A Perfect Saturday

The last couple weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster. There have been definite highs and lows.

Lows: being a little sick, and having things happen back at home.

Highs: getting my own classroom (Yay!!), getting my cheerleaders’ uniforms, and having fun around the island.

But let me just focus on what an amazing day I had yesterday. (For the record, I am completely healthy and over my cold). Yesterday I had such a good day, which was needed after a particularly tough week at school. My friend Julie spent the night Friday. She teaches on the little island of Anu’u, which is 2 bus rides and a short boat ride from Tutuila, the island I’m on. She and her roommate come over to Tutuila most weekends to get groceries and other essentials and hang out with people here. In the morning, we both had a cup of the coffee my mother sent me. I’m not a big coffee drinker, but I do love International House coffees. Mom had sent me 2 tins of my favorites, and I had been looking forward to having some all week. (It takes too long to boil water to have some in the mornings before school) After getting ready, Julie went off to do her shopping and I went over to the post office to send some letters and meet up with my friend Alison. Alison and I then went kayaking for a little over an hour. It’s hard for me to describe how I felt out there on the water. It was so relaxing to float and talk, then paddle around looking for sea turtles (didn’t see any). Plus the views around us were of course gorgeous, and the water is the most incredible shade of blue-green. It was simply amazing, and something I will defiantly do again, several times. After kayaking we went and got lunch then some home-made snickers ice cream. Then I went home and sat on the porch and read a book, while listening to the cheers coming from the Laundromat. (Western Samoa was playing Wales in the rugby tournament, and the Laundromat has a TV with cable so everyone and their mother was crowded in there watching) 

All in all, I could not have imagined a more perfect Saturday. 

 

 Alison and I out on the water

 

 Me being silly

This is the area that we kayaked in

Another Day, Another $12.50

Yes, we averaged out our monthly stipend (helps to pay for food and transportation) and it looks like each day that we go to school we are making about $12.50. It’s a little under $2.00 an hour. Ah the life of a volunteer!! But school is going well, even when testing, and meetings, and the lack of supplies make it more stressful. My kids are pretty good for the most part (they have their difficult days) but I am enjoying teaching them, and enjoying my time here.

Yesterday I may have enjoyed my time here a little too much. I was out at a beach snorkeling and stuff and when I got home, realized how bad I am at applying sunscreen. I’m pretty red, especially my lower back, from floating around in the water looking at fish. I forget that the sun is WAY more powerful here than at home. At home I rarely burn and if I do it’s never painful and hardly noticeable. This one is defiantly the opposite. But I guess I learned my lesson, and next time will pay extra attention to getting sunscreen EVERYWHERE. 

I knew that there would be times when I would miss home, and recently I have been. Mainly for one reason. My uncle was in a farming accident and was badly injured. He is still in the hospital, on the road to recovery. So my cousin organized a ‘harvest bee’ for him, and people from our small community came out to help cut his wheat. A news crew from Spokane went out to capture the action, and I was able to watch the video tonight. It defiantly made me emotional, and I can’t express enough how thankful I am. It has been hard for me to be down here knowing what my family is going through. However, knowing that they have so many amazing people supporting them and holding them up is almost overwhelming for me. This is why I will always love small towns, and I am so thankful to call Oakesdale my home. If you would like to watch the video, the link is right here: http://video.kxly.com/watch.php?id=26995

Labor day weekend means a 3 day weekend, which means a 4-day week next week! Ah! Yay! Right now the Tafuna teachers who also live here in Pava’ia’I are hosting some Peace Corps volunteers from Western Samoa. It has been great talking to them and hearing about their experience and comparing it to ours. They have been at their placements for almost 2 years now and go home in December. I can’t even imagine being gone that long, and really admire their commitment.

Speaking of home, I will not be going home for Christmas (won’t see Washington again until June!) but I will be meeting my family in Hawaii for the holiday. I’m so excited to see them and I know it will be an amazing week. I was originally planning on going to New Zealand, but I’d definitely rather see them. I am hoping to hit NZ for spring break, fingers crossed! Right now, however I am focusing on teaching and enjoying my time here on the island. It is going by so fast. I have been gone almost 2 months and teaching for a month now, where has the time gone?

