I'm baaaack...(written 6/10/08)

I’m baaaaack. It’s official. I’m back in the good ‘ol US of A and it sure is good to be back. I’m going to make this entry much shorter than it should be because I could probably write five or six pages about the past couple of weeks. Let me just say that I arrived back in the US on Tuesday, June 27^th. I stayed with a Pastor and his wife in LA for a few days and arrived in TN on Friday, June 30^th. No one knew of my early return except for my dad. It was a huge surprise, to say the least. This journal entry has been a long time coming but I had to surprise one more family.

I do miss Samoa, especially the family and friends I came to know and love there. Thanks to technology I can still keep in touch but it just isn’t the same.

Strangely, there really hasn’t been much culture shock yet. Driving on the highway wasn’t a big deal. Going to the mall didn’t do a thing for me. The weather here is just as hot as it is in Samoa (minus the humidity).

You’re probably wondering what my future plans are. Well, I’m seriously considering putting down some roots right here in TN, or at least close to home. I’ve been living away from my family since December 03. I think it will be nice to be around them now. So, today I start a serious job hunt. Wish me luck and keep me in your prayers. I might have one more entry for this blog but if I were you, I’d probably stop checking it.

Thank you so much to all of you who kept in contact with me while I was on the other side of the world. You have no idea, or maybe you do, how it feels to check my email and see a new message. Thank you also for your prayers. I am a strong believer in the power of prayer and know that without it the success of my trip wouldn’t have been possible.

 

Fa soifua,

Cecil

 

PS…check out my blog for a link to a new online photo album with pics of my trip.

This is to update you... (written 5/10/08)

This is to update you on the recent happenings here in Samoa. I’m sorry they are so brief but, there really isn’t much to report.

 

1. I’M A MATAI: Yes, it’s true. If you haven’t heard, I’ve been given a title here in the village of Iva. Translated to English that means I am now considered a chief in this village. In Samoa, to indicate you are a title holder (a chief), you are given a new name. These are names reserved for chiefs. My new name is Asomua. In the village of Iva, this is a big title. While I know I don’t deserve the title, I am greatly humbled by the honor. So, what does this mean? To be honest, even I’m not totally clear on this point. Basically, if I wanted to, I could attend the village chief meetings (fono) held weekly. It also means that I have some say in the allocation of land and gifts within the family that gave me the title. As far as the perks, again, not really sure on that point either. For me, being a matai (chief) always meant more responsibilities. This is why I never sought the “honor.” In fact, I didn’t even know Tofilau (the high chief in Iva who gave me the title) wanted to give me a title. We were all sitting down with the church elders for a Sunday lunch (to’ona’i) when Tofilau started to talk and say my name over and over. To make a long story short, I was called to the front of the gathering to receive my title. Yes, they did the saofa’i (title giving ceremony) right there after the meal. The ceremony was unique for several reasons. First, it was held on a Sunday. Most saofa’i are held during the week or on the weekends. This allows for the ritual of drinking ava (a ceremonial drink reserved for very special occasions). Second, I was the only one to receive a title. Usually, at a saofa’i, several people receive there titles. Third, the man giving me my title was there and spoke and gave the reasons for giving me the title. Fourth, I knew most of the people around me and my pastor gave the blessing for my title. Because of the usual size of the saofa’i, the men receiving their titles are surrounded by the chiefs of the village and are blessed by an elected pastor. It’s true, I don’t deserve the title. Tofilau said one of the main reasons for giving me the title was to honor the work my parents have done in Iva over the past several years. For that I thank my mom and dad for their hard work and hope to honor them with the title.
2. I GOT A SMALL TATTOO: Actually, I got the traditional Samoan tattoo for men called the soga’imiti. Please don’t ask me about it before you google it. Let me just say that I did get it the traditional way (no tattoo machine). It took me twelve straight days to complete it. It hurts just as much as the articles you will read about it say. I had it done by the only family in Samoa recognized as the guardians and perpetuators of the Samoan tattoo, the Suluape family. Su’a Pita Suluape gave me my soga’imiti. This is the son of the famous Suluape who travels around the world applying the tattoo to Samoans abroad as well as performing his art at worldwide tattoo conventions. Sorry but you’ll just have to take my word for it. I’m not going to post any pictures until I return to the States in July or August. I’m still healing. After you see the pictures of other people’s soga’imiti online, you’ll understand why a month later I’m still recovering (and will continue to recover). I’m told that it takes almost a year, sometimes a little more, to fully recover from the process. After having it done, I can understand why.

 

That’s about it. I’m sorry I’ve disappointed those of you who expected a weekly or even monthly report. I hope to make up for it when I return (July or August). You’ll just have to invite me over for dinner and debrief me.

