Friday, October 30, 2009

Corruption Unveiled

So now the world knows what every person living in American Samoa knows: Corruption is rampant! 
Apparently a tsunami warning system was paid for, but our leaders squandered the money on plasma screen tvs and trips to Las Vegas - unfortunately, not such a surprise to those of us that live here. 
Obviously the warning system would not have prevented the tsunami nor would it have prevented any of the damage done to the villages, houses, and property. It could have, however, lowered the death toll. It’s unfortunate that something like this finally caused the U.S. to take a closer look at where all it’s money is going once it’s sent to Samoa. 

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Visitors! It's Official!

IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH! I’m officially getting visitors! Both Mom and Ethan have booked flights to The Rock! Mom is coming for 2 weeks at Thanksgiving and Ethan is coming for 3 weeks at Christmas! I can’t contain my excitement! Visitors! Ahhh! 

Monday, October 26, 2009

Tofa Halloween

My good friend Brigit had to leave the island this past weekend. Six months before coming to Am Sam she broke her foot very badly and about 1.5 months into our stay she started experiencing unbearable pain that left her barely able to walk. After doing everything possible here on island, the doctors came to the determination that she should return back home to the States for better treatment.
Of course I was sad to see her leave, but we got to celebrate her time on the island once more with a great Tofa  (Good-Bye) party (10/24/09)! Taylor and Scott, again, generously volunteered their house, and we decided it should be a Halloween themed bash. Since I am horrible at coming up with costume ideas, Ms. Brigit chose my costume, and I made it. After telling her that I was a Hershey’s Kiss when I was 4, she decided that was also the perfect costume for my 21 year old self. 
As you can imagine, creating an impressive Halloween costume from scratch on a little island in the middle of the South Pacific is quite hard. On Friday I went to Forsgrens in search of something to bring the idea to life. I found some shiny silver fabric to make a Hershey’s toga, and some shiny blue fabric (the color of the words on the candy’s tag) to make a belt. I then found some plastic-stick-things that I used to make my tag stick out straight. Unfortunately, the 24 hours before the party weren’t so smooth.... 
After buying my costume goodies plus about $35 of classroom school supplies, I got on a crowded bus home. When buses are crowded it’s customary to leave packages at the front next to the driver. At my stop, I squeezed out of the bus, I took 3 steps out of the way, the bus began to pull away, and I realized that I left my big bag of stuff on the bus! Loosing $50 of stuff is a big deal when your on a $400 a month stipend! I was so upset! It was close to 6 o’clock (when the buses stop running) and the bus was headed far west to Amanave; this meant that the bus wouldn’t be passing back by again. (At least some kids in Amanave got some great new school supplies!) So on Saturday I had to wake up early, go back to Forsgrens, and re-buy all my purchases before going on my other planned errands. At 3 I decided to catch one of the late buses out to Amanave (buses stop running by 4 on Saturdays). Just as I reached the street to wait in front of my house, Jess, a friend living on the east side, got off a bus. She saw me and decided to finish the rest of her journey with me. We waited for an Amanave bus for almost an hour before giving up. Instead we figured we could take a bus as far as Leone and then hitch the rest of the way. 
Once off the bus in Leone we began walking. (Hitch hikers tip: walking while trying to hitch gets far more rides than standing still while trying to bum around. I think it adds to the whole I’m-stranded-and-pitiful-and-will-be-walking-for-hours-if-you-don’t-pick-me-up vibe.) A few cars past but they weren’t pick up trucks (a Samoa hitch hiker’s dream) when all of a sudden we heard, “Hey girls! Where you headed?” An old man cleaning up the rubble in front of his “house” was waiting for our reply. I shouted back, “Oh..um..we are headed out to Fa’ilolo!” Nervous that he would commit to a 15 minute drive west. With out hesitating he replied that we should stay where we were because he was going to get his car, and he would be taking us the rest of the way. We felt slightly bad since we were clearly making him go out of his way but knew that he was just full of Samoan hospitality and wouldn’t have offered if he didn’t honestly mind. He was a great man and told us his story as we drove. His house, gas station, and store were all taken by the tsunami. The foundation he was standing in front of when we first saw him was what remained of his house. He had just gotten out of the hospital a week before and was still feeling the pain of his cracked ribs and soreness from all his cuts and bruises. He was thankful, however, that he was now walking without a cane. During the wave, he held on to a post with one hand and held onto his wife with another- they were almost washed away. He was still filled with such life, however, and was such a happy old man. When we reached Scott and Taylor’s house, he got out of the car, gave Jess and I hugs, and introduced himself warmly to Scott who was grilling out front. Random Samoan moments and meetings like this are truly special moments that will always stay with me!
After finally getting to Scott and Taylor’s we hung out with our west side crowd: Cynthia and John, Brigit, Kate, Thahn, Rosemary, and Julia. We spent a great afternoon  sitting on their porch, chatting, and staring off into the water. 
At around 7:30 the other WTers began showing up, and we all changed into our costumes for the night. My Hershey’s kiss turned out great. I created a head piece so that the candy tag could stick out and a big foil bow topped it off. I wore a shiny silver toga held together by a big light blue fabric belt that also read “Hershey’s Kiss.” I even accessorized with foil bracelets and silver shoes. Some of the other costumes were great as well. Taylor was a vampire, Scott was Indiana Jones, Cynthia was Jim Henson with a Kermit the Frog puppet, Raj was in a trash bag toga. A few of the volunteers made fun of each other by dressing up as members of our group. Tanne was Steve with his plaid, chest hair, bandana, backpack, and bright orange Crocs. Steve was Adam and wore his track jersey and short running shorts (Adam frequently runs 12 miles a day). We also had a few people dress in some funny “Samoa” costumes. Kate was the corrupt Department of Education leaders. She wore a puletasi with money sticking out everywhere and would say things like, “What money!? We have no money!” John was the ridiculous school Standards and Benchmarks. He decorated a white shirt and i’e with all the Standards for his grade. Thanh was our favorite aiga bus, the Blood bus (it has an awesome name and paint job.
The party was great and went off without a hitch! Kate, Jess and I slept over, and Taylor made us french toast in the morning before driving us home! (Taylor and Scott are awesome).

