Day off!

Think I mentioned in my last post that we did a little walk up to Blunt's Point- part of the fortification which took place after the attack on Pearl Harbor.  We talked a bit about cultural adjustment while having a great view!  Think someone also took a picture of a bunch of us sitting on this as well:

Friday I co-taught a lesson on tectonic plates and convergent plate boundaries with Mike who just graduated from Skidmore with a geology degree.  Between the Hagers, the geology boys I went to Honduras with, and him, geologists may very well be the most proud of all scientists or professions!!! Geologists LOVE geology. Like, so much.  It's awesome.  We played games about oceanic and continental plates crashing into one another and the results, so I think everyone had fun.  I named our competition the "Crust Collision Championship".  2 points for alliteration.


On Friday night a group of us went to get dinner and drinks at the "Equator restaurant & bar", where we had a wonderful Fijian waitress who said the WorldTeachers from last year always used to meet up there and she wanted to see a lot of us.  Because it's part of a hotel, a lot of white people there (most of the 50-60 white people on the island at any time are probably all there, for whatever reason).  Some were pilots waiting for their plane to refuel, from Australia, others were construction workers who were going to be in the area for a few months on jobs.  We then carpooled with some of the people we met to a bar called the Bowling Alley, which is literally no different than bars at UVM.... namely, Sputies. SPUTIES SHOUT OUT!!!.... never thought that would find a place in this blog.  We were the only white people at the bar, and got to experience what fa'afafines are really like, even spoke to one named princess, who I guess is in charge of the transgender community group, or something of the sort.  We could tell that any time we engaged in conversation with Samoan men, girls gave us pretty nasty looks.  But I guess that's not different than the states.  However, girls in the bathroom were so nice! (also no different than the states).  We stayed out much later than planned and about 6 of us walked back to Nu'uuli High School at 2:30 am, seeing HUGE rats and many dead frogs in the road on the way.  Didn't have to fend off any dogs, either, which was a relief. We said good night to our security guard and went to bed.

Sunset from Nu'uuli High School one morning- the power lines are in the way and it was was WAY prettier in person but the ocean was like glass this morning and the sky was so pink.  I walked out of my room to use the bathroom and had to stop and go back to get the camera.

Saturday was our first day off!!!!  I got an errand done in the morning.... bought fabric for my church skirt and one puletasi (toughest decision of my life.... I don't do well shopping to begin with then add in the fact that I'm trying to piece my own outfit together in my head).  Then we took 2 buses over to Tisa's Barefoot Bar...AKA where I plan on spending at least every other Saturday.  It's the only place on the island where you can wear a bathing suit (even a bikini if you want!). They have amazing pina coladas, and Tisa lives there with her partner "Candyman", the bartender.  I can't wait to talk to Candyman more, apparently he is a huge fisherman (sounded like he was Australian) and at Tisa's I believe they serve what he catches- or at least local fish.  I guess he's really into fisheries and all that stuff, so hopefully I can learn a lot about the fishing industry here. I didn't try the food at Tisa's yet but others who did said it was amazing.  Looked REALLY good.  

Tisa's reminded me a lot of the bars in Utila, Bay Islands of Honduras.  Such a calm atmosphere, but I'm sure it can get rowdy at times.  Jimmy Buffett and Kenny would like it there.  There are flags hanging down everywhere and I'm hoping to add a UVM flag to the collection....so send me one!  Read the guestbook, there are people from EVERYWHERE!  We swam for a bit but couldn't go out far or much past Tisa's because of the waves and rip tide.  Still managed to snorkel and find a few awesome fish, and tried out the GoPro dive cam!!!!! I'm PSYCHED to take that thing out to a reef.  Video came out awesome, even though there wasn't much to see.

view from Tisa's Barefoot Bar

After some swimming, snorkeling, and pina coladas :) 

Hoping to get a Mass or UVM flag sent to me so I can hang it at Tisa's!

Melanie, me and Dan at Tisa's in the evening.

I also learned that around 500 people applied for the WorldTeach AmSam program this year..... in case we all needed an ego boost here.  I had NO idea!!!!  There are 30 of us here.... it's like getting into Harvard! (We did the math).  And a lot of us didn't even apply for this program.  As if we all didn't already know how lucky we are to be here.


