The Resort

After a challenging day on Monday when only half of the teachers were present, I decided to spend my time after school at the resort in my village.  They charge $10 tala for the use of their beautiful  pool and beach.

I’ve mostly avoided the resort until now.  When I first came to the village people assumed that since I’m a palagi and that’s where palagis stay, that that was where I was living.  Let me just say that on my monthly stipend from Peace Corps I would not be able to stay there one full night.

Because we’re expected to live like everyone else in the village and the Samoans can’t afford to hang out at the pool at the resort, I haven’t either. 

But I figure I’ve been here long enough.  Everyone knows I live in a fale like theirs.  They know I don’t have hot water.  They see me on the bus all the time.  They see me buying the same food they do at the market.  But there is no question that I will always be the palagi.  Different in so many ways.

Anyway after rationalizing it to myself, I headed to the resort.  I was the only one there.  I swam.  I cooled off.  It was delightful.  I pretended I was floating in my pool in Florida.  After ten minutes alone in the pool a guy arrived at the pool bar.  I assured him I didn’t want a drink and he could leave.  He did not.  It would be rude to leave someone alone.  Instead, his buddies, also resort employees, arrived.  For awhile, they watched me swim.  It is not relaxing to have a group of young men watch me swim. Then they cranked up the tunes.  Then they started singing along.  By that time, I’d been in the water for 30 minutes or so and got out to read and relax. 

The young women on staff seemed to notice the young guys at the pool and started sauntering past.  They yelled back and forth, over the music.  There was a lot of singing, laughing and yelling.  It was just like being at home except for the pool.

After an hour or so, during which I’d taken another dip, and watched the Head of State of Samoa and his entourage be escorted to their room, some other guests arrived at the pool.  The guys disappeared.  The yelling stopped and the music was turned down.  Hmmm.  I guess it is integration when you’re treated as a local even after paying to be a guest.

The folks who’d arrived were from Australia and had worked in Upolu a few years before.  We had a nice conversation.  They went off to their room and I decided to get a pizza from the resort restaurant to take home.  That was another first.

As I waited for the pizza it started to get dark.  I tried to pay before the pizza was done, to speed the process.  It is considered inappropriate for me to be out after dark and I knew my family would be concerned.  Unfortunately I didn’t account for Samoan time.  The pizza was ready but even though I’d started the payment process 15 minutes before, they didn’t have change.  The bill was $27.  I gave them $40.  To get the $13 in change they had to send someone to the owner’s house at the back of the compound.  It’s a long walk and no one was in a hurry.  Eventually, near dark, they came back and realized they hadn’t gotten the correct change.  They said they’d try again.

I explained that I needed to get home because it was getting too dark and my family would be worried.  I said I’d come back for my change the next day.  I walked home alone down the main road by street light (except the sections where they’re broken).  I frequently heard people calling my name and yelling greetings from their houses near the road or from the beach.  Talk about the walk of shame.  There I was, pizza box in hand, in the dark. 

I got home with no problem.  It was 7 p.m. and completely dark.  I apologized to my family for worrying them by coming home so late.  It really was my fault.  My family is responsible for keeping me safe.  I’d left in broad daylight, saying I was going swimming.  I arrived after dark with pool hair and a pizza.  They were right to be upset with me.  I promised it would never happen again. 

At that point I figured I had a pizza and nothing to lose.   I went to my family’s store and asked to buy a beer.  They were shocked.  I ate pizza, drank a beer and had a quiet evening.  Freedom.

Healthy Eating

No, I'm not talking about the chicken curry I made for dinner last night.  It was one of the best meals I've made here but all the coconut cream did not make it healthy.

I'm referring to the new nutrition guidelines the schools have been given for teachers and students.  The Ministry of Health is trying to encourage people to change their current eating habits which are not healthy.  Weight is an issue here and is the cause of a number of health concerns including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

The food pyramid that the Ministry provided does not look like ours.  I'm not sure if it's because they really think it's the best nutrition or if they realize the financial realities and are trying to help people shift their habits gradually.

For example, they recommend that starches such as taro, boiled green bananas or breadfruit be the main part of every meal.  That is currently the case.  They are recommending that people eat more non-starchy vegetables such as carrots, beans, cucumbers and squash, all of which are available here but eaten in limited quantities.  They recommend limiting the use of oil/fat, sugar and salt which are key parts of the diet here now.  They also recommend limiting how much canned/processed food is eaten like tinned corned beef, tinned mackerel packed in oil and ramen.  

