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Touching Down in Samoa

August 1, 2011 by 3 Comments
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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Programming Samoa style

April 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Programming in Samoa is an interesting and somewhat different experience. [Read more...]

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Toilets – semiotic differences

April 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Samoan being the land of beauty and contradictions extends across all areas. But the area that is of most entertainment to me. [Read more...]

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Cultural differences

April 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I met with an expat kiwi recently, now living in Samoa, who had to balance the two cultures.

Semi Samau moved back to the islands so that her children wouldn’t miss out on their culture. What she found on her return is that the two cultures – Samoan and Palagi are very much connected and overlapping in modern island life.

It has taken them some adjusting back to the Samoan way but they’re here to stay. She invited me into her home. It is light and spacious with all the trappings of a Palagi home. On closer inspection, Samoan and Palagi exist side by side. She offered me Milo, or tea then pointed out the window and said “or a coconut?” laughing.

I have experienced these incongruences all week.

She and her husband (Eneleata) own and operate Eva Eva Transport which is the local “luxury” bus company. [Read more...]

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Samoa is Different

April 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Samoa is Different. Very different. Visiting Samoa as a Web Ambassador has answered a dozen questions for me, many that I never thought to have asked. [Read more...]

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