Lew seemed concerned after my last blog post so I'd like to clarify.
I'm in excellent spirits. Other than a couple of minor things that I'm on antibiotics for, my health is great. I'm still 10 pounds lighter than when I arrived in Samoa and I want to keep that trend going.
The reason for the last entry is just to point out families of current and future volunteers that service is a roller coaster. The most frequent medical complaint for volunteers in many posts are related to mental health.
Since my arrival in Samoa my friends and family have been incredibly supportive. Emails, packages and listening to me whine endlessly about housing and lack of air conditioning have helped me sail over the rough spots.
Many of my friends say they wish they could serve but couldn't deal with leaving everything and putting up with some of the conditions volunteers face. The fact is, by keeping me in good spirits and lending their support, they ARE serving.
I hope every volunteer is as content and having as good a time as I am right now. Doesn't mean the roller coaster won't have more dips and curves but I know I'll come out ok.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Advice for Peace Corps Applicants and Friends/Family of Current Volunteers
As with all my entries, these are my personal opinions. I'm not a psychologist. Not an expert in cultural acclimation. Just a PCV.
In the materials that the PC sent before we left home, there was a section designed for family and friends. The material advised not to burden the one you love with all the issues and problems you’re facing at home.
The rationale for being somewhat circumspect in what you share is that most of us feel pretty isolated. We have lots of time. Too much time alone, for some of us. Without the constant interactions with close friends/family and the endless distractions of life back home that we were used to, one worry can take on more importance than we’d usually give it.
I’ve seen it happen here to others and experienced it myself. For example, I got a text about something happening to a friend at home. I worried. Because of the time difference and communication challenges here I wasn’t able to talk with her for a day. When I did, everything was fine and I had worried needlessly. She didn’t want me to worry when she sent the text, she was just sharing the kind of stuff we always talked about when I was home. Being a sounding board and a safe haven for venting is what friends and family are for.
Another challenge is that we’ve been gone long enough that we can’t ignore that life back home is moving right along. Without us. Because of my age/lifestyle, I’ve experienced this before. It can feel as if friends are moving on without us. As we are, friends at home are making new friends and having experiences without us. I know that while it may be over 2 years that I don’t see some of the people I love most, when I do see them again, they will still be my best friends. Our friendships won’t be exactly what they were, because we’ve grown and changed. But we’ll find a new depth and closeness in our friendships as we reconnect.
For a number of volunteers, PC is the first time they’ve experienced this. And because many are fresh out of college their friends are going through big changes. Moving, new jobs, marriage, babies, etc. There’s a lot going on.
Having said all that, here’s my advice if someone you love is a PCV:
• Stay in touch. We don’t always perceive no news as good news. We may worry that there’s something wrong or that our friendship is fading.
• Tell us about the good stuff in your life. We face problems and challenges here every day. Some are heartbreaking. It helps to be reminded that there’s a whole big happy world out there.
• If there’s a real problem at home, tell us. We don’t need to be sheltered from real issues.
• If you’re just venting, you may want to reconsider. If there’s nothing we can do about it and it’s not a really big issue, let it go. You may share an annoyance or something you’re angry about and an hour later you’re over it. We’ll still be stewing about it for days.
• We struggle with being here sometimes. Are we making a difference? Why did we do this in the first place? Is it all worth it? We get homesick. It really doesn’t help when you make us feel guilty about being so far away, or question why we’re here. Instead, ask us why we spent months or more going through the application process. What we’re learning while we’re here. Tell us to eat some ice cream, get a good night’s sleep and suck it up. Then call again the next day to see how it’s going. Sometimes we just need someone outside our heads to help us out of a funk. Let us vent but don’t let us be Downer Debbies, always looking at the down side of service in the PC.
If you’re in the middle of the application process, talk to RPCVs or current PCVs. Ask them about the downside of service. When you get your precious packet with your invitation, READ IT! In the excitement and busy time when you’re invited, it’s very easy to ignore the good information about the cultural changes and emotional challenges you’re about to experience. Talk to your friends and family about it. Have them read the info.
