Back in Samoa (Update with Pictures)

The first week of school has come to and end, but I have yet to teach a single class. The hold up has been the renovations, which are ongoing, and encompassing C block, which is where my computer lab is. I’ve included some pictures of the lab I took today. I doubt we will be starting school on monday either. When school does start however, I will have a full schedule. In addition to the year 12 and 13 computer classes I taught last year, I am adding another year 12 class and a year 11 computer class, as well as a year 10 english class. I am looking forward to these changes as my time will be more occupied with work this year than the last.

This giant bug was waiting for me when I got back home

Fried Yellow Fin Tuna

Yes, that’s fish and chips with bread instead of chips

Baby Toa

C Block, under construction

My renovated classroom

Back in Samoa

Well I made it back in one piece, which should be nice for all of you to hear. Thanks for everyone that showed me a good time back in the USofA. Although I’ve only been back for about a week, it has been super busy. There’s been conferences, including AllVol and a church school meeting, and then school started yesterday. I havn’t had the chance to teach yet, because the first week is for cleaning. Renovations aren’t finished on the building that houses my computer lab either, and I have no idea when they will be, although the principal remains hopeful that we can begin teaching next week.

In other news during the break, Dec. 15th to be exact, my host Mother in Fausaga gave birth to a baby boy and named him after me. This would have been exciting news for all of you state side had Matt not already told you all about it already (how’s that for passive aggressive). Unfortunately I neglected to bring the hard drive I keep my pictures on to Apia today, so I’ll have to update this post with pictures including baby toa, and my successful attempt at frying up yellowfin tuna. I’ll try to do that before the end of the week.

Baby, it’s cold outside

The major adjustment that I’ve needed to take while in the states has been to the temperature. Although it remains around 80 degrees in Samoa, up in New England its been in the 20s. Although I do enjoy skiing, the cold is an obsticle to over come. My grandfather came out to visit while I am around, so the family Popstefanija decided to head out to Vermont and get our ski on. We went to Stratton and had a good time, although it was a little too cold for comfort. Anyway, here are some of the pics.

Getting ready to leave for the mountain

The snow was good, but it was bitter cold

Boy was it cold, I didn’t let one inch of skin show

Me, Aleks and my Grandfather

On the slopes

Check out the trees in the background

Me and the Pops

Back Home!

I’ve made it back to the states for a short vacation. I have been feeling like a fish out of water lately, but I’ve also been taking advantage of being in “civilization.” My first stop in LA was at a chipotle, feeding the need for mexican food that samoa fails to satisfy. This morning I visited a brueggers for a much needed bagel. I think I will be fat when I get back to samoa.

Besides the quantity and quality of food, I’ve also had to adjust to the temperature. I’ve traveled from the hottest time of the year in Samoa to the coldest time of the year in the northeast, which means I am freezing all the time.  This is also odd for me because I havn’t worn socks or long pants for a year, and now I have to constantly bundle up.

Those of you in the northeast, I can be reached at the same phone number as before I left. Sorry I’m not gonna post it up on the web though. Here are some pictures of me in the pioneer valley (wessern mass woot!)

All my things

Iva’s awesome apartment in LA

Lila, Iva’s dog

The Bruegger’s in town

At ProSensing, where I used to work

Out front with Papa Pops

This Taco Bell opened while I was away, so happy

One last one before the vacation

I’m in the office today to make final preparations before I leave for home. I am very excited about getting away from my peace corps experience for a month and enjoying kirisimasi and new years at home. I am going back to my site later tonight, and I expect to stay there until my flight monday night. From there it will be a 10 hour layover and then another red eye to JFK, followed by a 3 hour car ride until I finally reach home! It will be well worth the wait. For those of you in the area, including you peace corps, hit me up and we should chill. Expect the blog to get a major makeover and a ton of pictures during the hiatus, as I will be back in the land of broadband internet connections. For all of you staying in country, hope you have a good time! (wow, I think i’ve overused exclamation points in this post.)

