Sally's Peace Corps Adventure in Samoa: November 2007

November 12th...Happy Veteran's Day

Wow! What a crazy month it has been. And next week is Thanksgiving. November? All I have to say is that November 1st gives the signal that Christmas music is allowed to be played here….walking through Apia, on the buses, coming out of the faleoloas…it all has an added beat to it too, which is pretty funny, guess it is the tropical island version….So, after the big school opening, we moved in! The library books were finished up (thanks to a few girls from the village), shelves and desks were made for the library (thanks to the matais!) and the concrete floor of the library was painted! Due, to the running out of green paint, the part that was began turned out to be in the shape of a boat (with three windows, which I was told by the matais that they were for each one of them who painted it haha) with an anchor and all, and the rest was white. Very creative and went along with the world theme, as the world map is in the library. Lots of educational games (Clifford’s Reading, Reader Rabbit and even Sponge Bob Typing!) were put on the computers, thanks to another volunteer who lives in the village next to mine, and best of all a PTA meeting was held to discuss the plan for the computer room and the library. A girl from the village was to begin teaching, with classes Mon, Weds, Fri after school for people in the village, time during school for the kids, and then Tues and Thurs I would be teaching teachers after school. Yeah. Things are happening! Another girl from the village will start next year helping with the library. Oh yes, air conditioning was also put in the computer room. Sign language has begun for a boy in year 8—I began last week, his family is really sweet and I definitely came home with a happy stomach---lots of good food! He will be getting his hearing aid at the end of the month. So, although I came to Samoa for special needs education and well, as you can tell have been busy doing things certainly not related, at least I have been able to help him. So that is what has been going on in school.

Then there is what we will call Jazzercise. Yes, Jazzercise has made it here to Samoa and has been quite a hit with the villages (as my parents will admit who woke up quite early when they were here to the music blaring from the nearby village!). Jazzercise in Fasitootai began with the Ministry of Health coming and doing a demonstration (with huge speakers from the guy who lives across the street…big as my brother’s! Huge!) and presentation about healthy lifestyles. Absolutely great day. Tons of kids, guys from rugby, women from the committee, a few matais…awesome. And then they left, and I began to lead. Well, I am not exactly a certified aerobics instructor and well I got a little shy in front of so many people, so the first time was not so good…I did improve a bit the next time…and well, good thing I am so close with my village, so even if I did stink, they still came and supported anyway. Last week, I went to Apia with 3 people from the village for training of trainers. So then this week, they began doing the exercises. It is way better with people from the village doing it too and hopefully it will be a program which continues to grow and will last way after I am gone. Definitely still some kinks to work out, but isn’t that what happens with anything? Anyway, it is going and will continue to improve, for any visitors who would like to come and experience Jazzercise Samoa!

Big church month too. First White Sunday, a day for the children. (Sort of like Children’s Day at home I guess sort of). The kids sing and say Bible verses in church and then for the afternoon service, the families all put on plays. Since it is a day for the kids, they get to eat first for the day. Here, the kids are always serving their parents and those older than them, so it was very interesting to see them all eat first. Many children also get a new outfit for church and a new play outfit. My goodness. They were little princes and princesses at church! So adorable! And after church, they had on their new Spiderman or Shrek shirts, and the smiles on their faces, they were certainly proud. Made me think when I am used to living in a place where Christmas (well Christmas is just unbelievable when I think about it now—they don’t do the gift giving thing in Samoa for Christmas), Easter, Thanksgiving, 1st day of school, Picture Day, and so on new outfits are sometimes given.

The last Sunday of the month, all the other youth groups came to our church for singing, dancing, and to perform plays. I was in the play for the first time, and my heart was pounding even though I didn’t have any lines, haha. They dressed me with a white robe and tied some lace around me though! Really fun day and the church was standing room only with people all around outside looking it. Afterwards, an interesting dialogue occurred between one of the guys in the youth group and myself. The youth group was serving all the pastors from the other villages food. They told me to go sit in the front with the pastors (cause as a Peace Corps, you are given a lot of respect, which although very nice, sometimes I just want to be like everyone else). I said nah, I just wanted to eat with the rest of them…and then guess what they didn’t even ask me again to move to the front!!!! It was ok!!!! Of course I was still given cake where I was sitting and I told the guy next to me to eat some of it, and he said no, I asked why not and said to him that I am just the same as him as a member of the youth group. He looked at me with a look that said “what are you talking about???” and said “no you’re not, you’re a Peace Corps.” I told him, it really didn’t matter especially on days like this, days for the youth group. And then, he grabbed the cake right off my plate and it was gone! Integration A+ haha although it took a year!

Well this Saturday is Thanksgiving for us, and school is over in 2 more weeks…and then I have visitors---my aunt and cousin are coming! And them of course Christmas. 1 year done, 1 to go. It is definitely a whirlwind, filled with tons of highs mixed with confusion at times, and learning all along the way.

I love you all, am thankful for all the support from all of you back home, and wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas too for that matter if I don’t write again until after. Might as well say Happy New Year too!

Love,
Sally

Some Pics to enjoy...

The computer room...in progress...building shelves for the keyboards

It's complete! Happy Year 8 kids using a computer for the first time---Microsoft Paint.

After school class...1 teacher from the school, 2 girls from the village and the computer teacher!

More books to be labeled! But we are now finished!

ABCs! That kid always has the biggest grin on his face!

Bulletin boards and stickers...make for just about the biggest excitement and biggest distraction ever! My goodness, who ever sent me those dinosaur stickers, I didn't know that much energy could be in one room with only 10 kids! The kids absolutely loved seeing their work in the room; this was the 1st bulletin board ---more to come next year.