 

Later…

No offense, but I hate chickens...(written 2/26/08)

No offense, but I hate chickens. Don’t get me wrong. I love eggs. I even love the taste of chicken. It’s everything in between the egg and my chicken and chips platter I dislike. Perhaps this only holds true in Samoa where chickens live just about everywhere. Note: I was going to say “in close proximity” instead of “everywhere” in the last sentence; then I realized that they truly do live everywhere here.

Did you know that chickens sleep in trees? Apparently they do. Although, from the noise of a tree just outside of my window, I get the feeling they sleep very little. Believe me, I’ve lived it.

Did you know that the crow of a rooster is much like the human yawn? What do I mean? Well, if you’ve ever seen anyone yawn, for some reason the urge to yawn suddenly overcomes you and you have to yawn as well, regardless of how sleepy or awake you are. The same is true with the rooster’s crow. As soon as one rooster hears another crow, they all start crowing…regardless the time of day. Oh yeah, and that whole “roosters crowing at the break of day” is a bunch of bunk. They usually start crowing at around 4am and stop somewhere around…never. Believe me, I’ve lived it.

Did you know that even the humble hen will attack if you get to close to her chicks? She will. Believe me, I’ve lived it.

In Samoa, chickens are everywhere. Just after typing that last sentence, I thought I’d look outside to test that statement. Yep, you guessed it. There is a lovely brown and white chicken rummaging around the lava rocks for Lord knows what kind of food right now. Amazing!

The funny thing is, for all the chickens I see everywhere, I rarely see them on the dinner plate. What exactly are they doing here again? I must praise the chicken for at least one good function it serves here in Samoa. I’ve seen, on more than one occasion, a chicken attack and eat a centipede. If this is the only thing they do here in Samoa, God bless ‘em. And regardless of how disrespectful and inconsiderate they may be as adults, their chicks are always cute. So, if you’ve got this romantic view of the chicken and if you’ve got a refrigerator magnet with a chicken on it, or oven mitts, or hand towels, or anything meal-related, I challenge you to visit a Samoan village. That’ll solve that problem right quick.

And yes Napoleon, chickens do have large talons.

Yes, I'm still alive...(written 1/29/08)

Yes, I’m still alive. For those of you upset at the long break, can I say “I told you so?” Yeah, well I told you all that my entries would be infrequent. Didn’t think I meant that huh? Well, I did.

I’m not even going to attempt to catch you all up on the holiday season. Just know one thing: Christmas in Samoa is the same as Christmas in the States less Santa Clause, his eight reindeer, the cold weather, the Christmas lights (I can’t lie, there were a few here), the crowds, the Christmas music being played everywhere, the food, the presents, the Christmas trees, the caroling, the Christmas sales, the hype, and anything else you can associate with a “traditional” Christmas. I have to admit, God taught me one of the most important lessons of my life. It’s really easy to say “Jesus is the reason for the Season” isn’t it? I’ve said it countless times. Ever been in a position where that actually had meaning? Well, I have. When you have nothing around you to help you think of Christmas, not even family, what do you think of? Do you think of the birth of Jesus and gravity of that event? I have to admit, I did not. Thank you Lord for the lesson. It came at a price but it was worth it. I’ll never forget my Christmas in Samoa. It was the Christmas where I really understood that the only thing that truly matters during Christmas is the birth of Christ.

If you’re wondering how my language acquisition is coming along, I’m just now starting to pick it up. A friend of mine told me that it wasn’t until the sixth month that he really started learning the language. He was in a similar situation. I’m glad to say that I believe I’m experiencing the same thing. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I’ve come to the realization that I have only six more months here. Perhaps it’s because the first six months were spent tuning my ear in to the language. Who knows? The fact is, I’m doing a lot more studying and with a lot more zeal now. Another good thing to come out of the Holiday Season here was a lot of time to myself to think. I hope you had a chance to do the same. I hope you had the chance to sit back and evaluate 2007 and plan for 2008.

Now to the weather…rain, rain, oh, and yeah, more rain. It has been raining here every day, most days all day, since December. I can honestly say, without exaggeration, that there hasn’t been a day without rain since the beginning to mid December. Thank God there have been a few days here recently where the sun has come out. For a while there I thought the sun was on vacation. I’m not sure exactly when the seasons change here but I’m ready for the wet season to be over. My only fear is that it is just beginning. That said, I’d rather drive in the rain any day than the snow.

In an attempt to gloss over the past two months, I’ve kept this one quite short. Perhaps I’ll be more consistent in 2008. Perhaps not.

 

Later…

It's a lot like camping...(written 12/5/07).

