Ma’asina! An incredible village-both its’ people and its’ natural beauty!

Talofa!

Well, I guess I do have internet access. Although we are at the village for a total of five weeks, we have come back into Apia for a week and then leave again to go back to the village on Saturday. We, the trainees and current Volunteers just had a Halloween party for the children of the Peace Corps staff. They trick or treated to our hotel rooms, made masks, and I even got to carve a pumpkin (I think it was more like a squash) with another volunteer that we bought in the market. (Guess that pumpkin I carved at home wasn’t the last for the season!).

Now onto the really good stuff! Ma’asina! So hard to explain in words… it is a very small village about an hour east of Apia, right on the water. We drove on a very windy hilly road to get there (which kind of reminded me of Rt. 1 Sarah and Rose!) with overwhelming beauty, everything so green and uninhabited. I am staying with a host family with Laura (Samoan name-Lola) who I have been rooming with since LA. She is awesome and also enjoys using the word goofy---When we are both goofy together, forget about it, it is crazy…which brings me to my next topic---the goofy family we are with! They have a “western style house” with a main room, 2 small rooms (one which I stay in), and the kitchen. There are also 2 open fales, where people prepare food, hang out, and sleep. Also, a “hut” where they made the fire and another little place where the pigs sleep. There are a lot of people who we live with, who all have been extremely welcoming, patient with our very minimal Samoan language skills, and very fun. Our family consists of our host father (a matai- high chief) and mother, 3 brothers (who are 18-23yrs), 3 sisters (8-13yrs), another sister who is around 30, and a brother who is in his 30s with his wife and their adorable baby who is 1ish. We also have met a lot of the other people in the village ---it is like one huge family, people are always playing sports/ singing/ going on walks together. I feel incredibly comfortable with my family and the best way I can explain it is that it is like our family reunions/ holidays but everyday! It is so easy to connect with all of them, and there have been many times that I have cried from laughing so hard. (you all know how that goes!) Some great moments: playing volleyball with my siblings in the pouring rain (the wet season is here!!!), playing UNO with my sisters (I now know how to say Skip, Reverse, and Draw Two in Samoan), my sisters teaching me how to make an ula (necklace made out of flowers), one of brothers showing me how to make a fire with the coconut shells, running with my brother and Laura, (The girls all run in their lava lavas), my brother catching all the pili (lizards) running around the house and laughing at me cause I am scared of them, singing Jesus songs with my sisters (We know a bunch of the same English Jesus songs), going on walks, watching siva Samoa (Samoan dances) on TV with the fam, singing Samoan songs with people in the village and listening to the guitar…Oh, also, I cannot forget, when I was studying and a chicken walked into my room, or when I spilled coconut juice on the floor after trying to pour it into a cup and a cute little pig walked in to drink it--- I am definitely blessed to be at such a beautiful village with such warm and fun people.

Training in the village had been going well, with a lot of work on the language, and also a day when we went to a school and observed the teachers there. We also found out that November 16th is the day that we get our site assignment, where we will be volunteering for 2 years.

I hope that you are all doing well! My Samoan family asked me if I had pictures of all of you ---they will all get to see you next week when I go back! HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!

Alofa ia te oe! I love you all! Love you!

Love,
Sally