Training

• Since my group has hit its year mark, halfway mark, and soon to be year in the village mark, I thought I would take you back to what we were doing this time a year ago. Last summer, we spent our time between Apia and the training village in Manunu, Upolu. Here's some pics of that. Lot's of reminiscing as i write this blog. For most of us, our fondest memories are of our time spent together in this village. We were a group, a team, now we are scattered around the two islands and it seems like every month another one of us is leaving.

Me, Jacob, and some of the guys playing homerun derby. This event was not about culture sharing, or teaching new sports to kids. It was about young American men and their need to hit a ball as hard and far as they can. (I won!)

With the financial help of a wealthy American family sailing through the Pacific, we were able to repaint and put new flooring in the Manunu Primary School. It was a festive day of painting and games. It's amazing what how good we look when other people give us money.

An amazing waterfall near Manunu. We spent lots of our free time here. Usually with a host of Samoans. good times...

This is before our big end of training party (fiafia). We performed several dances and a skit, but the real treat was watching the village perform their dances for us. There are only 9 of us left from this group of 16.

The Peace Corps version of "You Got Served." With our fearless leader Niko leading the way, we dueled with a local primary school in an all out dance battle. They were tough, but no match for the "Hokie Pokie" or was it the Chicken Dance?

I'm a father!

...Godfather that is. This is my sister, Loreta, from our training village in Manunu and her new baby boy Peni, named in honor of me. (Peni is my Samoan name.) Although it is common for Samoans to name newborns after a visitor that has spent some time with them, I am flattered and incredibly honored nonetheless. A child in this world carries my namesake. The first time i saw Peni, he smiled at me. I think I'll have a connection with this kid. After all, it seems only fitting that I be the godfather considering I could hear him being conceived during training last June. So much for privacy in Samoa. haha...

Samoan Funeral

final resting site of the departed. yes this common to bury your dead in your front yard. some say this is so ur dead will keep away evil spirits. others say it makes for settling land disputes in the future. this grave will have a few more layers and decorations added to it once finished. (nice water tank!)

A high talking cheif delivers a speech to the family. just out of view to the left is a chief and group of the family who thanks the high chief and delivers his own speech.

matai doing the ceremonial walk to the gravesite.

i partially witnessed my first samoan funeral last week. only partially because it turns out i was at the start of a case of dengue fever, and my first because ive done my best to avoid previous ones. funerals in samoa are almost like family reunions at the same time. they usually involve family coming home from australia, nz, and american samoa. the service itself can be anywhere from a few days after the death to about 2 weeks later. lots of gift are donated to the greiving family usually in the form of fine mats, cows, pigs, money, and boxes of canned fish. the tendancy is to give more than you can afford or should, and then things are redistributed back to contributing families at the end. a concept we americans will never understand. they last at least one whole day.