Eh, Maybe Tomorrow?

Sunday afternoon and I am lounging in my fale after a terrific toonai. I didn’t realize how much I missed Samoan food until I sat down to lunch this afternoon with about 30 other members of the congregation in our churches new party hall and tasted the sweet and salty palusami (young taro leaves stuffed with coconut cream), the juicy pua’a (roasted pig), and the slightly bitter koko Samoa (Samoan hot chocolate). I felt a little guilty as I walked to toonai being that I had shown up a half hour late to church, but I had my reasons. I blame it on the storm that never came.

I landed in Samoa Wednesday morning and after checking into my hotel I figured I would stop by the Peace Corps office to say hello and collect some of the things I had left there before returning to my hotel room to catch up on sleep. I was greeted by friendly hellos, but the warm welcome did not last long. Quickly, I was informed that a major cyclone was moving into the Samoa-Fiji region and that it was a very bad idea to stay the night in town. The office staff urged me to reconsider my decision to spend a night, or if nothing else, leave on the first boat Thursday morning. I opted for the second option.

Waking up at 6am to catch the 8am ferry was a rough feat for my jet-lagged self but somehow I made it to the wharf, after downing two Dramamine in anticipation of the cyclonic sea’s ahead. When we finally set sail however, I was surprised by one of the smoothest passages to date. Blue skies awaited me in Savaii and as I rode up to my village, I had to wonder if this storm was actually real.

I drifted in and out of sleep the rest of Thursday and when I awoke Friday morning, the infamous river behind my house was raging and a thunderous rainstorm was beating down on the village. “Here it comes,” I thought, as I raced to fill buckets with water and stock up on candles at the store. But wouldn’t you know, once those buckets were filled and my emergency bag packed, the skies cleared and by the end of the day, the roaring river had ceased. However, the Peace Corps office texted us to be prepared for the storm that would surely hit within the next 12-24 hours. So I kept my guard up.

Saturday morning the river was gone, save for a few puddles here and there. Women made their way down to do their laundry and children swam in the remaining pools. It did not rain all day, yet the text messages kept coming: “be prepared, 40-50 mph winds expected tonight!” I stayed up late waiting for the gushing sounds of wind, but alas, this storm still wouldn’t show its face!

I awoke to yet another calm morning today. I had anticipated a real storm to be upon us and so I had not set my alarm for church, which brings me to where we started: late. I hurried down the road and caught the last half hour of the service. While at church, my phone vibrated with yet another text: “70 mph winds expected later today and into tomorrow, sit tight.”

As I laze around my house on this drizzly Sunday afternoon I wonder, will this storm ever hit? Part of me expects that the minute I post this blog the skies will open and pigs with start flying through the air. Yet the sensible side of me tells me to pack a beach bag, for sunny skies are likely on the horizon.

**PLEASE NOTE: ALTHOUGH IT IS FUNNY THAT THESE WARNINGS SEEM SO UNNECCESSARY, I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO THE PEACE CORPS OFFICE FOR LOOKING OUT FOR OUR SAFETY AND I DO TAKE YOUR WARNINGS SERIOUSLY. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!!

Malo Uso!

They say when you are in the Peace Corps your fellow volunteers become a second family to you. I don't know who "they" are, but they are absolutely correct. For the past month I was lucky enough to visit my family back in America, and although it was a full months visit, it seemed too short. I stepped onto the airplane at JFK with a heavy heart, sad to be leaving my family and friends in America for yet another year. While I have loved my time in Samoa thus far, I was nervous about what this second year would bring. I should have remembered the old phrase, "absence makes the heart grow fonder."

My flight from JFK took off only 15 minutes late (which was a miracle considering the ice storm that had been slicking up the roads for hours before my departure.) The overall experience was fine though. Right next to my gate was a mini spa, and so about an hour before boarding I went for one last pampering session in America, treating myself to a manicure and a plush massage chair. At ease, I boarded the plane, took out my computer, and watched a few episodes of LOST (I am desperately trying to finish the last season and where better to watch a show about a plane crash than on a plane….it really boosts your adrenaline!)

