I have no picture to validate my effort, but I swear it happened!

The second week of school break we were supposed to have our early service conference at Faofao beach fales with the group of volunteers I came here with (group 77) but wouldn’t you know it, the Samoan head of state, Malietoa, goes and dies (look up Julya Stey’s blog if you would like to see some really great pictures of the event. The parade with his body went right in front of the Peace Corps office). So, we only had one night at the beach fales and two days of language training because the state funeral and national holidays were Thursday and Friday. Pretty good to see all the group, except there were only 9 of us there and our original 16 is actually down to 11 come Monday L On that note, I have had to say goodbye to 7 people who have decided to go home for one reason or another in the last 3 weeks. It has been quite depressing to be honest as many of those people were good friends. We are all trying to look on the bright side of things, which is that a new group of volunteers is coming on June 6 and June 9 is the Fiafia that we put on for them. I don’t know if you any of you remember me talking about the Fiafia that I went to when I first came here, but it kind of blew my mind as it is the first impression of the volunteers. For this Fiafia I get to lead the Sasa which is a dance where everyone is sitting except for me. I get to stand and direct the group as to what dance to do, all while running around screaming and yelling and you know, doing what I do best, being in the spotlight. So Im looking forward to that.

School “started” this week. I am trying to get a reading program started this term as there are quite a few girls who are dying to read books, but just never really had the opportunity before. We will see how it goes. At any rate, been a rough couple weeks with people leaving and whatnot. But, Im hoping that things will start looking up soon, of course, packages full of chocolate and inter tubes never hurt…

somewhere over the rainbow

Quick update with Trisha Tokanoa- Been in apia since Monday because I had the pukie/poopies (and that is the actually scientific term, go ahead jim look it up) from some suspect crab I ate Mon afternoon. Besides from the effects of said pukie/poopies having an air conditioned hotel room wasnt half bad. Got caught up on the 3rd season of Lost with Davey-Dave who also was a great nurse, buying me crackers, apple juice, and two containers of conditioner (didnt notice that one wasnt shampoo...close enough...my hair is very silky smooth).
Hopefully going back to the village today. Supposed to start up homework hour for the high school kids this week, maybe can get it going tonight, even though it is the last week of the first term. This Fri is the last day before our 2 week break. Yahoo! Schoooooools out for...what season is it? Oh yeah, hot and sweaty. Going to Savaii on Sat for Cinco de Mayo since Samoa is so into their Mexican cultural...riiiiight. After the festivities will be heading off to circumnavigate the island with Sally and some others. Ok gotta run people need computers and I need deoderant. Hugs and taro!

