Friday, August 2, 2013

11 Months in Samoa....Uma


Google Maps could not calculate directions between Tutuila and my home.
Before I arrived home, I was really nervous about heading back to the States. I had a lot of reasons to be nervous, a lot of reasons to be excited, and a lot of reasons to be sad.  The 3 days before I left I had TERRIBLE abdominal pains due to nerves. I would lay in the fetal position and try to not scream- wondering how I could be so excited to be returning home, but my body could be so nervous to leave Samoa (especially since I’d finally be getting it proper nutrition!!). I generally don’t do well with transition, and was worried about adjusting back to certain things. When we had our End of Service meeting with the other WorldTeachers about a month before departure, I found myself reading the “cultural re-adjustment” sheets over and over again, dreading the thought of having to re-find my place and actively work to keep culture shock in my own country, my home, to a minimum.

How to stay "cool" in Samoa while finding wifi.
“Malo lava” (congratulations) to me- Overall, being home is wonderful and I am enjoying the luxuries of life on the mainland. Other than still feeling a bit naked when wearing my running shorts around town, and thinking girls in spaghetti straps and short dresses need to put some damn clothes on, adjustment is going pretty well.  I love being free to do what I want to do, basically whenever I want. If I want to run, I don’t have to worry about whether it’s "dog- temperature", that is, cool enough outside that all the dogs in the village will come chasing after me. I don’t have to schedule my days based on the island buses (which is virtually impossible), Sundays are a day to enjoy any way I want to. The cool breeze that I currently feel on my face, and the fact that I can be outside in the sun for hours and not feel like I’m a well-done steak- these are nice things about being home. (As I re-read this, I see that my vocabulary has not yet recovered from my year in Samoa where everything is just "nice".) The fluffy dogs I run into on the street, understanding what people around me are saying (except at the kitchen in the restaurant I work in, where I get to practice my Spanish!), in general not sweating all the time, and having fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods at my leisure- many of the things I was excited to come home to, I have certainly indulged in. Being able to get around by car, sleep in my own bed, and not wonder what kids of creepy crawlers are joining me in my bed at night- I am without a doubt enjoying these aspects of life at home.

But there are other moments, moments that bring me right back to island life.  Missing Samoa certainly comes in waves. And when it comes, it comes on strong.

Me, Kristina, and Amber being the token palagis and looking like fools while doing Zumba at Teacher Appreciation Day

After dancing and singing for Teacher Appreciation Day



Raina, Karla, Jessica, and I watching the other performances
Of course, one of the first things anyone notices upon return from a country that is not as developed as the US is materialism. We all know what it is, we all know we contribute to it, and only Henry David Thoreau is not guilty. Not that Samoa didn’t have stores, fast food restaurants, nice cars, or iphones, but the US takes it to another level. This frustrated me when I arrived back on the mainland, as it always has. I too, am to blame, and I cannot say I haven’t enjoyed having a Dunkin’s Iced Hazelnut Coffee in the morning, and I’m currently on the lookout for a new pair of fall boots and a nice leather wallet.  But I guess living on an island makes you forget JUST how big the world is, and how many people live in it. Upon returning, you realize how much STUFF is needed to support so many people, especially ones so eager to spend their money. Obviously, this is something I’ve pondered many times while pursuing an environmental degree, but there is something comforting about knowing that somewhere in the world, there are tiny islands full of people who are happy living with what they’ve got- and what they've got is not necessarily a whole lot (by our standards). One of the things I loved about Samoa was that people had pride. Pride wasn't based on possessions, or how much money they had, or pride because of how nice their house or clothes were. Sure, wealth was more defined by how much land you had, but none of that mattered on the surface, and it didn’t make anyone less worth it to stop and talk to, for me or the people living there. As a waitress for the time being, I definitely feel the stigma that some of my well-to-do customers have towards wait staff.  Some people come in for lunch on their business meetings in their expensive suits, and rather than thinking, “Wow, here’s a smart girl who just came back from a challenging year that I could have never survived, who is planning on pursuing a master’s degree, who just needs to save some money”, I feel that they think differently. Maybe that's just me looking to far into it, and that isn't to say there aren't plenty of people who see my Samoa bracelet and begin to ask questions. But I felt no such hierarchy among or between Samoans. I know it does exist, but the girl who takes your order or your taxi driver in Samoa is no less important than anyone else. They are all family.

I think about my students back in Samoa, at home, some living in such rural areas on the West side that they don’t have electricity, and running water may be new to them. They have to live without modern technology and conveniences, but they don’t necessarily know anything else. When I compare that to my life here, with my computer, iphone, air conditioner, etc, I can’t help but feel- to some extent-poisoned in a way. Don’t get me wrong, I love having these luxuries, and after being in Samoa I certainly don’t take them for granted, but it’s important to keep these modern conveniences in check. One thing that was particularly difficult to adjust to was new iphone apps, new music (or old music, I just hadn't ever heard it in the past year), and new technologies in general. I felt like an idiot not knowing what some of the things people use on a daily basis here were. Just as there are many more islands in the Pacific than anyone cares to think about, there is a lot more to life than our fancy technology. 

On that note, one thing I can say I took away from my experience is that I won’t be forgetting all those tiny island nations that are tucked away in the middle of the vast, blue Pacific.  Wrongfully, I get mad when other people don’t realize that there are PEOPLE living there, and a lot of them! If you haven't, take a little zoomed in tour of a random atoll in the Marshall Islands. Now, my year wasn't exactly like living on one of those spits of sand, but PEOPLE LIVE THERE!!!! It's amazing! I can't imagine what their lives are like. (Okay, I kind of can imagine it, but I have still never lived the way they do). Of course, I didn’t know where Samoa was either until I looked it up on the map.  This would be a case in which I get, as one of my fellow teachers wrote so perfectly in her blog, “on a cultural high horse”. It is wrong for me to get frustrated about people not spending their time thinking about the population of Pacific Islanders and how they carry out their simple lives, but I do get frustrated nonetheless.

I miss certain aspects of Samoan culture. I loved living in a place that has such a strong sense of cultural identity, even if I wasn’t completely a part of it. Yes, America is an amazing melting pot of people, whose diversity lends this country its own unique character.  But wouldn’t it be cool to know that everyone around you has a shared history?  That you could name everyone in your village, their parents, their grandparents, and so on, many generations back?  That when you tell the story of the Turtle and the Shark, everyone will know what you mean, and its significance. And that SHARING is critically important and the only way to live.