The plane arrived in LAX early and since I had three hours till my next flight I walked the half hour walk between my arriving domestic terminal and the departing international one. My legs sufficiently stretched I found myself back where the whole Peace Corps journey began a year and a half ago at The Roadside Cafe just next to my departure gate. After chowing down a quesadilla I saw a familiar face: Leah had arrived for the flight! We hung out for the next few hours and then almost missed our flight having delved so deep into conversation. It was so nice to have a travel buddy, and great to catch up after our month apart!

The flight was long and somewhat bumpy due to the presence of some developing tropical storms over the Pacific Ocean, but as the hours passed, I found my smile growing wider and more genuine until it was almost silly when we finally touched down at Faleolo Airport just past 7am. I immediately turned on my cell phone and was greeted by a host of "welcome back, sister" messages. I was truly touched. It has become second nature for us volunteers to refer to each other as "brother" and "sister," but never has it felt more true than it did this morning upon my return.

It is a weird feeling leaving one home to return to another, but all clichés aside, I could not be happier to be back in this country with this, my second family in a place I can proudly call my second home.

Be Careful What You Wish For

One of my last blogs was dedicated to my newfound passion for dancing. Little did I know that when I returned from Thanksgiving weekend, I would be doing little else for the next two weeks. I am writing this blog on a rainy Friday morning as I wait for a break in the downpour for a chance to bike to school. I would much rather be sleeping though as I an utterly exhausted. Let me start from the beginning.

As you probably know by now, I have been participating in a program called The Samoa Challenge II, a group weight lose program which began in September and ends this coming Monday. The general idea of the program was to encourage women to lead healthier lifestyles through better eating and exercising. Once a week we met to discuss different topics in a seminar form and following the meeting we would do jazzercise (or modified aerobics for all you Americans). Because of our success with the jazz, my group was asked to prepare a dance to perform during the awards ceremony on Monday. This meant step up the dancing to make sure our routine was spotless.

A few weeks ago we started practicing twice a week, then two weeks ago we bumped it up to three. Last week, with only one week to go, the women asked if maybe we could meet every day as a final push to the finish and of course I said yes because it is great to see their positive attitudes towards exercise (or at least competition…!)

We met on Monday for the final “weigh-in” and of course, to “Waka Waka” as we now call jazzercise. Midway through the meeting I was thrown a surprise. My counterpart, Vern, approached me with a huge smile on his face: “Um Rachel, the women want us to help them with their dance for the competition in town.” I was confused. “What competition?” I asked. He told me that every year during the Christmas season all of the villages compete for “Best Jazzercise Routine,” and the winners get featured on TV for the entire month of December. Unfortunately the competition is on Monday at the same time as our ceremony, so our group will not be able to participate, but for the 40-50 women who are not doing our program, they were all eager to make a dance.

Of course, I signed on again to this task. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Like I said, it is Friday now. Tuesday I spent 4 hours learning how to make music mash ups with Garage Band (amazing program!) and Wednesday and Thursday I pretty much moved into the fale komiti from 12 noon till 10pm to rehearse dances on and off all day. When not dancing, Vern and I were busy organizing the uniform for our group to wear on Monday. Around 9:45pm last night as I was tensing up over all the work we have been doing I closed my eyes and let myself just zero in on the situation. Here I am in Samoa, leading an aerobics class till all hours of the night to a great mash up of Silent Night and Hey Soul Sister, and although it’s tiring now, in a year when I am no longer living this lifestyle, you can bet I will be thinking back with great nostalgia on these evenings. Just the thought of where I am and what I am actually doing was enough to let the funk pass me by and I was energized and excited for the rest of the evening.

Today I am taking a break from the rehearsals to go to town, but between school and my trip to town I will be printing 15 tee shirts with the Mali’oli’o logo for our ladies and tomorrow to compensate for my ka’a (my being a slacker pretty much), we are having two practices. While this is an intense schedule, the thought that America is just a few days away has been pushing me on, and in a few days, I can sit down on an airplane and just sleep. I am so tired. I can’t wait!

Sunrise, Sunset....5 days till home!

Since prize giving was last week, this week not much is going on at school. The students do not come to school and the teacher’s show up an hour or two late, just to watch movies and gossip. If this was unique to my school I would be utterly embarrassed to post this in my blog, but as it turns out, this is protocol for all of Samoa. I could get into my personal feelings on the subject, but instead, I will write about how I spent my fourth to last day of the school year.