Friday, October 23, 2009

Classroom Stories

I am beginning to truly love each and every school day, as I continually am making new memories with my students. Now that we have been in class for a while, I know and understand my students’ personalities and they understand mine and my teaching style.    Now, I also have daily experiences with my classroom students, the Helping Hands kids, and the cheerleaders! Each day the kids make me laugh and smile and (as cheesy as it sounds) touch my heart and impact me in a truly special way! This makes each school day so worthwhile and makes my time here in Samoa feel validated! 
Here are a few stories that have made me smile big over the past few weeks:
  • Moenu: Moenu is one of my best, dedicated, sweet, goodhearted students. However, one day she was a little too chatty in class and had to stay after for 15 minutes of detention. Rather than huffing and puffing about it, though, like most of the kids, she came and did as asked. As she worked, she asked me about my day and how the other classes were. Rather than going home, she stayed in my class for an hour and a half, and we just chatted. She taught me a lot more about Samoan culture, and filled me in on what the students say when they speak Samoan in class. We talked about school, family, and differences between our cultures. She allowed me to slow down a bit from the hectic day and learn about her and her life. It was a great way to end the school day!
  • 4th Period Gals: I have 3 girls in my 4th period that are best friends. They came in after school one day to find out about some make up work, and they ended up staying to talk while one of them worked. They were full of personal questions and were curious about my life just like any other 9th grade girl looking up to an older role model. We giggled a lot, and they laughed hysterically at my pronunciation of the Samoan “g.” 
  • Field Trip To Texas: On Monday I met with all the Helping Hands kids. Ms. Mauga and I were trying to work out a good way for the students to make it over to a sewing shop I’m coordinating with to make new uniforms for the students who lost theirs in the tsunami. Students have to be fitted for the outfits, so she decided we could just take them their during assembly period. (Samoa is great because mini-fields trips can go down with out parental consent or any preparation.) Once the kids met in my room I announced excitedly that we would be taking a mini-field trip! After one of their visits to my room, they students got the scoop on my life and now know I am from Texas. They have been interested in learning all about the Lonestar State ever since. So the first thing they yelled was “Are we going to Texas!?” I couldn’t help laughing at the absurdity of the comment. Are we flying all the way to Texas and back during a 50 minute class period?! Of course not! But I went with it, and sarcastically said “Of course, we are going to Texas! The plane leaves in 10 minutes!” They erupted in cheers and excitement. They truly thought we would be going all the way to Texas just for the morning! After laughing for a while, I had to bring them back down to earth and announce that, “No, maybe one day we could visit Texas, but for today we are just going to Faga’alu.” 
  • Yes, Michael Vic Is My Brother and Akon Is My Boyfriend: Oh, Samoana kids can be so gullible. Since Samoa is such a small island and everyone know everyone, they assume this is true everywhere on earth. Since I live in the United States, I must know everyone there-- especially the famous people! The kids love inquiring if I know Chris Brown, or Akon, or any famous football stars. So rather than saying “No, the US has millions and millions of people. I can’t possibly know everyone,” sometimes I see how far on a limb I can go. On Tuesday my especially gullible 1st period wanted to know if I knew Michael Vic. I said, “Of course I know Michael Vic. He is my brother!” They couldn’t believe their luck! Ms. Jessie was, in fact, the sister of Michael Vic. I explained the color difference by giving them an elaborate story of how Mikey, as we call him, was adopted. To further legitimize the story I claimed that we could call him after class. (If I could have taken it this far, I would have called my dad and hoped he pulled through with one of his amazing accents and stories!) I finally gave in and admitted Michael Vic was not my brother! Who knew? They continued to rattle of a list of other celebrities that I might know. When they got to Akon I said “Oh, I do know Akon. He’s my boyfriend!” I managed to convince them for a good 5 minutes that I was dating their favorite singer and would eventually let them meet him. 
  • Sixth Period Sing Along: I really enjoy the musical Samoa culture, and I wish the US taught their children how to sing in 4 part harmony like the Samoans. Literally everyone here had a beautiful singing voice! On Friday, the kids were having a work day and had the period to continue adding to a drawing. One of my 6th period students is such a performer. He sings 24/7. While they worked he sang and slowly everyone would chime in. My classes are heavily male dominated since they are under the applied tech umbrella, so it’s even more unique to see a room full of boys singing. For most of the period, the boys just sat work, sang, and danced a little in their seats. They were so happy, so content, and it sounded amazing. It was one of those moments that left me unable to stop smiling. They sang everything from current pop and R&B to traditional Samoan songs. Mona even led a few versus of “Blue Moon.” 

