Maaaaaannnnn....
When I used to live on 'the other island'...I thought I had a fair idea of what a 'big fat fa'alavelave' encompassed. But i have definitely been educated since moving over to the 'bigger better' island har har...:)
This education has come as a bit of a shock to the system and in some ways it has been a process to understand. Like grieving- you have to go through denial, anger, acceptance and all that. At first- it was like WHHHAAAA..OMG....very much a me me me...as a victim of the process cause all I saw was dollars going out the window. After a while, you start to see how in actual fact,there is a lot of good in it too, and at the most unexpected times, it does actually come back to help you if not in an interest financial sort of way, in other ways...anyways- we just had one of those as a close relative of the hubbies recently passed, it was very unexpected and many from afar flew in for the occasion - it involved
1) stopping everything we were doing when we found out and declined any further business for the week that led up to the big 'day'
2) make available to incoming relies, rooms, floors, couches even cars to sleep in...as everyone needed a place to stay at the last minute...
3) cooking for 50 then 300 then 500 then 700 people over 2 consecutive days
4) accepting that our cars were suddenly -everyone else s cars, and not let the fact that someone broke the glovebox put gum under the steering wheel removed cd's from the insides -affect my sleep patterns- at least none were in an accident like the last big fat faalavelave!!
5) eating and sleeping were one of those things where every man is for himself(su'e a e le tagata le mea e ola iai!) when you are part of the integral dynamic team of worker bees going round the clock at peeling potatoes and chopping onions, I had to remind myself I had kids to check on and praised the lord that my sitter is so good and knows how to boil rice and open cans of tuna
6) enjoying the company of relies who we never get to see- drama aside, it was a blessing having them and I actually wish these people still lived on the big island as life would be so different I am sure!!
7)driving up and down a 50 meter driveway 300 times in one day to cart people, pots, fine mates, bags, ice, drinks because it would save me the 2 minutes if I had walked!! and 2 minutes over 300 trips is= alot of time (ok so i wasted alot of gas but you get my drift with the chaos)
8) realising I still dont know shit about si'is and talking chiefs and fine mat responsibilities but thank goodness plenty of other women in the family do...
9) a big thing with these as well is ensuring a steady supply of pots of coffee- like big as pots not little teapots, and coffee and ava to go around to 'fuel the workers' I did a big Fresh bread jam coffee and eggs round for breaky and all people wanted was pancakes masi and koko samoa!! haha- what a palagi am I !!choohoo!
10) Again, feeling humbled and in awe of my mother in law who is as always, the rock solid amazing women who needs no sleep, but is always composed, charming, and just a fountain of knowledge and history and all things Samoan...when everyone else is tired and angry, vevesi-ing solo- she is just composed and focused and couldnt be shaken or strayed from the things that needed to be done..a true inspiration for all Samoan women...just watching her throughout the whole fa'alavelave was a real experience.
thats all for now as I have 5days of work to catch up on...but thats what Ive been up to as of late..incase anyone was wondering!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
today
Today
I went to work even though I SOOOOO didn't want to. Ive had a cold for a darned week and my voice is hoarse as crap I just knew it was going to be challenging 'talking' to my clients without having to 1)scream through my windpipes cause aint no voice coming outa there, just lotsa air, and wheeze...and sometimes a monophonic sounding 'sound'....and I've already asked for a day off for this same cold last week. dangit.
I was confused before i left cause my sitter who takes my 3yo to preschool was saying something about a prizegiving? I was like - what prizegiving? its not the end of the year i haven't heard nuttin..anyways, the little worry I had was dealt with by instructing the hubby to take her (child) to this 'thing' supposedly going on at school.you know, just incase it was something important that we should have prepared for....
I had a crap day at work, I spent most of it trying not to sneeze on everyone and trying to find someway to speak/sign language/ signal my communications through to my clients/patients....pathetic really but you know, there are times you think about how sicker everyone else is, and how busy work is gonna be, and it just aint right being a wimp and wanting a day off to rest and be lazy..its like if I can walk keep my eyes open and think..then I should be at work.Just the nature of the job, if I were doing anything else, Im sure I would have stayed at home...
Anyways- come home and guess what?? my 3yr old- who is in PRESCHOOL...had exams last week- APPARENTLY..I vaguely remember the sitter mentioning something, to which I laughed off with - WHAT?? what kinda test can you make a 3yr old sit...then she proceeded to have a day off in the middle of the week due to us being too busy to take her and apparently, that was one day of the 3 days of exams (so my daughter attended 2/3 days of tests apparently) AND THEN- today there was a 3/4 yr prizegiving!! now this is news to me, never heard of such things but APPARENTLY, its almost normal practice here in good ol savaii...crap....of course had I really paid more attention I would have 1) been there myself 2) did the whole ula lole thing etc...
so hubby comes home and 1) tells my my monkey came 2nd in her year!! 2) that he wasn't prepared with anything and all the other kids with places from 1st to 30th had their parents choohooing with ula loles and money necklaces and pics and you name it...they had it..talk about over the top ! come on its only the 3/4yr prizegiving and not the real thing surely!!(says sulky me who feels like a crap parent now) hubby even goes on to joke about how my monkey WATCHED all the other parents with anticipation and smiles when they walked her way with a ula, only to be disappointed when it went to someone else!! so not funny...men are so stupid.
Anyways- note to self- when the REAL prizegiving comes along, you know the end of year normal ones like most schools do , I will go all out, you know, M & M ulas and money ulas and stinkin ulas that have toys and lights and everything poppin out the sides(lol) to make up for this day. poor monkey, even did well despite missing a whole 1/3rd of her exams hahahaha.... anyways- I got home and gave her some gum and she couldnt seem to care less about what went on that morning, thats the amazing thing about kids aye- thank goodness haha!!
and thats it for my day in the wop wops!!
I went to work even though I SOOOOO didn't want to. Ive had a cold for a darned week and my voice is hoarse as crap I just knew it was going to be challenging 'talking' to my clients without having to 1)scream through my windpipes cause aint no voice coming outa there, just lotsa air, and wheeze...and sometimes a monophonic sounding 'sound'....and I've already asked for a day off for this same cold last week. dangit.
I was confused before i left cause my sitter who takes my 3yo to preschool was saying something about a prizegiving? I was like - what prizegiving? its not the end of the year i haven't heard nuttin..anyways, the little worry I had was dealt with by instructing the hubby to take her (child) to this 'thing' supposedly going on at school.you know, just incase it was something important that we should have prepared for....
I had a crap day at work, I spent most of it trying not to sneeze on everyone and trying to find someway to speak/sign language/ signal my communications through to my clients/patients....pathetic really but you know, there are times you think about how sicker everyone else is, and how busy work is gonna be, and it just aint right being a wimp and wanting a day off to rest and be lazy..its like if I can walk keep my eyes open and think..then I should be at work.Just the nature of the job, if I were doing anything else, Im sure I would have stayed at home...
Anyways- come home and guess what?? my 3yr old- who is in PRESCHOOL...had exams last week- APPARENTLY..I vaguely remember the sitter mentioning something, to which I laughed off with - WHAT?? what kinda test can you make a 3yr old sit...then she proceeded to have a day off in the middle of the week due to us being too busy to take her and apparently, that was one day of the 3 days of exams (so my daughter attended 2/3 days of tests apparently) AND THEN- today there was a 3/4 yr prizegiving!! now this is news to me, never heard of such things but APPARENTLY, its almost normal practice here in good ol savaii...crap....of course had I really paid more attention I would have 1) been there myself 2) did the whole ula lole thing etc...
so hubby comes home and 1) tells my my monkey came 2nd in her year!! 2) that he wasn't prepared with anything and all the other kids with places from 1st to 30th had their parents choohooing with ula loles and money necklaces and pics and you name it...they had it..talk about over the top ! come on its only the 3/4yr prizegiving and not the real thing surely!!(says sulky me who feels like a crap parent now) hubby even goes on to joke about how my monkey WATCHED all the other parents with anticipation and smiles when they walked her way with a ula, only to be disappointed when it went to someone else!! so not funny...men are so stupid.
Anyways- note to self- when the REAL prizegiving comes along, you know the end of year normal ones like most schools do , I will go all out, you know, M & M ulas and money ulas and stinkin ulas that have toys and lights and everything poppin out the sides(lol) to make up for this day. poor monkey, even did well despite missing a whole 1/3rd of her exams hahahaha.... anyways- I got home and gave her some gum and she couldnt seem to care less about what went on that morning, thats the amazing thing about kids aye- thank goodness haha!!
and thats it for my day in the wop wops!!
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
demons in your hands
my life is crazy right now. I have made some (ir)rational decisions to , as the nike ad says, just do it...and launch myself into action...and get back into the swing of things. After a somewhat bittersweet divorce with my previous profession, I have kissed and made up and gone back into it...if only for a few days a week(thank you for having me back!!) was a little Topsy turvy getting back into things...but that was almost to be expected..whats new about the process?? nothing..nada..same old delayed process, someone sleeping, someone forgot to sign,stamp,hand in or just plain ignored your form...oh well...someday before i meet my maker they'll get it right for sure!! haha!!
anyways, so what does this mean for me?? an ongoing bittersweet I love I hate my job/life...yes, I'm immature like that sometimes, and for you?? well....my crazy rants and insights into the world of health in the bush....and so here goes...
So I saw this 'person' last week, who as soon as they walked in, I had spotted a diagnoses, pretty classic symptoms, of the deforming types, to hands and legs and joints...of course i had to do a few tests to be absolute, but it looked like Rheumatoid arthritis to me...so this poor soul sits in front of me and weeps that this curse has come upon them over the last 6 months...prior to that they were fit as an ox and well and an integral part of society, and then slowly this had crept upon them..sore joints, swollen joints, pain and immobility. They had come once to the hospital and never returned, having sought help from a 'fofo' who had swore they could cure this problem. After 6 months of potions and massages and no improvement, just more pain more swelling to the point the person couldn't walk. The fofo declared that the problem was actually much more complex then had originally thought. This was not just a normal type of 'mumu' (as every thing from cellulitis, to gout, to sprain,strain and allergic reaction gets labelled) but in fact, there were demons in the persons hands and legs. Every swollen joint was infact a dead person from the village and somehow this person had commit ed some sin, so that these spirits had come up and taken over this persons limbs/joints. At this point, the patient was skeptical. What sin had they commited?? a devoted parent, hard worker, religious church attender, village participant? they could not for the life of them, think of any such sin surely bad enough to result in this. the fofo disputed. Objection is shunned and quickly the patient was instructed to come to take a potion that would make the demons 'speak' from them....the patient refused and came to hospital instead....
when I showed this patient pics from a textbook I just happened to have on me that day, they just about cried. the pics were spitting images of their joints, their children who had brought the patient in exclaimed with disbelief...and now vented how upset they were with the fofo...A blanket of shame had been over them in the village since the fofos accusations.
