WE SURVIVED DAY ONE as teachers. What?! It is so crazy to believe that my job title now is 'high school science teacher', I feel like I was JUST on the other side of the classroom, falling in love with science, falling asleep in class, and getting started on the journey to get me here, so that happened fast. Let me take this moment to commend and appreciate all the teachers in the world. I never realized how hard this job is, but I have already caught a glimpse of how many challenges it will bring this year. The other high school teachers, those from American Samoa, say that being in this environment is even different than teaching in the states. Here in American Samoa, the teachers wear every hat and fill every job. We are teachers, counselors, advisors, friends, nurses, custodians, and the list goes on. Yesterday, one of my students had a severe nosebleed and I momentarily panicked when the students told me their was no nurse and that I should call the Emergency Medical Service (aka the ambulance). But I took a deep breath, put on the hat of school nurse, and helped my student make his way to the counselor and handle his nosebleed. What a rush. This also happened to throw me off for my next period, my worst period, 1st period. That's how life works, I guess. I was so calm, collected, and ready to manage my toughest class, and then something unpredictable threw me off my game. I'm expecting a lot of that this year. So far, it's been especially hard teaching kids whose names I can't pronounce at all. The name Matainafuala'au, for example, does NOT roll easily off the tongue. Then there's the student whose name is Taei, and he's still convinced I'm saying his name wrong. I've repeated his explanation 'Ta - ayyy' at least 10 times, and I'm still getting something wrong. Clearly, my Samoan language skills are coming along really well (jokes). Shelby, the other world teacher at Tafuna High School, and I have a much different experience than the other volunteers. We are the only high school teachers in the program this year (on the main island, at least). While our roommates talk about cute students bringing them mangoes, we talk about the boys and girls going through their most angsty years. It's an exciting time of their lives to be a part of, I really feel that the messages we convey in our teaching and in who we are will have an effect on some of our students. I've started off the year asking my students what they want to do after high school, since their juniors, and should be starting to think about this. Most of them answer that they want to join the army, or that they want to go to college, both of which are really exciting. Others say they want to find a job and provide for their family or play football, also good goals. I'm trying to teach them that all of these goals require for them to put in their best effort, and that's what I'm expecting of them this year. I'm slightly surprised by the amount of students whose english is still poor. Some of my roommate's fourth graders speak with similar english skill as my students, but that'll be another challenge. Since English was my second language, and I've taught in ESL classes, I let the students know that I'm here to help them, and they shouldn't be scared of the things they don't know, just open to learn (holla at rule #3 - come prepared with yours brain). I have yet to go over what we'll be covering this year in Earth and Space Science, and I'm really expecting to learn a lot myself. Today I learned that earth was just narrowly missed by an asteroid this weekend that probably would've killed us all if it came a little bit closer? That's insane!! This year is going to be fun. There's so much more to explain about what it's like to be teaching in American Samoa, but I have yet to wrap my brain around a lot of them. Right now, all I can think of is that I cannot WAIT for the weekend. It might be a 4 day weekend to celebrate labor day (because they obviously can't have festivities on Monday they're scheduling them for Friday and canceling school). That would be sick. Our plans are to hike the tallest mountain on this island, to go to the market on friday night for some yummy food, to play volleyball and hopefully do lots of swimming, and to get our dance on at ice breakers (oh yeah, and probably prepare lesson plans for next week...maybe...jk). Also on an a completely unrelated-to-school note, I can now play THREE songs on the ukelele, and one of them is somewhere over the rainbow, sooooo look out for my debut album, dropping soon :) Until next time!! PS - the reason for the title of this post - the bell never rings on time...'island time' means any time in schools, so I just blabber on and on until the chime to tell us to go to lunch. TL;DR - Teachers rock.
