Tueila Festival is not the only reason for celebrating

It’s Teuila Festival this week in Samoa so we are all praying for fine weather – can’t win here, one minute we want rain for water, then the next we don’t want it for a festival that attracts many, and runs mostly outdoors! It finishes at the end of the week with the crowning of Miss Samoa – yes, beauty pageants are alive and well in Samoa (who happens to be hosting the Miss South Pacific Pageant later in the year, as well).

But, the bigger celebration for me was being able to use my new toilet (which finally got a door and some walls today!!!). Had to use it for a few days looking over my back shoulder to make sure no-one came down the driveway and caught me out!! It’s 75m up the driveway so you do need to plan your visits, especially if it rains in the middle of the night! But it is located close to where our eventual units will be built, sometime in the future. Funny how toilets can bring out the passion in people!!!

Now, an update on my garden. We have started to enjoy regular meals of sweetcorn, the tomatoes are ripening fast, and beans still in abundance. I have planted out another 80 tomato seedlings, so busy watering those carefully morning and night, but hopefully with a better water supply this time. Seems my next challenge will be to plant some more lettuces and see if I have better luck with these ones, after the first were a disaster!

 

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Author at Work

Samoan bananas

Samoan bananas

Well, life has been busy. Dennis has started the building structure to house the new toilet, shower, water pump, and garden things. It is right beside the septic tank – and close to where our eventual accommodation will be, but still quite a way from our tent!

I am busy writing the words for the Samoa Story website, to go with the 20,000 or so photos we have taken over the last 18 months. It is an on-going project and is intended as a useful online resource promoting ‘All things Samoan’. [Read more...]

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Touching Down in Samoa

Samoa flight wingtip at sunrise

Just before touching down in Samoa

I left behind the freezing weather in Auckland only to meet two days of rain in Samoa. Hot as … stepped off the plane right by the front door of the terminal.

The Immigration team were quite laid back, although they did hassle me about what SWAP was and who I’d be staying with. Maybe they had looked out the door and seen the white limo and the red carpet that awaited me, and Dennis (looking like a shady drug-dealer I had just met online), and that’s why they asked so many questions! [Read more...]

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