A Bad Day on the Rock

This morning I awoke around my usual time of 6:15, jumped in the shower and emerged fifteen minutes later refreshed and ready to start my day. I was extra excited because Jesse and I had plans to start our first day with the paddling group at the Yacht Club in Pago Harbor after school. Thanh and I were making our typical PB&J's for lunch when we heard something that sounded like a huge dump truck driving down the road. A moment later the house began to shake and we realized that there was no truck, just an earthquake. The quake got worse and after staring mutely for a few moments we realized that we should get outside. It was the most surreal minute or so as we stood outside watching out house and the trees around it move independently, while the ground below us shook. The worst of it over, but my landlady's cars still moving back and forth, I ran over and knocked on the door, asking her if she knew if we should go to high ground. I assumed this would be relatively normal for her, but she looked concerned and her son Dave, who is six, looked terrified. Salu informed us that this was the worst quake that she had ever felt here, and that we should be prepared for the possibility of a tsunami warning.

Thanh and I figured that school would know what was going on, so we packed our school bags (mine including my passport, wallet and external hard drive just in case) and walked the few minutes to school. As we arrived we saw teachers and administration gathered around the office brows furrowed with concern. Moments after our arrival our acting principal, Dorian, gave the cue for evacuation. Thanh and I walked throughout the school speedily rounding up the students that were there, thankful that since it was still about an hour til school would start that there were not too many. With the the students assembled we began the evacuation to higher ground following the disaster plan.

While all of this was going on, myself, Thanh, and the kids were mostly just excited to have a day off from school, and while Thanh and I were taking the evacuation very seriously on the inside we didn't think there would be any tsunami since it had been forty years since the last. I would gladly go back and have school if it meant that we could have avoided the tsunamis.

The evacuation route lead us to the gas station which was the gathering point, but as word trickled in that there was actually a tsunami that hit, we continued the kids on to higher ground stopping at the nearby private high school, Marist. Once at the school we got the students settled in the hallways, and joined the teachers and administration at the entrance to hear teh news. Slowly reports trickled in that a 15 ft wave had hit Pago, that the waterfront area of Leone was hit hard too, and that more waves were possible. Immediately my mind turned to our friends in other parts of the island, especially our friend Jesse who always is at school near Pago early.

At this point despite the phones not working much, and all lines being busy, I got a call from my mom who had heard the news online and was very concerned. I assured her that I was fine and at high ground, and gave her the quick run down of what had happened. After getting off the phone, I finally made contact with Jesse who told me that she was fine, having joined her students in running up a mountain.

The next few hours was a waiting game. While sitting around at the school I alternated trying to call people to see if they were ok, and talking to family and friends back home. I was most worried about two friends, Taylor and Scott (see birthday post) who recently moved to a house on the ocean out further west than us.

Finally the tsunami warning was removed and we were about to send the kids home. Before we went our separate ways, the students present from Leone HS, Midkiff, and Marist along with the teachers and staff joined hands in a large circle, and we prayed and sang. Amidst all the tragedy and worry it was a beautiful thing to see people come together as one. However, no one yet knew the true extent of the damage.

We received a ride home from a woman who picked up her kids at Marist, and she related to us the story of her sister who works in Pago plaza in the same building on the second floor, right above the NPS office. She talked about how the wave came at the building and she thought that she was going to die, but thankfully the second floor was spared.

At home we knew that we would face no power and unsafe drinking water. So with bottled water in hand we set of to see the damage in Leone. I was not expecting it to be as bad as it was, and I was amazed to see that entire houses were missing, cars were thrown into other houses, and debris was everywhere. I cannot really explain it but check out the pictures and video. For some reason my memory card thing isn't working so I cannot get my pictures out, but these are some I stole from my friend Raj. One video is from some random people, the other two are footage from my roommate Thanh. You can tell which because you can hear me rambling in the background.

Tsunami Aftermath

Now I fully began to understand the magnitude of this disaster. During my walking around I was amazed to find that the people we not crying but stoically surveying the scene. I am not sure if it was shock or acceptance but it was present. I also noticed that the Samoan attitude of laughing at things that are uncomfortable or upsetting was in full swing as many people would occasionally laugh at something or another. I appreciated this as joking is how I typically deal with my upset feelings, and at least I wouldn't be looked on as disrespectful here. One of the worst moments was when I ran into one of my students in the debris. He is typically one of the most cocky and misbehaving seniors I have, and although he was had become remarkably more well behaved in the last week he never lost his swagger. However as I saw him today I can say that I never imagined he could look so solemn and dejected. All I wanted was for that cocky attitude to come back.