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Orientation is now officially over :( Today was the last day that all us World Teach volunteers were together for one last teaching session. Tomorrow, our last Manu'a volunteers will fly to the secluded island, which boasts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Us on the main island probably won't see them until Christmas. With school starting Monday, we're finally starting our (semi) real life here on the island. I"ve finally found out the subject I'll be teaching, and it's 11th Grade Earth and Space Science! Maybe I'll pass on my secret dream of becoming an astronaut to a few young Samoans. My classroom is already painted a vibrant yellow , thanks to the World Teacher from last year, but it is filled with rat poop and dust, so I've still got some cleaning to do. All of my desks are broken, so I'll be fixing them with duct tape until we (maybe) get a new set. Worse, today I tried to mop the floor but I think I just made it more dirty...woops. Besides being introduced to our classrooms and our subjects, I also got to meet members of the Tafuna High School staff this morning at a workshop. Each of the teachers seem dedicated to their jobs but funny and don't take themselves too seriously. We touched on the importance of making sure every student is learning, in whatever way he or she does best, and the value of recognizing the issues present in the classroom. I've heard horror stories about the attitude problems in high schools in American Samoa, Tafuna High School in particular. I was told to be firm and not put up with bullshit, and to make sure my students know that from day 1, so this weekend I will be practicing and mastering my stern face. Next door to me is an older teacher from India who will be teaching Marine Science, and who has been teaching here for 10 years. I'm hoping I can use her for expertise and learn from her methods. The school that I'll be teaching at, Tafuna High School, is the biggest high school in American Samoa and, like any large school, is an extremely proud and successful one. The football program is an important aspect of the school (Go Warriors), and even better, we have a pretty great Volleyball team! I talked to the coach, Lydia, today about getting involved with the girls volleyball team, and she encouraged me to try to help out and be an administrator and travel with them. Pretty coincidentally, Lydia completed her undergrad at Yale, and that's where she learned to play volleyball. What are the odds that two people who both went to school in Connecticut (years and years apart) play volleyball in American Samoa together?? It's become a common thing, though, to realize these coincidences. It's actually unbelievable how small the world gets once you travel as far as you can go. Sure this island is small and similarities are bound to arise, but we're in the middle of the pacific ocean! I didn't even know where this place was a few months ago!! Yet here I am, finding comfort in the fact that my roommate is from NH and will also miss snow just as much as I will. For now I'll get back to cleaning the classroom, and attempting to get things ready for the first day of school. Fa Felicia! AHH MOSQUITOS. Here’s a list of some of the diseases that can be transferred by mosquitos here in American Samoa: Dengue, Chikunguya, Zika, Elephantitis. YIKES. If you’re a hypochondriac, like me, this sounds terrifying. Luckily, being informed helps out, and some of those fears go away (but I still think I’m bound to get Zika), so let me share some knowledge with you! First of all, it’s interesting to note that mosquitoes aren’t attracted everyone equally. There are a lot of factors that might make some people more susceptible to bug bites, like blood type. People with type O blood (like me, ugh) are on average bitten twice as many times as those with Type A, and Type B’s lie somewhere in the middle. This could explain why I’m always a big walking mosquito bite. Other factors like metabolism, what color you’re wearing, breathing, and drinking beer could also influence how often you get bit by mosquitoes, so be careful where you breath! On to illnesses - the first disease, and the most common one you can get here is Dengue Fever. As it sounds, it’s a nasty disease that causes a high fever, headaches, vomiting, and joint pain. It’s usually not fatal though, and just boils down to feeling crappy for a few weeks. The disease is spread by an Aedes mosquito, mostly A. aegypti. The most effective treatment is simply to stay hydrated and take anti-inflammatories if needed. As Karim told us when he came in to speak – “If you can drink water, you will survive, just keep drinking. If you can’t drink water, you’re going to die, go to the hospital.” Next comes