5,607 miles

This gives cankles a whole new definition...

2006-01-22T08:56:00.000-11:00

My attitude about Samoa has taken a positive turn since I have been back from Christmas. Some days I even entertain the thought of staying for another year or so. Then again...I don't think I could do that to my feet and ankles. They are slowly becoming Samoan which is the scariest possibility yet. I was blessed to be given small ankles. From the time I was little, I always knew I was destined to be small but there was some mix up, and then I moved here.

Cankles (your calves running into your ankle leaving the void of an actual ankle) are a real problem in the States. You see a lot of people running around and have to wonder to yourself what they were thinking when they decided it was okay to show those puppies off.

Well, I can tell you what they are thinking. They are thinking there is no hope out there for a cure, so they will have to put on a brave face and act like they don't have a problem. I used to think that cankles were a joke, but have since realized that it is in fact very serious. It pains me to admit that I have cankles. Not just your average, run of the mill cankles, but I have Samoan cankles. That is at least 4 times the average cankle. You have to have pretty hefty ankles if you are going to carry anything from a 5x to an 8x around.

My swollen ankles reached new heights on Thursday of last week. We went out to celebrate a birthday at the Equator. The Equator is one of the nicer eateries on the island and is hooked onto the hotel. So in honor of this fine eating establishment I decided to dress up a bit. Instead of just a t-shirt and jeans, I went with a t-shirt, jeans, and heels. For some reason, when I was packing I just knew that I wanted my favorite heels with me for such occasions.

My heels are normal heels, except for the fact that they have an ankle strap. I knew I was heading for trouble when I was putting them on and I had to poke new holes just to get them around my ankles. It was touch and go for a minute...not knowing if the strap was going to join on the other side.

After dinner I came home to get out of my shoes for fear that my feet were going to pinch off. I was horrified when I saw my ankles to say the least. I had to take a picture because I have never seen anything like it. Prepare yourselves...it isn't going to be pretty.

Picture time...

2006-01-18T21:27:00.000-11:00

I have started posting my pictues online. It has only taken me 5 months, but now I am with it. My pictures are at www.snapfish.com. The username is turnertexas00@yahoo.com and the password is family. I am going to try to update them frequently, but you all know how good I am at that.

That my friends... is a shark.

2006-01-18T06:03:00.000-11:00

Saturday was a beautiful day, so we decided to go to the beach. We went to Fagatelli Bay which is a marine reserve not too far from where we live. This was my first time to the bay, and possibly the last due to the hike to and from the beach. Fagatelli is a beach for the determined beach goer. To get to the top of the mountain you have to drive through the dump and then get out of your car and ask a Samoan family if you can continue on. They must give you their permission and open the gate for you or you can't get up to where you park.

The hike down wasn't bad. It was a steep in places, but due to all the rain we have been having, it was very slippery. Some would say that I am a slow hiker, but I would classify it as cautious. When you fall down as much as I do it forces you to double check every step on foreign ground. The hike down took me a lot longer than everyone else. I only fell once though which is pretty remarkable. When you get down to the bottom of the hike there is a large ladder you have to crawl down before you are on the beach.

As I was crawling down the ladder I heard the others yelling for my camera. Turns out that there was a shark in the reef. We have seen sharks before, but this one was really close. He was in really shallow water, but he didn't stay long. He was in and out long enough for us to get some pictures and video of him, and then he went out to deeper water.

I wanted to snorkel, but the water was too rough. Probably from the cyclones in the area. I was okay with not snorkeling though because I realized how pale I am getting. It was a great day to work on my tan.

I was dreading the hike out from the minute I got down the ladder. I decided to hike out early by myself because I am slow and not in the best shape. Turns out that was a good idea. I left 30 minutes before everyone else and it was perfect. When I finally got back to the car I thought that my core body temperature had to be at 300 degrees...No joke. The hike ended up being easier than I anticipated, but you add the sweat and the heat and it isn't something Im looking forward to doing again any time soon.

Im back.

2006-01-16T23:03:00.000-11:00

I'm back. I have been back on "the Rock" for over a week now. It has been really strange, but really good. Not to mention busy and exhausting.

I never thought that I would say it, but I am glad that I am back. I will even go as far to say that America Samoa is not the worst place you could live. In fact there are much worse places in the world. Places that don't have electricity, internet, or Diet Dr. Pepper. Some days I have all of those things, some days are more questionable.

The thing that I disliked the most about being on the island before Christmas was the lack of Diet Dr. Pepper on the island. When I got back there was a surprise in store for me. It is in all the stores along with my second favorite Coke Zero. It all came as a New Years miracle, if you will.

The rain has been a constant since my return. The big rumor on island was that we were going to get slammed with the after effects of two tropical cyclones that "just missed us." People were stocking up on water and pulling their kids out of school because the power and water were going to be knocked out by the 100 mph winds. Fortunately, they were just rumors. We got a little wind and a lot of rain, but that is about it. The rain was fantastic during the week because my classroom was cool. I didn't even turn the fans on. It was a fantastic feeling not to sweat to death. The only problem was that when the ground is completely saturated creatures that usually live outdoors tend to venture in. I really didn't have any problems until Friday when I was teaching and a rat ran into my room. We both froze in our tracks when we realized the other was there, and I did the natural thing...I chased it out of my room. I am thinking about it now and thinking what would I have done if I would have caught up with it? Pick it up? The advantage here is that I chased him right to his hole. I now know where he lives and I have sent the proper people to greet him with traps the next time he comes out.

Here I come...

2005-12-17T09:12:00.000-11:00

Okay. I haven't posted in 11 days. I didn't realize that it had been that long. That's almost 2 weeks, and totally unacceptable. I have been super busy trying to get school all together, and finished. I can't believe the semester is already over. It went so fast. The great news is that I am coming home tomorrow. Granted I don't actually reach home until Tuesday, but I begin the great transit tomorrow. I am like a five year old before Christmas. I can't stop smiling, and I am in a FANTASTIC mood. Since I haven't really taken any pictures in the last 10 weeks I am heading out to video the whole island today. Should be fun. See you soon...

*PS. The pictures...I just wanted to publish pictures that prove that I actually have been hiking for all of the doubters out there.

2005-12-06T16:37:00.000-11:00

Apparently I am a performer.

2005-11-29T21:54:00.000-11:00

I have been asked to join a dance troupe. Possibly the funniest thing about this situation is the fact that I can't dance. Not even remotely. I was asked by a Samoan woman that I know, and I might go as far to say I was deceived. One of the aides at the school goes to a church that is doing a big Christmas spectacular this Sunday night. Each family puts on a skit, sings or dances. She said there are only 18 people, so I thought about it and decided that I could do anything in front of 18 people. What I didn't understand that when she said "18 people" she meant the term loosely. She meant that there would be 18 Samoan families. A Samoan family is like an American family only with a average of 12 people per family. So basically I am going to an adult dance recital in front of a large crowd. Her family chose to dance this year and they asked me and Amy to join them. She said that we are going to do Hawaiian dance movements and that she would put her three small children in front of us so we don't stick out so bad. The kids come up to my knees, how can I not be seen behind them? Plus, we are going to be the only two white people in the place. We are wearing our lava lava's so that we look a little more Samoan, but I was told that people will know I am white by looking at me.

They came over tonight to teach us the first half of the "dance". The funniest part is that we are Hawaiian dancing to Dolly Parton. I'm not sure that I have ever seen anyone hula to Dolly, so this should be an interesting experience. I learned the dance rather quickly due to my amazing dance aptitude, but they were only able to show me pieces tonight. I was trying to do the foot work but was encouraged to try to keep my body as still as possible and just move my hands. I guess I look spastic when I move my feet which just shocks me. How do I get mixed up in these type of situations?

This is serious...

2005-11-27T22:53:00.000-11:00

Well, I have started a new lifestyle. I am getting in shape. This is not a cosmetic decision, but instead a decision out of necessity. First, I don't want to turn into an 8xer. Second, I have to make sure that my jeans are loose. There is a multitude of reasons that I need my jeans loose. One is that it is so hot if feels like you are wearing Saran wrap if anything is touching your body. Another is that I need them loose so that I can eat real food (Mamaritas and Rosas) when I am home, and still fit into them when I get back. I have made idol attempts to "get in shape" in the past, but this time I actually mean business. I have 20 days, and 20 days is going to fly by. I plan to get in shape in two ways...swimming and walking. I have told a friend that I would get up with him at 5:15 AM to walk. I haven't purposely got up that early in year, so I am currently praying for a monsoon. I also am swimming 30 laps a day. It doesn't seem like much, but it's pretty sufficient in a hot pool. The beauty of swimming is that not only am I working to my "get in shape" goal but I am also getting tan while Im at it. My dermatologist is going to freak out in December, but right now I am living it up.