We’re on a roller coaster ride. It’s exciting, scary, alternately mind-numbingly boring and thrilling. We signed up for it and most of us are still very glad we did. The volunteer you love appreciates your support more than you can ever imagine.
In the materials that the PC sent before we left home, there was a section designed for family and friends. The material advised not to burden the one you love with all the issues and problems you’re facing at home.
The rationale for being somewhat circumspect in what you share is that most of us feel pretty isolated. We have lots of time. Too much time alone, for some of us. Without the constant interactions with close friends/family and the endless distractions of life back home that we were used to, one worry can take on more importance than we’d usually give it.
I’ve seen it happen here to others and experienced it myself. For example, I got a text about something happening to a friend at home. I worried. Because of the time difference and communication challenges here I wasn’t able to talk with her for a day. When I did, everything was fine and I had worried needlessly. She didn’t want me to worry when she sent the text, she was just sharing the kind of stuff we always talked about when I was home. Being a sounding board and a safe haven for venting is what friends and family are for.
Another challenge is that we’ve been gone long enough that we can’t ignore that life back home is moving right along. Without us. Because of my age/lifestyle, I’ve experienced this before. It can feel as if friends are moving on without us. As we are, friends at home are making new friends and having experiences without us. I know that while it may be over 2 years that I don’t see some of the people I love most, when I do see them again, they will still be my best friends. Our friendships won’t be exactly what they were, because we’ve grown and changed. But we’ll find a new depth and closeness in our friendships as we reconnect.
For a number of volunteers, PC is the first time they’ve experienced this. And because many are fresh out of college their friends are going through big changes. Moving, new jobs, marriage, babies, etc. There’s a lot going on.
Having said all that, here’s my advice if someone you love is a PCV:
• Stay in touch. We don’t always perceive no news as good news. We may worry that there’s something wrong or that our friendship is fading.
• Tell us about the good stuff in your life. We face problems and challenges here every day. Some are heartbreaking. It helps to be reminded that there’s a whole big happy world out there.
• If there’s a real problem at home, tell us. We don’t need to be sheltered from real issues.
• If you’re just venting, you may want to reconsider. If there’s nothing we can do about it and it’s not a really big issue, let it go. You may share an annoyance or something you’re angry about and an hour later you’re over it. We’ll still be stewing about it for days.
• We struggle with being here sometimes. Are we making a difference? Why did we do this in the first place? Is it all worth it? We get homesick. It really doesn’t help when you make us feel guilty about being so far away, or question why we’re here. Instead, ask us why we spent months or more going through the application process. What we’re learning while we’re here. Tell us to eat some ice cream, get a good night’s sleep and suck it up. Then call again the next day to see how it’s going. Sometimes we just need someone outside our heads to help us out of a funk. Let us vent but don’t let us be Downer Debbies, always looking at the down side of service in the PC.
If you’re in the middle of the application process, talk to RPCVs or current PCVs. Ask them about the downside of service. When you get your precious packet with your invitation, READ IT! In the excitement and busy time when you’re invited, it’s very easy to ignore the good information about the cultural changes and emotional challenges you’re about to experience. Talk to your friends and family about it. Have them read the info.
We’re on a roller coaster ride. It’s exciting, scary, alternately mind-numbingly boring and thrilling. We signed up for it and most of us are still very glad we did. The volunteer you love appreciates your support more than you can ever imagine.
Back in the Village
Huge news - I am posting this from the comfort of my house. No bus ride to check email this morning. The dial up is slow, but I'm connected!
I got home last night on the last ferry. I don’t recommend the last ferry on a Friday evening. It is very crowded with normal travelers, plus a glut of commuters who live on Savaii on the weekends and work in Apia during the week. There were also a lot of PCVs. Seems a number of them had headed to beach fales on a small island east of Upolu and were now headed to their favorite hotel in Salelologa for a night of partying.