Finally returning back home, I was exhausted both mentally and physically so lay down to sleep as I felt I couldn't take anything more at the moment. I awoke to the sounds of Salu and her niece Flo, who is an EMT, talking. I joined them outside and learned that the official death toll released by the hospital was up to 29, but Flo said that in reality it will be much higher as there are still dozens of people missing. She reconfirmed that 6 were announced dead in Leone, one a little girl from the elementary school, and that at least 10 more were missing, some of them also young kids who had been on their way to school. This somber news was joined with the information that Pago was utterly wiped out near the water, and that there was a chance that there could be another tsunami tonight or tomorrow. Great. Keep the emergency bag packed.

For the rest of the night I have been listening to information and stories trickle in from friends here on the island, and friends back home. I try to keep telling myself that some of this information may not be accurate, because honestly some of it scares me shitless. I still haven't been able to contact Taylor and Scott and was getting worried. However, Ben came home and related a story to us that he heard from the volleyball coach at our school who lives near where Taylor and Scott do, just up the side of the mountain. Apparently him and his family were high enough to be safe, so after the quake they actually watched the big waves come in and pound the coast below. Between a break in a few he saw a car flooring it to escape the area by driving up the mountain road. He said that literally feet behind the car was the hugest wave yet and he said that he thought for sure that they were going die. Thankfully the car made it and as it moved closer he could tell that they were palagis. As there are not too many palagis in the area there is a good chance that his story could be about Taylor and Scott, which is great in terms of them being alive, but horrible since they are probably terrified and homeless right now. Tomorrow I plan on calling there workplace where her aunt also works to see if they are alright.

KC and Courtney had a rough experience out in Manu'a. Although in the end they didn't receive any major tsunami action, they were terrified because not only is their house on the beach, but their school is too. The were at school when they noticed the ominous sign of the ocean receding which typically precedes a tsunami. The lack of organization was apparently indecent as teachers and students alike climbed into trucks or ran up the mountain. KC talked about how some students just waited at the bus stop next to the ocean as if the bus was going to come, not understanding that a tsunami could be coming in minutes. Thankfully she and other teachers were able to get the kids all to safety uo the mountain. I cannot even imagine how terrifying it must have been to have seen the water recede and be expecting a tsunami to crash into you at any moment. Thankfully they are all ok, but sadly some of her students have family that died in Pago.

In addition, Raj called me and related some stories that he had heard when he was down in Leone. It seems that one of the students that we both have lives directly on Leone Bay and was home when the wave hit. According to Raj the only reason that our student survived is that he managed to cling to a concrete post as the waves swept thought his house, completely destroying it, leaving him with cuts and scratches all over his arms, legs, and face. Thank God that he is OK, but his uncle is one of those who didn't make it.

Most of you know that I am doing my Master's work through the National Park here, and while I haven't gotten much done yet since I am still settling with school I have met and gotten to know some of the staff. I had heard that the NPS office and visitor center had been especially hard hit, but I didn't realized just how bad it was. Once power and internet were back up I received the horrible news that as of mid-day, Mike (the superintendent of the park), reported that they were only able to locate a fifth of the park staff. A fifth! I was terrified to think that those super nice people I had met at the park could be injured or worse, and immediately sent emails to those at the park I was in contact with asking if they and the other were alright, and if they need any sort of help (I have no idea how I could be of help but I felt like I should offer) and to please let me know.

Part of me is dreading waking up tomorrow as I am worried that the day will only bring terrible news of the deaths of students, student's families, friends, and acquaintances. I am trying to hope for the best. While I haven't known anyone here for more than a few months or very intimately, my fondness for this island and it's people that has developed since I have arrived leaves me feeling heartbroken at this destruction.

I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I am going to try to face it head on and do whatever I can to help my community rebuild and move on.

Storming the Point

This weekend we decided to take it easy as the past one had been pretty intense. Friday Jesse and I kicked it fall style by hitting up the football game after we went out to get some Chinese with folks. The game was actually a really good game, but our offense is HORRIBLE - but our defense make up for it with it's amazingness. Let's just say that our defense put us at the goal line three times in the last quarter -four and out once, blocked field goal, and interception - and the offense never capitalized. Sadly it was a frustrating loss even if it was an exciting game.After the game we headed to a party for Bobby's birthday at the Tafuna house, but I was just so tired I couldn't get into it and caught a ride home with the other Leone folks pretty early.

Saturday was glorious. The weather was some of the most perfect we have had: about 85 degrees, sunny blue skies, a gentle breeze and the water as smooth as glass. Jesse and I decided that this would be the day to 'storm the point'. This was our elaborate plan to show up unannounced at our friends' Matt and Max's house located on Coconut Point which sounds pretty touristy, but is actually an area of houses right along a stretch of coast sheltered from the waves by a fringing reef. We showed up with beers of placation, and proceeded to dump our stuff in their house and head to the beach across the street leaving a sleepy Max looking slightly confused.

