Popular Destination

Some of my Peace Corps visitors!
As some of you already know, my village is one of the most remote areas for any of the Peace Corps volunteers living in Samoa. Having this location conjures up a sense of adventure, and thus many volunteers have been making the trip out to my house to experience another part of Samoa.

Recently I hosted our monthly book club meeting, and had a record breaking, NINE visitors, at my house for an overnight stay! Since the majority of volunteers in Samoa happen to be girls, the book club is thus made up of mostly girls. After mentioning to my Samoan neighbors that I hade nine Peace Corps visitors coming—and them asking if they were girls or guys—word spread throughout my village quickly that in fact, I was having nine female guests at my house! My neighbor Naomi came over that Friday afternoon with a huge flower arrangement she had made, and later, my friend Milo brought over nine coconuts for my guests! I think they were as excited as I was for the weekend!

That evening all the volunteers, along with Denise, the Administrative Officer for Peace Corps Samoa, arrived by taxi. After giving the tour of my house, we began preparing the spaghetti dinner with garlic bread and salad (all on a two burner electric stove top). The day before they arrived I had a thought cross through my mind, about how bad it would be if my power went out (as it sometimes does) after they had arrived. And as Samoan luck would have it, just as we were finishing the dinner, the lights went out!

My neighbors, in their Samoan hospitality, quickly came to the rescue, stringing an extension cord from their house (which still had power), and thus we were able to keep my refrigerator running, and have one small light for the living room. Nonetheless, it still made for an interesting evening. But it was still just as special, and probably a bit more memorable. The next day we walked down my road to a big waterfall in a neighboring village before they all started heading back to their villages. It was great to have so many great friends come and experience what life is like for me at my place on a daily basis.

Over the past month, I’ve also had a couple unexpected guests! A former Peace Corps volunteer from Samoa, who was in Group 14 (I’m group 82) and served in the mid 1970’s stopped by my house with his wife. He said this was his first time back in Samoa since he had left in the 70’s! I asked him how strange it was, and he said he was shocked at how so many things had changed. It got me thinking about what any return trips I might make would be like. Despite the years that had passed, he said he still had a lot of the language skills down, which was neat to hear. I gave him my blog address, so I’m hoping he reads this! However, I have to apologize because I forgot to write his name down, and now it has escaped me! But check out the picture below that we took!

Another day, I was walking through my village when a recognizable tourist vehicle came through (they always drive a little bit slower). They stopped to say hi, and I found out they were Americans, who are teaching in American Samoa (about 60 miles to the east of Samoa) through an American program called World Teach. They were visiting Samoa during their spring vacation (fall). I invited them up to my house for a look around and short visit. It’s always neat to bump into other Americans in Samoa, so our accidental meeting was enjoyable. I also gave my blog address to them (trying to get the word out) so if they are reading, a big hello to them too!

When Americans aren’t visiting me, I have my Samoan friends stopping by to keep me company! A few months ago, a couple of the boys who hang out at my house a lot noticed a can of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup sitting on my counter. It was given to me by Bill and Kathleen (volunteers who left back in August) but I had never really known what to eat it with, since I don’t cook meat at my house. But since so much time had passed, it expired in December, although I never threw it out. The kids kept wanting me to open it for them, and I tried to tell them it was expired, although they didn’t care. Samoans don’t waste food, and eating a can of soup that is a few months expired isn’t a big deal. So I finally invited the kids over one evening for “dinner,” and we opened the cream of chicken and ate it with rice. The boys brought some cooked banana and one of the smallest fish I’ve ever seen, but it was a nice gesture! They ended up loving the cream of chicken, and I never heard of any illnesses, so I guess it all went ok in the end.

And speaking of visitors, although they aren't visiting my village, I found out today that the production crew and cast members for a new CBS "Survivor Samoa," have arrived in the country and will be filming from May-August. However, their sense of "survivor" is a bit unrealistic (perhaps a blog to follow on that topic later).

In the meantime, this second year of Peace Corps service has been a new kind of adventure as I’m able to share my house with so many visitors. As much as I love to see them all visit, it’s still nice to get back into my normal routine after the “parties” quiet down. However, I’m still looking forward to the next time someone swings by my house for a visit. I may even have a can of outdated food for them if they like!
















Naomi made this huge flower arrangement before my Peace Corps friends came!
















Leah (foreground) and Blakey, working on a salad!


A former Samoa Peace Corps volunteer stopped by my house in March. He served in the mid 1970's. Here we are with one of my neighbors.




