My Year in American Samoa

Epilogue

2008-06-07T07:52:00.009-11:00

Shockingly (at least to me), it has been ten months since I left Am Sam. Some days it feels like it was yesterday and others like it was a lifetime ago. Before I left, I told Moi that if he married Polu within the year of my departure, I would return to the Rock. Well, he called my bluff and they got married on May 30. He is really in love with Polu, so I think that had something to do with them getting married beyond wanting me to return to the island. I spent about ten days in Am Sam - and if I say so myself - it was awesome. When I arrived at the airport, immigration went really fast, and my bags were the first ones to arrive - which is a small miracle for the Pago Pago International Airport. Even better, my friends met me at the airport - with new T-shirts saying "Weave is Risen" and more importantly - some big Vailimas. I knew it was going to be a great week. The first weekend was Moi's bachelor party - I am prohibited from blogging about most of it - I will say - it was hilarious, Phil Murphy is a trooper, the song Stand by Me will never be the same for me and New Guy welcomed me back to the island by throwing up on me. good times. During the week, I visited the High Court, enjoyed the local cuisine - two new restaurants opened on the island - Carl's Jr. and Rose Garden (a Chinese place), and caught up with all my friends. It was a little strange to be back - it was all familiar - the wild dogs, the slow driving, the bad beer and food, but with new palagis. Also Nate, New Guy and the Lady live on the east side - they have great places - right on the water with decent beach area (for Am Sam). I spent many, many, many hours in that water. The wedding itself was great. Polu was beautiful and I think everyone had a great time. As is tradition - the couples all wore matching outfits. TNG is so Barney, he doesn't know how Barney he is....
The Lt. Governor even made it to the wedding - I am glad he found time to go since he is busy being Lt. Governor and fighting federal corruption charges. The FBI agents who help build the case against him were also at the wedding. Aw-Kward. After the wedding we went to "Haz-Matts" place (a new palagi) for post-party. At the end of the trip, I was sad to leave the island and at times thought about staying - but how could I pass up another Chicago winter, working 12-14 hours a day at Big Law Firm and wearing shoes instead of sandals and a man skirt. Oh no, I have made a horrible mistake! No plans for future visits, but I have learned never to say never...

The End

2007-08-19T17:22:00.000-11:00

I have been told that all good things must come to an end. Well, a really great thing for me is ending - My Year in American Samoa. I was not sure that I was going to make it my first two weeks - a six hour delayed flight to Pago (4 am arrival), a shattered windshield four days after buying my car and then almost drowning on my birthday - not a good start to my adventure. However, I am sure glad that I stuck around for the year - cause it has been one of the best years of my life. I am going to miss this place a lot, the High Court, my drive to work, the wild dogs and especially my friends on the island.Without them it would not have been such an amazing experience. So all that is left is for me to get on the flight and give a big Fa'afetai tele lava to everyone. Fa you later!

A Perfect Day

2007-08-18T05:35:00.000-11:00

My last full day in Am Sam was sad, but great. I stayed at the Castro's B&B. I highly recommend it. Freddie cooked me breakfast, we chilled out and watched TV for awhile. Then a group of us went to Airport Beach. The weather was great as well as the blowholes. New Guy sprung for my last meal - which I should have know was a bad idea. He combined two Double Quarter Pounders with Cheese. He called it the Pounder. I ate it (had to - a matter of pride). However, I felt so sick. I was actually sweating trying to digest it. I finally had to pull the trigger in the bushes - I felt much better. That night we played some poker at New Guy's place. I won, sweet. I don't think they let me win cause the Samoan gods were looking over me - during the night I got four of a kind twice - including four aces. Awesome. Why am I leaving?

Fa'alavelave

2007-08-18T04:55:00.000-11:00

Nate with the help of the Association organized a (surprise) palagi Fa'alavelave for me. A Fa'alavelave is a traditional Samoan celebration normally associated with funerals or weddings. As I was going off-island, it was my funeral. It started with a funeral procession- we drove around the neighborhood - and cars even pulled over for us. We went to New Guy's place, which they had transformed into a Samoan fale - palms and all. They also made T-shirts. After I got over my initial shock, they started with the presentation of the gifts.Nate served as the High Bullshit Talking Chief and thanked everyone for the wonderful words and gifts. The gifts and food was great, but then, they took it over the top. They presented a Size 2 pig.It was awesome. The feast began. I got to carve the pig.Thank goodness Leti was able to help me out. I had a great time and it was just so amazing that my friends organized this for me. It was the best send off I could have imagined.

