Paradise Lost

If the trend hasn't become apparent already, I should apologize for the in-cohesiveness of my posts. Timed internet cafes aren't conducive to good bloggin'.

During the time when I was busy writing my ISP, I couldn't wait to come home. These are the things I was looking forward to in the States:
-hot showers
-clean clothes
-hairdryers
-High-speed internet
-my car/being able to go wherever I want whenever I want
-LOST/ Soyouthinkyoucandance?
-celery, apples, healthy stuff and vegan alternatives
- queso and chocolate chip cookies (forget the contradiction... let me have what I want)
- used bookstores
- NPR
the list goes on... all superficial things, really.

The things I was ready to get away from:
-standing out everywhere I go because I'm white
- my housemates screaming/singing/blasting their music at all hours of the night
-the HEAT/insects

As much as I was looking forward to going home, I was on an emotional rollercoaster during the days leading up to my departure. I would be riding down the road through the mountains and just break into tears for no reason other than that I realized I might not ever be able to come back. And because the scenery really is breathtaking. And also thinking about all the people I've gotten close to...

Now that I'm back in Hawaii (which is somewhat of a cultural mid-way point between living in the Mainland America and living in Samoa) it's becoming clear to me the things I will miss most from Samoa.

1) The "smiling game". I loved just smiling at people... as weird as that sounds it really became addictive. Smiles really are contageous!

2) The busses and the market-- being able to touch someone in passing without them getting offended-- whether it's sitting in a stranger's lap or bumping into someone.

3) The scantily clad men and those tiny little rugby shorts. It really seems like gender roles were reversed-- in that the men were objectified based on their physique.

4) Being able to put on weight and still have people respect you for who you are.

5) Sunni dance parties-- or in general being able to sing/dance at any time/any place without question

6) Being able to laugh at things... not having to be politically correct all the time.

7) Hanging out in the office with my au palangi *

8) Tip Top ice cream. Ice cream is always better when you have to down it within 2 minutes or it will end up all over your already-dirty clothes.

9) The USP students and the friends I made there. By far one of the hardest things to leave...

These lists (as always) are non-exhaustive. There's just too much to say...

*team white people (/ study abroad group)

posting from a cell phone in hawaii just to say im alive

Can I graduate?

Last weekend if I were in school at Southwestern, I would have been walking the stage at graduation.

But I'm here, instead. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that I came here at this time (if the other alternative was not studying abroad at all). But don't think I'm not suffering the consequences.

Being abroad has disoriented (but sometimes reoriented) my views and goals in so many ways. It really is "soooo life changing". But for most of my friends who have done this, they have at least gone back to something familiar-- the routine of going to college classes, living in a college town-- some sort of forced re-assimilation. As for me, I really have no idea what I'm getting myself into when I come back. The opportunities are frighteningly endless. I could go through with my tentative plan before I came here:

1) get a temporary job (not picky... just get some source of income... but preferably one with health benefits!)
2) find a place to live
a. stay at home and save money
b. Move to California and go broke, but establish residency in case I decide to do grad
school there (depending on the kind of job I can land/amount of income)
3) do a little more research on grad schools/potential advisors/ decide between doing Asia Pacific relations or Political Theory
a. UCSD?
b. UT?
c. UC Davis?
d. some awesome school I hadn't even heard of before?

Sure, these are things that most Seniors have figured out. But I'm not in any rush. Anyway, that was just a little tidbit for those who want to know where my life might be headed when I get back. But don't be surprised if I...
a) throw in the towel and get a job working for The Man.
b) audition for Survivor... or try to get some program to make me the next "Survivorgirl" or "Woman versus Wild" I mean, I've gotta make use of these skills, right?

Unabashed name-dropping

I don't mean to toot my own horn... but *BEEP BEEP!!!* After pulling a few strings, writing a few letters, flirting with a few security guards, barging into a few offices, and well... just being downright lucky... I've snagged an interview with the Prime Minister of Samoa tomorrow at 2 pm.

Booyah, grandma.

For Caitlin, with Love and Squalor

Rat-tail hunting.

Suni and Share

P4250176_2, originally uploaded by mandy.mantzel.

These are 3 of the 6 Suni boys (Suni is the name of their house). These guys are all from Fiji. Juicy tidbits to share from L to R: Simone is dating one of the girls in our group. Sio is 27 and has a kid, and is the responsible, fatherly, cook-for-you kinda guy. And Praneet is just adorable. He taught me how to bake a cake using only a hot plate.

And this is what we do when we're bored.

Crabbers

P4021276, originally uploaded by mandy.mantzel.

Please note that this is me getting really dressed up to hit the clubs! And they find yellow rubber flip flops perfectly acceptable! Anyway, Crabbers is the place in town where everyone tells us not to go. And we go anyways, and we dance, and we sweat, and we have a great time (usually).

But last Saturday, a fight broke out at Crabbers and a guy was taken to the hospital where he died.

I guess I won't be going back to Crabbers anytime soon...

No flip flops allowed

P4170053, originally uploaded by mandy.mantzel.

In Fiji, our group wanted to go out with the SIT group from Fiji, but we were told that we'd be rejected from the clubs in flip flops (which are, unfortunately, all I have with me). But there's nothing a torn lavalava won't fix!

Queen of the Macarena

DSCF0436, originally uploaded by mandy.mantzel.

If pictures are worth 1000 words...