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Ra!Ra! Go Sharks!

As if being a first year teacher in a highly dysfunctional school system and running a relief project weren’t enough, I decided to take on the task of cheerleading coach! :) ( I can feel myself quickly falling back into my hectic, go-go-go, American lifestyle). Ok, not entirely, but I have just figured out that I am taking on a lot, and it is wearing on me a little! But what the heck! Fa’asamoa. I’m just going to roll with it and enjoy as many unique experiences as possible while here on The Rock. So earlier this week Dakota, another heavily involved teacher, asked me if I had any cheer/dance experience, and, well, I couldn’t lie. In fact, I have been tossing around the idea of getting involved with the cheerleading team. So I agreed to come in and start working with them on “cleaning,” as we say in dance, the routines. Rather than choreographing right now, I am just helping them take what they have and make it much, much better and precise. So my first day was on Thursday and I loved every second of it! The girls are great! I don’t think they are used to being pushed, and, of course, I come from the “Betsy-Heathcock-Angels-Craziness” so I’m all about hardcore work. I am definitely pushing them and making them practice harder than they ever have, but it’s paying off. With only  2 days of work, they are already looking so much better! It’s amazing! They have a performance next week, and I’m hoping to make some even bigger steps before then. Dakota, their usual coach/sponsor, is also so enthusiastic. She is a great motivator and is really excited about the changes. Soon the underdog Sharks will be #1. I can feel it! :)

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

What the Heck?

What the heck is going on in the South Pacific? Please, do tell.
Earthquakes and Tsunamis are not common here in Samoa. The middle age teachers at my school can’t remember the last time, before this school year of course, that they experience earthquakes much less a tsunami. But evacuations are becoming more and more of a norm. Almost half way through the day on Monday (10/19) we felt the earth move AGAIN. All of a sudden the desks started shaking and children started screaming. I immediately ordered my students out of the class room and to head up the mountain. I locked my door and headed towards the middle of campus to start rounding up students and forcing them to evacuate. Even though the events of September are very fresh, the students just can’t fathom another disaster, so they make light of the situation. They don’t understand the “better safe than sorry” mentality. It took a lot of coaxing and encouraging to get the entire campus moving up the mountain towards higher ground. Half of the students are terrified, and the other half just couldn’t give a damn. I can’t understand their thought processes, as much of their island was wiped out just under a month ago. Once we were up the mountain, the phone lines were actually cooperating (for once!) I managed to talk to my dad and had him check the latest news. A 6.3 magnitude (still pretty significant) earthquake had stuck just 120 miles southwest. Luckily it was deep enough that it didn’t cause another tsunami. With all of this, however, I just want to know what the heck is going on in the South Pacific. Severe earthquakes are becoming like uninvited weekly guests who just won’t go away!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Relief Fund Progress

My work with the American Samoa Tsunami Relief Fund is still in full effect and going well. It’s been an emotional ride, but worth every second! So after coming up with the idea and setting up all the logistics, I began working closely with Ms. Mauga, one of our awesome Samoana HS Vice Principals! Ms. Mauga is amazing, hard working woman who truly cares about her student body. As one of the main authority figures within the school, she has been so helpful making it all possible. She put together and has been updating a list of the hardest hit students- she’s helped coo-berate their stories to make sure no one is abusing the system. Rather than going to our normal assemblies, she has also allowed all of the affected students to begin meeting in my room. We have had several meetings to talk about the ASTRF find out their needs and make progress checks.
After our first meeting, when I could tell we were going to need many sessions together, I decided that the kids needed a code name. Rather than always referring to them as the “affected tsunami kids,” I wanted them to give themselves an identify. So I asked them to come up with a name, sort of like a club, that I could refer to them by. In keeping with Samoan norms, I expected a tough, gang sounding name, and I was so touched when they announced that “Helping Hands” was to be their name! How appropriate but sweet! That absolutely made my day and touched me! Now, whenever we need to meet or they need to stop by to pick up packages I can put up a sign outside my door announcing “Helping Hands Today!” 
The kids of Helping Hands and I are slowly becoming very close, but, honestly, my first meeting with them was so hard that I didn’t know how I was going to make it work. About 32 kids piled into my classroom. I only knew a few of the students and was looking into a sea of unfamiliarity. The objective was to explain the goal of ASTRF, talk to them about their needs, and have them fill out cards with the specific things that would help them most- food, clothes, toiletries, building supplies, school supplies, home goods. This meeting was on the Tuesday after Columbus Day. The previous week we had another earthquake and tsunami scare, school was cancelled Thursday and Friday, and they had Monday off. They had spent 5 solid day back in their destroyed villages, and their faces showed the pain. It was so hard to muster the spirit and enthusiasm to talk, as their eyes stared back at me full of sorrow, hurt, and pain. It was obvious that they were going through a lot, and life was not treating them well. I could only begin to imagine how they felt and what they were going through.
That Tuesday night was the hardest one for me on island thus far. The emotions surrounding the aftermath of the tsunami are very real, and many of those hit the hardest spent the morning in my classroom. 
Since that first Tuesday, things have gotten easier and a little more light hearted. I was able to make the first 2 big shopping trips for relief supplies. We are now up to about 50 of the hardest hit students and 6 teachers + their families from Samoana H.S. My goal is to outfit them with some key basics to make their life easier. For most students we have been able to provide some key food items, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, school notebooks, line paper, pencils, shorts, shirts, shoes, and a new school uniform. Since the list of those most effected has grown in the past week as kids return back to school, another big shopping trip is planned for this coming Monday. The goal is to get everything for the new students added to the list and work to provide more changes of clothes for all. 
I am beginning to get to know many of the Helping Hands kids very well. A group of them now hang out in my room before school, after school, and in between periods. The frequently pass by just to say hi, and it makes my day! They are such spirited appreciative kids, and it makes me feel better to know that I can help them in some small way!
11.18.009_TsunamiRelief