Chikunguya. What a funky name for a scary disease! The chikunguya virus causes a fever for a little under a week, but then joint pain that lasts a few days, to weeks, even months. The disease is spread by the same type of mosquito, Aedes. There’s no treatment, besides managing the pain and staying hydrated. Luckily, American Samoa isn’t having an outbreak at the moment, which is when you should be worried. The watch is at level 1 – practicing usual precautions. Up next, we have our star disease at the moment, ZIKA! Zika has been causing uproar all over the world since it’s spreading quickly, and is still a pretty mysterious disease. The warning from my travel physician was to protect myself from mosquito bites, as it’s the mosquitos that pick up Zika from hosts that spread it, but that it can also spread as a sexually transmitted disease. The main issue with Zika is the issues involved in pregnancies. While Zika can cause fever, headaches, and normal symptoms of flu, if you are pregnant, it can cause some severe birth defects in your child. The symptoms vary based on regions of the world, which is because of the strand of the virus that is spread. Some doctors warn to not get pregnant for a few years after traveling to an infected country, while my doctor only suggested a few months. That’s proof that the distributed information on the disease is so different. Even scarier, new studies are being conducted every day, pointing to the impact Zika may have on the adult brain. Needless to say, it’s a frightening disease because of the uncertainty that it brings. It has been around briefly, so its long-term impacts are unknown. Key advice for traveling in American Samoa: don’t help spread Zika, where bugspray and use condoms. Finally, the last scary word on that list was ELEPHANTITIS. When I heard this uttered by our director, my jaw dropped, it sounds terrifying! I pictured myself swelling up and prancing around this island like a big ole’ sweaty elephant, yikes! Don’t panic, though, this elephantitis is not the one you’re thinking of. Sure, it would still suck, but it’s a little less daunting when you understand it. I don’t know about you, but when I think elephantitis, I think of elephant man, or the genetic disorder, called Proteus Syndrome. TERRIFYING! This is not that. The elephantitis you can get here on the island is Lymphatic filariasis, which often has no symptoms. It is spread by parasitic worms, which is spread by mosquitoes. The worms damage your lymphatic system and those who get symptoms develop elephantiasis, including swelling in arms, legs, and genitals. It’s not too common, so we shouldn’t worry (I hope). So, there you have it! Don’t be afraid of mosquitoes, just wear lots of deet bug spray and cover your legs with a lava-lava! Culture shock - noun; the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. Culture shock (familiar) - when World Teach volunteers freak out about coming to American Samoa because they don't know how to tie their lava-lava and mispronounce the word 'tulou', but are coming to appreciate the beautiful country, generous people, and unique customs that has become their home. I came to American Samoa with little expectations. I read my WorldTeach handbook and looked up some interesting facts about the country I would spend the next year in (mostly just listened to my mom tell me stuff), but I purposely spent little time reading blogs and doing much else. For some reason, I thought that coming into this experience knowing little, and adapting to things as they came, would be the best way to go about my adjustment to Samoan Culture. I'm still unsure if this was the right way, but one thing I do know is that for most of us volunteers, this experience is different than we ever imagined it would be, and each day brings new, exciting, and sometimes frustrating challenges. In the past few weeks, we've learned how beautiful the culture we live in is, and how difficult it is to explain our experience without experiencing it for oneself. I'll try to relay some examples of what I mean, but know that experiences are different for everyone; what some people find unusual, others have found commonplace, but here's what I have been intrigued by so far: 1. Respect: Samoa is by far one of the most respectful cultures I've ever had the pleasure to live in. From the custom of never standing and eating, to always saying excuse me when passing in front of someone, every common practice is done with regard. At first, it seemed tedious to keep track of when and how to act respectfully, but after some time (and lots of practice), it's starting to become natural (almost). With lots to remember, though, it’s stressful to think of messing a situation up – of wearing a skirt too short (above knee length), or of eating at the wrong