Life in the South Pacific

Kiwi Land

2007-03-27T04:05:00.000-04:00

I know I know, it's been months since i've blogged. so sorry about all that. but i'm currently in New Zealand...just under a week until i return to samoa. New Zealand is GREAT. It was even better that I started the trip with Antonietta, who stopped by samoa first to pick me up and got to see what life in the village was like for a couple of days. It was pretty interesting for her.

We flew over to Auckland a few days later. Then down to Wellington. We spent a couple days there and then took the ferry over the South Island, where we spent tons of cash on wine tours, glacier climbing, 4-wheelin', skydiving, shopping, eating, drinking and the like. but of course, it was all worth it. we drove down the west coast and spent a few days in touristy queenstown, which was just swarming with young 'uns ready to throw themselves off a bungy cord and party all nite long. We did have a good time St. Patty's Day weekend, but nothing quite beats the St. Patty Days back in the States.

We flew from Queenstown up to Auckland where we ended up for a couple more days than we thought we would. We met up with Jame and Antonietta and I proceeded to spend more money on a bridge climb, bungy jumping (so unexpected) and sailing. But again, all worth it. From Auckland, I said goodbye to Antonietta and Jame and I continued on the Kiwi Experience to Whitianga, where we got to go bone carving!, Rotorua, where we went zorbing, Waitomo, where we went caving and now, we are back in Auckland. It's been a whirlwind trip and a great time.

Tomorrow we head off to the Bay of Islands for a few days, then back to Auckland and then back to Samoa. Back to cheeky kids, teaching 3 days a week, cheeky men and boys, hot and humid weather. Can't you tell I'm so excited?

And my internet time is about to run out, so sorry if this doesn't make much sense. Tried to compose my thoughts as fast as i could. I'll try and update more!

Biking Savai'i

2006-12-29T15:04:00.000-05:00

Saturday, December 23, 2006

We did it! We biked Savai’i! 120 miles around the island in 5 days. Now, most volunteers do it in about 3 days, but any less than 5 days and I probably would have jumped on a bus at some point. I don’t think I could’ve ridden my bike anymore any of the days. So it was John and Candice (from Group 75), Jordan, Jame and I. We left Friday,the 15th. John, Candice, Jame and I started from Apia and biked to the wharf, which is about 20 miles. Good thing we got our bad luck out of the way that first hour and a half as Candice had a flat tire within the first 5 minutes of riding (though she did get another one on our way to Ray and Jan’s) and Jame got a bit dehydrated and kinda sorta passed out for about 2 seconds. By the time we got there, I was ready for a long nap. Instead, we got on the noon ferry and arrived in Salelologa where Jordan met us. We all then biked about another 3 hours to get to Vik’s village for his “surprise” birthday party. All of Group 76 was present except for Dane. Unfortunately for us bikers, we could not enjoy the party entirely because we could barely move, but we did help to eat the wonderful hot dogs in pita bread (delicious pita bread that Jan made) and beans and chili out of the can. We spent much of the nite giving each other massages and stepping on each other’s backs.

The next morning we lounged around and Jan made those of us who were left pancakes …great sustenance. Then we continued on our way. We headed towards Manase where us 4 gals decided to spend the nite at Tanu Beach Fales. It was my first time staying at a beach fale and the location could not have been more perfect. John continued on to Maka’s while the 4 of us slept, ate, played in the water, read and had an idyllic day. Manase has to be put of the most beautiful places in Samoa. We got a lot of much needed rest for our legs and our bums which were all so sore. No seconds on dinner though unfortunately! At nite the 4 of us sat huddled in the ocean looking up at the stars.

Sunday we were on our way once again. We were headed towards Maka’s village, where we would meet up again with John. Rolling hill after rolling hill, we made it to Maka’s village after a pit stop to refuel at Vaisala. Then it was up a monstrous hill which I somehow, incredibly, made it to the top of, stopping only briefly one time to stretch my legs. I don’t know where my energy all of a sudden came from, because by the time we got to the big hill, my legs were tight and I thought I was going to cry and have to walk my bike up that hill, but I made it! We spent the nite at Maka’s and he was a great and wonderful host. The food was delicious and Maka had 80s music playing while we once again gave each other massages and filled our bellies once again.

The next day brought us to the Falealupo loop and we once again played in the water. We spent sometime at the beach fales and waited for the heat of the day to pass. Coming out of the loop was rough. My legs were still tired from the day before and it was definitely a tough day for me. I had to push my bike a few times to get over the many hills. By the end of the day, John was keeping me company in the back, far behind everyone else. But I made it to Satuiatua where we spent the nite at beach fales once again. We didn’t make it there till 6 pm, so we went straight to dinner and they treated us to ice cream! After dinner, Candice, Jordan and I sat in the water watching the lightning blaze across the sky for a little while. It was gorgeous. Everytime the sky lit up you would hear a chorus of “ooohs” and “whoas.”

Tuesday morning we took an early dip in the water and then were on our way to Taga where Jan met us and together we enjoyed the blowholes. It was my second time there, as I visited former PCV Sara Z. there on my volunteer visit. And Sara, if you are reading this, your village does fondly remember you and we must thank you because bringing up your name got us out of having to pay for some of the fees they were charging. It was a gorgeous day and we were the only tourists there. Tofa was there and he threw coconut husks in the blowholes for us, free of charge. THANK YOU! We had lunch at the blowholes and took a nap before heading to Jan and Ray’s village for the nite.

At Jan and Ray’s, we got there and headed straight for the vai ta’ele (pool). It was SO cold, but a welcome cold from the heat we had been riding in all day. We made dinner…French toast, hot dogs, pisupo and taro balls (delicious, courtesy of Ray!) and spaghetti. What a feast. Afterwards the 5 of us sprawled out on the fale, evenly spaced, and “mom” and “dad” put us to bed.