Monday, October 12, 2009

Palagi Party: So Many White People

The weekend was definitely eventful. Friday: dinner with friends and Bowling Club (local dance club), Saturday: Scott and Taylor’s BBQ, Sunday: Palagi Party.
In honor of the 3 day weekend (yes, we get Columbus Day off here in Am. Sam), Kara (a WT alum, now contract teacher) decided to through a Sunday house warming party. She has had a bit of trouble working out her housing with the DOE, so her new place is a big deal and cause for celebration! She invited all the WT volunteers as well as all the other palagi (white people) she has meet in her year and a half here. It was truly a gathering of 90% of American Samoa’s palagi community, and disturbingly weird. I haven’t been around that many white people in almost 4 months and it was a little overwhelming. It’s like reverse culture shock! But the night went well. We mingled in our WT community, and Kate, my social partner in crime, and I made the wise decision to stay ‘til the end. 
There are 2 main palagi crowds on the island: (1) our WT volunteer crew and (2) the Coconut Point palagis consisting of mostly science researchers and legal aid/lawyers. So we got to know more of the other palagi crowd and made some new friends! 

Paradise Found in Fa'ilolo

Since moving here, several of us WT volunteers have become good friends with Scott and Taylor. They are another young palagi couple who have been in Samoa since January, and they work at the non-profit PICED - the Pacific Island Center for Educational Development. For their 1st nine months here, they lived in fairly rough conditions in the Nu’uuli slums but have recently moved to paradise. Their new house is way out west in Fa’ilolo (just before Amanave). They have 3 bedrooms, a sunroom, 3 full baths, a nice western style kitchen, and legit construction. It’s probably one of the nicest houses on the island. The most amazing part is that they are literally on a sandy beach. Since Samoa is a volcanic island, sand beaches aren’t as plentiful as you would imagine. Most places consist of rock and coral, so sand is a hot commodity. Furthermore, they are in this awesome cove with safe places to swim (the island is surrounded by dangerous waters with crazy currents) and a beautiful mountain to their right. Their house just may be the most idyllic place to be in all the world.. no joke.... I am beyond jealous :)
But they were nice enough to invite us over for a Saturday BBQ. The group consisted of WT volunteers (Kate, Thahn, Rosemary, Julia, Brigit, Cynthia, John, and me), Sandra and Pete (Taylor’s aunt and uncle), Hope and Leo (Taylor’s cousins), and, of course, Scott and Taylor. Scott grilled up some excellent BBQ ribs and chicken, and we had chili, a yummy salad, and a concoction of potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions. There was also an assortment of brownies, chocolate chip oat cookies, and homemade banana bread! It was all to die for. We sat around outside from 2-9:30 just chatting and staring at the beach. We even saw some whales splashing in the distance! After we all started getting a little sleepy Scott and Taylor played taxi cab and were nice enough to drop us off at our individual houses. There is still not a more perfect way to end a night than in the back of a pick up truck. It really is a crazy thing, but it’s one of the most fun things to do here. As Kate says, “there is no way to be sad when your in the back of a pick up.” 
The evening was exactly as I had pictured Samoa before arriving, and it is how I hope to spend many more Saturdays