Now, they rejoiced in knowing that this was not, infact, demons in their joints, but a known disease. And although the treatment and prognosis road are somewhat long and not exactly bright and shiny, there was an understood process and forms of treatment available. Sometimes, people just need to know, that you have an idea whats wrong...and this can make all the difference. As for the fofos diagnosis, well...again I am left somewhat fuming...see how this one persons life drastically changed just by ignorance of this fofo?? if they cant fix something just say so..ae oso a i le malaia o le kagaka...se kailo se...:)
have a nice day
anyways, so what does this mean for me?? an ongoing bittersweet I love I hate my job/life...yes, I'm immature like that sometimes, and for you?? well....my crazy rants and insights into the world of health in the bush....and so here goes...
So I saw this 'person' last week, who as soon as they walked in, I had spotted a diagnoses, pretty classic symptoms, of the deforming types, to hands and legs and joints...of course i had to do a few tests to be absolute, but it looked like Rheumatoid arthritis to me...so this poor soul sits in front of me and weeps that this curse has come upon them over the last 6 months...prior to that they were fit as an ox and well and an integral part of society, and then slowly this had crept upon them..sore joints, swollen joints, pain and immobility. They had come once to the hospital and never returned, having sought help from a 'fofo' who had swore they could cure this problem. After 6 months of potions and massages and no improvement, just more pain more swelling to the point the person couldn't walk. The fofo declared that the problem was actually much more complex then had originally thought. This was not just a normal type of 'mumu' (as every thing from cellulitis, to gout, to sprain,strain and allergic reaction gets labelled) but in fact, there were demons in the persons hands and legs. Every swollen joint was infact a dead person from the village and somehow this person had commit ed some sin, so that these spirits had come up and taken over this persons limbs/joints. At this point, the patient was skeptical. What sin had they commited?? a devoted parent, hard worker, religious church attender, village participant? they could not for the life of them, think of any such sin surely bad enough to result in this. the fofo disputed. Objection is shunned and quickly the patient was instructed to come to take a potion that would make the demons 'speak' from them....the patient refused and came to hospital instead....
when I showed this patient pics from a textbook I just happened to have on me that day, they just about cried. the pics were spitting images of their joints, their children who had brought the patient in exclaimed with disbelief...and now vented how upset they were with the fofo...A blanket of shame had been over them in the village since the fofos accusations.
Now, they rejoiced in knowing that this was not, infact, demons in their joints, but a known disease. And although the treatment and prognosis road are somewhat long and not exactly bright and shiny, there was an understood process and forms of treatment available. Sometimes, people just need to know, that you have an idea whats wrong...and this can make all the difference. As for the fofos diagnosis, well...again I am left somewhat fuming...see how this one persons life drastically changed just by ignorance of this fofo?? if they cant fix something just say so..ae oso a i le malaia o le kagaka...se kailo se...:)
have a nice day
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
Wuhoo!
Wuhoo! I must admit, after all my ranting and raving about life in the bush, it is fair to say that i have become quite patriotic to the deep fried kekepua'a infested lands!! I think with age (yes , Im 'aging'- wont deny that...) comes a wisdom that springs from sitting back, analysing and appreciating the good things life has surrounded you with, you just couldnt see it...(with some ranting and raving) and certainly life in the bush has grown on me like a second skin...it aint all bad!! tee hee!!
This was the intro the the news piece that just made me do a choohoo..."na fa'ate'ia le atunuu...." or in english (with some overdramatic interpretation added for my one enjoyment) The ENTIRE country was SHOCKED with the outcome of the Fautasi races today for independce!! Yes, Savaii fleeted a team and we bloomin well WON choooo soooo sooo...I think even, this is the first time we have ever had a team part take..or maybe I am ignorantly wrong, but anyways...Id like to think that. And we showed Samoa didnt we!! E le vaivai fo'i le pitonu'u nei!! There's some good old fashion Savaiian heart right there. Go to participate in something and give it your all , your arm and your leg and bring home the trophy baby!! Surely this win deserves a round of beers (which Im sure they'll get) and $ for more beers later! - thats the way Samoans celebrate, lets not take the attention away from the win with the ungodliness that goes on with booze and money spending in our villages choohoo...
I'm very proud of these boys..even though I dont 'particularly' like this village...haha...i'll give em a couple of thumbs up if they pass me by singing in a bus!!Yes, today Im proud to be a Savaiian, especially when we can SHOCK the whole COUNTRY- se choohoo again!!
This was the intro the the news piece that just made me do a choohoo..."na fa'ate'ia le atunuu...." or in english (with some overdramatic interpretation added for my one enjoyment) The ENTIRE country was SHOCKED with the outcome of the Fautasi races today for independce!! Yes, Savaii fleeted a team and we bloomin well WON choooo soooo sooo...I think even, this is the first time we have ever had a team part take..or maybe I am ignorantly wrong, but anyways...Id like to think that. And we showed Samoa didnt we!! E le vaivai fo'i le pitonu'u nei!! There's some good old fashion Savaiian heart right there. Go to participate in something and give it your all , your arm and your leg and bring home the trophy baby!! Surely this win deserves a round of beers (which Im sure they'll get) and $ for more beers later! - thats the way Samoans celebrate, lets not take the attention away from the win with the ungodliness that goes on with booze and money spending in our villages choohoo...
I'm very proud of these boys..even though I dont 'particularly' like this village...haha...i'll give em a couple of thumbs up if they pass me by singing in a bus!!Yes, today Im proud to be a Savaiian, especially when we can SHOCK the whole COUNTRY- se choohoo again!!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Just another day in the bush...
So my ramblings for the week from the bush go a little something like this- certain government organisation had a little workshop at our place...it wasn’t really organised, apart from one of our village matais coming the day before to our kitchen back door- to inform us of some planting demonstration that was going to be done in our yard- OK...and that was it....that evening, secretaries etc of that ministry called to ask if everything had been “organised” yes...organised from a village point of view is- letting us know through the window of our kitchen (back of the kitchen) that someone was gonna be digging a few holes in our yard for some village demonstration...from the ministries point of view- ‘WHAT- the hall was meant to be hired and furniture hired and a podium set up etc etc etc’- moral of this story- don’t ever leave the ‘villagers’ to organise things other then their own faalavelaves...because by just telling us this basic simple piece of info , the buck was passed on to us so that its now all our fault if things didn’t happen- when the workshop started as well, another village taule’ale’a just showed up at my house with a bag of nius mumbling something like here are some nius for you...i thought he was selling them and tried to politely decline as we had already purchased a dozen just that morning to which he smiled nodded, left the nius on the ground and walked off...????? later on..someone came and said they were meant to be for the workshop and there was a mad rush to get them back to the hall to their designated drinkers...again..another pass the buck option for the villagers- someone was probably told to get some nius and take it to the function but they couldn’t be bothered going in to the hall where the function was so someone else would have said just go give it to their staff at the kitchen they’ll sort it out, meanwhile being delivered by a mute didn’t help as we had no idea having not been told anything, what to do with them!...arrrhhhhhhhh
In another instance..a certain big chief in our village some weeks back, just showed up at our workplace (me and husband) to ‘inform’ us..he was travelling to Apia..god knows what for as we weren’t privileged that info..but yea..he had come to get 50tala for his travelling expenses..and that was the limit of vocab in his proposition..im here for the money so show me the money like he was asking to use some air from our backyard ... and then just stood there waiting...like hurry up already..cos you know..we are the travelling expense budgetiers...ok....then later on, his SON came and did the same thing!! (his son is in his 30s so this is not some kid) lucky for him... before he could experience my wrath – he proposed to bring us 3 moa Samoa which we could use for our business meals....well, we don’t have moa Samoa on the menu everyday but at least he was offering something and not demanding...
The function i mentioned earlier was held at our big fale..which has toilets on the side of the building, as usual, whenever a congregation of our people use the hall, after 5 minutes, whole rolls of toilet paper went missing, not just parts of it, or even the little cardboard roll left like it had just been used up by some poor diarrhoea laden sod, the whole roll was dismantled from the wall and disappeared. Annoyed the living lights out of me..because with 6 toilets i don’t expect to have to replace 6 rolls every 10 minutes, especially when there are only 20 people in the named congregation...ahhhh...the joys of living in the bush aye..Whats new....
In another instance..a certain big chief in our village some weeks back, just showed up at our workplace (me and husband) to ‘inform’ us..he was travelling to Apia..god knows what for as we weren’t privileged that info..but yea..he had come to get 50tala for his travelling expenses..and that was the limit of vocab in his proposition..im here for the money so show me the money like he was asking to use some air from our backyard ... and then just stood there waiting...like hurry up already..cos you know..we are the travelling expense budgetiers...ok....then later on, his SON came and did the same thing!! (his son is in his 30s so this is not some kid) lucky for him... before he could experience my wrath – he proposed to bring us 3 moa Samoa which we could use for our business meals....well, we don’t have moa Samoa on the menu everyday but at least he was offering something and not demanding...
The function i mentioned earlier was held at our big fale..which has toilets on the side of the building, as usual, whenever a congregation of our people use the hall, after 5 minutes, whole rolls of toilet paper went missing, not just parts of it, or even the little cardboard roll left like it had just been used up by some poor diarrhoea laden sod, the whole roll was dismantled from the wall and disappeared. Annoyed the living lights out of me..because with 6 toilets i don’t expect to have to replace 6 rolls every 10 minutes, especially when there are only 20 people in the named congregation...ahhhh...the joys of living in the bush aye..Whats new....
Saturday, May 21, 2011
adjustment disorder...
Yes, I remember this word being used back in my "Dunners" days of Academia (Dunedin).I remember being introduced to this word when it was used to describe a 'mental' disorder of foreigners (Pacific islanders) who moved over to aotearoa and just didn't get it.Didn't get the food and the cold and the hard work to send money back to the islands and all the damned paperwork needed to just about do anything other then sit on a toilet... Didn't get the swing of things and slowly slid off into depression...well I think this is what I have for fleeting moments everyday...bush adjustment disorder I suppose I would call it ha ha!
On some days, or...for some moments on some days, I really dont mind the bush- and having to 'adjust'...there's no harm done, life here is pretty tranquil and merry ( I suppose if you looked at the little box I live in) and people are just going about their merry way of living in the bush - it is what it is, which might not be what I am used to or would prefer but I deal with it and its fine and dandy. But other days, things get to me, like not having any other people with a similar conversation agenda/background/humor etc..other then my husband and his dear relatives (brother and father mostly, if I'm lucky) to dialogue with (talk about lack of Oestrogen!!) no cinemas or cafes to hang out at or gyms to go manic over going or not going to,even just having relies who I could 'drive over' to see and share a cuppa coffee (or baileys) with on an afternoon or two...and then there a moments where people 'say' things that make me feel all the more like an outsider and not only that...like I'm a snob and not WANTING to become part of the big bad bush...