The homestretch! Wednesday morning, we were just a short 45 min.- 1 hour bike ride from Salelologa. We had breakfast with Ray and Jan then headed out to catch the 10 am ferry back to Upolu. We biked through the rain and boarded the ferry and just like that, our trip was over. And that, everyone, is our bike trip summed up!! I am so happy to have done it! Through all the aches and pains, I can’t wait to do it again…though I’m going to give it a few months before I attempt to. And I really don’t want to see a bike for a couple of weeks either.

Back on Upolu, Candice, John and Jordan, those hard core bikers, biked from the wharf back to Apia, whereas Jame and I hitched a ride from a faife’au and faletua. I really couldn’t fathom riding my bike back to Apia. Thank goodness we found one!!

It was real nice to get away for a few days and be palagis. My next goal is to tackle Upolu island, which is not as big, but is much hillier. December has been somewhat of a slow month. Once school ended, I really did not have much to do. Luckily, there was a bunch of Peace Corps events that kept me somewhat busy. And I did take my nephews, my brother Perenise and one of my favorite kids in the village to McDonald’s one day. It was a real treat for them and I had a great time treating them and spending the day with them. And in Peace Corps news…Group 77 are officially volunteers! We had their swearing in party on Wednesday, the 13th.

And now it's almost New Year's. Most of us volutneers still in country are headed to Falealupo in Savai'i to ring in the new year together. It sure doesn't feel like the holidays at all here. I miss everyone back home so much and I'm thinking about you all.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A Furry Little Visitor

2006-11-13T15:43:00.000-05:00

So I wrote this about a week ago and finally have a chance to post it:

Sunday, November 5, 2006

So lately I have had a little visitor in my room. Yech…a mouse! I am terrified and do not like mice at all. So you can imagine that when I woke up to a scratching noise the other nite and realized that the mouse had taken down my curtains somehow and was trying to dig a hole out of my room, I was petrified. Well, maybe not petrified, but pretty near so. I tried as much as I could to ignore it and fell in and out of sleep. Luckily my mom ended up hearing the noise and had come to check up on me (since I also had a fever) and I was sitting up in bed when she came in and I told her that “I think there’s a mouse in my room.” She saw it on the window pane and called my dad and he came in with a Samoan broom and knocked it down, but then it was a completely lost cause because it was nowhere to be found. What did happen was that one of my brothers came in and looked all over for the mouse and my mom ended up cleaning my room for me. Later the furry little critter did show up again when my mom was giving my stomach a massage, must be something in the water that is giving me the runs and some pain. I shut my eyes while she yelled for my brothers. I had 2 of my brothers trying to chase down that mouse, but once again it was to no avail. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t have to ever see it.

In other news, all is going well on my tiny island. Dane and John came to visit yesterday. We took a walk around the island and went swimming in Apai. The tide was real low though and the weather was only so-so. It’s been rainy, windy and cloudy here the past couple of weeks. But it hasn’t been too hot which means a lot less sweat. It was nice having them here and showing them around, though it was John’s 3rd time to the island. My family and the other villagers enjoyed having them here and by meeting other “pisikoa” they can see who I’m talking about when I talk about them. They got coconuts and breadfruit fresh off the umu to take with them on their boat ride back to Upolu.

I am settling in nicely to my village, though there are days, especially the past few, where I just don’t feel like I’ll ever really belong or ever get the hang of this language. I’ve been hanging out at the school more and giving Year 8 the chance to use the lone laptop we have at the school. It is tough “teaching” with just one laptop though, as the kids sometimes have to wait awhile before their turn. But they do manage to pass the time, and it generally passes pretty quickly. Going to school gives me something to do and keeps me somewhat occupied. The kids are learning how to type right now and then play games after their lesson. It’s not hard to keep their attention because they absolutely love playing on the computer. Pretty soon they’ll all be computer junkies like us back in the States.

The village has been busy and finally, the pastor’s new house has been finished. Hallelujah! For the time being, I don’t have to worry about what to do with myself when everyone else is working hard. The opening of the pastor’s house is on Friday, so we will be busy preparing for that.

Baby Stephanie is doing well as is her mother. She smiled at me this morning while I was holding her. All the kids in the family are doing great…they cry, they laugh, they eat, and they cry some more. It just wouldn’t be the same without them.

And now I’m off to bed and keeping my fingers crossed that my little visitor doesn’t make an appearance tonite!

It's A Girl!

2006-10-23T15:14:00.000-04:00

So my sister in law finally popped! She had a baby girl on the morning of October 20. And guess what they named her...Stephanie! I was quite honored and amused as well. It's hilarious listening to my little nephew try and pronounce the name. But finally, a girl in the family! I'm disappointed I missed the whole delivery. I heard crying and yelling at 4:30 am and just thought it was my family being crazy and the babies crying. So when I woke up at 6:30 am and my little nephew, Evile, kept saying "pepe" I didn't think much of it until my mom came and told me that the baby came and she just finished delivering at 6 am, in the little fale right behind my house. My house is going to continue to be just crazy.

So on October 11 we welcomed Group 77 to Samoa. Insane that a new group is already here. Seems just like yesterday we were the ones being welcomed at the airport. This time it was our turn to be the greeters. Group 77 is mostly IT people and there are 12 guys and 4 gals. This will be the first group that we will leave, instead of people leaving us.

On that Saturday we had their fiafia and it was tons of fun. We got to perform our siva teine that we performed in Vaie'e once again, with a couple of volunteers from other groups joining us. And Jordan, Jame and I made fettucine alfredo with pe'epe'e cream (coconut cream) and it was delicious. Much more dancing at their fiafia than ours, mostly because the sound system was working this time. Most of the volunteers were in so got to catch up with a lot of my girls.

I also spent a nite in Vaie'e to visit my training family during the week I was in Apia. It was nice to see them, but a bit weird because it feels like I don't have much to talk to them about. I can't believe it's been 2 months since the 15 of us were running around crazy in the village.

Last week Year 8 was in exams and for some reason, the rest of the kids didn't have school. I came up to school everyday to hangout and let the kids play some kids on the laptop. They're getting to know how to use it pretty well and loving it. I am excited to try and teach them how to use the computer. I am hoping to start a library here in the lab as well and get the kids reading a bit more too.

