This last month has been full of unique adventures! My Aunt JoAnn, Uncle Jeff and cousin Jana came to visit from Seattle/Washington DC. It was a blast- I played hard core tour guide, and throughout their 6 days in Samoa, we covered a lot of ground. Of interest: we toured the National Hospital with the Peace Corps Medical Officer Teuila (who is a minor goddess of health provision and information, as far as I’m concerned!!) This was fascinating to me, it probably wasn’t a place that I would have seen otherwise, but since Jana is an ER nurse in DC, and my uncle is a dentist, it was a good chance to check it out. We saw the dental clinic (where it costs about 80 cents to see a dentist and about $3 to get a filling) and the “emergency room”, where Jana was impressed with the waiting room (apparently it’s got a lot of space), and even visited the OR, which was funny because Jana and Jeff were aghast that we violated the sterile environment of the sacred OR by opening the door into the OR wing.
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We also visited and swam in several waterfalls, met a lot of my PCV friends, and most excitingly for me, ate at a lot of good restaurants! Their first morning, we visited my METI office to have a tea with the staff, where my staff patiently answered 1000 questions, and my relatives bravely battled fatigue to interact with my office mates. I enjoyed playing ‘tourist’ and tour guide, although when they left I was exhausted. We stayed at Sinalei, which is the nicest resort here (where I stayed with my mom when she visited last year) and I got a lot of relaxation time as well!
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We did the traditional Sunday brunch/church with my Samoan family, as well. It was really fun to see how far I’ve come in my language. Last year when my mom visited I was certainly capable of expressing basic questions and statements, and could translate fairly well most conversational Samoan. This year, though I was challenged by my aunt and uncle’s infinite curiosity about Samoan life and culture and land-ownership laws. After lunch we had a long conversation with my Samoan father about land ownership (which I think led my family to think that I myself wanted to purchase land in Samoa and stay forever, ending with them offering me their land to build a home on!). It was really cool to see how much more I could converse about, and test my skills at translating back and forth between English and Samoan. My uncle was curious about the process of becoming a matai and had a burning desire to be given a matai title. Unfortunately, my Samoan father (jokingly) gave him a title, Pa’u’ao, which is a land-holding title of our family, and of course, this made my uncle puff up with pride and entitlement and attempt to insist that Jana and I do everything for him after this point. It didn’t work. I have to mention here, as well, how nice Pa’u’ao (Uncle Jeff) looked in a traditional men’s ie faitoga- he wore a lovely, manly, navy-blue wraparound formal sarong to church!
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In all, it was a great, fun, cuisine-filled, although tiring, week! I was so happy to share my Samoan experience with more family from America. To be able to share parts of a culture that I am growing to love and appreciate and understand more and more, is really incredible. I was honored to have them visit and introduce my two families to each other!
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I also got to participate in the great annual palolo hunt, which I will cover in my next blog post, because it was such an awesome experience that I want to devote enough time to really discussing it in depth!!
3 comments:
That is so gross, Jordan. I'm proud of you :) I could never have the bravery to eat a worm. Maybe I'll send you the 4th grade book to refresh your memory--"How to Eat Fried Worms."
"My uncle was curious about the process of becoming a matai and had a burning desire to be given a matai title."
I've been reading through your blog which until now has been very well written, that is, until I came to this. Your uncle wanting a matai title, and you asking for one for him, just makes me angry. It just stinks of cultural imperialism. Would you or your uncle think of asking for a title in England? Highly likely - no. Then what makes you and your uncle think that you could ask for a title in Samoa. Shame.
Even though its a done thing, I suggest you read the following article titled "Samoa's matai stungs" at http://www.michaelfield.org/Matai%20stunt.htm
"I had a secretary in Apia who told me how their Savai'i village endured a Peace Corps volunteer for a couple of months. He nagged them to give him a matai title, a trophy he could take back to the States from the natives he had saved.
The village finally put on a saofai for him and awarded him the title "Fofo" which he greatly appreciated. He perhaps even still uses it, although one would like to think that somebody has finally told him it means "wanker"."
To clarify, Tom, my comment was entirely light-hearted, my uncle was merely curious about the matai title process, had/has absolutely no intention of pursuing an actual title, and both of us have nothing but respect for my family, their titles, and the matai system. We do not have any sort of imperialistic feelings. My writing about this conversation between my uncle and my samoan father was only meant as a light joke on my uncle. My samoan family most definitely took it as such and it was a cause of laughter, and enjoyment between my two culturally distinct, and loving, families. I don't feel any shame whatsoever.
I do not personally know of any PCVs in my experience in Samoa who have nagged or bothered our villages or families for a title. In fact, I know more PCVs who have gently refused an offered title because they didn't feel worthy of it, nor ready for the responsibility behind it. Those who have recieved titles were respectful and honored to be recieving them. I am sure there are exceptions, but not in my experience.
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