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Fire and Brimstone

Separation of church and state is not practiced in Samoa. School begins each day with worship (a classroom prayer and song), “Have a blessed day in the name of the Lord” is written on all school bulletins, and God is mentioned about 500 times. It works for the Samoan people, though. Almost the entire island is actively Christian (98.3% Christian: 34.8% Congregational Christian,19.6% Roman Catholic, 15% Methodist, 12.7% Mormon (Latter-day Saints), 6.6% Assemblies of God, 3.5 % Seventh-day Adventist),and it’s rare to find someone who doesn’t attend church each Sunday. I’ve come to enjoy the opening prayer, as it mostly a time for thanks giving, and it’s rarely done in a way that would be offensive to non-believers or those of different religions. Wednesday, however, was the exception. At school assemblies, one student is chosen to lead the school wide prayer. They are usually thoughtful and the prayer is presented in a peaceful loving manner, but this time fire and brimstone was the name of the game. It was very uncomfortable, as the student preached for 15 or 20 minutes. Her catch phrase (that she repeated about 200 times) was “Heaven and Hell are real.” She basically lectured/screamed at the students for their actions and claimed that the tsunami hit because Samoa was full of sinners who where moving away from God. She preceded to say that those who were hardest hit probably deserved it, and that this should be a wake up call. One teacher unsuccessfully attempted to stop her, but no one else stepped in. When students are dealing with such tragedy they don’t need to hear about the wrathful God that came down to kill their families and destroy their houses to punish them. She even concluded by speaking in tongues while her body shook. It was definitely an interesting start to the morning....

Type A Personalities Beware

Last school week was a bit nutty. We officially started back on Monday but we never got back to our regular schedule. Samoana is on block scheduling so each day we are supposed to have 4 one hour and twenty minute classes or 3 one hour and twenty minute classes + a homeroom or assembly. This is what really happened:
Monday: Assembly, Homeroom, 1st, 2nd (for 10 minutes), Assembly
Tuesday: Assembly, Homeroom, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th (all 45 minute periods)
Wed: Assembly, 1st (1 hour), Homeroom, 2nd (1 hour), tsunami warning --> run up a mountain
Thurs: Optional School
Fri: Optional School and everyone goes home at Noon 
Because we never got back into a solid routine before experiencing another tsunami evacuation, school on Thursday and Friday was made “optional” to the students. Though this is setting back our teaching schedules even farther, it was a smart move. In this time of chaos, school is most important for providing kids with a solid routine. School should run according to plan and act as a solid support system. We weren’t providing stability at school,though, so it was better to wait for a fresh week to start with a clean slate. Besides having an inconsistent schedule (the administration was changing the schedule 3 and 4 times throughout the school day on Mon and Tues), we were with out power and had many students still staying home to continue cleaning up from the disaster.   
It was funny walking through campus Thursday and Friday and only seeing 150 students or so. On Thursday I only had 7 kids total, and on Friday morning I filled my class with about 15 as I was adopting the kids who were just roaming campus. (We weren’t even going to kid ourselves that learning was possible these days, so we played trivia games and chatted). 
All this would definitely drive a Type A personality to insanity. I had to leave my Type A tendencies at the door upon moving here. I still keep meticulous records and lesson plan about 200 times more than many teachers, but you have to do it with a “this-just-might-not-work-out-nearly-as-planned” kind of attitude. Don’t expect strict, logical schedules that are announced ahead of time. Nope. Here you must be able to go with the flow and keep your cool while doing it. The schedule may change, and you will have no warning to prepare a lesson. It’s a crash course in thinking on your feet. 
So Type A personalities beware! Samoa is not for you! 

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Donate! Donate! Donate!

The American Samoa Tsunami Relief Fund is up, running, and accepting donations & Tsunami Stories is being updated with new tales each day!!!
Last week much of American Samoa, my new home, was devastated by earthquakes and a tsunami. The coming days left me feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the destruction and tragic stories. In an effort to provide some relief to those hardest hit, I developed the American Samoa Tsunami Relief Fund. This is a perfect way for people on the mainland and around the world to contribute to the disaster relief effort. 
To read volunteer and student accounts of the disaster visit: http://tsunamistories.blogspot.com/
For questions or more ways you can help feel free to email me at jessielweber@gmail.com 

Deja Vu: Back Up the Mountain

It was a typical post-tsunami Samoana HS day: unset schedule, stress, and uncertainty. The lunch bell had just rung, and students were sprawled along campus. As we were headed to grab lunch, a teacher came hustling towards us. “There’s been another warning. The coast guard is driving along the main road. We have to get everyone up the mountain.” Max and I set off in different directions and joined the other teachers spreading the word and rounding up the students toward the mountain. This time I didn’t have to literally run up the mountain.....we just hustled :) A tsunami warning was set until 2pm, the time it would take a tsunami traveling at 500-600 mph to reach us from Vanuatu. (We were then informed that Vanuatu had experience 3 sever earthquakes, a 7.8, 7.3, and 7.1.)  
I don’t know what’s going on in the South Pacific, but it’s not good. Samoa hasn’t experienced a tsunami in 60 years, and even then it didn’t even reach the houses. Tsunami warnings aren’t much more common either, as none of the older teachers grew up with tsunami threats. 