What followed were several hours of ridiculously perfect bliss, during which Jesse and I lounged on sandy substrate in the perfect 81 degree turquoise water gazing out upon the beautiful east side coast. For real it was insanely sweet. Check the pics.

I added more to my Picasa Album so check those too.

A September to Remember

Downside of the amazing beach adventure was that later I was hit with a bad bout of dehydration that took some slow sipping of water and a four hour nap to heal, but I was up in time for some late night chats and Princess Bride at Rosemary and Brigit's where I ended up crashing.

Sunday consisted of an equally relaxing and satisfying day of school work and grading at Pizza Hut with football games on, air conditioning, and free Diet Pepsi refills (halelujia!). Now I am pretty much caught up with my school work, and enjoying this lovely week of class with my ever more endearing students. We'll see how these feelings keep up...

Peace!

Hey, Noah! Could We Borrow Your Boat?

9/22/09 3:17 AM

I bolt up from my slumber registering the word flood. I cock my head to the side and hear voice outside my door, so I put on my shorts and open it inquiring, "Did someone say flood?" Ben's friend Paul, who is staying with us, was standing in front of Ben's open door midway through trying to explain to him that our kitchen was flooding.

Ben and I groggily hurry into the kitchen, and see that there is water shooting out of a pipe under our sink, soaking the floor and the area around. I run to my room and get my trusty headlamp, and run out back to find the shut off valve for the hot water, which thankfully was easy to find. Back in the kitchen we were assessing the damage, and notice that our floor slopes slightly which was a pain in this case as it cause there had to be about an inch of water covering the floor in the far part of the kitchen, and our living room. Knowing how things mold here, we started getting to work on the water right away which involved me with a broom, Ben with a Swiffer and Paul with a towel. After a few minutes Thanh come out looking thoroughly confused so we explained the situation and she joined in the fun. 45 minutes and many towels and broom strokes later were had swept most of the water out the back door, and had all of our fans on high blowing on the floor.

Overall, a very unique way to start a Tuesday.

I Got a Fever

On Fridays at Leone we are allowed to were casual clothes and the students and staff wear a shirt of a school color. Our school colors are green and yellow, so when it is a day to wear yellow they call it "yellow fever". Git it? It's funny because it is a disease. So what fever do we have to get on Fridays when we wear green? Jungle fever.


Not a problem, I have that everyday.

School Insanity

Please take a moment to answer this question honestly: "Am I a type A person?"

If the answer is yes, NEVER EVER EVER come work in American Samoa, especially if you are a teacher.

Since I am a total type B, I'm cool with how things go down here, but allow me to give you just a few more fun facts about what it is like to teach here. Keep in mind that they overarching theme is "chaos". Two weeks ago there was a letter to the editor in the paper about how it was unfair that Leone gets off at 1:40 two days a week and at 2:30 the other days, while the other high schools get out at 3:00 every day. Hilarity ensued as our school received word just two days later that the DOE just noticed that our schedule was not fulfilling the minimum amount of instructional time for each day. They say that the schedule was only approved at the DOE by two people, and that this lack of hours just came to their attention. The funny part is that Leone has been using this schedule for the last TWO YEARS. Somehow the DOE didn't notice that there were not enough instructional hours at our high school for TWO YEARS. It took a parent writing a letter to the editor to get noticed. So two weeks ago we began having our block schedule run until 3, which by the way they didn't tell the teachers until the day it started. Surprise!

That's not all… the next Thursday (which was this past Thurs) our administration informed us that the block schedule simply would not work with the new hours we needed, so that starting Monday we would be starting with an entirely new non-block 6 periods a day schedule. So throw you lesson plans for block out the window, because in three days you will have 50 minute classes daily.

Monday rolls around and the new schedule is in place, and the students are PISSED. One of my brightest students was talking to me about actually getting the students to go on strike, and I told her that I would be right on the picket line because change that fast is crazy.

Just as we are settling into our schedules, today I find out that we are changing our schedules – yet again – to go from 4 classes in the am and 2 in the pm, to 3 and 3, starting next week. Oh, and starting next we are also having homerooms, which were just posted outside for the kids to see. Funny, I wasn't given a homeroom list…

After some counting I realized that in our seven weeks of school so far we have had 4 entirely different schedules. All with at most two days notice. How chaotic is that?



So there you have it – just a few reasons you should never, ever, ever, ever come work here if you are type A. You may flip out.

