It is now Sunday, November 11 and I am publishing this with no pictures this time as we have such a hassle due to how many downloads we can do here. I wrote part of this earlier in the week and will just add to it at the bottom.
It is now Tuesday morning, Nov. 6, Chelsea’s happy 23rd birthday and a nice sunny day in Pesega, Samoa. We had Paul Cox as a house guest this weekend due to the first meeting of the Ah Mu Academy where the new board of directors was announced and presented and the initial preregistration took place at the school. There has been a lot of controversy about this school due to some misinformation re costs to attend, etc. The questions were put to rest for those who were there and the meeting was a real success, netting all copies of the forms being filled out for 117 students right then and there. Since that time, the board has been inundated with requests for registration forms and it looks like the school will be filling up nicely. There is still a little unrest from one sector of the population, which is unfortunate, but the individual responsible for that will find he is being left behind and the school will flourish without him. This school is a gift from former missionaries, mainly, and is a real blessing in this area.
We went to Savaii on Saturday afternoon with Paul and Gau Gau Tavana, the two members of the Ah Mu Foundation besides Roy and Dan Betham, a local man. It was a rather quick trip but Paul had business in Falealupo and we were able to meet with his samoan family over there and have a nice supper. We stayed at the Vaisala Hotel overnight and caught the ferry back the next morning.
This week will be fun – Rachel Perkins arrives tonight. I finished my last day with the kids at school yesterday so I presented them with a lolly (candy), Canadian pencil and a sticker. I have been going only Monday, Wed. and Friday as Alicia Price goes the other two days. This week begins their testing and so there won’t be any more normal days for me to go for. I hope to still see some of the kids around before we go – they are such a delight to associate with.
Before Paul Cox came, we had a young lady from Australia of Laotian descent stay with us. We had met her previously as she was engaged to a young man from here. The engagement was broken off and she was just staying in a hotel for a week, waiting for her flight back. We invited her to stay here – a much safer, nicer environment than a little hole-in-the-wall hotel. It was fun to get to know her and a couple of the young people in our group took her under wing and were over here a lot visiting and taking her out places. It seems so quiet when no one is staying with us now.
We have only 5 weeks left – I just hope I can get enough beach time so I am sick of it and will not miss it – not likely to happen, eh? We do look forward to returning home and being cooler.
Rachel has been here since Tuesday night and we have done Robert Louis Stevenson's Grave and then Vavau beach where we took Amu'ia's wife, daughter and her husband and family and the Wagstaff's brought their vehicle so we could all fit in. Rachel and I (Kathy) went to Virgin Cove for a night and stayed in a beach front fale for one night - a little piece of heaven on earth.
Tonight we had the YSA come over for FHE and they plan to come every Sunday evening until we leave. They are such a great group and we love having them come over. Len Satele came over one night to learn how to make cinnamon buns and is so fun to have around.
I am in the Samoan Mormon choir that meets each Sunday evening (we have the YSA come before and I slip out and leave Roy to finish up with them). We have a concert on Dec. 2. The outfit we have to wear is a pulatasi of turquoise polyester linen (very hot) and will have the ugliest painting on it. I am dragging my feet getting it done as I really don't want to pay to have this thing painted as I will probably throw it away after. If I don't get it done in time, maybe I can wear it without any painting on it. We shall see. Yes, I am murmuring!
Well, this will be it as the clock ticks towards bedtime. I will see what we can do about pictures next time - although Roy is a little busier right now so we may just get my writings and musings.
2 comments:
i love reading your musings even without pictures to go with them!
Hi! Thanks so much again for being my hosts. It was so much fun to come down and see where the Herkins and Parkers all began... Thank you for your generosity, your time, and all the fun!
P.S. Tell Ti (sp?) That I needed to order the ring because they didn't have the right size available so I couldn't send it with Dr. Cox. Would you be able to find out if there is a general mailing address for the teachers in Pesega? Thanks again and only a few more days before you're coming home to those grand-babies!!
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