Okay, time to go. The kids are starting to swarm me!

Church Church and More Church

2006-10-04T16:15:00.000-04:00

It has been a busy past few weeks in the village. I’m not even real sure what I’ve been doing, but I do know that it’s mostly all been church related. From a youth choir competition to a fa’alavelave (a funeral in this case) a church opening and now with White Sunday upon us (a day for the kids, where the kids put on plays, sing songs, dance), there has been so much to do. All of these activities have helped me to settle into my village more comfortably and get to know people in the village. The days go by pretty quickly, though most days I wake up and have no idea what I’m going to do, somehow it passes pretty quickly.

My village, surprisingly, speaks very good English, which has helped, but does not help my Samoan at all. I have found some cool girls to hangout with in the village. My family is great, my brothers do just about everything for me. My sister in law is about to pop any day. My 3 little nephews drive me crazy sometimes, but they are the most adorable things. The other day my 5 year old nephew even locked me in the shower (since it can be locked from both the inside and outside). He was fooling around while I went in to take my bucket shower and when I’d finished I couldn’t get out. I found it pretty amusing and my family thought I was crying because I was scared, but I really was just laughing. My family is very protective. Actually, the entire village is very protective about me and worries about me if I spend too much time in the sun or if I’m not feeling well. It is difficult having so many people worry about me all the time, they always want to make sure that I don’t hurt myself or strain myself too much.

I have felt somewhat productive in the village, helping out at the school on occasion. The other day I gave my first computer lesson to Year 7 and Year 8 kids. Pretty much I just introduced them to the laptop and let them play Hangman. They loved it. And it was good for them just to play around on the computer. Watching them enjoy something like a laptop, where we all take it for granted, made me so feel real fortunate, but at the same time, it really made my day watching these kids have such a good time. I’ve also been working on getting the new Fale Komiti built for the Women’s Komiti and the drawings from the architect came out really great and the Komiti loved it. Now to just get the carpenter here and make a list of supplies so that we can get a quote on the prices. Feels good just to do a little something here and there. I participate in as much as I can with the church cuz I know that they love when I do and it does help me to feel more like a part of the village.

I also went to visit John in his village one day. I was surprised that I was allowed to spend the nite, but I guess since his mom is the principal at my primary school she worked things out. It was great to see him and get to see what his village was like. Very different from mine and being a guy in the village is just a lot different from being a girl. We walked up a mountain in the morning, it was exhausting. It was so steep, but the views at the top were amazing.

Hard to believe that a new group is coming on October 11. And I can’t believe I’ve been here for only 4 months. I feel like I’ve been in Samoa for much longer. I am enjoying myself in the village. It is definitely a rollercoaster of emotions and there are moments when I just wish I could be home, but it passes and things get better.
And now I am apparently performing for White Sunday as well. My intention was to go and watch some of the practices the kids were having, since its right next door to my house. But somehow whenever I try and just watch, I get dragged into participate. So now I am singing and dancing with the kids as well as the pastor’s wife (faletua) in the play we are doing. Mostly I just stand there and let the pastor (faife’au) do all the talking and he helped me learn one line to say. It’s actually pretty fun and be part of a White Sunday. I probably will really just watch next year, if they let me!

I love living on this tiny island, away from everything, in a lifestyle completely different from everywhere else. It’s so peaceful and relaxing, no hustle and bustle. I love that there are no cars and no dogs. I love the sand paths and I feeling isolated enough but also knowing that I can get to Apia within 2 hours if I needed.

Church has become my life. I actually look forward to some event for the church because it means that the village will be busy preparing for something and I will have something to do. Though it has been about 4 straight weeks of church stuff and it has been pretty exhausting.

Oh yes, and if you all would like to look at some pictures, check out Marques’ website at www.mjpeacecorps.blogspot.com. He’s got a lot of good pictures up and there’s even a folder he created for us Group 76ers. That’s all for now folks, I’m headed up to school in a little bit. Till next time!

Settling In

2006-09-05T23:29:00.000-04:00

So we have now been in the village for almost 2 weeks and it sure is a lot different from training. It’s weird to be on my own and not have the rest of the group around. It’s overwhelming and a bit scary. The village is beautiful and my family is wonderful. The people are all very nice, but it’s hard to push myself to constantly go out and try and make conversation with people. It’s frustrating because I can’t say much in Samoan and I really want to be able to speak the language and understand what everyone is saying, but I just run out of things to try and say in Samoan after awhile. It is going to take lots of time. As much as I want to get to know everyone in the village, I also find that I’ve been spending a lot of quality time with myself. The volunteers weren’t kidding when they said that we’d have plenty of time to read, write and get to know ourselves. Everyday I spend about 2-4 hours in my own room and get my nap in and a lot of reading and writing done.

I do like my family a lot. They have been very welcoming and have let me have my space. My nephews are the most adorable things and I’m hoping that my sister in law has a girl the end of September.

So last week I did stop in Apia on Monday, mainly because I had lice. I was eating breakfast Saturday morning when my cousin all of a sudden pulls 2 bugs out of my hair, and then my sister in law and brother pulled out a bunch more as well. Yuck. Teuila gave me shampoo for that. I did run into Jame, Jordan and Jess at the Peace Corps Office and I was so extremely happy to see them. It felt like we hadn’t seen each other in weeks, but really it was only 4 days!

The week dragged slowly. I went running once and walked around the island once. I spent some time at the school. The schools are on break this week and next so last week the teachers didn’t do much teaching. They had sports day and movie day 2 of the days that I was there. I also showed some teachers how to use some of the games on the laptop and they loved it. John came to visit me on Thursday morning with his “mom” and once again, I was very happy to see someone from my group. I showed him around the island and we got to trade stories.