time, but the most important thing I’ve learned to remember is the kindness and acceptance of Samoans. It’s the respect of culture and attempting to understand the customs that’s the most important, and mistakes are bound to happen. So when my lava lava (a Samoan skirt tied around the waist) falls off, I embrace it, smile, and try to tie it a bit better next time. 2. On that note....Kindness. Have you ever been to place where hitchhiking is the norm?! If it’s something you want to experience, come on over the American Samoa. Countless times, random cars have pulled over to my friends and I to ask if we needed a ride anywhere. This simple gesture explains the kindness of Samoans, which is always apparent. Being in a culture so different than my own, it’s comforting to be welcomed so open-heartedly and with such warm smiles. 3. Volleyball skill. ‘Polynesian Volleyball Players’ should never be messed with. If you ask most people in AmSam if they play volleyball, they’d probably say no, then proceed to pick up a ball and school you. Playing volleyball is just a way of life. Pick up games happen every day, and backyard rules are the only rules. Johannah and I continue to be brushed off when we ask to join an intramural team, probably because our skills would be embarrassing. Maybe if I practice enough some of the talent will brush off on me so I can finally fulfill my dreams of being a professional volleyball player (laugh-out-loud). 4. Environment: in such a beautiful place, it’s obvious that some of the favorite past times in American Samoa are swimming and hanging out at the beach. On a free day, or even after work, people of all ages crowd the water and fry up barbecues on the sand. While the ocean and island is appreciated so much, it’s also worth noticing the way the environment is regarded. Signs saying ‘Keep American Samoa Beautiful’ line the road to remind Samoans to keep their litter in the trash, but plastic usage is abundant and recycling is not a thing. It’s interesting to see where priorities lie, and curious to wonder about when the practices may catch up with the community. Regardless, we live in the most beautiful place ever. Sorry not sorry. 5. Buses: Random but really important to talk about. BUSES HERE ROCK. Step into the road, wave down a bus, and walk onto a magical world. Most likely, you’ll be on a colorful converted truck, with wooden seats, maybe some boas and beads, possibly a tv that’s showing a Korean Drama, Bollywood film, or WWE fight. Without fail, you’ll always jam out to reggae-samoan remixes of your favorite songs, or of classics you didn’t think could be remixed (like ‘My Heart Will Go On’, for instance). They turn in every which direction, dropping people off wherever they need to go, no specific route, and absolutely no schedule. It’s an experience, for sure. Just hope you don’t catch a bus driving tuna workers back from the cannery… Sorry for the rambling but, for the 800th time, this country is amazing. Different than I expected and challenging, but enlightening and fun all the same. #visitamericansamoa2016 Just a week and a half ago, I was in Boston. I was eating ice cream and trying to say goodbye to friends in preparation for being away. Just a week and a half ago, I didn't know any of the people who I'm laughing and crying with today. Just a week and a half ago, I was not a high school teacher. Wow. We've been here for a week! It's hard to wrap my mind around what I'm feeling. I've grown much more confident in leading a classroom, but also more anxious. My nerves now are more centered around dealing with high school students, managing behavior, and standing my ground, and adequately preparing lesson plans, since I'm a perfectionist. Luckily, we really have learned so much in the little time we've been here. The days we spend in orientation are packed with methods on teaching, engaging the classroom, introduction to Samoan culture, and preparation for life on the island. Today, we met with the only Ob-gyn on the island, Karim. Oh my gosh, Karim is so cool! First of all, his Samoan style is on point, with his traditionally sewn Samoan dress shirt contrasting with the funky pattern of large blue raindrops and palm trees (style). He's also a heavy advocate for the environment and not using a gazillion plastic water bottles because it is ruining our planet (get a reusable water bottle, people). Most importantly, he is so informed about life on the island, and seems to know the best spots for everything imaginable, and seems to be experiencing American Samoa for everything it has to offer. Karim shared with us some of the important information we should know on how to deal with our health while on the island, and some of the ways that culture will impact our lives this year. If you're wondering what