A lava lava, the traditional Samoan wear is pretty much the same thing as a sarong only it is tucked instead of tied. Wednesday they gave us a brief lesson on lava tying, but losing your lava is a very real fear for most of us trainees. Safety pins can be used but none of the natives do, so we have been encouraged not to, in order to figure it out for ourselves. This sort of trial by fire method is a bit scary when applied to something as sensitive as (figuratively) losing your pants.
Andy (one of the trainees in my group, and a really good guy from Colorado) yesterday made the mistake of purchasing a beautiful but silk lava lava. We giggled at him all the way home from the restaurant last night as he held tight to the top of his lava as it attempted to slip from his hips.
Michael (another trainee who is just as neat as Andy) got a beautiful silky gauze lava and was shocked this morning to find that when he stood up to give a presentation to our counterparts, that not only was his lava slipping but it was completely see through.
For those who are curious, I have not yet had any lava slippage problems. I am however still using pins. Wish me the bravery to get up the courage to go without a safety net (read: pin) here soon!
Hello from Samoa!
I am here and safe and don't have a whole lot of time to post. Hopefully I will have more time soon. but as a quick fly by.
1. The flight from LAX was 10 hours, and I didn't sleep at all.
2. We got in at 3:10 am local time.
3. My Samoan name is Kolini (CO- Lee- knee)
4. We are in the caital city of Apia for 10 days and then we move to a training village.
5. I really can't read my LJ freinds list much, so I'm sorry if I lose track of everyone.
6. I am flying without spell check here, forgive my spelling please.
I miss you all and hope to update again soon.
“When you walk to the edge of all light you have, and take a step into the unknown, one of two things must happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly” - Patrick Overton
The trip to the airport on Sunday found me in tears. I think goodbyes and the weight of my journey finally got to me. It was a good release.
The flight to LA was a breeze and I slept most of the way. The trip to the hotel and check in were uneventful. At 2pm I went downstairs and we registered and started training. Most of the training has been to acclimate us to the idea that we will have to change most of our thoughts and behaviors in order to “fit in” with our community to be safer and more effective. I would normally refute the concept of “fitting in” but I have just been through a day and a half of essentially “very good reasons” why. Surprisingly most of them make sense.
There are 16 volunteers in my training group. 11 of us are technology volunteers, 3 are community development and, 2 are extension and transfers. Only 3 of the 11 of us IT people are female. It seems like a good group tho. Tonight most of us are going for Mexican food and margaritas. (I am hoping I can get something non-tequila, if not I will just go sober, which is fine.) I keep remembering that most training groups remain very close, so these are quite possibly people who will be friends for life.
Anyway, we leave for Samoa tomorrow evening around 8, and the schedule appears to have us going at full speed starting Wednesday at 10 am.
Personally I am still moving in cycles of excitement and terror. Only now they are a bit longer than 10 min, which is nice.
I am pretty sure that I am going to have to learn to fly (metaphorically anyway).
Wish me luck.
I don’t really feel like I’m under a lot of stress.
I mean I have no job, so I have no work stress. And I am not really living in any one place for now, so there is no home to have home stress over.
The jury duty thing worked out to be a total of an hour and a half sitting in a waiting room and then being released. So that worked out.
I ordered some things I need online and they should be at mom and dad’s in the next week.
Today I got a digital camera, and some power transformers.
But I still haven’t managed to pack anything, or really think about the things I need to pack.
I am mildly stressed over the fact that there is simply no way I will get to see everyone I wanted to see before I have to leave. I told an old friend today that I was really sorry but I just have no time. And I fear I will be singing the same song to a few others.
Cest la vie.
I have a whole long list of little things to do before I leave. This includes things like; filling out a change of address form for SMV to my parent’s house, buying good walking shoes, and maybe start packing. Also I am completely booked up with people to see. Which is not easy, since I may be dealing with a jury duty thing next week. And I have no idea what the time commitment will be.
But at least Max and I are running away for the weekend, and I can’t wait.