PS. On the positive side, we had an assembly this Monday morning to try to cheer the kids up and get them on the administrations good side. It consisted of performances from the "Brightest Stars" group, which is a collection of the most talented singers between middle school and college ages around the island. IT's actually pretty sweet because I guess there are people form American Idol coming and the one who is the best gets to have a trip to be on the show, but this might just be hearsay. Regardless, there were some pretty sweet performances and they were in accordance to classic Samoan taste. This means that there were some pretty fly renditions of some 80's love ballads, a little Miley Cyrus, "My Girl", R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" and a duet of Backstreet Boy's "Quit Playing Games with My Heart".

To better understand how performances work here, you need to imagine a concert. When the singer hits a high note, or performs a sweet run everyone in the audience screams and cheers, with many jumping up from their seats and punching the air. Even more awesome, in Samoan 'fiafia' tradition people walk up to the stage and throw money at the singer's feet, or go up on stage and put money in their shirt (yes, I know you are equating this to strippers, but its traditional here…). The best though is that when people go up they will also sometimes kiss the performer on the cheek. So when the stud who sang the R. Kelly was up there he was literally almost knocked over while girls were shoving money down his shirt, kissing him, and taking pictures – all while he is trying to sing! He deserved it though; the kid had an amazing voice.

It was a great way to improve moral as the kids and we the teachers loved to hear the singing, and were dying laughing as some of the singers were assaulted by fans with money and overzealous affection. It made me realize yet again, that if I leave next year, I am going to miss the assemblies here, as I don't think there is anything quite like them in the states.

24 - Ready or Not Here I Come

(9-21-09)

I had not been looking forward to my up coming birthday these past few weeks as I am not a fan of even numbers or osteoporosis, but I was getting excited as birthday plans developed. As everyone in our group are about the nicest people ever, everyone wanted to know what I wanted to do for my birthday and I told them that all I really wanted was snorkeling at Fagatele Bay. As the weekend approached I was hoping that the weather would hold out, and come Friday it was insanely perfect. I took the bus into Pago and the ocean was calm, the skies bright blue, and the temp hovering at about 80. Basically it was paradise. Thanh and I spent the afternoon reading under in a fale by the harbor, and then met Rosemary and Julia at a Mexican restaurant. The food was delicious, but the atmosphere was poisonous. The décor was from cerca 1975, and the music of choice was a medley of love ballads from about the same era. We later had some drinks at Sadie's by the Sea, and then hitched to the night market were we tried some 'sua fai' which is a hot tapioca kind of drink that tastes like liquid banana bread, and looks like banana bread that came back up after eating. Pretty tasty though. We ended the night by hijacking a cannery bus (ok maybe we just asked nicely) to get to Malio Mai, the bar down on the ocean. We ran into some friends who were at a faculty party and had a fun night dancing and hanging out. Sometime after midnight everyone assaulted me with happy birthday wishes, and even got the band to announce that it was my birthday and sing happy birthday to me in Samoan. My friends are seriously too nice here. After bumming a ride home with a palagi we just met, we crashed for the night at Rosemary's house.


Saturday dawned, and I ran to the window to inspect the weather and what did I see? SUN! No clouds! Thanh and I caught an early bus home, got ready, and met up at our meeting point with everyone who was going on the hike. Soon our nice big group was assembled and we headed down to the trailhead in groups. The trail and beach were absolutely beautiful, but I will let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

  Check out Picasa for the rest:

A September to Remember

After a much needed shower and rest, we eventually met back at Jade for some Chinese food, and then headed to the Tafuna House for some chilling. Of course the night ended at the Bowling Club with some dancing, and my birthday was complete as they played "Hips Swing" by Savage without me even having to request it! All in all it was definitely one of the best birthdays I have ever had.



PS. First ever horrible B-day sunburn. Please note how hilarious my tan lines are.

The Magic Circus of Samoa

Last weekend (11^th-13^th) was a pretty darn good time as our friends teaching out on Manu'a all got flown in for the weekend for an inservice. It was really nice to get to see everyone, especially KC and Courtney as we hadn't seen them in five weeks. Friday we decided to go out for some delicious dinner at a Korean/Chinese restaurant called Manuia since KC and Courtney had forgotten the taste of fresh vegetables. WE had a great time catching up, and as usual KC and Courtney's presence brought out the crazy in me and before long I somehow found myself shooting spitballs back and forth with KC and Courtney in our little private room. Of course as soon as KC dared me to hit the mural the waitress walks in, and just stares at me in disbelief. I am like a deer in the headlights – but manage to blurt out an apology and luckily she thought it was hilarious that a teacher was caught shooting spitballs instead of a kid.


Thoroughly embarrassed, I was glad to leave and we thereafter headed to the Leone game. It was a great game as we crushed 44 – 0 and KC and Court were loving seeing large groups of people and some sports. After the game we hung out and crashed at Julia's. The good fun actually came the next night when we decided to go the "Magic Circus of Samoa" which had been set up in Lions park near where we stayed for our orientation. It was only around for three weeks so we figured we would go to check it out. As we arrived we noticed that it was the perfect quaint little circus size, and it was pretty cool because it was a circus but definitely was Samoa style.