Pictures from Pava'ia'i

Hey Everyone!! So as many of you know, the internet at our house is not reliable at all. I haven't been able to upload pictures to this blog or to Facebook since we left orientation. So today I am sitting in the nice, cool, air conditioned McDonalds, using the free wifi (free from noon to 8!!) So these 6 pictures literally took an hour to upload, so until I get better internet, don't expect many pictures!

Things are going well, missing home, but life here is good! It's hard to talk to family at home, and hear what's going on and not be there. But I'm settling into a little routine, and getting more comfortable at school. There's a chance I may be getting a classroom this week, so keep your fingers crossed!!

Those of you who know me well know that I am a planner. I have to have everything planned out well in advance. That is not always compatible with the fa'a samoa (the Samoan way of life) where things are often changed  at the last minute. So I am working on adapting to that. For example, on Friday during lunch, the students were practicing their class cheers for the pep rally next week. And they kept on practicing. The bell never rang for 5th period. So we just completely skipped 5th period, and then the bell rang around 2. So we went to 6th period, and then were done for the day. Crazy! 

Another thing about planning...I am trying to plan a trip to New Zealand for Christmas. I am so close, so why not? Might as well take advantage of the opportunity! I have also decided that when I get back home, I will likely enroll at EWU again and take that year to get my English endorsement before applying to teaching jobs. Being able to teach both history and English will open up more opportunities.  If there is one thing I have already discovered here it's that I was meant to be a teacher. I feel completely comfortable in this role, and I know that I was made to do this. So I am excited to learn a lot this year, and come home not just stories, but actual ideas to help in my future teaching.

 

This is the house where our apartments are. 5 people live up on the porch area, and I live with 2 other girls in a apartment around the back corner in the far right. The front left of the upstairs porch is where we sit to (hopefully) connect to the internet!

 

This is the view of our place from the road. The family calls this their garden. I just call it a jungle.

 Melinda (who lives upstairs) and Veronica in our kitchen. Yes, that is a mini dorm fridge that is being shared between 3 people. Also, we don't have a real stove, just 2 burners that sit on the counter and plug into the wall.

 The fale (fall-ay) attached to the house. A fale is a traditional Samoan house. 

 Food for one person. Not including desert.

 

This is the American Samoan flag that the other WorldTeach volunteers got me for my birthday, and they all signed it! I love it!

Manuia le aso! (Have a good day!)

First Week of School = Success!

First Week Of School

We all survived our first weeks of school!! (huge sigh of relief!) There is a lot to tell, so sit back, relax, and read on!

My roommate Ashley and I teach at the same school, (along with Melinda and Heidi, who live in an apartment above us)and we take a bus part of the way to school, then walk the rest of the way. It’s not too hot in the morning, and it’s a nice walk, alongside a lagoon and park. We get to school at about 7:30, an hour before school starts. On the first day we were really nervous! We didn’t know how many kids we would have, how much English they could speak, or what they would be like. And since I don’t have a classroom, and float between rooms during other teacher’s prep periods, I got to school on the first day not knowing where some of my classes would be! 

But it all worked out. We had an assembly, then began classes. I told all my students that I would be giving them journal assignments every day, so we started on those and then we went over classroom rules and procedures. All during orientation, we were told that the first day and the first week are critical to the rest of the year. If you don’t establish clear guidelines, procedures, and expectations for your students in the first days, then the rest of the year you may be struggling. You can be strict at the beginning and ease up as the year goes on, but it’s nearly impossible to be lenient at the beginning and then try to gain control (as I learned first hand while substitute teaching!) 

Well, I was trying my hardest to have clear expectations and structure to my classes. Which was a bit difficult, since the schedule changed EVERY DAY. On the first day it was a regular 1-6, with lunch after 3^rd period. The next day it was reversed (6^th period first, 1^st period last). Wednesday was all mixed up some classes (like 3,4,and 5) in the morning, then class meetings and lunch, then periods 6,1,and 2. Nuts. Thursday was different again, and Friday we had a Back to School assembly in the morning, then periods 4,5, and 6. Then Lunch, and after that a school dance. (The assembly and the dance were hilarious)

So even with a crazy schedule that changed every day, I was still able to get some things done in my classes. My first period was more difficult, because on the second day I had twice as many students show up. All of the new students had been registered for my class. So it was like having the first day all over again. Then on Wednesday I had another 6 or so come in, with my name on their schedules. This is a U.S. history class, and there is another U.S. history class taught by a different teacher that has only 2 kids in it!! So here I am with 30 kids, 9 of which did not have desks on Thursday, and there’s another class with just two. Again, it’s a bit crazy.