It’s a lot like camping really. Each night I light a couple of mosquito coils. We cook our food over open fires. If it were cool enough at night, I would seriously consider a sleeping bag. Our showers are open to the elements. If it rains really hard, someone has to wake up to let down the tarps that block the rain from entering our wall-less home (fale apa). I’ve even found myself searching the internet for instructions on various camping skills…knot tying, starting fires, etc. I’m afraid I’ve been out of the Royal Ranger program for far too long. There was a time when I knew how to do all of these things. Last week, however, I had the most difficult time starting a fire. It wasn’t until after I got the fire lit (after two or three unsuccessful attempts) that someone decided to show me the Samoan way to light a fire. After the lesson, I had no problems starting the fire for lunch.

It has been raining a lot over the past couple of days. This means an increase in centipede appearances. And, last night, I had my first centipede bite in a long time. This centipede was the largest of my previous centipede encounters although it was probably only medium in size. You may remember from a previous entry that several people have told me that the smaller the centipede, the greater the pain of the bite. Well, I have to say that this centipede, although the largest of my previous bites, hurt just the same as the smaller ones. So, as they say in one of my favorite TV shows from my previous life…”Myth busted!”

My language acquisition is still not as fast as I would like. However, this is due to lack of discipline on my part. Please keep me in your prayers regarding this matter. By simply living in a country, one can learn a language. This is true as I know I am learning new words all the time. I just know that if I put more effort into it, I could learn a lot more while here.

Christmas season is here. No doubt you all are experiencing Christmas in all of its commercial glory. This is perhaps the least commercialized country I’ve ever lived in. It’s hard to see the traditional signs of Christmas when you live in a country where the inhabitants have little disposable income or easy access to consumer debt (credit cards or loans). I’ve seen a few Christmas lights in the windows of a few shops in the major town here. Every once in a while I’ll hear a Christmas song on the radio and I’m reminded of the season. There are no Salvation Army bell ringers, no Santa Clauses, no reindeer. I’ve seen a couple of Christmas trees (fake, of course). And what’s this thing called snow? I had to keep from laughing Sunday morning when our church choir sang a medley of English Christmas songs that included the lyrics “Dashing though the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh.” Do they even really know what that means? I’m sure they do but the thought of dashing, snow, and sleighs in Samoa is quite comical. Especially since it is still so hot here.

Until next time…

 

Fa Soifua,

Tomasi

My fourth bite... (written 11/21/07)

My fourth bite hurt more than the previous three. Perhaps it was due to the location: my right foot between my pinky and the ring? toe. Maybe you’re tired of hearing about my centipede bites but until it becomes no big deal to me, I’m afraid you’re going to hear about each one. It happened last night. One thing I am quite proud of: now that I know what the bite feels like, I’ve been getting quicker at jumping up and killing the little devils. The only debate I have going on in my head right now is whether I prefer the bigger centipede bites or the bites of the smaller centipedes. The smaller they are, the more they hurt. The bigger they are, however, the creepier the idea of it crawling around in my sheets. For now, I think I prefer the smaller more painful centipedes. Plus, the big ones are really fast.

Mosquitoes are a whole different story. I jokingly said to a friend of mine before I left that I would place a counter on my blog to keep track of the mosquito bites I incurred. What an idiotic thing to say, especially since I am living in a tropical climate. I think I lost count on day three. So, now I’m on to centipede bites…four total, by the way.

Last week I wove my first basket from the palm fronds of the coconut tree. It looked like a basket by the time I was done with it. I must admit though, I had a little help with the last part of the basket. After making the basket, I learned how to make a plate using two pieces of the same coconut fronds. It was fun until I found out we were making the plates for a church barbeque and I had to make about thirty or forty more. Nevertheless, I enjoy making things with my hands. A friend of mine here says he will show me how to make a bigger, more complicated basket some time this week. We’ll see. This is the same friend who said he’d show me how to make the first “level 1” basket when I first arrived. Hmmm…that was in July.

Here at the Bible school, the students rotate responsibilities each week. Next week I’ll be helping with the cooking. Hopefully I’ll learn how to make two of my favorite Samoan foods: kopai and pani popo. Kopai is basically dumplings in sweetened coconut cream. Pani popo is basically sweet rolls in coconut cream. Both are quite delicious and best served hot.

Praise the Lord! I haven’t caught any terrible diseases here. Thanks to a couple of visiting dentists from the States, I have anti-parasitic medicine…just in case. Yuk! I hate even the thought. Two weeks ago I had a cold. This has been the extent of any sicknesses here. Praise the Lord!

I just want to give a quick hello to all of the fam in TN. Love ya’ll. Also to the fam in Cincy, especially my CLSA family. Thanks for all of your prayers and for keeping in touch.