This past weekend I was in Apia for the weekend to run some errands and also because I had to run some errands with my mom and dad. It was nice to be in town and because it’s the start of the Teuila Festival there were a lot of other volunteers in town. I got to know some of the volunteers and we went to the siva afi show (fire dancing) and it was amazing. There was a juniors and seniors competition and they were so awesome. Last nite was the start of the festival and I went with Jordan, Jame and Candice to the choir competition, mainly because Jordan had told her village she would be there to support them. We showed up a bit late, but the same song was sung 31 times! Dane and Amanda were also in town singing with their villages so we got to talk to them too. And apparently Amanda, Jame and I were shown on TV so when I was in Apia today as well as in my village, everyone I knew told me they had seen me on TV last nite. I felt like a mini celebrity.

We spent most of the weekend lying around Jame’s apartment, eating lots of junk food (I brought her lots of cookies and panipopo), reading and talking. I felt like I was in college again.

I am getting adjusted to the village. I’m used to the bucket showers now. They’re really not so bad! I’m slowly getting to know everyone in the village. The primary school students have made me feel welcome. The girls always stop and talk to me and the boys will occasionally walk me home if I’m up at the school.

I’ll be back in town on Thursday. I’m excited because most of my group will be coming in so it will be a mini reunion after 2 weeks.

Time to eat!

Officially a Volunteer!

2006-08-23T22:33:00.000-04:00

So Group 76 are officially volunteers! We had our swearing in ceremony in Vaie'e today and tomorrow we separate to our own villages. It's going to be real weird being on our own after being with the group for just about every waking moment. I'm looking forward to it and a little scared and nervous as well.

The past 3 weeks have flown by. The last two weeks in the village our schedules were jam packed with activities and we were either practicing for the fia fia, working on the village project or in class. But we survived and made it thru! The fia fia with the village last Friday was great. The boys did 2 slap dances, us girls did a Samoan siva, we did a sasa (slap dance) together and then we performed a mini play. It was tons of fun and the village appreciated all our effort. They went all out as well and we were showered with lavalavas, handicrafts, jewelry and fans. It was amazing. They are truly some of the kindest people ever. Later that nite my own family had their own fia fia for me. We had a BBQ. They actually went out to buy a grill so that we could have a bbq. I tried to help them put it together in the afternoon but we ended up having to redo just the stand about 3 or 4 times because I am terrible at putting things together. I ended up going to take a nap. Then my family showered me with some gifts. I was amazed. They were crying and sad to see me go. Samoans are so big on family and I was very touched.

And today it was great to see everyone again. I'll be back to visit soon I'm sure. The Teuila Festival is next week and I am very excited. It's this huge weeklong festival here in Apia and Samoans from New Zealand, Australia and the States fly in to see it. I can't wait to see what it's like.

The past few days in Apia have been crazy busy too. We've had a few more sessions, getting tours of the Peace Corps office, our access codes (finally!), seeing the hostel and meeting more of the staff here.

And I've finally linked some blogs from my group for more stories. Tim has some pictures up so be sure to check out his.

And now I'm off to run errands before everything closes! I bought a cell phone yesterday on the recommendation that it would work on Manono but then when I went to another store to activate it, another person said for sure that it wouldn't.

Cheers for now!

Back in Town

2006-08-05T18:02:00.000-04:00

It's been quite awhile since I've posted. It's been a crazy few weeks and we're always jam packed with activities and class. Let's see, where to begin?

Well, we just spent 3 weeks in Vaie'e and then 4 days at our site. Yes, we got our site placements! I'll be spending two years on the island of Manono. It's a tiny island that is about a 15-20 minute boat ride from Upolu. And it's a small boat. Think refuge-like boats. You can walk around the island in less than 2 hours. 6 of our group is in Savai'i and 7 on Upolu and Lili is with me on Manono. We're all spread apart pretty far and it's going to be so weird once we're on our own for good. It was weird going to my village the other day after getting so comfortable and familiar with the people in Vaie'e. I missed my family there. But my family on Manono is great. I have all brothers so they pick my coconuts and make my food for me. I've got one sister in law who is almost 25 and about to pop out her 4th kid. And all her kids are boys who are just adorable. The people in the village have been real welcoming so far and I think I'll like it out there.

The three weeks in Vaie'e were awesome. We are really getting to know everyone there and it's going to be sad to leave. I've established good relationships with my family and with other people in the community. We're doing a village project before we leave and we met with members of the village and we've decided on a beautification project. We're going to build them rubbish stands and we sent in a proposal to get rubbish bins. And then we're going to do some planting along the road. We also had a Tausala the nite before we came back to Apia. A Tausala is a fund-raiser where the whole village participates and everyone dances with their family when their mother's name is called. It was so much fun. A lot of my family was out of town in Savai'i for a wedding so when my mom's name was called, my sister in law surprised me by calling me to the back and then putting all these accessories on me. I had a beaded headband, this coconut necklace and this feather belt. And then I had to dance a Samoan dance with the few members of my family that were there. I wasn't sure what I was doing but I tried my best.

And tomorrow we head back to Vaie'e for another 2 weeks and then back to Apia for a week before we swear in on August 23rd. 3 weeks of training left and I'm ready for it to be over.

Now I'm off to a softball game that Peace Corps has set up with the Japanese volunteers. Us trainees have our own team I think. But wish us luck!

We're Baack!

2006-07-03T22:54:00.000-04:00

We're back in Apia! Woohoo. The village was definitely an experience. The past two weeks have been intense but overall pretty enjoyable. It took a couple days for everything to sink in and adjust but we just had to get used to things. My host family is good for the most part. I'm living with a high chief. My father, Te'O, is pretty big in the village. But I still haven't really seen him do much. My mother, Tovaega, pretty much has a permanent spot on the floor in the fale. My sisters do everything. I have 3 sisters, Faleata, Epi and Dorothy. Epi commutes to school in Apia everyday and as soon as she gets home she's helping to make dinner. Faleata and Dorothy pretty much cook, clean, do laundry, take care of the 'rents all day long. My brothers, Liki and Sao, work on the plantation everyday. I get bananas fresh from the plantation! There are 16 brothers and sisters, but only those live in Vaie'e. I'm constantly meeting members of the family. EVERYONE in the village is related. Apparently there are only 5 families in the village. I have a bunch of nephews, tons of cousins, the list is endless. My main nephews are Lesa, who is 18, Tolo, who is 6 and Pita who is 3. Tolo and Pita are adorable. They both have an obsession with my waterbottle.