Like this particular question Ive been asked a time or two- someone asked me why "I dont take my kids into the village" more..to play with the village kids...I suppose my hubby and his siblings have fond memories of hanging out with all their friends in the village growing up - dirty as rag dolls running through the ma'umaga getting stung by bees and chased by wild boars (well, maybe not wild boars but you get my drift)etc....thing is, they forget that back in those days, they had like 10 uncles and aunties and their 50 other cousins who also grew up with them here, also hung out in the so called village, so it was more like a few other village kids hung out with their herd of family kids...for me, its totally different..I am the only offspring - or should i said married to da offspring, with kids here from our family..there are no cousins or aunties or uncles with kids hanging around-there's NO ONE here..everyones up and left and is living it up overseas somewhere while me and da hubby are the one couple residing here with kids..its really just me...so to venture out to hang out with...who again?? who exactly am I meant to take my kids to hang out with???
Up to now, the only village women I know of names are my babysitter and da business employees...thats it..hmmm...to make matters worse, my hubby's sisters, bless their souls, have instilled a ruthless fear and over-protection in me by pointing out families living around us where "that guy flashed me his willy when I was 10"....so uh, exactly how can one expect that I'm going to be setting my kids free in this village again??Its not all sunshine and laughter in paradise here you know.. uhhh...nah...sorry. If that counts me in as a snob well its kids first I say...and if that means that they may never venture past our grounds gates and be free with the village...sorry if that offends you..when my kids go to my own family compound in Apia, where they have 10,000 cousins and aunties and unlces loooking out for them...they can run free and join in the merry fun....but yea...that about sums that chapter up ...but you think I could explain ALL THAT to the jolly soul who asks me "why" I dont take my kids to hang out with the village kids....its not really a fair question when I dont really 'know' anyone here..and expecting that I will walk out into someones yard and be like "hi, my name is..." well, not gonna happen because thats just not in my nature...and if the conversation has to be in Samoan, well then-even more reason it aint gonna happen because its gonna come out all papagu and I'd just make a fool of myself, feel embarrassed and leave...
ANYWAYS...to cope with adjustment disorder in the village I just- 1) avoid village consultations, bless my childrens' babysitters soul for taking all my mafutaga o tina's contributions for me 2) keep busy with work, and sane by perusing the internet facebook work of blogs every once in a while 3) when its just all gotten a bit much, hop on da ferry and GO to da big city- AKA Apia...
besides, its probably better that I come across as an outsider as sometimes I worry if I got too close to people they would all just start asking me for small loans...
so theres a story for you, a particular lady from a nearby dwelling, whose relative has worked for us for many years, shows up on my doorstep one morning, asking very politely if she can burrow $50tala for an urgent matter, that she would have back in my hand the next day as her brother was sending her money from NZ but it would take a day to get here, whereas she needed the $$ now...and because of the trust I have with her relative, in good faith I leant her the cash. did it come back? No...did it go to anything useful? I later find out NO it didn't...despite hearing as well that this lady parades all 5 different bingos a week at nearby villages religiously and is obviously not short of cash...I never saw my $50 which REALLY p'd me off...she does not have a phone nor is her dwelling on the way anywhere so contacting her for repayment was a little out of the way and I just couldnt be arsed, the witch shuold have kept her promise...anyways, no amounts of threatening her relatives and friends made her do anything more then go "oops" when asked about this...to make matters worse, I started avoiding buying koko-samoa from her kids who frequently come down to our business to sellem, along with many other families kids too, and she then got other relies kids to parade her ware as someone elses so that I would purchase it!!(I caught the kids red-handed doing this- lying to me about whose koko they had!!!) ...i feel like im being screwed by the damned village at times!! lol!I guess these things are all learning curves and Ill get better at spotting when Im being screwed with in the future haha!!...
On some days, or...for some moments on some days, I really dont mind the bush- and having to 'adjust'...there's no harm done, life here is pretty tranquil and merry ( I suppose if you looked at the little box I live in) and people are just going about their merry way of living in the bush - it is what it is, which might not be what I am used to or would prefer but I deal with it and its fine and dandy. But other days, things get to me, like not having any other people with a similar conversation agenda/background/humor etc..other then my husband and his dear relatives (brother and father mostly, if I'm lucky) to dialogue with (talk about lack of Oestrogen!!) no cinemas or cafes to hang out at or gyms to go manic over going or not going to,even just having relies who I could 'drive over' to see and share a cuppa coffee (or baileys) with on an afternoon or two...and then there a moments where people 'say' things that make me feel all the more like an outsider and not only that...like I'm a snob and not WANTING to become part of the big bad bush...
Like this particular question Ive been asked a time or two- someone asked me why "I dont take my kids into the village" more..to play with the village kids...I suppose my hubby and his siblings have fond memories of hanging out with all their friends in the village growing up - dirty as rag dolls running through the ma'umaga getting stung by bees and chased by wild boars (well, maybe not wild boars but you get my drift)etc....thing is, they forget that back in those days, they had like 10 uncles and aunties and their 50 other cousins who also grew up with them here, also hung out in the so called village, so it was more like a few other village kids hung out with their herd of family kids...for me, its totally different..I am the only offspring - or should i said married to da offspring, with kids here from our family..there are no cousins or aunties or uncles with kids hanging around-there's NO ONE here..everyones up and left and is living it up overseas somewhere while me and da hubby are the one couple residing here with kids..its really just me...so to venture out to hang out with...who again?? who exactly am I meant to take my kids to hang out with???
Up to now, the only village women I know of names are my babysitter and da business employees...thats it..hmmm...to make matters worse, my hubby's sisters, bless their souls, have instilled a ruthless fear and over-protection in me by pointing out families living around us where "that guy flashed me his willy when I was 10"....so uh, exactly how can one expect that I'm going to be setting my kids free in this village again??Its not all sunshine and laughter in paradise here you know.. uhhh...nah...sorry. If that counts me in as a snob well its kids first I say...and if that means that they may never venture past our grounds gates and be free with the village...sorry if that offends you..when my kids go to my own family compound in Apia, where they have 10,000 cousins and aunties and unlces loooking out for them...they can run free and join in the merry fun....but yea...that about sums that chapter up ...but you think I could explain ALL THAT to the jolly soul who asks me "why" I dont take my kids to hang out with the village kids....its not really a fair question when I dont really 'know' anyone here..and expecting that I will walk out into someones yard and be like "hi, my name is..." well, not gonna happen because thats just not in my nature...and if the conversation has to be in Samoan, well then-even more reason it aint gonna happen because its gonna come out all papagu and I'd just make a fool of myself, feel embarrassed and leave...
ANYWAYS...to cope with adjustment disorder in the village I just- 1) avoid village consultations, bless my childrens' babysitters soul for taking all my mafutaga o tina's contributions for me 2) keep busy with work, and sane by perusing the internet facebook work of blogs every once in a while 3) when its just all gotten a bit much, hop on da ferry and GO to da big city- AKA Apia...
besides, its probably better that I come across as an outsider as sometimes I worry if I got too close to people they would all just start asking me for small loans...
so theres a story for you, a particular lady from a nearby dwelling, whose relative has worked for us for many years, shows up on my doorstep one morning, asking very politely if she can burrow $50tala for an urgent matter, that she would have back in my hand the next day as her brother was sending her money from NZ but it would take a day to get here, whereas she needed the $$ now...and because of the trust I have with her relative, in good faith I leant her the cash. did it come back? No...did it go to anything useful? I later find out NO it didn't...despite hearing as well that this lady parades all 5 different bingos a week at nearby villages religiously and is obviously not short of cash...I never saw my $50 which REALLY p'd me off...she does not have a phone nor is her dwelling on the way anywhere so contacting her for repayment was a little out of the way and I just couldnt be arsed, the witch shuold have kept her promise...anyways, no amounts of threatening her relatives and friends made her do anything more then go "oops" when asked about this...to make matters worse, I started avoiding buying koko-samoa from her kids who frequently come down to our business to sellem, along with many other families kids too, and she then got other relies kids to parade her ware as someone elses so that I would purchase it!!(I caught the kids red-handed doing this- lying to me about whose koko they had!!!) ...i feel like im being screwed by the damned village at times!! lol!I guess these things are all learning curves and Ill get better at spotting when Im being screwed with in the future haha!!...
Thursday, May 05, 2011
on a Wednesday evening
Its late evening, early night...and I'm sat at home by myself. Little baby mo is down for the night...hopefully she gives me a couple of hours before her usual midnight antics...I get the occasional wif of Samoan koko, roasting into the night and in the distance the faint roar of waves crashing on the reef.Its a pleasant warming smell, the koko, and a soothing but at times unnerving sound, the reef. It reminds me that these people, that we, are in touch with the earth and the sea and our surroundings and nature. She produces and we harvest, we reap , we sow....she pounces we suffer, we repair..we go on.
The news of a tornado in Auckland has just splashed across the TV news...how strange, the tsunami here, then the earthquakes in Christchurch, the earthquake/tsunami in Japan, and now a tornado in Auckland!! Its unheard of! I'm slightly disturbed. Is this something to worry about? I cant help but wonder if nature has decided to turn against us after all.. I remember the assignment my geography expert little sister did, dictating the trend in natural disasters in the pacific. Not necessarily increasing in frequency but in intensity. The thought of this haunts me ever so often, especially when thinking about our property and our business... I worry about the tsunami every once in a while too. We are by the sea. What if it came at night? Without a warning? What about my two young children?would we get out quick enough? Could i get to my life jackets I pathetically but preciously keep in the house?would my hubby run off to save the guests and get swallowed by a galu afi?? I wish my fears were recognised more and someone could say- “don't worry, tomorrow we will build you a house up in the hills” but alas, this is wishful thinking no doubt.
It is odd to think that 5 years ago we lived in a developed country. Child-less. In high paying jobs (come to think of it now) at the time, if you had told us we were fortunate we would have laughed. We certainly did not think so at the time.We certainly took our jobs for granted. And we spent our $ on movies and food and trips and family. Funny that, and when we got pay rises it just meant that we spent more...on what now I cant exactly fathom. Now, we run a business where we cant even afford to pay ourselves most of the time. What we gave up from those years, we did to be closer to family. To our roots. To enjoy and suffer the luxury of being our own bosses.To have kids that could run around barefoot on the grass and topless on a beach. And I look back on those years when we were young and child-less and see how naive i was. I wish someone could have told me to be more appreciative, or at least to save more and invest (in good projects) etc...I wish i built or bought myself a house, cause we probably could have.