Watching the shift in what is served at the school "canteens" has been interesting.  The kids are no longer allowed to run next door to my families store to buy junk snacks like the Pacific versiions of chips.  They are encouraged to bring fruit instead. 

The canteens are small stalls that have been set up on the playground by a few families, including one teacher, who until this change, was the only food provider.  She traditionally served a cup of ramen noodles in weak broth.  Very salty with little other flavor.  She also occasionally served sandwiches (made in a sandwich griller) filled with either canned spaghetti (about 15 sandwiches per small can of spaghetti) or ramen noodles.

This week, lunch one day was cracker sandwiches.  Two crackers with a filling of rice.  Another day it was the grilled sandwiches filled with...nothing.  Just two pieces of fried bread.  Another vendor was selling large pieces of toast.  4 slices of toast per loaf of bread, no topping.

I eat a lot of vegetables.  My latest kick has been par boiled long beans mixed with cucumber and onion, marinated in balsamic vinegar and spices.  To make it a main dish I add tuna.  Delicious and easy.  And an effective way of using up all the beans, since you can only buy huge bunches.  There is no option for buying small amounts.

I'd like to take my marinated salad or other healthy options to school to eat at interval.  I don't because it is considered rude if I don't bring enough for everyone.  At first it was ok because they saw I had a salad and turned their noses up at all the vegetables.  Then they started tasting it and decided it was pretty good.  Balsamic vinegar can only be found in Apia and is expensive.  While it's a treat for me I just can't afford to make enough for 11 of us.  Instead I end up not eating or sharing the ramen or pankeke that the teachers make.  Pankeke is a thin mix of flour and water, fried in oil.

The good news is that I've seen kids eating more fruit than ever and they seem to like it.  Currently oranges and guava are what's in season.  I bought an apple the other day and started to eat it while waiting for a phone call by the road.  As usual, I was surrounded by the neighbor's kids.  I took a couple of bites, felt guilty and handed the apple to the youngest child.  He immediately shared it with his five siblings.  They loved it because apples are imported and too expensive to buy when you have a large family.

When I get my first taste of cheese enchiladas after 2 years, I guarantee I won't be sharing.

That Was The Week That Was

Anybody remember that title?  Was it from Laugh In?  Yes, I’m older than most rocks.  Anyway, it’s a lovely, warm late afternoon on Friday.  I thought I’d share the highlights and lowlights of the week.

To kick off the week, a couple of lowlights.  Having a rat run across your legs at 2 a.m. is not a great way to be awakened.  Last night, my bed fell apart at 3:15 a.m.  An explanation – my bed is a frame, on which several sturdy boards are placed.  On top of the boards are some mats and then a 3 inch thick foam rubber mattress.  During the night a board somehow fell.  That started a domino effect and more boards fell.  My ass and the mattress were dangling over a gaping hole.  As annoyed as I was, I had to laugh.  Then I realized that everyone sleeping around me had heard the boards hitting the floor and were now listening to me giggling.  I’m betting they were watching to see the guy leave my house.  Nope, just my large ass.

The best highlights today were when Year 7 gave me a round of applause at the end of class.  I introduced 80 irregular verbs to them on Monday.  Today, they had a “verb bee” against Year 8.  They lost by two words but were very proud, deservedly, of how they did.  The majority of kids now know the present and past tenses of those 80 irregular verbs.  After the applause, as I was leaving the room a girl came up to me and said “Thank you for loving us.” 

The other teachers didn’t seem to think much of my “verb bee” idea but the kids went nuts over it.  Year 8 is busy cramming for a big test in two weeks and their teacher is trying to get through all the science and social studies so I didn’t have class with them this week.  Instead, I helped them prepare for the Verb Bee before and after school, at their request.  On Monday, after five minutes with them I informed them that Year 7 was going to eat their lunch.  Then I tried to explain what that means since they were taking it literally.  They got the drift and knuckled down.

I ran into a mother of one of the Year 8 kids today and told her that her son did well and that his team won the Bee.  She said he’s been studying for hours every night to prepare.   Just goes to show that these kids are not stupid or lazy – they just need the right motivation.  The prizes for the Bee, by the way, were stickers.  Because everyone worked so hard, both teams got stickers.  Nice ones for the losers.  The winners got tiny jewels with sticky stuff on the back.  They were over the moon excited and used them as earrings.  Thanks to my friends for making it possible for me to see their excitement in selecting the perfect “jewel”.

