Island Tour!

Talofa everyone!!!

Today is Sunday, July 22, 2012. I am not sure when I will be able to post this because the internet at the school we are staying at (Voc Tech in Nu’uuli) has been down all weekend. We aren’t sure if they did it on purpose because it is the weekend or if the router is just not working.. probably the latter. (Turns out internet was down on much of the island. It is fairly common. It was down for at least 5 days, but I have it again right now so I am going to take advantage of that!) Right now I am breaking a lot of Samoan rules… but I am inside around other Palagis (white people), so I think it is okay. I am wearing shorts and a tank top and just ate an orange while standing up. Women (men have it easier *eye roll* ;) ) are not supposed to wear things above their knees… in the more remote villages everything needs to go to their ankles, and pants aren’t really acceptable. Women also are supposed to cover their shoulders. Another rule is to never eat while standing. I have come to realize that I snack a lot and don’t actually sit down and enjoy a meal. In Samoan culture it is rude to eat while standing up or walking somewhere. You should sit down and enjoy your meal with others. Hopefully I start to get more accustomed to this. I respect this culture a lot, so I will definitely try to dress like Samoans when I am around them and eat sitting down and adopt many of their other customs. These rules, or simply ways of living, are different depending on what part of the island you are on. Clearly AMERICAN Samoa is becoming more and more Americanized (There are 2 McDonald’s and American football here for gosh sakes!!!). Sundays are meant to be days of rest. Crazy concept, huh! I did go for a jog this morning with Andrea, though. It is her birthday!! She is from Lincoln, Nebraska. Sarah Foley went for a jog this morning and said she saw quite a few other people out being active (playing cricket and basketball), so we figured it was acceptable to exercise outside this Sunday morning but then later realized those people probably were Seventh Day Adventists… oops. They rest on Saturday and then can be active on Sunday, opposite of most Samoans. Samoans are very religious for the most part. I have heard that church services can last 3-4 hours on Sunday. I definitely want to attend some services at some point. My jog was very nice, though! Other than that things definitely are quieter today… a nice day to go to church, eat a big brunch, probably work on lesson plans for me once I figure out just how to do those J, and RELAX and not feel guilty about it!!! We’ll see if I get used to this.

So Saturday (July 21, 2012) was a wonderful day!!! I went to my side of the island!!! I will be on the east side in a village called Faga’itua. It is definitely further out and more remote but BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t mean to brag, but it is pretty much the best part of the island. ;) Every part of American Samoa that I have seen thus far is wonderful, but the east side will be my home for the next year, so I have to be proud of it! But I’m not lying either, it is absolute PARADISE on the east side. However, it will be more of a challenge than a lot of the volunteer’s placements because it is so far from grocery stores, laundromats, banks, restaurants, Bluesky cell phone stores where I will buy credit for my cell phone, etc. I will figure it out eventually, and there are still plenty of good things where I will be! I am really excited to be living there. There are about 10 people on more remote islands (Manu’a and Olesega), so they will have it much harder than me. Manu’a is a 9 hour boat ride from Tutuila… one of the banks travels out there maybe once a month otherwise they will be living a pretty remote and isolated life this next year. I do think that they will have cell phones and internet though. Their communities will be much smaller and close knit. I think my location is perfect… on the main island but more remote so that I can become more integrated and hopefully closer to my community... or perhaps I just think everything happens for a reason, and I am definitely going to make the most of being a Viking (funny mascot for an island school) on the eastside of Tutuila!!! My roommate and possibly the only other palagi who will be in Faga’itua is Mike Gallant! He is a geologist from the East coast in the US!!

Okay, now for some amazing, gorgeous, wonderful, supercool pictures from our island tour on Saturday!!!! Enjoy!!! J

We stopped by the two rock islands right along the one real road that weaves along the coast of the big island, Tutuila. They are brothers. That is why they are so close to each other. J I can’t remember their names right now. Sorry. And please say hello to my new bathing suit, a t-shirt and basketball shorts. Girls do not wear bikinis or one piece suits here.

I love this picture!!!!!!!! I am on the far right. :)

 This picture below was taken on the east side of Tutuila, close to where I will be living this next school year!!!

Note to all Iowa farm girls not used to the ocean: hitting coral can be painful. It wasn’t bad at all, though. Most of us got a little scraped up. I really need water shoes that cover my whole foot!! A few people told me that if you get cut by coral then you have to clean it really well or it will start growing in/on you!! Whaaaat?! Uhhh no thank you. I do not want coral growing on me. The people in my group who do actually know something about the ocean said that you would have to get cut pretty deeply and that the coral we were by looked dead anyway, so it should be fine. If the coral is alive and we touch it then it kills it apparently so I am going to try to be more careful. Most of us have some weird bug bite, scratch, or injury by now... watch out for the big rocks out to injure you as you walk to the shower in your slippers (flip flops) in the dark!

I felt like I was in a nintendo game as I was hopping from rock to rock to get to the end. It was fun!

Right by the Pacific Ocean!!! Little Mermaid?! ;)

It is hard to see, but back there is the high school that Mike and I will be teaching at this year!!! The Faga'itua Vikings. Their colors are red and white, and they are the second smallest high school on the island.

Do you know where that can of tuna you just ate came from? Check the can. It might be American Samoa!!! These StarKist tuna canneries bring a lot of jobs to the island... they do not smell the best, though. I love tuna, so I have already been enjoying a lot of StarKist tuna here. They also have some good raw tuna that I have tried a few different ways!!