Buying a ticket and getting on the boat involve being in a scrum of hundreds of people. Not familiar with rugby? A scrum is where both teams jam together and try to physically manhandle each other down the field. In this case we were all moving toward the cashier or the door leading to the dock. Fa’aaloalo, which is the respect shown toward elders and palagis goes out the window.
After a ride in some rough seas, I noticed no buses for my village. Rather than join the scrum and race with the too-much crap I’d brought back, I resigned myself to taking a cab. Hated to spend the $20 and don’t like to reinforce the assumption that palagis are spoiled and made of money, but at that point I was willing.
Two minutes into the ride the driver asked if I lived with so and so (names not included to protect my family’s privacy.) “Yes, I do. Are you the one who brings my “mother” home from work in Salelologa some days?” Yes, he was. Small world here in Savaii.
Gazing out at the manicured lawns and well-groomed landscaping of most fales, I contemplated why many people prefer Savaii to Upolu. Along the road to the wharf in Upolu there are more stores, businesses and individual vendors selling fish and produce. There’s also more trash and unkempt buildings and houses. The road around Savaii feels much less commercial, more residential and appears neater and cleaner.
I was surprised when we stopped at the Tuisivi store. One of the advantages of paying for a cab is a direct route, without stopping for errands, as often happens on the bus. Not today. Since we were going to my house, he’d called them and they asked him to pick up something at the store. Several kids and a couple of adults said hello and welcomed me home. I was back on my turf.
As we drove into my family’s compound, a group of kids yelled and waved and the adults smiled and waved. Nice to be home. I dropped my bags and pulled out the treats I’d brought from Apia for the family. I took them to “mom” and we caught up briefly and I complimented her on the new addition to the faleoloa. There’s now a covered porch for customers with seating. A very nice addition, which they’d just put in that day. The only downside was that the trees they’d used for the roof supports were the ones in my front yard that held my clothes line. But this morning my clothes line was put back up, attached to a smaller tree. It’s about half the length now, but will work.
Because I’ve developed a slight obsession with clean floors/feet, I immediately noticed my dirty floor. Since half the house has large holes in the wall where normally windows would be and because I don’t bother to close the windows I do have, sand gets blown in. Sand and dead bugs were littered on the floor. Because it was twilight, there were also a lot of mosquitoes. It was also hot and humid. No air conditioned, insect-free hotel room here.
I was tired but hungry. If I could have, I’d have bought take out food. But that isn’t an option in the village. For a week, try counting how many times you eat food that you didn’t have to prepare. Take out, restaurants, salads or chicken from the grocery store. I’d gotten lazy with the convenience restaurants and Farmer Joe in Apia. I ended up making an egg sandwich with the cheese bread I’d brought from Farmer Joes. Delicious.
After going to bed I listened to my family take showers. A couple before midnight, a couple later. Because the shower is literally a foot from my window and about ten feet from my bed, I know when someone is showering. The person bathing at about 1:30 a.m. seemed happy, since he sang throughout his long shower.
I got up early although I’d planned to sleep in. I’d forgotten about the roosters. Some roost in the tree that hangs over my house so I get to hear them occasionally throughout the night. They really get going around 5:30 when the sky over the lagoon starts to brighten. It was nice to be lazy and lie in bed listening to the waves. I missed that in Apia.
I did a bucket of laundry when I got up. By 7 a.m. I’d hung a load of laundry and was hot and sweaty. I enjoyed the air con in Apia but now have to get used to doing without it again.
My PCV bff came over for the party last night and I invited her to spend a day or two with me before heading back to Upolu. We’ll play cards with some of my family, go snorkeling and eat. I’m teaching her to cook some simple vegetarian dishes that she can make for herself. Last time was chile/mac and spaghetti sauce. This time I’ll be showing her how to make a simple lentil stew, since I found a place to get inexpensive lentils in Apia. I also plan to make a corn/black bean salad with the black beans that my cousins sent from home. Will have to use dried cilantro instead of fresh, but still should be tasty. If they still have alili at the Tuisivi store today I may try to make some fritters with them. I love conch fritters, so should work.