 

Fa soifua,

Cecil (Tomasi)

After over one week... (written 11/3/07)

After one week in my new digs, all I can say is “PRAISE THE LORD!” Praise the Lord I am still alive. Honestly, it’s not really that bad. Only two centipede bites. I’d tell you how many mosquito bites but I’m afraid I’ve lost count. Although I have a mosquito net, because of the rules in the “dormitory,” I would have to put it up and take it down each day. If the frequency and discomfort of the mosquito bites ever reaches a level that would require the net, of course I will use it. Until then, I’m fine.

This week the village is all abuzz due to the arrival of a church team from Portland, Oregon. Fourteen people traveled all the way to Samoa to build a three-bedroom house for the principal of the new Bible college in the village of Tafua. Just watching them work, you can tell they’ve done this before. On the second day (the first day was really half a day), the external and internal walls were framed and in position. WOW! As of today, the roof framing is almost complete. I told them that if they keep working at this pace, we may run out of things for them to do. Maybe they’ll build a second house…Nah!

I walked/hiked to the plantation for the first time this week. I’ve been there before, but in a car. I didn’t realize it was so far away. Not only did we walk/hike all the way there, but we had to walk back carrying seven to ten coconut palms each (lau niu) on our backs. It was very hard work and I was soaking wet by the time we returned but I’d do it again in an instant. When we first made it to the plantation, we sat down in the grass and rested. After the short break, we broke up into two small groups. One group went to the right. My group went to the left. One of our guys climbed the coconut tree with machete in hand. After a minute or two, coconut fronds were raining from the sky. One of the guys shouted out for some niu (young coconuts) and the guy up top let eight or nine drop. When he came down from the tree, he swung the machete a few times at the niu and all of us were there leaning up against the jungle overgrowth sipping on the freshest coconut juice I’ve ever had. After finishing the coconut juice, he hacked each of our coconuts in two and we ate the soft meat of the new coconut using makeshift spoons (actually the shavings of the coconut). I’ll never forget it. I did tell them, however, that next time I wanted to climb the tree. “We’ll see” was basically their response. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. After hauling the coconut fronds back to the church on my back, one of the boys showed me how to weave the fronds onto a pole or tree for decoration. How awesome is that?

Well, I’ve got to get back to my fale. Today the sun was out in full force and I was there slaving in it. I’ve got the funniest looking tan on my feet where my slippers stretch over the top. Wish I could send pictures but with the time it takes to upload, I don’t think a picture of my feet is worth it.

Thank you all so very much for your prayers.

 

Fa Soifua,

Tomasi

 

FYI…for those of you wondering…No, I haven’t found an island beauty yet. If only I could tell you all of the barriers and challenges related to this one aspect of Samoan life. Maybe I’ll save that story for an entry closer to my departure from the country.

So that's what a centipede bite feels like... (written 10/26/07)

So that’s what a centipede bite feels like. You know I’ve always wanted to know if it hurts more than a bee sting; it does. Last night was my first night with the boys out back and boy do I have some stories to tell. Besides the centipede bite, I woke a few times to shake some crawling thing out from under my sheet.

Yes, I’ve decided to try living in the back with the boys in the hopes that my Samoan language acquisition will speed up. Not only that, I hope to learn a lot about Samoan culture and living. For instance, I learned last night that if you fall asleep on one of the local millipedes, you will wake up with a burn mark in the shape of the bug on your arm. Also, the woven mat you sleep on will have a matching burn mark. When I say “burn,” I’m not speaking figuratively. When I first heard about this phenomenon, I thought the burn mark was figurative, until I saw the burn mark on the sleeping mat. It looked as if someone had used fire to write a small ‘s’ on my neighbor’s mat. He told me this happened a while ago and he had an ‘s’ burned into his arm as well. The good news is the burn doesn’t hurt. No, he didn’t even feel it. Apparently, these (maybe all) millipedes have some kind of acid stored in their bodies for breaking up wood and whatever else they eat. And the mark disappears after some time.

The rest of my stories have to do with guy humor. Maybe some of you wouldn’t enjoy it. They’re the kind of stories you walk away with after living in a male dormitory on campus. Yeah, those kind.

To give you a better picture of my living situation now, I live in a “fale” with about ten other guys. By the way, if you’ve forgotten or you don’t know, a “fale” is basically a roof on stilts. No walls. Just a roof and a concrete floor. I sleep on a mat woven from the laufala tree. I have a pillow and a bed sheet. In the morning I roll my pillow and sheet up with my mat and store it overhead in the framing of the roof. At night I take it down and roll it out for sleeping. We sleep on concrete. Last night someone was kind enough to burn a mosquito coil near my mat. This helped with the mosquitoes, I believe I only received three bites last night. We sleep shoulder to shoulder, actually mat to mat. Before going to sleep we shower in one of three wall-less, roof-less shower stalls. Conveniently, each stall can fit three guys at once. I learned yesterday how to shower without exposing myself to everyone. Don’t worry, we all shower while wearing our “ie lavalava” (cloth wraps). When you’re done, you walk dripping wet back to the fale where you change into your sleeping clothes without dropping your towel. It’s more like a really long camping trip. Keep in mind folks, this was only my first day. I’m sure that as time goes by, I’ll have many more wonderful experiences to share. Until then, please keep me in your prayers. Now that I know what a centipede bite feels like, I’m not looking forward to a second taste.