Here are the boys who came over for the expired cream of chicken soup!





They went after the cream of chicken soup without any hesitation.






A couple volunteers from the World Teach program in American Samoa were visiting Samoa during their school break. Here we are at my house.




For those who visit my house at night, I can offer you sights such as this!





If you prefer to visit me in the morning, I can offer you this!








If you are a mid-day person, this would be your scenery!

Faausi

Without any doubt, faausi is my favorite Samoan food. I remember the first time I had it in the training village, back in October of 2009, and as I ate it, just kept wondering what it was made from. Since then I’ve found out that it can be made by using either papayas or taro—I prefer papaya. So the full name would be faausi esi (esi means papaya).

While embracing my second year of Peace Corps service, I’ve been trying to learn more about the people and their traditions. Since food is such a huge part of this culture, I knew that asking my neighbors to teach me how to make faausi would be a great weekend activity—and it would please my stomach!

Having asked my neighbors what I needed to get while in town at the market, I picked up 10 papaya and six pounds of flour. Bringing back 10 papayas in a big basket on the bus sure did get conversations started. By Sunday afternoon when we actually began preparing the faausi, I think most of my village knew what I was going to do.

With paper and pen for note taking, and camera in hand, I headed over to my neighbor Naomi and Taunaola’s around 1p.m. and they had already started preparing. A relative of theirs was working on shaving the inside of 20 coconuts, which would later be squeezed for the cream. Someone had also gone out and gathered the firewood which had already been split and would be used to build the oven. My walking over with 10 papayas from the market and my bag of flour suddenly seemed like the easy part of the prep work.

First we cut the papayas and scooped out all the seeds (I’m already a pro at this). My hands always have some allergic reaction to the papaya and I asked Naomi if hers did too. She laughed and said no, and that her hands were strong. After we had the papaya prepared, she put it in water and boiled it over a hot flame for about 30 minutes. While we were waiting, I went over and tried lending a hand with the coconuts, but I was rather slow, and soon handed the operations back over to the pros. If I had continued, we would still be waiting on me! Nevertheless, seeing the manual labor that goes into what are daily chores for these people, helped remind me of how much patience is required.

As we were all in the Samoan kitchen, the smoke from the fires kept driving me outside to get fresh air, as my eyes were very sensitive and kept watering. Once again, if I had been left alone on my own to do this, I wouldn’t be writing this blog about my making faausi, because we wouldn’t have gotten past building the fire.

Once the papaya was done cooking, Naomi and her sister worked at separating it from the juice. This would then cool for a bit and then be added to the flour to make a doughy mixture.

While the papaya was cooling, Taunaola and another man from the village who was there helping us, started working on the sauce. After having built a big fire, they took some of the scolding rocks and placed them on two sticks over the pan with the coconut cream. Then they would pour the sugar onto the rocks and the sugar would caramelize into the coconut cream below, but not before causing flames to shoot up on the rock due to the sugar. I kept thinking how this felt like a science experiment my high school chemistry teacher, Frank McCauley, would have done for us. It was really neat to watch, and I kept wondering how everything would come together.

Once the papaya had cooled, we added it to the flour and mixed it with our hands. We actually could have used more flour, but I’ll know next time. After the mixing was complete, Namoi walked over with portions of banana leaves which she said were Samoan foil. How resourceful. She coated each leaf with a light layer of coconut cream and then we filled each leaf with a handful of the dough. She wrapped each one and then they were put over the hot rocks and covered with several banana leaves and even a woven mat to help bake them in the traditional Samoan oven (called an umu). At this point it was just wait and watch for about 45 minutes until they were done baking.

Finally, they came out of the oven, and we placed them onto more banana leaves and opened them up to cool. Flies are always a constant bother in Samoa, so I knew without being asked, to fan our food with a towel. After about ten minutes Taunaola washed the outside of a coconut which he then preceded to use as a cutting board. Cutting each baked papaya loaf with a dull knife, he placed the pieces in a bowl and I looked on with excitement. We had almost completed the very labor intensive meal.

Soon the bowl was mostly full and it was time to add the rich sauce we had made earlier. My nose instantly remembered the wonderful smells, as they mixed the two together. Bowls were brought out and as is Samoan custom, they served me first, and with a bowl that was heaping full of faausi. I waited for others to be served before eating, but I was urged to begin, so I didn’t hesitate any longer.

