1st of November

Its that time of the year again. The first of November arrived and passed and suddenly, there is a whirlwind of anxiety?? in the air. Before you know it...Christmas is here. New years is here and  then another year is here OMG. On the 1st of November, the things that always run through my mind are

1) Cyclone season.
This year, cyclone season (or the 1st of November) actually started off (in Savaii anyways) with wind and gusts and torrential rain. To put it ironically, I was actually sh$%*ing my pants that a cyclone was actually going to hit. What the!!  So I dont like that. I dont like living a boat ride away from my parents and family..ie a boat that could stop sailing, the port could get damaged the reef could  get battered and even a sailing ship could not leave!!OMG..those are all the thoughts in my head. PLease let all the digicel posts stay up so we can keep in touch by phone with everyone!!

2) Insurance
Why the hell did we not just go on and get the darned insurance (bar the too expensive too complicated excuses ) ....now I really should just go and get it. And then get a loan too as well.

3) Flying. I might have to go to NZ for a short trip and as much as that is woop di doo- get some shopping- type thrill, I would hate to fly through bad weather. On the news today, Air NZ pilot suffers an aneurysm moments after landing in Auckland....OMG. That and the weather is enough to put me off. Eh se kao ia se. Pala'ai kele.

4) Christmas.
Every year we make the family oriented decision to close our business down for Christmas, both to give all our staff the priveledge of this family oriented holiday and to Celebrate Christmas itself, and because its our Daughters birthday on the 23rd. And then we never really get around to planning something great. We might have a BBQ here..a dinner there...but sometimes we are left thinking...well we could have actually done that and kept our business open. Last year we went to a beach resort on the other side of Upolu. And it was shit. To put it bluntly.  Big white elephant of  a resort with crap service and crap food...is just what people who run a hotel/bar and restaurant DONT want to be faced with on their one break a year. Thanks much Samoa Hide..........resort. Lets just leave it there shall we. Now , scratching my head over ideas of something fun/great/fantastic to do that I wont get an earful for the rest of the year from my hubby for!

5) New years resolutions?
nah..I dont actually think about that. What is the use of making up a resolution which is basically something you've wanted already all along and just not had the will power to do/achieve/go out and get- what difference does announcing it on the 1st of Jan actually do to motivate you?? I would rather watch Dr Phil or listen to TOny Robinson and try to get an inch more motivated then I am now..realistically might do better then me saying this silently in my head (lose weight this year bla bla)

6) Getting Old.
Well, This season doesnt make me feel like I am getting old but after talking about the above 5.. I do suddenly realise that these cycles happen every year and I am definitely not getting any younger.  Some days, I worry about what the heck I am doing with my life or we are doing with our lives. When did this become part of our future plan? But then I look at my father in law. The English man from England, who many centuries ago actually caught a ship to the southern hemisphere met his wife and moved to Samoa. And now has been here yonks. Had dedicated his whole life to this island living, and in Savaii too.  And I think well here is a person who gave up everything for them. His wife, their future, their land, their place in the village the aiga. And I wonder whether I am doing that or whether I am being selfish thinking about me all the time?

On a side note..this morning I watched while a over-testosteroned male was yelling at one of our aigas staff members, and my father in law stepped in to calm things down and explain the situation. Then this dickhead of a local man got louder and even almost got out of his car pe fia fusu ea  while my father in law was being his quiet pleasant old self speaking slowly and clearing about what had happened(as it was, it was just a small error with change which had been corrected) and I had to hold myself back from geting involved- just about walked over to bring out the mufasa in me. (called the men in my family instead to "come to the shop now" and be around..ie this old man is like 50kg and the demented guy is like 200kg !) I dont know what it is but sometimes, I think when locals have a palagi intervene on something, they get over inflatted egos and then go fluffing their feathers and flexing their muscles...calm the dick down mate. Ke vaai aku a o le palagi paee  e le kaikai lava ga fia fusu ma oe..ae fia faa-aliali  a lou temper/power ki'o. Koeaikiki ou aluaku kui oe se antipsychotic.

 Anyways...theres my rant for the day.

ciao