a lotta NOT moving (or what it looks like when I get domestic)

Almost six months passed that I'd been home without a "real" job. I DJed a little on the weekends, went out with friends a handful of times, but other than that, what was I doing?

With all this free time, I had the luxury of being able to brush up on some old hobbies, and even take up some new ones. Old hobbies include:
Walking excessively around large bodies of water;
Daily dance party (of one);
Dabbling on any percussive instrument (timpani, marimba, you name it)

A new thing for me is that I've suddenly become super-domestic. Maybe I soaked that in from Samoa's "do-it-yourself"-friendly culture. I'm starting to get really into all things DIY. Anyhoo, I'd been baking something almost every day,


...and then I'd go work on some other project... like sewing a coverlet for my mom's bed, knitting a scarf, or making dresses and skirts...



But the true spawn of my creative energy has been...
MY QUILT!


I've been working hard on this for the past month and a half. I made it out of the lavalavas I wore when I was in Samoa. Each piece of fabric is loaded with memories of the people who gave them to me.

fale

The yellow fabric is from the very first lavalava I bought on my very first drop off. I was so nervous to ask the woman for directions that I bought the lavalava first to make small talk.
The red fabric was given to me AND my other palagi friend by our host mom in American Samoa. She was so cute... and was so excited to send Laura and I to school in matching lavalavas. I also soiled this when I fell into a pool of standing water and re-opened the wound of my infected hand.

Palm Tree

The army green fabric was given to me by the people at Safua
The blue fabric is a lavalava I made in American Samoa.

Fish

Recognize the purple fabric?
Or the fish?

Okay, and this one's a little tricky... but see if you can guess what it is before clicking the link afterwards...


If you've lived in Samoa, you should recognize this instantly. If not, click here. I included this patch because to me, this is the epitome of communalism in Samoan culture.


Even after washing all these, my quilt still smells like 100% DEET. And if there's one thing that can instantly trigger a vast array of emotions and memories I had when I was in Samoa, it's the smell of 100% DEET.

Ia lafoia i le alogalu
This is a Samoan proverb, which basically means may you overcome any challenges you face. But it literally translates to "may you be tossed into the lagoon-side of the wave". The saying refers to a boat trying to enter the lagoon through a narrow passage in the reef. It's a complicated thing to maneuver, but success through such a procedure makes it all worthwhile.

Anyway, I think living at home with nothing to do but make quilts and cupcakes was a difficult point in my life. I mean, I'm glad I have a really cool quilt now, but that's only because I was going insane before with nothing to do. So I'm writing this now so that when the going gets tough with this new job, this quilt can serve as a reminder to me that I could be staying at home with nothing to do but making quilts and playing copious amounts of spider solitaire.

Did you know that some sharks will die if they stop swimming? Just saying.