I’ve been listening to the radio as I typed this. No TV reception since I have no outside antenna. The Apia radio station that I’m listening to has been playing stuff by Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Peggy Lee and Dean Martin. The song currently playing is sung by the president of my school committee.
I enjoyed the relative luxuries of Apia but am happy to be back in the village, with my family and my own home. I missed the lagoon and the kids. I’m ready to be back in the simple routine of village life.
I got home last night on the last ferry. I don’t recommend the last ferry on a Friday evening. It is very crowded with normal travelers, plus a glut of commuters who live on Savaii on the weekends and work in Apia during the week. There were also a lot of PCVs. Seems a number of them had headed to beach fales on a small island east of Upolu and were now headed to their favorite hotel in Salelologa for a night of partying.
Buying a ticket and getting on the boat involve being in a scrum of hundreds of people. Not familiar with rugby? A scrum is where both teams jam together and try to physically manhandle each other down the field. In this case we were all moving toward the cashier or the door leading to the dock. Fa’aaloalo, which is the respect shown toward elders and palagis goes out the window.
After a ride in some rough seas, I noticed no buses for my village. Rather than join the scrum and race with the too-much crap I’d brought back, I resigned myself to taking a cab. Hated to spend the $20 and don’t like to reinforce the assumption that palagis are spoiled and made of money, but at that point I was willing.
Two minutes into the ride the driver asked if I lived with so and so (names not included to protect my family’s privacy.) “Yes, I do. Are you the one who brings my “mother” home from work in Salelologa some days?” Yes, he was. Small world here in Savaii.
Gazing out at the manicured lawns and well-groomed landscaping of most fales, I contemplated why many people prefer Savaii to Upolu. Along the road to the wharf in Upolu there are more stores, businesses and individual vendors selling fish and produce. There’s also more trash and unkempt buildings and houses. The road around Savaii feels much less commercial, more residential and appears neater and cleaner.
I was surprised when we stopped at the Tuisivi store. One of the advantages of paying for a cab is a direct route, without stopping for errands, as often happens on the bus. Not today. Since we were going to my house, he’d called them and they asked him to pick up something at the store. Several kids and a couple of adults said hello and welcomed me home. I was back on my turf.
As we drove into my family’s compound, a group of kids yelled and waved and the adults smiled and waved. Nice to be home. I dropped my bags and pulled out the treats I’d brought from Apia for the family. I took them to “mom” and we caught up briefly and I complimented her on the new addition to the faleoloa. There’s now a covered porch for customers with seating. A very nice addition, which they’d just put in that day. The only downside was that the trees they’d used for the roof supports were the ones in my front yard that held my clothes line. But this morning my clothes line was put back up, attached to a smaller tree. It’s about half the length now, but will work.
Because I’ve developed a slight obsession with clean floors/feet, I immediately noticed my dirty floor. Since half the house has large holes in the wall where normally windows would be and because I don’t bother to close the windows I do have, sand gets blown in. Sand and dead bugs were littered on the floor. Because it was twilight, there were also a lot of mosquitoes. It was also hot and humid. No air conditioned, insect-free hotel room here.
I was tired but hungry. If I could have, I’d have bought take out food. But that isn’t an option in the village. For a week, try counting how many times you eat food that you didn’t have to prepare. Take out, restaurants, salads or chicken from the grocery store. I’d gotten lazy with the convenience restaurants and Farmer Joe in Apia. I ended up making an egg sandwich with the cheese bread I’d brought from Farmer Joes. Delicious.
After going to bed I listened to my family take showers. A couple before midnight, a couple later. Because the shower is literally a foot from my window and about ten feet from my bed, I know when someone is showering. The person bathing at about 1:30 a.m. seemed happy, since he sang throughout his long shower.
I got up early although I’d planned to sleep in. I’d forgotten about the roosters. Some roost in the tree that hangs over my house so I get to hear them occasionally throughout the night. They really get going around 5:30 when the sky over the lagoon starts to brighten. It was nice to be lazy and lie in bed listening to the waves. I missed that in Apia.