With that first bite I knew that my plan had come to fruition. I was enjoying wonderful, traditional, Samoan food, with people I love and now call family. I had taken the time to ask for their help, and I could tell they appreciated it. It was nice to see all the people gathered around eating, who had helped throughout the day. A bunch of the kids who had been there too, were enjoying the sweet treat and I was happy for them, since they don’t always get food like that on a regular basis.

Now word has spread throughout the village of my love for this Samoan food, and I’ve been invited to make it with another family on Easter. So in the end, this has become much more than a preparation of food, but rather, a way in which to learn more about the people I’m living with.




Naomi and I preparing the papayas to be cooked.








Suese, shaving the 20 coconuts we would need to make the sauce for the faausi.








20 coconuts later, this is what he had!









I tried my best, but I was just slowing up the process.









Squeezing the coconuts for the coconut cream (called pe'e pe'e).







Ten papayas worth ready to be cooked, and seeds on the right to throw out into the rubbish.







The banana leaves which would be used as a "foil."











The guys were preparing the oven here.










Mixing the papayas and flour together!










Placing the dough in the banana leaves before taking them to the oven.









A nice hot oven (umu) to bake the faausi.









Here they are covered under the banana leaves and woven mat, starting to bake!








After they had baked, the faausi was uncovered.



















This is when the sugar was placed onto the scolding rocks and mixed in with the coconut cream in the pan below the sticks! Pretty neat science demonstration!









The faausi cooling on banana leaves.






Who would have known coconuts make great cutting boards!






Mixing in the sauce.














Final product!

Verb Hats

There have been certain moments the past few weeks at school where I look around my classroom and really truly feel like a teacher. As someone who graduated college not intending on being a teacher—my degree was in liberal studies—I’ve certainly had many days where it has felt normal to be one.

This year I’ve had the opportunity to work more with the younger grade levels. Last year it was mostly just 7th and 8th grade, however this year I’ve been spending a number of days with 4th, 5th and 6th grades, and some days, even 1st grade. Students in Samoa’s public schools receive an education much different than their counterparts in the United States. To summarize the situation most simply, teaching styles are very different here, and in most situations, involve teachers drilling answers with their classes and then having them copy assignments from the chalk board into their notebooks. For most students in Samoa, that’s the only thing they’ve ever known.

As a result, this puts me in a unique situation to share so many of the teaching practices which I grew up with as a student myself, and help show these children and teachers, that there are other ways to learn the needed materials.

Early this past week, I was watching all the kids file out of the school at the end of the day and run up the hill to the road to head home. While sitting there watching them, the Holy Spirit put an idea in my head. I suddenly realized that these kids were leaving school empty handed (aside from their notebooks which they take with them every day.) I pictured myself as a 4th, or 5th grader and remembered taking art projects home on the school bus, and sometimes decorative hats I had made in school. Our school here in Samoa does have the resources to make those things, and although I’ve used those materials for daily lessons, I had never thought to send these kids home with something they had created.

So Monday night, with a general idea in my head, I had to put together a lesson that I would use for the 5th and 6th grade classes I knew I would be teaching later in the week. I had been working with those classes on verbs, and they were struggling, so I decided we would make “verb hats.” One evening I stayed after school to test a hat out for myself. With a template lined up, I cut the needed materials from our construction paper with hopes that it would bear much fruit.

Wednesday was the day! The kids came in and were ready for my usual way of going about things, but then I put my verb hat on and explained what we were going to do. We began by brainstorming verbs and then doing some other short activities, but moved quickly to the hats. They were to pick three pieces of colored paper and write three different verbs on each paper in crayon. On the headband part of the hat, they wrote the word “verbs.” They were allowed to decorate their hats with their crayons drawing other simple designs and pictures. I think they were slightly confused at first, but once I started handing out materials and they started coloring their hats, I could see I had them hooked on the lesson. At one point the room was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. It was so unlike anything they normally do, that they were devoting their complete attention to the project. At our interval (recess), one of the teachers came into my room and complemented me on the hats, and asked if she could wear my hat. I didn’t refuse.

That afternoon, I sat in the exact same spot I had a few days before, when I had first gotten the idea for the hats, except this time I watched them as they headed for home with all these creations on their heads. At that moment, I got that feeling that I was a teacher, as though I had helped pass on a part of what it’s like to receive an education in America—an education that is superbly unique to many other nations around the globe.

Of course, whenever I took home an art project from school as a child, it was displayed on the refrigerator or put away in a memory box. But not so for my students! On Thursday morning I saw all my kids come bouncing down the hill wearing their hats they had made the day before! I made a compromise and told them they could wear them before school and during interval, but not during class. I also asked that they be cleared out of my room by Friday, because they were creating a mess. I explained that they can be worn outside of school for fun.