While the circus was interesting, even better was the fact that I was kicked out.

Yep, you heard me – I was kicked out of the circus.


Here's the story: So everyone knows that you can take pictures at the circus, just not any flash photography because it can distract and endanger the performers. I knew this, and they made announcements about it about a million times. However, the people in front of us used their flash a couple of times and the security would come over and yell at them. Then they were using their phones and the security thought they were recording the performers (which you cannot do). Near the intermission I had just opened up my camera to take a picture and forgot that since I had powered off and on again that I would have to again turn off the flash. One flash later the security was on me.


"Madam that was your last chance you have to leave."


"But that was the only time I did anything!"


"You have had too many warnings."


"No. That was the people in front of us!"


"Madam, please, you have to leave the boss said so." He mentions as he points to the ringleader who apparently pointed and me and made the 'get out' sign.


"Uh. Ok."


Frustrated at the injustice of it all, I tell my friends it's cool and that I will meet them after the show, and leave before I can be escorted out. I get out of the big top and had a seat on a bench near the road and start to think of where I should go at this point. I just decided to head over to a birthday party for one of our group when the security guard who kicked me out came over to me and asked what I was doing. I explained to him that I was about to call my other friends and meet them. He asked me why I kept using my flash when I knew it was against the rules and I politely explained to him the circumstances. He seemed understanding and told me as much, but it was the boss's call and I guesss once he makes it he doesn't change his mind. We end up chatting for a while, me asking him what it's like to work security for the circus and him asking me what the heck I was doing in AmSam anyways. After a bit he tells me that he can sneak me back in if I will just wait a little bit, and when the coast is clear go sit on the other side of the tent. Another guy comes out and we chat, and soon after the guy peeks into the side of the tent and gives me the all clear to sneak back in. With a fist-bump of thanks, I head back in to watch the show.


Twenty minutes later at the intermission I meet up with everyone and my security friend tells me that I can probably go back and sit with them without being noticed. Luckily the rest of the show passed without incident, or any of us risking pictures. Looking back I would say that the night was far more interesting and memorable with the getting kicked out so I feel as all went well for the night. Final moral: Ringleaders = mean, security guys = awesome.

A Couple More Pics

Just a few more pics.

Still Living the Dream

Randomness of My Life

Here are some tidbits of the randomness of my life right now.

• Ben (my roommate) caught a rat with his bare hand – and decapitated it with his utility knife. Sweet.
  
• Hitchhiking and jerry rigged busses are my main form of transportation.
  
• I count dead toads-in-the-roads on my way to school (8 min walk = high of 43)
  
• Walking to Kelly and Raj's for game nights (or anywhere else at night) we carry sticks and rocks to beat wild dogs if they get to close.
  
• I sometimes get cold and put on jeans and a long sleeve shirt – then find out is 83°
  
• I cannot for the life of me find anywhere that sells diet pepsi in anything larger than a can.
  
• The biggest birthday parties here are for 1 and 2 year olds.
  
• You usually have to try a few times to call anyone here – and I cannot call Steve Mattis and only Steve Mattis on my phone.
  
• EVERYONE knows EVERYONE. So you can never do anything in public you don't want your students and co-workers to know about.

Rain, Rain, (and Near Death Experiences) Go Away…

This past weekend was delightfully long, and since we had an extra day to enjoy we ended up heading out to Tisa's Barefoot Bar out on the eastside, and then staying over at Bobby and Molly's house in Alofa'ou. It was the first time that I had been to the eastside since our Island tour on our first day here. The only downside is that all Saturday and Sunday it was rainy. And concerning Sunday, when I say rainy I mean the tropical rain that you don't understand if you have never been to a tropical area. Imagine the most intense downpour you have seen in the states and then double that and make it last for half a day. Due to the rain the weekend was enjoyable more for savoring each other's company and not so much the beautiful, rugged coasts of the eastside.

On Sunday we hitched a ride back to Pago Pago, where Rosemary, Brigit, and I camped out in McDonalds to wait for friends who were meeting us, and to watch CNN.

Eventually we let to meet people at a Mexican restaurant that we had seen in the guide book they gave us had Sunday movie nights. In classic Samoan form that was no longer the case and the restaurant was actually closed. So we quickly changed gears and headed to our usual Thursday hang out, Rubble's – which says "7 Days a Week" on the door – but of course is also closed on Sunday. Finally we made it to Hong Kong house and scored some Chinese food with John, Cynthia, Thanh, and Ben.

