An update on some Samoa happenings…for all you people who love technology…

Malo!

I am sitting here with a fan on, getting my hair done (kind of like the way it used to be done by Preston when we were younger---let’s call it the “tug” method!) by my 5 year old Samoan sister; anyway it certainly looks beautiful hehe. Hard to believe it is February 2nd, and I just finished eating pineapple, kiwi, and bananas (bananas from our banana plantation, pineapples bought from a stand on the side of the road, kiwi from, the grocery store—that isn’t grown here)—it was a tasty afternoon snack after I came home from school. After coming back from Falealupo for New Year’s, I had a few weeks before school started of hanging out. Now, school is slowing starting to pick up. Definitely a bunch of things and some funny stories:
So the Sunday I got back, I decided to wake up early and help with the umu. I asked my Samoan brother what time he was starting the umu and he said 3 am. I said Yeah right! And he said okay, 4. Still thought it was a bit early but the people here are known not to get that much sleep (at night as much anyway and then take naps during the day), so I woke up at 4…not a person in sight. I watched/ listened as the day began…the roosters started to crow, the chickens walking around, the pigs walking around, and slowly the umus starting and smoke coming from the fires in every cookshack. Where was my Samoan brother??? Moe, moe, moe…sleeping, sleeping, sleeping. Eventually, he woke up, around 6 ---I definitely teased him for it and it became the joke for a few days. Was great though----we killed a pig (I watched him bash it over the head with a stick and then drown it by stuffing it’s head into a pail of water, until it’s legs stopped squirming), made the palusami, weaved the baskets to put the food it, and then enjoyed all of it of course…I definitely learned again the principle of Samoan time---if you ask what time something is, don’t forget to add 2-3 hours!
2nd funny story: The other day, I was walking home from school and stopped to talk to 3 guys who were hanging out, preparing their food in their cookshack. They asked if I wanted to go watch volleyball in Apia with them (New Zealand vs Samoan for the Oceania Games). I said sure, ran to take a shower, and then met one of the guys to get on the bus. When I got on the bus, I realized it was only people from our village, and ONLY guys, 3 kids, and me, let’s just say I stuck out a little not that I am not getting used to that….We continued picking people up, until the bus was FULL (which means most everyone has someone sitting on their lap! Including grown men sitting on the laps of grown men!) The best part , besides watching the volleyball which was a lot of fun, was on the way home. I was sitting on a guy’s lap, who is pretty thin, and he said to me after only 5 minutes (of the hour ride home!) “How can you be so heavy and not be fat?” It was certainly a memorable quote and cracked me up! Guess I am not a little kid anymore. We all made it home, despite some of our legs being a bit sore!
Some more bus stories: So I got on the bus to go home the other day from Apia. (on a bus that goes to the wharf to get to Savai’i which is past my house) It was definitely another of the FULL buses. We were going quite fast, had our flashers on, and were not stopping for anyway. When we got to my house, I pulled the cord to get off. Did the driver stop??? NO. I was quite confused. We ended up going all the way to wharf, letting the people off who needed to catch the boat (guess the driver should have left a bit earlier!), and then turning around and going back the other way (this time, they stopped…) Certainly still many confusing moments here… Also, I got a flat tire the other day 1 hour away from my house. So cool how it worked out. I signaled a bus, 2 guys jumped off the bus, threw my bike onto the back, chained it on and then one sat in the back to made sure it wouldn’t fall off. (I then realized when I got home how Preston and Dad always took care of any bike problems and I never learned how to fix a flat so it is good this I have a Samoan brother here!)
So, I have now met my Samoan father. He came back from Austrailia after visiting their kids who live there. He is a matai in the village, and also the president of the school committee, and is really nice and chill. He works down the street at the workshop, where they fix the cars. It is really great having him around, especially when working in the school. The first week of school consisted of a lot of cleaning, cleaning out the classroom, weeding in front of the school, and mowing the grass of the rugby field which is in the front of the school. Most of the matais also came down, and we had a meeting with the parents. The matais also put new screens up for the classrooms and a new gate. It is cool to watch how the village all comes together, to see 25 guys all cutting the grass with weed wackers and machetes is quite a sight. (no riding mowers here! And only a few push mowers…) It was nice because I feel like I know a lot more people in the village after that week. This week, we began classes. The principal, who also teaches grade 4, had to go to meetings Wednesday-Friday, so I taught that class. Definitely a challenge, and proved how much more Samoan I need to learn! Next week, I am going to start my reading classes. I will be teaching years 4-8 English reading (The test in year 8 given to all students is in English! Yikes!) and will be helping out with year 8 all day on Friday.
Oh yeah, another crazy thing. There are now 2 “Seli’s” in Samoa, well kind of. Our Samoan sister in Ma’asina had a baby and they named her Lolaseli after Lola and me. Then a girl in my village (who’s mom is here often looking after my 8 month year old Samoan sister), had a baby and they named her Seli. It really isn’t that big of a deal because lots of Peace Corps volunteers have babies named after them but I still feel pretty special 
Well, that is quite enough for now. But let me say that all you letter writers, package senders (you all definitely know me TOO well as shown by the sending of peanut butter, balloon animals, Jenga, UNO, Chex mix, alphabet letters, children’s books, Christmas stocking with the “first gift of Christmas,” Runner’s World, Power Bars…), picture senders, and blog commenters and e-mailers always make my day!!!! All the little Samoan kids are quite happy too, as are the not so young kids (20 year old boys enjoy cookies in any country!). I love you all and think about all of you often. Have a wonderful February! I will let you know what they do for Valentine’s Day here haha!
Love you all!
Love, Seli

****Also, if you are looking to send children's books, I am looking for all but mostly easy ones right now! Dr. Seuss level or lower!