Field Trip and Famous Females!

Field Trip to the National Park

All of us in the NPS office- we were the first school group to be in the new facility!

A few weeks ago we had our field trip to the National Park of American Samoa!!  Although planning it and the actual execution of it was stressful and we were seriously cramped for time, it was worth it.  I handed out 40 permission slips for my most well-behaved students, and I only got 25 back  (despite the complaints that I got from 100 of my students about not being able to go on the field trip and that they had bugged me all year to go on one...) so it was nice to have a small group of (more) responsible students with me.  The bus ride there was a highlight- the road to Vatia goes over extremely steep mountains, and a foot from the wheels of the bus are cliffs that go straight down- sometimes to the ocean.  It was kind of like a rollercoaster ride.  All I could imagine was putting some snow on those slopes and throwing on a pair of skis!!!  Some of the smaller roads/driveways that I saw I kept mistakenly thinking," HOW do they get up there when it snows?!?!"  Then I remembered.  Hahah.  My students were pretty excited as they looked out the window from such an elevation- we could see all of Pago Harbor and beyond!

Most of the students had never been to the National Park before, and they don't go hiking, so we went on a short nature walk guided by the park ranger and learned about the Samoan history of the area.  We also got to do some birdwatching- watching my kids use binoculars was hilarious.  Pua (one of our rangers who had come into our classroom to talk about National Parks before) led the short hike (which was by no means "short" by my students' standards) and he spoke in Samoan to the students about their ancestors who had lived there. We got to see a star mount and a grinding stone, but I'll have to go back and get the story in English! The responses I got back from them on their finals about the field trip, or the National Park presentation we had in class, or the NOAA presentation we had in class (extra credit questions) were extremely positive.  Now everyone wants another field trip- I think we may try to go to the Ocean Center in the spring to see the "Science on a Sphere" presentations.

Valerie and our one parent chaperone! Fa'afetai tele lava!

They were hiding as we walked back up the trail, apparently trying to scare our group

Yeaaaaa La'au!

Pua having everyone close their eyes and listen to the sounds their ancient ancestors heard when they lived there

Mealelei in the new NPS office

Jeff, Wilson, Phoenix, Faia'ai, Ricky, and Petelo 

The Miss South Pacific Pageant  was really awesome to be a part of! We got fancy "backstage usher" passes with our names on them (sent from New Zealand!) and had a few days of planning/rehearsal and then had the real thing!! We had to get special black & white puletasis made. Miss Fiji was the reigning Miss South Pacific from last year.  We got to meet all the girls and talk with them a bit, and see their GORGEOUS clothes/traditional wear up close.  The contestants were:
Miss Samoa
Miss American Samoa - Arrielle Maloata who lives right behind us in Malaeloa
Miss Hawaiian Islands
Miss Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Miss Tokelau
Miss Papua New Guinea
Miss Cook Islands
Miss Fiji
Miss Solomon Islands
Miss Tonga

They were all really nice and thankful for our help backstage (it got crazy at times- like when they were all supposed to be out on stage but only Miss Hawaii was there!!!). There were corporate tables only for this event and they were $750 per table- with beautiful bouquets, beer, wine and everything.  I helped out at the exit door from the stage, so I basically opened the door for them as they came off stage and made sure nobody went near that door.  It also meant I got to peek and watch the show from the back- or at least what I could see!  

Listening to Pua as he shows us Pola Island

Kristina, Amber, and I had a great time talking with Miss AmSam- obvi- and we had seen her at many events on island so far.  She's in the army and said she's really not a pageant girl at all, but got kind of persuaded (read: forced) into it. She's super bubbly and also beautiful, and was really funny.  I was partial to Miss Fiji- she seemed like an environmentalist- studying journalism and marine affairs at the University of the South Pacific- where my fellow science teacher, Wayne, went.  It was all in the news about how Miss Fiji should have won. All of their traditional wear, and their talents, like dancing or singing, were just amazing. Miss Tonga is a social worker, and did a great job but ended up not placing.  It was cool to experience a pageant unlike the ones full of super skinny white girls in the states- all of the contestants were so beautiful in their own way, and a lot of them come from very modest upbringings,  and their families still have very little money.  The way they chose to describe their clothing- by talking about what parts of the natural world inspired them- they usually talked about the ocean, turtles, sharks, etc- was so cool.  I love the islands!!  

A photo the National Park took for us-- I think it was staged...but when I showed them the picture they SWORE they were looking at a bird!

My puletasi for the Miss South Pacific Pageant

Unfortunately we were told that we couldn't take pictures and part of our job backstage was to stop people from taking pictures- but then the very people who told us to not let that happen started letting people take pictures. That's Samoa for ya.  So we didn't get any pictures- just 1 of us volunteers in our fancy black and white puletasis.  As usual, we were given lots of food after the show. Miss Samoa ended up winning, Miss American Samoa got 4th runner up. I was super surprised by the results and that Miss Tonga and Miss New Zealand didn't get honored for what I think they deserved.

Olepa, Ashley, Me, Mealelei, Gabriel, Miliama, and Silao

Cheeky boys & Miss!

Amber, Petelo, & Ricky after the hike

On another note, I got a necklace from some of Kristina's students today, a note from one of my students/ running club boys wishing me a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and about every well wish you could ever think of, and just overall renewal of knowing I should be here. Some of the cheekiest answers I got on final exams were, "I don't know Miss, Merry Christmas, I love you" (which was the same senior's answer for more than 1 question....).  I always tell them never to leave questions blank and just write ANYTHING and they will at least get a point for not leaving it blank, so hey, he got a point. There were so many "Merry Christmas" notes at the end of the finals- you would hardly ever see that in the states!!! Or maybe I've just forgotten high school. I had to sub for another teacher's class today and proctor their final, and everything that the students said to me, and their concern for my return in the spring semester, has made me feel really responsible for these students' educations, and I once again realize how difficult it will be to leave in June.

I still need to write about the Leone High School Taumafai Swing Choir Concert...which was amazing. I have some great video from it... and our Western District Choir - the Christmas Program that I sang in and was on TV for!!!  Headed to NZ on Sunday...... too many stories to tell upon my return!!!