I did a bucket of laundry when I got up. By 7 a.m. I’d hung a load of laundry and was hot and sweaty. I enjoyed the air con in Apia but now have to get used to doing without it again.
My PCV bff came over for the party last night and I invited her to spend a day or two with me before heading back to Upolu. We’ll play cards with some of my family, go snorkeling and eat. I’m teaching her to cook some simple vegetarian dishes that she can make for herself. Last time was chile/mac and spaghetti sauce. This time I’ll be showing her how to make a simple lentil stew, since I found a place to get inexpensive lentils in Apia. I also plan to make a corn/black bean salad with the black beans that my cousins sent from home. Will have to use dried cilantro instead of fresh, but still should be tasty. If they still have alili at the Tuisivi store today I may try to make some fritters with them. I love conch fritters, so should work.
I’ve been listening to the radio as I typed this. No TV reception since I have no outside antenna. The Apia radio station that I’m listening to has been playing stuff by Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Peggy Lee and Dean Martin. The song currently playing is sung by the president of my school committee.
I enjoyed the relative luxuries of Apia but am happy to be back in the village, with my family and my own home. I missed the lagoon and the kids. I’m ready to be back in the simple routine of village life.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
A Little Positivity Please
I need a lot of alone time. I get cranky without it. I haven’t had any for ten days now. When I don’t have enough time alone to process the day I get annoyed. When compounded by spending the majority of my time with a group of people a generation younger, who find ways to amuse themselves that I can’t fathom, it exacerbates my frustration. So I write snarky entries.
In an effort to get back on the positivity train, here are some things that I’ve found great about this week:
• I met the congressional representative from American Samoa. Made me investigate what rights our territories have. Could be a good contact to have after PC.
• Lunches during training have been provided by the hotel. The chef is awesome. He uses a 2 burner gas hotplate. He produces vegetarian and meat-eaters versions every day and every day has been terrific. I’ll miss his cooking.
• I passed 2 young women late this afternoon as I walked to the grocery store. The younger girl appeared to be about 14. She made eye contact, smiled and tilted her head back, which is a typical friendly greeting here. I did the same. 30 minutes later I was walking back to the hotel and I slowed to watch a volleyball game in progress. I noticed the same girl, playing on one of the teams. She gave me a big smile and the typical head tilt. We were no longer strangers, but friends, connected only by passing in the street. It felt good.
• I’ve spent time with wonderful people, who I consider friends. People that I’d never met just a few months ago. Five times this week people asked if I was Chelsea’s mother. No, I’m not. I’m her BFF. But her mom and I are very close in age. And I’d be proud to have her as my daughter.
• Someone hugged me today. She said “I’m so glad I know you.” I’d never have met her if I hadn’t joined the Peace Corps.
• I am in an air-conditioned room. I’ll be happy again with cold showers and no climate controlled conditions when I get back to beautiful Faga, but it’s nice while I have it.
• I can text and make cell calls without walking to the main road. That’s a big deal.
• I can go to the grocery store without walking over a mile or taking a bus. Plus, there’s palagi food when I get there. I may not be able to afford it, but at least it’s there.
• I’m alive, healthy (except for a cold and the still-infected toe) and able to communicate. Plus, I still have my sense of humor. And, Mr. Kindle is back! Life in Samoa is good.
In an effort to get back on the positivity train, here are some things that I’ve found great about this week:
• I met the congressional representative from American Samoa. Made me investigate what rights our territories have. Could be a good contact to have after PC.
• Lunches during training have been provided by the hotel. The chef is awesome. He uses a 2 burner gas hotplate. He produces vegetarian and meat-eaters versions every day and every day has been terrific. I’ll miss his cooking.
• I passed 2 young women late this afternoon as I walked to the grocery store. The younger girl appeared to be about 14. She made eye contact, smiled and tilted her head back, which is a typical friendly greeting here. I did the same. 30 minutes later I was walking back to the hotel and I slowed to watch a volleyball game in progress. I noticed the same girl, playing on one of the teams. She gave me a big smile and the typical head tilt. We were no longer strangers, but friends, connected only by passing in the street. It felt good.