When I’m not busy making verb hats, I always seem to be keeping busy with something else. I arrive at school by 7:45a.m. and many days stay as late as six or seven, with only an hour or two of break in the afternoon to eat lunch and do laundry. Living next to my school gives me a unique situation that many other volunteers who live farther away don’t have. I’m able to hop over to school from 3-6 and work on lesson plans, without it being a huge inconvenience. Last year when I was still adjusting to being a teacher, as well as just living in Samoa, I wanted to leave school and not think about school after it was over. However this year I have this new urge to keep working there, thinking up new lessons, organizing papers, or grading. I take my small radio over with me and tune it to the Christian broadcasts that come from Southern California. It’s great company while I work and great for the soul! Some days, like this past week, I’m even kept company by rats in the staff room while I work. It’s all a part of the daily challenge!

Throughout any normal school day, whenever I have free time I’ve been having kids come into my room and read to me. I started this program last year where they each receive a “Reading Book,” and after they read to me they receive a stamp. After they have five stamps accumulated they get to pick a sticker from my huge collection. This program has proved to be highly beneficial for all of my students. I’ve seen their reading abilities jump so high just after the short amount of time they spend with me. Last year I did the reading books with grades 6, 7 and 8, but this year wanted to reach more kids so included 5th grade. Now some of my most enthusiastic students are in the 5th grade, with a couple boys asking to read to me nearly every day. They don’t even seem concerned about the stamps or stickers, but I can tell they love the one-on-one attention they get from sitting down with me. It makes me smile.

This year when I get ready for bed at night, I’m excited for the next day to begin. I look forward to seeing those kids come walking into my room with huge smiles on their faces as they say good morning and ask to read a book from the box I keep on my desk. And at the end of the day when they stop by my room to say goodbye, I’m sad to see them go. Some days I have to kick them out of the school because they won’t go home, they just want to be there in that atmosphere. I could go on for 10 more paragraphs about the changes I’ve seen in my students during the past year: ways I’ve seen them grow, ways I’ve seen them mature, ways I’ve seen them gain trust in me. No matter how many times I see it, it never gets old. Each time I’m blown away! I’m reminded of how I’ve been able to be there for them, and how they’ve been there for me. We’re there for each other!
















My mom has been a teacher for 31 years so I now know what a messy desk looks like! My normal neatness escaped me this day and I realized how easy it is for a desk to get out of control.
















I laughed when I found Charles, a 6th grade student of mine, smelling one of my new books I brought back from America in January. As some of you may know, I have an obsession of smelling new books (or old books that still smell good). So I'm happy to know I'm not the only one with this weird quirk!
















Here is Neueli leading a bingo session for the year 8 kids. The boys are often told by the principal to climb a coconut tree during their interval (recess), so that the staff can have a drink. Although I love the coconuts, all that climbing is hard on their shirts and thus keeping a button on is nearly impossible, as you can see!






This is the pipe under the sink outside the school. It serves as a foot washing station for those muddy feet after the torrential downpours we get.























I've been intrusted with the care of the keys for the school since I'm the first to school and often the last home. So when I locked them in the library after school one day, I had a bit of a problem.





Luckily, the keys were near the window, so scheming a plan to get them out, this is what I came up with.





Lucky me! I won't make that mistake again!




















This is in my room. When it rains heavy water comes in around the board at the bottom. It's also an entrance/exit for the rats that roam about in the evening and after dark!






Here I am after school marking the students with good manners for the day.






A random exam schedule from 2006, still up on the wall in the staff room.


Kids from my 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes are writing letters to middle school students in America. Look for a future blog post about this!

Japan’s Tragedy

A copy of the Samoan Observer with news of Japan.
Last night, Samoa was under a tsunami warning after the devastating earthquake in Japan. Samoa just experienced its own natural disaster back in September of 2009 when a tsunami killed over 150 people in this country. Therefore, people take no chances when the word is given to move to high ground. Luckily, I live on high enough ground that a tsunami would not effect me, should one hit.

Since I don’t have cell phone coverage in my village, I wasn’t getting any of the text messages being sent out about the need to move to higher ground, although Peace Corps was able to contact a man in the village next to me, who is able to get a signal at his house. So last night around 3a.m. volunteers who live near the coast were moving to higher ground. Luckily, there was no damage here in Samoa and all were able to return to there houses early this morning.