Life is pretty simple. We have training all day. Mostly language class. Then afterwards we can sign up for tutorials, but usually we end up just playing rugby or volleyball (the Samoan boys are SO good at rugby), or taking a ta'ele (swim) in the pool. Well, not really a swim, but we just cool off our feet and talk. Or do homework. I usually don't go home till we have to. It is HOT in the village. During the day it's so hard to focus during class because it's just so hot. The mornings and nites are perfect though. I can't even explain to you how beautiful the village is. It sits on a lagoon and is just amazing. I didn't bring my camera last time but I WILL bring it this Saturday and I WILL post pictures sometime. I could lay and look at the stars for hours every nite. They're just magnificent.

So Samoan hospitality is wonderful. They want to do everything for us, and they do. Every meal is cooked for me and the food is delicious. Though it kinda sucks not having any say in what I want to eat. Many times I'm not even hungry but I HAVE to eat. And it's quite amusing to have someone fanning you while you eat. At first it was because of the heat, but now it's to keep the flies away. Oh and the bug situation SUCKS. If I don't put bug spray on, I'll immediately get bitten. I have a mosquito net in my room AND a palagi fan (electric fan) which I don't know what I would do without. I live among cockroaches, geckos, flies, moths, millipedes, centipedes, spiders and tons of other bugs. But I've gotten used to most of it. And there are so many pigs, roosters (which start crowing at 3am!!), horses, and dogs just running around all day. We have to watch out for poop a lot of places that we walk.

And I've been to church here in Samoa more than I have been my entire life. The village is a Congregationalist one and they have church twice on Sunday. My first Sunday I went twice. It's only an hour and not so bad. And it's always quite amusing to see what everyone's family has dressed them up in. Last week I had this all white puletasi which was just hideous but my family thought looked Manaia (very nice) on me. So I had to wear it. And it's mine to keep now. Wonderful. And we have lotu everyday at 6:30. That's where families pray before dinner. My family's generally lasts for about 15 minutes.

Nite times are pretty tame. Sarah lives closest to me, pretty much diaganolly from my house. BUT my family doesn't trust me to walk there by myself and I ALWAYS have someone walk with me. It can get frustrating. At nite time it's not so bad, but my family has kinda given me a curfew which sucks. Usually we talk savalivali (walks) and run into other trainees and other people. Everyone knows our names and it's quite amusing. Even in the complete dark they know who we are. Then there is choir practice on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday which I've been going to. Not to sing, but more to just listen to everyone. They are AMAZING singers. And then Bingo is Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. But I went that first Wednesday and I don't think I'm ever going to go again. It was so stressful and hot and uncomfortable. Sitting on the floor crosslegged for almost 2 hours. And I thought my numbers were good in Samoan, but clearly not. Most of the time I just take a walk at nite to pass the time. It gets dark pretty early, around 6:30ish and the sun rises pretty early. I'm usually in bed by around 10. Our days are long though and the heat does not help.

There are lots of things in the village we are still learning. Lots of rules that we can get away with because we are palagi. But others that we have to adapt to in order to integrate. We do dress pretty conservatively. It's so hot!! And apparently the people in the village can only play sports on Wednesdays, but we can play any day. The reason for that is no work would get done on the plantation if they were allowed to play all day.

I did have one episode of diarrhea and I did get a cold in the village the last week. But nothing too serious. And now we're back in Apia. Saturday nite was absolutely insane. That's what happens when you're in the village and can't do anything! Sunday I went to Palolo Deep with Amanda and we saw Jordan and Jessica there and some other volunteers and it was so nice being on the beach. Ray, Jan and Tim whipped up a spaghetti dinner for us in the hotel kitchen yesterday since most restaurants are closed on Sunday. Yum.

Wednesday we are off to our volunteer visits! I'm excited because I get to go to Savai'i. The big island. Sarah and I are going to be staying with the volunteer Sarah for 2 nites. So I'll have more stories to tell when I get back.

Okay, that is a quick recap of the past 2 weeks. I wish I could write more! And I'm sorry if I haven't returned your emails! I do read them, I just need time to respond to them all!

Hope all is well with everyone back home!!

Off to the Village!

2006-06-16T20:04:00.000-04:00

So tomorrow we are off to the village, Vaie'e for two weeks. No email or phone for 2 weeks! I'm looking forward to it. Life is going to change a lot and I can't wait to tell you all about it! I'm just hoping that none of us get sick!!

A lot has happened this week. Yesterday we had a water safety lesson. We went to a beach down south, I can't remember it's name. We did some snorkeling, learned about the breaks in the reef and the current and how strong it can be. And it is pretty strong! There is a little beach fale resort that is AMAZING. It was a beautiful ride. My camera died, but people in my group have pictures, which I will get sometime. And I will also upload my pictures SOMETIME after I get back from the village. We've just been so busy! But the ride to and back was beautiful. The blue and aqua water with the palm trees swaying, watching the surfers, it was amazing. We also saw more of inner Samoa, where there was so much green. Absolutely gorgeous! The water safety lesson was a lot of fun though and afterwards we just came back and hung out, went out for some pizza as a big group and did some homework.

The other day we had some girl talk with some volunteers. We had Chinese and Vailimas and it was a good time. Nothing like kickin' back with all the girls.

I can't believe I have been here for only 10 days. It feels like a long time now! There is so much I could write about Samoan culture, and one day I will write a novel and tell you all about it!

For now, I must go to the post office, but check my blog when I get back in 2 weeks!!

Settling In

2006-06-12T19:50:00.000-04:00

So I am now covered in bug bites. I look like I have chicken pox. I have learned my lesson and am now, instead of putting on Love Spell, lathering myself with as much insect repellant as possible.

