Wackyfish

The prefect Dancing warrior

“we are often striving for the elusive "perfection" when we know we need to feel "perfect" right where we are” -Taialofa.

I take a yoga class with Taialofa every Tuesday night. For the past couple of weeks I had been getting kind of bored, since the routine didn’t vary much. This week however she took us through a bunch of new asanas that were great. I mean sometimes it is really good to practice the old asanas. The ones you know well, so that you can really push the edges and concentrate on increasing stamina or flexibility. But honestly I get bored.
One of the new asanas was called “dancing warrior”. It was a fun variation on the tradition warrior pose that added some movement and grace. It felt very Dorie.

So this morning as I sat outside (The Aunties have taken to having coffee outside now, since the AC in the coffee shop is broken.) looking out over the harbor having coffee I kept thinking how perfect my life is here. I am very excited to visit my family and friends in the BA, but honestly I am not really looking forward to being in America for a month. I love my simple life here. Most days I get up, I go have coffee, I work, I try to go do something active and then I go home were I may do some yoga and hang out with my dog. It is simple, quiet, and peaceful. Nothing moves to fast. My choices are limited so I am never overwhelmed by the 150 channels on TV or the 50 types of deodorant at the store. And while in the adjusting period it was difficult to get used to not having whatever I wanted at my fingertips at all times. I find it very freeing now. So I am mildly concerned that I am not going to handle American culture very well. But I guess we will see.

Can I get an AMEN!

I just got a new project today.
I am going to be working with EPC (my host agency) and SOPAC (South Pacific Applied Geosciences Commission)!
Basically I will be helping EPC study how our power is being used and then come up with a plan to slow down the rapid load growth we are experiencing. The ultimate goal is to find a way to prevent EPC from having to buy more diesel burning generators.
How Cool is this!
I have to say I have been waiting for over a year for a great project like this. And here it is. It even has goals I can accomplish before I leave for the BA next week.
WOW.

Ready

My house was full all weekend.
It was nice in a very distracting sort of way.
Several people have told me that by the end of there visits to America they were more than ready to leave the fast passed, hugely consumerism based surroundings of America and come back to beautiful, slow, peaceful Samoa. And I know for a fact that many volunteers that COS from here come back and wish they could stay.
But then there are those who came back and said that it was hard to get on the plane to come back.
I am hoping that when it is my turn, I really want to come back here.

Up Up and Away

I got the MOST thoughtful gift last night.
Sky drew a caricature of Super princess and her good and faithful companion Princess Mia.
I have a SP story I have been working on, but it is coming slow. Partly because my writing these days is crap. And partly because SP stories were about a young hip urban woman and her adventures. So now that my life and surroundings are much different, the inspiration is not there anymore.
However I think it may be time to try, at least to get back into the SP groove.
I will post pics of the drawings soon. They are beautiful and a lot of fun!

(NOTE: the background on this is that I used to write stores, that I hoped would some day be drawn into a comic book, about the Character Super Princess. Who is essentially me, if I was a spandex wearing super hero. She had adventures like “Super Princess and the soul sucking Starbucks” or “Super Princess and Super epoxy Lipstick.” The stories were light and fun, and not to be taken very seriously.)

Why I’m an idiot

So I have an appointment at the SF DMV for February 3rd at 8:20 am. My flight gets in at 6:12am. (And don’t think I don’t know it’s your (you know who you are) Birthday that day, Missy.) I have to go in and take the written driving test (among other things) to get my license renewed. My DL expired on my birthday this year and I was unable to renew it by mail or over the internet.
I was not unable to do this because I forgot, or was negligent of some sort. I was unable because I am an idiot and managed to get two speeding tickets several months preceding my departure.
So now I will spend some of the first precious hours back in the BA… At the DMV.
Maybe next time I will be less dumb.

I know you are tired of hearing about my dog, but...

But here she is anyway.

Hey mom, look we are in the world news!

EPC is working on this project as well, and we (Samoa) are even mentioned in the article.
Our big issue here in Samoa is growing and processing enough coconut oil. Hopefully by the time I leave we will have made significant progress.

Pretty

I saw Monsoon Wedding again last night. I love that movie. It makes me restless of the day when I get to travel and will get to visit India.
Anyway it is very pretty movie, and if you haven't seen it, you should.

Also I managed to end up with Vic's (a PCV who COS's last month) Duke Ellington and Count Bassie Live someplace impressive CD. It good, real good.

Testing comments…
More Wackyfish maintenance going on.
It looks like we may have something to prevent comments spam.
This is a test entry

No one likes housecleaning

I updated the MT software to V3.14.
Well I didn’t do it alone. I had help from Max.
He is real neat.
Anyway, I (read: we) will be tweaking with wackyfish for a bit.
I would like to get some anti-spam stuff working and I need to add a six part link for MT credit. They deserve it.

