Islandic updates

Talofa! Ua mai oe? (Wah-my-oy?) How are you?

From what I’ve been seeing on facebook, it sounds like you’re going through quite a heat wave at home. Bummer! It’s currently winter in AmSam which means that the humidity is at its lowest point of the year.  I’ve only really been “hot” maybe 4 or 5 times.  Seems kind of ironic, doesn’t it? Sure, I sweat but mostly I’m comfortable. Living next to the ocean has a huge perk: a breeze.  Nights are cool which makes it easy to fall asleep.  The days can get very warm, but since our orientation involves us sitting in a desk for almost 10 hours a day, we don’t really spend much time outside. When we are out and about, the sun is extremely strong. I stood in one spot for about 3 minutes yesterday and my feet felt like they were roasting. Sunscreen and sunglasses are a must! While the humidity hasn’t really been a problem, I’m sure my report on the weather during the rainy season will be completely opposite.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve almost been here for a week and a half. We WT’ers feel like we’ve been here for several months. I suppose that makes sense considering we live in such close-knit quarters. This can only mean that my year on the island is going to fly by super, crazy fast. Our group has opened up, we’re bonding, and we’re enjoying our time together. 7 people will be living on the outer islands of Manu’a and 2 will be living on Aunu’u, the small island right off of Tutuila (my island). It will be sad to see them go considering we won’t see most of them until our mid-year WT conference in December (?).

The WT crew at Blunt's Point (minus Melinda and Heidi)

In the Samoan language, the word for a white/Caucasian person is “palagi,” pronounced pah-lahn-gi. The word literally means something like “burst through the sky/heavens,” so palagi is NOT a derogatory term. You can always tell when Samoans are talking about you because you will usually hear the word being said in conversation. For the WT’ers, seeing another palagi around the island is exciting! We are the minority, and we are curious to know what other palagi’s are doing here.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, AmSam is home to many wild and domesticated dogs. Dogs are not treated as pets here, but instead are used for protection of the family home and fale (open guesthouse - pictures to come).  Throughout orientation, we have been constantly told how to defend ourselves so we do not get attacked. If a dog comes toward you, you are supposed to yell “HALU” (haa-loo) which basically means get away from me. This is a word that you would never say to a person. If halu doesn’t work, you are supposed to bend down and pick up a rock or an “imaginary rock” to “throw” at them while again yelling halu. So far, I’ve only had to yell it once. I’m sure that the dog didn’t want to harm me, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

On a lighter note, I have been able to run! There is a group of 5 WT’ers, including myself, who usually hit the streets either before orientation or at dusk. Running is something I look forward to here. It’s a good time to practice the few Samoan words/phrases I can actually remember, as well as to discover new places. I have made friends on runs by stopping and talking to people. I have had boys ask for my autograph while holding out a phone instead of pen and piece of paper…which made me laugh. Cat-calling is HUGE here, but not in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable. Samoans love to say hello and talk - especially to palagi’s.

In the next few days, I’ll be teaching another English lesson to the WT group (with a partner), I’ll be hiking up Mt. Alava, and hopefully finding some time to do laundry.  While I get limited time on the computer, I love all of the emails and messages that I have received. For those of you that have sent emails, for some reason the internet at our orientation site blocks us from responding. As soon as I get settled in my HOUSE(!), I will hopefully be able to respond.

Manuia le afiafi! (Have a good evening!)

American Samoa snapshots...aka I'm allowed to be a tourist for a while

20 girls. 2 classrooms. 3 showers. We're getting extra close here in AmSam.

 

 The sun goes down at 6 p.m. here. Head lamps are a must if you don't want to stub your toe. 

  This will be my home in 2 weeks! And look, they're fixing the roof!

Woop woop - go LIONS!

 

 This view is a very short walk from my soon-to-be house. I'm not complaining one bit.

 The 'aiga (ai-ing-ah) bus (buses are owned by families here - 'aiga means family) overheated and stalled on a mountain top. What a tough life here in AmSam.

I hiked to Blunt's Point today. Just to my left is a huge cannon which protected the harbor during WWII. 

What I'm actually doing these first few weeks in AmSam!