Didn't go to church today, ended up having too many things to do and then a BBQ with everyone in the park across the street where we played some volleyball.  Have to teach an individual lesson to actual high schoolers this week....so nervous! Still working on my lesson plan but I'm doing it on limiting factors of reef formation (temp, salinity, sunlight/depth, and pollution).  Trying to keep it simple but I could go on forever!


Hoping to wake up to watch the sunrise this week and sit by the water for it.  Move into Leone on Saturday and we will have guests with us (some volunteers who are going out to Manu'a, because they need a place to stay while we have DOE orientation here on Tutuila).  I'll be living with Josh, who is an 26 year old environmental scientist from Texas, and then right next to us will be Jill and Kristina.  Jill will be teaching math and has been teaching for 25 years so she'll be an excellent resource, and Kristina just graduated from college in Virginia and will be teaching English.  We meet our host family sometime in the next few days as well!  Have a feeling after this week blog posts will become infrequent, but I'll have facebook maybe!!!! Wooooo!


In other news, I think a few of us have decided we are going to try to go to New Zealand over winter break! It's very cheap compared to Australia, and it's the longest break we have.  And Mike knows a ton about New Zealand because he studied abroad there and has connections.  We may try to get out to Manu'a for Thanksgiving, if the planes are working.


Once I know what supplies I'll need at school, I'll probably send out a letter begging for school supplies!!!  Any of the teachers out there--- getting students to donate school supplies might be a cool community service project..hint hint!!!  Lots of the volunteers here have already talked to past teachers in the states and have organized such projects. I'll send out my P.O. Box once I'm settled in Leone.


Alright, long post.  Generally watch an episode of Boy Meets World with Jacqui and Dan at this time, but might read a bit and head to bed.  Gonna be thinking of the Cleaver/Hager/O'Neill clan this weekend as you all paddle the Westbranch and scatter Grandpa's ashes.  Wish I could be there for it.  Who wants to plan a Westbranch trip for when I return?!  (Although I may have had it with the mosquitos by then).


love love love,
sara

orientation

Got internet back! For the time being.... also got a phone!! My number is 1-684-258-1488 but keep in mind that I'm about 6-7 hours behind you and what it may cost you to call!! I can call you for $0.17 per minute, but I'm not sure what it will cost you to call me. It's free for me if you call me... so I'd love the calls! But my phone is usually off or not on me. haha.  Haven't managed a bank account yet... one WT volunteer has spent over 6 hours waiting in the bank lobby so far, so it's most important that the Manu'a ppl set up their accounts first. Things take forever but I did do laundry yesterday, wahoooooo!  


Been neck deep in orientation.  With DOE trainings, content specific trainings, lesson planning, classroom management, Samoan lessons, culture shock sessions, etc (name it, we've done it) and waking up around 6:30 to go running every day, I'm tired!! And teaching hasn't even begun yet!  It's pretty stressful so far, definitely not the "fa'asamoa" but it's good to always be busy.  Going to be difficult to say bye to everyone when we move on to our teaching placements in a week or two, we've all gotten close and I like being surrounded by people!


A few new things of the week:
- saw my first fa'afafines (third gender)
- saw flying foxes (fruit bats)
-actually feel like I can maybe learn Samoan! 
         (before I did write that it was really difficult, but I realized that it's actually quite a simple language.  No genders for words, verb conjugations, none of that!! I think I just feel like it's difficult because I've gotten so used to the way I learned German and Spanish in the past, and now we're trying to cram a lot into a few days with the Missionaries who so generously have offered to teach us even though they've never taught before).  It's certainly difficult with not much time to study what we go over each day in class. 


-tried on some puletasis, got the WorldTeach lava lava (fabric/sarong) material to get an 'ie (skirt/sarong) made
-got to yell at and pretend to throw stuff at mean dogs
-had an island tour, got to see where I'll be living and the high school I'll be at, and had a picnic at a beach on the east side
-went to a WWII historic site 

Fatu and Fitu- I've heard the legend told a few ways now, but one of which is that they are two brothers who went into the sea and never came back, and instead turned to rock.  The other way I heard it was that a fisherman went out to sea and did not return so his sweetheart went looking for him and they both  turned to rock.

Josh, Andrea, me, and Melanie at Fatu and Fitu Flower Pot Rocks.

Garrett hiding 

We tried some coconut!

Traveled to the East side where we swam and walked on the rock wall.

wave action was INTENSE... more so than this picture shows.  I didn't even get in the water!

Facing out toward Aunu'u

Jill, Josh, Kristina, and me in front of our soon to be high school! Go Lions!