John and Cynthia ended up staying overnight so that we could try to get some hiking and beach time in on Monday if the weather permitted. Now I already had liked John and Cynthia very much, but after Sunday night and Monday Thanh and I have officially agreed that they are ridiculously awesome. Maybe we had just been wowed by the awesome theological discussions, or because John saved Thanh's life on Monday. But I am getting ahead of myself…

Monday dawned, and we realized that it was probably not the best conditions to hike to Fagatele Bay due to the hard rains of the weekend and the amount of sediment in the water. However we figured that we would still head out to Sliding Rock for a while. When we arrive there we found the hugest surf that we had seen since we have been here – even Ben, our resident surfer, was impressed by the size of the waves. For a long time we just sat up on a high area far enough from the water and talked about organ donation and medicine and the like. Later we headed back more towards the road, but decided to sit with our legs in a little tidal pool, about 10 feet from the supratidal zone where we assumed (ha ha…) that we were safe.

If you have been reading this blog, then you know that I have before already learned of the danger of rogue waves at Sliding Rock first hand. And from a previous volunteer almost dying. And from the local response to "we are going to Sliding Rock" which is "lots of people die there". And my department head telling me two students died there on a field trip.

Apparently the lesson had not been reinforced enough.

As we a sitting with our legs in the tide pool we are fine for the first 20 minutes, but then we could see a huge swell coming in. Our response of course was to be excited as we figured we, being far from the water, would just get a little more water added to our pool. One way came and we were fine, but soon the rush of two more waves was added to the first, and before we knew it Thanh was tumbling backwards over rocks and I am holding on to her arm for life as she is getting sucked back in a channel towards the ocean. As the wave increase I loose hold of Thanh as I myself am pitched over the rock I was bracing myself on, but luckily managed to get a firmer grip on the next one. However from my vantage point I can see John, Thanh, and Ben getting swept further out, though luckily Brigit and Cynthia were safely out of the water. John had managed to grab hold of Thanh (who is not a great swimmer) but the force of the water had pushed Ben onto Thanh so that she was sandwiched between him and a rock. Ben realized that he was crushing Thanh and let the current take him (a true gentleman!) but John had thought that Ben had her and let her go.

I obviously don't realize all this is going on while it is happening; I am just seeing Thanh, Ben and John being swept out. At one point I see Ben swept our really far, and I thought it was Thanh so I start thinking that she is totally going to die. Thankfully it was Ben who was swept out the farthest, which isn't a mean thing it is just that he is obviously way more comfortable with the water.

Eventually the rush of water recedes, and the bodies are left stumbling in the sand and rocks. Thanh is so scratched up and even more shook up, Cynthia and John are hugging (they are so adorable) and Ben is swimming back in from the channel he had been suck far out into. After we collected our thoughts, we were laughing at how we almost ended up as the story of the 'stupid palagis who died at Sliding Rock'.

Now I feel as though I have effectively learned to respect the power of the ocean, which I feel I had been inaccurately equating with Lake Erie. Thanh may actually never swim here again. But she had a really good story to tell her students, and I was glad to have another good blog post, although I am sure it will soon have a comment from either of my parents admonishing me for almost dying. Again.

Love it.

Accept Cab Rides at Your Own Risk

(Written 9/04)

We have fallen into a tradition these past few weeks where a bunch of us in the area meet at Rubble's Bar on Thursdays at six to celebrate the end of the week and catch up on each others lives. It has become a great thing to look forward to, and helps to make the week seem to go ridiculously fast. So last night we were out as usual, having our long leisurely dinner but as we finish it began to pour. Typically we hitch back as it is pretty easy at that time of night, but the rain rather put a damper on our plans. Seven of us decided to split a cab (they let you squish as many as you can) as we were all going the same way, so we called for the cab and we requested an SUV. Ten minutes later the taxi shows up and it is a beat up old 80's SUV but we figure that it will do the job. Jesse climbed into the front seat, four crammed into the back seat, and Cynthia and I popped a squat in the back. After a few moments we realized that we were wallowing in the quite pungent send of aged vomit, but due to our flexibility were alright with it. As we are pulling out the rain is moving from hard to the 'you-don't-get-rain-like-this-back-home' type of hard which made the streets like rivers and visibility near zero, especially when added to the extremely fogged up inside of the car from the eight of us inside. Despite the weather and tight quarters we were high spirited and on the way home.