It hasn’t been all fun and games here in American Samoa. Oh wait, yes it has! Our WorldTeach orientation is three weeks long, and our days are packed tight with everything from learning about how to design and organize our classroom, how to prevent illness such as Dengue Fever, and how to follow the benchmarks and standards set up for each of our respected teaching subjects.  While orientation has been information overload and quickly becomes exhausting, everything that we are learning is pertinent and interesting. We have had many guest speakers from the DOE (Department of Education) as well as the Teacher Quality office (a group of previous educators who spend their time helping, assessing, and guiding teachers on island). Yesterday, the Director of LBJ Hospital and his wife, who works at a Women’s Health Clinic in Leone (where I will live) came and spoke to us about staying healthy and safe during our time in American Samoa. While here, we cannot drink the tap water. It must always be boiled and cooled before drinking. We can also purchase bottled water which is actually relatively cheap. A massive bottle of Fiji water only costs $1-$1.50. I’ve never had it in the States, but isn’t it a lot more expensive than that?  I am going to try to refrain from buying bottled water mainly because 1) the island does not have any recycling and 2) garbage is a huge issue here – it is everywhere but the trash can. I’ll save that for another post, but I’ll note that it is sad to walk through a beautiful park or near the ocean, and see it filled with trash.

There are only 3 English teachers this year in our WT group. I find that so crazy! Most are teaching math, science, and elementary, while a few others are teaching Applied Technology, Business, and Social Studies. We have been learning about lesson planning the past couple days which has actually been a big help to me. I was hired to teach at Kishwaukee three days before my class started, so I never actually learned the correct way to lesson plan. I figured out my own style, but now that I have more of a defined, clear way of writing one, I am psyched to begin planning for the year! Yesterday, our respective groups/subjects each presented a 30 minute lesson to the overall group. The English/Social Studies group presented on how to write a thesis statement for a descriptive paragraph. I wasn’t nervous beforehand, and when I taught my part, I felt a little jumbled but tried my best to stay calm and collected. When we finished, our group got awesome feedback and barely any constructive criticism. Talk about letting out a huge sigh of relief! Later in the night, a few girls told me specifically that I had done a great job and that I looked like a complete natural. While this took me aback, it was probably one of those compliments that will stick with me throughout the rest of my life.

Orientation has its low times when lunch rolls around. Someone on island is cooking for us everyday, but the lunches are scary looking. Colorless meat, sketchy looking noodles….I guess it’s all part of the experience. I had to cave into making myself PB & J though and it felt good to have a little comfort food.

That’s all for now. Today we have a tour of the entire island and it looks to be beautiful day. Better start sunscreening myself up! Malo!

First day of adventures in AmSam

Remember, Pago Pago is pronounced Pahngo Pahngo.

There are 23 World Teacher's in our group. Our bedroom for the next 3 weeks is a classroom (I will get a picture of this, asap!) and we sleep on foam mattresses that are suprisingly comfy. On Day One, all of us were awake extremely early. I was up by 5:15, and ready to go. The view from our second floor "balcony" (remember we are living in a school), is of the beautiful bay in my last post. The sun rises right in front of Nu'uuli, so we all stared in awe as this beautiful, lush, green world exploded in light around us. 

As we ate our cereal and glanced around, cars and trucks started making their way around the island. People drive expensive, nice cars here. I've seen everything from an Escalade to fancy Jeeps, to SUV's. No one drives a beater car, and if they do, it's barely 'beaten.' Trucks are the most common because it's the easiest way to carry all your family and friends! People pile into the truck bed and cruise along with the island breeze. Hitchhiking is perfectly acceptable here, you just have to be smart and have a hitchhiker buddy!

The rest of Day One consisted of a fun morning and afternoon spent at Utulei Beach Park in Utulei. To get there, we took a 15 minute coastal drive. Yep, it really does look like this:

We played icebreaker games, learned about WorldTeach, and discussed what our expectations of ourselves and our fellow volunteers are throughout our year in Paradise. All of us are nervous to be teachers, but we're also extremely excited to get to our placements. School starts on August 8, so that's pretty much right around the corner!

