First Week Complete

(I have survived my first internet outage!  The internet has been down for four and a half days so sorry this post is unorganized.  I’ve just been adding onto it as I think of things) 

Our Field Director said that we were living in a place some people can only dream about living and where others spend fortunes to live.  I am beginning to see that it is true.  The first week has been amazing.  I can’t believe that I am here and that this is my life until June.  For the first time in all my travels I am feeling some major culture shock and I haven’t even moved away from the other palagis (white people).  Everything is different here: the language, the education system, the size of stuff, and of course the culture.

AHHH language class!  I dread 10:30 each morning when class starts.  Two Mormon missionaries are trying to teach us Samoan.  I am not catching on.  At this moment all I can say is hello (Talofa), please (fa’amolemole), thank you (fa’afetai), I love you (alofa ia te oe), and goodbye (Tofa).  The best part is the little bit of Spanish I remember is what comes to mind when I’m trying say the Samoan!  For example: I was asked “what is your name?” “Me llamo Kristina” came to mind.  There is still two more weeks of class, hopefully, I will begin to pick up more of it. 

The education system here appears to be very messed up.  There are standardized testing, but the teachers are encouraged to help the students with the test.  Samoa is phasing in new standards and benchmarks (The Common Core) that equal those of the United States.  The current standards meet about 75% of the Common Core.  However, the standards are extremely high and unrealistic for the students here.  For example, for 12^th grade the students are to complete a research paper with a media presentation.  That would not be a problem for a high school in the States, but many seniors here may not even be able to write a correct sentence or have access to research materials or multi-media.  I am going to be required to meet the benchmarks while teaching the basic English skills that should have been taught in elementary school.  Also 96% of American Samoan students are considered English Language Learners (ELL) and there are no programs for the students.  Classes are required to be taught in English.

 

 

I’ve decided that everything is bigger in American Samoa.  The people are huge, both horizontally and vertically.  Check out the photo below of the giant leaf that is larger than my hand, a huge bug, and a giant coconut.  We cracked a coconut open today at the beach and all had fresh coconut.  It wasn’t as sweet as I thought it would be.  L  

(Beetle)

 (Coconut)

(Leaf)

I have not experienced a lot of the culture yet, but I have learned that it is not ok to eat or drink while standing up.  That to teach my ankles and shoulders must be covered and my hair must be pulled back. (but I get to keep my nose ring!) The dogs here are violent and will bite.  I haven’t seen this, but I hear that in my village this is a major problem. Swimming is not allowed on Sundays and the buses do not run on Sundays.   

So…what have I been doing all week?  Well, I’ve become a movie star!  The group was interviewed and introduced on their only television station on Wednesday night.  I have gotten a cell phone!  The number is 1-684-258-1501.  You can call me and it won’t cost me anything!  The group has met with a lot of different officials from the Department of Education (DoE) and has had teaching training on the roles of a teacher, lesson planning, multiple intelligences, and assessments.  I have also learned what to do in the case of an earthquake and tsunami.  I have hitch hiked and been picked up by an older Samoan man and rode in the back of a pick-up truck.  I highly recommend both of these things.  It is much better than walking 30 minutes to the Laundromat.  One of the trucks I’ve gotten into the woman driving goes, “you’re a WorldTeacher?”  Everyone knows us.  Two people in the drop were picked up by their future landlord and didn’t know it until they started talking. 

The only Samoan food I’ve had is boiled banana in coconut milk.  Everything else has been Americanized food.  We haven’t been going out to eat and we are responsible for cooking dinner for each other every night.  So we’ve been making easy stuff.  American Samoa has Coke, but wait it gets better.  There is the American Coke made with high fructose corn syrup and there is Fiji Coke that is lovingly crafted with real SUGAR!!!!  I’m on a mission to drink only the Fiji Coke. 

Today we went on a tour of the entire island.  The island isn’t that large, but the road is narrow and winding.  The scenery was fabulous and totally made up for the uncomfortable ride.  I saw the school I will be teaching at (Go Lions!) and the house and apartment that three of the volunteers and I will be living in.

(My co-teachers)

The prices here are all over the place.  Some things are priced the same as in the US, for example Oreos are around $4 and a 600mL of Coke is $1.25, but other things are extremely high.  Name brand shampoo and conditioner are $5 each for a regular size bottle, a pop-up clothes hamper/bag/basket (which I need) is $12, sunscreen is $13, and a pound of strawberries are $9.00!  There is also no sales tax!

I am starting to show “battle wounds.”  I have one skinned knee, another bruised knee, some bug bites, a few blisters, and a weird rash (almost looks like hives, but doesn’t itch or anything).  I cut a lot of my hair off (7 inches) right before I left.  I’ve missed having my hair except for when I’m taking a cold shower and having to rinse my hair.  I can rinse short hair a lot faster than I could have rinsed my long hair. 

Most people back home especially at school know my sleeping patterns and it’s a constant joke that I go to bed so earlier.  The girls I’m rooming with have quickly caught onto my early bedtime.  Last night I was laying in bed reading and it was a little past nine.  One of the girls walk in and says, “Kristina it’s past nine and you’re still up!” haha I’ve been going to bed between 8:30 and nine. 

Haha also some of the people were talking about southern accents and were like "No one here has a southern accent"  Person two, "Kristina does."  Ahh I thought I had dropped it.

I now own my first pulatasi (traditional dress).  It’s hand-me-down from last years group.  The top is a little big (surprise, surprise) so I’ve got to take it to be altered.  I’m going to wait to have my custom made ones done one school starts and I see what I am required to have.

(My totally sexy swimsuit, that is still too scandaous.  Notice my knees are showing)