Fa Soifua,

Tomasi

White Sunday is... (written 10/17/07)

White Sunday (Oct. 14^th this year) is a day where parents and guardians honor their children. On this day, it is customary for the children to receive a new all-white outfit and possibly new shoes, maybe even a few toys. Most children receive at least a new white outfit, even if their parents can’t afford it. A friend of mine works at a local loan company. He told me that this is one of the busiest times of the year due to parents taking out loans to treat their children. This day is also special for the children because the parents do the cooking and usually provide a few treats for the children (cake, maybe even ice cream if the parents really sacrifice for it).

 

The children have spent the past two weeks memorizing scripture and practicing special dances to perform in the morning and evening services. As the church is right next door and the children practice till about 10pm each night, I’m glad the whole ordeal is over with. Nevertheless, they were beautiful services. I especially enjoyed the morning service where the children all dressed in white.

 

This was my first White Sunday. I will not soon forget it. I’ve posted a couple of pictures on my online album to give you an idea of my experience.

 

Tomasi

What's that on my belt? (written 10/8/07)

What’s that on my belt? Oh… Just mold. Yep, if you leave your belt in the closet long enough here in Samoa, you too can enjoy a garden of fungus around your waist. I think I’ll leave my belts hanging in my room for a while. If this prevents the mold from growing, whoopee! If not, oh well. I’ll just wipe my belt off every time I’d like to use it.

Sorry to let some of you down but the past few weeks here have truly been uneventful. That is, until yesterday morning when I tried palolo for the first time. The palolo WORM is considered a very rare and tasty delicacy here in Samoa. As the WORM only appears in the ocean one time each year, if you happen to be in the right place at the right time, you can catch these WORMS quite easily. The WORM is blue in color; a very dark blue or light teal. At the house I am staying at, they mix the WORM with eggs (chicken) and make a scrambled eggs/WORM treat. Put the egg/WORM mixture on a piece of buttered toast or crackers and SHAZAM, instant Samoan delicacy.

So, what about the taste? It wasn’t that bad. It had a slight fishy salty taste to it. I don’t understand why all the hubbub surrounding it. But, I remember my mom talking about catching these as a child and what a treat it was. When I found out that it only appeared once a year, I had to taste it. I’m going to try to send a picture of the bowl of scrambled WORMS to my online album. You really can’t see the worms. Just know that absolutely NO food coloring was added to the scrambled eggs. The blue color comes from the WORM itself. Sidenote: for dinner I had fresh fe’e (octopus), yummy!

Oh yeah, you Samoans out there might find it funny to know that I finally got my first po’u ever! Yay! Now I’m a real Samoan. Sorry, I won’t post a picture. Just know that it was small and is already almost gone. Funny thing though; it wasn’t from a mosquito bite. No, I know better than to scratch those. It was from a small cut I received while helping out building the new Bible school. Lesson learned: always, ALWAYS, apply an antiseptic to any cut… especially in a tropical environment.

Mango season is in full swing... (written 9/17/07)

Mango season is in full swing and I am loving it! Last night one of the neighbors brought the pastor a bucket full of mangos and ever since, I’ve been imagining all of the different ways to prepare mango. Unfortunately, I only know of one way: raw. Fortunately, this is the best way. After two months on the island, I’ve finally stopped comparing the prices of coconuts and papayas here versus the states. After looking at all of those mangos, however, I couldn’t help but think “that would cost something like fifty or sixty dollars in Ohio or Tennessee. There really is no comparison but that is a direct result of the supply and demand curves. Here, I’ve been told you can stick anything in the ground and it will grow. I’ll believe it when I see “real” American-sized tomatoes. So far, the tomatoes here haven’t passed the size of golf balls.

 

The Bible school started last week Tuesday. For the first two weeks, we have a special speaker from Hawaii. The teaching has been about the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament vs. the New Testaments. Last week, however, I was sick for a couple of days so I missed Wednesday through Friday. Don’t worry. It was due to something I ate. After three days I was back to normal. I’m glad it wasn’t that serious. With the way they prepare and keep some of the food here, it was just a matter of time. It’s just a matter time before it happens again.