Our afternoon was spent doing a scavenger hunt in Fagatogo (Fahngahtohngo). We had to take a picture with a Post Office worker, we had to ask Samoan's what Fa'asamoa means. Fa'asamoa means the "Samoan way of life," something I am sure I will get used to once I settle in. My first true meal in AmSam was a delicious plate of Filipino food. I thought it was funny and a bit ironic.

The portions are gigantic and this only cost $4.75. Check out those veggies! Hurray!

We finished Day One with a language lesson, something that will be very helpful throughout our time here. My goal is to learn as much of the language as I possibly can. Talofa lava! O ai lou igoa? Ua mai oe? Hello! What is your name? How are you?

Here's a few more pictures of what I have seen and experienced the past few days. Malo! (Bye!)

Our view to the left of Nu'uuli Voc. Tech. HS

To the right of Utulei Beach Park. The huts are called Fale's (Faahlay's).

Utulei Beach!

Not bad, eh?

I'm here, I'm happy, and I'm having the time of my life

Talofa Lava from Nu’uuli Vocational Technical High School in American Samoa. The past two days have been a whirlwind of excitement, exploration, information overload, beauty, and a heck of a lot of jet lag. I could write a book right now to tell you all that has happened since my departure on Sunday morning, but instead I’ll do a few bullet points and add a few pictures to really show you how much of Paradise with a capital P I am in!

-  Departure: Of course it was hard. I cried. But, I didn’t set off the security alarms, so that made me happy!

- Arrival in LAX: A fellow World Teacher, Heidi, was on the same flight as me. We collected our heavy bags, hopped on a shuttle, and dropped our stuff off at the hotel. My friend Emily from Elmhurst, who is currently living in Los Angeles, picked me up, and we spent the afternoon and early evening together.  It was just what I needed to spend my last day in the USA. I ate my first In-N-Out, hiked the mountain with the Hollywood sign (I’m still sore!), and ate my weight in frozen yogurt for dinner. Emily is an amazing, inspirational, and beautiful person. I am so lucky to have her for a friend!

Delicious and extremely cheap!

Hot, sweaty, and happy after we made it to the top!

- Arrival in Hawaii: Instead of spending my layover in the airport, I was lucky enough to spend a few hours with my friend Keelan in Honolulu! We ate a delicious lunch on the oceanfront, caught up, and basked in the sun. Hawaii looks incredibly beautiful and I can’t wait to go back and visit again.

Flying from Hawaii to AmSam! Click on this picture to see it big!

-Arrival in AmSam: As we flew over the island, I was shocked! There were lights everywhere. I had expected complete darkness and a few lights to guide in the plane. Turns out, this island is more developed than I thought! We exited the plane and walked across the tarmac. I wasn’t hit with humidity, but I was hit with a light, cool drizzle of island rain. What a perfect way to start my adventure! I went through customs and I got a stamp in my passpor, which I find funny considering I am in an American territory! I then got my bags, went through inspection, and officially entered AmSam. The airport was filled to the brim with people – this is what they do for fun on Monday nights. They come to say goodbye to loved ones and to greet new people who fly from Hawaii. I couldn’t help but laugh. Our field directors, Drew and Alison, as well as a few other people from the Dept. of Education greeted us with kisses on the cheek and nut necklaces. No turning back now!

I’ll leave you with that. I’m still jet lagged, and my foam mattress is calling my name. But, I’ll be nice and give you a picture of what I wake up to every morning.

Darn those power lines! Everywhere I look, I see lush, green, steep mountains!

Manuia le aso! (Have a good day!)

BREAKING NEWS, READ ALL ABOUT IT!

When my Field Director in American Samoa sent us our teaching placements, he made sure to stress that our placements could change at any time: before departure, during orientation, or even the day before school starts. 

Turns out he was right! Not that I didn’t believe him, I just didn’t let the idea of a move sink in. 

As of now (considering the fact that this could once again change), I will now be teaching at Leone High School. I *think* it is pronounced Lay-oh-nay.  Thankfully I am still teaching English!  My first placement was on the southeast side of the island. My new placement is on the west side.

(Remember that you can click on pictures to view them full screen!)

The orange arrow is my previous placement and the navy arrow is my NEW placement! Talk about complete opposite sides of the island! Although I was in shock with such a last minute change, I am still extremely excited, ready, a little bit stressed and overwhelmed, and happy about moving to AmSam.