The weekend was great. We had a fiafia. Group 75 (we are Group 76) threw us a little welcome party. They did traditional Samoan dances and then brought in an amazing fire dancer and then made us lots of food. We met a lot of PCVs..I finally got to meet a bunch of the people I've emailing. We talked, had some drinks, ate and played some games. Email me for more details!

And then yesterday we FINALLY got to go to the beach! Woohoo! After being in LA and Samoa, it was crazy that we hadn't seen the beach yet. It was BEAUTIFUL. We went to the south of the island (I think). Matareva was the name of the beach. Our village that we will be going to is Vaie'e. It is pretty much directly south of Apia.

We're still continuing our languge. We are starting to pick up more and more. Here are the Samoan names of everyone in our group:

Amanda=Ema
Jordan=Peta
Sarah=Sala
Jame=Emi
Dane=Tana
Tim=Timoteo
McCabe=Kaiva
Emilio=Lio
Vik=Vita
Jessica=Sita
Lili=Lili
Ray (well, his first name is William)=Viliamu
Jan=Ianeta
John=Iona
Eric=Elika

Okay, I gotta get going. I promise to post pictures sometime soon!! And write more when I get a chance!!

More on Samoa

2006-06-10T19:27:00.000-04:00

Okay, I originally had a long blog written out but I'm not quite sure how to get it on this computer. So this will have to be another short and sweet message.

We officially started language training yesterday. It was definitely a laugh. We'll be switching trainers over the next 11 weeks, but Samoan is definitely hard for us. There are 5 vowels, with FOUR different ways to pronounce each vowel. It sounds very similar, very subtle differences, but once we train our ears it should be easier. Then there are 13 consonants. It's not too bad and we laugh a lot.

We also found out that we will be finding out what village we will be in for the next 2 years on July 24. So I am very excited.

Other than that, our days consist of getting up around 7:00 am and having breakfast and then training starts at 8:00 am. We have various topics containing life and work, safety, medical, and some others. The majority of our time is spent on language.

And my Samoan name is Sefa. I was going to give you a run down of everyone in my group's name, but I think I'll have to do that another time.

Last nite we went to a sports bar in Apia with some volunteers and had some drinks and watched the World Cup. Well, we were going to watch the World Cup, but they played rugby on every channel. So I got a run down on the rugby rules from a current volunteer. It's great meeting a lot of the current volunteers.

Yesterday Amanda (my roommate) and I went to the market and shopped for our own fresh food for the first time. I love it! We got mangoes, coconuts and this Samonan food. It was wonderful. We also bought some puletasis (the sarongs women wear)...lavalavas are what the men wear.

Alrighty, I am off to get some food now!

Talofa!

2006-06-08T23:59:00.000-04:00

I am in Samoa...FINALLY!!! It has been a whirlwind the past couple of days. Talofa...means Hello here in Samoan. We got here at 5:30 am yesterday and we got our luggage and had some current Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) meet us at the airport. It was really nice and pretty cool! Then we got on a bus to Apia, the capital, where we are staying at an air-conditioned hotel. very nice.

So we rested then had an Ava ceremony...a traditional Samoan ceremony. It was mostly done in Samoan, so i didn't understand what was going on, but it was TOUGH sitting cross-legged for 30 minutes. Near impossible. I thought my feet were going to fall off. But thankfully, for us girls, we can sit with our legs to the side, but guys can't. But still, my legs were going to fall off I thought. Then we had to say a line in Samona and then had to drink a cup of ava...or kava. This root that is grown here and is a popular drink here in Saamoa (that's how they say it here!) and in the South Pacific.

We got a tour of Apia then went out for some drinks with some PCVs. It was fun, but we were exhausted by 9pm. It was nice sleeping for 9 hours.

Today just a long day of training!! The weather isn't too hot here yet...but it's still hot. I'll really have to get used to it. We had cake for a fellow trainee today, Emilio since it is his birthday.

And now I better be off, I'll write again soon! I'll try and write more on my laptop and then upload it here.

I love you and miss you all!!!

Staging in Los Angeles

2006-06-06T16:19:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!! So we just finished training here in Los Angeles. It was LONG and pretty boring. Just information about healthy, safety, policies and fun stuff like that.

I've met everyone in my group...there are 16 of us going...8 guys and 8 girls. Everyone seems really nice so far and it's fun getting to know everyone. But it feels like it's just moving so fast. We are supposed to rely on these people we barely know as our support system! But we'll get to know each other a lot better in the next few weeks I'm sure. We leave for Samoa tonite at 11:45 pm...our flight was already delayed. We were originally supposed to leave at 8:45 pm, so we'll have a few hours to kill at the airport. Not really looking forward to it.

It's been a whirlwind so far and I'm thinking of all of you back home! Last nite we all went out to dinner and had some drinks at a sports bar. Then instead of going out to a club we decided to go to a liquor store and drink in someone's room. lol...it was a good time.

So we will be getting to Samoa at 5:45 am and pretty much be going all day long. We'll be staying in a hotel for the first 10 days before we are all sent to live with host families in a village that I think is called Amaile. Something like that. We'll have more access to internet and phones while we are at the hotel. If you want to call, the phone # at the hotel is 011685.20.782. We'll have long days once training starts...language and medical and cross cultural adjustment. And since Samoa was once a British colony (something like that), we have tea time twice a day! I can't believe it's all happening! We swear in as official volunteers on August 23rd!

Alrighty, that is it for now. I'll update again when I get to SAMOA!!! Can't believe I'll be there so soon. I miss all of you and am thinking of all of you. It's really starting to hit now that we are leaving the U.S.!

I love you and see you soon!!!!

This Isn't Goodbye...

2006-06-04T14:07:00.000-04:00

Can't quite believe I'm leaving today. But I am. Just wanted to write a quick note before I left for LA. And I just want to thank all my friends and family for a great past couple of weeks. I will truly miss all of you. Thanks to all of you who just took the time to see me off. It really meant a lot. The thoughtfulness and kindness was just wonderful. I couldn't have asked for more.

