March 2nd! And I am still living on a beautiful tropical island.
During training, a bunch of the Peace Corps volunteers who were already here, reminded us that if we ever got frustrated, just to think “you are living on a tropical island.” So true---even though the whole “island time” concept has really been forcing me to be patient and just chill out, which can be a bit challenging for me coming from non-stop NY, I still wake up everyday thinking how crazy it is that I am living in Samoa with the beautiful Pacific a minute walk away
Anyway, definitely has been another great month, filled with a lot of things happening at school, fun times hanging out with the people who live around me after school, and busy weekends.
School---Definitely has been a huge learning experience so far, figuring out what level the kids are at, continually trying to learn more Samoan so I can understand the kids, and using the resources I have to best be able to teach them. What I have been doing for years 5-6 had been working great! A few kids even got 100% on the quiz Friday and all of them improved a lot. (I am doing a lot of activities with sight words---they had to read me the words at the beginning so I can tell if they have learned more of them). The classes are certainly very high energy, but aren’t all kids equivalent to grades 3-5 in the States?! They really enjoy playing BINGO, matching, and board games with the words and are really great kids. Year 4 is also going really well---I started with the sight words and realized it was too hard for them, so now I am going back to learning the letters, and letter sounds. So now, it is working. Yeah! Years 7 and 8 have definitely been more of a challenge, to figure out where they are at. They know the sight words, for the most part, but it has been difficult to find books at the right level for them. I have been doing a mixture of things, asking questions in English at the beginning of class, having them write sentences in English, and having them read books with partners and explain what happened in the story. Definitely need to figure out what the best method is though for those grades still, especially since I only have 30 mins with each class each day (Any advice from all you fellow teachers is greatly appreciated!) Besides actual class, there have been a lot of other things (which means no class at those times). This Thursday was the start of soccer for the district. All the schools from the district come (7 schools) and play. This is going on for 6 weeks in the afternoons. Then on Fridays, in the afternoon, we either have what is kind of field day, or singing practice.
This year is the 40th anniversary of Peace Corps in Samoa (Guess I came here at the right time with that going on as well as the South Pacific Games) so we are doing a lot of activities in celebration. To start it off, a volunteer who lives in Manono (the small island where there are no cars, buses, bicycles, or dogs and it only takes an hour to walk around!) held a craft day in her village. A bunch of volunteers went over (on a very small boat)—of course, my station was making balloon animals, with Maka, another volunteer who ironically lives only 2 hours from me in America---The village gave us a very warm welcome, fed us of course, and we had a great time with the kids.
The next day, Sunday, was a day for the youth of my village at church, so we all went over to the pastor’s house for to’ona’i. They also had an ava ceremony before which the youth put on (my Samoan brother handed out the ava, which was really cool.) It was really interesting to think of the first ava ceremony I went to here, how intimidated and confused I was and to think of how comfortable I felt at this one, and sort of understood what was going on---definitely a nice feeling. That day at church, the youth sang a song and acted out a short play. The next week, one of the girls in the village asked if I wanted to come and sing---they practice during the week---so I have been going to sing with them (they make up hand motions for all the songs too) and even sang the next week at church with them! Lots of fun, especially since all the people live by me, so I am really getting to know them.
To Ma’asina…for a weekend! I went back to Ma’asina to visit my Samoan family from training (who I hadn’t seen since Christmas!) Pretty funny getting there---my Samoan brother was working in Apia on Friday, so I was going to take the bus with him back to Ma’asina. School got out later than expected, and then I chatted with a bunch of people in my village about where I was going, so I ended up missing the bus. The funny thing is here is there is no bus schedule, so how do you actually know if you missed the bus, or if is still coming? I have not quite figured that out yet! Anyway, I called my brother and he said it had left. Stayed in Apia with Molly, another volunteer (it’s cool there are so many people in Apia in case you get stranded!) The next day, I went to the market to catch the bus at 8:30 (my sister said it left at 9)….well, we are talking Samoan time…I was waiting there and one of my Samoan brothers showed us! To my surprise! Then 2 more and and then a sister visiting from Utah…the bus didn’t leave until 12:00 but we were talking and stuff so it was fun. So, we finally made it to Ma’asina and what a fun weekend! So nice to see them, and everytime I go back, feel more and more part of the family---Saw my new little baby sister—she is adorable and is so happy all the time! We went swimming, went to church, had to’ona’i and just hung out---told them I would be back in April
The next weekend…another interesting weekend with another bus story (I have not had the best of luck with buses lately!) So I went to Apia for an Avanoa Tutusa meeting (a club I am now a member of—they do Career Days for secondary schools, help get resources for schools and anything else volunteers want to do), and then went to watch rugby in Apia. I went with another volunteer and ended up meeting up with a guy from my village who was there with his friend. We went to leave and he said the last bus was at 6:00----well, no buses..they were done for the day..oops! So we ended up taking a taxi the main road and then waiting to see a truck going to our village. After awhile, we found one---(actually was the guy who brings the bottled water to my house), and jumped in the back of the truck. Really funny to think you can do that all the time here (hitchhike and ride in the back of trucks), when it certainly does not happen in America.
Well, Samoa doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day although I did see a few hearts in store windows in Apia---We’ll see about St. Patrick’s day Thank you all again for your nice cards and blog notes! I have to say I got an all time high for me this month—7 letters in one day! (The other volunteers in the office were quite jealous.) I am definitely feeling the love from America! Thanks! I love you all! Enjoy the pictures!
Love,
Sally
I went to the beach with my Samoan father's 2 sisters from Austrailia---who did I see but 2 kids from Ma'asina! This is definitely a small island!
My Samoan father's 3 sisters from Austrailia came to visit--one of the sisters and me wearing our church puletasis
My new baby sister in Ma'asina! So adorable!
Such goofy people---Satan in his mask for the skit!
The skit the youth performed at church
I now have my very own white puletasi! (am not the only one going to church in bright green and purple!)
Guys from my village--all in white for church
Being goofy!