Karim does on the island as the only ob-gyn, he delivers about 6 babies a week, and he says he's finally learned to deliver a baby fully in Samoan! The reason he's in American Samoa is that he received a scholarship when he went to med school that required him to serve an underserved community after his studies, and he had to choose between a few random spots in the US and here, so of course he chose here. Aside from telling us not to get Zika, be careful of dogs (for the 700th time), and to be careful of coral, he also told us a lot of the best coral reefs on the island and the spots for good food (Double Z's burger and Herb n Juice smoothies). He'll be a good resource to have here! When we're not in class or lesson planning, we've been bonding. I feel like I've known my fellow World Teach volunteers for way longer than only the week we've been together. It's been one week but we've gone through a lot together. We haven't left Nu'uli VoTech very much, and it feels like we've been living at camp (minus the smores and campfire songs). Together we saw our first cockroach, experienced our first cold shower, and spent our first night out at a Samoan 'club'. It's a good sign that I feel like everyone here could be my best friend, and I'm so excited to see how our relationships will progress in the upcoming year. I know we'll all walk away from this program with lasting friendships, and the memories we've made here at Nu'uli Vocational Technical High School will be ones we look back to throughout our entire time here. Yay for friendship! TL;DR - I'm a fashion designer and soon I'll be wearing my colorful creations. As many people get when they start a new job, I was very nervous to get my uniform for this year as a teacher. I was extremely psyched, though, when I learned that our uniform would be a traditional dress called a ‘puletasi’, which consists of two pieces, a skirt and a top. The puletasi is typically made with very fabric covered in vibrant giant tropical flowers, my FAVORITE. It’s also pretty common to wear flowers in your hair all the time, which is perfect because I have been doing that since I can remember. We only have to wear our uniform about once a week, but I wouldn't mind wearing a new, crazy, colorful one every day!
To get our first puletasi’s made, we simply went to a fabric store, where the owner looked at us and cut us two pieces of fabrics that should be enough to fit our bodies. Stepping into the fabric store was like stepping into a rainbow. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many colors in one place at once. I don’t think I’ll learn to be decisive here with all these choices, since I have trouble choosing between even three ice cream choices. This choice was easy, though, as our World Teach uniform colors were already chosen for us – white, blue and black top, with a simple black skirt on the bottom. After we purchased our fabric, we took that fabric to the sew shop of our choice (many Samoans have their favorite, but I’ll try out them all). There’s an abundance of options for how you can get your puletasi made. Basically, anything you can imagine can be done. There are books filled with picture examples, and a google image search goes on for thousands of pages. If you can’t find an idea there that suits you, the seamstresses will create for you whatever crazy outfit you describe. My new friend, Kate, and I decided on a simple but unique top with black streamlines down the side and a wide square neckline. Eventually, I'll get more creative with my outfits, and maybe even take some requests from back home (send your measurements!). We requested for our puletasi’s to be done on Thursday, but that’s because we need them on Monday. You can’t trust anyone on the island with a deadline, as we’ve learned from orientation, and in all likelihood, our puletasi’s will be ready for us to pick up on Monday morning. We hope so, at least, because Monday is the opening assembly for the beginning of the public school year! All the teachers on the island will come together and after the assembly move to their separate schools to move in to our classrooms and find out the details for the upcoming year. We don’t know much about the year, yet, besides the fact that we have two weeks off for Christmas (travelling woooooooooooo), and no spring break because of the possibility of rained out days. Luckily, some World Teach volunteers in the past have been gifted a spring break as a break for their hard work. We’re all starting to become antsy for the first day of school, and especially antsy for our puletasi to be done…only 8 days until opening assembly though, and 2 weeks until we meet our students!! Here’s hoping I wasn’t getting ambitious with the design of my puletasi and it looks okay! TL;DR - Amerika S(ahhh)moa.