I woke up late, around 7am and was unpleasantly surprised by my refrigerator, which had gone on defrost mode at some point last night and flooded my floor with water. Yuck. I put on some water for coffee, reset the fridge, and dealt with the mess. After coffee I biked up to school with my computer to put in some face time and make an exercise CD for one of the other teachers. Arriving at 8:15, I was the second teacher to come; a big change from the normal school year.

I made the CD and then at 9am said bye to the teachers. They looked at me like I was a terrible person for leaving school early, but then I explained that I had been invited to cook food for the construction workers at the church – a task that has been rotating amongst the women. I was very honored to be asked, and with a great deal of pride I walked down the dirt road towards the construction site. Upon arrival, the women who were already there were scurrying around to get the food ready before 10. I asked how I could help and they looked at me, paused, and then laughed. The Faletua (preachers wife) told me that before I help, I should go eat some morning breakfast with her children, so inside the house I went. I was served a plate of egg sandwiches, an apple, an orange, and some koko samoa. Once finished, I tried to get to work, but I was instructed to watch TV and told that I should never cook for the church since I am a guest of theirs. So much for feeling included!

After hanging out for a few hours, I returned to my fale (house) to work on a new exercise routine. I was attacked by a pack of dogs on the short walk back to my house and luckily I had my umbrella and was able to take a few good swings at them, but I didn’t hit any and they were not letting up. Luckily one of my year 6 students came to my rescue and neither of us were bitten. I hate walking down that road! At 3pm Vern came over to learn the dance I had created. Using GarageBand for the first time, I figured out how to mash up “Hey Soul Sister” with “Little Drummer Boy” and I am really excited about the resulting song! We practiced a few times and then around 4pm we went over to the fale komiti to teach the women.
When I signed up for Peace Corps I never dreamed I would be leading a weekly aerobics class. Now I am leading two classes a day for two different groups of women, and unfortunately for me, each group will be competing on Monday in different competitions: my original group is going to Apia for the end of the Samoa Challenge II (check out our article in The Samoa Observer, titled “Style Meets Fitness,”) and the other group will be competing for best jazzercise routine in Savaii. I will travel with the Apia group and we will be dancing at the awards ceremony. Whether or not we win the overall competition, my women have worked extremely hard and have all benefited in some way or other from this program, so in a way, we are all winners. But deep down, I want the satisfaction of knowing that my women won the Samoa Challenge 2010. Bring on the results!

V Nights

I went to town Thursday evening to enjoy some true American food in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday: pizza. Giordano’s makes pizza in three sizes: small, medium, and extra large. Although it feels excessive to order an extra large pizza for two people, food is one thing that is always supersized in this country, so titling the large pizza extra large kind of makes sense, and ordering one for two people has begun to feel a bit more normal. I need to remember not to do that in America though or I will be eating pizza for at least the following three days! Size aside, the pizza was great: half BBQ chicken, half spicy Thai chicken. Sweet and spicy in perfect harmony.

Following the dinner we decided to head down to V-Bar where a company Christmas party was being held. I have never gone to V-Bar on a Thursday and was pleasantly surprised by the packed dance hall, costume party, and music going to till midnight (it typically cuts off around 10pm). The theme of the party was “International” and so people were dressed as geishas, Egyptian kings and queens, tourists, and other fun outfits. At one point, a group of about 10 people busted into an impromptu (yet planned) “Beat It” performance which truly did honor to Michael Jacksons name. It was awesome!

Friday was “Fiesta Night” at V Bar, so a bunch of us decided to hit it up. We got there around 5:30pm, began dancing around 6, and didn’t stop till midnight! Jordan and Dan were celebrating their last weekend on the island and it was a really fun way to say bye and send them off. At one point “Empire State of Mind” came on and Lili, Dan, and I busted out our collective New York pride and honored the state we all love so much. Everyone was in rare form and the dancing was better than ever.

Saturday was the spectacular Thanksgiving feast at the Charge D’affair’s house, and being that I was too full to move I feared my three night dancing parade might be cut a night short. However, after a few hours of laying on the couch I was functioning at about 75% and figured what better way to feel better from over eating than to dance it off? So back to the V Bar we went to dance off those calories and enjoy one last evening in the “big city.”