• I’ve spent time with wonderful people, who I consider friends. People that I’d never met just a few months ago. Five times this week people asked if I was Chelsea’s mother. No, I’m not. I’m her BFF. But her mom and I are very close in age. And I’d be proud to have her as my daughter.
• Someone hugged me today. She said “I’m so glad I know you.” I’d never have met her if I hadn’t joined the Peace Corps.
• I am in an air-conditioned room. I’ll be happy again with cold showers and no climate controlled conditions when I get back to beautiful Faga, but it’s nice while I have it.
• I can text and make cell calls without walking to the main road. That’s a big deal.
• I can go to the grocery store without walking over a mile or taking a bus. Plus, there’s palagi food when I get there. I may not be able to afford it, but at least it’s there.
• I’m alive, healthy (except for a cold and the still-infected toe) and able to communicate. Plus, I still have my sense of humor. And, Mr. Kindle is back! Life in Samoa is good.
Shenanigans
Lew recently asked about issues with hotels in Samoa. Petty theft is common here. Actually, many of the people I know would not consider it theft. It is more: “That’s nice and I’ll wear/use it now.” I’ve lost jewelry, money and M&Ms to family members. The candy hurt most. Money is money, but somebody bought that chocolate while thinking of me and paid to ship it for two months across a big damn ocean and you sneak into my room while I’m in the shower and take it? That’s enough to piss off the Good Humor man, to use a very old line.
Back to hotels. I have not experienced theft in hotels. I have experienced some consistent issues in hotels that I find annoying. Things like…
• “Toilet paper? You want another roll of toilet paper? You’ve only been here a week.” If you’ve ever experienced a turista problem while in a hotel which limits toilet paper, I empathize. It happened to me while PC (and your tax dollars) were paying over $100 a night for the room.
• “May we have another clean towel, please?” “We gave you a towel.” “Yes, but there are two of us.” Blank look. I’ll share lipstick but I draw the line at sharing a bath towel with another volunteer. Or anyone. George Clooney, if you decide you want to shack up with me in Samoa, bring your own towel.
• In the same hotel that restricted toilet paper, the staff which cleaned the rooms was exhausted. I know that because they were frequently caught napping in the rooms they were supposed to be cleaning. It became a running joke during pre-service training. We’d run back to our rooms to get something during breaks or lunch and we’d interrupt the nap of a hotel employee. They never seemed perturbed. Nor did they clean the rooms.
• I’ve addressed the issue of how often to wash sheets/towels in other entries. Some hotels seem to believe that every couple of weeks is adequate. It is not.
• Keys/locks are expensive here and hard to come by. I may have mentioned that when I moved into my new house I opened my brand new, PC provided, tax-payer paid for deadbolt lock with my hotel room key. Doesn’t inspire confidence. So it is surprising to me that not a single hotel in which I’ve stayed has multiple keys for each room.
We frequently are bunked 3 to a room. We get one key. It’s a pain in the butt to track down your roommate(s) who have left and forgotten to leave the key at the front desk. Or, to hike up 3 flights of stairs to discover that the key is at the front desk. Or, in the current hotel, to climb the flight of stairs and walk down the hall to the door only to remember that you have the “spare key” (swear, it’s labeled that) which can only be used by the back door which means walking back downstairs then up a different flight of stairs so you can enter by the back door. Did I mention that there are no lights on the back staircase and there is no room number on the back door?
• At 3 p.m. “Will you be servicing the room today?” I asked hopefully. “Of course.” replied the desk clerk with a somewhat haughty expression. Really, dude? It’s now 9:00 p.m and nobody has brought in toilet paper, clean towels or touched the beds in 3 days. Since I live in a rural village, I really do appreciate that these are luxuries. What annoys me is that it’s our tax dollars which are paying for services that aren’t being rendered as promised.
Lew, back to your original question. Is theft a problem in Samoan hotels. No, not in my experience. But Americans may notice what we perceive as laziness and lack of attention to details.
