Traditional Tatau at Tisa's

Today was a great day.
Not only are we in the middle of a 3-day weekend, but I got to spend today with some cool people out on the east side at Tisa's barefoot bar.

I may have mentioned Tisa's before...A few months ago Amber and I went there but were not able to swim because of the small reef sharks that we saw close to the shore. (we also saw whales in the distance!)
This time however, we were able to swim...which I did, and it was wonderful.

But the reason we drove out was for my friends, Dave and Mr. T to get their tattoos. These were not regular tattoos that you can get in any tattoo parlor in the states, but a traditional Samoan tattoo (or tatau). These are done not with a tattoo gun but with the traditional tools and tapping method. I've heard that it is also much more painful than a regular tattoo.

tools used for tatau

Mr.T getting his done

Uma! Finished!

Dave's turn

Turtle and shark!

I was really excited to see this process, especially since I had just read about it. One of our VocTech students wrote her History Day research paper on the history and modernization of Tatau, and I was the one to read over and revise the essay. So I knew the story and legend behind the old art form. I am so glad they let me tag along and take pictures and videos of the whole thing. Both of their tattoos turned out amazing, so detailed.


Other highlights of today:: We found a stick bug! This may not seem like a big deal to most people, but I don't think I've ever actually SEEN one. So I picked it up and played with it. They're bigger than I thought they'd be! And they kind of tickle when they climb up your arm...

Also: meeting some guys from my home state, Washington! They are down here doing construction work for a month.

FOOD:: Not only did we get some amazing pina coladas (made with fresh coconut!) but we also had breadfruit fries...which is a breadfruit (taken from a tree across the road), sliced thin and cooked like fries, with lots of salt! So good!!

All in all it was a fantastic Sunday...and the best part? No School tomorrow! Yay for President's day!!

Alofa

Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day to all those reading my blog…I have to say, this was the hottest Valentine’s I’ve ever had (about 85 degrees! Oka!) But it was quite a great day. here are a few of the things that made it special:

-          A package from my Aunt, which included chocolate, heart candies, a book, a card, magazines, and perfume

-          A package from my grandparents, which included MORE chocolate (Fudge! Yum!), a small teddy bear figurine, a note, a headband with heart antennas that I wore to school (and got many compliments!), and 2 boxes of valentine’s cards (that I shared with my students…they loved them and send their thanks!)

-          A package I had received last week from my mom which had ANOTHER box of chocolates, and a card, among other things

-          A card from a friend back in Washington

-          Valentines from students

-          A stuffed bear holding a heart from a student

-          An assembly during school

-          Another social studies teacher buying lunch for our department

-          A girl asking me to present her gift to a boy during class, and say it was from a “secret admirer”

-          Talked to my parents after school

Here are a few pictures from the day..the assembly, and my students and the valentines they gave me...not the best pictures, but hey it's too hot for makeup and cute hair!

I just got done with my pilates for the day and am feeling really good! The week is almost ½ over, and we have a 3 day weekend ahead. I already have some (tentative) plans for the weekend, and am looking forward to it. This is a short post, I will try to write more this weekend.

I hope everyone had a great Valentine’s Day! And as my sister keeps reminding me, Discounted Chocolate Day is tomorrow!! Thank you to those who are reading, whoever and wherever you are. And thank you to those who have been making the effort to stay in touch. I am thousands of miles from home, but I can still feel the love. And that’s what matters.

Applesauce Abduction

“They thought our applesauce was dangerous.”

                My grandmother is amazing. Not only does she write me letters frequently, but she sent me a bunch of homemade cookies and other goodies in the mail back in August. So she thought that she’d try to send another Mills family essential…applesauce.

                This is not just any applesauce. This is Gma’s homemade applesauce. We have applesauce making parties in the fall. My cousins and have been known to hoard our applesauce, steal it off of each other’s plates, and see who can eat the most. (however, grandpa can usually win that battle)

                So in October my grandmother put some of her world famous (at least to us) applesauce in a care package along with a few other things and shipped it off to me, fingers crossed that it would not spoil on its journey to the south pacific.