There are several things that I am dying to do when I get back to the States. One is eat Mexican food. I think that is my big one. I have to give it to the Samoans they are huge people and they aren't even eating the good stuff. There is no Mexican food on the island, and I am a Mexican food junkie. Another thing I can't wait to do is get in a car that is going over 20 miles per hour. The speed limit on island is anywhere from 10-25 miles per hour which seems normal to me now. I was in the car the other day and the person that was driving was driving at a break neck speed. I was a nervous wreck, made sure I was seatbelted in, and I was holding onto the door handle. When I peeled my eyes open to look at the speed I almost laughed...A whole 30 miles per hour and I thought I was going to die. I have become a turtle.

8x? I didn't even know people could be that big.

2005-11-25T09:24:00.000-11:00

Well...unfortunately on this lovely island there are some people who are way off base about the Lone Star State. In fact, in the last couple of weeks, people have been coming up to me and asking where I am from because I have such a strong accent. I, on the other hand, don't think I have an accent, but when I tell them that I am from Texas no one seems that shocked. The other day, I did have a man say (in a hateful tone) that he HATED Texas and most of the people from there. He went on and on about how pompous Texans were, and how the state wasn't that cool. He then proceeded to laugh...like it was a laughing matter. He obviously didn't know that when he insulted Texas, he insulted me. I didn't laugh and I didn't smile, but I did tell him that he was misinformed, and that our conversation could cease right then unless he had a quick attitude adjustment. He looked at me like I had three heads. He actually apologized and for some reason I told him not to make the same mistake again. Who am I?

I have a car this week because my roommates are in New Zealand and I am loving the freedom. Really there aren't too many places that you can go on this 20 mile island, but it's nice to be able to get there if I need to. The only problem with the rig I am driving is that everything that could go wrong this week has. I got a flat tire, which I could not change. Even though I have the tire changing knowledge I couldn't do it because the lug nuts were on too tight. In fact, I couldn't find anyone that is able to get them off, so I go and fill it up with air every once and a while. It's a very safe approach. I also got pulled over last night by two of the five police officers on island. They were less than friendly and one stood at each window trying to intimidate me. I wasn't scared. Apparently I hadn't turned on my lights and they got all over me for it. Plus...I don't have a license here. I have court clearance to get one, but I haven't done it yet. Because it was Thanksgiving they decided to let me go with a warning this time, but told me they wouldn't be so nice next time. Oh please. I am going to get my license for here today.

I went to the greatest "beach" the other day except there was no beach. It was all rock, in fact it is called Sliding Rock. It was great! It was isolated, little to no hike, and I could lay out and get a good tan. There were even personal tide pools for us to swim in. I’ve got to start working on my tan because I come home in 24 days, and wouldn't want anyone to be disappointed.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. It was my first Thanksgiving without my family. I wasn’t too happy about that, but it didn’t feel like Thanksgiving here. Possibly because of the unbearable heat. We went to the Ashley’s last night for our Thanksgiving feast, and it was okay, but there was no one to make me my specialty dishes. No one here cares that I don’t like turkey, ham, stuffing, veggies, or any of that other stuff that you associate with Thanksgiving. It was really nice of them to invite us over though. I have decided the hardest thing about not being at home for Thanksgiving is no day after Thanksgiving day shopping. This may be my first shopping free day after.

I guess that it is now time to start Christmas decorating. I don’t have any decorations here and sadly I don’t think I am going to decorate. I would rather save my meager teacher salary for other things. Plus it is strange to go to the store and have one half of the isle filled with swimming stuff and the other half filled with Christmas stuff. There is something that just doesn’t work there. One of the biggest pet peeves I have had in the last month is that people here don’t understand Christmas decorating. I woke up on November 1st and it was a Christmas spectacular. Decorations everywhere. Do they not realize that you don’t decorate until after Thanksgiving? I guess not. I tried to tell everyone that I knew that it wasn’t appropriate, but they did it anyway.

I have started shopping on island. I try to go in all the stores because you never know what you will find. I went to one store and went crazy because they had great t-shirts. You all know that I love a good t-shirt. As I was looking for t-shirts that I would like I found a section of t-shirts that were sized 2x-8x. 8x? I didn't even know such a creature existed. I bought it so that I could show people because I have never seen anything like it. It is like a set of sheets. It hangs to my shins and the neck hangs off my shoulders. I have seen some big people on island. Really big people in fact, but I don't think I have seen anyone bigger than a 5 or 6x. Who wears an 8x is what I want to know. We figured that the people that they are made for die of a heart attack before they can come get a new t-shirt. Oh American Samoa, how interesting you are.

I love football.

2005-11-15T22:07:00.000-11:00

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!!

The life of a servant...

2005-11-06T22:34:00.000-11:00

I am finally a resident of the village of Tafuna. I have officially moved into my new apartment. We don't have the internet inside so I am currently sitting outside stealing from one of my new neighbors. I am thinking of it as a house warming gift. We should be getting the internet within the next few days. Until then I am going to be forced to borrow from the allusive "Mr. Jin". Being right in the thick of things will make my life so much easier and yet so much more exciting. I can't wait.

Friday I did something that I never thought that I would do. I ate Chinese food...and I didn't hate it. I can not bring myself to say that I did like the spicy chicken that I tried. As a general rule I don't eat food that isn't from North America. I just don't trust it, and I'm picky. The problem with being in American Samoa is that it isn't in North America. This makes being so picky a little harder to do.

On Saturday morning, I awoke to painful shrieking sounds. I thought that the Ashley's next door neighbors were killing their dogs. I wasn't sure what for but I was almost sure that they were going to eat them. I quickly got dressed and ran outside to rescue some poor dog from the hands of evil, but there were no "evil hands" anywhere to be found. Instead the Ashley's had found a puppy that wasn't happy to be in a dog run. The puppy was a stray with a beagle resemblance and I loved it. So naturally I went to pick it up and play with it. The Ashley's youngest daughter said that it was fine. No big deal. Looking back, I think she wanted to get out of having to take care of it for a few minutes. The sweet pup was great. The minute I picked her up she laid her head on my shoulder and fell asleep. I took her inside to sleep while I watched the beloved Texas Tech Red Raiders on AFN. To make a long story short, I took care of the puppy all morning and afternoon and held it, played with it, and loved it. Later someone reminded me to wash my arms because the dog has flees and mange. WHAT? I wouldn't have touched it if I knew that it was going to potentially spread all kinds of live and biting vermin. Well today I itch like crazy. So I am wondering, do I have fleas? Can humans get fleas? and what does a human do if he/she has fleas? Do they have human flea baths? Because it all seems disgusting. All I know is that if I do have fleas...I better get another jewel in my crown.

Parasites...

2005-11-03T22:58:00.000-11:00

I've decided I now have a debilitating disease. When I got to this island it was a few weeks after the filariasis craze. Filariasis is a really big deal here so the government provides free medication and prevention to keep you safe. It is passed from mosquitoes, and places the larvae of parasites in your blood stream. I hear the commercials but everyone acts like I really don't need to take the pills because they will make you sick for a few days. Well I have decided that being sick for a few days sure beats elephantitis. I have been doing my research and have decided that I have some of the symptoms. Of course, the symptoms that I have (headache, fatigue, swollen feet) could also be from living in the most hellacious climate I've ever lived in, or from teaching five to seven year olds all day long. I am going to try to go ahead and get the pills tomorrow so that I can make sure that I don't have any pesky parasites in my bloodstream. Thank you mosquitoes.

Not a lot happened today besides school and Survivor. I did finally get my webcam up and working so I was able to chat with my aunt. I don't know who started the web cam calling phase, but I am very thankful that they did. Web cams are the wave of the future. (so if you don't have one...you need to get on board) The great thing is that you can see each other and hear each other while talking for free. Free is the icing on the cake. I get really excited about getting things for free that are so cool that I would even be willing to pay for it. That's when you know its a deal.

I received a compliment today that no one else realized was a compliment. I met a lady from New Zealand recently, and I thought that she was nice but didn't really think anything of meeting her. I found out today from another New Zealander that she told her that she had never met a Texan, but if she had to dream one up I would be it. Isn't that great? I have been living my life "do or die Texas" for good reason. I knew that I loved that state. I asked the lady who told me about it what made her think "oh, that must be a girl from Texas" and I was surprised by her response. Her initial thought was that I had an accent. I have been in the dark for at least 23 years, because I have always thought that I was accent free. Turns out...I'm not. But now that she said I have one my new philosophy on accents is "go big or go home". I have been trying to refrain myself from talking as country as I can. The other thing that tipped her off was (suprisingly enough) my teeth. She said that they were both white and in line. Correct me if I am wrong, but I've seen quite a few Texans with messed up "grills" and wouldn't hinge the mark of a Texan on teeth, plus to tell you the truth I don't have the greatest teeth ever. I would go so far to say that they are okay. They have served their purpose for the last 23 years of my life, but they aren't so great that I wouldn't be willing to get venners. I have always thought of both whiteness and relatively straitness as signs of good hygiene. I would have gone with more obvious sings of Texas heritage than teeth or accent if I were her. The fact that I wear one of my many t-shirts with the state of Texas on it once or twice a week should have been her first clue, but I guess to each their own...