BTW, a friend wore a new dress today. It was colorful, pretty and said it all about Samoan quality control. As with many fabrics here “SAMOA” was imprinted on the fabric. However, when the seamstress made the dress, she didn’t notice that there was a “right” side to the fabric. So it appears that my friend is wearing her dress inside out. She can only read SAMOA if she stands in front of a mirror.
Back to hotels. I have not experienced theft in hotels. I have experienced some consistent issues in hotels that I find annoying. Things like…
• “Toilet paper? You want another roll of toilet paper? You’ve only been here a week.” If you’ve ever experienced a turista problem while in a hotel which limits toilet paper, I empathize. It happened to me while PC (and your tax dollars) were paying over $100 a night for the room.
• “May we have another clean towel, please?” “We gave you a towel.” “Yes, but there are two of us.” Blank look. I’ll share lipstick but I draw the line at sharing a bath towel with another volunteer. Or anyone. George Clooney, if you decide you want to shack up with me in Samoa, bring your own towel.
• In the same hotel that restricted toilet paper, the staff which cleaned the rooms was exhausted. I know that because they were frequently caught napping in the rooms they were supposed to be cleaning. It became a running joke during pre-service training. We’d run back to our rooms to get something during breaks or lunch and we’d interrupt the nap of a hotel employee. They never seemed perturbed. Nor did they clean the rooms.
• I’ve addressed the issue of how often to wash sheets/towels in other entries. Some hotels seem to believe that every couple of weeks is adequate. It is not.
• Keys/locks are expensive here and hard to come by. I may have mentioned that when I moved into my new house I opened my brand new, PC provided, tax-payer paid for deadbolt lock with my hotel room key. Doesn’t inspire confidence. So it is surprising to me that not a single hotel in which I’ve stayed has multiple keys for each room.
We frequently are bunked 3 to a room. We get one key. It’s a pain in the butt to track down your roommate(s) who have left and forgotten to leave the key at the front desk. Or, to hike up 3 flights of stairs to discover that the key is at the front desk. Or, in the current hotel, to climb the flight of stairs and walk down the hall to the door only to remember that you have the “spare key” (swear, it’s labeled that) which can only be used by the back door which means walking back downstairs then up a different flight of stairs so you can enter by the back door. Did I mention that there are no lights on the back staircase and there is no room number on the back door?
• At 3 p.m. “Will you be servicing the room today?” I asked hopefully. “Of course.” replied the desk clerk with a somewhat haughty expression. Really, dude? It’s now 9:00 p.m and nobody has brought in toilet paper, clean towels or touched the beds in 3 days. Since I live in a rural village, I really do appreciate that these are luxuries. What annoys me is that it’s our tax dollars which are paying for services that aren’t being rendered as promised.
Lew, back to your original question. Is theft a problem in Samoan hotels. No, not in my experience. But Americans may notice what we perceive as laziness and lack of attention to details.
BTW, a friend wore a new dress today. It was colorful, pretty and said it all about Samoan quality control. As with many fabrics here “SAMOA” was imprinted on the fabric. However, when the seamstress made the dress, she didn’t notice that there was a “right” side to the fabric. So it appears that my friend is wearing her dress inside out. She can only read SAMOA if she stands in front of a mirror.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
O ma'i Mr. Kindle
Mr. Kindle has been ill. I was very concerned that it was a fatal condition. If you’ve been reading my blog you know that Mr. Kindle and I are close. We go to bed together each evening for a couple of hours of quality time. When I’m feeling down, anxious or bored, he perks me right up.
I was very concerned when he became unresponsive recently. It happened after our first couple days of ESC. I was in the middle of a great novel by J. A. Jance which was set in the area where I grew up in Tucson, AZ. One day I stroked Mr. Kindle gently and instead of responding by opening to the last page I’d read, he ignored me. It was blatant. He simply showed me his sleeping face. I stroked him again. Same face. After several strokes to his usually sensitive power button, he didn’t say a thing. Just gave me the sleeping face.