Even with all this craziness, I apparently was able to exercise some control over my classes. One of my juniors went to my department head (who is the most awesome lady ever, by the way) and asked to transfer out of my class. When she asked why, the student said “Because Miss Mills is too strict!”. My department head answered, “So you want to transfer out of a good class where you’re really going to learn into a class where the teacher will actually hit you?” of course the kid said no. And yes, corporeal punishment is very present here. Technically it’s illegal, but it still happens. However, us WorldTeachers would NEVER hit our students.

So even though I don’t have a classroom, I am getting used to it. It’s really not too bad, because I have 4^th period in the library and the A/C is always on Full Blast in there, which is awesome. 2 of my other classes are also in rooms with A/C, but the other teachers don’t always turn it on all the way. Plus, I’ve had students help me carry my stuff back and forth. The only drawback will be next week, when we get our new textbooks. I’m going to have to enlist more kids to move them from room to room, and hopefully none get lost in the process. All this week, we never knew the schedule until we got to school and saw the bulletin, but starting next week we are on a regular schedule, which will be nice. 

I feel like there is so much more, but I am running out of time. And I never know when the internet will decide to stop working. So I’m going to say adios for now, and hopefully I can get pictures up next week!!

Love and miss you all

"The Internet is on Samoan Time"

So, the title of this post is the reason why I haven't been writing, sharing pictures, or contacting many people very much in the last week. (Wow, I can't believe it's been only a week! SO much has happened!) Peter pointed out that the internet was on Samoan time, and it definitely is. Half the time we can't connect to it, and when we do it's only on the porch by Heidi and Melinda's apartment or in their living room. And even then, it's usually very slow and the connection will usually time out more than once.

Since I may have a limited amount of internet time, I will try to fill you in as quickly as possible!
A week ago we moved out of the classrooms we were staying at in Nu'uuli VocTech, and into our homes! Our apartment is in Pava'ia'i. There is a laundromat and little store just steps from our front door, and everywhere you look there's lush green palm trees and plants. The Samoan family that we are renting from lives on the property and they had us join in on a blessing of the house. We got to eat Samoan food cooked in an umu (outdoor oven, that Peter helped prepare!) and we served the village chiefs before eating. Quite an experience!

This past week we visited our schools and got room assignments. Alas, I am the unlucky one who doesn't actually have a classroom. There just aren't enough rooms at my school, but the principal says she is still working on trying to get me one. But I'm not getting my hopes up. So I'll just be floating from room to room wherever someone has a prep period. Was I upset at this news? Yes. Will I be flexible and deal with it? Yes. Being patient and flexible is the key to sanity (or partial sanity at least) here on the island.

Also this week we attended orientations by the DOE on the new revised standards and benchmarks for our subject areas. Did these seem long and repetitive? Yes. However I did meet some pretty cool teachers that I'm sure I'll be able to use as a resource this year.

My birthday is tomorrow!! I have received care packages from my family and cards from friends. Last night we went out and celebrated. The WorldTeach group bought a Samoan flag and they all signed it with birthday wishes for me. Such a cool idea!! I was very touched. Today I was going to go snorkeling, but it has been rather rainy all day so I just laid low and hung out at home, resting up for the week ahead. School starts on Monday!! Let the madness begin!!

(I will upload pictures later, the internet is still on Samoan time!)

Before I go, I will share the BEST news of the week:: I will be home in time for Anna's high school graduation!!! (Sorry Millie, I'll still miss your 4 hour Whitworth graduation) I was SO happy when I found out!! 