Gone but not forgotten...

2005-11-02T19:40:00.000-11:00

I realize that it has been quite a while since I have posted, and surprisingly enough I have not heard the end of it. So in an effort to keep all of my adoring public to keep being adoring I have submitted to the requests.

Oh what a week it has been. Tomorrow marks my 6th week on the island which amazes me. It really is going quickly, but I wouldn't be opposed to it going a little quicker. I am anxiously awaiting the Christmas holiday, which begins for me in a mere 46 days. When I am awake in the middle of the night I think of all of the places that I am going to be able to go, the things that I will be able to wear, and where I am going to eat. I haven't been in a "good" restaurants since I have been here. There are places that are okay, but no where FANTASTIC. You would think that would encourage me to be a waif... which makes me want to laugh.

I am learning more about the island every day. For example, I have thought for 5 weeks that I live in Pago Pago, but I was informed recently that infact I live 30 minutes from Pago. Who knew? I apparently live in Ili Ili right now, but I am moving to Tafuna tomorrow. You move from village to village as you travel around the island. No one understands the concept of cities or even streets around here. There are no street names, stop signs, house numbers or anything that remotely resemble real life. It is obvious that the fantastic grid planners of Lubbock never made it to the South Pacific. The odd thing with the villages is that no one gets mail in their village. Everyone's mailing address is in Pago, but it is really just the harbor.

We celebrated for at least four days for Halloween this year. It is the most aloneness I have done in my life so far, and it is the most I will ever do again. I wore myself out, and from fear none the less. The Halloween movies started on Saturday when we thought that it would be a good idea to watch scary movies. I say "we" very loosely because I have never thought a scary movie to be a good idea. We watched the Amnityville Horror which is supposed to be based on a true story. It scared me to death even though I was watching the movie with my ears plugged and my eyes covered so that I could only peek through. When I knew that it would be really scary I would lightly press on my eyes so that the images would be distorted thus making the movie less scary. After we watched the movie I came back to my apartment and stayed up all night because I couldn't sleep. I kept seeing disturbing images in my minds eye. The next day I signed up for another scary movie without thinking twice. I actually skipped out on work that I should have been doing to sit and watch White Noise. White Noise is all about EVP or talking to the dead on tape players. Extremely creepy is all I can say. The movie wasn't all that scary, but the thought of communicating with the dead makes me want to throw up. It makes me really nervous, but I went ahead and joined in to try to talk to a "ghost" in some friends apartment. We followed all of the EVP rules, but didn't get anything back. Everyone else is bound and determined to try again to try to pick something up, but I am out. I have decided that you do not mess with the dead. That is risky business that I do not want to be a part of.

Halloween was possibly the scariest day I have ever experienced. We had been planning on going to this haunted all girls school here on the island in the afternoon to get some pictures and scare ourselves a little. Well one thing led to another and we didn't get out of the house until after 8...here that is the middle of the night black. I knew it wasn't a good idea, and tried to tell everyone. I thought we should play a game or do something silly, but I was quickly overruled because I was being a wash. On the way to the school I hugged my bible the whole time trying to figure out how to metaphorically put on the "armor of God" because people have been known to be possessed from this place. We got out of the car and hiked strait up the side of a hill to this old deserted school and my heart was about to jump out of my chest. I couldn't get a good breath because I was so scared, but no one seemed to have much pithy on me. Before we got into the school a villager drove up and hollered for us to get out of there, and I was ready to go. You do not have to tell me twice. Everyone else wanted to go ahead and go inside, but the man started yelling and left. What I didn't know at the time was the man was telling us to get out or he would go get the men of the village. Unfortunately I do not speak Samoan, so I just act like I don't hear any sounds at all. That was a mistake because on our way down he came back with the village men who happened to be angry and carrying rocks. I have learned in the past that I am very selfish when it comes to scary situations. I will leave just about anyone in the dust to save myself. When I was walking to the car I was talking extremely loud saying things that I thought would make the villagers spare me and get everyone else. I tried to act like I had been kidnapped and dragged there but decided that it wasn't the best ploy. We got away without incident luckily.

last night was my first "compass Rose" meeting which is a fancy way to say PTA. The only differences are that a) it's short, and b)I had to put it on myself. I worked my tail off to get ready and only 2 parents showed up. They are both parents that talk to on a regular occasion, so I was a little bummed out. I wouldn't have waisted a clean outfit if I would have only known.

I am going to try to keep you better updated. I am moving tomorrow into a new apt. with my friends Amy and Luke. It should be fun. We are representing the misplaced Texans in this world.

Infectious disease...

2005-10-25T22:08:00.000-11:00

I feel like I start every post with something disturbing that is happening here in American Samoa, but the tradition is going to have to continue. First of all...

Because there is no shopping on the island everyone gets clothes made. There are countless sewing shops where you can buy really cheap fabric and they will sew it into anything you could dream of. Well I have officially been duped or cheated...I can't decide. I had a long skirt made, and the fabric cost a total of $3.50. It is supposed to be ready tomorrow, but I sneaked a look at my ticket and it says that they are going to try to charge me $47.50 for labor. I just don't think so. I think they are trying to take advantage of me because I am a palagi, and if that is the case they can take the incredibly amazing skirt that I designed and hang it in the window. Actually, I am taking a Samoan girl with me who means business. The average skirt price is around $8.00, and you can get a pulitasi, which is an uncomfortable looking,traditional dress, for $20, and it is composed of a skirt and shirt. In another shop I could have two dresses and a skirt made for the same price. Something just isn't adding up here.

Even more disturbing than being ripped off is getting a horrible note in your box when you get to school. I got to school this morning and had a note in my box telling me that a parent called the school because her child saw another child in my class pull a bug out of her hair and smash it. I had to read the note three or four times wondering what they wanted me to do about it. I thought surely this was not in the job description, but I was quickly corrected. I had to do a lice check when school started. I had to do the check without gloves or those poker things nurses use...I only had my fingers for the search. I thought that I was going to throw up at any moment. I will never again have to wonder what lice looks like. It was rampant and infesting my classroom. One poor girl had lice so bad that you could see it without even moving any hair. As I continued my lice check I had kids telling me that I didn't need to check them because they already know they have it. Well, thanks for telling me before I let my head get anywhere close. I just know that I am going to get it. I have been itching like crazy since the dreaded disease was even mentioned, and if I get lice I am going to be grossed out. I have had other people check me three times today and so far I am clear, but I don't think you can ever be too careful.

I am awake at 3 am...

2005-10-24T02:09:00.000-11:00

After a whole month here on the island there are things that I can not get adjusted to. For example, I know that there is going to be some kind of living creature in the shower with me, but I am never prepared for it to scatter when I get in. In fact, I am really never prepared for the bugs. I always jump when I feel something crawl across me when I am in bed, and I hate that when you put down a drink ants are swarming it within 2 minutes. I take a Coke with me to school everyday for lunch, and on Friday I got really distracted as soon as I opened it so when I came back to it it wasn't covered but there were quite a few ants in it. I was ticked because Cokes are like liquid gold here, and so I made a decision. I figured that ants are a delicacy in other countries so I got as many as I could off the top and sides and shook the drink up and drank it. They were tiny ants so I figure it was no big deal, or that is what I am telling myself so that I don't get really mad at the whole ant species. I would have never tolerated it in the states. Actually, I wouldn't tolerate most things that happen here if I was in the States.
Another thing that I am not getting used to is the fact that I actually live on an island in the South Pacific. It's a weird realization, but one that is there every time you flush and the water goes the opposite direction. Or when you look up and there is no Big, Little or any other kind of dipper in the sky. The Southern Hemisphere really got jipped off when the stars were taking shape. It is so weird to be driving down the road and realize that this isn't a vacation, but actually a place of residence. I actually have less than 5 months until I become an actually resident of American Samoa. You might wonder what benefit this has, and I don't know. I do know that the price of going to the doctor will be cut in half when you are a resident. So it will be five dollars instead of ten. I would have a hard time trusting most of the doctors here because of horror stories I have heard, but I hear the dentist is great. He was actually trained in the States, so he has a real license. You can get your teeth cleaned for $10. That is great news. He also does whitening, and I am checking into that. The only downfall to him is that his name is Hansel. He has a twin sister named Gretel. Not a joke. Poor kids. Maybe his parents were big believers in fairy tales.
I have always been a partial "believer" in ghosts. When I say I believed in ghosts it wasn't a very concrete belief. I thought that I might as well believe in them a little because if there were ghosts I didn't want them to try to make a believer out of me. I figured that they would just leave me alone. Not the case here on the rock. I am a full time, hard core believer now. I am in the cross hairs of at least one really annoying one. Just In case you were wondering, yes, I realize how absurd it sounds, but take a walk in my lava lava and you will be changing your tune. I have heard about this alleged ghost since I have been here, but have never felt scared while I am at home. Early last week is when it all started. I was sitting on my couch in my living room and someone knocked on the door. It was an obvious knock, not something in the wind. The door is glass so I got up to look through it and nothing was there. I didn't discount it but it didn't bother me either until it started happening frequently. Also things are constantly being thrown at the door. I will be sitting there and will watch something fly by. I wish I was making this up but it is really happening. Tonight I am really mad at the ghost though because he is in my apartment with me, and he woke me up at 1 am, and now I can't go back to sleep. I laid in bed for at least 10 minutes afraid to open my eyes. I would just rather not see anything other worldly tonight. I have a fan beside my bed, and someone or something keeps turning it off and on, and something keeps getting put in it. This ghost is going to have to quit these shenanigans and quick. We are quickly approaching Halloween, and both All Hallows Eve and Halloween day better be anti climatic. I don't know what it is exactly but I have my suspicion...