Now, i (try to) plan out what i can do in every single hour of a day- not literally mathematically but roughly in my head(!) . This does not include any personal luxuries like napping,reading books, putting on a face mask, painting my toes and at times washing my hair even! This is all business, kids, egging the husband to do stuff...and more business and kids. I want to do so much more and have so much more included, like exercise and cooking more (though i am blessed the husband does this!!) the only reason i can blog now is this is usually ‘putting the baby to sleep’ time, and thank goodness tonite it was a smooth and effortless journey! So now i have moments to spare,AND the laptop is at home!I used to forbid myself from bringing it home incase i was inclined to do some work on it....home time is kiddy time..so no work to distract from what is meant to be quality family time!
I went to Apia for the weekend. It was so busy. The roads were busy and dusty. My usual lot of baby sitters were busy making it a bit tricky with the kids to do all i needed to do. The days were packed with what to do what to buy where to buy it from.alot of disturbing things in the news locally in Apia. Lots of break ins. A couple of violent deaths involving beatings and rocks slammed into peoples heads....was glad to getaway back to my (adopted!) home in Savaii...and recover in our relaxed not yet fraught with crime atmosphere. I also read something very disheartening in the newspaper. That the reason you don't see mozi coils in most other developed countries is because they are banned. The chemicals they contain (and I did pathetically try to google this one time...but got distracted) have been shown to be a horrific cancer inducing agent! Some 10X worse that cigarette smoke!! Ahhhhhh!! And i am the queen of mozi demise, light these coils up everywhere. Seems like it is better to just let em bite, then set yourself up for cancer later in life. Crap. So now, i have banned mozi coils from our house.
Anyways...for the moment, Im at peace with being where I am..in my home, now mozi coil free...away from the bright lights of the city,the hustle and bustle of town, away from work (for now) sat in my house beside the ever rising ever noisy but also serenading ocean..wondering what Thursday has in store for me...goodnight
The news of a tornado in Auckland has just splashed across the TV news...how strange, the tsunami here, then the earthquakes in Christchurch, the earthquake/tsunami in Japan, and now a tornado in Auckland!! Its unheard of! I'm slightly disturbed. Is this something to worry about? I cant help but wonder if nature has decided to turn against us after all.. I remember the assignment my geography expert little sister did, dictating the trend in natural disasters in the pacific. Not necessarily increasing in frequency but in intensity. The thought of this haunts me ever so often, especially when thinking about our property and our business... I worry about the tsunami every once in a while too. We are by the sea. What if it came at night? Without a warning? What about my two young children?would we get out quick enough? Could i get to my life jackets I pathetically but preciously keep in the house?would my hubby run off to save the guests and get swallowed by a galu afi?? I wish my fears were recognised more and someone could say- “don't worry, tomorrow we will build you a house up in the hills” but alas, this is wishful thinking no doubt.
It is odd to think that 5 years ago we lived in a developed country. Child-less. In high paying jobs (come to think of it now) at the time, if you had told us we were fortunate we would have laughed. We certainly did not think so at the time.We certainly took our jobs for granted. And we spent our $ on movies and food and trips and family. Funny that, and when we got pay rises it just meant that we spent more...on what now I cant exactly fathom. Now, we run a business where we cant even afford to pay ourselves most of the time. What we gave up from those years, we did to be closer to family. To our roots. To enjoy and suffer the luxury of being our own bosses.To have kids that could run around barefoot on the grass and topless on a beach. And I look back on those years when we were young and child-less and see how naive i was. I wish someone could have told me to be more appreciative, or at least to save more and invest (in good projects) etc...I wish i built or bought myself a house, cause we probably could have.
Now, i (try to) plan out what i can do in every single hour of a day- not literally mathematically but roughly in my head(!) . This does not include any personal luxuries like napping,reading books, putting on a face mask, painting my toes and at times washing my hair even! This is all business, kids, egging the husband to do stuff...and more business and kids. I want to do so much more and have so much more included, like exercise and cooking more (though i am blessed the husband does this!!) the only reason i can blog now is this is usually ‘putting the baby to sleep’ time, and thank goodness tonite it was a smooth and effortless journey! So now i have moments to spare,AND the laptop is at home!I used to forbid myself from bringing it home incase i was inclined to do some work on it....home time is kiddy time..so no work to distract from what is meant to be quality family time!
I went to Apia for the weekend. It was so busy. The roads were busy and dusty. My usual lot of baby sitters were busy making it a bit tricky with the kids to do all i needed to do. The days were packed with what to do what to buy where to buy it from.alot of disturbing things in the news locally in Apia. Lots of break ins. A couple of violent deaths involving beatings and rocks slammed into peoples heads....was glad to getaway back to my (adopted!) home in Savaii...and recover in our relaxed not yet fraught with crime atmosphere. I also read something very disheartening in the newspaper. That the reason you don't see mozi coils in most other developed countries is because they are banned. The chemicals they contain (and I did pathetically try to google this one time...but got distracted) have been shown to be a horrific cancer inducing agent! Some 10X worse that cigarette smoke!! Ahhhhhh!! And i am the queen of mozi demise, light these coils up everywhere. Seems like it is better to just let em bite, then set yourself up for cancer later in life. Crap. So now, i have banned mozi coils from our house.
Anyways...for the moment, Im at peace with being where I am..in my home, now mozi coil free...away from the bright lights of the city,the hustle and bustle of town, away from work (for now) sat in my house beside the ever rising ever noisy but also serenading ocean..wondering what Thursday has in store for me...goodnight
Saturday, April 02, 2011
daylight savings...samoa style
So, for all my sch scoffing at the constant reminders everywhere about 'when to switch your clocks back'...I now cant remember if it was meant to be last night or tonight or tomorrow night! eh...woke up and the TV station had it switched back, turned on the laptop and don't know HOW it knows this but a message popped up reminding me that SAMOA's daylight savings ends tomorrow meaning i switch clocks back tomorrow..and no one can tell me so far, not the hubby or the workers if it has actually changed! so we are all operating on, 'I-dont-know-the time' time, which is nothing new here in Samoa, ok, lets just say Savaii then he he!!
I was telling the hubby recently that half our issues with workers who are real casual about NOT being prompt to work, is that they dont have a watch or a phone...so they dont really have any idea of the time. They catch the bus to work, get to the front gate stop at da shop in the front, faikakala to the shopkeeper, stroll down the front drive, stop and chat to the neighbors and then arrive thinking its only been 5 minutes since they left their houses to a fuming me, who has been expecting this person over an hour ago and is ready to FIRE everyone..but whats the point? it would mean just that..fire EVERYONE coz everyone does it! oh the joys of living where i live... What I need to do is get someone to bring me over a box of $5dollar watches for all da workers!!
So this morning we were woken with a phone call indicating someone in da village needed da hubby to bring his behind over with our car to do da village shopping for da village meeting. so thats fine, hubby disappears, heres me thinking for an hour! then the power goes off..uma cashpower..so im texting everyone if anyone of 3 adults living in our house bought any cards in advance,No..so next is I dont have a car to go buy some and the shop that sells is quite a distance away...trying to text da hubby where hes at ..no relpy, later discover he is now AT da meeting and part of da meeting so there goes the whole morning for sure, thanks for letting me know!! Thanks also to cash power for imposing your cashpower regime on us, and then not making the cashpower cards available to every village, theres like 1 shop in a 10km or more radius here that sells em and when they are out and da EPC office downtown is closed, ia, well kafi your afi outside with some fafies coz no one is coming to your rescue mate. I heard that DIGICEL offered them an easy solution that would let us purchase power with digicel cards, ae airena se fia rub shoulders epc to the idea, so fanks for making life easier now, suppose less available cards means less power for all meaning less work for your generators, thats gotta be good when they are always encouraging everyone to save power!chuhoo..se malo EPC.
Anyways, so now i have to resort to walking to da shop some distance away -OMG lol! not really but the 3yo is hangin off my dress going mummy me come!! mummy me come! so we walk, and I get ambushed by the village women, who tell me dat Im down for supplying da kau i'as for da 'fafaga' of da fai-aogas next saturday here for suegas..I THINK, thats what she said..not entirely sure thats 100% accurate but sounded something like that. I suppose if I were a fisherman that would be a good deal ...anyhow, those particular saoga-meas annoy me a tad...when its feeding teachers for no real special occasion even...like, ok...bring your lunch with you? and if there are 4 teachers and 20 village women each bringing some form of food, dang thats a whole feast there!! i just dont get these people coming up with decisions like this and than not actually being able to afford to carry them out...I would know because i get the stream of "please can I aikalafu $50" (er, you mean HAVE- big difference, if you dont ever intend to repay me- than its HAVE and not aikalafu) eh...I have concluded that these are the cause of my small gnag of grey hairs now popping up mysteriously!! lol..so i am gonna try not to worry over these things as there are bigger things going on in the world!
I'm in limbo at da moment with what I am doing in the near future. The opportunity to do part time work again at the Hospital is there and Im seriously considering it to change the scenery and get the braincells working a bit:) Sometimes I look at myself and ask if this is where I saw myself at 30? (cos you know, Im not yet 30 but its just round the corner!!) and I can honestly say- no. Although I dont know where exactly I saw myself, just not exactly where I am at today. I thought I would have done more for myself, but I guess I only have myself to blame (quoting good old Dr Phills- " you are a product of the decisions YOU make for yourself!") thanks Dr Phil, although Blame sounds pessimistic and I hafta say Im certainly not pessimistic or dissappointed, I guess at times its more like Im just baffled haha! Ua ke'i a le keige Apia e ala ifo lesi kaeao ga ua nofo i Savaii ha ha!
ok, so thats enough philosophizing for the day...was very happy with the evictees of American Idol last night, I know who I want off next but will just hafta wait for next week. In the meantime Im gearing up for a bake-a-thon for easter in Savaii..and then a really busy MAy though I might be at the hospital by then so- haha, someone else can do the work im currently doing...or wait a minute..boo hoo it might be me after work at da hospital! oh well im SUPERMUM sometimes..when I feel like it...
Ok, gonna sign off for now- ciao and fa laia
I was telling the hubby recently that half our issues with workers who are real casual about NOT being prompt to work, is that they dont have a watch or a phone...so they dont really have any idea of the time. They catch the bus to work, get to the front gate stop at da shop in the front, faikakala to the shopkeeper, stroll down the front drive, stop and chat to the neighbors and then arrive thinking its only been 5 minutes since they left their houses to a fuming me, who has been expecting this person over an hour ago and is ready to FIRE everyone..but whats the point? it would mean just that..fire EVERYONE coz everyone does it! oh the joys of living where i live... What I need to do is get someone to bring me over a box of $5dollar watches for all da workers!!