Tomorrow is my last day at home! I’ll be spending the morning/early afternoon with my family, and the night at a wedding! Sunday is go-time starting with a 6:30 a.m. departure for coffee and donuts, and then off to O’Hare for my 10:10 flight to LAX. Once in LA, I’ll collect my bags (which are very big and heavy…), drop them off at the hotel, and spend the afternoon and evening with my college friend Emily. I could not be more excited to see her! Later on in the night, the entire WorldTeach AmSam crew will meet up for a pre-departure meeting. Following that, I guess we’ll all try to sleep? I guess I should put more emphasis on try. We’ve got a 7:00 a.m. meet-in-the-lobby time on Monday morning and then it’s off to LAX again for a day full of flying, hanging out in the Honolulu International Airport, meeting up with a friend who lives in Hawaii, and then flying to AMSAM!  The adventure begins SO SOON!

When will you hear from me again? I don’t know! Maybe I’ll have time to give you an update in LA, and maybe not. Bear/Bare (which is it??! I’m going to be a great English teacher. HA!) with me folks, it could be a while!  Thanks for being faithful readers of the blog. Have a fabulous rest of your weekend!

Packin' it all in

“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de St. Exupery

A common question that many people have asked me is, “How do you pack for a year?” It’s a question that I even asked myself many times. Now that I’ve got most of my “stuff” packed away, I can tell you that it’s really not that hard. The overall thought of having to put your life into a couple suitcases is extremely overwhelming, but in the long haul, it’s quite easy and only took me a few hours (all thanks to Space Bags, Ziploc bags, and lots of strenuous pushing and saying “YOU WILL FIT!”). Throughout the past month or so, I’ve made numerous lists of things I needed and didn’t want to forget. A good chunk of the items on those lists ended up not going in the suitcases. It’s a true statement when they say to lay out all your clothes and only take half of them. That’s exactly what I did.

The greatest part of packing for AmSam was knowing that I’ll be living in a hot and humid climate. I am only bringing 2 pairs of pants (and chances are, I won’t even wear them).  My clothes consist of knee-length shorts, skirts, and dresses (remember AmSam is very conservative), lots of cotton tank tops and t-shirts, and a few light, long-sleeve tops. When I packed for NZ, I had heavy sweatshirts, lots of long sleeves, and pants. That added a lot of weight to my suitcase. Thanks to the tropical island temperature, my clothes barely weigh anything.

Here’s a list of the Top 5 “Can’t Live Without” Items in each of my bags:

PACK

1. Snorkel gear

2. Hiking shoes – for climbin’ mountains!

3. Flip flops in every color

4. Teva Waterproof Reef shoes – most beaches in AmSam are made of broken coral. Ouch!

5. 9 (haha) pairs of socks and undies

(Do you notice the theme?)

SUITCASE

1. Clothes

2. Toiletries (bug spray, sunscreen, deodorant, facewash…etc.)

3. Running shoes

4. Classroom stuff!

5. Books for beach reading J

CARRY-ON BACKPACK

1.Electronics: laptop, underwater camera (can’t wait to use that!), external hard drive, Flip video camera, iPod

2. Extra set of clothes – We’re staying in a hotel in LA, so I had to pack clothes for my flights to Hawaii and AmSam!

3. Reading book, Sudoku book, paper, pens

4. WorldTeach Volunteer Resource Manual – we’ll need this for orientation

5. Snacks – candy (thanks to Bobbi, Kathy, and Connie!!), almonds, etc.

PURSE (I wouldn’t really call it that, but I don’t know what else to call it- it’s a “Healthy Back Bag”)

1. Wallet - money, driver’s license, phone card, debit card, etc.

2. Passport – even though it’s a U.S. Territory, I’ll need it for other South Pacific travels!

3. Sunglasses

4. Camera (not for underwater use!)

5. Important paperwork

Countdown: 6 days till LA, ONE WEEK till AMSAM!

And now, some pictures!

A few of the books that made the cut. Used copies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy are on their way!

 Holy toiletries! Check out the bug spray/anti-itch/I hate mosquitoes section.

Not many people get to wear flip flops every day of the year! : ) 

 

I can't wait to snorkel! I'm loving all my fun gear.