So I feel like I have been busier in the past few weeks than
I have been the whole time I have been in Samoa. I am loving my students and really enjoying
teaching (although I am still pretty sure it’s not the life long career for me,
for those of you that were wondering).
The homework center is still going well, the kids really enjoy reading.
I had my mom send a box of school supplies and some old books that were mine
when I was a kid and I put all of the books on the shelf in the library. The
kids spotted them immediately (which wasn’t hard considering there were only
about 100 books total in there to begin with) and got so excited. The kept
asking where they came from and saying “lelei tele oe!” “very good you!” I’d like to insert a special shout out to my
mom, grandma, mama starr, aunt tonya, and aunt kim, because all of the books
are from you guys and now they are being used by the kids here and are greatly
appreciated so many years later!!! Thank you for giving me opportunities to
read when I was a kid, I’m so grateful to be able to share that with the kids
here. Anyways, so that has been an
exciting addition to the reading time and I actually really appreciate having
those stories read to me. It’s funny how different it is being on this side of reading
stories. I’m pretty sure the last time I really looked at those books I was the
one trying to make out the words as I read them to the “reading experts.” Now,
I’m the “expert” and am putting my fingers over the words to try and break them
down for the kids, just like my mom and grandma used to do when I was
little. It’s just strange to think
about. Some days I don’t feel like I’m
grown enough to be responsible for teaching kids to read and then other days I
feel like I’m too old to be living here.
I mostly feel this way here because the culture is so different when it
comes to independence, especially for girls.
In Samoa, most girls live at home until they get married and almost all
girls (I feel confident saying 99% of girls) are living under their parent’s
rules, until they get married and many even after that. This is very different
than what I am used to. My parents would
probably say that I have pretty much been doing what I want to do since I was
about 15 (maybe even before then?), and the idea of living under their “rules”
until I’m married just makes me laugh….so coming to Samoa, and having so many
rules to follow has been a real adjustment. It’s definitely worth it,
especially because most of the rules don’t really bother me, but every time a
kid comes in my room and asks to read a book or says “YES!!!!” when they see me
coming to pull them out for their lesson, I think “yeah, this is worth not
being able to (insert whatever random rule I have to follow here).” And I know that Samoans would probably come
to the states and say that we are all out of control (especially the kids!) so
it really is just a cultural difference and not something that we can really
say “this way is better!” With that
being said, here is a list of some of the rules that I have encountered in
Samoa.
1. Girls must always wear lavalavas, especially when leaving
the house.
2. Everyone must wear a lavalava when having family prayer.
3. One must not point their feet in front of them, or in the
direction of any other person, when sitting with a group on the floor (which is
pretty much always). If you do, you must
cover your legs with a mat.
4. One must not be seen talking at night with their
boyfriend or girlfriend.
5. One must not be seen touching (holding hands, hugging,
or-HEAVEN FORBID-kissing-GASP!) their significant other, this includes married
people.
6. One must always bow their heads when talking to someone
of higher position (older people, men, teachers, etc.)
7. One must not play music when walking down the road.
8. One must not walk in the road during the time of the
“sa.” “Sa” is the time of the night, usually around 7:30, when the men in the
village ring the bells and everyone has to be in their houses for “prayer” even
though most families I have encountered don’t actually have prayer at this time
in my village. IF you happen to be
walking in the road at this time, you must sit down on the side of the road.
9. One must not talk on the phone past 12 at night because
there are many devils in the air that you can breathe in.
10.The pisikoa (peace
corps) must not ever have anyone in her house.
11. The pisikoa must not go running past the last house in
the village.
12. The pisikoa must not go to the mormon church every
Sunday because it looks bad for the other churches. If she does go in the morning to the mormon
church, she must go to a different church in the afternoon.
13. The pisikoa must always inform her host family where she
is going.
14. Children must bring a handkerchief to school or they
will be smacked.
15. One must never eat and walk at the same time, however
there are some exceptions to the rule, I just don’t understand what exactly
they are and when it’s ok. I do know, however, you must not walk out of your
house eating a cracker when you are running late to school.
16. One must not gossip.
(this rule is funny to me because I hear gossip all the time, but
apparently it’s a rule and a 20 tala fine if you are caught).
Well this list isn’t exactly comprehensive, nor is it
applicable to everyone in Samoa, but you get the general idea of many of the
rules in my village. Some of them make a sense to me and others make me go,
really? That’s a rule? But what I love about the rules is that everyone in the
village knows them. And everyone knows
who is breaking a village rule. And they
have all of these committees that enforce the rules, they don’t need policemen
because everyone has so much respect for the village matais that they can
literally enforce all the rules themselves. It really is neat the way that
everything is ran here, it’s like organized chaos. They govern themselves quite
well.
Totally switching topics, I was watching “The Proposal” and
at the end Ramon is saying how he knows Margaret is good dancer because he saw
the way she was drinking her soda. The interviewer says, “what does the ways
she drinks a pop have to do with how she dances?” and ramon looks really
confused and says, “I don’t understand the question.” I have been having this kind of response to
all the people and kids asking me “you go to school tomorrow?” I always feel so confused, because I think,
“of course I’m going to school, it’s a school day. But I have noticed that a lot of students and
teachers miss school a lot so I wonder if it’s more of a voluntary thing rather
than a mandatory thing, so people don’t really know if you are going to decide
to go the next day. Anyways, I think
that’s about all for the update here. Again, I really do love it and feel very
blessed to be here every day. It doesn’t matter how many rules I have to
follow, they are all very worth it.
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