The weather has truly been unbelievable (again, I am cold because of the wind right now) but I have been warned about the summer months (here that would be Jan, Feb, March) as those are much more humid and less wind.  The temperature itself won't change much (it's been about 80 every day with moderate winds and cloud cover) though, but it will sure feel HOT. 


Trying to remember what else I wanted to write.  I will probably do some kind of Amazon wishlist for school supplies, once I know more about what I need. other volunteers are doing it and have tons of stuff being sent to them.  Will give my postal address as soon as I get it in Leone!


On another note, yesterday at the laundromat I witnessed corporal punishment for the first time.  Even though I know it's the norm here, my first instinct was to leap from my seat.  I wanted to grab the boy away from his mom and yell at her and take him away.  I couldn't tell what he had done wrong, but from watching them for a while I could tell it was nothing that a little verbal enforcement couldn't have fixed.  And then she did it again.  He was helping her with the laundry!  I couldn't figure out what he was doing wrong but all I could think about was how so many of my soon to be students will have been hit so much at home and how violent that is going to make them now as adolescents.  It's a cycle, and although we all want it to be broken, it's a cultural norm here.  Samoans don't understand why we won't use it as teachers, and don't understand why it is not used in the U.S.  It's effective for them to use it here, and they say that our students will respond to it, so we should use it.  All I can think is that it's lazy parenting. Sure, it's effective at one moment, and there are still plenty of people in the US that spank or hit their kids.  Even in my family, spanking isn't out of the question.  But here, hitting kids seems like the go-to form of punishment for a lot of parents, not the last hope of changing kids' behaviors. Pounding a kid on the head seems different than spanking an out of control child, too.  Don't they worry about brain damage?  In AmSam, it just hasn't even been questioned, and other means of discipline aren't even thought of. That incident just made me want a huge hug from my parents, because it didn't look like this mom ever did that for her children.


This is the first place that I've really had to think about cultural customs as well, because word travels so fast if we do something rude and because we will be here for so long.  I have to think about the clothes I wear, how I am sitting, which way my feet are pointing when I sit, you can't eat or drink while standing or walking (definitely taken a few sips out of my water bottle while walking by accident), we say certain things in Samoan when we walk by people, where to sit on the bus, being quiet in certain places, etc.  It's funny because I can use English so easily here, it's easy to forget it's such a different culture and there are many things to be aware of.  Of course, with time all of this will become habit.  Probably good to learn not to eat while standing anyway!!! But it's made us all notice how much we do it.


Also got a good article that some of you may have read long ago, on American Samoa in the 60s.  A lot of this has changed, but it's still a good one to read.
http://etvas.com/history-page/readers-digest-shame/thu-02172011-2348

This week has been some of our most intensive training- we go straight from our sessions around 8 to ending them at 6, and then have Samoan to study, lesson planning, errands to run, group dinners to make, and plenty of material to read.  But we tend to throw in some Boy Meets World or Fresh Prince too.  We played volleyball the other night with a few Samoans...man, they are athletic.  The girl on our team plays volleyball in high school and she was so good!  The boy made fun of us, and we began to learn just how much Samoans love to make fun of people.  Gonna go have dinner now, and lots to plan for the next few days.  Day off on Saturday, I think we are either going to hike to some waterfalls or go to the beach, and then go to Tisa's Barefoot Bar in the evening. Tisa's is the only place on the island where you can wear a bathing suit, but we'll probably still stay fairly covered.

Let me know how you're all doing!! Brucey- how is the academy?  I've told fellow WTers about the "to froms" and the various embarassing forms of punishment when we brainstorm for class (small pink tshirts and pushups, maybe?)

Tofa!

day 2 of training

Woke up this morning around 5:30, went for a good run with other volunteers around 6:30.  Today we had visits from DOE officials, and missionaries that gave us our first Samoan language lesson.  We learned a bit about the education standards (but much more to come), and the common core requirements that AmSam hopes to begin implementing in 2 years (but their curricula now apparently adheres to 75% of common core already).  One of the many difficult aspects about teaching here (as I assume it is anywhere), is going to be having such high standards while needing to teach to the abilities and levels of the students.  After looking ever so briefly at the biology and marine science standards, it is clear that I won't get through all that material, even without knowing students' abilities.  The bio standards look just like the biology class I just finished in college, not high school. Although I may not remember, because my college and hs bio classes may have been quite similar. 

