Samoa enjoying the rain
Personally, I hated the rain in NZ. It interfered with what I wanted to do – I just would rather not get wet when I am fully dressed!
But up here in Samoa, it can be such a blessing. Many a Sunday morning I have seen people walking to or from church in their lovely ‘white’ clothes, in the rain. It’s so warm, that the cooling of the rain doesn’t send you running for cover, but instead, beckons you to put your hands out to catch it and lap it up (literally)!! I did my washing (in the big laundry basin) under the kamaligi tree, in the rain, this morning and hung it out – rain is a good second rinse here!!!
For subsistence farming, rain is welcomed to grow the much needed food (for all) and grass for the few livestock that are here. I have watched my tomato plants grow from seeds to some standing 4ft high now, and some of the little green fruit are up to 2cm in diameter already- this with very little rain and some intensive watering by hand when there has been something flowing in the pipes! But as I sit here and write now, I am glad not to have to spend the hour and a half watering in the morning.
We have an early appointment with the local tv station to rerun some video footage that was faulty from the interview yesterday when our 18th SWAP volunteer arrived at the airport, met by limousine and the full red carpet treatment!!! Such was the pity after all the hype – I stalled the limo eight times outside the main arrival area, in front of ALL the local Samoan taxi drivers, all of whom were giving me advice on how to get my car going!!!! (One even cheeky enough to tell me to check the handbrake was off first!!!!) I left in a fit of laughter – that’s Samoa, at heart they all like a joke and a laugh, especially at someone else’s expense!!
Fortunately I got my driving act together for the tv interview, done in the back of the limo as we drove around the streets of Apia. It’s hard work there to find streets that are smooth enough for the camerman to hold the camera steady, but I managed reasonably well, smoothly gliding over all the speed bumps!!!
Like I said, I don’t like the rain, but I prefer getting caught in the rain in the tropics to getting caught in a snowstorm in Auckland!!! Until next week … Faa sofua (goodbye)