Samoa, not a country in Africa

Ive recently noticed that my writing styles tend to mimic whatever author I am reading and for the past few weeks I have been reading Tom Wolfe’s Electric Kool-Aide Acid Test, so bare with me…
Well, I believe the “soccer season” has finally come to an end. The games were always fun to look forward to, but I was becoming a little tired of every single Samoan in our district (at least 10 villages) man, woman, child, elder demanding “Lola, Siva (dance)!” every minute I was there, which by the way the games last from 8am to 3pm. This last Wednesday was ANZAC day, which is a holiday in New Zealand. For those of you who don’t know, New Zealand is a group of islands approximately 1600 miles from Samoa, so naturally we didn’t have school. Instead we played soccer. Our under12 boys won the district…I think…And our under 14 boys lost in a heartbreaking 0-1 game.
Remember that time that there was the poor exchange student in your middle school and use to kind of make fun of his accent and giggle when he messed up words? Remember how it was the funniest thing ever to teach him swear words and tell him that it really meant “chair” or “pencil”? Haha, man were those good times…karma sucks. So the other day we are having lunch and I sneezed. One of the teachers says, “Ia, ua ti’o le povi.” Huh? Oh you know, it’s a Samoan thing you say when someone sneezes, it means the cows are crying. Oh cool. Being the disciplined disciple of the Samoan language I dutifully jot it down. Yesterday, teacher sneezes. “Ia, ua ti’o le povi.” HAHAHAHAHA! Hmmm….they are laughing harder than usual. Lets take a peak at the dictionary. Ti’o, ti’o, ti’o….ahhh here it is…yes “ti’o v. (not for decent use)” (The dictionary actually said “not for decent use!) “…to ease one’s bowels, to defecate.” Classy. The cows are….nice.
One week left in the first term and then we have a break from May 4- May21. The first week Im planning on biking around the big island, Savaii with a few other PCVs. The second week we have our early service conference at some beach fales in lalomanu. Early service conference is for just our group after the first 6 months. Have I been here for 6 months?
So I got barby-dolled for the first time the other day. Often time peace corps volunteers have Samoan families who are really excited to dress up their palagi (white person) in samoan attire, hence the phrase being barby-dolled. The other day I had set up a meeting with the matais in my village in a peace corps staff member to discuss a project I was trying to get going with the women’s committee. The meeting was supposed to be at 10am so I was planning on going to school first and was going about my daily morning routine, i.e. no Samoan before coffee, very strict rule, when mama Sally drives up in the truck. I thought she was gonna drop off some clothes but no, Lola get in the truck. But…I…ok, never argue with a Samoan woman on a mission unfortunately weighs more heavily than the coffee rule. I get in the truck and we go to her house where she has made me a beautiful new puletasi (woke up at 4am to finish it!) and demands that I put it on now so she can see. Of course I oblige. Mmmhmm good, now sit. Next thing I know my hair is done up like I am going to prom with flowers and all. It was actually very nice and who knew they had hair spray in Samoa?
I got to mix the ava again at the meeting and this time I didn’t fall into the ava bowl afterwards which was nice. The rest of the meeting achieved absolutely nothing, but lets not talk about that. Am I becoming jaded…
No, I am not. I really do love my village. Recently the days have been flying by. Multiple times I have been walking home after helping a kid with homework or just enjoying a meal with a family and look up at the southern sky and feel like, didn’t I just wake up? Ok mom here is the schedule of the last few weeks of my life because I know you and absolutely no one else wants to know.
650- wake up…coffee….
730- stumble up the hill to school
740-830ish hang out with teachers and try to follow their conversations
830-2 teacher…sort of
2-3 either read or sew or go help my buddy malaki (we can come back to him)
3-5 soccer practice
5-630 dance and song practice with the kids at the church
7- help kids with homework or help my one computer student
8- Lola time
Malaki is my little buddy who is in year 1 and has a big old hole in his eardrum which makes it a bit hard to hear. I am working on getting him a hearing aide from an Australian NGO, but in the mean time we are learning sign language, the alphabet, colors, numbers, etc. But Laura, you don’t know sign language, you might say. No, I don’t and not only that they have a different sign language here than they do in the states, but no fear. I am a peace corps volunteer, hence, I take myself far to seriously. And there is a nice little DVD for Samoan sign language that just came out, so that helps. Anywho, Ive been helping out Malaki and his mom so she can know some of the signs as well. He is my one little project that has been going very smoothly and has had no problems thus far…
Well, Samoa is still here and so am I. Hope everyone is happy and well. Letters and emails always welcome.

And then a little something

Just a few more for viewing pleasure...

St Praticks day in Samoa. We dont like to have fun here...

Kids, front of my school. Go Nene!

Yeah infected feet!

Little known fact: Samoans hate the sun. Tonipo on the right has his school i'e on his head and his buddy Arona is using his school shirt.

Standing on the "porch" of my school "coaching" the soccer team. You can just barely see the ocean over the tops of houses. I mean its not the worst view....

Its BABY LOLA! This is in my training village, Maasina, with my sister Sele (holding baby lola) and little Vitale on the right, the love of my life. This is shortly before I passed out from heat exhaustion after biking 15 miles in the equatorial sun.