Samoan is HARD. We leared the 17-letter alphabet, how to pronounce vowels and vowel combinations, glottal stops (like in fa'afetai, which means thank you), vowel enhancers I think they are called, and some sentence structure.  It will take a lot of effort to learn, but I really want to.  We've all still been saying Pago Pago wrong.... we've been saying Pango Pango (after mistakenly saying Pago Pago, the way it looks), but it's really like a throat "ng" without the g.  Kind of like the "ng" in "king".  Basically you don't finish the g and don't close your mouth.  Hard to describe, but will attempt to teach it when I get home!  Equally difficult is when words begin with a glottal stop, like "'oe".  I haven't had any trouble getting around with English, but Samoans get excited when you speak Samoan and it will come in very useful in the classroom.

Attempted to set up a bank account today, but each person takes about 45 mins so we didn't have enough time to do during our break.  Eventually will get to it and get a phone..... island time.  But the 2 hours spent waiting for an unsuccessful bank attempt did allow me to speak with an awesome Samoan woman who had moved to Anchorage, Alaska after she graduated from Leone High School here. She was here visiting and said she couldn't wait to get back to the cooler weather in Alaska; that it was too hot here!! (funny, because I'm not Samoan and right now I think it's even cold here!). She was sooo nice and had such a great laugh and taught us a few things about Samoan culture. I could tell everyone was laughing around us as she tried to teach us Samoan.

Then had some more training on our role as teachers barriers to teaching in AmSam..there are a lot.  It's weird, because I imagine it's not anything like teaching in Africa where there are literally no resources and schools are barely schools; we have some resources here and there are strict standards.  But having the standards almost makes it harder; they definitely want you to teach to the test, and I think I'll end up feeling like I'm failing at teaching a lot if I have trouble managing my classroom or if students aren't understanding material.  Also frustrating will be that there ARE resources here, or there could be, but the politics on island really decide where the resources go. One of the classrooms we are training in has new apple computers, a smartboard, and air conditioning!  I don't expect any of that in Leone (pronounced Le-ohn-eh).

Tomorrow we're meeting with the DOE director, having language class, hopefully getting a bank account or phone (fingers crossed) (takes too long to do both here in one day haha!), and having our fist class on lesson planning.  Alright, meant to keep this short.

Talofa from Nu'uuli!

Talofaaaaaa!!!!!  I am currently sitting on the second floor of Nu'uuli Vocational Tech High School, outside in a little corner that gets internet access!!  I feel fairly well rested, although I'm sure the time change will hit me later this afternoon. Today has been such an amazing day.  Definitely in that euphoria stage of emotions and culture shock that they said we'd get upon arrival.  We slept on foam pads last night in classrooms, and we were actually really cold!!! The breeze here is really strong right now, so we actually all feel like we didn't pack warm enough clothes!! I have goosebumps right now sitting in capris and a short sleeve, but I'm sure this feeling won't last.  When the wind does die, it gets HOT fast.  It's been pretty cloudy today, but still GORGEOUS. Hearing the dogs howling and yapping last night was kind of creepy, but no problems with them yet.

I woke up around 6:45 to get showered and make breakfast (we make our own, today just had some cereal and an apple, tomorrow I might get fancy and make eggs haha), and when I walked out of the room I saw the steep, sharp, mountains on 3 sides of me, and the turquoise blue ocean.  A few minutes later, light showers, and then a double rainbow. No biggie.  The water here is unlike anything I've ever seen, even in the caribbean & Las Islas de la Bahia (Honduras).  The layer on top is SO BLUE/GREEN.  I guess because the layer on top is so much warmer than the layers below, they never mix and when the waves break (there are so big waves here!), it's just a gorgeous light color. Apparently we haven't even seen the "pretty" water yet. I'm already excited to see what Leone will be like, I like this area so much and it's the more urban area!  I have to say I might be a little jealous of the outer island volunteers, but I know we will all have our own hardships and great things about each of our placements.  A few volunteers woke up early to scout out our home for the next 3 weeks, so a bunch of us might go on an early morning run tomorrow.