So this morning we were woken with a phone call indicating someone in da village needed da hubby to bring his behind over with our car to do da village shopping for da village meeting. so thats fine, hubby disappears, heres me thinking for an hour! then the power goes off..uma cashpower..so im texting everyone if anyone of 3 adults living in our house bought any cards in advance,No..so next is I dont have a car to go buy some and the shop that sells is quite a distance away...trying to text da hubby where hes at ..no relpy, later discover he is now AT da meeting and part of da meeting so there goes the whole morning for sure, thanks for letting me know!! Thanks also to cash power for imposing your cashpower regime on us, and then not making the cashpower cards available to every village, theres like 1 shop in a 10km or more radius here that sells em and when they are out and da EPC office downtown is closed, ia, well kafi your afi outside with some fafies coz no one is coming to your rescue mate. I heard that DIGICEL offered them an easy solution that would let us purchase power with digicel cards, ae airena se fia rub shoulders epc to the idea, so fanks for making life easier now, suppose less available cards means less power for all meaning less work for your generators, thats gotta be good when they are always encouraging everyone to save power!chuhoo..se malo EPC.
Anyways, so now i have to resort to walking to da shop some distance away -OMG lol! not really but the 3yo is hangin off my dress going mummy me come!! mummy me come! so we walk, and I get ambushed by the village women, who tell me dat Im down for supplying da kau i'as for da 'fafaga' of da fai-aogas next saturday here for suegas..I THINK, thats what she said..not entirely sure thats 100% accurate but sounded something like that. I suppose if I were a fisherman that would be a good deal ...anyhow, those particular saoga-meas annoy me a tad...when its feeding teachers for no real special occasion even...like, ok...bring your lunch with you? and if there are 4 teachers and 20 village women each bringing some form of food, dang thats a whole feast there!! i just dont get these people coming up with decisions like this and than not actually being able to afford to carry them out...I would know because i get the stream of "please can I aikalafu $50" (er, you mean HAVE- big difference, if you dont ever intend to repay me- than its HAVE and not aikalafu) eh...I have concluded that these are the cause of my small gnag of grey hairs now popping up mysteriously!! lol..so i am gonna try not to worry over these things as there are bigger things going on in the world!
I'm in limbo at da moment with what I am doing in the near future. The opportunity to do part time work again at the Hospital is there and Im seriously considering it to change the scenery and get the braincells working a bit:) Sometimes I look at myself and ask if this is where I saw myself at 30? (cos you know, Im not yet 30 but its just round the corner!!) and I can honestly say- no. Although I dont know where exactly I saw myself, just not exactly where I am at today. I thought I would have done more for myself, but I guess I only have myself to blame (quoting good old Dr Phills- " you are a product of the decisions YOU make for yourself!") thanks Dr Phil, although Blame sounds pessimistic and I hafta say Im certainly not pessimistic or dissappointed, I guess at times its more like Im just baffled haha! Ua ke'i a le keige Apia e ala ifo lesi kaeao ga ua nofo i Savaii ha ha!
ok, so thats enough philosophizing for the day...was very happy with the evictees of American Idol last night, I know who I want off next but will just hafta wait for next week. In the meantime Im gearing up for a bake-a-thon for easter in Savaii..and then a really busy MAy though I might be at the hospital by then so- haha, someone else can do the work im currently doing...or wait a minute..boo hoo it might be me after work at da hospital! oh well im SUPERMUM sometimes..when I feel like it...
Ok, gonna sign off for now- ciao and fa laia
Thursday, March 10, 2011
please dont feed da birds...
ok, Ill start this one off with- I just had falai elegi and rice for lunch..mmmmmm. Some days I crave Elegi like its Gods gift to mankind(!) and other times I cant stand the smell..maybe its the different brands but yes, Im a cheap and easily pleased gal sometooiiimes! Soooo...what that made me think of was eating Elegi and the nice little not so nice stint on one of the TV stations last night alluding to poverty in Samoa. I'm not really sure whether the particular story was for it, or against it? If they were exposing the poor or exposing what a joke it was??
So what they 'caught on camera' was a tour bus full of tourists with lotsa kachings $ at a particular site in Upolu, surrounding by a little mob of kids, some with only dirty lavalavas on, some looking like they just finished school and decided to harass a tourist or two...asking the papalagis for "money please" "give me money" or "monday please...give me monday" as one of them said... with the tourists dishing out the dollar bills :( and the story was alluding to poverty in Samoa...hmmmm
What made me laugh is the camera guy ASKS one of the kids- WHO IS YOUR MOTHER and the kid answers "o __ma" and who is your father? "o la'u kama o ___te" totally gave away both the kids parents names!! when asked what the money was for they said "faakau ai mea'ai"...
ok, my thoughts on this?? are the same as a few of the help me stories you sometimes see in the paper, you know, the "i live in a faleoo, sleep on a mat, am so poor please help me" ones. which I think are bogus, the ones where people are disabled and sick are different, but those other ones....may as well be my whole village. Since when was sleeping in a faleo'o and on a mat definition of poor?Is this not the content way Samoans have lived for yonks?? anyways, straying off the subject.
The child beggars seriously is a problem in Samoa which is fast getting outa hand. You see it purulent in Apia, but now apparently its in the rural villages too. Is this not the situation of one kid finds out that if they just ask for money they get it from a sympathetic but naive tourist, and then this becomes a vicous cycle?? the parents see this as an easy money making thing and all morals and ethics and sound parenting flies out the front entrance of the fale in exchange for an easy 10bucks to buy some elegi- forget about fishing for a day??
What I have learned very quickly since living in Samoa in da bush is that, some people will let their morals swagger for a quick buck, wait a minute, a lot of people. Lets just ask (beg ) the neighbour to pay for the feast we want to put on, just ask that lady who owns the shop to pay for our power, please someone pity me and let me have a free ride this month and not pay my phonebill lets spend frivulously without thinking about what we can afford....lets just send this 5yr old kid to sit infront of big bear and BEG for free money...errhh...WHERES THE SHAME?? theres none...its like there is no harm in asking, and getting turned away and frowned upon means nothing.
Perhaps I go to far with this post and there are indeed some very hard up people out there struggling to put food on the table, but out at Fagaloa bay?? or whereever this film crew was?? come on, Im sure these people are not starving, this is just another way to make a quick buck off the palagis, and no parents faces need to appear...I hope the Pulenuus who may have seen this clip take this back to the village, and get to the bottom of things. Im sure the kid who divulged his parents names went home to a nice fat fukislam but really, its the parents fault, for allowing this behaviour to happen!!erhhh
I really hope someone somehow , some organisation can help to eradicate this problem or at least get to the bottom of things because last time I checked, I wasnt living in the slums of india. We almost need to construct a whole lot of signs like those "please dont feed the birds" signs you see in parks overseas, except they would be "please dont give money to the kids" signs.
I have on occasion been mistaken as a palagi (saiga/fliopino/cambodian lol) and been asked for money at a beach etc..and believe you me my masau answer of "ole a? o ai lou kama!?" has often been followed by kids laughing realising Im not a palagi..which says it all aye, its like the behaviour is a joke, and they're just giving it a go to see if they hit the jackpot...blaarrdy annoying if you ask me, and makaga etc etc...anways,fingers crossed something can be done about this before its gets past the point of no return!
So what they 'caught on camera' was a tour bus full of tourists with lotsa kachings $ at a particular site in Upolu, surrounding by a little mob of kids, some with only dirty lavalavas on, some looking like they just finished school and decided to harass a tourist or two...asking the papalagis for "money please" "give me money" or "monday please...give me monday" as one of them said... with the tourists dishing out the dollar bills :( and the story was alluding to poverty in Samoa...hmmmm
What made me laugh is the camera guy ASKS one of the kids- WHO IS YOUR MOTHER and the kid answers "o __ma" and who is your father? "o la'u kama o ___te" totally gave away both the kids parents names!! when asked what the money was for they said "faakau ai mea'ai"...
ok, my thoughts on this?? are the same as a few of the help me stories you sometimes see in the paper, you know, the "i live in a faleoo, sleep on a mat, am so poor please help me" ones. which I think are bogus, the ones where people are disabled and sick are different, but those other ones....may as well be my whole village. Since when was sleeping in a faleo'o and on a mat definition of poor?Is this not the content way Samoans have lived for yonks?? anyways, straying off the subject.
The child beggars seriously is a problem in Samoa which is fast getting outa hand. You see it purulent in Apia, but now apparently its in the rural villages too. Is this not the situation of one kid finds out that if they just ask for money they get it from a sympathetic but naive tourist, and then this becomes a vicous cycle?? the parents see this as an easy money making thing and all morals and ethics and sound parenting flies out the front entrance of the fale in exchange for an easy 10bucks to buy some elegi- forget about fishing for a day??
What I have learned very quickly since living in Samoa in da bush is that, some people will let their morals swagger for a quick buck, wait a minute, a lot of people. Lets just ask (beg ) the neighbour to pay for the feast we want to put on, just ask that lady who owns the shop to pay for our power, please someone pity me and let me have a free ride this month and not pay my phonebill lets spend frivulously without thinking about what we can afford....lets just send this 5yr old kid to sit infront of big bear and BEG for free money...errhh...WHERES THE SHAME?? theres none...its like there is no harm in asking, and getting turned away and frowned upon means nothing.
Perhaps I go to far with this post and there are indeed some very hard up people out there struggling to put food on the table, but out at Fagaloa bay?? or whereever this film crew was?? come on, Im sure these people are not starving, this is just another way to make a quick buck off the palagis, and no parents faces need to appear...I hope the Pulenuus who may have seen this clip take this back to the village, and get to the bottom of things. Im sure the kid who divulged his parents names went home to a nice fat fukislam but really, its the parents fault, for allowing this behaviour to happen!!erhhh
I really hope someone somehow , some organisation can help to eradicate this problem or at least get to the bottom of things because last time I checked, I wasnt living in the slums of india. We almost need to construct a whole lot of signs like those "please dont feed the birds" signs you see in parks overseas, except they would be "please dont give money to the kids" signs.
I have on occasion been mistaken as a palagi (saiga/fliopino/cambodian lol) and been asked for money at a beach etc..and believe you me my masau answer of "ole a? o ai lou kama!?" has often been followed by kids laughing realising Im not a palagi..which says it all aye, its like the behaviour is a joke, and they're just giving it a go to see if they hit the jackpot...blaarrdy annoying if you ask me, and makaga etc etc...anways,fingers crossed something can be done about this before its gets past the point of no return!
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
hmmmm
Hmmmmm...
My husbands shoes were stolen (AGAIN) today from INFRONT of our house, for the 3rd time THIS MONTH...
I am overcome with rage/frustration and want to Kill someone..but..WHO??
my lovely husband?who naively continues to leave his shoes on the front doorsteps because- "its not gonna happen twice, come on" or "3 times in a month? come on" yea come on...3 times in a month BABY next time you can try going barefoot for a while...
but seriously it makes me paranoid because
- there are people walking around my house in the dark, waiting for us to go to bed, so that they can steal shoes off our doorstep..
