The PiCED Gig

I thought I would share a little about why I came back (and Ethan came) to Samoa in the first place. We were offered a great opportunity with an awesome non-profit, PiCED - Pacific Islands Center for Educational Development. Since the American Samoa Department of Education is so lacking, PiCED works to provide students the necessary resources to succeed. We have a computer lab, offer tutoring, teach SAT Prep courses, provide college counseling, hold leadership courses, lead teacher training workshops, train parents of positive child development and much more. So we basically offer cradle to college services with the aim of improving the island’s education. For the next 13 months Ethan and I will invest all our energy into helping PiCED continue to grow, expand, and improve it’s programs. In my position, Program Manager, I will be in charge of creating, implementing, and overseeing all of PiCED’s programs. It’s a big position, and I’m thrilled to be able to continue my work in Samoa with this opportunity. Ethan will be the Student Services Coordinator. His position is very hands on, and he will have most of the day to day contacts with the students. He personally gets to walk them through all the college application processes and handles most of the classroom instruction. We are both so enthusiastic about the possibilities for the year ahead and the positive impact we can make. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to accomplish everything we are planning for! 

Year 2, Week One

Ethan and I landed in Samoa at 9:30pm on Thursday night and hit the ground running. Scott picked us up from the airport and we headed west. We are going to be taking over the house that Scott and Taylor have been living in, so for our first week we all be lived together. Our first day back was filled with setting up all the essentials: bank accounts, phones, and groceries. We had the weekend to settle in and started work first thing on Monday. PiCED was hosting a 2 day training session for the new World Teach crew on Tuesday and Wednesday so there was much to be done. Taylor and I worked until almost 11pm to finish getting our presentation together. I was definitely thrown right into the mix at PiCED and on day 2 of work I presented one of the workshops for the WT group. The entire week was nonstop. There was so much to get done that Taylor and I didn’t have time for much training but I was able to get the feel for how things ran. 

We had a blip in our week when the new accountant didn’t work out. He started the same day as us, but it quickly became apparent to Scott and the rest of the gang that the fit was not there. On Wednesday, after only 2.5 days of work, the decision was made to let him go. So who oh who will our accountant be? The search is still on for some one to officially take over, but Scott will be handling most of our accounting remotely from the great state of Georgia. If any one knows of a qualified accountant who likes long walks on the beach, the sunshine in there face, and tropical island breezes, please pass him/her my way :)

(tearful good byes)

Hawaii Airport

in the plane

evaluating the WT simulations

afternoon Elementary simulation group

It's Official

It's official! I am returing back to Samoa on July 22nd, and Ethan's coming with me! Yippee for another year of Samoan adventures and new experiences working at PiCED (Pacific Island Center for Educational Development)!

The Adventure Home

The adventure home was just that... and adventure.

Once on the plane I immediately felt a cold coming on.....why? I was breathing a whole other type of air....air conditioned, non humid air. Crazy, huh!? 

We arrived in Hawaii on time, and I knew I would have to hustle to make my connection to LA. Once getting through customs, I had to collect my luggage and re-check them. After waiting....and waiting....and waiting....I was uber stressed. The time until my next flight's departure was ticking away, and no sign of my bags. A group of us with connecting flights were all standing next to the carousel, waiting for our bags to come around, and muttering frustrations to one another. Finally I went to the other side of the baggage claim area and what did I find? A huge section of luggage. An airport worker had moved bags to another area without telling anyone. This meant that about a quarter of the plan was waiting...and waiting...and waiting...clueless to the fact that they had moved our bags elsewhere. Steaming mad I moved to the line to re-check the bags. Airports should be a place of haste with people eagerly trying to make their way to their final destination...But no. The two workers searching each bag were moving at a snails pace and carrying on casual conversations with each traveler. Argh! I quickly lost my Samoan cool and was extremely anxious and stressed! (Funny how stepping foot on American soil does that to you.) With 30 minutes until my flight was supposed to leave, the lady handling my bags finally passed them along.

This is where I realized that the Hawaii airport is the most retarded place on Earth. With no signs guiding the way I made my way upstairs to the security area. Guess what I find!? A line. A big, long, evil line. 20 minutes to go. After getting to security I tell the agent about my situation and ask if he can call ahead to my gate and tell them I'm coming. He says he will. Hope is in sight but the departure gate screens are not. I have to run for what seemed a million miles to the screens that list my gate info, and then I have to run around the airport to get to my gate. Fabulous. I only have a 40 lb backpack that is half my size on, as well as a bulging tote. Why can't I travel light?! In the distance I see my gate. I see my plane. A small bit of hope is restored, but I look like a crazy idiot as I run as fast as possible with my massive carry-ons. I reach my gate, and they won't let me on. I see the plane. It's sitting right there! They won't let me on! Tears form as they tell me to hold on. I feel like crap and I just want to get back home. It takes every bit of will power not to break down as I call my dad and tell him about the situation. An agent comes to help me re-route my flights. In my mind I think they won't be able to get me out of the airport until the Honolulu-Houston flight at 7 pm....it's 6 am.... I might murder someone. The agent works some kind of crazy magic and asks me if I'm ready to run. Heck ya I am! We run down a few more gates. She hands me a few tickets and tells me to get on. Wheeww! I finally look at my tickets to see where I'm headed: Honolulu-Chicago-Houston. And I'm only arriving 2 hours later than originally planned. Sweetness! I have just enough time to call home one more time and give them my new flight info. Once arriving in Chicago I walk to my gate and immediately board. I'm in the clear at last! 11:30 pm Friday night and I'm in Houston. I'm sniffling like crazy because of the magical invention of air conditioning, but I'm in Houston.