 

My language acquisition is coming along, albeit slower than I had wished. I think I’m going to try a new approach soon. The missionary speaking at the school used to live in Samoa as a child. Although he doesn’t speak the language, I’ve heard many stories about his father and how his father is fluent in conversational as well as ceremonial speaking. This missionary gave me a few tips his father shared with him about learning a new language. He also told me that his father found the Samoan language one of the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn. It seems I get opinions of learning this language from opposite sides of the spectrum. Either it’s the easiest language to learn or the most difficult.

 

Thanks again for all of your prayers.

 

Fa soifua.

Now that he's a citizen... (written 8/31/07)

“Now that he’s a citizen, you must throw a feast in his honor.” This is what the immigration officer in Apia said. Yes, you read it correctly. I am now a citizen of the country of Samoa. Don’t worry, I am still a US citizen. I would never surrender or jeopardize that. Basically, due to my mother’s birthplace, I now have a stamp on my US passport that gives me unrestricted access to the country of Samoa. Also, if I choose to do so, I can live here indefinitely.

 

Now that my access to Samoa is taken care of, the only concern I have is the refund of my Air NZ ticket to return to the US. Again, don’t worry. I am planning on returning to the US next year. I’m refunding the ticket because my departure date is in September and my plan was to stay here for a year. I applied for the refund on Thursday so we’ll see what happens.

 

I spent the past week on the main island of Upolu where Samoa is playing host to the South Pacific Games. The SPG is an Olympic-like competition the South Pacific holds every four years. I really wish you could be here to see the size and scope of the venues Samoa has built just for these games. I had the opportunity to attend a couple of the events and I must say, Samoa has done an excellent job preparing for the games. Other countries keep commenting positively on the quality of the venues and the grandeur of the opening ceremony.

 

The week on the main island of Upolu contained a couple of “firsts” for me. While there, I slept outside in a traditional Samoan fale (open air hut) for the first time. Of course this would not have been possible without the trusty mosquito net. I have no idea how the locals do it. Actually I do, but I have a hard time sleeping with my entire body wrapped in a sheet. It was also the first time I husked and scraped the meat from a coconut. Talk about working for your food. Now I know why Samoans here can eat so much and remain as slim as they are. Preparing a meal here requires an aerobic effort.

 

Now I’m back home in Iva. The slower pace of things here has been a welcome respite. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I may have to go back next week. We’ll see.

 

Thank you all for your prayers and emails.

 

PS… I’ve added three pictures to my online album. Sorry only three but the connection here is really, really slow. You can send me text only emails with no problem but please don’t send emails with pictures or attachments. Thanks y’all.

 

Fa Soifua,

Tomasi

"Is that the jail?" (written 8/9/07)

“Is that the jail?” This is the question I found myself asking as we turned onto a gravel road deep in the jungles of Savai’i. The gravel road led to two “fale palagi” (four-walled houses). These houses looked like any other houses. There were absolutely NO guards, no fences, and no walls. The “prisoners” are free to come and go as they please. When I asked one of the church members with me (I was traveling with the churches prison ministry) what keeps the prisoners in prison, he said “self-control.”

 

That said, it was such a moving experience. If you ever needed proof of the graciousness of Samoans, all you need to do is go to jail. Our group from the church brought a guitar and sang a couple of songs. The prisoners joined us in worship. I closed my eyes and had little difficulty imagining I was in a church. After we finished singing a couple of songs, the speaker from our group asked the prisoners to sing a song or recite a poem for us. I assume this is the custom as the prisoners had a guitar ready and shared a sheet of paper containing the lyrics of the song. Four or five people in our party new the song and joined in. Again, we could have been in church.

 

After the prisoners finished singing (by the way, there were five prisoners and ten in our party), the speaker from our group stood and gave a short message from 2 Corinthians about love. After the message we sang a couple more songs. The speaker for the prisoners thanked us for visiting with a lengthy speech. He also instructed two of the prisoners to retrieve our gift. They gave us a basket full of “niu” (young coconuts full of coconut juice and soft coconut meat). I thought I was going to cry when I considered the act. If you had only been there to see the conditions in which these men were living. We did not ask for a gift yet they wanted to show their appreciation for us visiting them.

 

Before we left, there was a short time of chit-chat. One of the prisoners spoke up and motioned in my direction. Then I heard one of our leaders speak my Samoan name and indicate I am the son of a missionary and that I am living in Samoa to learn the language. The man said something (I only recognized the Samoan words “live here”) and everyone laughed. Then I said in Samoan “fia nofo i’i nei” which I believe means “I want to live here.” Everyone laughed and a couple of the prisoners requested my presence at next weeks meeting (our church ministers at the local hospital and jail every Thursday). I agreed and am looking forward to next weeks visit.