When I look back and think about my students and what they may have really learned from this year, I have evidence- (their test scores), but I also have their feedback. I brought home with me not only many birthday, Valentine’s Day, Teacher’s Appreciation Day, and other well-wishing cards, but also many of the comments that were left on their final exams. I think my students did learn a lot this year- even if some of their final exams proved it wasn’t necessarily about science! A lot of my students also continue to try to make sure I’m going to continue teaching in the states, and are befuddled, shocked, and disappointed when I tell them otherwise.  That makes me smile.

I also realized that learning science in a language other than your own must be INCREDIBLY difficult. This is something I didn’t really fully grasp about my students until after the first half of the year was over, and many times after that. Not infrequently, I would figure out that after finishing an entire unit on something such as “Threats to Coral Reefs”, that most of the class actually had no idea what a “threat” was. Oops! Thank you to the brave students who were willing to point those types of misunderstandings out during class!  One thing is for sure, I’m proud of my students, and I’m proud of myself. Even after just a month of being home, I already feel like, “wow, I really could never do that again. I can’t believe I DID in the first place!!!” Of course, I could totally do it again (the first year is the hardest, right?!), now just is not the right time. In more ways than one, the little island of Tutuila did test me. There were tests every day- physically, emotionally, and mentally (and occasionally, academically). Some days Samoa won, some days Sara won. Overall, I'd say we're about even.

I wish I had the motivation to write about the last month of school, graduation, and the many events that occurred in that time, but it’s just not in me to try to recall all the happenings and emotions and that went through my head. I have some great pictures I will share. The "Living on a Tropical Island in the South Pacific" chapter of my life is officially over, at least for now.

Typical- me trying to get a good picture while the adolescent boys are ADD and distracted after baccalaureate

Finally got a good one!
Me and Jesse, one of my senior marine science students

The next chapter? It may be an internship in marine policy, it may be graduate school for marine & coastal management, or maybe even posssiiiiiibly the Coast Guard.  It will certainly include a winter of skiing, lots of time with friends and family, continuing to sail with Dad, lots of tennis & fun projects with Mom, and hearing more about Officer Bruce Cleaver’s thrilling life while he continues to save lives and arrest the less-than-worthy while working for the Lexington Police Department!
You know you're in Samoa when.....it's okay to be barefoot at graduation

Happy graduate Jerome with a lot of candy ulas!!!

The monsoon day (no joke, the WORST day of weather of the entire year in Samoa was Leone's graduation day)

Beautiful banner that James' mom helped paint at 3am the morning of graduation
I think I’m still mentally transitioning in the fact that I don’t necessarily know what my next step is, and that Samoan Sara and Stateside Sara are still trying to coexist while also being in limbo. (Those changes in latitudes really do lead to some serious changes in attitudes, and this has become even more apparent upon my return Stateside!) I’m incredibly happy to have done what I did, met the people I did, and both taught and learned from the students that I had. I’m still amazed by the places I got to visit, explore, and live in, and the beauty and wonder of the natural world. I will miss snorkeling the coral reefs, hiking overgrown trails in the middle of a tropical rainforest thunderstorm, and seeing gorgeous brightly colored birds in the lime tree that grew in our front yard. I will miss trying foreign foods, learning how to do the umu, and learning to deal with the ridiculousness that Samoa threw our way every single day.  I will miss my students making me laugh, (even when I tried so hard not to), and for the moment, I miss feeling like I have a huge purpose and place to fill. I am envious of the new volunteers who are starting school in Samoa in just a few weeks, but I am also chuckling and thinking, “Good freakin LUCK!”. One thing that I came to understand throughout this transition over the past several weeks, is that I don’t believe a part of me was left in Samoa, but I know that a part of Samoa came back home with me. Just as Google Maps had a difficult time finding directions from Tutuila to Massachusetts (see first photo above), I will continue to press on in my journey to fully bring everything I learned this year from Samoa to my home. It may not be easy, but I think I have a better chance than Google.
   <3 Fa’asamoa
Enjoying my first hike back in the US- and first time on the West Coast- Seattle!!
Samoan "Siapo"- traditional designs all from the ocean


Monday, April 29, 2013

Handover letter

I'm starting to get sad my time in Samoa is almost over. That is all.

The following is my handover letter, which we write to the WorldTeach volunteers who come after us and have our same placements (the poor ignorant souls!!! Turn back while you can!!! haha...jokes!). It's really long, but I've got a lot to say about Samoa (and a lot more that can never be put into words). Not as exciting as other blogs, but I figured I may as well post it.


Talofa and congrats, new WorldTeach volunteers!!!!

You've been placed in LEONE! WEST SIIIIDDEEE PRIDE!!  Right up front I'm going to tell you that it's pronounced "Lay-oh-nay", so you can avoid looking like an idiot when you call it "Lee-own" or "Lay-own" like we all did when we first got our placements, haha!  My name is Sara Cleaver, and I teach biology, earth and space, and marine science to sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Leone High School.

The handover letters that I got from last year's WorldTeachers were the best portrayals of life in American Samoa, so I hope you find this letter helpful while you prepare for your year here.  Everyone's experience in American Samoa is totally unique, but I will do my best to give you an accurate representation of what my experience here has been like. I'm from Lexington, Massachusetts, and last year I graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in environmental policy.  I'm 23 years old, and I'm a huge ocean nerd- I love scuba diving, sailing, snorkeling, fishing, etc, so that was one of the draws for me to come here.  For me, the necessities of living in Samoa: flexibility & patience, a sense of humor, and lots of water.

This time last year I was wondering what the heck I had gotten myself into. I couldn't believe I had signed up for a year on a tiny rock in the South Pacific.  So it's perfectly normal if you have an insane mix of emotions and are kind of freaking out. It's true for most of us.