Home At Last

I made it home! This US is amazing.....it has AC. Whoa!

Tearful Good-Byes

On Monday I broke the news to my administation and I spent Tuesday and Wednesday at school packing up and saying good-byes to the kids. I wanted to make sure I had at least 1 class period with each group of students to explain the situation and dish out lots and lots of hugs. My 4th period was first and I couldn't help but cry. Telling each of the next class periods gradually came a bit easier as the news spread through the school. In each class I had them create one more journal about their favorite memories through out the year, they helped me pack up the classroom, we took lots and lots of pictures, and we had one last awesome time together. The students' response was extremely touching and made for a perfect ending to my time as a Samoana teacher; I couldn't have asked for a better closing. The students made me feel appreciated and loved and they let me know that I had impacted each of them in some special way. After school the Faustus kids came in with a huge card and Joe performed a modified segment of the play altered to be about me. It was SO cute! Tonight I sat down to read all the notes that my kids had written for me and I couldn't help but cry one more time. I'll eventually have to write down and share some of their sweet words. 

If I could take all of them home to Texas I would. I joked that my mom will have to turn our front to spare bedrooms into bunk rooms so that I could bring back many of my students. Ahhh! I'm not ready to leave them! 

Tomorrow I have to do some last minute packing. We'll have our last Thursday night dinner as a group (this will be hard!), and then it will be off to the airport. Oh jeez!

Leaving The Island

This has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life, but I'm having to leave the island. Since being here I have battled my thyroid condition, and it's progressed so badly that I have no choice but to go back to the States to get treatment. My extreme fatigue, dizziness, and weakness have left me barely able to teach, and I think I would be doing my health a disservice to stay. It's a heart breaking decision that I have been agonizing about. After many talks and tears, I've had to make the unimaginably hard decision leave. I'm so broken up about leaving my kids and missing the seniors' graduation, but I know it is for the best. I will leave on the Thursday flight out and will spend this week packing and saying good-bye. My goal is to go home and get better, so I can return at the end of the summer to accept a position at PiCED. I'm not ready to be done with the island just yet!

Bravo Dr. Faustus Kids

The island wide speech festival was on Wednesday, and the kids were AMAZING. With hair, make up, and costumes, they kids came to life and were ready to perform. We had a momentary freak-out right before the performance when Joe (our lead) disappeared without telling anyone....nature called and he followed. Literally seconds before moving backstage to take our places, he came running up to the group! Oh, Joe!

Once back stack we were ready to go! The props boys were in place and prepared. During Tuesday's dress rehearsal, they managed to set up and take down everything in just 30 seconds! Four huge, heavy, wooden background pieces, a desk, a couch, a bookshelf, a side table, a lamp, and the additional props lifted on stage and in to place in 30 seconds! Yes, my kids are super heroes.

Their performance was they best I've ever seen it. Without ever practicing with microphones, they pulled off an awesome show! Rachel and I were proud mamas! In just a few weeks we had designed, built, and painted a set, made costumes, taught the kids to understand and love Christopher Marlowe, memorized lines, staged the play, pulled off a performance with passion, and laughed a lot! Chooohooo!

The rest of the day was a bit more stressful.....Upon returning back to Rachel's classroom we discovered someone had busted the classroom lock and stolen a bunch of stuff. Included in the missing items were a DS game, speakers, jeans + belt, phone, and $50. The kids were extremely upset to come back and find that all of us stuff had been gone through and picked over. Rachel and I were even more upset because as teachers we want our students to feel that themselves and their belongings are safe. After consoling some students and filing  police reports, Rachel and I settled into the gym to watch the rest of the performances.

The play came in 4th out of 11, and the students were upset. Unfortunately, the difficulty of the Old English language left some of the judges a bit confused. The night ended with smiles as Rachel and I crammed 4 of our students into the car for rides home. Lots of singing and tons of laughter were in order!

I love my kids! They rock!

Pretty Lil Teine

I thought I would introduce you all to one of my favorite island songs that’s gaining legit credibility. Check out the song and music video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8STgy58k2U 

It will have you singing “Pretty Lil Teine. Seki a oe” all day long. I introduced it to Ethan last night, and he has become victim to it’s catchiness. (He has also proclaimed me a music genius ;) 

Pronunciation: “Pretty Lil Teine. Seki a oe” (pretty lil tay-ney  sec-ee  a oye) 

Translation: “Pretty Lil Girl. She’s so cool.”

(P.S. I can identify practically every location in the music video and know the main “music video girl.” Yes, I live on a small island.)

Kate (because I know you will eventually read this): The music video girls is the one that we rode in the back of the pick up to and from Fagatele Bay with.. and then who we saw “gettin’ down” at Bowling Alley. Teehee. I love Samoa.

Puletasi Uniform, Baby

I picked up my Speech Festival puletasi today. In Samoa, people get special matching outfits made for big events: performances, weddings, funerals, etc. All of the Samaoana teachers working on Speech Festival were given matching fabric to have made into a puletasi. Because the high schools are a bit more relaxed on teachers' dress, I don't wear puletasis all the time, so having a Speech Festival puletasi makes me feel Samoan and truly part of a Samoan-kind-of-family...and I kinda like it.  

Samoana Speech Festival Play Directors: Jessie and Rachel