First Day (Mom’s Visit: Friday)

(From Mom’s trip journal: Told from her perspective)

Today is my first full day in AS.  I’m going to school with Jessie today. After getting dressed, we headed out across the street from her house to the bus stop. The scenery is beautiful here but the houses and buildings are very small and primitive. Most people here live very simply.  

We get off the bus a block or so before the school and go into a little grocery store to pick up some breakfast for Jessie and some candy to give out to her students today. A short walk from the store, we enter Samoana High School where Jessie teaches. It was a bit intimidating for me to walk through the school yard where all the students stared as we walked past; a new palagi in town.  I stayed for the first 10 minutes or so of Jessie’s 1^st period class. I heard the students sing morning prayer and they recited the Lord’s Prayer. It was just wonderful to hear their beautiful voices. One young man, “Prqynce” (pronounced as Prince) sang at the top of his lungs as they sang in harmony.  Jessie introduced me to the class then I departed.  At 9:55 I rejoined Jessie in her classroom to sit in on her 4^th period (favorite class).  Each of the students stood and introduced themselves, and most gave their full names…… Oh my, I could never remember their names.  After that, Jessie carried on with her lesson for the day and I observed and took pictures of her and her students.  This was such a neat experience and treat!  I got to see Jessie in her element and also see the real Samoan kids. After spending the class time with them, the intimidation I felt earlier left and I felt so good and blessed to have had this experience. The kids were great and really showed their child like nature (the Samoan kids are more immature than American kids the same age); it was really cute. At the end of class I asked to take a group photo with them.  They were all happy to oblige and then they each would ask, “Take my picture with Ms. Jess. … And I did.  After class, Jessie, her World Teach friend Max, and I jumped on a bus for a short ride further east to the Taco place for lunch. We had our tacos then jumped back on a bus going the other way for the short ride back to school. The Aiga buses are very colorful; both the physical bus and those on board. What a true experience. Jessie had 2 more classes to teach before she was through for the day, so I went back to Sadie’s to sit by the beach and catch up on my journal. And here I sit, writing; on the beach with a glass of iced tea….. heavenly.