I talked to a fellow Kindle owner. No help. I checked the Amazon site but the troubleshooting guide didn’t have any suggestions for an unresponsive Mr. Kindle. I emailed Amazon and got a quick response, suggesting I reboot my Kindle, using the main menu. Since I’d indicated that the main menu wasn’t working that wasn’t helpful. The tech suggested I call.
I emailed again, explaining where I was and the cost of the call and how I might have to do someone bodily harm (most likely myself) if I got trapped in phone tree hell while paying the long distance tab. I got another quick response, this time telling me how to do a “hard” reboot. I hate to be rough on Mr. Kindle, but frankly, by this point I was pretty frustrated with him so didn’t hesitate to shove his power button as hard as I could and hold it there for 15 seconds, as advised. I’ll be honest, I held it there an extra five seconds just for good measure.
He blinked a few times, then began to respond. At first he scared me since when he woke up there were no books loaded. But within a couple of minutes all the books were there and he was his old congenial self.
Thank heavens I have the love of my life back. The tough love was worth it.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Baha'i Temple
Thought you might enjoy some photos from the beautiful grounds where I picnicked yesterday.
BTW, just had lunch here at the hotel. The Congressman from American Samoa was here and came to talk to us for a few minutes. Nice guy. As if a lifetime politician wouldn't have good people skills.
He's going to talk to our "ambassador" about having a fiafia (party) for us next week here. It's the Samoan Independence day and we're marching in the parade. I put ambassador in quotes because there is an ambassador who is based in New Zealand and islands, like Samoa, have someone who represents him. They have an official title but I can't remember how to spell it.
Ours is a very nice woman named Robin. She's moving into a new residence here soon. Owned by the US government it has a wall and security worthy of the White House. I'm planning to spend the night there next week so will take photos.
Here are photos of the Baha'i Temple in Samoa. It is one of only 8, world wide. If you visit Samoa, check out the Sunday a.m. service. It's from 10 to 10:30 and is fabulous.
View of the temple grounds and Pacific ocean.
Kinda blurry but thought you might like to see my buddy Denise when she's not wearing a fat suit and bike helmet. She's a PC employee - the Administrative Officer. She's a good egg. She's living in Samoa with her husband and 13 year old son.
Love that these flowers gow wild here.
The temple, which has great acoustics and a terrific choir. A good combination.
The grounds are amazing and maintained by volunteers.
The main walk to the temple.
More of the beautiful grounds. There are 22 acres. I was invited to spend the night in the spare apartment that is part of the caretakers house. Very generous and I hope to stay there. It must be amazing at night.
BTW, just had lunch here at the hotel. The Congressman from American Samoa was here and came to talk to us for a few minutes. Nice guy. As if a lifetime politician wouldn't have good people skills.
He's going to talk to our "ambassador" about having a fiafia (party) for us next week here. It's the Samoan Independence day and we're marching in the parade. I put ambassador in quotes because there is an ambassador who is based in New Zealand and islands, like Samoa, have someone who represents him. They have an official title but I can't remember how to spell it.
Ours is a very nice woman named Robin. She's moving into a new residence here soon. Owned by the US government it has a wall and security worthy of the White House. I'm planning to spend the night there next week so will take photos.
Here are photos of the Baha'i Temple in Samoa. It is one of only 8, world wide. If you visit Samoa, check out the Sunday a.m. service. It's from 10 to 10:30 and is fabulous.
Kinda blurry but thought you might like to see my buddy Denise when she's not wearing a fat suit and bike helmet. She's a PC employee - the Administrative Officer. She's a good egg. She's living in Samoa with her husband and 13 year old son.
Love that these flowers gow wild here.
The temple, which has great acoustics and a terrific choir. A good combination.
The grounds are amazing and maintained by volunteers.
The main walk to the temple.
More of the beautiful grounds. There are 22 acres. I was invited to spend the night in the spare apartment that is part of the caretakers house. Very generous and I hope to stay there. It must be amazing at night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)