End of Orientation

Wow, three weeks went by fast! Tomorrow we are having brunch at Sadie's then doing some last minute cleaning, then heading to our houses/apartments! It's hard to believe that I will not see these people every day. Yes, I am excited to have a real bed (instead of a foam mattress on the floor), and a place to unpack all my things, and to just get settled in and ready for school. However, it is bittersweet because I have become close to and very fond of the other volunteers. Six of them will be leaving for the outer islands (Manu'a) and we won't see them for months, which is crazy to think about. I am going to be living in an apartment in the village of Pava'ia'i, which is on the west side of the island. There are 8 of us at this place, in 3 different apartments ( two 3-bedroom, and one 2-bedroom). I'll be sure to post pictures ASAP!

Fa'afetai, Nu'uuli PolyTech H.S.!

Last night we went to the airport to see Alison (last year's field director) off. She is heading back to Portland (yeah! another Northwest girl!) for a couple weeks then returning to AmSam to work at the community college. Well, going to the airport here is a huge deal. There is even a tv show called "flight night" that films all the people coming and going through the airport. So we all went and actually had a great time, even though we didn't see any cameras. I think you can go on YouTube and search "Flight Night American Samoa" and find the show. I wouldn't know because YouTube is blocked here at the school.

Saying Tofa to Alison

 Julie and I at flight night!

Orientation has kept us pretty busy the last few days. We have been teaching 20-minute lessons to some Samoan students in the afternoon for the last 3 days. I've really enjoyed watching how the other volunteers teach their subject, and how the students respond. I taught Geography and the Explorers for my lessons, and I feel like they went really well! One of the students even said that he hadn't had that much fun in history in a long time! Score one for Amanda! Now if only all my lessons this year will go that well.....oh well, I can dream!

 

 Check out this mural, on a building by the library in Utulei

 

School bus that drove us into the jungle

Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Beautiful Day

We have been going, going, going with Orientation, and were able to have a good chunk of this weekend free! So Melinda, Julie, Katherine and I headed to Fatu Rock (Flower Pot Rock) to snorkel and catch some sun. It's still hard to believe that this is not a vacation! Perhaps next week when we head out to our living placements and start getting ready for school it will really sink in.

 Since this is a more conservative culture, we need to be more covered up while swimming....No Bikinis!!

I was able to go to mass this morning at Holy Family Cathedral. It was a gorgeous church. It had large windows on all sides that were open to let in the breeze. This is our last week of Orientation, and it is filled with teaching practice lessons, visiting the national park, more Samoan language classes, and last but not least, moving out! I know we'll all be glad to get settled into our houses/apartments, and stop sleeping on foam mattresses on the floor. However we've all become pretty close and it'll be weird to not be with everyone all the time.
I bought some fabric our first day here, and then Drew and Alison gave us our WorldTeach fabric so we could get ie's made (pronounced ee-ay) which are long skirts that tie at the waist. they are actually longer for girls (around ankle length) than for boys (just below the knee, usually).

Those of us teaching at Nu'uuli Voc-Tech talked to our principal last week and found out what classes we will (likely) be teaching. I could not believe my luck when she handed me the schedule and it had 2 sections of US History and 3 sections of World History! Not only do I absolutely LOVE these subjects, but I have experience teaching them (I taught 3 sections of World History during my student teaching). Getting that information definitely relieved some of the stress I was feeling about teaching!

Some funny things: 

1.We are eating school lunches during the week. These are...questionable....to say the least. The first day we had one that was eggs on a hamburger patty, on a bed of rice, all topped with gravy. Appetizing! 

2. A few of us have been frequenting the Carl's Jr. down the road. One day, two employees introduced themselves to us, and on Friday when Quinn and I went back, they remembered us. We started chatting and they insisted that we sit down and share their banana cream pie. Then one of the women tried to buy us a plate of nachos.

3. People here usually drive fairly slow. around 20-30mph. So the other night when a pickup went speeding by (at probably 35-40) we were shocked and quite surprised. What's going to happen when I get home next year and people are driving 50-60mph? 

Here are some more pictures from the last 2 weeks!

 V for VocTech! Ashley, Heidi, Melinda and I are all teaching at Nu'uuli.

 The market in Fagatogo

 "Fast Food"..?

 A big group of us went to see HP7!

 Tree down Tasi st. (1st st) in Nu'uuli

 On the 2nd floor of VocTech H.S.

The whole group on our island tour

Toes in the sand at Fatu Rock

This has been a long post, but I hope you enjoyed it! 

Until next time, take care, and manuia le aso (have a nice day!)