ARRIVING IN SAMOA
When you get off the plane, there will be LOTS of people at the airport. Since flights from Hawaii are only twice a week, everyone comes to "Flight Night" to see who's arriving.  A lot of people will know that you're the new WorldTeachers, and it will be your first glimpse of fame. Since there aren't that many palagis (white people) on-island, it will seem like everyone knows who you are during your time here, especially out in the smaller villages.  If you are someone who doesn't like all the attention on you, that will naturally change while you're here, because once you step out of the house, all the attention will be on you, because you're not Samoan (at least I don't think you are).
                  I don't know what the plans are for your group of WorldTeachers, but the 30 of us spent our first 3 weeks at Nu'uuli Polytech High School (Voc-tech) sleeping on foam mattresses on the floor in classrooms. We had our orientation there, where we got introduced to everything about life on the island from teaching to how to get around, to language classes. At VocTech you will most likely get your first glimpses into things like cockroaches, other insects, mice, rats, dogs, etc.  Expect cold showers for the duration of your year here (except for the middle of the day when the water heats up...but I can't say I've EVER wanted a hot shower here... it's just too damn hot!). They say the temperature in Samoa is only in the 80s year round, but most days the humidity and the equatorial sun actually has a heat index of about 105-110. You will sweat. A lot. Sweat will be part of your life for the next year, especially once you hit the hot months.
                  Luckily, when you get here it will be the "coolest" part of the year. Enjoy that. Because it only gets hot, hotter, and then you feel like you live on the surface of the sun, except with like 99% humidity. Because American Samoa follows the American education system, the school year (August-June) is unfortunately during the hottest part of the year.  Go figure.
                  The area where Voctech is located is the more industrial part of the island.  You'll get maps at orientation, but Tafuna/Nu'uuli/Utulei/Fagatogo/Pago Pago are the more "urban" areas. I didn't really like it over there, even though it is right on the water, but I'm not much of a city person anyway.  There are lots of stores, fast food restaurants, car dealers/mechanics, and little strip malls, and people in these areas even dress more American- shorter shorts, tank tops- than they do in the smaller villages. Also, you might be very confused when you first get here because you will think you are in one village, and 10 feet later you will technically be in another. The villages are tiny.
                  You will begin to notice very quickly that American Samoa is this crazy, hodge-podge mix between trying to keep up with today's American popular culture while at the same time desperately trying to hang on to Samoan traditional values.  Much of the way things work here seems illogical and just does not make sense.  During my year here, the other volunteers and I decided there isn't really much sense in trying to make sense of it. Just love it for what it is. That's the only way to deal with it. Sometimes, you might feel like your neurons are just going to explode because things are done so illogically and we're used to efficiency and trying to have things make sense at home.  I often remind myself of one my favorite Jimmy Buffett songs, in which he says, "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane". A term was coined a few years back, T.I.S. This Is Samoa. I'll let you figure that one out on your own.

THE VILLAGE OF LEONE/WEST SIDE PRIDE
Leone is a great place to live in American Samoa. It's the last big village before you hit the real “boonies” of the West Side of the island, which means that you get away from all the fast food places and strip malls of Nuuuli. But Leone also has a lot more buses into town the than villages in the North (Fagasa and Vatia) or on the East Side, which means it is easy (ish) to catch a bus to town.  The West Side of Tutuila is a gem.  It has both beauty and character.  Although the East Side is beautiful, and you can basically always see the ocean wherever you are on the East Side (which is true once you get past Leone as well), the West Side= Best Side.  Everyone from Pago Pago> West says they are "West Side", but they're all just jealous.  Leone is the TRUE West Side, since we are the furthest high school to the west. Leone is nice because it gives you a small town feel, but isn’t too terribly far from "town". (I use ‘town’ loosely.... Fagatogo and Tafuna are technically “town,” but this is town according to American Samoa, which only has a population of about 60,000.) I say the 'True West Side' has character because 1) it really is like a huge family, and 2) it got hit really bad by the tsunami in 2009 (I will get to that soon).
                  On island you will be pretty famous, especially in Leone because there are not many white people over here. It's hard to go outside without someone shouting my name from a truck or saying hey as they walked by. Even if I just walk to the store in front of our house, I usually see a few students. People will know everything about you. Even people you don't know will know you, and where you live.  Just the other day, after 9 months of being totally used to it, I started to get creeped out because no joke, 7 people within 1 hour said "Hi Sara" to me and I did not know who a single one of them was (and I wasn't even in Leone, I was in town).
                  There are a few parts of Leone.  There is Sogi, which is the part of village if you take a left near the bay. Then there is Puapua, which is up the hill from Leone proper (where we live).  Leone proper has two parts, "Upstairs" and "Downstairs", which are up the hill and down the hill, respectively. You will be living Upstairs, basically on the border of Leone and Puapua. Leone Bay, where the main part of the village is (Auma), is about a 5 minute walk down the hill.
                  The village of Leone was almost completely destroyed in the 2009 tsunami. The tsunami hit in the morning of September 29, 2009, and Leone, Pago Pago, and villages on the North Side were hit the worst, because of the shape of those bays. Even now, 4 years later, you will still see people on the West Side living in the FEMA tents beside their destroyed houses. When you walk down to Leone proper, by the bay, you will see what used to be houses, the old Leone Post Office, and the old health clinic. All destroyed.  There is also the "Healing Garden" which is a really nice (by the way, you'll notice the only adjective that will be a part of your vocabulary by the time you leave is "nice". Everything is, "that's nice") tsunami memorial and has some (but not all) of the people who died in the tsunami.  A lot of students have that morning etched in their memories, and some lost family members in it.  In 2009 they only had a few minutes after the earthquake to get to higher ground, and there was no warning system in place. Thankfully, the United States finally remembered it had a territory in one of the most geologically active places on earth, and installed tsunami sirens all over the island in 2010. The tsunami sirens go off every first Friday of the month at noon (and yes, this disrupts teaching, especially since the siren is right next to the science building).  In September you will probably have an assembly in memory of those who lost their lives in the tsunami. Though it is a sad part of the island's history, it is a reminder how resilient people can be, continuing on without their homes and/or loved ones.
                  Leone is also the place where the first missionary landed in American Samoa. His name was John Williams, and he was part of the London Missionary Society. He spent a lot of time converting Samoans before he went to the country of Vanuatu and got eaten by the locals (apparently they did not want his religion.) Anyway, Leone has the oldest church on the island- the big yellow & white LMS church at the bottom of the hill by the bay. Legend has it that when the tsunami came, the water parted and went around the 2 churches in Leone (the LMS church & the big Catholic church), and they were left undamaged. Believe what you will. As the science teacher, I have a hard time with legends that don't follow the laws of science, but ask anyone, and that's what they say. Who knows.