- who knows if they are trying door handles/car door handles?? peering through the windows? watching?waiting? Did I mention our house in on a 3 acre property that it completely fenced?? the gate is like 200m away from our house meaning trespassers are crossing some distance to get to my front doorsteps!!( yes, the fence has many holes and pushed over bits thanks to some ignorant neighbours who dont understand the purpose of a fence and have over the years continued to just 'hop' on over - but its still a fence with a purpose)
I told my hubby that I think I should keep a weapon at the house, you know, just in case?? like...does he keep a pistol anywhere??It doesnt even need to work, or have bullets(!!) it can be just an imposter a toy for all I care so long as it looks the part! Im not a person for having such 'equiptment' around anyways especially with little ones...but I am seriously the HUGEST fefevale out there, that just having it stored locked in some attic nearby is enough to just calm the nerves...JUST incase something ever happened... you know what he said?? "What?! you cant keep one of those! its just not right (to point that at someone.. especially someone from the village)...best to keep a baseball bat or something"...because you know, whoever is stealing shoes is probably a well mannered gentlemen who just happened to need 1, 2 no 3 pairs of shoes....who doesnt really have a bad bone in his/her body..yes, its not some crazy lunatic wide eyed salivating mouthed bushman that I keep making it out to be...no, and this person cant possibly ever have the intent to do anything more then just steal shoes..we know that becauuuussseee...? oh and because it may be someone from nearby that maybe acquainted to us you know, best be on my best behaviour when confronting them.....eh...man, I dont care what kinda lunatic/gentlmen is out there stacking a pile of our shoes in his her house, Im not one to take my chances so bring on the be be /air gun....
anyways, thats my rant for the day
life in the islands...gota love it!
My husbands shoes were stolen (AGAIN) today from INFRONT of our house, for the 3rd time THIS MONTH...
I am overcome with rage/frustration and want to Kill someone..but..WHO??
my lovely husband?who naively continues to leave his shoes on the front doorsteps because- "its not gonna happen twice, come on" or "3 times in a month? come on" yea come on...3 times in a month BABY next time you can try going barefoot for a while...
but seriously it makes me paranoid because
- there are people walking around my house in the dark, waiting for us to go to bed, so that they can steal shoes off our doorstep..
- who knows if they are trying door handles/car door handles?? peering through the windows? watching?waiting? Did I mention our house in on a 3 acre property that it completely fenced?? the gate is like 200m away from our house meaning trespassers are crossing some distance to get to my front doorsteps!!( yes, the fence has many holes and pushed over bits thanks to some ignorant neighbours who dont understand the purpose of a fence and have over the years continued to just 'hop' on over - but its still a fence with a purpose)
I told my hubby that I think I should keep a weapon at the house, you know, just in case?? like...does he keep a pistol anywhere??It doesnt even need to work, or have bullets(!!) it can be just an imposter a toy for all I care so long as it looks the part! Im not a person for having such 'equiptment' around anyways especially with little ones...but I am seriously the HUGEST fefevale out there, that just having it stored locked in some attic nearby is enough to just calm the nerves...JUST incase something ever happened... you know what he said?? "What?! you cant keep one of those! its just not right (to point that at someone.. especially someone from the village)...best to keep a baseball bat or something"...because you know, whoever is stealing shoes is probably a well mannered gentlemen who just happened to need 1, 2 no 3 pairs of shoes....who doesnt really have a bad bone in his/her body..yes, its not some crazy lunatic wide eyed salivating mouthed bushman that I keep making it out to be...no, and this person cant possibly ever have the intent to do anything more then just steal shoes..we know that becauuuussseee...? oh and because it may be someone from nearby that maybe acquainted to us you know, best be on my best behaviour when confronting them.....eh...man, I dont care what kinda lunatic/gentlmen is out there stacking a pile of our shoes in his her house, Im not one to take my chances so bring on the be be /air gun....
anyways, thats my rant for the day
life in the islands...gota love it!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The sea is swimming around my neighbours house...
A couple of days ago, I really hated the fact that I live so far away from everyone, from families and friends and basically people to listen to me and my bla bla bla rings... If someone had seen me, in my own house, you could most definitely have described me as nothing less then a crazy woman, like a chicken thats just had its head chopped off and was running in cirlces in a panic (perhaps not the best analogy but yea, running around like crazy). All because I could not believe what was happening before my eyes.
It was int he evening, the sun was setting and I stood on our back porch with the Baby (little Mo) watching the sea,...tide was coming in, all was ok. Except, I realised, that the tide was particularly high. Now I am no Geo student, but I do know that there are certains times of the year??month?? where the high tide is VERY high, higher then other times of the year. But this tide, I noticed was very slowly (like real slowly, like over hours and not minutes) creeping up and climbing further and further up the edge of our yard where the earth meets the sea. Now the particular piece our house is on, was raised (meaning earth was dumped there to raise the level of the land) by the hubbys parents many years ago, I think mainly because we are at the end of a decline from the hills and there tended to be a slight rain /flooding/ run off problem every time it rained, so now the rainwater from the behind hills finds other routes to the sea, on the sides of us, not flooding our peiece. Anyways, so the land is raised, more raised then those pieces on either sides.
So after a while (couple of hours in between, I kept popping my head out the door, in between fa'asusuing the baby and putting the 3yr old down for her nap) I suddenly noticed that the tide was almost leveled with our raised peice..so I look left and...
The sea was SWIMMING around my neighbours house!! much to their dismay/shock/disbelief! They just sat inside looking out and around dumbfounded-its one of those things that had you in s frenzy..but what the heck could you do to stop it!!The tide has risen so much, it crept up beyond their normal edgewater where their paopao was tied to a tree (now floating) and had their entire house surrounded and more!! And it was not a particularly calm day, there was a bit of wind tossing up small waves in the ocean, even right round their house, the water splished and sploshed!! Now this has NEVER happened before in the 5 yrs that I have lived in this village, to confirm that even more, these neighbours have just completed building a second european house behind the named one, for their kids and kids families now grown, to move into- and yes, both house sat swamped by ocean...with them looking on, not really knowing what to make it this!!
As for me...global warming and the sea level rise has finally hit Samoa I think...and this is the evidence. Our low lying homes and now being subject to this. I have no doubt about it unless someone can explain to me some weird once in a century phenomena to rationalise this. But yes, it had me wide-eyed and open mouthed. the hubby was at work, so I was texting him furiously- The TIDE IS REALLY HIGH, followed by- OMG THE NIEHGBOURS HAUS IS SURROUNDED BY THE OCEAN- I kept repeating this and repeating this, blady annoyed the cameras battery is flat and cant find the recharger, phone mouse doesnt work , cant snap a pic!! kept texting him as if he could rush home and DO something about it...
Anyways, so for the last 3 days this has continued to happen, tide comes in, house goes for a swim, tide goes out, tide comes in, yet again, out....slowly water level has been a little bit lower...which I think is what usually happens with these super high tide things...but DANG IT...I was FREAKED. And SHUX< the poor family next door kicking themselves for not having built their new house 10 meters back!! theyve been piling the rocks down by the usual waters edge, but so far this has done nothing as the tide just seeps through all the micro holes.....
Its a sad sad day for us to see this happening...
something to think about!!
It was int he evening, the sun was setting and I stood on our back porch with the Baby (little Mo) watching the sea,...tide was coming in, all was ok. Except, I realised, that the tide was particularly high. Now I am no Geo student, but I do know that there are certains times of the year??month?? where the high tide is VERY high, higher then other times of the year. But this tide, I noticed was very slowly (like real slowly, like over hours and not minutes) creeping up and climbing further and further up the edge of our yard where the earth meets the sea. Now the particular piece our house is on, was raised (meaning earth was dumped there to raise the level of the land) by the hubbys parents many years ago, I think mainly because we are at the end of a decline from the hills and there tended to be a slight rain /flooding/ run off problem every time it rained, so now the rainwater from the behind hills finds other routes to the sea, on the sides of us, not flooding our peiece. Anyways, so the land is raised, more raised then those pieces on either sides.
So after a while (couple of hours in between, I kept popping my head out the door, in between fa'asusuing the baby and putting the 3yr old down for her nap) I suddenly noticed that the tide was almost leveled with our raised peice..so I look left and...
The sea was SWIMMING around my neighbours house!! much to their dismay/shock/disbelief! They just sat inside looking out and around dumbfounded-its one of those things that had you in s frenzy..but what the heck could you do to stop it!!The tide has risen so much, it crept up beyond their normal edgewater where their paopao was tied to a tree (now floating) and had their entire house surrounded and more!! And it was not a particularly calm day, there was a bit of wind tossing up small waves in the ocean, even right round their house, the water splished and sploshed!! Now this has NEVER happened before in the 5 yrs that I have lived in this village, to confirm that even more, these neighbours have just completed building a second european house behind the named one, for their kids and kids families now grown, to move into- and yes, both house sat swamped by ocean...with them looking on, not really knowing what to make it this!!
As for me...global warming and the sea level rise has finally hit Samoa I think...and this is the evidence. Our low lying homes and now being subject to this. I have no doubt about it unless someone can explain to me some weird once in a century phenomena to rationalise this. But yes, it had me wide-eyed and open mouthed. the hubby was at work, so I was texting him furiously- The TIDE IS REALLY HIGH, followed by- OMG THE NIEHGBOURS HAUS IS SURROUNDED BY THE OCEAN- I kept repeating this and repeating this, blady annoyed the cameras battery is flat and cant find the recharger, phone mouse doesnt work , cant snap a pic!! kept texting him as if he could rush home and DO something about it...
Anyways, so for the last 3 days this has continued to happen, tide comes in, house goes for a swim, tide goes out, tide comes in, yet again, out....slowly water level has been a little bit lower...which I think is what usually happens with these super high tide things...but DANG IT...I was FREAKED. And SHUX< the poor family next door kicking themselves for not having built their new house 10 meters back!! theyve been piling the rocks down by the usual waters edge, but so far this has done nothing as the tide just seeps through all the micro holes.....
Its a sad sad day for us to see this happening...
something to think about!!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
TC Wilma
TC Wilma. For the last week, most of you probably know that Samoas been dodging a bullet, literally. From the beginnings of a 'depression' located west of Savaii, she begun her journey, intensifying as she went. First she came torwards us, and there were rumours of Savaii being first in line for a whiplashing, then she was supposedly heading south, then did a u-turn and went north, careered over the top of both islands and sailed down the aleipata-tutuila straight. While some chose to be defiant and laugh at claims of a "possible cyclone"- What cyclone?! they said, when it was still only a depression - hello Wilma, I think it was pure luck that saw us get by.