Returning home Sunday, my body felt like it had been through a marathon. I fell asleep around 9pm and didn’t wake up until my snooze had been hit three or four times. Still feeling the effects of the Dramamine from the ferry the day before I hazily went about my school day before returning home and sleeping for another three hours. It’s now 8:30 and as I write this I feel myself sinking into the comfortable calm before sleep. I can say I have successfully carried out my first dance marathon in Apia and although I am exhausted now, I know it will only be a matter of time before the dance party returns. If I have learned one thing here, it is to dance freely and frequently!

V Nights

I went to town Thursday evening to enjoy some true American food in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday: pizza. Giordano’s makes pizza in three sizes: small, medium, and extra large. Although it feels excessive to order an extra large pizza for two people, food is one thing that is always supersized in this country, so titling the large pizza extra large kind of makes sense, and ordering one for two people has begun to feel a bit more normal. I need to remember not to do that in America though or I will be eating pizza for at least the following three days! Size aside, the pizza was great: half BBQ chicken, half spicy Thai chicken. Sweet and spicy in perfect harmony.

Following the dinner we decided to head down to V-Bar where a company Christmas party was being held. I have never gone to V-Bar on a Thursday and was pleasantly surprised by the packed dance hall, costume party, and music going to till midnight (it typically cuts off around 10pm). The theme of the party was “International” and so people were dressed as geishas, Egyptian kings and queens, tourists, and other fun outfits. At one point, a group of about 10 people busted into an impromptu (yet planned) “Beat It” performance which truly did honor to Michael Jacksons name. It was awesome!

Friday was “Fiesta Night” at V Bar, so a bunch of us decided to hit it up. We got there around 5:30pm, began dancing around 6, and didn’t stop till midnight! Jordan and Dan were celebrating their last weekend on the island and it was a really fun way to say bye and send them off. At one point “Empire State of Mind” came on and Lili, Dan, and I busted out our collective New York pride and honored the state we all love so much. Everyone was in rare form and the dancing was better than ever.

Saturday was the spectacular Thanksgiving feast at the Charge D’affair’s house, and being that I was too full to move I feared my three night dancing parade might be cut a night short. However, after a few hours of laying on the couch I was functioning at about 75% and figured what better way to feel better from over eating than to dance it off? So back to the V Bar we went to dance off those calories and enjoy one last evening in the “big city.”

Returning home Sunday, my body felt like it had been through a marathon. I fell asleep around 9pm and didn’t wake up until my snooze had been hit three or four times. Still feeling the effects of the Dramamine from the ferry the day before I hazily went about my school day before returning home and sleeping for another three hours. It’s now 8:30 and as I write this I feel myself sinking into the comfortable calm before sleep. I can say I have successfully carried out my first dance marathon in Apia and although I am exhausted now, I know it will only be a matter of time before the dance party returns. If I have learned one thing here, it is to dance freely and frequently!

Give Thanks

“Fa’afetai Iesu mo mea’ai, amene;” or in English, thank you Jesus for the food. It’s the first and only prayer I have learned to say in Samoan and I say it on a nightly basis before eating meals with other families here in the village. I say it at school before eating lunch with the teachers. I say it at the women’s to’ona’I before the Sunday feast. And sometimes I even say it in the comfort of my own home, just for fun. In each scenario, I truly am thankful to the women I am eating with for providing my food for the day. But this past year has given me more to be thankful for than just food.

On a day when I have struggled to get my water pipes fixed three times over the course of five hours, I think it most fitting to start off with a thanks to my next door neighbours, Mina and Vaifale. Vaifale is the self-appointed president of the water committee here in my village and therefore he is the go to guy for all water related issues. Over the past week he has fixed my pipes seven times. Today I proposed maybe getting new pipes… only time will tell what happens, but I think it will save him a lot of time if he agrees. At this point, I am totally willing to pay for them!

But water aside, Vaifale and Mina have become my parents away from home. If the power goes out, Mina is at the door with candles. If a cyclone is on the way, Vaifale is there updating me with the latest news from the radio. But perhaps most importantly, the two of them have opened their home to me. I eat dinner with them three nights a week and stop in on almost a daily basis just to say hi, to sip koko, and to chat. Without them, my village would feel like a village but not like a home. They make me feel at home, and for that homeliness in a strange land, I am truly thankful.