THE PURCELLS/HOME
You will probably be living with the Purcells in Leone. The family consists of Mel and Moana, their daughter Melisha and her husband Joe, and their kids Melina, Julius, Jarvis, and Marceline. Occasionally there are other grandchildren there that live in Hawaii and come here when they are bad. The kids are pretty spoiled, and you will hear lots of crying and screaming. At the same time, it's nice to have so many people around.  The Purcells will invite you to do some things with them, but they never pressure you.  The Purcells are really good friends with a family called the Gurrs, who live way up on the West Side on the island in the village of Maloata. If you ever get a chance to go with the Purcells there, or to their family land in Utumea, (a little bit past Leone) DO IT. It is beautiful.
                  The Purcells are a pretty big deal on the island. They are a very powerful Mormon family, and Mel is a chief and the Director of the Dept of Agriculture.  Moana is working all the time (she'll tell you ALL about all of her jobs and volunteer work) and will probably also ask if you want to help out with big events on the island, like the Miss South Pacific Pageant, Samoa Bowl, etc. It's a lot of fun to have the "in". On the property there are lime trees, papaya trees, banana trees, and breadfruit and taro.  The Purcells also have 3 dogs-Brownie, Tsunami and the last one (my favorite) we just call him Blackie, though I've heard him called Simba, Shadow, and a lot of other names. Nobody really knows what his real name is I don't think.  They are friendly to the people who live there, but not always to visitors. They are kind of racist- I've found they love palagis but don't really like Samoans. The black one can be pretty nippy- he likes to try to get your fingers, but they're tails are always wagging, so they are just playing.  They're the closest to real dogs like in the states that you'll find on the island, so aside from their barking and howling, I like having them around. They usually stay right on the Purcells property. There are also chickens in the yard, and occasionally rats. Hundreds of bats fly overhead every evening, and it's so cool.
                  The Malakis live right across the street from California Mart, Eddie was a senior this year but George Malaki will be a junior when you are here, so he might be in your class. He's a fa'afafine (you'll learn all about fa'afafine culture when you get here and from your literature), so he's a handful.  Students live in all the neighboring houses- the girls across the street lost both their parents, and one of them, Lizzy, will be a senior next year. She's great.
                  Alison also lives on the Purcells land.  She's another palagi and she works at the college, and was a past field director for WT.  Alison is a great resource for all things regarding Samoa, traveling, and WorldTeach in general. There is also a family that lives in the green house behind the Purcells house- they have dogs and children too.  Tau and Malo are the two guys that live back there, I'm not sure the woman's name. They basically work for the Purcells in exchange for a place to live- the Purcells sponsored them to come over from Western Samoa. They do all the yard work and basically anything the Purcells ask them to do.  It's kind of uncomfortable at first, because they kind of seem like slaves, but you get used to it when you realize they are just doing what most Samoans are used to doing on a daily basis. It's just weird the way the Purcells treat them. But they are totally awesome and I've learned a lot about Samoan culture from them this year.  Definitely make friends with them. Tau was a missionary in Philadelphia so his English is pretty good, and they're sweet guys. They will help you with anything and look out for you.
                  The Purcells have their own internet, so we've just kind of fed off of theirs all year. Occasionally it will go out for like a month at a time, but you can just ask them if you can go in their house and reset the router (Moana doesn't know how to do it anyway).  It's super picky about where you can get it (like sometimes it won't work if the microwave is on, no joke), and if you move your computer an inch it won't work. It's pretty slow, but you don't have to pay for it, which is a bonus.  I wouldn't say it's reliable, but you can also get internet at school usually, so keeping in touch with people at home isn't difficult.

DOGS
Yes, dogs get their own category in here.  I love dogs, but not in Samoa. They aren't really "pets" but very few dogs are actually stray. Most of them belong to certain families, but they just aren't treated the way we treat dogs as pets in the states. They are vicious, especially to palagis. One group of houses on our walk to school we have named, "The Gauntlet" because of the dogs that come after us there. If dogs come after you, bend down and pretend to pick up a rock and throw it (or actually pick one up and throw it if it makes you feel better) and yell, "HALU!" (it means go away). If you are out by yourself, especially at night, carry a stick so you can whack them if they come after you. If you find yourself without a stick, pick up a rock and throw it at them. The best thing to do is just never act like you are afraid of them- they can smell fear. It sucks if you want to run, because sometimes there are dogs around and they are attracted to running, so you have to slow down and walk past them. Usually, they're just a lot of barking but they don't do anything. It's the sneaky ones that you should worry about that just come out of nowhere. Lots of students will come to school with dog bites on their legs, and the dog issue has certainly made running and getting exercise a bit difficult. Nobody understands why the dog issue isn't taken care of. Samoans seem to have apathy about a lot of things, and the dog problem I guess is one of them. I guess to them it's easier to just ignore the problem and put a bandaid on their dog bites than actually do something about it and solve the problem. No worries though, no rabies on island. Also, if our dogs (the one's that live on the Purcell's land) try to walk with you off their property, try to get them to go home. Brownie followed us down the street at night once and attracted all the freakin dogs and and then she thought WE would protect her from the dogs. We had to take her home in a car, otherwise I'm not sure she would have made it home without being mauled.

