Showing posts with label lotofaga family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lotofaga family. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2008
Dance, Palagi! DANCE!!
Our last night in Lotofaga, our families take pride in dressing us up and throwing us in front of their friends to dance. I love to dance, but I was totally taken by surprise with the scandalous dress they gave me. They even oiled down one of my friends. Samoans mean business when it comes to dancing at Fiafias.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Workin the plantation for the To'ona'i
Learning how to husk a coconut: check.
Learning how to climb a coconut tree: in process.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
I'm alive!
Talofa lava! I have been in Western (Independent) Samoa for about a week now in a village called Alafua where our campus (USP) is located. They just opened the campus "computer lab" (think jr. high-- waiting in line to use one of 5 computers, two of which have had the mouse stolen, and they run at ridiculously low speeds).
I have pictures to post but...
1) the computers are VERY slow... so I'm going to try to post this entry first and then try for some pictures.
2) Almost anywhere I go I have to ask permission (preferably of a Matai/chief) to take pictures. This makes sense though, as I'm sure a lot of palagi* come through taking pictures of people going about their day. Especially cause theres so many things here that you just wouldn't believe if it weren't for the pictures!
I have so much I could write about, but I'm a bit limited (due to slow computer and the fact that I've got a lot of work to do for tomorrow). So I'll do what I can. And I apologize if it's not structured in a very reader-friendly fashion. While my Samoan tongue is really improving, I'm getting worse with English:)
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It's hot. The showers are cold. I shower with centipedes. I have decided that sleeping with lizards is better than sleeping with centipedes.
The busses here are an unreal experience. They are brightly painted and loud music is always blaring. And I cannot describe how crowded they are. When all the seats are taken, people begin to pile in each others' laps. I've even had someone sit in my lap already. Someone handed their BABY to my friend. Unreal.
I ran into a guy that went to Trinity on the first day at the market!!!
I'm sleeping in a closed room (not an open fale). I am still at USP, though. Friday I will go stay with a family in Lotofaga (on the south side of Upolu). But because the Matai's son-in-law is a builder, they have a new house... most likely a closed house that is typically only associated with Palagi*, but we'll see.
I have been snorkeling with some of the most colorful fish I've ever seen, hiking to the top of volcanic mountains, swimming in caves, diving off waterfalls, and sliding down moss covered rocks. Did I mention I LOVE SAMOA?
Our academic director from SIT told us that if we followed the health guidelines from SIT, that we'd all starve and die. That should give you an idea about my diet.
My clothes smell worse after having washed them.
I may or may not elaborate on these things later, depending on what you guys are interested in. I haven't written anyone individually (yet), but I just wanted to tell everyone how much it means to me to receive emails, comments, and those kinds of things from you. This has been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster for me and hearing from people close to my home helps me remember who I am and where I come from.
Peace, love, and le fa'asamoa,
Mandy
*Palagi (puh-LONG-ee) is the Samoan word for white person.
I have pictures to post but...
1) the computers are VERY slow... so I'm going to try to post this entry first and then try for some pictures.
2) Almost anywhere I go I have to ask permission (preferably of a Matai/chief) to take pictures. This makes sense though, as I'm sure a lot of palagi* come through taking pictures of people going about their day. Especially cause theres so many things here that you just wouldn't believe if it weren't for the pictures!
I have so much I could write about, but I'm a bit limited (due to slow computer and the fact that I've got a lot of work to do for tomorrow). So I'll do what I can. And I apologize if it's not structured in a very reader-friendly fashion. While my Samoan tongue is really improving, I'm getting worse with English:)
_________________________________________
It's hot. The showers are cold. I shower with centipedes. I have decided that sleeping with lizards is better than sleeping with centipedes.
The busses here are an unreal experience. They are brightly painted and loud music is always blaring. And I cannot describe how crowded they are. When all the seats are taken, people begin to pile in each others' laps. I've even had someone sit in my lap already. Someone handed their BABY to my friend. Unreal.
I ran into a guy that went to Trinity on the first day at the market!!!
I'm sleeping in a closed room (not an open fale). I am still at USP, though. Friday I will go stay with a family in Lotofaga (on the south side of Upolu). But because the Matai's son-in-law is a builder, they have a new house... most likely a closed house that is typically only associated with Palagi*, but we'll see.
I have been snorkeling with some of the most colorful fish I've ever seen, hiking to the top of volcanic mountains, swimming in caves, diving off waterfalls, and sliding down moss covered rocks. Did I mention I LOVE SAMOA?
Our academic director from SIT told us that if we followed the health guidelines from SIT, that we'd all starve and die. That should give you an idea about my diet.
My clothes smell worse after having washed them.
I may or may not elaborate on these things later, depending on what you guys are interested in. I haven't written anyone individually (yet), but I just wanted to tell everyone how much it means to me to receive emails, comments, and those kinds of things from you. This has been a bit of an emotional roller-coaster for me and hearing from people close to my home helps me remember who I am and where I come from.
Peace, love, and le fa'asamoa,
Mandy
*Palagi (puh-LONG-ee) is the Samoan word for white person.
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I was so grateful to have so many kids at this house, mainly because they seem to be more patient with helping me learn, and are used to being misunderstood/ having to interpret what their younger sibling (who can't speak yet) wants.
I also think that they were sucking up because they knew I was bringing gifts at the end of the week. They kept drawing me pictures of remote control cars and dolls and things-- I'm talking FLOODS of pictures. At first I thought it was cute, but then they got more explicit. The kids started drawing themselves in the pictures with the toys as though they were happily receiving these gifts from me.