My very first day in Samoa, our academic director dropped us each off in random places around Apia and told us we had to find our way to the market. I was wandering around a village for a while, and this man was sitting down eating and asked for me to join him. I really didn't want to, but he mentioned that he had seen me get off the plane the night before (yes, Samoa is THAT small). And so we talked for a while, and he helped me get to the market. On our way there though, he kept telling me he needed petro for his car. I was trying to play dumb, but he kept pushing me and saying "Do you understand? I need YOU to help me so I can buy petro!" So finally, I gave him 5 tala, and he was like you don't have a 20? And I was thankful that I honestly DIDN'T have a 20, opened my wallet to prove it, and after that he left me alone. But he did help me find the market, so to make sense to a westerner, I was basically paying him for his assistance. But in Samoa, people are very generous, and I now see that that kind of exchange is normal-- and I keep telling myself I wasn't really getting scammed.
As soon as I found the market, I was walking around looking at things and I heard someone say "Where you from?" Already being nervous and frustrated about being in a strange new place alone (and at the time, I kept worrying that everyone was going to scam me like that guy or have other bad intentions), I walked faster and ignored him. But he followed me and finally I bluntly said "The States" and kept walking. Then he said "what part of DALLAS are you from?" I stopped dead in my tracks and flipped around... slack-jawed. He said "I went to Trinity. You were a cheerleader. I graduated in 05, played football-- #37." I was still in awe. He told me he was on his mission for LDS, and I had talked to my friend Tevita (who's Tongan/ a LDS missionary) the day I left for Samoa to see if he knew anyone there, so I wondered if he just told this guy to look out for me. But then he started naming all the different people we both knew, and I'd say a first name and he'd say their last name. This guy really went to my high school. And picked me out at the market in SAMOA!
As I write about this two weeks later, I'm still in shock.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
The time I ran into a kid from my high school... in SAMOA
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Mandy...I dont know if I am leaving this message right but I hope it gets to you...I am a samoan living in euless , I happened to have visited my sister that stopped by your mom's garage sale and to make the long story short we found you...I have and still is reading all about your samoan trip.. I think it is so cool that it had to be you, to experience Samoa...I live on 519 aransas drive Euless Tx 76039, my sister and I both, would love to meet you...my e-mail is Pitia@southwesttraders.com ... I just want to hear how the palagi girl from Euless survived Samoa, we just want to hear your experiences... what a small world, and to meet the missionary at the market from the same town is such a trip...I am not really good with computers but I just wanted to say Talofa and it's palagi's like you that makes us thankful for the heritage and the culture that we have....thank you for sharing
tofa soifua
p>t> alaiasa
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