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Between The Rock and a Hard Place

We’ve now been back at school 2 days, and it’s definitely a tough time on The Rock. This afternoon (Tuesday) we finally got power back at school. The school schedule is all mixed up and hundreds of kids haven’t returned and may not for a while. The administration is trying to figure out the best scheduling solution during this trying time to accommodate the kids’ emotional needs and family obligations, the number of absences, and problems of school lunches and contaminated water. 
School Lunches and Contaminated Water:
All of Samoan students are on the Free Breakfast, Free Lunch Program. This is provided by the U.S. government to accommodate underprivileged kids; rather than paying for school meals, they eat for free. The program is especially important to Samoan families. for the government pays for 2 out of 3 meals for students. This eases family burdens, as  they only have to provide food for 1 meal a day for their kids. Well, since the tsunami, the Food Division has been feeding the tsunami victims. We weren’t prepared for an event of this magnitude, so all the food in storage is now gone. Some kids are now going hungry because there just aren’t enough lunches for everyone. 
Also, the pipe water is contaminated, so kids have nothing to drink from while at school. We live on an island near the equator and have no AC for most of our buildings....big problem. In class, kids ask to get water because they are so thirsty, and I have to tell them no....there is none to drink. 
Absences:
Samoan education is infamous for its low attendance record. Kids miss days and weeks at a time, and it’s frequent for kids to cut class simply because they are tired. My students can’t wrap their head around the idea that skipping is bad. There isn’t a good prevention or discipline plan to cut down on the number of kids who skip class, so they grow up thinking you’re just allowed to do it. 
With absences a normal obstacle for teachers to overcome, now they are a much bigger deal. Kids are supposed to be coming to school, but who can blame them for not showing when family members are dead and they have houses to rebuild. Teachers, though, are supposed to carry on with our lessons, but what do we do? We must hold class as normal for the half of the students that are attending, but do we just leave behind the other half? There is no way they can make up excessive amounts of work, but then they will be lost for the rest of the year. It’s going to be a struggle finding a good classroom compromise. 
Emotional Needs and Family Obligations
This is the issue that still boggles my mind. Every teacher has been assigned a homeroom group of students. They now come to us each morning for 1 hour. We are supposed to find out their individual situations and needs, counsel these kids, and try and provide them a sense of normalcy. Over the past 2 days I’ve heard so many stories that break my heart, I don’t even know what to do. Tell them it’s going to be okay? A few kids have been wearing the same clothes since the disaster, many have no possessions, and others have been orphaned. How can I expect kids to perform well in school when they have just lost both their mom and younger sister? 
With all of these issues plaguing the territory, my class hardly seems relevant. I’m sure each day will get better, but it will take The Rock a while to recover.
I really don’t mean to sound terribly depressing, but these are just the realities right now.      While many things are a struggle, I am continuously impressed by the Samoan spirit and outlook. Their relentless faith, peace of mind, and family values are pulling them through, and I am amazing at the strength my students possess!

Monday, October 5, 2009

A Relief from Relief: Conquering the Great Outdoors

The tsunami created 2 very different types of people: (1) people who lost immediate relatives, homes, belongings, and saw complete devastation or (2) people who escaped with out much physical damage. Everyone on The Rock has been emotionally impacted by this horrible tragedy, but those of use who fall into category #2 experienced an odd week-after. Once dealing with the events and emotions of day one, we didn’t have too much to do. American sent relief efforts (though publicized) did little and needed relatively little help, and the truly effected families weren’t seeking to much non-family help. Thus, we felt helpless but were bored. Stores were closed, school was closed, and   there isn’t always much to do on our little island. To do something active, get outside, and take our minds off the emotions of the week, Max and I spent 2 days tackling the Samoan outdoors. 
Friday: Mt Alava
After our final staff meeting of the week, we decided to hike Mt. Alava (part of the National Park). We walked about 40 minutes from Utulei through Fagatogo (stopping only to buy him some $18 women’s socks...they were out of men’s) and Pago to the road to Fagasa. We were planning on walking up the mountain road to Fagasa when we  passed by one of our schools janitors, and she offered to give us a ride. We gladly accepted and in Samoan style hopped in the back of the pick up. She took us up the top where the National Park begins, and we couldn’t have been more thankful.....it would have been a very steep several hour walk. The Mt Alava hike takes about 2.5 hours up, and the walk is along the ridge line. Most of the trail is through rainforest, so it’s shaded but overwhelmingly hot and muggy. The second half of the hike definitely kicked my butt a little. (Though not even close to the Grouse Grind, Dad). The view from the top was amazing and I got some good shots of the island! The way down is much easier, as it’s mostly down hill. I was relieved to see the end, though, and get out of the sweaty jungle.    I managed to snag a ride back to the main about 15 seconds off the trail. Max now claims that I need to go everywhere with him since it’s so much easier to get rides if you are of the fairer sex. 
Saturday: Nu’uuli Falls
On Saturday I wanted to go to Fagatele Bay, but just I was about to head out Kate called to remind me that we shouldn’t swim in the ocean water for at least 2 weeks. We needed another adventure to fill our time, though, so I suggested trying to find Nu’uuli Falls. I only had one clue: Near Family Mart. Max and I took the bus to Family Mart (a little convenient store on the main road) and decided to walk down the side road next to it. A few seconds later we stopped a man to ask if we were going in the right direction. His response, “Ya, just go straight and you see it right there” (he pointed just up the road). Oh, Samoan directions.....After a 10 minute walk down the road there is a split... Left or right? We decided left, were lead to someone’s front yard and decided to turn around and go right. We took the dirt path up a little hill and heard the angry barks of dogs. Soon 4 viscous dogs were bolting our direction. We semi-fended them off with some rocks and a few shouts of “Halu! Halu!” We were about to give up and retreat when we heard a whistle and a man’s voice. The dog’s owner called them off and welcomed us up the hill. He introduced himself as Leota, and then introduced us to his well-trained guard dogs. The 2 most viscous were none other than Lassie and Puppy; hardly intimidating names. Lassie warmed up to me quickly and was soon licking my hands and nudging my legs to play. Leota pointed us in the right direction and let us take the path through his property. We hiked through the forest, crossed a small river, and after a few more minutes through the dense foliage we came to an amazing clearing! A waterfall pour down from dark jagged rocks and emptied into a beautiful pool. It was like a secret oasis tucked perfectly into the rainforest. I was so excited to jump in, and the water was the perfect temperature. We stayed at the falls for a few hours. I swam for an hour and then just sat on a rock thinking and embracing the awesomeness around me. 
Sunday:
After 2 days of adventure, it was time to get back to work. All sunday I worked tirelessly on my latest projects, the American Samoa Tsunami Relief Fund and Tsunami Stories blog. Hopefully they will be up and ready to show to the public by tomorrow or the next day... I’m still waiting on the official approval from the powers above. But stay tuned for this great way to help out the students of American Samoa greatly affected by the tsunami!