 

Before our trip to the jail, we visited the hospital. I use the word “hospital” very lightly. Basically the hospital consisted of three single floor wings divided into cubicles. The patient is provided a bed and little more. If a patient needs food, their family must provide it. If a patient need bathing, again, the family must provide. The hospital provides the medicine, doctoral oversight, and little more.

 

Our team split up into two groups and went from cubicle to cubicle praying for the sick. The patients were very grateful for our prayers. One family even gave us money. We tried to give it back but they were quite adamant about us keeping the money. There was only one patient we did not pray for. The leader of our group exchanged words with a man in the cubicle (kind words) and we left. After leaving I asked one of the members of my group why we prayed for all of the patients save that one. I was told that the man with whom our group leader was exchanging words was the patient’s pastor. Basically, because they were from a different denomination, they thanked us but refused our prayers. If you think denominational issues are only and American problem, you’re wrong.

 

Today was a good day, overall, and it is still only halfway over.

 

Fa Soifua,

 

Tomasi

My first week... (written 8/5/07)

My first week in Samoa has not been uneventful and I think this is a good thing. From scraping my first breadfruit (valu le ulu) using a makeshift tool made from the bottom of a tin can, to swimming in a local freshwater pond (vai taele) used by the locals for swimming, bathing, and washing clothes, my first week on my own here in Samoa has been great.

 

For those of you who think I’m living in a fale o’o (wall-less hut), that time hasn’t come yet. Right now I’m living in the pastor’s house where I enjoy running water, electricity, and three channels of television! Unfortunately, I cannot drink the water so I am constantly asking “vai paipa?” (tap water?) every time someone brings me a glass of some liquid to drink. That said, my mouth has been on a taste/texture adventure. Believe it or not, I’ve had the urge to gag only once since I’ve made it in country. Please don’t ask me what it was I was eating at the time. I’d rather not think about it. But, being the kind and grateful guest that I am, I just forced it down with a class of water (purified, of course). I pray before every meal, that’s for sure.

 

The weather here hasn’t been as bad as I had expected. The humidity level has been reasonable. Of course, this is their “dry” season. I put the word “dry” in quotes because based on last week’s weather, you would never have guessed that Samoa is in the dry season. I hope I am growing accustomed to the weather here. I think I am. Thankfully, I have a beautiful heat rash that tells me I am adjusting. The more it fades, the happier I get. Thankfully, the rash doesn’t itch and it’s only located on both forearms.

 

As much as I hated to do so, I had to stop wearing my watch. The sweat that would accumulate under the band only made the rash worse. Maybe in a few weeks I’ll be able to put it back on. I don’t know if I’ll need to, however, due to everyone’s blatant disregard for time here. I shouldn’t say “blatant disregard.” It really isn’t a fair judgment. Time just isn’t as important to the people here as it is in the States. That can be a good thing or a bad thing. Right now I’m leaning more towards it being a bad thing.

 

If you could see me right now, you would see that I’m wearing a t-shirt and an ie lavalava (piece of cloth wrapped like a towel around my waist). Go ahead and laugh but with the heat here, a nice breeze while wearing an ie lavalava is much appreciated. And no, I don’t dare go commando while wearing an ie lavalava. If I did that, a nice breeze might cost me a little pride.

 

The people here have been so gracious. I only have three complaints: 1) Somehow everyone has mistaken “he wants to learn to speak Samoan” with “he is absolutely fluent in Samoan”. 2) The children at the preschool have already forgotten my name and insist on calling out “Hi palagi! Hi palagi! Hi palagi!” as I walk by their school room just outside the house where I live. By the by, “palagi” means “white person.” It’s not an insult but it kinda gets on your nerves after three days. 3) They live a communal lifestyle here. For someone like me, having lived the past four years of my life on my own, there is a lot of adjusting to do. For those of you who know me, I always have a funny story to tell, this last complaint has already provided me enough stories to keep you rolling for a day or two. Let me just say that my bedroom has one wall of windows facing the neighbors fale (no tree to block the view). Another wall that looks like it used to have windows but doesn’t anymore (by the way, it opens to the dinning room/entertainment room). There really is no need to close by door. It is discouraged anyway because it prevents the flow of air at night. I thought the only place for me to dress was out in the hallway (you know, with the two walls of windows in my bedroom and all), until this morning as I was dressing for church, I noticed that anyone sitting in the church sound room (just next door) would have a great view of the moon, mine. I guess that means I’ll have to either dress in the bathroom or get over it.

