Lavalava

This picture was taken outside of my temporary home in Apia. I will be here for another week and afterwards I will be staying in a village called Ma'asina, which I hear is untimely beautiful because of the natural beauty and waterfalls. I will be in Ma'asina for a few weeks and staying with a host family for language purposes and afterwards I will return to Apia for the remainder of training. Following that, I have been placed in an ocean-side village called Leulumoega (lay-oo-loo-mo-ENG-ah) where I will be teaching music, art and computers. I believe I will be staying in a small home with a roomate who is staff at the school. My musical counterpart, Moli (mo-LEE, in Samoan) and I have many ambitions about turning this island into an enormous musical production. She will be staying in Apia which is about 25 minutes east via bus. I actually live close to the ferry and I can travel to the bigger island, Savai'i, at any time I like. I hear that there are about 50 active volunteers on Samoa and the Peace Corps definately has a great reputation around here. People find out that we are in the Peace Corps (they call it Pisicoa) and they are immediately extra friendly to us and sometimes thank us for what we have done in the last 40 years. I have been on fire the last two days and I am definately having a much better time. My face is beginning to hurt from smiling too much.

My language teacher is a native Samoan named Onofia. He is an older gentleman who is very kind and always willing to help. He is instantly becoming a good friend of mine and we will be seeing much of each other in the next few months. I can't explain how awesome it is to be here by the ocean and on a volcano. I feel like I am on the back of a giant mythical animal that has swam into the middle of a vast sea. It truly, truly is magical here. The language is very beautiful and I am learning it quickly thanks to the awesome training progam. I could compare Samoan to a mild church hymn because it is a tonal language; meaning that the tone which you pronounce words in dictates the meaning.

I have big plans for this place. I am doing research on how I might be able to become active in a movement to raise awareness concerning spaying and neutering cats and dogs. There are so many dogs running around that they are almost the pigeons of this land and a little effort goes a long way. I have big ambitions also to start a band with Samoan musicians and collaborating with Moli to turn this into a big production. I will probably disappear soon into the villages because I am not sure how often I will be able to maintain communication but that wont be for another week or so. Once again, I miss all of you back home and I will do everything I can to make you proud. Anyone who can make it out here to see me is in for a wonderful experience.