Proof of gardening

Katie and Carrie expressed excitment with my gardening, so I figured I would show you some of the fruits of my labor. So far these are the sugar cane I planted last year and the pineapple I just planted this week. In other news, my teacher’s held a function the other night to celebrate the end of school. We had it at maota o samoa, a bar in vaitele. The atmosphere there was nice, but I was more inticed by the pictures that hung the wall, which along with other samoan heads of state included, Gandhi, Queen Elisabeth, Princess Di, and my personal favorite, William Jefferson Clinton! Pictures follow:

Fala (fa’aSamoa for pineapple)

The Sugar Cane, three stalks

This car in Apia blew my mind, check out where it came from

The end of year teacher function

41st President of the United States, Billy

I think these two cancel each other out

Prizegiving

Today at my school was prizegiving, which is the Samoan equivalent to graduation. The students were assembled in the hall, and prizes were given to students for various achievements, such as: top subject students, best academic, sportsman/woman, etc. I was responsible for getting the prizes for the top performers in my classes, and I got them each 2 GB flash drives. It was a nice end to the year, and the show included not only the distribution of prizes, but also singing by the students. Including traditional samoan and xmas songs, they also sang some abba and michael jackson.

Now begins my 3 weeks of nothingness before I head back to the states for vacation. I am very excited about coming back but I’ve got to keep myself busy somehow. I will be practicing alot of guitar for sure. I have also tried my hand at gardening again, this time by planting a pineapple. I think it may require more work than the sugar cane, but heres hoping it comes out okay.

The Prizes

Food donated by the student’s parents

My teachers preparing the food

The students assembled in the hall

My Vice Principal announcing the prize winners

The top year 12 Computer student, Nazarene, with parents

Me with some computer students

Me and Tofaga, the top year 13 computer student

Some of the Year 13 students

[Editor's note: This is the 50th post on my blog! Thanks for visiting everyone]

Thanksgiving

This post may be coming a little late, but I’ve had a pretty eventful weekend. This weekend on Saturday Peace Corps celebrated traditional American holiday. Robin, the Charge d’Affairs, hosted a pot luck at her house, an event which we have been waiting all year for. We were not disappointed, food was great and so was the company.

The whole weekend has been long in coming since school is over for the most part. Prize giving (read: Graduation) is this upcoming Wednesday. Today is also memorable because we are seeing off Cale and Sara. They will be missed. Well here are pictures from Thanksgiving.

I assisted Jenny in making the rice krispy treats

Jim cooking up some bacon for his mashed potatos

Robin’s Living Room

The Bacon Turkey

Blakey and Spencer helping out in the kitchen

Chillin’ on the balcony

Reflections on the first year of service

With school coming to a close, I have had alot of free time on my hands. I havn’t taught classes in about a month, and this week is exam week. I have had to supervise some of the exams and so I’ve gotten alot of reading done. I’ve also had a lot of time to sit and reflect on my peace corps experience and what its meant to me. Seeing as this is about the year mark for me, I think that this reflection has been constructive, as it can help prepare me for next year.

When I left I never wanted to say this, but I think I am very different from the person I was back in the states. Even though it has only been a year in real time, it feels as though it was alot longer, and so it feels as though I’ve taken more than a year of experience from it. For one thing, it has made me far more cynical, but at the same time reinforced my idealism. I believe I do have the power to make a difference, only that it will take baby steps.

I have no new pictures to show, but I thought that in the spirit of this post, I would put up some pictures from the course of this year, and sort of best of. Anyway, here goes:

The ’stache

Getting ready to meet our host families

Chillin’ in the village

LFC, aka Roma Fou, home of the Romantic Souljahs

My year 12 class

My Year 13 student, pointing to Samoa

The computer lab, when I arrived

The computer lab, today

Playing at the waterfall

Fia Fia Videos

Fellow PCV, Ben, put up a number of videos from the fiafia. I think pictures are good and fine, but the videos are like being there. Ben even added some of his own commentary. Check out the link here:

http://ben-in-samoa.blogspot.com/

P.S. Ben wants all of you to know that his blog is Five Star Quality.