This is the main football stadium on Tutuila. All of the high school games are played at this stadium. There are 6 public high schools on Tutuila from what I understand. There are 2 private schools. Then there are also some schools on the outter islands. This day we think a rugby game just got over, and we passed right as it was ending and everyone was leaving shouting and waving to us. It was a mini parade that we witnessed, and we cheered along with all the other sports fans. :)

This is the west side of the island now, a bit later in the day. It is near Leone. There are at least 5 volunteers who will be at Leone. There is a big shortage of teachers here, so most people are happy we are here (I think) and feel that we are needed.

This was my first experience hitchhiking. It is common here, don't worry! This lady was very kind to give us a ride. Many people know who we are (coconut wirless... word/gossip gets around quickly on the island), so they are willing to give us rides because they know we are volunteers and don't have cars or a lot of money. Everyone rides around in the back of pick up trucks... it reminded me of the farm a bit. :)

I hope everyone enjoyed this blog! I will hopefully post more soon... thanks for reading!! I miss you all!!!

Here is your Samoan word of the day: Fe'e = octopus :)

I made it!!!

I finally started a blog to document my adventure on the wonderful islands that make up American Samoa in the South Pacific. I have never had a blog before, so this is new to me. I am very excited to share this adventure with my friends and family back home and all over the world. Please enjoy!!!!!! :)

I arrived in American Samoa on July 16th late at night around 11 pm. About 23 of the other WorldTeach volunteers and I met in LA for a day and then were greeted at the airport in Pago Pago by wonderful WorldTeach staff and other Samoans. Nearly the entire island of Tutuila is now aware that the Palagi (white people, pronounced Palangi) Worldteachers are now on island. When I was at a small grocery store the other day a friendly man working there asked if we were teachers and was very kind and appreciative towards us because he has a daughter in high school now and is happy we are here to help. WorldTeach seems to have a good reputation on island, and the people here are INCREDIBLY friendly. They may be a bit shy at first, but once I say HI or Talofa ("hi" in Samoan) to them, they respond very positively and respectfully. Many of them wave at me first too! From what I can tell they really are wonderful people. I don't know if I just have the experience of Ghana behind me making all of this easier, if I am still very much in the honey moon stage of culture shock, or if this island truly is the "island of happiness" as one of the DOE (Department of Education) speakers told us today, but so far I really love American Samoa adn the people here, and it does seem to be more developed than Ghana. I know it will have its ups and downs and teaching for the first time will certainly have its challenges, but I am determined to make the most of this experience! I hope to learn a lot and also help this wonderful island out in whatever way I can.

Here are my initial impressions thus far. Mind you, everyone's experience is different and beautiful in its own way.

1.) I have been saying Samoa wrong. I will have to tell you how it really sounds when I next talk to you. I am trying to learn how to speak Samoan right now, but many people here seem to speak English fairly well.

2.) The majority of Samoans are not too concerned with their size. The norm is NOT to be small and skinny. (Yay!! I don't have to obsess over that for a whole year... and if I come back very large, DEAL WITH IT! ;) ).

3.) They have dark, long, poofy hair and tattoos are normal... Samoan tattoos.

4.) There are two McDonald's in American Samoa (both on Tutuila).

5.) Fa'afetai means thank you!

6.) THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND ISLAND LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!!!

7.) Yes, I have already seen a lot of h.s. football players... much like if I were still at Boys Town.

8.) Have I mentioned that everyone seems to be extremely friendly and inviting?!

9.) Many of the homes I have seen have tombs in their back or front yards. They bury their loved ones right next to their houses.

10.) Fale means house. Now it is mainly referred to open shelters with pillars and cool, round roofs.

11.) Right now the weather is pretty much amazing! It does get warm and sticky but has been breezy and even cool the past few days. It will get warmer.. much warmer from what I hear. The sun is certainly not always out, but things do get even more beautiful (and warmer) when it peeks through the clouds. There has been a short but good rain shower everyday so far.

12.) The bathroom showers at Nu'uuli (the voc tech h.s. where we are staying for orientation) have much to be desired but work!!! And that is all that really matters. :)

13.) They are not called sarongs. They are lava lavas!!!

14.) I haven't gotten bit by any stray dogs yet and don't plan to. Two of them barked at me and came at me a bit on my job yesterday, but I just yelled hula? at them and ran faster (though they said running can trigger them... meh..) :)

15.) If you have not gone for a jog along the Pacific Ocean you have not LIVED!!! (personal opinion) Nothing can beat jogging in a cornfield in Iowa (because that is my roots), but it is freaking AMAZING to run with the blue sky above you and the waves from the ocean crashing just below you.... WOW.

I could go on and on, but I better not. This is just my first impression, and I am sure to have many more experiences, feelings, and judgments along the way. I am happy to be with such an AMAZING group of volunteers... they truly are incredible people. No one can ever replace my friends and family, but I am always open to meeting new people and developing relationships with them, and this has to be one of the best group of people I could ever hope to get to know. We are all pretty similar, and I already feel myself coming out of my shell more and more and being happy with who I am while learning and changing all at the same time. It is a beautiful thing.

I will write more later!! Lots of Island Love sent from me and all of American Samoa to you! <3

DISCLAIMER: The views on this blog are not that of WorldTeach.