Part of our orientation in American Samoa includes a 10-day Samoan class taught by a woman named Suria. Suria is hilarious, always laughing about how we pronounce our g’s and about our upcoming lives on the island. She teaches a Samoan class throughout the year for palagis on the island, so I hope to be attending it as often as I can. I didn’t think Samoan would be easy, but I also didn’t expect it to be as hard as it is. Traveling in Italy, it was always the case that when I really really focused on understanding the language, I might be able to get the gist of the conversation. Sure, it was exhausting, but it was possible. Samoan, though, is like nothing that I’ve ever heard before, and so trying as hard as I can doesn't get me anywhere, just very lost. For all you non-Samoans, lesson number one and the most important pronunciation rule to avoid embarrassment is how to pronounce your g’s. Contrary to what you’d think, ‘g’ is pronounced ng, sort of like the noise ng makes in the word ‘song’, but the sound comes from your throat. Sounds confusing…It is. This makes words like gagana extremely difficult, and worth a laugh for any native speaker. With practice comes proficiency, though, so don’t give up!! After a few days here, it’s already become normal, and I’ve been pronouncing ‘good’ as ‘nnngood’ :) Let’s practice…say Pago Pago out loud. Pago Pago is the capital city of American Samoa. Did you say ‘Pah-go Pah-go’ or ‘pungo pungo’? If you said the second one, BINGO, you’re right!! Good work. Now on to lesson number two, also important for the prevention of red faces…the pronunciation of A. Sorry to break it to you, but you’ve been saying American Samoa wrong your whole life. It’s not ‘Suhmoa’ it’s ‘s-ahhh-moa’ (think of me as Hermione teaching you how to say leviosa). It seems weird, but all the vowels here are seriously pronounced as they sound. Sound out every single vowel as it looks, and you’re probably speaking Samoan beautifully, fantastic job! Lesson number three, and one you probably don’t need yet, but is still cool to learn, is the ability to change some words from formal to informal with a simple letter change. Most words that contain the letter ‘T’ can be transformed into an informal word by replacing that letter with ‘K’. Take a name like ‘Sweety’, for instance (our Samoan World Teach helper-outer). Formally, call her Sweety, but if you want to speak in a more slang form, call her ‘Sweeky’. Just call me Marcela Krocha! Now let’s move on to some common phrases in Samoan. If you want to say good day, say “Manuia le aso”. Similarly, goodnight is “Manuia le po”. To say ‘I don’t understand’ (which you’ll use most often), say ‘Ou te le malamalama’. Know the respectful words like please, ‘Fa’amolemole’, thank you, ‘fa’afetai’, and sorry, ‘fa’amalie atu’. These will get you far! Definitely know how to say ‘do you want to dance?’, or ‘Ete fia siva?’ Icebreakers bar is the place to be on Saturday nights and this phrase will apparently be your best friend! And an important phrase for those friends that won’t shut up, say ‘Mapugi’ (remember the ‘ng’ sound) – this means ‘shut up’. Bad words are a thing too, but learn those on your own so I don't seem like a bad teacher. There you go! You’re (almost) a native Samoan! I hope to see you soon in here in American Samoa practicing those new skills! Manuia! (Cheers) In other words, “hey dude!” It’s been a hectic (‘hectic’ in island time) week so far in American Samoa, and it’s been amazing. The mountains are beautiful, the sunrises and sunsets take my breath away, the abundance of the coconut trees is awesome, and the people are so welcoming and tremendously kind. Best of all, our group of World Teach volunteers is amazing. Everyone is so genuine, helpful, and willing to have fun all the time.
