Things I See You Probably Don't

·         I just watched a large sleeping mat walk by.  I assume that there was a 5 year old under it, but all I could see was a big mat moving across the yard.

·         I saw a family walking to church this morning.  Mom in a very nice puletasi.  Daughter in pretty white long dress.  Dad in jacket, ie lava lava (think skirt) and sandals.  Son in shirt, ie lava lava and tennis shoes.  With blue and white checkered socks that went from his ankles to up under his “skirt”.  It was pretty funny and I’m guessing he thought he was stylin’.

·         A dog attends mass at my church every week.  Like me, he tends to stay toward the rear.  Unlike me, while the choir is singing, he howls.  Not for every hymn, but there are a couple he just can’t resist.  He sometimes continues “singing” for a few notes after the choir has finished.  Then he lies down to wait for the next song.

·         There were pig hoof marks in the sand on the steps to the church.

·         There is one traffic signal on Savaii.  At the three-way intersection in Salelologa.  It’s worked approximately 2 weeks of the months I’ve lived here.

·         What is it about knit hats here?  It’s July and guys are still wearing Santa hats.  I see a lot of knit hats.  It’s 9 million freaking degrees outside.  If you’re having a bad hair day, try a baseball cap.  It’s way cooler.

·         Footprints.  I’d say easily half of the people in my village don’t wear shoes.  I’m sure part of the decision is financial.  Part, I believe, is preference.  Everywhere I walk I see footprints, with marks of toes digging into the sand.  I noticed some big, shoe footprints the other day and realized they were mine.  I made them the day before.  How can I tell?  Because my sandals have the logo stamped into the bottom of the sole.

·         Matching outfits.  I did a consulting gig once for a company that wanted me to help them decide whether or not to require uniforms of front-line service personnel.  They decided not to.  A big reason was the HUGE staff resistance to the idea.  Here, men and women make matching outfits for special events, family get-togethers, you name it.  By matching, btw, I mean matching puletasis for the ladies and shirts made of the same fabric for the men.

·         Swastikas.  Kids here love them.  They don’t associate them with Nazis.  They draw them on themselves and their books.

·         People sleeping…everywhere.  I’ve seen people sleeping on graves, large storage boxes, desks, middle of the main aisle on the ferry, in the trunk of a car with the trunk open, in the banana plantation, the sidewalk outside the grocery store…everywhere.