No Wifi in Paradise

Paradise doesn't come complete with super speed wifi.... 
Oh how I miss a steady, fast internet connection! To keep in touch and have “good” internet access, I splurged on an AirCard. It’s a wireless connection using  that runs off the cell towers, so, theoretically, I should be able to get service anywhere cell phones work..... well some how this wasn’t the case. Even when the AirCard was fully functioning, sometimes I could only hold a steady connection for 5 minutes or even 1 minute at a time. Since September 24th though, the AirCard hasn’t really been working out. It works decently (and by this I mean it takes 4-5 minutes to load a page) in town in Utulei, but I’m lucky if I can even load a page at home in Faleniu. Doesn’t ASTCA (the communications company) know I have people to email and g-chat with? :) 
So if you are trying to communicate with me right now through the web, I’m very sorry I haven’t responded in a timely manner! I promise I will write you back when I’m not tempted to throw my computer out the window each time I click a button and am forced watch the swirl of the “page loading” symbol for hours!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

A Tsunami Story

Tuesday September 29th started off like any other morning. I woke up early, took the 35 minute bus ride from Faleniu to Utulei, and was stopping to pick up a bottle of water. At 6:40 I had just entered Young Mart, a local convenient store, when the first major earthquake hit. Things were falling from the shelves, the building began rattling, and the store clerk screamed for everyone to get out. There was definitely panic in the air, but once the trebling stopped- maybe a full minute or two later- everyone switched gears and acted like the quake was no big deal. So I shrugged off the incident like everyone else. I went back inside and made my purchase like normal. Excited about the events, though, I tried to call back home but the phone lines were already down. About 5 minutes after leaving the store, I was sitting at my Samoana High School classroom desk when the rattling started again.  All of a sudden the school bells started ringing and a small group of students who hang out behind my classroom began running and screaming. Still unsure of what was going on, I walked to the front door of my room and peaked outside. Students were running and a pickup truck full of boys raced by. I’ll never forget them yelling “Quick, Ms. Jessie! Jump in or run fast!” I ran back in my room and threw my laptop into my backpack before sprinting out the door. (Yes, in hindsight I know this was a poor decision!) Just as I shut my classroom door, the last few students and a teacher, Femi, ran around the corner of the building. Femi yelled for us to run towards the tramway as fast as possible. My school is less than 50 yards from the ocean and is wedged between the coast and the base of a mountain.  Right behind campus is the old tramway trail up the mountain, so the trail was packed full of students, teachers, local workers, and Utulei residents scrambling to high ground. School wasn’t scheduled to start for another hour and half, so only about 150 students and 4 teachers were on campus and headed for safety.
 At this point chaos was in the air, and the threat of a tsunami was real. After literally running up the mountain, we came to a look out point and stopped to get a glimpse of the land below. The road and village were deserted. We could tell a wave had hit because the road and the ground below were wet, the dips in the road were flooded, and rocks and debris lay strewn about. The damage, however, wasn’t enormous. As we looked out into the bay waves were traveling in the wrong direction. The bay was quickly emptying and all the water was traveling out into the depths of the harbor. After a few minutes the entire bay was just exposed coral and rock. Just as soon as the bay emptied, though, it filled back up and reached the brim of the coastline. We watched this happen a total of 4 times. After the first wave, the water never spilled over the seawall. (Little did we know that this wasn’t the case everywhere.) Everyone stood at the mountain top speechless. Realizing that we probably weren’t the hardest hit area, students began to cry. In Samoa family is the core of society and plays an unbelievable important role in one’s entire life. Students couldn’t help think about their parents and younger siblings closer to the harbor. With nothing else to do and unsure about what was going to happen next the students organized themselves into 2 concentric circles. Quickly all the kids linked hands and there we stood connected. Our surroundings were idyllic: the sky was bright blue, a cool breeze blew, and lush green trees and plants filled the mountain top. In unison, everyone began to sing. Samoans naturally have the most beautiful voices, so magnificent sounds filled the air. After the first song, one person led the group in prayer before the circle chimed in with one final melody. As we stood connected, tears streamed down many of the kids’ faces, and it was hard for me to stay dry-eyed. Those five minutes of togetherness  formed one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. In the midst of such tragedy and crisis, the students were united by their faith and knew nothing else to do except sing and pray to their heavenly father. 