Rain, Rain...I Love You!

2005-10-18T23:32:00.000-11:00

It has been raining really hard today, and I have never loved the rain so much. When it rains it cools off the island. The "cool" days are few and far between. It is becoming summer here and the temperature of the rock is rising. I have been told that it isn't necessarily rising temperatures that make it feel hotter, but instead the lack of tradewinds. By November the wind is supposed to stop completely. I am trying to psych myself into becoming climatized but it isn't really working as well as I had hoped. People are shocked when I run my window unit in my bedroom, because no one else thinks it is hot enough for air conditioning here. All except for my West Texas friends who constantly think they are dying from heat.

I know that I have mentioned that the sun is a quick burner here, but I don't think I realized until tonight how serious that a burn is here. The sunburn I got on Saturday after being in the sun for a few hours hurt worse than any injury I have had to date. I think it hurts worse than breaking a bone. It's a bold statement, but it feels like needles are continuing to prick into my back. Tonight my back started to peel and I peeled 2 layers of skin off and when I looked at my back in the mirror I was surprised to see a fresh sunburn. There is no telling how many layers of skin I burned through. The good thing is that it should give me some tan on my back, and the burns will be less frequent. Speaking of tan...my arms have never been darker in my life. I have Samoan arms basically. In fact I measured my tan to the kids in my class today and I am right there with them. My legs however look like they have been transplanted from an albino person. There is a strong contrast, but I am working on it. I would expect people to be disappointed in me if I didn't come back with a tan to covet.

Sorry

2005-10-16T08:16:00.000-11:00

I thought that I posted this Sunday morning but apparenlty I didn't. So for all 3 of you who check this I am sorry that I haven't been more punctual. I will try harder. Today was back to the grind. Nothing exciting at school. The most interesting part of my day was going to a Stamp It! party. Who stamps you ask? Apparently everyone who wants to be someone.

My vacation is officially over and after church today it's back to the grind. I have a lot to do before school starts tomorrow. However I am going to be moving really slow because yesterdays beach experience was brutal. Granted it was pretty but there are a few requirements I now have for a beach experience. 1) The hike must be worth the payoff. Yesterdays hike was a killer. It wasn't the toughest hike in the world, but it was extremely rocky for the first half. The rocks become a challenge because they are so slippery because of the changing tide so it is hard to crawl over them. I think there are a lot of dangerous things in this world but I would classify the second part of the hike as ranking up there on the dangerous list. It was a trail that was maybe a foot wide and muddy (so it was slick). There was no leeway room. On one side was the mountainous wall and the other was a 20 foot drop off onto jagged lava rocks. I have had an experience with a lava rock in my day and it isn't pretty when you fall on one. 2) The water must be safe. Palagi Beach (where we went yesterday) could have been the most dangerous beach I have been to date. Palagi beach is known for the amazing snorkeling that is available in the channels there. I will admit that the snorkeling was great. It was my fist time to snorkel in deep water, and I ended up liking the deep water better. I did see some really neat fish. They have the greatest colored fish here. I keep thinking that if I could catch some and send them home I could make a fortune on them, but I have a sneaking suspicion that customs or the US fish and wildlife service wouldn't think it was the best idea. I also got to see wild sea horses. I think that may have been one of the most exciting parts. As great as the snorkeling was it wasn't worth it because the water was so rough and the waves were crashing in. It's easy to underestimate the power of a wave until it knocks you down or carries you out to sea. Being the nervous kid that I am I stayed in the most protected parts of the water at first, but Amy found this cave that was really great at low tide last time and she wanted me to go back with her. Really it was just a photo opportunity. We climbed on the coral and walked around this little island. (I guess you call it an island...it's only about the width of a football field and about half of the length) It was scary walking around it because you have to watch out for deep holes and crabs. When we finally got around to the entrance of the cave the waves started getting really severe. The unadventurous side of me said not to get in the water because we may not be able to get out, but the adventurous side of me said that we've already come this far we may as well go all the way. All I could think about when I jumped in was that my dad would be really mad if I jumped in and died. It was really pretty, and I am glad that we will have pictures of the danger. Once the picture was taken we had to get out quick because the water was rising, but just as I predicted it was a bugger getting out. We swam over to where we jumped in and saw that a wave was coming so we braced ourselves on the rocks. Amy was already back up on the coral but the next thing I knew I got thrown from the rock I was bracing myself against and Amy got thrown off the coral. It was a fleeting moment of sheer panic. I started screaming which doesn't help you swim, and then the panic was gone and we just had to get out. Coral has this nasty way of cutting you if you aren't careful, and we knew we were going to get cut up on the way out because we couldn't be careful. My shins and hands were bleeding, but it is better than being dead. Let me just tell you there is nothing more eye opening than salt water in a wound. It will make you want to holler. After staring death in the face and laughing I had a second of absolute bravery. I talked Amy into going into these coral channels so that we could see some better snorkeling destinations. After we got a little ways into one I realized that this too was a bad idea. I guess I am not the strongest swimmer and I am most certainly not fearless, so I don't handle iffy situations very well. The coral channels were only 2-3 feet wide, so when the waves came in you knew you were going to be battered. I would have to grab the coral and hang on for dear life. At one point everyone started laughing at me because I had my feet propped up on both sides of the channel pushing me back and I was trying to hold on to coral that was behind me. The channels weren't that exciting but when we were coming out of them I was the only one without fins on and I have never swam so hard in my life. I was swimming at full speed and going no where. That wore me out.

We didn't stay that long at the beach because it was hot and rough and not pleasant. On our hike back to the car I may have set a record for slowest hiker ever. I had on my flip flops that were now wet and not cooperating. When we had hiked about ten minutes I was trying to think of a reason that I could tell people so it would make sense that I was hiking so slow and then it happened. I fell climbing off part of the trail, and when I looked out onto the water I saw something fishy. It was actually a school of sharks. They weren't great white or tiger sharks, but they were the largest wild sharks I have ever seen. We aren't sure what kind of shark they were because they had a stripped dorsal fin, but were only 3-4 feet long. Sharks don't like the taste of human flesh so I have been told not to be scared by the reef sharks, however if I would have been swimming and seen one I would have FREAKED out. I don't know how I would have handled it because I wouldn't have been able to get away fast enough. They were only 20 feet away from us, so they have been captured on video. Amy and I also made the decision that if we waded out thigh deep we could say that we swam with the sharks. So I have now swam with sharks, and it was exhilarating.

Snorkeling isn't natural

2005-10-14T08:35:00.000-11:00

After I got up I went snorkeling yesterday, and though I stated earlier that I was really great at snorkeling I am now willing to recant my statement. The first time I went snorkeling I was in a protected cove, so it was a breeze. Yesterday, however, I was out in the big bad ocean. I kept having to calm myself down and breathe normally because I kept wanting to hyperventilate. It was low tide so we were able to explore these caves and blow holes. That was scary because we were in the dark. We got out as quickly as we could. Im not sure that snorkeling is a natural activity. Ignorance is bliss and in this case I believe it is true. I will say that once I got used to the fact that a reef shark may swim up to me at any second I was pretty amazed with what was in the water. I saw some of the neatest colored fish and coral that I have ever seen. I have been told that the place where I snorkeled yesterday is unimpressive compared to where we are going this weekend. This weekend we are going to Palagi Beach (white people beach). It is supposed to have the best snorkeling on the island. Im most excited about seeing the starfish. I already know that I should coat myself with the highest sunscreen that I can find, because I apparently can not walk out into the sun without getting a burn. I thought that I was going to come home one tan Texan, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.

