It’s true. I’m living in island paradise!
Even though I’m currently sleeping on a 4 inch mat on a classroom floor, things couldn’t get any better! I have now been in Samoa for 4 full days and I am already in love with the territory.
We arrived on Sunday night after 19 hours of travel and were greeted by big smiles and shell necklaces. After throwing our many pounds of luggage (I, personally, had about 140 lbs) into a big truck, we loaded a bus to Nu’uuli VoTech HS. As one of the islands 6 high schools, it will be home to us for the first 2 weeks of orientation and will be my school for the year. For orientation we are living out of our suitcases and sleeping on mats in the HS classrooms. It’s kind of like one big slumber party.
On day one we were thrown right in. At 7:30 am we headed to a kids art camp in Pago. We worked with them as they learned the traditional arts of wood carving, Siapo (painting with root on pounded mulberry bark), dance, and weaving. The kids were my first introduction to the Samoan people and I was not disappointed by their warm personalities, openness, and excitement! The Samoan newspaper even featured us in their Tuesday edition. My picture made it in!
We then spent the afternoon on an island tour. We took the main road to the east side and as far west as Leone. The island’s beauty is truly indescribable as the lush mountains jut upward from the ocean. The colors are the most vivid imaginable.
After the heat of the bus, we rounded out the afternoon with our first swim in Pala Lagoon!
The rest of the week has been filled with lectures. We have heard from every sector in the Department of Education (DOE), received environmental talks, information on health and safety, and culture lessons. We are basically getting a crash course in everything Samoan.
Last night we were fortunate to be treated to a wonderful dinner with the Director of Education and other leaders. I tried some traditional Samoan foods like coconut breadfruit, green bananas with coconut milk, and even raw tuna (it was disgusting!). It will probably be one of the best meals of the year. Claire, the director, made us feel so welcome, and got us even more exciting to be teaching.
The generosity, graciousness, and appreciation felt from everyone we encounter is quite overwhelming. As we walk through out the villages, everyone knows who we are and why we are here. They have a way of making everything seem so worth it, and I can already tell my time on the island will be unforgettable.
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| 7.20.2009 |
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| 07.24.2009_IslandDrive |
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| 07.22.2009_DOEDinner |
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