A Quick Explanation

My Uncle Karl pointed out it had been a while since I posted, but I had no idea it had been so long since my last post. Well, I have a couple to post in quick succession that have been word documents for a while... thanks for being loyal and patient readers!

Lots of Love!

Rosa

I know I have been bad about posting lately. I had a crazy busy schedule for awhile- I was teaching an SAT prep class after school for 3 weeks, so I had to teach 6 normal classes a day plus 2 and a half hours of SAT prep in the afternoon. Plus, I get inspired to write something, but it takes me so long to get on my computer, on the internet, that I sort of lose inspiration. I will try to be better for the last couple months I am here. Most of the other volunteers are leaving as soon as they can in June- a couple are going to Western Samoa then leaving. Everyone pretty much will be gone by June 16^th. Not me! I decided that I wanted to stay until August. I will be teaching summer school at PiCED- the Pacific Islands Center for Educational Development. One of the main reasons is that they are paying me- I wanted to accrue a little money so that I don’t have to freak out when I get home- it will give me a little bit of buffer zone to find a job. The second reason is that I want to try teaching in a better environment to sort of get refreshed on the whole teaching thing. Teaching at NVTHS has been wearing mentally and physically. I am just bone weary of trying to teach kids who don’t want to be taught. The SAT prep class, which was also through PiCED was a nice refreshment from normal. The students in my class were MOTIVATED. They PAID MONEY to be there. They actually valued education. I left class the first day in a cloud of giddiness. I went home: “April! Bret! You will not BELIEVE what just happened. I taught a class in AIR CONDITIONING. I had a PROJECTOR. The kids actually got quiet when I talked! They did their work! They asked smart questions!” I got blank stares for a few seconds and then a unified, “it sounds like a REAL SCHOOL!” It was amazing. Even though it was 2 and a half extra hours of work a day, it refreshed my spirits. I am hoping that the summer school will be similar. I know the students won’t be as proficient- after all, they will be there for extra help, but hopefully they will possess the same desire for education and respect for their educators. Basically, I feel like I could really love teaching, but some aspects of this year make me question that. I want to try it in an environment more similar to that which I would experience back home to feel it out.

Long story short, I will be boarding a plane home on August 2^nd, 2011. I will arrive in Richmond on August 4^th- At that point I will have celebrated two birthdays in American Samoa, and will have met and helped orient the new batch of WorldTeachers. Crazy. In the meantime, I am just trying to get through the end of school. This week is review. Next week is exams, and the last week is…. ??? I don’t know WHAT they expect us to do. I hope we have a field day.

Just for Fun

One of the biggest problem areas I dealt with in the SAT prep class I taught was how to write the essay. Specifically, they did not know how to give examples to back up their reasoning and arguments. I have included below some excerpts from some of the essays I read, for your enjoyment.

“These daily actions will alter the course of history. Here is a self explanatory example. I decided to skip school today because we are having a quiz which I didn’t study for. But on the same day my parents were secretly called in to take a tour of everyday class learning. While I am out having the time of my life, my parents are sitting in that classroom worried that I might be injured or kidnapped.”

“Facts are important as proving that life exists, such as water on the moon, Europia, the existence of mermaids.”

“Relying more on facts than imagination can get you a job. Barak Obama knows his facts, he doesn’t just sit there and do nothing, does he? Even the Governer[sic] of our country has to know his facts. I know this because he’s done a lot for country. For example he had an idea “instead of the school, kids preparing food for themselves to eat. I can hire cooks to make the children’s food. I’ll handle paying it with the government money.”

“You won’t die when you don’t know your facts, but you’ll suffer if you do not know your facts. Not just facts about your life, but real facts about other random things. Did you know your hands have more germs than your butt? Did you also know that you cheeks have a lot more germs than your teeth? It’s all about knowing your facts!”

Four Months...

“If she’s Jewish, is she American?” I’ve been avoiding the question of my faith, but Bret, one of the other WorldTeach volunteers at my school, has been telling her students what I am (not sure how I feel about her “outing” me, but whatever). The opening quote is a real response from a student when Bret informed her of my religious status.

One of the hardest things about being in this country is not being able to practice my faith. Granted, I am not the most observant Jew in the world (I love bacon, and shellfish, especially together... with cheese) but at home a Jew is not that big a deal. Most people at least vaguely know what they are, and they don’t care that much. Almost every supermarket has kosher products, and at all the major holidays, they have specialty items geared towards their yehudim customers.

Before I even came here, I struggled to decide what I would do. The idea of hiding who I am was not something that appealed to me, but what little I did know about American Samoa led me to believe that those few who even knew what a Jew was would NOT consider it a positive thing. This country is a Christian country. There is at least one, if not three churches every 100 feet or so of road. There are 5 times as many churches as schools; a wide range of the Christian denominations are present. There is the London Missionary Society, the Congregationalists, the Mormons (so many Mormons!), Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you ask a Samoan what religion they are, they will list one of those. It doesn’t even cross their mind to say Christian- to them, is the only religion there is. Islam some have heard about- mostly through the mirror of the war. Ask a Samoan about Islam, and most think its followers a) don’t believe in God b) have more than one God or c) they believe in Jesus too right?