                But…..the package never arrived. Instead, a few weeks later, Grandma received a form from the postal service in Guam saying that the package had arrived there leaking and had to be destroyed. How it ended up in Guam, which is about 3600 miles north west of American Samoa, is beyond me. The fact that my grandparents even found out about this at all is even more surprising. The address that the form was sent to wasn’t even their home address in Washington. The address read “Topeka Kansas”, but because of the correct zip code, was delivered to Washington, then forwarded to their place in Arizona where they spend the winter. She found it so amusing that she sent me the form and the envelope it came in so I could see for myself.

                 Although I was sorry that my grandparents went to the trouble of sending me a package that I never received, (and sad about not having my applesauce) it does make for a funny story. My friend Nathan believes that news of my grandmother’s amazing applesauce had spread across the pacific, so it was confiscated by the people of Guam who wanted to eat it all themselves. I agree with him.

School....

Here are a few things that have happened at school that have made my day a bit brighter and more fulfilling...

Map Quest

My 4^th period World History is a small class. There are 2 girls and 9 boys. This past Friday, I had 3 of those boys absent. The day was reserved for completing assignments and wrapping up our unit on the Renaissance and Reformation. Several of the students were either finished or close to it. I had brought a pack of cards that they could play with, but the main attraction was the world map that I had finally been able to hang on the wall. Three of the kids were already examining it. So I suggested that they compete with each other to find places on the map, the reward being extra points.

                They were really enthusiastic and I began by calling out names of countries and places that we’d talked about last semester.  Mongolia. Japan. Rome. The Nile River. The Himalayan Mountains. Then we moved on to other parts of the world. Chile. Mexico City. Indonesia. Iceland. Portugal. Madagascar. They were loving it. “Miss, I found it!” “Hey right here!”. A few times I’d give them hints…Southern Hemisphere, Asia, North Africa.

                A couple more students finished their work and came up the map to join. By this time, the list of places to find was becoming harder. The Hudson Bay. The Bering Sea. The Galapagos Islands. St. Petersburg. Istanbul. Singapore. They were crowding over each other, scouring the map, running their fingers over the oceans and continents, turning around excitedly when they found the name. They were having so much fun that we ended up spending the majority of the class period on the game. They were happy to get extra points and not have to sit and take notes. I was happy that they were up, having fun, and discovering new things. It was a great way to end the week. 

Determination

As some of you may recall, back in November, one of the other social studies teachers quit. The classes were all moved around and the end result was that I had my 6^th period U.S. History class replaced with a 2^nd period U.S. History. Some of my former 6^th period students were surprised and upset, but they made the best of it. A few even came in to ask me for help on assignments. However, one of them was determined to get back into my class. This student kept telling me that he was going to learn better from my class. I told him that if his counselor said it was ok, then he could come into my 2^nd period. The process was a long one, since he had a conflict with his math class. However, after speaking with his other teacher, the counselor, and the vice principal, I was finally able to get him transferred into my 2^nd period. But since I had gotten him back into my class, I had one rule for him. He had to promise to focus, be respectful, and not disruptive.

                This student has been in my class for the past 2 weeks now, and has been doing very well. He knows the lengths I went to get him back into my class, and he was happy and grateful. Before he transferred in, we’d had a conversation about why he wanted to be back in my class so badly. I had been worried for awhile that my classes were boring, but this student told me that the kids liked how I taught and that they had been learning a lot. Which was exactly why he had wanted to continue taking U.S. history from me.

                I realized that even on the days when I feel defeated, with boring lessons and unruly kids, that I am still getting through to some of them. This student wanted to get back into my class because he thought I was a good teacher. He did not give up. So I cannot give up on him. I cannot give up on any of them. I may be worn down, tired, and desperately searching for an interesting and engaging lesson. I may have personal issues and worries, but I cannot give up on my students. Because some of them actually WANT to be in my class. They WANT to learn. And as their teacher, I must do the best I can to educate them. I will not give up.

T.I.S.

T.I.S... This Is Samoa. 

Since a fellow volunteer read her essay during our Mid-Service conference, my friends and I have been quoting her with this phrase. T.I.S. Whenever we are faced with a hilarious or  absurd situation that can only be encountered here, "T.I.S.". Here are a few of the T.I.S. moments that have happened to me this month. Some are silly, some are touching, all are memorable.