Enter drama. As we are driving something happens – I'm not sure if he ran over a curb under a puddle or dropped the clutch or what – but there was a might jerk and huge bump and I hear Cynthia saying in a calm voice;

"Hatchback. Hatchback. Hatchback…"

As she is starting to say this I turn to look just in time to see the hatch pop open and Cynthia almost tumble to her doom on the busy road with cars right behind us. Luckily she somehow grabbed the seat and Tanne grabbed her under the arm and stopped her from tipping backwards out of the SUV. Of course now everyone is noticing what is going on and is yelling at the driver to stop and holding on to Cynthia and I as the back was full of stuff and we weren't really secure. Of course with our luck our driver is not only not a great English speaker but was most likely drunk, although I didn't realize that until later. For about three solid minutes we are trying to explain to the driver that the back is open and he needs to pull over, all the while Cynthia and I are holding on for our lives as the combination of fast driving, horrible AmSam potholes and an insane pouring rain are threatening to jettison us from the car. Eventually he stops and jumps out and closes the hatch.

We continue on our way and drop off Brigit and Jesse, and are heading up the mountain to drop of Cynthia. Now Cynthia and her husband John live a little ways up a mountain, as it is halfway between their schools. The topography here is pretty extreme with a few flat areas like Leone and Tafuna, areas right along the coast, and then villages up mountains. Anytime you go up into the mountains here it is an extreme change in elevation, so driving up the road we are continuously going up a very steep hill. Rubbing the condensation off the inside of the windows we could see literal rushing rivers of water on either side of the road. Finally, we make it to Cynthia's house and we ask the driver to stop – but again with the English issues – and he ends up stoping a good distance away from her house. But we weren't going to be too picky so now we are trying to open the back of the cab so that Cynthia can get out (still torrentially pouring) but it is stuck from the inside. Kelly bravely offers to get out of the car and try to open the back and she gets absolutely soaked and still couldn't open the hatch. At this point our driver seemed to realize that we were parked in the middle of the road and started the car and continued driving to pull off the road further up – leaving Kelly back in the road somewhere. Abandoning the back, Cynthia crawls over the seat and gets out of the car on the driver's side and we yell hurried goodbyes. Meanwhile Raj opens the other back door to let Kelly back in, and all we see is a knee high rushing river and Kelly pulling herself along the car to get into the door. Finally safely back in, Kelly is 100% saturated and looks just like she went swimming.

Back on the move, we have only two stops left and both in Leone. I stayed in the back of the SUV just cause of the rain and lack of understanding of the driver so I am becoming mildly car sick due to crazy driving and the omnipresent smell of puke. Finally on the way to Leone and feeling like we have made it through the drama for the night, I mistakenly let my guard down. After a few minutes of driving we are going through some huge puddles and our driver runs off the road or over a rock or something because there is a bump large enough to made us airborn inside the car, and I smash my head on the ceiling and land painfully on a tire iron. More excitingly the hatch had opened up again and I had lost my grip on the seat due to the gigantic bump so I found myself inches from tumbling into the road out of the moving car. Luckily I grabbed on to something or someone, and soon after Tanne insisted that I go to the front seat. Once in we find out that the engine is flooded and we are stalled… of course… After another five minutes of trying to start the car and some hilarious faces from TAnne we are back on the road and make it to Kelly and Raj's house.

So it's down to the driver and me. And now that I am studying him from the front seat I am pretty sure hhe has the eyesight of Mr. Magoo and I have a sneaking suspicion that he had had something to drink. REgarless, I am very close to home now so I just tell him how to get to my house.

"Sir, you need to turn on the road to the high school which is coming up on the left."

He misses the turn.

"Um sir, you missed the turn it was right back there."

"Oooo ok hold on I turn."

He proceeds to turn around and head back to make the turn, however he is driving so fast and is so dang blind and probably drunk that he drives into the side of a parking lot thinking it's the road full speed, and slams on the breaks six inches from a telephone pole.

"Hee, hee. This is not the road…"

Really? I had no clue…

 

Love it.

Bits and Pieces

(written 9/03)

Just a little smattering of info for you today. To start off, some sad news – Cathy, the totally awesome sixty something in our group has to leave due to a detaching retina. Bummer! But eye problems are something you really don't want to mess with, and LBJ hospital here admits that they can do nothing for her on island. So it is quite a sad thing that she has to leave, but she is quite a trooper about it and has resigned herself to making the best of it. If it was me I think I would cry and then throw a fit which probably wouldn't help my retina stay attached.

Another interesting tidbit, I had my first fight in class yesterday (Wednesday – as who knows when I will have internet to post this… argh…) which started over by my desk while I was on the other side of the room helping some other students on their work. The two boys had started completely waling on each other with fists being thrown left and right, and by the time I got them one boy was slamming the other's head on my desk. Some of the kids in the class and I managed to grab the backs of the two boys and pull them apart – and then I laid down the full teacher voice. I almost scared myself.

Other kids who had thrown paper around the room were now staying after at lunch to clean, so I had the two fighting boys wait until they were done so that I could lock my door and walk them to the office. As I was writing up their referral, they realized that I wasn't messing around and, having calmed down, started to work together to try to get out of trouble.