After we got out of the ocean it started raining and proceeded to rain all day long. I did get a lot of errands done, because of the lack of fun things to do. I am now 23 and licensed to drive. That's right I now am legally allowed to drive in American Samoa. I am not totally legal yet because I haven't gone to get my license made, but I have received a clearance from the High Court saying that I can get my license. It's kind of exciting. I could run a muck on the island now. When we were heading into Pago yesterday we picked up Vanessa who is a Samoan that works for Marshall Ashley's law firm. When you need to get something done she is the go to girl. She went with me down to the post office to see if anything that I am expecting has arrived...which it hasn't. Instead of waiting in line she just walks back to the mail area in the back and starts asking questions. Apparently the guys in customs are friends of hers. I don't know what about me says "yeah, I love softball", but the first thing that I was asked was to join the Customs softball team. I acted excited about it but really it was just to be nice, but I am supposed to see Vinny to get fitted for my uniform today. When I realized that he thought that I would really play I tried to tell him that Im really nice, but not an athlete. He said it doesn't matter because they are a happy team. Win or lose they still have a good time (they haven't won yet). I don't run, and my hand eye coordination isn't all that good, so Im not really understanding why I would be an asset for the team. Never the less, I am on the team. I am skipping my first game on Saturday, but from there on out I am in it to win it. I guess I should get a glove...

I may never sleep again

2005-10-12T21:59:00.000-11:00

There are some things that I think that the average person should not dawdle in. I believe ghosts top that list; however, they seem to be talked about frequently in American Samoa. People believe in the presence of ghosts here because of their love affairs with the dead. You get more respect and friends when you die than you do in your actual life. There is no such thing as cemeteries here. Instead people bury their dead in their front yards, but the graves are not marked with simple gravestones. They are shrines built for them, and it isn't surprising if the dead have better accommodations than the living. Anyway, there are supposed to be two ghosts living with me, or I should say on the property that I live on. One was living on the premises when the Ashley's moved in. His grave was here, but when the family moved they took the grave with them. The ghost is a Samoan male veteran from WWII. I haven't seen him but one of the girls has. They said that they (a group of 5 or more) saw him walking around the porch of the house during the last hurricane. There is also supposed to be a second female ghost. I don't know much about her yet, because I can only handle this kind of information in small chunks. There is supposed to be a haunted girls school here which some of the people have been too. I saw a picture of one of the halls and I am not kidding you can see a face. It is so real that it makes me want to either cry or throw up, I just haven't decided which yet. I can't know this kind of information and live by myself. I could possibly never sleep again.

Im a killer

2005-10-12T01:00:00.000-11:00

There are 3 disturbing events that are currently taking place in my home. One is that I have a rat. I haven't seen him, but I know he is there. I have been super clean too, so it is really weird. I was sitting at my kitchen table/desk and I could hear something behind me. I looked and looked but to no avail. I couldn't find the sucker. Then I realized that he is running havoc in the wall. In the wall or in the house makes no difference to me. It is all too close for comfort. The second creepy thing is that I was coming in my front door this morning and smelled a "dead smell" in the threshold. I didn't think much about it because the island on a whole stinks, that is until I looked up. I killed a gecko. I didn't do it on purpose, but I did it none the less. He got smashed in the door, but the nasty thing is that his arms, head, and tail are stuck to the top of the door, but the inside of his body is all over the inside of the door frame. This leaves me at a crossroads. What do I do? Do I scrape it off? or do I leave it and hope that it just disappears? I just don't know. The third thing is cockroaches. I have heard about these giant cockroaches but had yet to see one in my house until this morning. I was washing my hair when I looked up and noticed the biggest cockroach I have ever seen. This cockroach had to be 3 or more inches long. I didn't even have the urge to scream probably because I was frozen in terror. I went to the store and bought bulk cockroach killer today. When you buy any kind of insect killer at the store you can only get it in one variety...large insect.

Today was an exciting day because I had a car. On this day of freedom I was able to get all my errands done plus some. I even went to one of the many sewing shops on the island and had them make me a skirt. I don't know how much it will cost or when it will be done, but I have faith in my new friend, the seamstress. Apparently you can take a picture of anything that you want into the shop and they can whip it out for you. I went to one of the nicer places today, but tomorrow I am going to go to another place to see how they do. My mind is racing with all the things that I could have them make, but it comes to a complete halt when I realize I have no money. Oh to live the life of a teacher is to live the life of poverty.

I am a hiking machine...

2005-10-11T09:25:00.000-11:00

Yesterday was a great day, but it really didn't surprise me because I planed it. Early yesterday morning we drove to the east end of the island. The east end of the island is beautiful and the air is clean. When we got to the end we caught a ferry to the island Annu'u. There are about 300 people that live on Annu'u, and it is the smallest of the inhabited American Samoa islands. On the was there we met a friend who was from the island who proved to be invaluable. This lady and her sister were headed to Annu'u to visit their uncle. She told us to explore the island and she would be waiting for us when we got done. We hiked from one end of the island to the other and back around. It was the most draining hike I have ever been on, but then again how many hikes do I really go on. We were the only Palagis on the island so people would stare at us, but they were also very friendly. We hiked to some amazing cliffs where we met a man who was fishing for lobster with bamboo. He was really nice, but advised us to not come back without a guide. He said that we were lucky that it was low tide when we came but if we would have come any later it would have been extremely dangerous. Apparently some absurd amount of palagis have been dying there in the last 2 weeks. They don't realize that the waves will take you right off the rocks and slam you back into them. After we left the cliffs we headed to quicksand. The quicksand is covered by trees so it's not as dangerous as it could be. I am not really sure what it looks like. I know it has a red tent. It was a great hike. We saw some really neat things, but I have never sweat so much in my whole life. It was like we were under a blanket of heat. I also got one of the worst sunburns that I have ever had on this little hike. My arms were purple by last night, but this morning they are fine. The sun is really fickle here, and it is not a friend. It will burn you to a crisp in a heartbeat. When we had hiked our feet off we went back to the village to meet up with our new friend, and head back to Tutuila (the island that I live on). Our new friend told us to follow her to the village that she grew up in. The trip over was great except that it was a 80 degree vertical incline. I don't know how cars handle it on a regular basis, but it was worth it. It was amazing. The village we went into was the only village in the National Park, and it was exceptional. The National Park was something to be reckoned with. It was really clean (which is a nice change on the island), and the people were so friendly. They took us on a hike to the end of the island to the place of some legend. I really didn't understand the legend, but I was concentrating on not falling on our little hike. Today I am going to go into town to get some crucial things done. My skin needs to rest, but tomorrow is back to the water.

I've changed my name to Ms. Adventure

2005-10-09T22:33:00.000-11:00

If my weekend was any indication of how my week is going to be then it may as well be the best week of my life. Friday was a little rough in the beginning (well until like 5), but then the fun began. Some friends of mine came to pick me up to go for a drive to no where in particular. We ended up driving up the mountain to get some relief from the heat, and we wanted to take some pictures. We thought that it would be a good idea to take pictures behind one of the Bush stores (convenient stores) here, so we stopped and got out of the car. There was a lady sitting outside the store who came up and started talking to us. She couldn't figure out why in the world we would ever come to American Samoa. She was really funny. We don't have any idea what her name is but I do know that at one point she went to New Zealand to become a nun and she dropped out because she thought the life nun's lead was boring. She worked with this man who gave us all kinds of stuff and loved us because we were American. He was from Korea and speaks little to no English, but we did understand that if we would teach his children English after school then he would cook us Korean food for dinner. Too bad I don't eat anything from across the Atlantic Ocean, or it could be a good setup.

Saturday we went to Larson's Bay which was one of the most amazing beaches I have ever been to because it was so secluded. You drive down all of these dirt roads and park at this dead end so that you can hike down to the beach. I didn't come prepared for this hike because I had on my flip flops, a skirt, and sunglasses. It was only about half a mile down to the bay but it was strait down. Because I am an incredibly nimble and coordinated person I was able to just run down it. It’s weird because you will be hiking along a trail and then the trail disappears and then you are in a taro plantation. It reminded me of the movie The Beach. We were the only people at the beach so we had a lot of fun. I was able to snorkel for the first time, and I loved it. It was a little nerve racking because it opened up a whole new world, but over all it was fascinating. When we were ready to leave I anticipated a killer hike, but I had no idea. Coming down was a breeze to going back up. I’m not the most athletic girl and I was in flip flops so I thought that my legs were falling off. I was trying so hard to keep my feet in my shoes while we were scaling the rocks that I thought my calf muscle was tearing off of my shins. It was totally worth it though.