Encountering a student at CJ's

                One Saturday I was sitting at Carl’s Jr. (aka CJ’s) to use the internet and get some work done. When I walked in, one of my sophomore boys was standing outside. He seemed to be in a silly mood, hiding his face behind his backpack and peeking out at me from behind it. I went in and sat down, not ordering any food. He came in a few minutes later with his friend and sat at the other side of the restaurant. About 30 minutes later, I was still sitting there, working on lesson plans when he came over and set a soda and straw on my table. “Here you go miss. See you on Monday.” I was touched. This student had used his own money to buy me a drink while I worked. 

Zumba

                 A couple weeks ago, the principal announced that we would be starting Zumba after school. I was excited about this, since I love Zumba. I took the classes when I was in college, and had been doing a video on my computer that I got from a friend’s hard drive. When the bulliten said that it was time for Zumba, I was ready the next day with my shoes and change of clothes. I was not sure who was in charge, but I was looking forward to joining in.

                At lunch that day, my department head asked me to get the school’s projector and set it up in the large classroom, since I had prep the last period of the day. I said sure, that I’d be happy to help. At the beginning of 6^th period, I got a call from another teacher. “Amanda, I heard you are in charge of Zumba, right?” I was confused. How did I go from setting up the projector to being in charge? I went down to get the projector from the principal, and she gave me the dvd’s we were going to use. However, my computer is a small netbook and does not have a disc drive. The mac laptops that the teachers used needed an adapter to connect to the projector. I told the principal that if it was ok, we could just use the Zumba video on my computer. SO at 3:00 I was in the big classroom, setting everything up while some of the other teachers began coming in. I started the video and coached and encouraged everyone through it, since I had done it several times before. We had a good time and everyone was excited to do it again.

                As I was packing up, the boys’ varsity basketball coach walked in. She asked if the boys could also do Zumba as part of their practice for the day. I said sure, and the kids came in. I knew a few of them, and had one in my 5^th period class. The second the video started, the boys were distracted by the pretty girls in skimpy workout clothes swiveling their hips. “Ohhhh Zuuummbbaaa!!” was the enthusiastic reaction from most of team. I was laughing to myself on the inside while telling them to focus and keep moving. It was hilarious, they loved it and they next morning when I got to school, I had several of them ask, “Miss, Zumba today?”

Day-to-Day things

The bus stops for the cricket game in progress…so that the ball can be caught from the other side of the road.

“These marshmallows are from Guatemala?” – Julie

“I’m getting lots of ideas on how to decorate the inside of a bus.” – Amber

Frogs keep trying to get into my house

While riding in the back of a pickup to a friend’s birthday we are caught in a downpour and soaked within minutes.

Sunset over the Pacific

I know it's already the new year, but let me tell you about my awesome Christmas break!

First off, I got to see my family which was amazing. I got into Honolulu at 5 am on the 23rd, and they arrived that afternoon. I spent my time waiting with my volunteer friends Kasey and Peter who had layovers in Hawai'i. When we got there, we realized that it was noticeably colder in Hawai'i than it was in Samoa. It was also weird for us to walk around Waikiki and see so many palagis (white people in Samoan) and actually be able to understand the conversations going on around us. I have to admit, I experienced a bit of culture shock there while in Hawai'i, which may seem weird since it's another Pacific island, but it felt very different from American Samoa.

Kasey, Peter and I were lucky enough to score a limo ride back to the airport, so we arrived in style. I greeted my family with ula's that I had brought from Samoa. Right away it felt like we hadn't ever been apart. We spent the whole week hanging out, going to the beach, and exploring Oahu in our rented jeep. We hiked to a waterfall, drove up the east coast, checked out the surfers at North Shore, and went to the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor. We found a few pretty good restaurants...Snapper's and Duke's being favorites. My sisters got pearls out of oysters, and I took a surfing lesson...it was awesome! One more thing to cross off my bucket list! I was also able to actually sit down and call a few friends that I hadn't talked to in a long time. It was also great to be able to text my friends and family! (the little things we take for granted...)

The week went by much too fast and soon I was saying goodbye to my family again. But this time I knew I'd be seeing them in 5 months. That sounds like a long time, but when I look at the calendar, I realize just how fast that time will go. Which is kind of bittersweet. I miss my family and friends at home, but I am also loving living and teaching in American Samoa.