Am Sam in the News

2007-08-15T15:00:00.000-11:00

Am Sam is all over the news - first our Delegate appeared on the Colbert Report. Nice going Eni. Then the Washington Post ran a story about Am Sam and their obsession over football. And now, we are going to get our own stamp? Wow. Perhaps I picked a bad time to leave this lava rock.

Gonzo is Gone!

2007-08-11T12:32:00.000-11:00

After four years, Gonzalo Iglesis aka the Badger is leaving Am Sam. It is a major loss for the island. At times the Badger would hide in his den playing video games all night, but when the Badger made an appearance - watch out - fun times have arrived. We all enjoy the official Badger song, and New Guy made a T-Shirt for Gonzo. Nate made one as well - but I didn't get a picture of it. After the Mexican Fiesta last weekend, Gonzo and Max hosted a Pizza Party. Good times with Dancing. While New Guy doesn't really know how to smoke, he sure can KRUMP IT.
Gonzo, good luck in Argentina and we miss you already...

Return to Falepule

2007-08-10T12:06:00.000-11:00

To celebrate New Guy's Birthday (again) and Gonzalo and my departure from Am Sam, we were able to secure reservations at Le Falepule. They are hard to get. It was my second time, but first time for the Castros, New Guy and Naomi. It is really beautiful. Awww, how cute. Dinner was outstanding - so tasty - New Guy was really excited that we had ice cream for dessert, but became sad when he found out that it was topped with papaya. Regardless, everyone had a really great time and we even had a Badger sighting.

Dance Dance Revolution

2007-08-06T18:27:00.000-11:00

The local bowling alley got the hit video game Dance Dance Revolution (or DDR). The DDR sensation swept (yes, past tense) the mainland years ago, but Am Sam got it a couple months ago. Gonzo and Sharon were the best. New Guy and I did okay. Fred and Nate were just confused. But the Samoan kids rocked it. We were going to hit some balls at the Batting Cages (also located at the bowling alley), but the sign confused us. We were not sure which side was "Reft" Hand. And it also prohibited drunks, so half of us were excluded. Instead, we went to the dance club (also at the bowling alley) and danced. Or at least Sharon and I danced.

Nu'uuli Falls

2007-08-05T09:49:00.000-11:00

About ten minutes from Palagi Village are the Nu'uuli Falls. After a short walk past a pig farm and through the jungle you find a really refreshing pool and waterfall.Awesome. After the falls, we made some enchiladas and watched "The Big Lebowski" on the really big screen.Thanks Aldin for the wall.

Mexican Fiesta

2007-08-05T09:11:00.000-11:00

Max & Gonzo hosted a party on Friday at the Argentine compound. Actually it was at the Kato Kailian part of the compound, but still a lot of fun. It was one of the last parties for Gonzo cause he leaves next Saturday (which sucks). We thought it would be a good idea to get a pinata for him. We are told it is part of his heritage. As he is starting a new adventure, we thought the Dora the Explorer pinata made most sense. He really got into - but Max caught some of the "treats"which included sauce from Checkers. Parts of the pinata also served as fun party hats and props to recreate Madonna videos. New Guy also made one of his (in)famous vats. I know it looks like vomit, but was actually very tasty. And he liked it. Or maybe it was the Hinder shirt. The music was playing, so we had to dance. There was even some chair dancing. Another successful Association party.Oh No - Gonzo only has a week left on island and I only have two weeks!?!

Happy Birthday New Guy

2007-08-02T17:36:00.001-11:00

New Guy is not so "new" after celebrating a birthday on Wednesday. To celebrate, a bunch of us took him out to the Equator Restaurant ("Where North meets South") for dinner. It is suppose to be one of the better places on the island - but a "better" place doesn't mean much in Am Sam. However, we were all pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food. It was delicious. As it was a formal event, Nate wore is fancy safari suit. Go Bills! Not sure if Nate and Niki should stand that close together. After dinner we went back to my place for pie and drinks. New Guy brought over some Bailey's type of liquor that he got free with purchase from the local liquor store. Sadly, it had solidified. We realized why it was free. The pie was better, but New Guy wasn't able to blow out his candles, because The Lady Naomi walked the pie with burning candles in front of the fan. So I guess the fan got the wish this year. However, I think New Guy's birthday wish did come true cause I was able to secure him the Hinder tour shirt. He really wanted it.For those of you who don't know, Hinder is New Guy's all time favorite band. Lucky for New Guy (and really all of us) the local radio station plays Hinder songs ALL the time. If you miss it, don't worry they will play it again in like ten minutes. In case Hinder is not as big outside Am Sam, which would be shocking, here is the video for New Guy's favorite Hinder song - Lips of an Angel. The lyrics are pure magic.

