Filigā ma Alofa

The first term of school is finished on Friday. It has been 15 very interesting weeks of getting accustomed to school life in Samoa. This week, there are no classes for the Year 9, 10, and 11 students because we are preparing for Thursday’s Culture Day. It is basically a day where the students dance, sing, and make food in the traditional way. They have to bring live pigs, chickens, fish, taro, breadfruit, and coconuts for the event. The students are divided into four houses: Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow. Tonight I am storing the pig and chickens of the Green House in my house. Needless to say, tomorrow is going to be an awesome day and trust that I will post pictures next time I blog.

On Friday my Year 12 Computer Studies students have their CAT (Common Assessment Task) – a national practical test for word-processing (using MS Word and formatting paragraphs and all that). Since there are just seven students I think they’ve got enough practice and one-on-one instruction from me to all get 100%. But the thing about Samoa is that you never see some things coming.

Take for example the theory exams I gave my Year 12 and 13 students last week. It was essentially a cumulative test for the first term. Both exams were out of 70 points. I had one student in Year 12 get 70 out of 70. There were some students who got 20-something out of 70. I can’t seem to reconcile the fact that I see them all in class everyday, they all take notes, I check to make sure they all took notes, and then somehow there are students that get destroyed by a test that is taken directly from the notes. Perhaps Term 2 will reveal the answer to me.

However, most of my students did well and I really enjoy teaching them. With the help of PCV Max, the computer lab now has an e-mail program, a Samoan-English dictionary, and Wikipedia Selection for schools on our intranet. That means that even without the internet my students are still learning to be adept with the workings of forward, reply, attach, surf, and research. It’s gratifying knowing that when they reach the internet they will know exactly what to do!

Other than working at school, I’ve been working in my garden and spending time in the faleo’o (Samoan hut with no walls, just a roof) that was built next to my house. It’s an awesome place to read a book or just enjoy the breeze.

As for the title of this post, it means “Perseverance and Love” and it’s our school motto. This term has definitely encompassed both. Some times I love it; some times I have to persevere. I guess what I’ve learned so far is that either way, it all comes out all right in the end.

Last but not least, I’ve got a new mailing address. Write me and I promise to write you back!

Philip Owen

Peace Corps Samoa

Private Mail Box 7139

Salelologa, Savaii

Western Samoa

South Pacific

The Year 13 boys. From left to right in the back: Noruwa, Mendeleev, Isaako, and Faatafa. Aleni and Ieti in front.

The Year 13 girls. From left to right: Maria, Ateileen, Vaimoli (front), Senia, Siauvaa, Faamao, and Lagi.

Year 13 students. All I said was “Smile!”

P.S. This is the room where I work everyday!

The Year 12 boys. Tuitagi on the left and Loama on the right.

The Year 12 girls. From left to right: Faateaina, Maria, Vii, Tioata, and Christina.

Our school bus – check out the flames on the front! That kicks the crap out of any yellow school bus.

Just a cool picture I took. Three o’clock in the afternoon and the moon is out. Also, I thought the palm trees looked like they were burning from the clouds behind them.

Faleo’o construction: Day 1 - the posts and the roof.

Faleo’o construction: Day 2 - and it’s finished! It all happened so fast…