RELIGION
Samoans are REALLY religious. There is no separation of Church and State here. School begins every morning with a hymn and a prayer. Every event on the island begins with a prayer. Every meal begins with a prayer.  Almost everyone is a Christian.  The three main denominations are Catholic, Protestant (especially Assembly of God and London Missionary Society), and Mormon (aka The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; you will often see the Mormons abbreviate it as “LDS”). There are lots of Mormons on-island. Church is the one place where you will really see passion in Samoans, and church is a great way to get to know Samoans. Many of your students will invite you to their church. Even if you are not religious, you should go a few times, and if you enjoy it, keep going! It’s a great way to meet people in the community, and get brownie points with your students. Samoans will be super excited to see you there.
                  I'm not a super religious person (I'm a Unitarian Universalist, and no, there is no UU church on island), but I've kind of just played along and learned a lot about Christianity in the process.  I tell students that I'm a Christian and believe the same stuff as them, and when they ask what church I go to I tell them here I've explored all different churches because I want to see them and because my kind of church isn't here on island. Many things here make the Samoan version of Christianity seem hypocritical, especially because they haven't quite made the steps that other Christians in the states have made (like believing in evolution or even dinosaurs for that matter).  For example, the amount of donation money the churches ask for and how they tell the ENTIRE congregation how much money every person gave.  Another example is there is a lot of violence (no guns, even the police officers don't have guns) like kids hitting each other and also parents/teachers hitting their kids. It’s just something to be aware of. I constantly remind students about what the Bible says about things like stealing, swearing, respecting each other, and taking care of the Earth.  I try to use their extreme religion to my benefit in science class- I ask them if they are being "Good Christians" when they do this stuff. They think if they go to church a lot they are excused from actually FOLLOWING the Bible in their actions. I tell them otherwise.
                  Because church is such a huge deal here, Sunday's ("Aso Sa", literally "sacred day) can either be good or bad, depending on the person.  I get really bored doing nothing, I constantly need to be outside and running around or hiking or swimming or something. So Sundays have been my archenemy while here.  If you aren't going to church, you basically aren't supposed to be out.  Also, because Leone is smaller than other parts of the island, it is more conservative, and it is awkward to be seen doing things on Sundays that don't involve church or to'ona'i (big family lunch after church).  Most places you can't swim on Sundays, but no buses run on Sundays, so you can't do anything exciting anyway. 
                  Some volunteers who live in town have it a little better, because it is more westernized in town and they can run, swim, and be out in the afternoons on Sundays. Some volunteers try to hitchhike so they can go hiking on Sundays, but I think it's uncomfortable to get rides from Samoans on Sundays because even if they are super nice they might be judging you for not going to church. Usually, Kristina and I just stay inside and lesson plan, read, and watch movies on Sundays (which does make me go a totally stir crazy).  If you don't mind a quiet day though, you might enjoy Sundays. It's a good day to do laundry and clean, too. Sometimes it's nice to go to church on Sundays just to get out of the house.  Also, there are a few English-speaking churches on island you can go to. If you have a way of getting to Airport Beach (if you know someone with a car), it's a good place to swim on Sundays because no Samoans will be there and it is secluded- you have to walk about 20 mins to get to it from where you park. 
                  I would DEFINITELY suggest that you ask Tau and Malo (the guys that live behind the Purcells house) to show you how they do the umu (traditional Samoan earthen oven) one Sunday morning. You have to get up really early, but it's so awesome to see it all and even help prepare the food. They'll even show you how to weave a basket out of palm fronds.  I've gone back there a few times and love their insights into traditional Samoan life. It's also cool because it's one thing that Leone volunteers get to do that not many other volunteers get to see for themselves. Just another perk of Leone.

LANGUAGE & CLOTHES
During orientation, we had a little bit of Samoan language classes. I don't know if they will have this for you, but I found most of the Samoan I learned came after orientation, during my year teaching.  But don't trust anything the students say- there have been some hilarious stories about palagis trying to speak Samoan after their students "taught" them how to say things. Needless to say, it was not so funny for the people involved.  One thing to start working on is how to pronounce your g's and n's. They both sound the same. G in Samoan, like the word palagi, is like an n+g sound. But it's not like the normal way we say it, it's more in your throat. It sounds like the way "ng" sounds at the ends of words "king" and "sing". You'll catch on.
                  Despite the image of South Pacific islands as half-naked islanders, in actuality, Samoa is pretty conservative as far as clothes go. The missionaries did their job well. Guys can still run around in very little clothing, but girls should make sure that shorts hit around the knee and skirts go below the knee. Technically you can wear whatever you want, but just keep in mind that your students are not going to show you respect if you show up in a short skirt and a tank top (although students might not show much respect anyway, being the little jerks they can be!).  No spaghetti straps! Tank tops with thick straps are fine for doing stuff around town on the weekends, but I wouldn't recommend them for teaching.  Even though it's freakin hot, while teaching, the more clothes the better (if you're a girl). If you're a guy, you can kind of wear whatever you want because you don't have to deal with the cheeky boys trying to hit on you all day. Swimsuits are not really worn here; bikinis are basically prohibited except for at 2 beach bars. Girls and guys both swim in tshirts and shorts. Guys don't have to wear shirts to swim, but many Samoan guys do. I know this sounds like it is going to suck, but you’ll get used to it, and before long you’ll see the tourists getting off the cruise ships in their skimpy shorts and tank tops and you’ll want to yell, “PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!” Lol. Also, do not look at the cruise ship people as examples. Often times you'll see them swimming right in town in bikinis, but this is not respectful of Samoan culture.
                  All the literature you get prior to arrival and at orientation says be super conservative in your dress, but that's really more because we want to set a good example as teachers. Since we're palagis, you're going to get stared at anyway.  Honestly though, a few months into the year lots of the WorldTeachers kind of just started wearing whatever they wanted (still not exactly what you'd wear at home during the summer though), and it seemed like they were fine. I found the best way to figure out what to wear is look at what the Samoans around you are wearing, and decide what you're comfortable with.  I personally hate being stared at, so I wore fairly conservative clothes all year (and yes, this does SUCK for running when it's like 300 degrees out). A cute dress or two for going out is acceptable (I was being overly-conservative when I packed and regretted not having any going-out clothes all year).  If you're a guy, a cute dress is an essential item. Jokes!
                  Everyone is going to tell you this, and you should really listen: DON’T BRING THAT MANY CLOTHES. Most of time you’ll wear stuff you get made here in the traditional Samoan style, and pretty much all the clothes you bring from home are going to get sweaty and gross and you’ll end up throwing them away at the end of the year. You can get outfits made here for $25, and the island has SO MUCH fabric to choose from. Women wear traditional Samoan garb called a puletasi. Men wear ‘ies/faitagas, which are basically skirts. Both sexes wear lavalavas when they are just chilling at home or running errands.

Me and Kristina in our puletasis!