view from the 2nd floor of Nu'uuli High School

We then went to the Utulei/Pago Pago area to do some icebreakers and go on a scavenger hunt to get to know the area/people better.  Samoans are ACTUALLY the nicest people I've ever met. As long as you just smile at them first (since I guess they are somewhat shy), everyone says hello and the more Samoan you try to use the better. They are so so helpful and when they learn we are the WorldTeach volunteers they are even sweeter.  One told my friend that God would bless all of us for what we are doing, and a few Samoans gave us things for free at the markets.  Our scavenger hunt included taking photos in front of a certain bank, finding answers to what some things were in Samoan, finding buses to certain places (buses run SO frequently here, and are only a dollar, but they do stop at 6pm so that makes doing errands difficult, especially when I'll be at school til 4), and buying lava lavas!  So we all bought one (or more, as they are GORGEOUS) lava lavas (basically sarongs) to wear day to day.  I haven't seen too many people wearing them around here, people dress fairly western, but it's hard not to like wearing them.  I'll post pictures of the one's I got at some point!  One is red with turtles (go figure) and the other is green (Leone High School color) with a map of AmSam and rhinestones on it (I had to get it). 

First WorldTeachers to find lava lavas!

It’s really not as polluted here as I expected; definitely cleaner than the towns in the Bay Islands or the cities in Honduras or Ecuador.  There are a lot of graves in people’s front yards, probably because there isn’t room for a big cemetery but it makes sense, why not keep the ancestors close?!

There are volunteers from all over- many states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and England.  The couple from England isn’t here yet- immigration issues, and neither is one other man who will be with me I believe in Leone.  And for those of you who think I pack too much- not even close!!! I packed less than a lot of the volunteers!! (So Mom, I’m already making a mental list of stuff to send!)

This island is unbelievable.  There's basically enough space next to the ocean  for one road and some buildings on either side, and then pretty much cliffs straight up the sides.  Building a road must’ve taken some effort!  

Also, I found the solution I've always been waiting for with loving bananas but never being able to finish a whole one: Lady fingers.  They are like mini sized bananas, and they are a little bit sweeter and the outsides aren't as dry as regular bananas aka they are AWESOME. Already one thing I will miss upon going home!  Alex Beattie, you would crumble and die if you saw all the lady fingers and bananas here. like whoa.


For lunch we stopped at a fish & bbq place, and had bbq chicken, fried fish (it was a surgeonfish, I recognized it from seeing them snorkeling in Honduras!), rice, and a fried banana. Kinda weird eating a fish with such a cute face that I love to see while snorkeling, but when in Samoa, do as the Samoans...right?  It was good, not too fishy!  Also tried some raw fish in coconut milk w/ spices, it was also sooo good but I forget what it was called.  All the people we talk to ask us who is staying in which village and they are always excited to find out.  There is MAJOR school pride here- so much, that many, many fights break out.


I also saw the McDonalds with probably the greatest view/location in the world today...directly behind it was the Pacific Ocean/Pago Pago Harbor. And all the McDonald's have play pens, just in case we get bored :)


Got to see the nets that fishermen use....being a fisheries nerd I always knew the nets were huge but I didn't have any idea. they are HUMONGOUS!!!

Tofa soifua!

As I lay here in my air conditioned room, with 6 pillows in my queen sized bed and not a bug in site, I realize this kind of life is about to be put on hold for the next 11 months, and can't believe I leave in 2 days!  I woke up around 7 this morning (the time at the bottom doesn't show up correctly), because with the wonderful air conditioned, insect-free night of sleep I got, I feel plenty rested.  If you saw my room right now, you'd know why I need to be up early to pack.  I also had better get used to it!  I believe for the first few weeks of orientation we will be up by 6 or 7 and training all day until 4 or 5.  After the first month, I will probably have to leave for school by 7-7:30 and be there until 4.  And that's still not nearly as much time at school as Mom has spent all these years....don't know how you do it!

It still hasn't even really hit me that I'll be gone for 11 months.  More importantly, I can't believe it'll be 18 months before I get a ski season!!!!!  Time for the juxtaposition:

Big Jay with Jay Peak in the background

American Samoa

Hey, at least they both have mountains! 

I probably won't be posting as much once I begin teaching (both because of less time and less internet), but I think I will have some time during orientation.

So, Sunday I leave Boston around 10am, have a 6 hour flight to LAX, then meet up with most of the WorldTeachers for a predeparture meeting in the hotel we stay overnight in.  In the morning we fly to Honolulu, Hawaii (about 6 hours), have a 3 hour layover, then fly to Pago Pago (5 1/2 hours).