Since the beginning of it all, Ive been following religiously on the net on my Digicel Blackberry thankyou very much. Like a diligent pupil, every 3 hours checking the samoan meterology sites updates. Some people (like one person- like my husband and thats it!) think I stress too much at times.....weelllllllll, there was a cyclone literrally circling the islands. I WOULD KNOW, because IVE been following the updates. Not you. me.And I think a possible cyclone actually lEGITAMITIZES (if there is such a word) ALL WOMEN to STRESS.Im pretty sure if I dug deep enough I could rationalise it with a hormone imbalance which is triggered by bad weather that instinctively makes you want to protect your young...yea the hubby can fend for himself, if hes not already protecting me and da babies, then hes on his own! So yes, I worry.
.What I Do not get is- those who couldnt appear to be moved, or care less....like it was seriously irritating me.The lack of preparation going on around me. It was one of those things i couldnt correct, no amount of shouting yelling banging would change things, or at least twas too tiresome to do so...they're all adults, get with the program already.
so for example
when the warning began, on the radio on tv everywehre- the words "nofo sauniuni"..yea, you know the good ol saying- be prepared?? Im sure it has been dictated and PROVEN through decades of civilisation that the prepared, are better off hands down...but do people around me prepare?????no. No banging of apas onto windows, no rushing to the shops to stock up on batteries and food, no turning on buckets ful of water in preparation for the water to go off, no cutting down of humoungous trees near homes...nada...or at least from where I stand and can see. All making me of course, look like a lunatic rushing round looking for my buckets and torches and counting my tins of food and batteries...if I could hop on my roof and do the rough stuff Id be banging and hammering and doing all those "designated men" like jobs too...
I got irritated by the number of non locals (non savaiians) who were not heeding the warnings and asking us, while in the middle of sweeping waves of water outa our restaurant and tie-ing down kapolegis to hold out the rain/wind, if we were open for pinacoladas and steak- like WHAT THE HECK!yes the waitress would be walking over with a pinacolada on a tray and WHIP, TC wilma took it, sorry, the WHOOSH, wilma also took the waitress and WHAM..a coconut just knocked one of our customers over!!!I can see it all happeing ...of course, those who chose not to leave Savaii when we warned are now STUCK here because the boats are CLOSED..and have been for last 4 days. Good luck getting on anytime soon, the line is from the wharf to the new marketplace with people camping around in wait of the next mobile floating device to take them back over. I hope you miss your flight...there. I said it (shhhh)
In amongst all my insanity, I was so annoyed that I almost WANTED wilma to hit...just so I could give people that " I told you so, you are so stupid " look. I know, Im terribly pessimistic at times but dang it, just dont get the 'relax and wing it' attitude some people have.
Anyways, so Wilma is supposed to have passed already, funny that cause only now is the wind howling and the rain slamming down, fair to say only NOW is our property majorly flooded (luckily buildings are all raised) you just have to wade in above ankle deep water/mud everywehre. Only now, the Sapapalii river/ford overflows and the locals sit lazily on both sides watching buses and trucks attempt to make crossings, kids and men wade side by side in the actual ford/river with dirty brown water rushing down, collecting coconuts which have caught rides down the river.They have made a somewhat amusing game out of this, except that every once in a while a log surfaces suddenly and takes out a grown man who gets dangeroulsy washed away only to clamber up the sides of the river 10 meters down, lucky the river is not very deep, or very long, one would just get spat out into the shallow lagoon at the end... if the mounds of foliage/rubbish didnt catch you earlier.
Speaking of amusement, the hubby did return from town day before depression evolved into wilma with his car ful of cyclone supplies. Mountains of rope (ok, pass coz we would need lots of rope) and a $130dollar torch.Its high tech toshiba and waterproof to a depth of 50meters. Ok, cos if wilma hit us, we may become submergeed in 50 metres of water and luckily, he thought of buying this (very expensive) light so we could navigate our way underwater to safety...or something like that- surely must have motivated him. eh. Boys and their toys. suppose if there ever was a group of them (men) standing side by side, fair to say he'd be feeling pretty flashy and content with his flashlight, waterproof and all.
Ok, so I really wanted to post some pics but my phone has decided to go crazy and not let me do anything apart from make a phone call with it!auuuoi! funny that, seeing that it is a phone and all, but I am feeling very naked for a moment with out all its usual luxurious functions!!
ok, so when it does get its head back, Ill post some pics, happy reading!
Since the beginning of it all, Ive been following religiously on the net on my Digicel Blackberry thankyou very much. Like a diligent pupil, every 3 hours checking the samoan meterology sites updates. Some people (like one person- like my husband and thats it!) think I stress too much at times.....weelllllllll, there was a cyclone literrally circling the islands. I WOULD KNOW, because IVE been following the updates. Not you. me.And I think a possible cyclone actually lEGITAMITIZES (if there is such a word) ALL WOMEN to STRESS.Im pretty sure if I dug deep enough I could rationalise it with a hormone imbalance which is triggered by bad weather that instinctively makes you want to protect your young...yea the hubby can fend for himself, if hes not already protecting me and da babies, then hes on his own! So yes, I worry.
.What I Do not get is- those who couldnt appear to be moved, or care less....like it was seriously irritating me.The lack of preparation going on around me. It was one of those things i couldnt correct, no amount of shouting yelling banging would change things, or at least twas too tiresome to do so...they're all adults, get with the program already.
so for example
when the warning began, on the radio on tv everywehre- the words "nofo sauniuni"..yea, you know the good ol saying- be prepared?? Im sure it has been dictated and PROVEN through decades of civilisation that the prepared, are better off hands down...but do people around me prepare?????no. No banging of apas onto windows, no rushing to the shops to stock up on batteries and food, no turning on buckets ful of water in preparation for the water to go off, no cutting down of humoungous trees near homes...nada...or at least from where I stand and can see. All making me of course, look like a lunatic rushing round looking for my buckets and torches and counting my tins of food and batteries...if I could hop on my roof and do the rough stuff Id be banging and hammering and doing all those "designated men" like jobs too...
I got irritated by the number of non locals (non savaiians) who were not heeding the warnings and asking us, while in the middle of sweeping waves of water outa our restaurant and tie-ing down kapolegis to hold out the rain/wind, if we were open for pinacoladas and steak- like WHAT THE HECK!yes the waitress would be walking over with a pinacolada on a tray and WHIP, TC wilma took it, sorry, the WHOOSH, wilma also took the waitress and WHAM..a coconut just knocked one of our customers over!!!I can see it all happeing ...of course, those who chose not to leave Savaii when we warned are now STUCK here because the boats are CLOSED..and have been for last 4 days. Good luck getting on anytime soon, the line is from the wharf to the new marketplace with people camping around in wait of the next mobile floating device to take them back over. I hope you miss your flight...there. I said it (shhhh)
In amongst all my insanity, I was so annoyed that I almost WANTED wilma to hit...just so I could give people that " I told you so, you are so stupid " look. I know, Im terribly pessimistic at times but dang it, just dont get the 'relax and wing it' attitude some people have.
Anyways, so Wilma is supposed to have passed already, funny that cause only now is the wind howling and the rain slamming down, fair to say only NOW is our property majorly flooded (luckily buildings are all raised) you just have to wade in above ankle deep water/mud everywehre. Only now, the Sapapalii river/ford overflows and the locals sit lazily on both sides watching buses and trucks attempt to make crossings, kids and men wade side by side in the actual ford/river with dirty brown water rushing down, collecting coconuts which have caught rides down the river.They have made a somewhat amusing game out of this, except that every once in a while a log surfaces suddenly and takes out a grown man who gets dangeroulsy washed away only to clamber up the sides of the river 10 meters down, lucky the river is not very deep, or very long, one would just get spat out into the shallow lagoon at the end... if the mounds of foliage/rubbish didnt catch you earlier.
Speaking of amusement, the hubby did return from town day before depression evolved into wilma with his car ful of cyclone supplies. Mountains of rope (ok, pass coz we would need lots of rope) and a $130dollar torch.Its high tech toshiba and waterproof to a depth of 50meters. Ok, cos if wilma hit us, we may become submergeed in 50 metres of water and luckily, he thought of buying this (very expensive) light so we could navigate our way underwater to safety...or something like that- surely must have motivated him. eh. Boys and their toys. suppose if there ever was a group of them (men) standing side by side, fair to say he'd be feeling pretty flashy and content with his flashlight, waterproof and all.
Ok, so I really wanted to post some pics but my phone has decided to go crazy and not let me do anything apart from make a phone call with it!auuuoi! funny that, seeing that it is a phone and all, but I am feeling very naked for a moment with out all its usual luxurious functions!!
ok, so when it does get its head back, Ill post some pics, happy reading!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
last 11 minutes of the day
I have exactly 11 minutes, then Im outa the office:) yay, not that leaving the office means Im 'off' work, as all you mums out there know very well- it'll be outa da office, and into the kitchen/child supervising/bathing feeding burping changing entertaining mode/outfit/whatever...go superwoman:) thats me (sometimes:) )
So today, as I was running around town doing business stuff, I realised
-my skirt was ripped, slightly in the back, hemline was partially detached and dragging
- I also realised that this happened last time I wore it, last week sometime, and cant believe I had forgotten about it and not noticed when I put it on
- I saw heaps of tourists-kiwis by the looks, all dressed up in their jayjays dresses, glassons steel rimmed big fly -eyed glasses and their bling bling
and I thought to myself
- when In the last 5 years did I stop dressing up??What the heck happened to me!?
I used to like wearing pretty dresses and matching earings etc etc, I used to keep up with movies and music...
at some point, I guess this all become less important to me. is this what they mean by the good ol saying - you get married and you let go???
hmmm seems to me an easy trap to fall into! My attire today was based purely on what was there and not in the wash, vaguley matched, can cover up my hairy legs...and looks just ok...no longer interested in the brand names and materials and the hem lines and the cuts...oh no...im really turning into a nana. At some point in the last 6 years, I decided to wear less and less jewellary and it has now become a habbit. I think it all stemmed from being uncomfortable in the line of work I did, appearing to take interest in looking sparkly and nice- who was I trying to impress?? the overworked radiologist interested only in whether or not your bare-chested position was correct for the upcoming xray shoot to see if you have pneumonia?? the patient next door spewing his guts out or the one down the ward losing a battle to some fatal disease?? thats when I stopped. I couldnt bring myself to paint my nails even, or put on blusher or anything because in the scope of everything I was doing, it was just wrong.OF all the things I should be thinking of and doing, worrying about my looks was least priority on my list of worrisome things. So I stopped, maybe just a plain pair of hoops , my watch and wedding rings, that was it. Now, a whole dresser full of pendants, bracelets and earings, some bought some gifted....and I cant think of anywhere to wear it all too...but Dammit I need to beef up this look because Ill be dammed if someone is saying about me "look at her, shes really let herself go"lol!!..
the only problem i can see with this plan is- if i start wearing jewellery, I think people in my 1 mile radius will think Im rich-(( because NONE of them wear jewellery (except a wedding ring maybe) lucky if theyve got shoes on even!)) and all come and ask for small loans...no, for my own peice of mind, i think ill save the bling bling for that special occassion, in Apia somewhere, far away from the eyes of my neighbours whose motto apparently, as I was so rudely told one day while declining yet another small loan request "in Samoa (you mean this village in Savaii) when you need money, you ask your neighbour".....
ok, please let me know if anyone else has ever heard of this motto??Cos dammit- I want some money so NEIGHBOURS_ show ME da money please!!!lol!
anyways, as always, just a short random one
One of my guests just mentioned (theyve been in Sa for 6 weeks) that hes counted more the 30 consecutive days of rain since arriving! thats why its called the 'rainy season' i guess!
this is my yard
These are my feet
Theyve been dirty most of the last 8hrs Ive been runing around, washed a zillion times...but still...remain mud clad:) I really have let go!!hehe!
