Happy Birthday

I’ll start this post with my birthday activities.  It was a great birthday.  I was able to celebrate with a few Samoan friends (plus Sara and Amber) on Saturday.  Mom sent me “birthday in a box” and we used some of the things from the box to decorate.  Happy Birthday was sung to me in both English and Samoan before I blew out an entire pack of candles.  Sadly, I’ve decided that when it takes to boxes of candles for a birthday cake it’s time to stop lighting candles.  So this year was the last time I will blow out candles.  I hope my wish comes true!  Then on Monday my students found out and sang to me.  They were somewhat more well behaved.  The best quote…

Student: How old are you?

Me: 24

Student: You’re still sexy to be 24.

Me: I’m not that old.

I’ve gotten use to the students saying inappropriate things to me.  As long as they don’t get dirty and do not say anything offensive I let it go.  Sara, Amber, and I also went out for a nice dinner on Monday night.  I feel so lucky that I received birthday wishes from all over the world, Malaysia, Ghana, Guatemala, Holland, India, Argentina, Dominica, many different states, and Samoa.

Saturday afternoon Sara, Miracle (Samoan friend), and I went over to Sliding Rock to go swimming.  Remember on my last post about sliding rock I said it was called sliding rock because it was so slick?  This trip over as soon as I stepped into the water I slid and couldn’t catch myself.  I laughed it off, but my leg is bruised and cut up.  No worries though, I had on my big girl panties and kept going! Lol.  The area really doesn’t have a good swimming spot so we decided to climb on the rocks instead.  We may have found the trailhead that leads over to one of the Fugatele Bay.  We are hoping to explore that later. 

 (Can you find the little plane?)

 (looking off the cliff)

 (Into the jungle we go)

My classroom is finally decorated and feels homey!  Thanks to my wonderful co-teacher Tammy.  Tammy is amazing.  She picked me up Saturday morning, brought all the material to decorate, brought her cousin to install my whiteboard, and did most of the decorating.  Afterwards, she showed me one of her friends homes that has a good swimming spot and said I was welcomed anytime, she also showed me her house, and a few other places on this side of the island.  THEN she insisted on taking me to lunch.  We went to a local Samoan burger shop.  Oh my, that was the best hamburger I’ve ever eaten.  It was huge though.  Two patties, three buns, and who knows how much cheese, but it was good!

I am so glad that I am meeting and making friends with Samoans.  The people are incredible and so much fun to be with.   I am truly experiencing the culture.  I’ve also met people who have been traveling for the last year.  They go to different places work for a few months and then travel to a different country.  I don’t know, that may be something fun to try.