"See, we are friends now!" They said shaking hands.

"You should have decided that before you fought…"

"Please Miss Kate! Please don't make us go to the office, I want to play in the football game the weekend. Pleeeeeeeeeeeassseeeeeeeee… I promise I will never do it again!"

"Sorry boys, I told you the first day you fight in my class you go to the office."

I stayed firm! Even thought they were so adorable all contrite and worried. But the blood running down one boy's lip, and the blood stains on the other's shirt kept me real. I still have no idea what they were fighting over, but I have come to learn that it doesn't take much here, because they are used to fighting as a way to solve a problem, and many like it.

However my story pales in comparison to Jesse's horror story from this week. During her first class on Monday (bear with me the details are shady…) there was a kids sitting in the back of the class. For some reason unknown to those of us who do not understand rapidly screamed Samoan, a bunch of graduates from some nearby village busted into class and proceeded to beat the living shitake out of the student. Jesse was of course at a loss for what to do (she is about 5'1 and very polite) and before help could arrive in the class the fight had gotten completely out of control. End of the story the kid who was attacked had to go to the hospital, and Jesse was left to literally clean up the blood splatters. Yikes. It makes my brawl look like a tickle fight.

Regardless, I love the kids. Even thought they fight they are sorry afterwards and are good for the most part. But I bet if I was Jesse I might change my tune.

Peace

 

PS. One of the kids in the fight in my class has quite possibly the best first name ever. EVER. Are you ready for it? Are you sure? His FIRST name is:

Super Bowl Mac Dallas Junior Mac

 

Love it.

Once Upon an Island Queendom…

(Written on 9/2)

Samoa is so different than I imagined it to be before I moved here. I had poured over the literature that we were sent, and I diligently scoured the internet for every scrap of information available on the island. However to truly appreciate and understand the culture's uniqueness you have to visit one of the Samoan islands.

This Saturday night nearly all of us WorldTeachers attended the annual Island Queen pageant. Considering how conservative American Samoa is, I could imagine the pageant fitting in, just as local pageants have a pretty tight hold on the bible belt (although I am not entirely sure how faith and pageants go hand in hand…). However what was a little different about this pageant is that it was not your typical Miss Island pageant of beautiful women competing for the crown, it was a pageant of beautiful women who used to be men competing for the crown. That's right – it was a fa'afafine pageant (aka. Transgender).

One of the many wonderful things about Samoa is that there is a long standing traditional acceptance of the transgender culture here (although it apparently isn't cool to be gay… which is strange) that has existed for hundreds of years. Fa'afafines (pronounced fah-fah-fee-nay) are also much more common here than in the states, and if I had to venture a guess I would say about one out of every 35 – 40 women is a fa'afafine. Nowadays there are both pre-op and post-op fa'afas, but it is very accepted here that fa'afas are women.

Of course the pageant being a fa'afa pageant made it even more amazing, and to add to the fun we got discount tickets because Steve of our group got wrangled into judging! When Steve had told us about the event the week before, I imagined it to be in a small bar at the Tradewinds with a hundred or some people attending – but when we got there on Saturday we found out it was poolside with about 400 people attending. I can't really compare the event to other pageants as I have never been to another, but I could tell that it had a distinctly Samoan and fa'afafine flair.

The night consisted of show encompassing outfits designed using traditional Samoan plants, evening gowns, talent sections, interviews, and even bathing suits. We were amazed at how fun the night was, from the scandalous bathing suits, to the interesting talents, and the hilarious MCing from Dakota who came and spoke to us for our orientation. Here are some of the highlights:

During the talent competition one woman did a lip sync rendition of "My Life" with dramatic revealing of pictures of her throughout the years – as a boy, as a man, and finally as a woman. The unforgettable part was when the next woman came out and did the exact same songs – with the exact same pictures! Did she forget her props? Not plan anything? We may never know…

Dakota had some hilarious commentary that was true to the Samoan sense of humor which people from the states might consider rude or 'over the line'. For me this is of course perfect. Some classic Dakota quotes:

As a contestant in a bikini comes out on stage:

"If you see anything that shouldn't be there that's just your eyes playing tricks"

As one contestant was modeling her outfit:

"Mmmmm… She looks as good as a McDonalds Sunday! And you can get her for 2.99!"

One contestant's talent was an interpretive song about a pregnant teenager, and she was dressed with a fake pregnant belly. After she finishes the next contestant came out for their talent.

"Ooo! She looks pregnant too!"

Ouch…

Needless to say the night was very memorable, and I definitently had a good time. I only wish that I could have gotten more pictures but the lighting was poor and we were a little too far for the pictures to come out well. However after the show Brigit and I got this lovely picture with the newly crowned queen, Didi.

All in all, yet another night that reinforces my love of this year so far.