SAMOANS
Ancient Samoans were known for how violent and warlike they were, and it hasn’t really changed. They will beat each other up for fun, and fights (more like riots, on occasion) break out frequently at school, both in and out of the classroom.  The good news is, they only use fists and rocks. :)
                  Most Samoans are super friendly and love having palagi teachers on-island. They pick you up and give you rides, and really want to talk to you about your life both here and at home.  It's totally normal for Samoans to pass you on the street and ask you where you're going, or yell, "HI PALAGI!!!" out of car windows, so don't be creeped out. Some of my most memorable moments in Samoa have just been sitting outside and chatting with Samoans for hours on end, and hearing life from their perspective. If you get invited to go do stuff, don't hesitate. The more involved you get in the community, the better.
                  Samoans are super blunt, and they don’t always know that something is offensive for people from off-island. For instance, they call people ‘fat’ all the time. It’s not an insult, it's just an adjective, like "brown hair" or "blue eyes". There are two words in particular that they do not seem to realize are offensive: “faggot” and “nigger.” They honestly don’t realize how awful of words they are. They don’t know the history of these words, so anytime you have some extra class time and feel like giving a little history lesson, go for it. Just think if you listened to rap music but never knew anything about slavery. Rap artists drop the “n” word so often that you would think it was perfectly acceptable to use it, and that's what they think here.
                  Samoans love teasing, so hopefully you aren't easily offended. The students will call you out on anything and everything, and sometimes it will seem like they are TRYING to make you uncomfortable lol. Although Samoa is really made up of people from all over the South Pacific (Tongans, Fijians, Melanesians, etc), they have no concept of racism, so they call darker kids "the black kid", and it's totally acceptable. Here it is just not a big deal, and so they tease each other about skin color all the time. It’s almost if they are ignoring race by making fun of it. It sounds very strange, so I guess you’ll just have to experience it for yourself.
                   Let's talk about Samoan men. They are NOT SUBTLE. When you meet a guy, pretty much the first thing he will ask you is “Are you married?” I’ll admit that sometimes I would lie and say I was. Older Samoans will also try to set you up with their sons. Just remember that Samoan guys REALLY go after palagi girls, just because they are white. Be smart. If you give a guy your phone number, be prepared for him to call a MILLION times a day. I'm not exaggerating. I know from experience. Relationships here are SUPER CLINGY, and they don't know the actual meaning of the word "love". Here, a guy saying "I love you" is like a guy at home saying that you're cute. Just don’t be stupid, and you’ll be fine.
                  Don’t forget, Samoans looooooove to gossip. There's not much to do on a small island, so gossiping is kind of a hobby here. New travels fast on the Coconut Wireless, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be true. Don’t be surprised if there are rumors about you, even if they aren’t true. It's happened to me, it's happened to all of us. You can't let it get to you, otherwise you'll go crazy.

FOOTBALL
....is HUGE on-island. I suggest watching "Football Island" on 60 Minutes if you haven't. A lot of it is filmed at Leone (some of my students are in it from when they were freshmen!!). Definitely go and support your students' at the football games, they're a lot of fun to watch and the fans get really loud.  School spirit is really big, just make sure to stay clear of any big fights with our rival schools!