Judaism enters even less. Although one might think that through the process of Sunday school, Jesus’ original faith might have come up, from what can tell, it is not a common topic of discussion. Most of my kids think (duh) Jesus was Christian. To them, anyone who is not Christian is just not worth anything. They are automatically wrong in whatever views they have, they deserve very little respect, and they are going to hell. Period. I know it seems like I am exaggerating, but I promise you- I am not. It is one of the most shocking things I have experienced since I arrived. There is not even religious tolerance between the Christian denominations. Everyone is not sure whether the other is Christian enough to be saved. One of my students flat out told me that she wasn’t really sure if Catholics were actually Christians. The idea that they would accept me is next to impossible, especially as I am already an outsider to them.

Ultimately I decided not to make my religion known. Classroom management, respect, obedience are hard enough with my white skin- I felt that adding a strange belief system to the mix would only decrease my ability to teach my students, which I told myself, was why I came here. Ultimately, I think my choice was correct, if difficult, but I never expected the toll that all of this would take on me. I certainly never expected to be excited to return home and go to Friday night services and listen to Rabbi Beifield’s too long sermons…. But I can’t wait! I can’t wait to be able to crack jokes and be understood, to not feel awkward when someone asks, “what church do you go to?” to visit the AEPi chapter and WM, and to wear a Jewish star necklace. I also want to go to Israel even more now- I feel like my soul needs a little bit of a refreshing. I need to feel like part of the Jewish community again.

All in all, it has been an eye opening experience. I never expected so much religious hostility on American soil- but I do feel that the experience has better prepared me for future instances in which my particular religion may be threatened or questioned.

A Gecko Named Wilma.

Not really. I did think it might be a good idea to check in and let you all know that I am safe and fine, despite the cyclone that has descended on the island. My house lost power this morning, but so far it has not posed that much of an issue. In true Samoan fashion, we gathered some belongings, called a cab, and headed to.... McDonalds. McDonalds, haven that it is, has its own house sized generator. It never loses power, and most importantly, it has both internet and a big screen TV. All of the housemates and I are now firmly esconced here... along with about 25 assorted palangis and Samoans all intent on both Chicken McNuggets and the NFL.

In other news, before I return to rooting for the Jets (sorry, but Palumalu is not enough incentive to cheer for Roethlesberger (sp?)) I feel I have to share one of those moments which inevitably ends up on a tacky calendar, with the theme of "You know you are in Samoa when...."
Thursday morning I woke up as normal... maybe a little groggier due to the constant rain and lack of usual sunshine pouring through my window. I stumbled to my kitchen, pulled down my granola and looked in the bag... to find a GECKO. Staring back at me. Far be it from me to stop anything or anyone in Samoa trying to be healthy... plus geckos are cool with me. They eat termites. So, despite my overwhelming feelings of, "this is my LIFE. MY LIFE." I simply tipped the bag over, counted the granola as a casualty of the war on bugs, and went to school as normal.

Love (and lots of wind and rain)
Rosa

RSIOTD

Random Samoan insight of today- Samoans love synthesizers. The synthetic drum sounds, electronic plinky piano and anything else you can play on a keyboard are classic elements of popular Samoan music. Synthesizers also appear in churches- nothing says both “I Love to Party,” and “I love Jesus” more than a holy song set to “Pop Riff #2!” played by a 300 lb woman dressed in shiny white satin.

Its not easy being Green

I hate this week. It is exam week, which sounds like it should be a piece of cake. More like a foot shoved up you know where. In order to divert my mind from relieving all the stressful moments so far, I will instead discuss a fun quandary of the beautiful island of Amerika Samoa.

My parents visited for Christmas. I actually managed to introduce them to a lot of the food Samoans eat on a daily basis, and they got a pretty good idea of what was available, and what was not. Namely, most things which are green.

It is incredibly ironic- I live in a tropical area. There is greenery everywhere, flourishing proof that plenty of stuff grows. Everywhere you look there are mango trees, banana palms, coconut palms, breadfruit (ulu) trees, and taro plants. However, the only two common vegetables that seem to be grown here are bok choy and a green bean relative called longbeans. Both delicious, but it gets old fast. A few people seem to grow tomatoes, but they can’t quite grasp when to pick them- as a result, mostly, I have been making fried green tomatoes, which admittedly are delicious (if not very healthy).

The biggest problem with vegetables is obviously how far away we are from everything. Anything which comes here has to be shipped a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong way. Often they simply don’t make it, or are in less than appetizing condition. Never has Kermit’s classic lament “It’s Not Easy Being Green,“ held truer than for the poor bell peppers and broccoli shipped over here.

Consequently, I eat a lot of frozen vegetables- there isn’t much variety so it tends to be either frozen spinach or some sort of peas, corn and carrot mixture. When I am not eating frozen, I am daydreaming about all the glorious things I am going to be eating in June- okra, snow peas, okra, fresh lettuce, fresh spinach, squash, zucchini, peppers, artichokes, Hanover tomatoes, fresh basil, lima beans. I hope to live like a rabbit for the first two weeks I am home, God willing.

In the meantime, I charge all of you to go to your local salad bar and load up- and don’t forget to spill a little lettuce on the floor, just for me.

Love,

Rosa