Fai fai lemu- take it easy

I've finally decided to attempt a blog with the hoped that it will help me keep in better contact back home and finally post a few pictures... eventually. Things move slower in Samoa... so even though I'm 8 months into my service it's never to late to start a blog!

I'm in Apia for a while- there's been a recent 'confusion' over one of my jobs here as a marine science teacher, so I had to come in and sort things out with my Ministry (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) and the Ministry of Education. I'm also very busy completing reports on the recent site assessment tour Lafi and I did around Savai'i... and now have one more to do as we did another assessment at Ema's village of Salelesi.

Last weekend I had an amazing adventure with a group of PCV's- about 8 of us went on a small fishing boat (one small outboard motor, 3 large Samoans and 8 PCVs on a boat that was maybe 15 feet long?) to the tiny island of Apolima-tai, which is inbetween the two largest islands of Samoa- Upolu (my island) and Savai'i. There is one village on Apolima-tai with about 90 villagers, and a 'lighthouse' up on one side that we climbed up to on some very steep and slippery stairs. From the lighthouse we could see directly down into the rough waters (no protective reef around Apolima!) and saw a shark hanging out near the surface. It's a totally beautiful island and rare to be able to go there. After our brief visit there and an incredibly harrowing dodge out of the tiny harbor, through a coral reef pass about 2 feet wider than our boat (with gigantic waves- I really admired the 'captain' of the boat- amazing skills!) we went to the even teenier island of Nu'ulopa, where we spent the afternoon snorkeling (saw a huge moray eel, another shark- black-tip reef sharf, about 2-3 feet long, tons of needlefish and the ubiquitous reef fish) around the island. One of the most beautiful things about the island is that it's covered in fruit bats- thousands, flying in big circles around the top of the island, making little cheepy bat noises- it was really surreal to be floating in this bathwater warm water, lookng up at this teeny tropical island covered in palm trees, being circled by huge bats.

It was a really great day- one of those days where I really can't believe my luck in getting placed here.

This week I've got several meetings to resolve my job situation (more later) and then back for a few days to my village before I return next weekend to Apia for more work!