I woke up last night to find that I had an ear infection, so I decided to come in on the bus this morning to see the doctor. I’m on an antibiotic now, so hopefully I’ll be back to normal in a few days. This gave me a chance to see the news reports of the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan.

As I’ve written before, after living here in Samoa, I now have a deeper appreciation for the power that the ocean holds in its vast waters. Swimming in it, watching it day after day, hearing it roar night after night, reminds me of its power and capacity to unleash destruction. Unfortunately, Japan was on the receiving end of its might today. My prayers are with all of those who are recovering from this tragedy. May they find the strength to recover, rebuild and renew.

Manuia le Asofānau Milo!

Milo with his chocolate pudding!
Birthdays aren’t that big of a deal for Samoans. For the first couple weeks of school I asked students in my class to tell me when their birthdays were, so that I could give them a card and have the class sing to them on their special day. However, some students didn’t even know when their birthdays were, or had to stop and think about it for a moment.

Growing up in America, birthdays are a day that children look forward to weeks in advance. Cake, ice cream, candles, balloons, cards and presents are almost always a guarantee. I can still remember the smallest details from birthdays that are now 20 years past. There’s always a special feeling I have on my birthday, and although it’s a day like all the rest, it does feel different.

Many of you have read in this blog, or heard me talk about one of my best friends: Milo. Milo was the first one to greet me the day I moved into my house here in Samoa. I can still remember him carrying my luggage down the hill beside my house and dropping it inside the front door. From that first day we’ve been buddies! Milo was 11 years old when I arrived, and for the past 17 months, I’ve been able to watch him grow up. This past Tuesday, on March 1st, Milo celebrated his 13th birthday!

I made his birthday last year a special celebration. I had bought him a chocolate cake and made some tapioca pudding. I had given him a few small gifts, and made him a card. A couple months ago I was shocked to see that he still had his card which I had made him last year on his birthday! So this year I wanted to continue the tradition.

As the week approached, I kept reminding him that his birthday was a few days away. He already knew, and I think he was looking forward to it more than last year. Besides the tapioca pudding I’ve made for him, he’s also a big fan of chocolate Jell-O Pudding! So the afternoon of his birthday I made tapioca and chocolate pudding to take over to his house for dinner. I also bought four pounds of chicken to give to the family to cook for the meal.

With all the packages I’ve gotten over the past year, Milo has also become a huge fan of bubble wrap. Whenever I have any laying around my house he’ll want to crinkle it up to make the bubble pop. So this year I decided to wrap his gift in bubble wrap. I decided to keep the gift practical. Last year I got him a match-box car and I haven’t seen it in a long time, so I’m guessing he lost it. This year I decided to give him one of my nice mechanical pencils, along with one of my good ink pens. Kids in Samoa never seem to have a decent pencil and their ink pen always is dried up.

Tuesday night I headed over to his family’s house for dinner. Milo got a big grin on his face when he saw the tapioca and chocolate pudding. After eating, I gave him his presents, along with another card I had made him this year. It was a simple evening, but I could tell he really enjoyed it. This will be my last birthday with him before I leave Samoa in December, but I told him as he walked me home, that I would be thinking of him next year, and would try to call to say hi.

Milo has been such a huge part of my life here in Samoa. He’s always there to help me when I need him for something, and on days when I’m lonely, all I have to do is call his name from out my back door, and he’ll come over and play a game of cards with me, or just sit and visit.

I’ve been able to have Milo in my English class both last year and this year. Last year he was one of the weakest students in his class, but this year he is one of the strongest. I’ve watched him as he’s started to read and answer questions with confidence, which a year ago, he didn’t even know. The other day the class had some free time for reading. I found him with one of the books that had a map in it and he was at the back of the room at the big wall map, trying to find the country from the book. I just smiled at his cleverness.

I’m looking forward to our final months together and continuing our great friendship. I hope that these past two birthdays will be days he remembers for years to come, and maybe he’ll remember me when they come around each year. I know I’ll think of him.







Milo on his 13th birthday!







Milo loves bubble wrap!










Milo and I with his card.















OTHER PHOTOS



This was my ride back to my village form the capital last weekend. As I say, whatever it takes!



This is what all Samoans do when they are out on a sunny day. You cover your head with whatever you have, since the sun's intensity is so strong! This was me in the back of the pick-up truck.




Taking time for a picture on the long and beautiful walk back to my village from the main road last Sunday.





Milo was cutting these bananas down out in front of my house on Thursday.






The sunrise this morning, March 5th, on my way into town.







Another view from the bus this morning, on my way into the capital.