Today at church was White Sunday. I am not really sure exactly what White Sunday is, but I know that it is for the children. It's something like Easter, but not Easter, so I don't know. In fact, I don't understand a lot of things they do here. It was a neat day though. The children all wear white to church and they perform songs, memory verses, and skits. They all did a good job, but after an hour and a half I was ready to call it quits.

I’m really excited about tomorrow for 2 reasons. 1) We don't have school. Thank you Christopher Columbus. And 2) because I actually made the plans. Being the NKOTI (New Kid on the Island) I usually have no idea what to do, but this time I pulled through in a big way. We are going to Annu'u which is an island a mile off of Tutuila (where I live). Its part of the national park and it has some great hiking, so I am pumped. We are taking the ferry out in the morning, so that we can get in a full day of swimming, snorkeling, and hiking. This place has quicksand, but not in a place where you will fall in (because I would for sure). I am becoming a regular adventurist.

Spring Break here I come...

2005-10-06T23:22:00.000-11:00

Today marks two full weeks that I have been living in American Samoa. Sometimes I think it is flying by and other times I am longing to be home for Christmas. Tomorrow is a half day at school, and the next week is Spring Break. I can't wait.

Today was a field trip for the kids in K-2 to wrap up our unit on transportation. We took the kids down to the harbor and we were given a tour of a cargo boat that travels inter island. It takes people and other kinds of cargo, and she was a beauty. I tried to become best friends with both of the captains, and one wasn't falling for it. I kept trying to talk to them to find out more about taking the ferry to other islands but every time I would stop to ask a question one of my kids would try to jump off the deck. It was a never ending cycle - ask a question and then avert danger. One of the crew guys actually thought I was from the Pacific. I know it wasn't because I have a good tan, but I am choosing to believe that is the feature that makes me look the most "Samoan". He quickly recounted his statement when I opened my mouth. I have never thought that I had a give away Texas accent, but apparently I do. It's a little disappointing because I thought the horrible accent was the only Texas stereotype that I didn't embody, but that's shattered. After the harbor we took the students to the airport to watch planes take off and land. The only thing was that nothing took off and nothing landed, so they were a little bummed out until the pilot came out and took us on a special tour of an inter island plane. After they got out of the plane we asked what their favorite part of the airplane was and the general consensus was that the back of the seats had tables in them. Kids always notice the most obscure details. Everyone is fascinated with Texas and California. They could care less about the other 48 states. My kids wonder where I tie my horse, so I showed them Lubbock on Google Earth and they were amazed.

Google Earth is probably the best program I have ever experienced. I can't tell you how many trips I have taken around the world from the comfort of my house. I am addicted and I have hooked all the other teachers. It really is the cool thing to do.

Possibly the most interesting part of my day was that I got the surgical staple in my ear removed. Quick and painless it was not, but that is the price you pay when someone takes it out with pliers. I was eating at the principals house (which happens to be upstairs) tonight and wanted to take it out so she said she would do it. She did a fine job. There was relatively no bleeding. The best part about it is it makes me seem really tough. I could possible handle anything.

Am I living in a wildlife refuge?

2005-10-04T19:45:00.000-11:00

I don't know if I have the call of the wild or what but animals are flocking to my door. On Sunday night I had a crab run in front of my feet, and tonight I saw a grouping of abnormally large toads sitting on my porch. I'm not really sure what you call toads traveling together...they aren't a flock, or a herd, so what are they? I have seen some big frog/toads in my life, but these are by far the biggest. In fact, they look a little mutated because of they are easily bigger than a softball. I feel like they are all wanting to get into the house because they think it's going to be a playground of filth, but it is certainly not. In fact, I have never been so clean in my entire life. I deep clean my entire apartment every other day. Granted there isn't that much to clean. Learning to be meticulously clean could be a life lesson that ranks up there with not having to have everything. The threat of the rabbit like rats and millions of ants makes me almost happy to clean. This knowledge 5 years ago could have changed my roommates lives. I do like the animals, but I am constantly trying to act like they all don't scare me, but that is a lie. I walk around tensed up expecting something to either jump out or fall on me. Either way I am ready to scream and duck.

Tonight was night two of my new career as a Polynesian dancer. It doesn't look like it is going to work out as well as I thought. Unfortunately, my body does not move as quickly as they would like and I have a small problem with coordination. If I can break through those 2 roadblocks I am home free. The best part of dance tonight was the fact that I was able to dress in my "lavalava". Lavalavas are the traditional sarong like skirts that everyone wears here. I went to the store and purchased my self a few so that I could look the; part. I think that is the most exciting part. I love the lavalavas if I could only figure out how to tie them correctly. Don't be surprised if you see me trying to sport them in the States. I wonder LISD's policy on sarongs?

Today happened to be the hottest day I have experienced here. I was told that today was as hot as it should get throughout the rest of the year, and I am hoping that is true because I actually thought that I was going to die. I have never been a very athletic girl, which is obvious, but I have run once or twice in my life. The sweat produced in those times was nothing compared to how bad I was sweating today. It was almost like I was melting because water was dripping from my body. The kids didn't think that it was too hot but I had every fan in our classroom pointed directly at me, and it didn't even help that much. It rained this afternoon and I was hoping that it would cool off but it didn't. Instead when the sun came back out it was hotter. I wanted the rain to keep going so the minute school was out I could go stand in it, but no such luck. It did however rain a ton today. Someone told me that it has rained over 25 inches in the two weeks that I have been here. I think that is more rain than we get in Lubbock in a year.

Luckily the washing machine was fixed today. The bad thing however is that the washer and dryer are in this shed thing under the stairs. Well when the washer was ready to do the spin cycle it sounded like we were in a tornado. It scared me to death. The dogs started barking and the cats took off. I don't know if it is normal though. I know I don't have too much in it, so that may just be how it sounds. Looks like I will have to get my laundry done early in the day, because not doing it is not an option.

I could have been a pioneer.

2005-10-03T21:04:00.000-11:00

When you move across the world you don't have the opportunity to bring large quantities of things with you. So you come with the knowledge and hope that you can rewear without going to the laundry mat. The problem ensues when a) you sweat so bad that rewearing is not even a possibility and b) you don't have a car to get to the laundry mat. My next door neighbors bought a washer and dryer on Saturday and graciously said that I could use it anytime I wanted. I had hoped to use it today, but it is leaking so I can't do anything until it is fixed. Naturally, I was in a lerch for something to wear so I did what every resourceful girl would do...pick out an outfit and wash it in the sink. I never dreamed that I would have to resort to this. I filled the sink up and washed my clothes with laundry detergent. I even put fabric softener in it. The outfit is now hanging in my window and I am praying for a breeze to dry my clothes. Even if my clothes aren't "clean" they still smell good, and that makes it worth it. I am really hoping that the washer will be fixed tomorrow so that I don't have to hand wash ever again.

I've noticed that alot of things that I thought that I "had to have" in the States are fairly easy to live without. Modern convieniences aren't here and we are learning to get along without them. If I gain nothing else from this experience, Im glad that I am realizing that I don't have to have everything.

The Golden Arches called my name...

2005-10-02T21:49:00.000-11:00

I can't believe the weekend is over. It went by so fast, but I loved every second of it. I have made friends with a few of the teachers at the school (really there only are a few teachers total) and every Friday we are going to start going to the KoKo Bean. The KoKo Bean is a relatively trendy place for American Samoa where you can get coke, ice cream, and the most amazing chocolate muffins. It's in the 1 shopping center in Tafuna which is the village where if live. Its a bit of a stretch to say "shopping center" because there are only 4 stores. We shopped around in the stores on Friday because it was dismal and rainy outside, and noticed a very interesting trend. There is a really good athletic store at the back of the shopping center and I went in to try to find some shoes for the beach, but they don't carry my size shoe...EVER. Really they don't carry women's shoes period in that store, but I was willing to get a shoe from the men's dept if the price was right. I wear an 8.5 or a 9 in women's shoes so I thought that I might need a 7.5 or 8 in men's, but they don't ever carry shoes below a size 13. They were the biggest shoes I have ever seen. This brought up a great question...Why do Samoan people have such large feet. Each teacher has their own opinion. I think it is adaptation to slippery rocks. I think they use their feet as a defense against clumsiness, but another teacher believes that because most people always go barefoot or walk around in flip flops their feet have never felt confined, thus, never quit growing. I think it seems a little far fetched but I'm going to do some checking into it.

