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!