This may sound strange, but I really like airports. I am always a bit nervous right when I get to them, because I always think something is going to go wrong, and my flight won't actually be booked or something. But once I get through security I am perfectly at home. I don't know what it it, I just really like being in airports, watching all the people coming and going. I took advantage of the time I had in Honolulu, picked up a couple magazines and a peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks before getting on the plane. Flying over the open ocean can be a bit nerve-wracking, but as I watched the sun set over the Pacific, I silently thanked God for blessing me with such an amazing family, awesome friends, and an adventure filled life.

New Years was a mellow affair, I watched the Samoa Bowl football game (high schoolers from Hawai'i vs. our students here on island). American Samoa won in overtime and the students representing Voc-Tech did amazing! I was so proud of them! That night was mellow, I just hung out at a friend's house and we all swapped stories from our Christmas travels. In case you didn't know, we were some of the last ones to ring in the new year!!

here are a few pictures from the Samoa Bowl

One of my students and I after the game

Seven things I've learned from first semester

FUN FACT:: American Samoa and the Midway Islands are the LAST places on earth to celebrate the new year!

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I meant to post this before Christmas, but it was a struggle trying to sum up my first six months of living and teaching in American Samoa. And then I went to Hawai'i for a week and was distracted....However, here are the seven things that I have learned from my first semester on the island. 

1. Don't sweat the small stuff - now obviously I don't really mean "don't sweat". Because of course that's impossible. My mother thought that Hawai'i was humid, I thought it was pleasantly dry and noticeably cooler than Samoa. What I really mean is to just go along with whatever seems to be happening, and don't be too concerned about how it's all going to work out. Inevitably, it will work out. It might take a long time, and you may have to go in a roundabout way, but eventually things will get done. There may be an assembly called at the last minute, canceling a class that was already behind schedule, the water may be contaminated, sending all the kids home, all the atm's that you stop at may be out of cash, a storm may knock out the wireless internet over your half of the island for a week, or the buses may all stop running because everyone is watching the rugby game, but that's just the way it goes here. The sooner you learn how to just take a deep breath and not worry about it, the happier you will be.

2. Cherish the little things - Sometimes it's my students making me proud. Some days it's getting a box in the mail full of magazines from my mom, or cookies from my grandma, or crazy stuff from my friends and sisters. Other times it's just sitting on the bus driving along the ocean wondering how in the world I got to be living in such a beautiful place. It's the small day to day things that I hope I never forget.

3. Being disconnected from the world is not a horrible thing - I admit, when I first arrived here, I was a bit spoiled. I had internet during orientation, and for a couple months I had it at my house. But when the internet at our house was shut off, I spent a couple weeks freaking out about how I was going to stay connected to everyone back home. Turns out, it's easy for me to check my email at school when classes are out for the day. It's fairly easy for me to go to McDonald's or Carl's Jr for wireless internet (sometimes you have to pay, but it's worth it). But being in my apartment, with no internet, and no tv, and no texting friends in the states is actually nice sometimes.It forces me to spend my time on other things...reading, lesson planning, grading, working out, writing letters, and visiting my friends upstairs. I have been disconnected to the point where I found out about Muammar Gaddafi's death from a tenth grade student. ("Miss, do you know a guy named Gaddafi? He died today.") I didn't know about the Occupy Wall Street movement until I was sent a newspaper in the mail. Thankfully, I was spared the talk about Kim Kardashian's wedding and divorce. When my sister mentions a new song being played on the radio, I have no idea what she's talking about. There are ups and downs to being disconnected, and I really miss watching the Nightly News with Brian Williams, but I have learned to live without a tv and constant internet...which leads me to my next topic...

4. The Things I Can Live Without - include but are not limited to: a television, cable, internet in my apartment, texting friends at home, a microwave, an oven, a full sized refrigerator with working freezer, a car, a large paycheck, air conditioning, hot water, make up, cute clothes and shoes, curling/straightening my hair (it's too hot.. i just put it up..), a variety of reasonably priced produce, taco bell, reliable access to a printer and copy machine, and good italian food.

5. I can live on my own. - I have always been a people person, an extrovert. While I enjoy my quiet alone time, I thrive on being around other people; friends, family, students, co-workers, etc. At my house, there are 2 apartments upstairs, 2 fellow Voc-Tech teachers in one, and the 3 Tafuna teachers in another. Since about September, I have been living in the downstairs apartment on my own. I have never lived by myself, and was a bit unnerved at first. I will admit it took some time to adjust to being alone. However, I have learned a lot about myself and what I need to do to stay happy, healthy, and content without relying on others. I regularly visit my friends upstairs, and Julie comes to stay with me most Fridays, but there are several times when I am just on my own. A few months ago, it was depressing. But now, I love it and plan on finding my own apartment when I move back to Washington.