Saturday was my first real day on the island. I thought it was going to continue to rain but instead it was beautiful. The sun never totally broke out, but it was cool and not raining. We wanted to go to the beach, but it was too cold so instead we went over to Amy and Lukes. Amy is the 3rd/4th grade teacher at Pacific Horizons and her husband Luke is a lawyer with Mr. Ashley. They live a couple of villages over and right on the water so we went to enjoy the view, play games, and eat. They are huge Tech fans, so we all sat around the computer having a "I wish we were in Lubbock tailgating party". The island is a volcanic island so there isn't a beach going into the water in most places. Instead they have large jagged lava rocks. The coolest thing about the rocks is the crabs. When you walk out on the rock they run and hide. It's really neat. Everyone just walked out on the rocks like it was nothing, but being sensible I almost crawled. People just don't understand the damage a lava rock can do, and I fall every chance I get so I am playing it safe.

Today was a rough day. I didn't feel good this morning so I slept in instead of going to church. When I woke up I really wanted to go somewhere but I don't have any transportation so I got a little cranky. I would go as far to say that I was about to either pack and come home, or throw a temper tantum. Which luckily I didn't do either, because my next door neighbors let me take their mini van out on the town. I was cruising along in their automobile, and loving every second of it. I never pictured myself as a mini van person, but I cruised around with the windows down and the wind in my hair. I went to the grocery store and then I picked up a little piece of home. McDonald's. In all honesty I don't LOVE McDonald's, but I think that my coke from the fountain was the best thing I have ever tasted. I smiled the whole way back to the house. It's sad that as Americans we equate home with McDonald's, but I think that Ronald saved my spirit today.

Is a teacher supposed to protect the kids?

2005-09-29T16:30:00.000-11:00

I'm just going to throw this out there. For all of you who I gave my address to, I gave you the wrong one. I didn't give you the wrong address but instead the wrong zip code. The correct one is...

Pacific Horizons School
P.O. Box 326
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 (instead of 97699)

In about 2 hours I will have been in American Samoa for a whole week. It feels like so much longer than that. It could be that I haven't seen the "tropical paradise" weather yet. It has rained on and off since I arrived, but it has rained non stop for the last 36 or more hours. All I can hope is that Mother Nature is getting all the rain out before the weekend. As long as we have a pretty Saturday I could care less. We have big plans for the beach this weekend. One thing that I have been told about the beaches here is that to get to the good ones there is quite a hike, but I don't care. I have a great backpack that has been waiting for "outdoorsy" action, and I think this will be a great opportunity. It will also make me look really cool. The only bad thing about the rain is that rain = more mosquitoes. I don't know if I have any skin left that hasn't been bitten by the swarms of mosquitoes here. I am doing my best to protect myself. I start spraying myself down with off when I get out of the shower in the morning which basically cancels out my shower, I take Off towellets to school so that I can reapply during the day, and I spray myself down before I get in bed at night. I should be bite free, but these are smart suckers, and they will get you the second you let down your guard.

So today I had a somewhat entertaining morning at school. I discovered how far I will go to protect the kids in my classroom, and it's to the closet to hide. Our school is a series of old barracks with a lot of windows, but we have to leave the doors open for circulation. The door is on the left side at the front of my classroom, and this morning I was at the back of the classroom grabbing something when it happened. A huge bird flew into my classroom. It was confused and got out after a few laps around the room. The kids started screaming "it's a bird" and I actually ran into the closet. If there would have been a kid in my way I am positive that I would have taken them down (and not thought twice about it). I don't know what surprised the kids more...a bird in the classroom or me running to the closet. I tried to play it off like important math stuff was going to fall of the shelf and I was the only one who could stop the destruction of so many important lessons, but I'm not so sure they bought it. For those of you who don't know, birds are my biggest fear in life. I know it seems illogical, but one incident with a family of Blue Jays and you will be in the same boat. I have been known to hit the ground after hearing the sound of threateningly close wings.

I have a girl in my class that is teaching me a lot about the Samoan people and culture. We eat lunch in our classroom, and I was talking to this group of girls and I asked one of them what their favorite food was. I don't even remember what she said she liked because she immediately started talking about how her mother loves to eat horse. Yes you read it right...horse. I was trying to not act shocked, but I asked her if you can buy horse at the store so that I could get more information. You would think it would be an absurd question, but you haven't been to KS mart. (the main "grocery store") She said that they don't buy the meat because the grandad killed the horse, which I guess is supposed to make it so much better. They are actually Tongans, and let me tell you that they will eat ANYTHING...horse, cat, pig, chicken, dog. I don't know how authentic this is, but someone told me that they like black dogs the best. Something about black dogs having the best meat. I'll have to take my picture of Stella down before the mom comes in for a parent conference.

Last night my team teacher came over to talk about stuff for school (she lives next door, so she didn't come far) and when she was leaving she left me with some disturbing information. She said that she noticed that I turned my porch light off at night which I do because electricity is 3x's electricity in the states, and I am poor. She proceeded to tell me that I needed to leave it on because when they moved here three months ago they had a problem with someone trying to get into their house at night. That's just what I wanted to hear because I live by myself in a land of the largest people I have ever seen. I have felt really safe up to this point, and then my sense of security was crushed. The Ashleys have a large gate around their property in the front, and bushes between the house and the golf course in the back so I think I'm okay. I would think if the bushes or gate wouldn't stop someone the dogs would. All I know is that I was temporarily freaked out. When I got ready to go to bed I took everything of any value, put it on my bed, and locked my bedroom door.

I can't get my camera to work with my computer so I can't post any pictures as of yet, but I am working on it.

I have found my calling...

2005-09-28T18:10:00.000-11:00

I’m pretty sure I am on the road to becoming the best teacher ever. Being my second day of school I am basically a seasoned pro with everything second grade. I’m just kidding but I really do like my job, and I really like my kids. I personally think they are really funny. For example, today we were talking about flight and the Wright brothers, and the kids were asking questions about when they were alive and when they died. Both brothers were born in the late 1800’s and one of my kids raised his hand and seriously asked they lived before there was color. I thought it was really cute. My classroom is slowly coming along, and I have decided that I am not going to decorate it like I could. I don’t have the energy and the humidity kills everything. While I am on the subject of my classroom let me tell you of 3 extremely disturbing things that take residence there. First of all there are cockroaches. Before coming here I did not know that there are two kinds of cockroaches in this world. One kind comes around because of filth, food, or whatever. We have all seen them in the states. They are smallish and fast. What I didn’t know, however, is that there is a whole breed that comes out to feast on wood and paper. If I was a cockroach I could think of no better place to gorge myself than in a 1st/2nd grade classroom. These on the other hand are quite large. You really don’t see them in the day, but you know they are there. The paper that is left out has nibble marks on it from them. Another scary animal that has taken refuge in my classroom is a wasp. So far I believe that this wasp is flying solo, but you never know. I have always been told with any kind of rodent that if you see one there are thousands behind the walls. I hope this isn’t the case. I thought that the wasp lived in this hole in my ceiling, but when I told the teacher next door she told me that “No, that’s where the rat has been coming in”. What? I know rats were not on the brochure, but apparently they are everywhere. People are acting like I am so naive because I didn’t know the island was infested with rats. We are not talking Stewart Little either. Apparently they are the size of rabbits. I don’t know what any of you would do in a situation where you saw a rat that was rabbit sized, in fact, I don’t know what I will do when I see this allusive and creepy creature, but lets all hope that students are not around. So far animals are the only drawback to my job, so it’s promising, but I’m not sure if it is my calling. What is my calling though is far greater than anything I could have imagined. Polynesian Dancing. Let me just though out there that I started classes tonight. I am not what most would call “good” yet, but I have faith in myself. Those Polynesians really know how to move. I probably wont be able to walk tomorrow, but “no pain, no gain”. That’s what I’ve always said. Until next time…

I broke down and did it...

2005-09-28T16:19:00.000-11:00

Apparently this is the week of large purchases for me. First I bought a cell phone that was double what it should have cost. But for the low, low price of .15 cents a minute I can call the States. I set my alarm to get up extra early this morning so that I could talk to my parents. By extra early, I mean like right at 4. It was so exciting. I called both parents and when they answered neither one thought it was going to be me, so that was exciting. Another big purchase I made tonight was at the Korean Market, which could be the coldest place ever. I finally broke down and bought coke. Well Diet Pepsi to be precise. Yes, I paid $3.85 for a 6 pack. I feel surprisingly good about my purchase too. I haven't even opened one yet because I thought that would be a great incentive to get going in the morning. I can not wait.

It has rained non stop since 4 this morning. I am hoping that we will have a rain delay tomorrow, because the roads aren't paved. Let's all just keep our fingers crossed. I am so tired, and today was a trying day at school. Because it rained so hard, the kids were not able to go outside at all. That means that they were bouncing off the wall. It was really hard to try to reign them back in. In fact, it almost didn't happen because of a mutiny that was arising among the 2nd grade girls. They started talking in Samoan and getting louder and louder throughout the day. Of course, I have no idea what they are talking about. I can't even hear where one word ends and another begins. It just sounds like a string of sounds and grunts. Who knows. Tomorrow I may have to outlaw Samoan. Who knows. I should be on cloud nine because I will have put an end to my 7 day spree. I am going to post pictures tomorrow.