I will write when I get to LA!! (hopefully!) I've posted the latest pics from various things on my sidebar. Check 'em out!

Love you all!!

I Take That Back...

2006-06-01T15:05:00.000-04:00

Okay, I completely take back my last blog where I said that I wanted warm weather. It is sweltering hot here, not to mention humid!! I can't move! well, it's not THAT bad, but it is hot! What happened to spring in Jersey?!?!

So now I am calmly waiting for my journey to begin. Hard to believe that this time next week I'll be in Samoa. Whoa.

I did enjoy my last Memorial Day Weekend for the next 2 years. Got to see a lot of people, and actually did a lot, though nothing that we actually planned worked out. But I did get to see my little cousins...the love of my life, Rachel, who I am going to miss so much. She is the most adorable thing ever! And we did manage to get on the rooftop at the Gansevoort Hotel in NYC Saturday nite and got some great views. And though things did not work out as planned at all, it was still a good time. Got to see some Rutgers pals-Marc, Nat and Evan! Marc, good luck to you with everything!! Sunday spent some more time with my cousins and family and then went down to the shore with Roma and Antonietta. Things didn't work out as planned AGAIN, but that's just cuz the shore was packed! I really liked 507 Main in Belmar...totally my type of place. We ended up at Edgar's in Sea Girt and Roma did get to see her guy. :)

Monday was HOT and I went hiking with the fam. Great workout...so great that I haven't had to workout since then. hahaha. It was a little taste of what the conditions will probably be like in Samoa.

Last nite I got to have dinner with some MMEGers...thanks girls!! I ate entirely way too much!

And tonite, fondue with my girls at The Melting Pot! I tried not to eat too much today, so hopefully I can stuff more food in.

BBQ on Saturday at my house for anyone who can make it!!

THREE DAYS TILL LA!

Ready for some warm weather

2006-05-24T11:16:00.000-04:00

So this weather in NJ has been very moody lately. Cloudy and windy one minute and sunny and serene the next. It's been extremely temperamental and the nites here are cold! I'm still wearing sweatshirts to bed and waking up all bundled up underneath the covers. I can't wait for the warm weather! Though, I've also never fared well under extremely hot and humid conditions. Generally I just become a vegetable and can't move, but it's all about adjustment, isn't it?

Well guys and gals, it's getting close. 10 more days! The packing situation is stressful. I'm taking my time. I'm just one of those extremely cluttered people and trying to fit 2 years of my 24 in two suitcases is tough! Having to pack up my entire room as well is not very enjoyable either. But somehow it'll all get done!

So this past weekend was a blast. Got to see the Drew Crew and we had some dinner and took in a comedy club in NYC. Then we wandered over to a bar where I definitely did not need an irish car bomb, tequila shot, sangria and rum & coke. And that was after 2 extremely strong captain and cokes! Such an eclectic mix but it was a lot of fun seeing everyone after 2 years. Needless to say I had a minor hangover the next morning when I went to the Peace Corps reception in NYC. After the initial awkwardness that is generally present at any gathering, I met some great people. Everyone was so friendly. As the South Pacific group makes up only 5% of volunteers (a little tid-bit I picked up), there were no RPCV's, but I did meet 2 girls who are also being sent to the South Pacific (we get to be island girls Jess (Vanuatu) and Missy (Micronesia), if you ever drop in and read this!) and it was great to have some people to relate to.

After a nap, I made it out to Severine's bday bash with Ayesha, Neda and Antonietta at Eurolounge. They played some funky music, but as always, I had an awesome time with my Motown girls. Sorry I was a bit tired though Antonietta!

And last nite was Neda's 24th. Adam, Ayesha and I took her out to dinner in Morristown to the French/Thai restaurant. Mmm...I love both cuisines! In honor of Neda's birthday, the restaurant turned off the lights and played this tribal type of music and started clapping and put this funny hat on her. I wish I had brought my camera! Then we decided to take a ride down memory lane and stopped by MHS to see the national honor society induction. We got there at the very end, but we ran into some old teachers from elementary school and high school. It really was good to see them and have them remember us...or our faces at least! Then off to the Funky Monkey for a drink and then back home.

So this is my last full weekend..Memorial Day weekend! And because we are terrible at planning things there is nothing definite yet. It'll work out though and we'll find something...

Another chapter closed

2006-05-19T00:13:00.000-04:00

So yesterday was my last day of work...woohoo!! No more days at MMEG...no more dealing with crazy, pain in the butt reps or doctors who think they are god's gift to this world. Actually, most of them weren't too bad...but no more of any of it! I will miss the people I work with though...they have been great despite my many ups and downs with some. The Yankees game they took me to the other nite was awesome! After being down 9-0, the Yankees somehow won it 14-13! And we left when the game was tied 12-12...the only downfall of going with the company's president was that he had to leave early to catch a 7am flight. C'est la vie. This chapter of my life is officially closed!

And now the stress of packing begins. I'm already starting to feel super overwhelmed and I haven't even started!! Packing is so frustrating! But at least I'll have a couple weeks to take my time and figure out what I really need. So much to do before I leave. I can't believe it came about so soon. I'm leaving all my creature comforts and all that I have loved and known behind for 2 years. I'm ready. And I've prepared myself mentally for the worst...I'm trying not to go in with too many expectations, but it's hard when you don't know anything except for what you picture in your mind.

It's going to be so hard to say good-bye to everyone! Knowing that these are the last few times I will see many people for 2 years and maybe even more, cuz who knows where I'll end up afterwards...and talk to them even! It's going to be strange having a whole new life, a whole new family...and not having anyone here know about any of them. They'll know OF them and hear of them, but will never meet face to face.

Well it's been a great ride at MMEG and I'm wistful to be leaving. But nothing sums up what I'm feeling better than this quote: "What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier? Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land." ~ Motorcycle Diaries

And now it's time to celebrate!!

