The animals were a huge part of life in Manu'a. I want to focus on the dogs. About half of the dogs on the island were aggressive, dangerous, ready to attack at any given moment, protective of their family's property. We learned how to try to fend them off: by yelling "Alu!" (translation: "go!") and pretending to pick up a rock and throw it at ( Read more... )

Perhaps my last few months in Manu'a, for once in my life, I was busier living my life than thinking about and writing about my life. I consider this a rare accomplishment on my part. From the perspective of two and a half months after having left my tiny island, I feel like I am ready to talk hind-sightedly about the year ( Read more... )

Friday night, there was a Siva (dance) in the fale next door! The sivas are what I look forward to the most on this island, and there is usually one held about once a month. Dances here are generally fundraisers, and this one was to raise money for the senior class at Manu’a High school, for their graduation and prom; it was called the senior ( Read more... )

A little bit more than three months left in the program. Or, as I like to say these days, 3-15 to “Uma” (which means “finished” in Samoan). January dragged, February flew, and March will drag. Then there is Spring Break in Fiji! Then the remaining seven weeks, which will fly and be full of crazy emotions ( Read more... )

After 16 weeks of teaching four different math subjects, dealing with students and administrators, first-semester midterms, student discipline issues, and adjustments to this island life, we four volunteers out here in Manu’a finally reached winter break. This break was something I had been dreaming about for months… hoping it would come sooner… ( Read more... )

The first month I was in American Samoa was orientation on the main island. It was an exciting month and it flew by. The second month, September, was my first month out in Manu’a. It felt like one of the longest months of my life and was full of growing pains in all aspects of my daily life… school was a nightmare. The students were testing the ( Read more... )

The days and weeks seem to fly by here, yet we’ve only been here less than three months, and it feels like six months at least. Being busy contributes to the weeks moving fast. Every day is school all day, and every afternoon and evening is spent lesson planning, cooking, cleaning, and trying to just keep busy and productive. We still watch DVDs ( Read more... )

Manu’a ( Read more... )

I have always been lucky in life. I appreciate every day of it, and though there were a few years where I may have lost my enthusiasm and understanding of that, I know it and say it all of the time. I was once lucky in love, or so I feel, and hopefully will be one day again. But for now, I'm happy for this. I do think I partly make my own luck ( Read more... )

My first ten days in American Samoa ( Read more... )