TEACHING- warning...this section is loonnng!!!!
                  The kids will be cheeky jerks who try to test you and drive you LITERALLY insane. My students tell me all the time they think I'm losing my mind. I tell them it's their fault. You will want to destroy their souls and love them at the very same time.
                  Most of the stuff about teaching here will depend on you and what you're style of teaching is, but also a lot of things are supposed to change after this year. They are supposed to redistrict the schools, so there will be more students at Leone, the school administration is changing, so I can't say much about that, and the teachers are being reevaluated and reassigned, so I don't even know what from this year will be the same.
                  When I opened the email that said I would be teaching HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE, I totally freaked out. I assumed that I would be teaching English and be in an elementary school.  I was terrified. I love science, but it's not my strong point.  Little did I know, that did not matter. The high school students are at such a low level that no matter how terrible you are at a subject, you can get through it just fine. I'm not sure how it will work next year, but right now science classes are divided into 2 levels. Proficient kids usually speak better English and they are generally better behaved and have better attendance. Mainstream kids usually don't speak English very well, have behavior problems, and oftentimes just don’t care about school or don't show up. However, the students get placed in these levels when they are coming into high school, and it's really not based on much. I have amazing students in my mainstream classes, and nightmare students in my proficient class. Additionally, no matter what level you're teaching, one of the most difficult things about teaching here is the huge gap between students' abilities even in the same class. I have students who have over 100% and are still asking for extra credit in the same class as students who haven't been to school in 2 months and then come for one day and complain that they don't know anything.  There's not much rhyme or reason to how they are placed.
                  The school is about a 20-minute walk from your house if you live on the Purcells land.  Usually we walked to school, but people or school buses that drive by might sometimes pick you up and give you a ride, which is nice.
                  When we met with our departments, I chose to teach mostly the mainstream classes because they were my favorite subjects; I didn't want to teach chemistry or physical science. General science (9th grade), life science (10th), and earth & space (11th) are the mainstream classes for sciences and physical science (9th), biology (10th), chemistry (11th) and physics (12th) are the proficient classes.  Students only have to take 3 years of science, so marine science is an elective- all seniors, some of whom might have failed another science class.  I taught 3 Earth and Space classes, 1 marine science, and 1 biology. None of the other teachers have 3 different subjects, and yes, it's a lot more work and kind of unfair that they make first-year teachers have 3 subjects, but that's their way of doing things.  They just do it because they know you can handle it, so take it as a compliment if they give you more work.
If you are in the science department, you are in SUCH LUCK. It's the best department at Leone (in my unbiased opinion). I absolutely loved it. Gopal is the department head (though I'm not sure if he'll be here next year). If you have ANY problems, go to Gopal. He was the American Samoa Teacher of the Year a few years ago, and he's a part time teacher at the college.  He is from India, and he is such a hard-working, helpful man, and is so amazing. His wife Beena is the math DH and she is awesome too. Their brilliant daughter Ambika will be a sophomore, and although I didn't have her as a student (I had her super sweet and just as smart cousin Pooja, who is Gopal's niece), I will miss both of them so much. The other science teachers are Ace, Wayne, Lote, and Subin.  Wayne is totally outrageous. Do not be offended by his incredibly crude sexual remarks. He is harmless and (if you can deal with his sense of humor) hilarious. I like to say he's my favorite Samoan. Teacher absences are a huge issue here, and you will end up substituting during your prep period a lot. But fortunately the science department is pretty good about coming to school. If you ever need any help with teaching, lesson planning, or anything else, Mr. Berquist, a palagi history teacher, is a great resource. He was almost teacher of the year this year (it came down to politics), and he understands the crazy things about Samoa, so it's nice to have him here.
                  I dreaded going to school for the first few months, and there were days even mid-year that I woke up and just wanted to stay in my bed all day and not have to face the maniacs.  The worst part is at the beginning of the year when you are trying to pronounce their 18 syllable names.  But the first year of teaching, as they say, is always the hardest, and it gets better every single day.  It's also made harder when you don't know what the bell schedule is until the morning of, when the bells don't ring on time anyway, when there are emergency assemblies that pop up right in the middle of your lesson, and when you are subbing for someone's class and trying to teach at the same time.  And yes, the mainstream students are more of a challenge to teach. They are hard to control, have limited English abilities, and are lacking the basics of scientific concepts. But I love them so much.  They are the ones that when they finally do get excited about something you are teaching, it is that much more rewarding. The mainstream kids a lot of the time just need a reason to actually try in school- they have no motivation. Since a lot of their parents don't give a crap about education, apathy is a huge problem.  Make it fun; give them a reason to care.  Once you have made a connection with the students and they see that you care about them, they will hopefully change their bratty attitudes towards you. Some of them are great from the start, others are little devils all year long. I had a soft spot for my seniors- not only do I LOOOOVE marine science way more than earth/space and biology, but those were my favorite students. I had a really tough time with the juniors, and I think a lot of that was because I didn't enjoy that subject as much, but we made it through the year without killing each other. The sophomores were just plain loud and obnoxious, but they are easier to manage because you can just threaten them with their grades (since they were my proficient class and actually care about grades).
Some of the students, no matter what you do, will always be little punks. The kids are a lot worse for palagi teachers than Samoan teachers because they know you won't hit them. My biggest mistake of the year: Telling my students I wouldn't hit them on the first day. Of course we won't hit them, but DON'T LET THEM KNOW THAT. You can always threaten them with it (this sounds harsh but you will be laughing in a few months about threatening your students with the lead pipes, machetes, and 2x4s they bring into your classrooms). NEVER leave your classroom unlocked or kids unsupervised in your room. They will steal anything and everything. I had a kid steal my computer speakers from behind my desk WHILE I was in there helping another student with a test.  I eventually got them back because another teacher caught him with them.  But they are super sneaky and love to steal things, even things that don't matter but are super annoying when they steal them- like your whiteboard markers or pencils that they borrow from you. I make them give me their shoe when they borrow pens or pencils so that I know I will get them back.  Eventually I had a group of students that I trusted to be in my room while I wasn't there, but you have to make sure you really trust them. They are deceptive and manipulative! Each student belongs to a "crew", kind of a like a gang in the states, but it's based on villages. There's the Tap Boys, Spunka, Spua, Snow Boys, Tuala (the really bad kids, but also most of my favorites), Pava Boys, and so on.  I like to call them "fia gangsters" (wannabe gangsters), sometimes to their faces.
Here, the teacher-student relationship is different than in the states because a lot of times they are neighbors, family members, or live in the same village, go to the same church, etc. So teachers and students are a lot more involved in each other's lives, especially because the island is so small.  It is kind of weird at first, because at home students hardly ever know about a teacher's personal life, but here you can't keep much from them. Because of this, I don't think the whole "don't let them see you smile until December" idea works because the students here like to see that you are a real person. The more involved you are in their community, village life, sports, church, the better they are in class. The best advice I can give you is to be strict, at least at first, and never let them get to you. 
Since parents here don't all show affection the same way we are used to in the states, and tons of the students have really troubling lives at home, some students are really just searching for someone to talk to, and a lot of them find this in the WorldTeachers. At the same time, be more of a hardass than I was. I am a real softie, and it's kind of an ongoing joke with my classes (now, but it wasn't so funny to me earlier in the year) that I smile too much and am not strict enough. I realize it has certainly made teaching more difficult than it could have been for me. It's also allowed me to learn to use my patience to my advantage, which you have to learn to do if you teach mainstream kids. Because you will literally spell out the answer for them 678979 times and then ask them the answer and they won't know it. Since I rarely yell or lose my temper, they get freaked out when I DO get really pissed off, and they realize they really messed up. Sometimes when they won't shut up I just stand quietly up at the front of the room and stare at them. One by one they realize what’s happening, and quiet down. A few times I just told them I was done teaching and I wasn’t going to teach anymore since they obviously didn’t care to listen, and I went and sat at my desk. Believe it or not, this works and eventually they will beg you to keep teaching. Of course, this won’t work if you do it often. Some Samoan teachers don't really teach at all, and instead just sit at their desks and give them book work (from books they can't read).  So they do enjoy being actually taught even if they don't always know everything you're saying, and even if they don't show it. They will literally ask you every day if they can relax, because they are used to doing it in some of their other classes. Once they have sucked parts of your soul out (as I feel they have done to me), it is fun to see them in pain when you tell them that they indeed will not be relaxing; every day we are going to do work. Hehehe. :)  At one point during the year, I just wrote across the chalkboard, "NO WE ARE NOT GOING TO RELAX" because I got so sick of them walking into the classroom and asking about it.
You will not only see teachers hitting the kids as punishment (technically corporeal punishment isn't allowed here but it happens all the time), but you will also witness some very creative forms of punishment from the Samoan teachers (for example, having to kneel outside facing the wall with their hands behind their heads).  Also, having to pick up trash is a totally normal punishment here (which, as an environmental nerd, I don't like because then they see things like cleaning up garbage as a form of punishment, and not as a good deed that should make them feel good).
                  Occasionally I still feel like I don't know what I'm teaching, but these kids are so far behind that anything you teach them is a step up.  Honestly, I found the best thing to do was stick close to the standards, but make sure what you're teaching them is relevant to their lives. If you teach science, I definitely recommend getting your hands on a copy of the Natural History Guide to American Samoa. I think I'm going to try to leave it for you in the Leone handover box. I taught a lot from that, because it's relevant to their lives and they like learning about their island, since they really don't know much about it. I felt it was more important to start by teaching them things about American Samoa (you would be surprised by how little they know), and how to label the oceans and continents on a map. Yes, these are juniors and seniors in high school that don't know the continents. On every single test my last question was "name the 7 islands of American Samoa". Some still don't know. Teaching here requires going back a few grade levels to catch them up. I'm not sure what they learned in elementary school, but it's not much. Most of them read below a 3rd grade reading level, so don't expect to get much done with the textbooks except look at pictures unless you have proficient classes.
                  A few of us decided on a great phrase stolen from that Drew Carey show, "Whose Line Is it Anyway?": "Leone High School- where the grades are made up, and the points don't matter".  You'll see what I mean when you start teaching. Literally, most teachers just make up their students' grades. So anytime you feel like you may not be doing a good job (we've all felt like that at points throughout the year), don't kill yourself over it. Know that you're better than what your students probably would've had if you weren't there. And Samoans would tell you you're working too hard anyway- you're in the islands now!  Also, assemblies are huge at Leone, take up a lot of instructional time, and usually involve half-naked students oiled up and dancing. I won't say much more about that, I'd rather let you experience it yourself :). You can refer to my blog if you want to know more!
                  Teaching high school as a 23 year old has been difficult here in a few ways: 1) they automatically don't respect you as much as they respect their elders, 2) because the juniors and seniors here seem SO much older than in the states, the line between being their friend and their teacher is a lot more blurry than on the mainland.  Don’t be surprised if your students are incredibly cheeky and sexual (if you're a girl). I had a hard time with this, since a lot of the time I couldn't punish them since I didn't know exactly what they were saying in Samoan. Even though I dressed super conservatively I still got disgusting sexual things written about me in textbooks, and I couldn't do much to stop it because I never knew who did it.  Sometimes students would scream really sexual things in Samoan to me while passing, and I didn't know their names and couldn't chase after them (they literally run away). So gaining respect can be difficult even if you're doing all the right things. I like to just throw the jokes right back at them when they come in the classroom and say things like, "Miss, you look beautiful today" just to be suck ups.
                  Start a club or after school activity, or coach a sport if you want to. I had a running club this year, but it only really lasted half way through the year (it got too damn hot).  Some sports they need coaches for, so do whatever you feel like doing. And you don't have to know a sport at all to be a coach!
There were times I thought these students were going to break me. They were a HUGE challenge, but they also made me strong in ways I wasn't before.  A few people who have been on island for some time and seen their share of the schools here have told me, "with the exception of ghetto inner-city schools where they have gun threats and gang problems, if you can teach at Leone High School, you can teach anywhere".  But don't let that discourage you. Leone is awesome. There are days that make me want to come back and teach again, and there are days I've wanted to strangle each and every one of my students. No matter how the kids treat you, know this: These students need you.  At the end of it all, I am going to miss these kids, both the good and the bad, so much.  And you will not only teach them a lot, and learn so much from them, but you will learn a lot about yourself from them too.  By the end of your year, you will not be the same person you were when you first got here.  Some parts of me wish that I were coming back next year to use everything that I learned from this year. Cuz man, did I learn a LOT!