I will miss you all so so much!!!  Becs, Donny, AlPal, Lils, and Hoffman...you all better crush it on the slopes for me this year (but don't make me too jealous...tell me the snow sucks).  RyGuy, keep me updated on what you end up doing, keep on keepin on!!!  Jenna Lee, let me know where you and Zack end up moving and what you end up doing next!  NatKat-- you are going to LOVE your Americorps position... get all those people healthy!!!  Al & Lil- good luck on your THESEEEES.... just sing the feces/theses song when you get stuck, it's what nat and I did.  Prouda ya. (Harry voice.) When in doubt between the ski days and the thesis days, always take the ski days. You won't go wrong.  Leman have an awesome senior year as well!!  Enjoy the bologna out of Burlington & SKITHEEAST/ SKITTLETHESHEETS for me. Cal, good luck with your first year of non-laxbro life. Muggles really aren't all that bad.

Liv & Elena (and now Brian Tonelli!!)...hold down Boston for me.  Go to some Sawx games, eat some chowdah for me, and drink some beahs for me. Especially on New Years. And Olivia's birthday. (And my birthday?) And record the best Bahston accents you hear and send them to me so I can listen to them when I'm homesick. Many Beantown nights to come (including the 4th of July...I will be with you next year...) when I return!

EmFenn GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FIRST YEAR TEACHING!!!! I'll be in it with ya, although you're probably better prepared.  I will REALLY wish you (and JFenn) were there with me for the first few weeks/months to whip the smartasses into shape.

Everyone who finds their way in Lexington within the next year.... watch out for Officer Cleaver. I've heard he will put you in a mean arm bar.....which I have now learned and will master if I need to break up bloody Samoan fights in the classroom (to be expected from reading past blog posts).

The best email address to use will be scleave79@gmail.com, the other (scleaver@uvm.edu) recieves all my messages as well, but that may become inactive in May.  Leave comments on my posts, even if they are short, so I can have some kind of communication with all of you!!  If you already have a google account you can just click the link at the bottom.

As an elderly islander on Anegada, BVI ordered me in 2005, (this was the only thing he said to us, and he repeated it while pointing a finger at each person as he said it), Be Happy.


Tofa soifua,
Sara

What to expect in Samoa...

So I've been reading more of the blogs from past WorldTeachers, both to prepare me and just for fun.  But it's actually freaking me out more than anything else...so I might stop reading soon!!  One of the girls' blogs I've been reading who was in my placement last year wrote the following on her last night in AmSam. Ohhhhh boy.  What is the next year going to entail?!

Sometimes when I break down my life in Samoa, it seems a little insane. What have I done during my year in Samoa?

·         I joined a gang. (TAP BOYZ!)

·         I broke up some fights.

·         I learned how to swear in Samoan.

·         I got a tattoo in a rusted out shipping container.

·         I’ve eaten eggs that have sat out in the store unrefrigerated for a couple of days.

·         I’ve poured out a bowl of cereal, seen that there were ants in it, shrugged, and ate around the ants.

·         I shook my thing to the Pussycat Dolls in front of an entire school.

·         I learned how to Wobble, and have failed miserably at doing the Dougie.

·         I learned how to open a coconut on a door jam.

·         I am no longer fazed in the least by seven-year-olds running around carrying machetes.

·         I got a neurotoxic disease caused by eating poisonous fish.

·         Consequently, I’ve learned not to eat the red fish.

·         I’ve gotten scars on my legs because open wounds never really heal here.

·         I’ve learned the proper way to tie a lavalava.

·         I’ve become absolutely immune to rain. Like, sometimes I don’t even notice I’m standing in it.

·         I’ve created a Sweat-o-meter, which 1 being a normal amount of sweat for your average summer day of grueling work in the States, and 10 being OH MY GOD MY CORE TEMPERATURE IS 300 DEGREES AND I AM  GOING TO MELT.

·         If I feel something crawling on me, I casually look down, and as long as it’s not something deadly, I generally ignore it.

·         I’ve accepted that expiration dates are really more like suggestions.

·         I’ve full on beat dogs with umbrellas, sticks, and rocks to keep them from biting me.

Of course, I’m not the only one who has changed. I’ve seen Abby eat around a bug that was baked into her donut. Quinn can now expertly judge when a banana plant is ripe for the picking. I’ve heard Amanda debate how exactly how smelly a shirt must be before it is TOO smelly. I’ve seen Rosa barely raise an eyebrow after being informed that the boat from Aunu’u might sink and she might have to swim to shore.

Actually, that last one pretty much sums up life here.

This is Samoa. Sink or swim.