Once everyone collected themselves, we sat down to wait. We didn’t know what was next or if another tsunami would come. For the first hour or so we felt several other tremors, and each time we would watch the water for signs of another wave. The phone lines were down for the most part, and I could never call out, but I was able to receive 3 calls over the course of the morning. Brandi, our WorldTeach field director, called me twice. The first was to make sure I was okay and well, and the next was to see if I had been able to contact any of the other volunteers to make sure they were safe- unfortunately I was by myself and unable to reach anyone else. The other call was from Kate, a good friend and fellow volunteer. I was relieved to hear her voice, as she let me know that the Leone group of volunteers had escaped the disaster. She did provide new info about the tsunami. Apparently waves in Leone had reached 15 feet and waves in Pago had reached 20 feet and wiped out 2 story buildings. After her call we heard many more rumors about damage and deaths. We hoped none of it was true.
After 4 hours of waiting and the students growing restless, we heading back down the mountain. As there were not many teachers in the crowd, Femi and I trailed the pack to make sure all the students made it down. We headed to a church at the half way point to see if there was anyone we knew. We didn’t find any friends, but a whole village was camped out around the exterior of the building. Once we reached the base we ran into a student covered in mud. Serene had been in Pago when the earthquakes and tsunami hit, and she managed to salvage her camera and take pictures of the destruction. After things were safe she had run over to the school to show people what had happened. Her pictures showed massive devastation and destruction - nothing I had expected to see. The Utulei bay is very shallow and that is what saved the village and school. Pago, however, is at the end of the deep harbor and didn’t fare nearly as well. Her camera showed images of cars in the second stories of buildings, bare slab foundations where buildings had been torn away, and debris everywhere. Pago is just a few minutes walk and two villages away from my school in Utulei. I couldn’t believe the difference in impact and destruction. I could already tell that other parts of the island had endured massive devastation. With nothing else to do, Femi and I caught a ride back to my house. As we drove along the coast road, we had to swerve around piles of debris. Damage was done, but I had yet to see total destruction. In Nu’uuli the coast road curves and moves inland. Here there was a back up of several hundred cars. Once the first quake hit cars came to a halt and the police barricaded the road so no one could travel next to the coast. Femi lives next to the water so she stayed at my house for a few hours. I live in the most inland part of the island and on fairly high ground. If anything else was coming, we would be safe. Sitting at my house I felt useless. I knew there was so much damage, but there was nothing I could do. The next morning I found out all teachers were supposed to check in at their schools, but Julia (my housemate) and I wanted to find somewhere we could help. We walked around town, and found nowhere that really needed us...If only we had walked 5 minutes further  we would have uncovered a different story. 
The next day, Thursday, we got more news at our Samoana staff meeting. Four teachers and their families were homeless. At least eleven students were orphaned- their parents killed by the waves... This is when everything began hitting hard emotionally. Until now I had been scared, I had felt extreme sadness, I had felt the helplessness that usually accompanies tragedy, but now things became very personal.
Once our meeting was over, I travelled with Max into Pago. I couldn’t believe the destruction. There were many places where foundations stood with no buildings attached. Boats were hundreds of feet inland and crashed into buildings. Cars were wrecked every hundred feet or so, and  building parts and debris covered everything. Max had been here the day before and said that the amount of clean up had already been enormous. (I can’t imagine what it looked like before). Everyone walked around with face masks to protect themselves from the debris and stench filled air. A layer of smoke also filled the village as many fires were set up to burn the rubble. I imagine Pago resembling something like a war zone. As we walked, Max told me stories he had heard and things he had seen the day before. He pointed out the areas where many bodies were found and the former homes of our students and fellow teachers. As we walked I ran into a few students. One was sitting outside his family store. It barely stood, and looters had come through and taken anything that was left. Each time we met a student, Max and I were amazed at their spirits. I’m convinced that Samoa has some of the strongest children. Houses wiped away, family members gone, but still the kids smile, joke, and carry on with life. 
The past few days have, thus, been filled by much emotion. Feeling helpless here in many ways led me to organize an effort for people back home to help. Hopefully the American Samoa Tsunami Relief Fund makes a difference, however small, by helping people rebuild there lives. School resumes for the first time tomorrow, and I’m sure I will be faced with a new set of emotions. I have been dreading the stories my students will bring me and my thoughts have been with them since I began the trek up the mountain for safety on Tuesday morning.
Note: More to come on the American Samoa Tsunami Relief Fund and what you can do to help!