I love football.

Sometimes it hits you how bizarre it is to live where you live. I am currently suffering from this. I had to call someone today that was in the States and when they asked me where I was living it was weird to say "in the South Pacific" like its normal. It's also very surreal because I am not in Texas anymore. There are mountains, greenery, and crazy animals here. But I have decided that my favorite thing about this island is that in the evenings you can hear singing from my balcony. You really don't even need to go outside to hear it, because the singing is so loud and great. It is also coming from all over Tafuna. I guess that it is church groups practicing for the next service, but it is something that I haven't heard before.
This was a week of firsts for me. I rode the bus for the first time. It was a great!! I wouldn’t go alone, so I made my friend Timothy ride with me. I’ve never really ridden on public transportation before so it was a little scary. Then I realized that this “public transportation” was really a truck with a top built on to it. They also paint the busses fancy colors and add things that look like graffiti to an outsider like me. I was lucky enough to ride on the “Soul Train 2” for .50 whole cents and a lifetime of memories. Another first was that I tried Thai food and really liked it. I tell you what. I am really expanding my tastebuds mostly because all my friends here think I am such a baby for not eating any of the food groups. Some call it picky, but I don't think so.

Last weekend, we went to the championship football game on island. It was one of the most fascinating experiences of my life. The high schools on island get into school spirit like nothing I have ever seen. Every student makes signs to hang from their cars, houses, and bodies. Businesses join right in the action. The Tafuna Warriors played the Leone Lions, and you would have thought that it was the Orange Bowl by the buzz on island. Not only are the Samoan people behind their teams, but they are also creative. I would start laughing as I would drive through town because the signs were unlike any football signs I have seen. For example, “Win, Lose, or Tie…Warriors till we die.”, Tie? Are you kidding? Another one said, “Oops, Did I just break your jaw?” and my favorite was a gigantic sign that said “We fear no man…(and then in small letters underneath) but God.” At the game on Saturday we decided to sit in the end zone because we didn’t want to chose sides. The Samoans are very competitive people so they get very feisty at games. In fact, they have horrible fights at the game and I really was in no mood to rearrange any of my facial features. I went to see some of the alleged fights, but I couldn’t tough out the heat. I felt like it was 120 at least maybe more. The game was supposed to be at 11, so naturally I got there at 1 and it hadn’t started yet. Here there is a pre game show that is apparently the longest pre game show ever. The pre game show is a fun dancing show, but really there is no need for 2 hours of it. There were many great things about the game the first being that both teams meet in the middle of the field and do taunting and threatening dances for one another. The other great thing about the game was that the crowd of at least 5,000 would start signing organized songs. The Lions fans busted out with “In the Jungle” at one point and I could not hide the shock on my face. It was like I was in the set of a movie. I loved the game, but I didn’t love the heat or the sunburn so I was out after the first quarter.

I know that I have gotten so lazy with this blog, but I haven’t been doing anything too exciting. I will try to update more often!!