The low light today was when one of the teachers disciplined some 7 year old boys with a thick yard stick.  They were punished because their hair was too long.   Let’s just say there were a lot of tears and the yard stick was broken during the discipline.

I’m not alone in my concern about corporal punishment.  A child died recently after being beaten at school by her teacher.  She had a heart defect, which was ruled the cause of death, but the teacher pleaded guilty to assault and is awaiting sentencing.  Today the headline in the paper was that another child was beaten in the same district.  Both villages are where our group of PCVs did our training.  I taught for 2 weeks at the school where the child died.  Some parents seem concerned that their children are being abused and it is against the law to hit a child here.  However, it is traditional and I think it will be very hard to change.  The editorial cartoon in the paper shows a parent saying “Sole (Dude) when are you going to bed? Our CashPower (electricity) is running out.”  The kid’s response is “Papa, forget the CashPower.  I’m more worried about the teacher’s stick if I don’t do my homework.”

Another highlight is that I finished my 3^rd round of antibiotics today and the “crater” on my leg is starting to heal.  Crater is the official medical term the PC nurse used to describe the hole in my leg.  It was a good description.  Once it’s healed, I’m supposed to take once a week baths (using a bucket) with water and bleach to kill the bacteria on my skin and keep from getting more of these sores.  A friend was shocked when I told her then commented that I will smell like clean clothes. 

After school today I walked to the Tuisivi store for some exercise and shopping.  I took the bus home, the long way.  That means passing my house and riding 20 minutes up the coast.  Almost empty bus, beautiful views and a nice breeze.

This morning one of the teachers brought me some pe’e pe’e or coconut cream.  If you’ve only tasted the canned crap, there is a HUGE difference.  Imagine the difference between canned peas and fresh peas.  Fresh is infinitely better.  Since I have the fresh coconut cream, I’ll be making Panang chicken curry tonight.  With rice and a marinated bean/cucumber salad.  I realize the salad is not exactly Thai, but this isn’t exactly Thailand.   I just tasted the curry and it is awesome.  Thank goodness for the curry paste sold at Farmer Joe’s in Apia.

Another highlight has been in the mornings before school.  I’m usually the first one at school.  I’m also usually the last one to leave.  I’m also the only one not being paid to be there but that’s another discussion.

I started using a video I found of the 3 Stooges doing an alphabet song.  It is unlike any alphabet song I’ve ever heard and involves combining all the consonants with all the vowels.  Trust me, it is catchy and I hear it in my sleep.  I was only teaching the older kids because it’s a bit tricky.  I had to watch the video several times before I could sing it.

Now in the mornings, the littlest kids are showing up in the office asking to hear the “B A Ba” song.  They will stare at the computer screen and sing along for as many times as I will restart the video.  They love the song and are fascinated by the women in the video who look like American women did in the ‘50’s, since it is a very old video.  This morning, a timid Year 1 girl marched in and sat in front of the computer.  She was the only one there.  She just stared at me.  I said good morning and her response was “B A Ba”.  After she said “please” I turned on the video for her viewing pleasure. 

I view that as a triumph.  A timid kid willing to screw up the courage to ask the palagi to play a song she loves and wants to learn.  The other teachers view it as my lack of ability to get respect and inability to discipline the children.  She should not be allowed in the office and should not be asking a teacher for anything.  As Samoa moves forward in improving their education system, there are some fundamental beliefs that are being challenged.  Lord knows, I’m not always right, but in this case I think it is splendid that a kid’s desire to learn has been piqued.  I have to admit, the fact that it’s the 3 Stooges who did it is just funny.

Limited Menu

In my quest to avoid boredom and keep my spirits up, I’m doing something every week that’s a bit different and enjoyable.  Unfortunately, most of the stuff seems to revolve around food. 

Today I stopped at the store in Salelologa to buy a few things and was waiting for the bus home.  My treat was fake crab.  It’s not really that expensive - about $5 US for 500 grams which is enough for about four meals if I’m frugral. 

But the bus was taking forever to come and I’ve been craving fast food so I flagged down a cab to Uncle Bill’s.  Aside from the couple of stands that are open sporadically to sell barbequed or fried chicken, Uncle Bill’s (which has a picture of Uncle Sam on the sign) is the only fast food option available.  Sit down dinners are nice and I can think of 4 resorts between my village and Salelologa that have restaurants but they are priced for tourists.  $30 – 50 tala (15-25 USD) for a meal is only an option for a special occasion.