Huge Positive Karma dump…

I have to say that one of the many things I love about Samoa is the HUGE positive karma dump I get every morning. I step out my door and by the time I get to my desk and sit down to work, at least 30 people have said good morning and wished me a good day. There are my neighbors, the Aunties, the coffee shop staff, other people who work in the building, the elevator operator guy, the EPC cashiers, customer service people, accounting ladies, meter readers, and of courses my own staff. They all seem bright and cheery and sincerely happy to see me. Like I made there day by just coming in and returning their greeting. And this happens every day!
At first I looked for some ulterior motive for the niceness, or I waited for the day when the novelty of a Palagie in the office would wear off. But after a year I have yet to find it and the sincerity has yet to wear off. I just get a huge karmic bonus every day… for free. Which of course always makes me want to return the positive energy.
And it’s not just a morning thing really (Tho I guess that is when I notice it most). For the most part, Samoans are just really nice people. People who go out of their way to be friendly, positive, helpful, and just nice to each other (or me at least). The security guard at my favorite grocery store always insists on hailing me a taxi so I don’t have to wait in the sun for one. They boys always make me a cup of tea when they make there own. The ladies in the office are constantly just stopping by to chat and joke around with me.
And still a year later it boggles me.
I remember that people at home are not generally this nice to each other or perfect strangers. I may be remembering it wrong, but it seems that Americans are more guarded and closed off. Smiling at strangers on the street and whishing them a good day is the exception and not the rule as I recall.
So why is this?
I think it could be the fundamental belief of most Samoans that these islands ARE paradise, and the safest place in the world. That there is nothing in life to fear because all our needs are met. No one is homeless and no one goes hungry (Malnutrition is an issue here, but not hunger. But that is another topic.) Everyone is taken care of at least at a very basic level so why worry? Why not be nice? Faifailemu.

I am looking forward to going back to the Bay Area in a few weeks. I am dying to see my family and friends. I am also looking forward to being reminded of what it feels like to be cold. But honestly the longer I am here the more I grow to love this place. And it is not an ignorant love. I know there are many many issue and problems that Samoa faces. Some social, some economic, and some political. But I also think that seeing these flaws gives me more compassion and understanding twards the people and the culture and how they cope with themselves and the world around them. I think just as love of any other thing… it is better and more truthful when it is love for a whole… good and bad and all that comes between.

Another Shameless product placement.

Max brought me a new pair of Chaco’s.
After wearing them for about a month I am ready to say that this is the best walking sandal I have yet to try. They have good arch support. And even tho I have been walking more my feet have hurt less. Plus they are Made in the USA (Colorado to be exact) , so that gives me happy little consumer vibes.

I have also re-picked up the Madeline Albright book. I am less than a hundred pages from being done. And while I loved it at first, frankly I just want it to be over with. I’m not sure is the fault of the book and her writing style or if I am just so fed up with politics and government right now that it bores me

See it in the stars.

My house was hot and still last night. I expected it to cool off and the breeze to pick up at some point in the evening. Usually this happens just after the sun goes down. But not last night. It just went from hot and still and light outside to hot and still and dark.
The Samoans all say that it is “Cyclone weather” especially when it gets cloudy, and hot and still.
Tho, predicting cyclones is almost a national pastime here. It’s accuracy is somewhere on par with reading tea leaves and horoscopes

Walk on by

There is a Red Cross 10K walk/run on January 22nd here.
I am pretty sure I could walk the 10K but my right foot was killing me Saturday evening after the long walk. It felt like someone was rippling the muscles on the bottom of my feet right off of my heal. It made putting any weight on it intensely painful. By Sunday evening it was ok again and I walked for about 20 min.
Ed said his plantar injury took him two years to completely heel. (BAHAHAHA, I crack me up!) So I should probably not set any more crazy goals like a 10k in less than 2 weeks. Tho really… two weeks is a long time… it’s just walking.

Red Hot

Yesterday I went for a walk with a friend on the sea wall. We walked from the office all the way around the harbor to the Yacht club and then back to the office. It was a nice walk. I didn’t have enough sunscreen on. I am burnt like a lobster. It hurts and I am butchering the beautiful Aloe plant that Dan and Mary gave me in order to sooth my scorched skin.
Also I think I maybe getting strep. My throat huts and my voice sounds like an old blues singer. Maybe I should find the Karaoke place tonight and take advantage of this. Or maybe I should just go home, take care of myself and put myself to bed.

Why I can't do any dishes

I should write more about Max’s visit.
But honestly I don’t want to give too many details. He was here and we had a great time. I will see him again in a month when I go to SF. And I’m sure that at some point I will have some pictures to post. Other than that there isn’t a whole lot I want to say about it.

It is now January. It should be raining buckets. The heavens should be open up and unleash the evaporated sea upon my tiny little island. Unfortunately they have not. There has been so little rain this year that the water went off during the day again last week. This is completely unheard of for this time of year. No one can recall any year in the past when it has been this dry. Which is just my luck… I love the rain. Love it! Love love love love rainy weather. It probably as something to do with the fact that rain is sort of the “anti-sunny”.
So it’s dry here. I hear that in San Francisco it hasn’t stopped raining for days.

Hold on now just a min

Ok the Comment Spam here is just getting out of control.
So I am shutting down most of the comments for this blog until I can upgrade the blog software and install some sort of anti spam software. If the entry you want to comment on is locked, e-mail me.
Also I have a ton of new pictures to load up to the gallery. One of the other volunteers gave his album for the past year so I have a ton of great shots to post. In which case I may also need to increase the space I have on wackyfish, so the gallery can get big.
I am working on a more interesting post about Max’s visit, but that could be a while. Until then I hope everyone has a very happy new year.