So there I was In Auckland at 3:27am sitting on my suitcase outside my flat in central Auckland, still reeling after watching a strangely enchanting yet compelling post apocalyptic film, and then shifting into Mr Tarentinos EPIC 70′s exploitation film “Death Proof“. I’m entering the unknown myself today!
As I journeyed on the bus towards Auckland International Airport, I let my mind wander in contemplation for what I would find on the other end. I sat there staring out the window intently, listening to “Kryptic Minds” on full volume on my Ipod, I watched the city evaporate in to the suburbs and noticed after a moment on a transcendent “gee I’m really tired” bliss I realized that I was smack dab in the middle of Onehunga. Down on to the motorway and past Mangere Bridge. I catch myself looking out the window and I can’t help but wonder how far away from this reality I will be shortly.
Arriving at the airport I go for a walk and change my NZD to Talas. I walk off with a grin on my face as I have almost doubled my investment!
Through the gates we walk via the halls of steel and eyes that always see, watching us all making notes taking names . . . customs . . . the plane . . . the Sky . . .
I sit next to an elderly Samoan couple looking after what I can only assume is their grand daughter, all of three years old; giant brown eyes, a thick mane of curly black hair, laying on her proud grandmother’s knee. The child is very unsettled as we wait to take off in this giant mechanical bird for parts unknown, and an eager home coming for the grandmother her husband and their prized girl child.
The plane starts to roar into action the small girl lets out a scared and confused plaintiff cry, her grandfather and grandmother sing her songs to calm her down, my heart swells and I wish I could offer some support as only a parent would.
The small girl raises her tear stained face from her grandmother’s embrace and warm smile; a smile of a mother; a smile of some one who cares. The girl stops crying for a second and looks at me, this unshaven Palagi stranger.
I wander into my own thoughts and black off my surroundings. I feel a warm touch on my right arm. I turn to see the proud Grandmother beaming at me talking, I quickly take my headphone off and she quietly speaks again “Where are you going in Samoa?”
I answer with “Lotopa”. She says “Have you been to Samoa before?” I rely with a “No I haven’t, its my first time” She smiles and says, “You will love it!”
I wake up with a jolt – the sun streaming through the windows of the plane. The ruby red sunrise warms my soul and I drift off in to thought about my future again.
The Captain announces that we are descending into Apia airport. I get my first glimpse of Samoa. A tingle rushes up my spine, “Here I go, I think , thus starts my time as a SWAP team member.
We land with a bump, I look out the window to see a pristine beach that’s situated right next to the airport.
We pull up. I wait to get off, but before I disembark, the proud Samoan Grandmother garbs my arm again and says, “Welcome to Samoa! Have a beautiful time”.
The first thing I notice is the wall of heat. Its 31 degrees in Apia today and the humidity seems up around 98 percent and this is at 10:50am Samoan time!
I file through the airport into Customs, the heat bearing down on me. I’m thinking “A boy could get used to this!” as sweat runs down my back and pools in my size 11 DC’s.
No signs of the steel web of Babylon here , no CCTV scanning your facial features and ingesting you into the global mainframe and running your history and associations. Only two burly lava lava wearing police officers and a couple of customs officials watching over the people.
I go grab my bag and then file through another check point where they scan my bags via an x-ray machine that looks like it’s a mini Chernobyl in waiting. With a smile and a “Have a good day!” I’m set free deeper into the heat and on to Samoan soil actual. I’m greeted by Dennis and my SWAP colleague Helena.
Dennis instantly hands me a Samoan bead necklace, a fan and an icy cold bottle of water.
So this is Samoa . . . the unknown no more!
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