Anyway, I’ve heard very mixed reviews of the burgers at Uncle Bill’s.  A PCV told me they’re fine if you like the frozen, microwaved kind.  I used to turn my nose up at that but I’ve had less than a dozen burgers in the last 18 months so I’m not so picky.

Unfortunately, Uncle Bill’s was out of burgers.  I asked for fish and chips but they were out of those, too.  I then asked about chicken, the last item on the menu.  Yes, they had fried chicken.  Ok, the snack pack then, which is a leg and thigh plus fries for $4.25 USD.  And a chocolate smoothie, fa’amolemole.  Nope, out of those, too.  Any smoothies?  Yes, mango.  Ok, it’s not fresh mango but I didn’t care.  Uncle Bill’s smoothies are stupendous.  They are crushed ice with some milk and fake fruit flavor.  Do you have any idea how good it feels to get brain freeze when you’ve sweated all day?  Stellar.  Actually, the brain freeze hurt like hell for a few minutes but the chill on my tongue was so worth it.

As I type this, my chicken and chips are sitting on top of my fridge.  I’m savoring the moments before I eat them.  Take out food.  What a luxury.

Thins I Miss

I'll be heading to Auckland in one month.  In seven months, I'll be heading home.  In the meantime, there are things I miss.

Friends and family, of course, top the list.  Goes without saying.  The rest of this list is just the little things that I'm looking forward to having back in my life.

Mexican food.  I'm going to try to find some in Auckland.  I heard good things about a couple of places that were closed for the holidays when I was there.  I'm picky about Mexican food.  If they advertise tomatoes in the enchilada sauce or mayonnaise in the guacamole, I'll pass. 

A car.  The freedom and convenience of being able to go where I want, when I want.  Alone.  Radio on or not.  Air conditioning or windows down.  Just driving for the fun of it.  Especially at night.  I can't wait.

Grocery stores stocked with vegetables, fruit, meat, cheese, etc.  I had to go to the hospital again for the infection on my leg.  It's been six weeks and I'm on my 3rd round of antibiotics since it won't heal.  The doc told me to eat more leafy greens.  Then he laughed and prescribed a multivitamin, since we don't have many leafy greens.  We have bok choy and I've eaten it until it comes out of my ears.

A place where I can live my life without being stared at.  I can't imagine what it's like for a celebrity, who is followed by cameras 24/7.

Restaurants.  Fast food to fine dining.  I'm already planning my first dinner in Auckland.

Privacy.  I like to walk around the house naked.  I like to sleep naked.  I prefer to do it with no one watching.

I miss the private pool in the backyard of my home in Florida.  I love the lagoon here.  Great snorkeling and a beautiful beach and I'll miss that.  I won't miss having to wear shorts and a t-shirt over my swimsuit.  I also like to swim naked and because my pool at home is private, I can.

An oven.  My favorite dessert is one I make - pumpkin toffee cheesecake with a butter cookie crust.  About 9,000 per slice, but so worth it.  I'm hoping to make one for the couple I'm staying with in NZ.  I also miss having an oven for simple things.  I love casseroles.  And baked potatoes.  And the kind of cheesy garlic bread you wrap in foil and then bake. 

A washer and dryer.  I really don't mind washing my clothes by hand.  But washing double size sheets is a pain in the ass.  If you don't believe me, try it.  All you need is a bucket, some soap and a hose.

Apple cider.  I fell in love with the hard cider they sell in a huge range of flavors in NZ.  I'll be drinking that, or red wine, with my fist dinner.

Baths.  I miss long, hot baths with steam that smells of citrus or lavender.  In a sparkling clean tub, in a pristine bathroom where I don't have to watch spiders crawling on the walls or rats racing through the room.

Crisp sheets.  I love clean sheets.  I especially like it when they smell good.  My mom taught me to sprinkle a tiny bit of talcom powder on the sheets in the summer and spritz with a bit of cologne in the winter.  I'd settle for fabric softener or dryer sheets. 

Cleanliness, with no bugs.  I was a bit persnickity about my house in Florida.  I tended to keep it clean.  My pest service did a very effective job of keeping the bugs out.  The pool is screened so I didn't have to worry about mosquitoes when I wanted to sit outside at night.  I miss that.

