Would you want to come home?

P3140830, originally uploaded by mandy.mantzel.

I love Savai'i. Everyone wants me to come back and bring my friends and family! So start saving your tupe, and let's plan a reunion.

Fale sweet fale

P3150840, originally uploaded by mandy.mantzel.

These are traditional open fales, but we just had the mats pulled down because it stormed the night before. But yeah... not a bad view eh?

Siapo making!

P3191044, originally uploaded by mandy.mantzel.

Tapa making is a PROCESS. First, you tear the bark from a tree. Then you cut and peel the brown part off of it. Then you roll it so it flattens. Then you scrape it with a seashell to get rid of residue. Then you soak it. Then you scrape some more, and pound it to flatten it/widen it. Then you set it out to dry under some rocks so it doesn't shrink.

Then you put it over one of these patterns (also pre-carved by Fa'amuli) and wet it with water. Then you grind red clay against seashells. Spread it with a "paintbrush" made of more treebark. Dry it under rocks again.

Then you take the dye from the tree bark (which I did NOT make... Fa'amuli had pre-made that for us). and color in however you like. You'll have to wait to see my final product when I get home..

He was only 15

P3201110, originally uploaded by mandy.mantzel.

And he was the only one with a girlfriend. What a heartbreaker.