Till next time...

Getting closer...

2006-05-10T12:47:00.000-04:00

I've booked my flight to LA!!! HOLY MOLY, it's all really happening!! I leave June 4th for LA at 5:40 pm. I can't wait to meet everyone I'll be spending the next 2 years with.

In other news, I got an email from my Associate Peace Corps Director today and she seems like an awesome person. And guess where she went right after the Peace Corps...of all cities?! BARCELONA! Coincidence? Maybe! But maybe she'll be able to hook a sista up! hehe. that was my ghettoness for the day.

That's all in Peace Corps news.

I've been getting congratulations from everyone at work and I'm glad that they are offering additional support because it definitely helps. Sometimes I find myself thinking about what I'm doing and what I will be doing and I start to panic. Am I really going to be able to help these people? What the hell can I really do to help? But then, I know that I can bring something to the table and if anything, my passion and just my want of doing something good will give me some guidance.

But all this doesn't help the tears that have been forming lately for no good reason at all. I've always been a pretty sensitive person who unleashes the floodgate of tears when there is any sappiness or sadness on tv or in the movies. But I've never been one to just start crying for no apparent reason. Like the other day I was driving and tears just started forming and then gushing out and I couldn't stop and it took me awhile to control myself. I guess everything is just hitting. Although it will take a lot of strength and mental toughness to leave everyone and everything I have known back home, I'm still excited for all these possibilities and opportunites that are waiting for me. A whole new life is waiting!

On My Way!

2006-05-05T12:43:00.000-04:00

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!
So yesterday was a big day. I got dentally cleared...yippee! So now I can officially go. And I also gave my 2 weeks. woohoo!! 2 more weeks and I am done at MediMedia for good! The news was taken well although my manager still doesn't know because I didn't want to stress him out too much before he went to a meeting with new clients. So it's on the DL until monday. but it felt good as hell to get that over with!

And I got to talk to my french boy! and i will spare you all the details because it is too much to write and a little corny as well. And yes, I had to mention him AGAIN.

That earthquake in Tonga was apparently pretty intense that the volunteers in Samoa felt it at 4 am...though it didn't last very long. pretty crazy! but nobody was injured and all are okay.

So my biggest agenda for the next month is to start shopping for things that I need. I don't even know what I need. It's overwhelming to think about, but I think once I compose a list and actually bring it with me to the store, I'll be able to focus. And it hopefully won't even take too much time, since i'm such a great packer and all :P hahahaha.

so who's down for camping memorial day weekend??? :)

One Month till Samoa!

2006-05-03T10:30:00.000-04:00

My first blog! How exciting! So the main reason I am starting this is so that I can keep you posted on my life down in Samoa and also to entertain you and pass the time while you are at work. I'll try and post as much as I can and knowing me, I'll be running to the Internet cafe every chance I get.

As I write, I'm still waiting to be dentally cleared. Yes, leave it to me to leave getting my wisdom tooth out at the last minute. Hopefully I'll be cleared soon and then I'll get my staging packet and book my ticket to LA!!

So, seeing that I am not in Samoa just yet and just a month and a day from leaving, I thought I'd still start my writings now. This next month is going to fly by I'm sure and the past month has already been more emotional than I thought it'd be. Some days I am so excited and cannot wait to get out of here and start my new life! Other days, I start to panic and ask myself what the hell I am doing? But this is something that I know that I want to do. I've been in this application process for over a year now and the time has finally come! It's time to move on and to see all that's out there. Our trip to Spain really cemented my decision and left no doubts about this being something I really want to do. I can REALLY be an island girl now! Traveling really opens your eyes to what is out there. To other people and how they live and ENJOY life. Here in the U.S, what's the point of working so much if we can't enjoy it?! We spend too much time isolated in cubicles and offices and not enough time with friends and family. But you know, I say all this and when I come back I probably won't be able to wait to work a 9-5 after having no structure for 2 years. We shall see.

Okay, sorry for my shpiel. Back to business. This will probably be one of the hardest things I will ever do. I mean, moving away from friends and family to a not only completely different country but also under-developed, for two years is pretty crazy. And while I have everything idealized in my head about what it's going to be like, it probably won't be anything like what I picture it to be and such a huge adjustment. But that is one thing I generally do well, adjust. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this time won't be any different.

I've been reading blogs of other volunteers in Samoa and I have to admit that it does make me nervous living in a village. But this is what I signed up for. I'll be helping others and that's what is most important.

And now, on to my friends and family. Thank you all for your support and keeping my spirits up when they've been down. Since I've come back from Spain, my moods and emotions have been all over the place just brought on by a culmination of things. I must say that meeting a guy that I actually really liked was one of the worst things that could have happened (and you know I just HAD to mention my french guy) and that I shouldn't have let him waver my decision to go, but I did. Because when it comes down to it, I'm a hopeless romantic =P Okay, I got sidetracked once again. I will miss you all so terribly much!!!! You all have helped me to shape who I am today. You are my backbone and without all of you, I wouldn't be here at this moment. This past weekend made me realize just how much I will miss EVERYONE! Spending the weekend with some of my bffs (hahahaha, i love the word!) in the world, I will miss it. Marcella, Roma, Jess, Antonietta, Ayesha, Nedz, Leah, and Marissa -- THANK YOU AGAIN!! And Jen, I wish so much you could've been here, but I'm so glad that you are having the time of your life in Spain. After all, this is what life is all about! I wish that we could all do things like that more often!! It's always a blast when we get together and nothing will ever change that. Two years will probably bring many changes to all of us and I just hope that everyone is happy with whatever life brings. Okay, let me stop before any tears start to build up.

We still have a month to party it up!!!

Let's take a moment to reflect on this past weekend:

Party at Roma's!

Group shot in Roma's lobby--Neda, Roma, Jess, Marcella, me and Antonietta

At the Joshua Tree

Before the thrashing began...

Hahaha...Antonietta and Marissa

Sorry Romes...half your face got cut off!

ohh yea, Leah!