Buses
The most common way you will get around is by the Aiga (family) buses. They run Monday through Saturday, and usually start around 5 or 6 in the morning. There isn't any set schedule, but you can just flag them down with your hand.  Usually the last bus back to Leone is around 6, but the last bus into town from Leone is around 430.  It makes the days feel pretty short when you can't really get anywhere after 430, but that's life on an island! Just be observant of when you notice what time buses are going by for the first few weeks, so you don’t get stranded somewhere.

Taxis
There are taxis, but they can seem expensive living off of our volunteer stipend. I’ve been told never to pay more than $10 from Tafuna or Nuuuli to Leone. The taxi drivers try to rip you off because you are white. Don’t let them get away with it. There are a few taxi drivers who I've made friends with and they're reliable and nice. If you can, try to make friends with one and get their personal taxi number. Mr. Berquist (Doug, who teaches history at Leone) knows a trustworthy cab driver he always calls, so you can ask him for his number too.

Nightlife
                  Not much. There are a few bars, which range from boring to creepy, but fun just the same. There's Runway Bar-which is laid back and mostly old people. Airport Bar has karaoke. Country Club (CC) is a popular club with pool tables and dancing. The guys there can be pretty sketchy.  Not really the country club you have in the states.  Toa is a restaurant/bar in Nuuuli, where a lot of white people hang out. It's expensive and restaurant atmosphere.  Bowling Alley is the big one. Super ghetto, but also fun. This is the place to go if you want the top 40 dance hits, cheap drinks, and the usual creepy Samoan guys hitting on you. There are also bars in town near Fagatogo and Pago, but I’ve never been to them because they are far away from Leone. There's also a movie theatre that shows 2 movies at a time. Movies shown in Samoa are ONLY the crazy action ones like Die Hard, GI Joe, or anything that has The Rock or Bruce Willis in it, because Samoans love laughing at violence.

Food/Shopping
                  One of the toughest things about living here was the lack of fresh vegetables.  A lot of the time you can get things like eggplant, onions, taro and potatoes, but not much else. CostULess and Forsgrens sometimes have good produce but it's still not fresh. Luckily, the stuff that is grown on-island, like bok choy, is cheap.  The little Asian stores like California mart (right in front of your house) and Kristopher Mart (down the street) carry canned food and mostly junk food. There isn't normal milk on island, it's all that boxed milk that doesn't have to be refrigerated until you open it.  You can still find things you need in these little stores, but everything in these stores seems to have a weird taste- they taste the way the store smells. It's hard to explain but you'll see what I mean. It bothers some people, other people can't even tell. You should go to the market in Fagatogo sometime to try lots of Samoan food. My favorite is palusami (coconut milk with onion and lime juice wrapped in taro leaves & banana leaf), which you can use to dip breadfruit or taro in.

Bucket List Items:
                  While in Samoa, you should definitely go hiking (Mt. Alava), go snorkeling in places like Fagatele Bay, go kayaking, go to Tisa's, rent a car and drive end to end, see if you can go fishing for palolo in October/November (ask your students about it), visit the little island of Aunu'u, and get out to Manu'a if you can (the planes/boats are a whole other story. They kind of just go whenever they want). Just explore the island(s) as much as possible, even though it can be difficult to get around at times.

I could go on and on (and it seems I have), but I'll leave you to learn all about Samoa once you get here!
I really hope you found this letter useful- it certainly is difficult to put life on The Rock into words. If you have other questions or want to read more (though how could you, after this long letter..?) you can find my blog: http://sarbear79.blogspot.com/Also feel free to email me: scleave79@gmail.com.  I will be in the states after June 15th so you are totally welcome to call me at 781-248-0034. You can find me on facebook too. Believe me, I would LOVE to answer questions about Samoa. I might even be disappointed if you don't have any. Just kidding! But not really... I called one of the volunteers from last year before I got here and I was really glad I did.  It was really nice for me to talk to someone who loved it here and successfully made it through the year (and then she became my best friend since she stayed here for another year, haha)!

If your year here is anything like mine, it will be more work than you expect.  There are a ton of frustrations that go along with living and teaching in American Samoa, but I promise you, it will DEFINITELY be worth it.  This island is like nowhere else in the world. Everything I've written about just seems totally normal to me now, but it makes me realize how much I've learned, changed, and grown this year and how awesome/crazy/ridiculous Samoa is (especially Leone). If I'm being honest, I'm kind of jealous that you get to come and experience it all for the first time! It will be hard work, but congratulations, because you're going to love it.

Sara Cleaver