6. I am so blessed. - This I knew before, but it has been magnified in the last 6 months. I have some awesome friends and an amazing family. I have a mother who saves all the magazines she gets to send to me, and is always ready to sit down on Sunday morning for a long phone call. I have sisters who spend a lot of time finding just the right things to send in care packages. I have a father who is always there to listen to my latest crisis or answer a burning question or just reassure me in general. I have grandparents who stay in touch through letters, and a grandmother brave enough to send me cookies and applesauce in the mail (the cookies made it, the applesauce did not..). I have aunts, uncles, cousins, and community members who check in and encourage me. And then I have my friends. They say that your friends are the family you choose for yourself, but my friends are truly a blessing. I have made some amazing friends here on the island that are always there to hang out, run errands with, or just listen to me vent. They have been there for me through the roughest of times this year, when i would just curl up and cry. And they helped to pull me up when I was down.

I also have a few friends back home who have been incredible. They understand that it's hard for me to be far away and that I feel left out at times. I have friends who send me hilarious emails on a regular basis. I have friends who answer the call from the mysterious phone number late at night. I have friends who've reserved time for skype dates. I have friends who send me little red tractors and cold medicine and ridiculous packages in the mail. I have friends who made themselves available to talk to me for the week I was in Hawai'i with my old phone turned back on. I have friends who regularly check in with me and talk on facebook. I have a friend who is flying down to New Zealand to spend my spring break with me. As much as I wish I could be right there next to them, the support and encouragement of my friends, my family, and my hometown community has been amazing.

7. I am a teacher. - This may sound silly, especially since I majored in education, but it is perhaps the most important thing I have learned about myself since being here. Part of the reason that I applied to WorldTeach was to see if I really had what it took to be a teacher. To see if I really wanted to focus on it as a career. I knew that I loved history, and that I enjoyed working with kids, especially English Language Learners. But I still was not sure if teaching was what I was meant to do. Now, after everything that I have done and struggled with and accomplished since the school year began in August, I know the answer. I am a teacher. It isn't just a job, and it isn't just a title. It's more that just what I do. It is a part of who I am. For someone who originally went into film production, wanting to focus on cinematography, switching to education my sophomore year of college was a huge change. But I can now say, without a doubt, that it was the right one.

The job I have right now, teaching social studies to English language learners, is exactly what I went to school for, exactly what I am trained to do. I am passionate about my subject. I love history. I am a geography nerd. I enjoy going to school. I like the routine of it, I like the atmosphere. But most of all, I love my students. Of course there are days when they drive me nuts, but those are surpassed by the days when they make me ridiculously proud and happy. I like watching them play sports, I like watching them interact, I like joking around with them, and I love the moment when the lightbulb goes on in their heads and they really understand. I love when they thank me for being a good teacher. My heart will break when I say goodbye to them in June and I am thankful that I have 5 more months before that day comes.

I am a teacher. And despite the lack of resources, the unreliable access to a printer or copy machine, the frustration I feel towards the education system on the island, and the days when nothing seems to go right, I know that I if I can teach here, I can teach anywhere. I was meant to do this.

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It's hard to believe that this experience, which I spent the better part of the last 2 years preparing for, is half over. It has been a rollercoaster! To say that my life has been forever changed by this year is a huge understatement. When I was 16, Mike Cantlon was told me that I would not be the same after returning from my People to People trip to Europe. He was right. That trip changed my life, and led me on a path that I am still following to this day. This year is another one of those defining experiences. I know my time here will continue to effect me years after I have said my final goodbye to this beautiful island. People constantly tell me how jealous they are of my life and how lucky I am. But it has nothing to do with luck. Luck is just courage meeting opportunity. I saw an opportunity and I went after it. I did not stop until I got what I wanted. As crazy as it may have seemed to people, I packed my bags and flew off to an island country that I had never been to, with people I had never met, to volunteer for a whole year. I am not lucky. This is just the way I choose to live my life. I encourage everyone out there (whoever may be reading this) to "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined." (Henry David Thoreau). It may be scary, and it won't be easy, but it will be worth it. 

Fa soi fua, and Happy New Year!