 

I’ve learned so much in this last week alone. If I can adjust to it, I know I’m going to really enjoy my time hear. I’m sure I’ll adjust to it. I’ve made so many adjustments so far. For instance, if you move to Samoa, get used to ants and flies crawling on you. You’ll learn that the ants usually stop at your ankles. Occasionally there’s a brave ant but not as often as you might expect. And the flies, you’ll tire yourself swatting at them. It’s best to just let them take you.

 

Thank you for all of your prayers. There are so many people I want to say hi to. A big hello to my lunch buddies there at Scroggins. Hi to PJB (still working on how to say “Cecil’s Coconut Bar & Grill” in Samoan). Hi to my church families at First Christian Assembly in Cincy and First Assembly in Clarksville. Please continue to keep me in your prayers.

 

The internet connection here has been just as inconsistent as I had expected so please be very patient if you send me an email. But, please do send me an email. NO forwards!

 

Love ya’ll,

 

Tomasi

 

p.s. Tomasi is my middle name in Samoa. Everyone here calls me by this name. “Cecil” doesn’t translate well. A couple of people kept calling me “Sisko.”

I'm home... (written 7/28/07)

I’m home. Sorry folks, that doesn’t mean back in TN. I’m in Iva, Savaii now. This is where I’ll be staying for the next year. Everyone has been really nice to me and my parents. Right now there aren’t many people here because school doesn’t start until September. Got a lot more to say but I gotta get off the Internet right now. Thanks again for all your prayers and best wishes. Hopefully, I will be making entries on a more regular basis (once a week or so).

 

So HOT here. I must say, however. Not as hot as TN.

 

Fa soifua,

 

Tomasi

A quick update (written 7/24/07)

Just a quick update. I'm sitting at the computer of an internet cafe here in Apia, Samoa's capital city. Sorry it has taken so long but I've been quite busy the past week. Besides the full-body pat-down in L.A. (more on that later), the trip to Samoa was uneventful (unusual). I've been keeping a journal on my laptop at home the past week but due to the internet cafe's restrictions, have been unable to transfer the files from my laptop to the computers here. Hopefully by Friday this week, I will be able to plug my laptop into the internet somehow.

 

The weather here has been great. I just returned from a trip to American Samoa with my mom. This is the island she is from. It was so great to see family I haven't seen in a while and even some family I have never seen. What a memorable trip. It was so great to finally see the places my mom has been talking about for all of these years.

 

Believe it or not, I already have a Samoan driver's license. It wasn't that hard to get, actually. Watch out Samoa, you've got a new American driver on the road. Actually, it's the other way around. These people drive like they are all NASCAR fans. I bet they would love NASCAR if it actually aired here.

 

Well, I've got to go. My time on the internet here is almost up. Thanks again to all of you who are praying for me. So far, so good.

 

For those Samoans out there who will appreciate it, I took my first ride on an aiga bus...WoW! Wasn't that bad. And, had my first taste of oka. Not a big fan! Sorry...

 

Love ya'll...

 

Fa soifua!

 

Cecil a.k.a. Tomasi

Today is the day...

Today is the day folks! Just wanted to drop y’all (yep, been in Tennessee for that past couple of weeks) a short message. Please keep me in your prayers today and tomorrow. In all, this trip will have me traveling for twenty-four hours. Of course, this includes a long layover in LA. I should arrive in Apia, Samoa on Wednesday around 1PM your time. I’ll try to send another message as soon as I can once I get there. Fa (bye).

Samoa, here I come...well, soon.

For those of you who don't know, my mother is from American Samoa. It has always been my dream to spend some time living in Samoa. To learn the language and culture of a people I am so closely connected to is the greatest part of that dream.

Well, Samoa, here I come! At the end of June 2007, I will close this chapter of my life and begin a whole new chapter, possibly even a whole new book. Returning to TN at the end of June, I will fly to Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa, not American Samoa) mid July where I plan on living for at least one year. I'll be staying on the larger, less populated and more remote island of Savai'i. I've been to Samoa before so I don't have as much of a romantic vision of life on a tropical island as most who have never been. Think more along the lines of, but not nearly as extreme as, Castaway.

So what will I do there? Right now the plans aren't exactly concrete. I have a vague idea but things change. Going into such a new environment with as open a mind as possible is, I feel, the best attitude to take. I only hope I can access the Internet often enough to keep all of you up to date on my goings on there. Please feel free to share this site with anyone you think might be interested.

You will find informational links and other links of Samoa related content to the right of these postings. I hope you enjoy this ride as we take it together.

Let me leave you with a few quotes about "It's never to late" which I've found quite inspirational:

"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot, 19th c. English novelist

"Everyone who got to where he is had to begin where he was." -- Robert Louis Stevenson

"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." -- Milton Berle

"The biggest mistake people make in life is not trying to make a living at doing what they most enjoy." -- Malcolm S. Forbes

"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself." -- Mark Caine