The Wheels on the Bus

There are some days when I wake up and forget where I am. When I realize it I think wow I really am here. Then most days I just completely fall into my Samoan life. This day was a typical Tuesday and for the most part a typical bus ride. It wasn’t until I was home wiping puke off my bag, with no feelings of disgust or anger, that I realized how “untypical” this bus ride would be in America. Sometimes I get shocked by my lack of reaction to things, but this instance especially…I call these moments my “Samoan Moments”, the moments where all my American habits leave me and I am completely indulged into this way of life.
Samoan Moment: Bus Ride
As soon as I got on the bus I knew it was going to be a tight ride home. A 400 lb woman offered the 3 inches left of her seat for me to sit, but I couldn’t complain because it was the only seat left. The bus was stopped within only three minutes of its departure when I pregnant woman got on and without hesitation I gave up my seat ( I would like to think I would have been this polite in America but I didn’t find myself considering it until it was the culturally appropriate thing to do). So my seat was gone and I left my bags in the front and wiggled my way to the isle where a 400 lb man offered his lap, I respectfully declined. The bus was on the move again but no sooner did it start moving that it got stopped again. At this point I was getting nervous because the bus was jammed packed and we still had 1.5 hours before our district, this bus couldn’t fit anymore but it would try. When the bus stopped a family got on and the man offered me his seat (it is also culturally appropriate to give a seat to a palagi). A child was placed on my lap and no, I had no idea who he was. The bus was in motion again and there were a couple more stops and people getting on and babies being passed around. The woman standing next to me decided to use me as a base to lean against, and she wasn’t holding any of the weight back, so I gave up my seat. I decided it would be much more comfortable to stand then to be used as back support to a woman. The ride wasn’t bad after that. Once the bus got going it didn’t stop until we got to our district. I had to get one and off a lot, seeing as how I was standing in the isle. Each time a seat was open I tried to get to it but someone always beat me to it. Finally I got a seat in the very front, which is like the VIP section. There was a man standing in front of me with someone else’s baby. Cute kid that I was making funny faces with. Suddenly he was the one making a funny face that only my years of working with children made me recognize but it wasn’t quick enough. Yes, that face was the I am going to hurl face, and he did, all over my feet. The man holding the baby turned him to the side and then took him off the bus. Side note, this was not the child’s father, and they never got back on the bus. Anyways I got my feet wiped down with a lavalava and got a glimpse of my bags. Yes, they were covered with baby puke.
Soon I was home, wiping my bags off. I unloaded my groceries (thankfully got spared the baby fluids) and now I am sitting here drinking tea and listening to Adele. It was a good day.
Also I thought it might be fun to let you all know what I have been watching, reading, and listening to lately. You may do what you please with this information 
Book:
The Choice Effect (Love Commitment in an Age of Too Many Options)
By Amalia McGibbon, Lara Vogel, Claire Williams
- MUST READ FOR ALL FEMALES 20-35! I just started it but have been laughing through the whole thing. Basically it explains why we are moving away from the traditional path of life, and that its okay.
Show:
Sons of Anarchy (FX)
If you enjoy thrilling combat and brotherly love this is for you. But if you also love passion and family values it is for you too. I don’t know how many seasons there are, but we have three in this country. Feel free to send more over 
Music:
Adele : 21

PEACE AND LOVE

Sutherlands in Samoa

            I talked to my parents today, both were a little disappointed that my latest blog post was not about their trip. I have written several drafts of that certain post. I just can’t decide on what I really want to talk about or my tone of the events. I mean do I really tell you guys that I hadn’t seen my parents in 1 year and it only took 3 days for me to get annoyed by my Mom telling me what to do and her and my Dad bickering about his driving? I decided that yes, I do tell you this. Why, because it’s funny and it’s my family and I love them for it. I mean you think they would be able to contain themselves for the first hour of seeing their daughter that they hadn’t seen in a year, before my mom threatening to move by herself to the mountains. Which after doing the Robert Lewis Stevenson hike (if you heard the story my mom probably referred to this as a vertical rock climb) I know the “moving to the mountains threat” is just silly. Today she told me she was going to move to the city alone.

            So my parents came, saw and conquered Samoa. They went to church and had the traditional To’onai meal with my family. I think they both were surprised, and my mom a little relieved, that the food wasn’t that strange. My dad had a chance to sleep outside and my mom was able to sleep with walls every night. There were no bug freak outs!!! Most importantly, they learned what I like to call “the art of doing nothing”. There was a lot of “so what do we do now”, just enjoy where you are. I think my mom was a little disappointed in the lack of shopping, my dad wasn’t.

            The trip was good for them. It’s so hard to understand something until you can actually see and experience it. I think that they were able to realize that this is my life right now, and to me everything I do and am surrounded by is normal. They may use the word “poor” but I like to use “simple”, but I mean who wants to describe their lifestyle as poor? But they can see that I live in simplicity, and I am okay without the luxuries I used to have. That’s all any parent ever wants though isn’t it? Whether there in Samoa, a different state or across the street; they just want to make sure there child is safe and happy.

After Samoa my amazing parents took me to Hawaii for a week, A little taste of America with the relaxed island attitudes. Heaven.

HUGE THANK YOU TO JOANNE AND MIKE MALLON. Wish you were there, you guys are amazing <3

Hawaii was perfect. I got a haircut and a pedicure. My mom and I were able to do some mother daughter time shopping around the endless amounts of stores. Great food and GREAT TV. And the beds, like lying in the clouds! Oh ya the scenery was pretty beautiful as well J but yes this was me in Hawaii, when most want to go to the beach and learn how to surf. I wanted to go straight to a star bucks and get a iced coffee and bagel, and catch up on the ridiculous but addicting reality TV.

 Did I mention how great my parents are? Thanks Mom and Dad

Happy 1 Year

Today feels like any other day for the most part. I went to school, taught some lessons, ate lunch and came home, took a nap, read some of my book and did some laundry. But this day is a little special. Exactly one year ago I arrived here in Samoa. Exactly one year ago I became someone new. Exactly one year ago my life changed. Sitting here now at my kitchen table looking around I know I am exactly where I want to be, where I need to be. During this experience I have changed slowly and in small ways. I was reading through old journal entries and came across something I wrote in my very first journal entry. It was before I left. I was scared and I questioned myself. Why was I doing this?

September 13, 2010

“I want to be broken into pieces and built back up”

Deep I know. But what did I mean? I wanted to become a different person, a better person. However, the journey to become this person went a completely different direction than what I thought. I thought I was going to hand over myself on a platter to this culture and its people. I was going to do whatever they needed me to do for them. I was going to become the person they needed me to be and in return I would be a better person. Through all my trials and struggles during this year I slowly learned that the person they needed me to be was me. My biggest battle was with myself and who I thought I needed to be. It did happen to me, the pieces breaking. But I didn’t need new pieces; I wanted to be built back up with the same ones. However there were some pieces that didn’t fit anymore. Like that piece that needed hot showers or technology to teach a lesson. Some pieces got bigger; patience, respect and body odor. I eventually found myself all over the floor searching for an architect, which I should have known was me. Time is building me back up. I don’t think I will ever be finished. We are forever breaking; just make sure you always carry your super glue.

What’s important is that today I feel whole. Today I feel happy and proud. And that’s all I can ask for.

Happy 1 Year

Peace and Love