Please tell me this is a movie...

2005-09-27T16:33:00.000-11:00

The Samoan people are very interesting. A few nights ago I went out to eat for a birthday, and we ate at this place called "The Reef". The food was good (I had a cheeseburger..not roots) and so was the service. The fact that they don't tip here made the night even better, but when I thought my night was at its apex a fantastically entertaining thing happened. Half of the restaurant burst into song. It was a notch below a musical. It was magical. They were singing some church songs which made it even better, but I am still a little confused as to how the song was chosen and the pitch was set without any suspicious dialogue. The Samoan people have very good voices on a whole. They also love to sing (which could account for a lot), however, the thing that surprised me was how loud they sing. It is almost deafening which is a good segway into church on Sunday morning. Let me begin with this. I walked into church Sunday morning by myself because Mara was still at the car and we were running almost late. I felt like I had 3 legs or something incredibly deforming about me because people were staring. It was like they had never seen a white person before. I can’t imagine how they would gawk if I didn’t have somewhat of a tan. Church was good though, but these little kids (maybe 11 or 12) sat behind me and sang as loud as they could. I, in fact, have never heard such volume from a tyke. It was kind of a catch 22 because it was really sweet that they were so enthusiastic about worship, but on the other hand I value my eardrums. Another thing I noticed about singing at church is that they sing the same songs that I have known for years but they don’t sing the same notes I do. They have basically made up a line of music, and being an outsider it is hard to follow. You also never know when they are going to bust into Samoan, which does not sound like actual words but grunts. I am trying to pick up something but it’s harder than I thought. Heck, I can’t even pronounce Samoa correctly. It’s Sa (like saw) Mo (like the o in cold) an. I’m trying to get it down, and I am going to work very hard and try to be semi fluent when I come home in June. Until next time…

It's my first day

2005-09-27T16:31:00.000-11:00

Today was my first day of school, and boy was it a dewsey. The actual day went really well, and the lessons went smoothly. I was able to fake competence in the subject areas, and they totally bought it. I have 11 1st and 2nd graders. 4 are 1st grade and 7 are 2nd grade. It’s more difficult than I thought to cover lessons that catch both grades and allow them to do quality work, but once I get into the swing of things it will get easier.

I have always thought that I was supposed to be a thin girl because my ankles are quite small, but after a day of school I officially have cankles. (For those who don’t know what a cankle is it’s when your calf blends right into your ankle…it’s a more passé way of saying thick ankled). It seriously looks like I have 2 grapefruits shoved in my skin. I am wishing that I didn’t make fun of the teachers who dressed up in their skirts with tennis shoes in my past. I am seriously considering becoming one of them.

Pacific Horizons is an English speaking school, and all my students are fluent in the language but there is a big problem. The problem is that we speak different forms of English. I, of course, speak Texan so they have no idea what I am talking about sometimes. For example, tomorrow they are going to go outside for P.E. so at the end of the day I said “don’t forget your tennis shoes tomorrow.” They all whipped around and looked at me in bewilderment. I have learned that they call them sneakers. Another thing is the trash can. Some of them call it a rubbish can. The only time I have actually heard rubbish in a real conversation was on Harry Potter. It’s funny to see the difference in language between Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, and Texas. Let me go ahead and say there is a big one.

I am going to try to post pictures of my classroom and my students within the next couple of days. Until next time…

Indifferently

2005-09-26T19:07:00.000-11:00

There are a lot of things this true blooded West Texas girl is having trouble getting used to here in American Samoa. I have decided to put these minor to major differences in list form.
1. The geckos on the walls. I know I have stated this many times, but something isn't right when you turn on the light and they scatter all over the walls. I am glad they are here for 2 reasons though. A). They eat mosquitoes. And b). They are company when I am holed away in my apartment by myself. In fact, there is a small greenish gecko what looks minorly deformed that I have named Gimp.

2. The time change is a major downfall. My body is having a hard time adjusting to the time. I am ready to go to bed at 5, but I force myself to stay up until at least 9. The bad thing about that is that at 4 am I am up and at em. I have always been a little on the last minute and lazy side and I am having a hard time accepting that I am up before the birds and the sun.

3. The humidity. I really don't think I have to do much explaining. Right now we are just starting Spring in A.S. and it is only about 85 degrees outside. Coupled with the 100% humidity makes it a different story though. My body is trying to adjust although it's having a hard time. My deodorant isn't working and I actually stink when I come home at night which is a pleasant thought. I would spray myself down with perfume but the humidity changes the way that it smells on my skin to an unpleasant musk.

4. The dogs. The dogs in American Samoa are heartbreaking until they attack with deadly force. I am going out on a limb here, but I think that there may be more stray dogs that American Samoans. The sad thing about this is these are not the cute and cuddly dogs. These look like a cross between dead and hyena usually with all sorts of painful ailments. Its hard to see dogs without legs and with tumors all over their bodies waste away to skin and bone, but these things are vicious. These dogs fight with a vengeance that I have never seen. I am woken up 3 or more times a night because of it. It is scary. I don't go anywhere near them if I can help it.

5. Tuna. Both Starkist and Chicken of the Sea process and package all of their tuna here. They package it in a string of warehouses. I went on a tour of the island and had to drive past the 5+ warehouses, and I was nauseated. It is a stench that is worse than anything I have ever smelled. All of the workers are outside rotating though breaks so you don't want to hold your nose while you are driving though, and it's too far to hold your breath. So inevitably you end up breathing it in. Even if you happen to breathe it in your mouth, you taste a rancid smell. I really intended on coming here and being open to new foods, but tuna isn't one of them. I know you are never supposed to say never, but I can almost guarantee that I will NEVER allow tuna to touch my lips.

6. Coke. I am using coke as a broad term here for any caffeinated beverage. I went to the knockoff Sams (Cost U Less) yesterday fully intending to purchase a Coke product of some kind, because I have not had a Coke since I stepped foot off the plane. That's 4 days for those of you who were wondering. Anyway, a 24 pack of Coke here is 18 US Dollars. That comes out to 75 cents for 12 ounces or 6 cents an ounce. I just can't do it. Mr. Pibb was even like 15 dollars for a 24 pack. Who drinks Mr. Pibb?

The island is great though just different than I am used to. I am so thankful that I am here though. Beautiful scenery and friendly people. I am really excited to live and learn this culture for this year.

The Longest Day

2005-09-24T10:47:00.000-11:00

I never thought that I would become a blogger, but I have succumbed to its easy accessibility, wealth of information, and use of time. Most of you are painfully aware that in a whirlwind decision, I packed up and moved to American Samoa. The island is so small that it looks like a miniature discoloration on the map, but maybe that is a good thing. It keeps tourists away and lets those of us who actually live here get an authentic experience.
The flight here was long. I boarded the plane in Lubbock at 5:30 am, and had to sit by a very interesting fellow. He was on his way back from medical leave from basic training. He knew that his last hours of smoking were upon him so he took the liberty to smoke 7-12 packs before boarding. He was also a gimp. This kid, literally, had his arm in one of those post surgery sling things that force your arm to stay at a constant 90 degree angle. I felt semi sorry for him but that doesn't mean that I wanted his arm as a chin rest. After I said so long to him I got an even more interesting experience with a male softball team. Somehow I was placed in the center of a middle aged male softball team. Sounds innocent enough, but this team was full of those creepy high school coaches with a second agenda. Never the less, they kept me entertained for 5 hours with stories that I am still trying to decide the authenticity of. The flights from there on were fairly routine, and I was lucky enough to get the row to myself from Honolulu to Pago Pago. I just knew that I was going to have to sit next to one of the biggest people that I have ever seen, but instead I was able to lay down and sleep.
Getting off of the plane was an interesting experience. Because the airport is poles with a roof, you have to walk down the stairs and hike to the airport. The minute I stepped outside the plane I felt like I had been hit a wall of humidity. I can not stop talking about it because I have never felt anything like it. On the other hand, the humidity allows American Samoa to be breathtakingly beautiful.
I took a tour of the island yesterday, and it is amazing. I went by the school and saw my classroom and met my kids. It is going to be such a great learning experience for me and hopefully them too. I also saw "downtown" and the tuna canneries. I said that I would be more open minded and less picky about food while I was down here, but driving by the tuna factory changed my mind. I can almost promise that I will NEVER ever allow tuna to touch my lips. I can't wait to experience all of the adventures that this island is promising to provide. Until next time....