So today, as I was running around town doing business stuff, I realised
-my skirt was ripped, slightly in the back, hemline was partially detached and dragging
- I also realised that this happened last time I wore it, last week sometime, and cant believe I had forgotten about it and not noticed when I put it on
- I saw heaps of tourists-kiwis by the looks, all dressed up in their jayjays dresses, glassons steel rimmed big fly -eyed glasses and their bling bling
and I thought to myself
- when In the last 5 years did I stop dressing up??What the heck happened to me!?
I used to like wearing pretty dresses and matching earings etc etc, I used to keep up with movies and music...
at some point, I guess this all become less important to me. is this what they mean by the good ol saying - you get married and you let go???
hmmm seems to me an easy trap to fall into! My attire today was based purely on what was there and not in the wash, vaguley matched, can cover up my hairy legs...and looks just ok...no longer interested in the brand names and materials and the hem lines and the cuts...oh no...im really turning into a nana. At some point in the last 6 years, I decided to wear less and less jewellary and it has now become a habbit. I think it all stemmed from being uncomfortable in the line of work I did, appearing to take interest in looking sparkly and nice- who was I trying to impress?? the overworked radiologist interested only in whether or not your bare-chested position was correct for the upcoming xray shoot to see if you have pneumonia?? the patient next door spewing his guts out or the one down the ward losing a battle to some fatal disease?? thats when I stopped. I couldnt bring myself to paint my nails even, or put on blusher or anything because in the scope of everything I was doing, it was just wrong.OF all the things I should be thinking of and doing, worrying about my looks was least priority on my list of worrisome things. So I stopped, maybe just a plain pair of hoops , my watch and wedding rings, that was it. Now, a whole dresser full of pendants, bracelets and earings, some bought some gifted....and I cant think of anywhere to wear it all too...but Dammit I need to beef up this look because Ill be dammed if someone is saying about me "look at her, shes really let herself go"lol!!..
the only problem i can see with this plan is- if i start wearing jewellery, I think people in my 1 mile radius will think Im rich-(( because NONE of them wear jewellery (except a wedding ring maybe) lucky if theyve got shoes on even!)) and all come and ask for small loans...no, for my own peice of mind, i think ill save the bling bling for that special occassion, in Apia somewhere, far away from the eyes of my neighbours whose motto apparently, as I was so rudely told one day while declining yet another small loan request "in Samoa (you mean this village in Savaii) when you need money, you ask your neighbour".....
ok, please let me know if anyone else has ever heard of this motto??Cos dammit- I want some money so NEIGHBOURS_ show ME da money please!!!lol!
anyways, as always, just a short random one
One of my guests just mentioned (theyve been in Sa for 6 weeks) that hes counted more the 30 consecutive days of rain since arriving! thats why its called the 'rainy season' i guess!
this is my yard
These are my feet
Theyve been dirty most of the last 8hrs Ive been runing around, washed a zillion times...but still...remain mud clad:) I really have let go!!hehe!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Just another new years
So, after a while, every new year, brings, just another new year:) Another year to grind hard, as my dad would put it, head down bum up (that is his expression of doing work..maybe at the office?? or in the garden?? not literally head down and bum above the level of your head, but perhaps head in a book or something??lol) anyways, so many things to do, not enough hands or finances to do it, so many ambitions, not nearly enough(at times) motivation:) If I had to recap last year, 2010= 2 weddings and a baby.
Yes, two big Samoan weddings, family weddings at da hotel and one new baby, all very expensive things to have embarked on so fair to say I am pretty sure our financial statement will show a big fat loss, but if you could put a price on 2 happily married couples and a beautiful baby girl, I guess you could say we made huge gains in 2011 (optomist in me and I am not usually an optomist!!)
On the same note, I am hoping, and so far I can only plan as far as no babies, no more huge fat losses in 2011:) only more gains please.
Things I need to do-
Brush up on my Samoan , seriously, this is costing me coz almost every other week, someone lands on my doorstep (and just to sway on this subject, in the last month, people landing on my doorstep has resulted in 3 pairs of shoes going missing from my doorstep- I mean seriously! i think some think this is a laughing matter but I wish I could SHAME SHAME SHAME the people that do it! this is not on and ONE DAY, i will have a camera security system, take your picture and post it on TVSAMOA ok...) so anyways, land on my doorstep demanding my subs, my contribution because I am a financial member of da village womans committee..for goodness knows what, and half the time I ask what its for, and some word I dont understand/have never heard and so will forget in 2 minutes, comes out "you know, the iko, the iko"..thats not the word but something like that that makes u go whhhaaaa??? And when asking what that is, answer is - dumbfounded look followed by "the IKO"..because saying it louder means Ill get it right??
anywayas..so yes, If I am to make myself more fluent, then perhaps I will be less easily fooled, as my baby sitter sometimes exclaims (she is also from da village) that she could not think of why someone (and I dont know all the people in the village) would collect $$ cos nothings being collected at the time (JUst me being a big fat sucker)
I really need to be excercising- My family have launched a fitness challenge for ourselves:) it involves money, fortnightly fees and penalties for gaining weight, a big reward for the biggest loser:) unfortunately there should probably be penalities for weight staying stagnant too, because I havent done any excercise in the last two weeks- crap!! reallllly want to though lol. I can sit here and 'think up" 20 different exciting routines involving sit ups, pilates, yoga as the sun rises, all that nice meditation get yourself in the zone type stuff, I can plan playlists that go for hours that make you wanna jump up and down and dance kick and punch...always the case aye, in your head youre like YEA YEA YEA I GAN DO IT...but in real life youre like ...ahh, ill just sleep another hour:) not that i sleep, more like i have cups of coffee, sit on my big butt and do nada...motion wise:) in saying that, im the lightest in the challenge so really, its really for everyone else he he he he!
Some other things i need (want ) to do
-more landscaping/planting
-create my own herb garden
-read up on homeschooling
- save up for my dream car
-do some part time work (yet again) at the hospital..when the little ones are older and not stuck to my boob and hip...
-make more dates wit my friends in Apia when I can make it over
- get myself a new wardrobe and toss out some of the -1)size 12 2) size 14 3) maternity style 4)when I was young and hip small shiney billabong boob tube types 5)NZ wardrobes that I continue to hoard in my wardrobe..
-get some new hobbies....seriously, I will need to creat them myself and urge other people to join, maybe kayaking or SOMETHING...because the lack of things to do in SAVAII can SERIOUSLY AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH..sometimes:) shhhh
-dats all I can think of for now, If you can think of anything else I should be doing, or you could recommend, please..feel free:)
take care
Yes, two big Samoan weddings, family weddings at da hotel and one new baby, all very expensive things to have embarked on so fair to say I am pretty sure our financial statement will show a big fat loss, but if you could put a price on 2 happily married couples and a beautiful baby girl, I guess you could say we made huge gains in 2011 (optomist in me and I am not usually an optomist!!)
On the same note, I am hoping, and so far I can only plan as far as no babies, no more huge fat losses in 2011:) only more gains please.
Things I need to do-
Brush up on my Samoan , seriously, this is costing me coz almost every other week, someone lands on my doorstep (and just to sway on this subject, in the last month, people landing on my doorstep has resulted in 3 pairs of shoes going missing from my doorstep- I mean seriously! i think some think this is a laughing matter but I wish I could SHAME SHAME SHAME the people that do it! this is not on and ONE DAY, i will have a camera security system, take your picture and post it on TVSAMOA ok...) so anyways, land on my doorstep demanding my subs, my contribution because I am a financial member of da village womans committee..for goodness knows what, and half the time I ask what its for, and some word I dont understand/have never heard and so will forget in 2 minutes, comes out "you know, the iko, the iko"..thats not the word but something like that that makes u go whhhaaaa??? And when asking what that is, answer is - dumbfounded look followed by "the IKO"..because saying it louder means Ill get it right??
anywayas..so yes, If I am to make myself more fluent, then perhaps I will be less easily fooled, as my baby sitter sometimes exclaims (she is also from da village) that she could not think of why someone (and I dont know all the people in the village) would collect $$ cos nothings being collected at the time (JUst me being a big fat sucker)
I really need to be excercising- My family have launched a fitness challenge for ourselves:) it involves money, fortnightly fees and penalties for gaining weight, a big reward for the biggest loser:) unfortunately there should probably be penalities for weight staying stagnant too, because I havent done any excercise in the last two weeks- crap!! reallllly want to though lol. I can sit here and 'think up" 20 different exciting routines involving sit ups, pilates, yoga as the sun rises, all that nice meditation get yourself in the zone type stuff, I can plan playlists that go for hours that make you wanna jump up and down and dance kick and punch...always the case aye, in your head youre like YEA YEA YEA I GAN DO IT...but in real life youre like ...ahh, ill just sleep another hour:) not that i sleep, more like i have cups of coffee, sit on my big butt and do nada...motion wise:) in saying that, im the lightest in the challenge so really, its really for everyone else he he he he!
Some other things i need (want ) to do
-more landscaping/planting
-create my own herb garden
-read up on homeschooling
- save up for my dream car
-do some part time work (yet again) at the hospital..when the little ones are older and not stuck to my boob and hip...
-make more dates wit my friends in Apia when I can make it over
- get myself a new wardrobe and toss out some of the -1)size 12 2) size 14 3) maternity style 4)when I was young and hip small shiney billabong boob tube types 5)NZ wardrobes that I continue to hoard in my wardrobe..
-get some new hobbies....seriously, I will need to creat them myself and urge other people to join, maybe kayaking or SOMETHING...because the lack of things to do in SAVAII can SERIOUSLY AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH..sometimes:) shhhh
-dats all I can think of for now, If you can think of anything else I should be doing, or you could recommend, please..feel free:)
take care
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