I'm trying not to think too much about the people and things I'll miss when I leave Samoa.  I know I'll be coming back here.  I don't know when or if I'll ever return to Samoa.  If my dream comes true and I'm able to find work for a couple of years in New Zealand, I'll come back to visit for sure.  But from the States?  Hard to say.

Five Basic Human Desires

I was reading a magazine article recently and they paraphrased a book called Beyond Reason by Daniel Shapiro and Roger Fisher of the Harvard Negotiation Project.  They contend that all humans have 5 basic desires:  appreciation – feeling valued; affiliation – feeling connected; autonomy – feeling free to make decisions; status – feeling respected; fulfilling role – feeling fulfilled.

I don’t know if they considered cross-cultural issues, but these seem universal to me.  Not that all (or any) cultures fulfill those needs for everyone involved.  In Samoa, affiliation seems to be primary.  People are connected first to God, then to their parents.  Some would argue vice versa.  Then there’s the affiliation with the entire family and that includes relatives from other countries they may not have met. Next comes ties to the village.  Affiliation is very, very important in Samoa.

Autonomy is low on the value scale here.  In fact, it seems to be discouraged.  I know a 40+ year old woman who had been living overseas for years and was planning to be married there.  But her parents called her home to take care of them.  They were not infirm but wanted someone to cook and do other chores and to be there as their needs increased.  She did it.  She wasn’t happy about it but I wouldn’t say she was resentful.  It wasn’t her decision and it made her sad but lack of autonomy increased her affiliation with her family.

Autonomy, creativity and choice are not encouraged among children.  They do what they are told and eat what is put in front of them.  That creates rule-following, obedient children.  I was talking to some friends the other day about corporal punishment.  I asked at what age a parent stops hitting a child for “being cheeky” or other indiscretions.   They looked at each other and laughed.  “When they die.” was the response of one.  They went on to explain that a child must be obedient to their parents and the parents must continue to teach the child throughout their life, so even after marriage and child birth, if an adult child “misbehaves”, the parent will correct them, often physically.

Status is important here and is generally earned.  Either through service, which is what it takes to become a matai, or by living long enough to get respect by virtue of being old.   Matais (chiefs) and faifeaus (ministers) have the most status here.  Women, especially women living in their husband’s village, seem to have no status unless they have earned it by achieving a reputable job (like a teacher or nurse) or as a matai.  Yes, there are female matais, although that is not the norm.

I’m not sure where Samoa ranks on fulfillment.  I’d say in America we place a very high value on it.  Finding work that is fulfilling is important to Americans.  Finding work that puts food on the table is important to Samoans.  I think Maslow nailed it on this one. 

I’m not sure if fulfillment is the right term for some of the things that Samoans seem to find great satisfaction in.  It might be.    Weeding at sunset with other women seems to be not only a necessary task, but a fulfilling activity.  Spending time with people you know and making the yard better.  But is it fulfilling or just enjoyable?  The language barrier precludes me from finding out in the village.   One of the challenges of PC is that as close as I feel to some people here, language keeps us from delving into discussions about stuff like this.  Plus, like some of my friends at home, they’d likely wonder why I’d even be interested in talking about it.

I think Americans place a much higher value on appreciation than Samoans.  We want to feel that what we do is appreciated.  Many of us also want to be appreciated for who we are – a hard worker, or a good parent, or whatever role is most important to us.

I’ve been told that appreciation is a cornerstone of fa’asamoa.  I think they view appreciation in a different way.  They appreciate what they are given by God.  They appreciate the food and beautiful islands they have.  They say “thank you” a lot in some circumstances but not others.   For example, I was informed early on that you don’t just say “thank you” when getting on and off a bus, you say “thank you very much.”   Everyone with manners does it.  You say thank you to the cashier as well.

To the person who has slaved over an open fire cooking your food for hours and who serves it to you and then cleans it up?  You thank the hosts for the food and the hospitality, but not necessarily the cooker/server.  I do, but it seems to make people uncomfortable.  That’s their job, so why am I thanking them?

I recently conducted customer service training for the staff at a beautiful resort in Upolu.  The senior management team (2 palagis and 1 Samoan) was effusive in their thanks for my work.  I appreciated that. 

I agree with the Five Basic Human Needs.   I have three more.  I told a client once that I needed three things in a job:  to make a contribution, to learn something and to have fun.  That’s actually what I’m looking for in life in general.