So far, we’ve been spending most of our time in orientation classes, learning about teaching techniques, practicing what we’ve been learning, and learning the Samoan language. It’s overwhelming the amount of material we’re taking in and thinking of applying it in a classroom filled with students in less than three weeks is daunting. I’m hopeful that with practice and confidence, though, that I’ll be able to apply what we’re learning and be an effective teacher. Technical stuff aside (that’ll come when school actually starts), this country is incredible. My first question before coming here was what the food would be like (I’m a foodie). It has already been so delicious, and we’ve only been here for a few days. It’s usually meat on meat or carbs on carbs, and who can have an issue with that?! Apparently, barbeque is a BIG thing, so I think I’ll be content here. There are also coconut and banana trees everywhere and, apparently, if you befriend the right people, you can get fresh avocados and mangos when it’s their season. It’s almost pineapple season, which is pretty unreal to imagine that’ll we’ll be eating local pineapples soon (I’ll still miss apple season). It makes no difference that the coconut trees are tall, because one of the other world teach volunteers, Kyle, is teaching me how to climb them. There is a 5% chance I’ll actually be able to do it, but we’ve already finished lesson 1 (just watching in awe), after which I was rewarded with a fresh coconut to drink from. It felt a little bit wrong to take a coconut Kyle had worked so hard for, but how can you resist fresh nourishment?! The idea of the family unit is the strongest unifying force on the island. Family. Is. Everything. I met some brothers from the Ho-Ching family yesterday, who own a store in the center of Nu’uli. They are only 2 of 8 siblings, and each of them have 8 children themselves. They kept reiterating that us girls would probably find a Samoan man and want to stay here, which would be great because then we wouldn’t have to pay for land. Land runs in the family and is passed on from generation to generation, so if you’re from here, you’ll have a place for life. If not, you’re out of luck and your land could be gone from you with the snap of a finger. While the family unit is beautiful, get on one’s bad side, and you could just be in for a terrible experience on this island, or so it seems. We’ve been told countless times that news around the island travels FAST and we need to make sure to be hanging out with the right people, and in the right places. It seems like one wrong move could ruin your reputation, which is hard to get back. One step to beating this, though, is respect, and as long as we try to respect the foreign culture we’re in, we should be respected in return. On another note, I always thought that strong unified families would include awesome pets. I was wrong. In American Samoa, the dogs are super aggressive. The reason for this goes back to land ownership. A lot of families are nervous that other families who think their abandoned land is free might take their land, and so they train their dogs to attack anyone who trespasses on their property. Instead of snuggle buddies, as I know them, dogs are violent security tools here on the island. Most dogs that you walk by will attack you, and the only way to stop them is to assert dominance, pretend you’re throwing a rock at them, and sometimes actually throw that rock at them. Luckily, using leftover chicken wings, I’ve befriended a dog named scratch here at the high school we’re staying at. She’s a bit roughed up, with a lot of scratches around her body (hence the name), but she’s sweet as can be and loves a good belly rub. At my host family’s home, into which we’ll be moving in two weeks, there’s also an awesome dog named socks, who’s always up for good petting session and acts like a best friend (aka my new best friend)!!! These are only some of the things that explain how different the culture here is than what I’m used to, and so you can imagine the level of amazement and culture-shock we all must be going through. Overall, it’s such a beautiful culture that I’m already appreciating and learning from. I can’t wait to actually be a part of the community and be the coolest palagi around. (ps Palagi means ‘white folk’). It's crazy to say, but the time has finally come for me to leave for American Samoa. I'll be gone for a year, teaching high school science at Tafuna High School on the main island, and I'll be living in the village of Nu'uli. I'm extremely excited for where this journey will take me (also very much freaking out), and I can't wait to learn some Samoan! I don't think I'm prepared at all for what's going to happen over the next year, and it'll be more of a challenge than I can even imagine. Today, while sitting on a bus from LAX airport, the only thoughts running through my head were "what the heck are you doing, Marcela? Why did you ever feel like this was a good idea?" Then I realized that that was probably the 3 hours of sleep talking and that it's all going to be okay. My motivation to join this program came from various things. While I know I could've chose to spend this year working some science-y, probably in Boston, surrounded by familiarities, and preparing myself for medical school, I thought that a better way to find myself professionally, would be to go abroad and try something new. My mom was always convinced that I would be a good teacher (even though I make fun of her English 9 times out of 10) and teaching in a foreign country seemed like a suitable way to give back for the help my parents were giving when coming to America. Also, since medicine involves mutual learning, teaching in a setting like this one was a way to enhance my understanding and improve my ability to explain. Lastly, I'm also crazy and traveling to an unknown country seemed like the most suitable adventure for me to take after graduating...so here I am. The next 10 months will be filled with ups and downs, lots of smiles, probably a few good cries, great new friends, infinite lessons, and most importantly endless memories. Follow along with my journey (or just stick around for the sweet pictures)! Day 1 adventures in LA included new friends, the Hollywood sign, an overrated In-N-Out Burger and this funky LA-esque fedora
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AuthorThe only way to find yourself is to get lost (and eat a lot of ice cream). Archives
January 2017
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