Along the village lines, I am thankful for my faifeau and his faletua, two of the kindest, most generous people I have ever met. When I moved in, the faletua sewed new curtains, bed sheets, pillowcases, and stocked the kitchen area with plates, bowls, forks, and knifes. They have proven to be just as welcoming as Vaifale and Mina and I am thankful for their endless support for me and my strange palagi ways.

Lili deserves her own paragraph of thanks for being the best friend I could have ever found. Her optimistic and hilarious texts always keep me laughing and using up all of my free texts throughout the day, and time goes by as if we were hanging out every day, not just once every few weeks. When we do get to kafao, be it in Salelologa or Apia, we always have the wildest adventures and part knowing that the next time will be just as fun. When I am having a down day, Lili doesn’t hesitate to call, and when I spend all of my money, she is quick to lend a few (hundred) tala. I am so happy that Peace Corps has introduced me to someone as great as Lili who I am proud to have as a friend and a sister.

And to the rest of my Peace Corps family, do not feel left out! Group 82 whom I came into this amazing country with has truly been a family from the beginning. My Savaii girls, Emi, Ali, and Elisa, provide the best stories and laughter every Saturday at Lucia’s (I am thankful for Lucia and Tui, too!), and I look forward to the weekly unwind Saturday afternoons with you girls. Tana, my other Savaii sister, was the first Peace Corps I met and although we might have had a shouting match the first night in our hotel back in LA, I have grown to love her so much. Samoa would not be the same without your enthusiasm Tana! I can’t wait to get tattoos in January! My Savaiian Brother, the mysterious Matt – you are one for the books, with such a positive outlook on life. I love how you inspire me to be calm, go with the flow, and just realize how BEAUTIFUL everything really is! I hope the yoga retreat happens! And to the Upolu volunteers, I love you all the same, and value the time we spend together in Apia. Bring on the ice cream!

To my friends back home, especially those who have supported me through emails, facebook updates, and calls now and then, I really appreciate your commitment to our friendship. Leaving everyone and everything you know for two years is an experience that is just as hard as it sounds, and without the contact with all of you, I would lose touch of who I am and where I came from. I look forward to seeing my Skyview Family, Rockland County Crew, 615 girls, Bucknell boys, and every one else in between in just a few weeks! Best care-package award goes to Haile with Ezra as a close second. For all of you who want a shout out at this time next year, I will be here another year, so get those packages in the mail; I love cheetos, chocolate, and pretty much anything manufactured in America. But to be honest, Arianna’s never failing holidays cards mean just as much as the treats which fill out my belly and my clothes, and I can safely say I have all of them hanging on my wall. Thanks girl! I could go on and on, but calling you all out individually goes against the spirit of what I am most thankful for: you. Friendship isn’t a competition, and with friends like these, how could I ever seriously compare?!

I am thankful for running water and electricity. For a reliable (green) bus, and an entertaining feud between my bus and the pink bus for never ending entertainment. I am thankful for the pili (lizards) residing in my room and the chickens eating centipedes outside. To red wine. Thanks Gwenn for the dress and The Lady Samoa II for the time served – we miss you, queen of the va’a! I am thankful to have such a supporting office staff and particularly the best PCMO in the whole world who is there to reassure me that my medical issues are not that severe and that almost everything can be fixed with a Benadryl. To DJ OKAY and Phish – may a remix of your music one day happen and further rock my mornings. And to Christmas lights being ok in November. I am thankful for my loving family back home and for all that they do for me. My thoughts are with you all until I return. Stay strong. I love you all. To Jacob, thank you for never letting me slip through the cracks. I appreciate your honesty and sincerity and am so glad to call you my twin.

Lastly, I am thankful for this wonderful adventure that I have been living for the past year and I look forward to the next year of Peace Corps service. The challenges faced and lessons learned in the face of those challenges have been some of the most insightful and meaningful ones of my life. It is hard to process service while still active, but I know a part of me has change for the better, and I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to grow in this manner. So Happy Thanksgiving to all, may it be full of food, family, and love. Amene.