Surprise, Goodbye & The Rock

2007-07-31T21:46:00.000-11:00

Even after the Dance Party - I had a busy weekend. On Saturday, Sean hosted a surprise party for Jessi cause it was her birthday. Happy Birthday Jessi! After the surprise party, I went to Jeff & Mer's so we could say goodbye to Samoan Steve - doesn't he sort of look like Judd Nelson? He is leaving for Hawaii for a new job. He should be back in six months, but that is a lifetime in Am Sam - or at least half a contract for a law clerk. On Sunday, after brunch at Deluxe Cafe (perhaps the fourth Sunday in a row), a group of us went to Sliding Rock. The walk over is pretty cool.Unlike last time I went, it was low tide, so it the pool was nice and calm. However, every once and awhile a major wave would crash into the pool and push us around. It was really cool. This one Samoan kid was running on the (slippery) lava and jumping into the pool. CRAZY!

Dance Party

2007-07-28T16:09:00.000-11:00

The Castro's decided to host a Dance Party on Friday. They turned this - into this.Awesome. Samoa Steve showed us how to get down.A little video...

Everyone had a great time.As you can see.Yes ladies, this a black velvet leopard print. And yes, his fly is down. good times.

50 Cents

2007-07-24T18:12:00.000-11:00

It is a big day for 50 Cents. No, not that guy. The new 50-cent per hour minimum wage hike for all industries in American Samoa goes into effect today. Am Sam thought they dogged that bullet, but Congress attached the wage hike to the Iraq funding bill - and it passed - so in a few years Am Sam will have the same minimum wage as that of the mainland. Right now, with the 50-cent jump, the highest rate will be $4.59, while the garment industry will have the lowest minimum wage at $3.18 per hour. Cannery works will make about $3.76 per hour. No sure how that is going to work out for the territory - the standard of living is a "little" bit different then the mainland. The major employer - the canneries -have kept relatively quiet, but strong rumors persist that they are looking to leave. If they do leave, at least the stink will not be as bad, but not sure what the economy will be looking like - guess not everyone is a fan of 50-cents.

Paperwork

2007-07-23T17:59:00.000-11:00

What happens when you "go to bed" early on a Friday night? This...New Guy learned a valuable lesson - never allow Gonzo and Nate near your unlocked car. Now the saran wrap and palms were bad, but they left a special gift inside the car. A box of green printer paper. It took about one hour for us to mash up the paper - but that also involved a great paper ball fight. We are not sure if New Guy will clean out the car - I mean he can still drive it, right?

Moving Karma

2007-07-22T17:33:00.000-11:00

On Saturday, Nate, New Guy and I helped the Keysers move into their new place on the Westside. Besides helping out my friends, my moving karma required me to help. While in DC, I moved about a dozen times in about 10 years. Part of reason I moved to Chicago is that my friends refused to move me anywhere else in DC. I guess they got sick of moving my random possession which include a butter churner. Go figure. Luckily, the Keysers had moved almost everything minus the heavy stuff - like the washer and dryer. Not that bad. I wasn't sure why they were moving from a pretty sweet place in Beverly Hills, but once I saw the view from the bedroom - I knew why.

30 Days

2007-07-20T07:55:00.000-11:00

I have 30 days left in paradise. crap.

Another Three Day Weekend

2007-07-17T12:47:00.000-11:00

Government offices were closed on Monday to celebrate Manu'a Cession Day. The Manu'a Islands are composed of Ofu, Olosega and Ta'u. The Cession Day marks the Islands' birthday (they are 103 this year). While the islands are thousands of years old, in this context, by birthday, one means the day the Chiefs of the Island ceded the their land to the United States of America. It is nice to see that people still celebrate colonialism. I properly celebrated by sitting in A/C watching TV and eating fast food for most of the day. Happy Dependence Day!

Get on the Bus, Gus

2007-07-15T10:31:00.000-11:00

The group decided it would be smart idea to rent an aiga bus for the day and have it drive us around the island. It might have been one of our better ideas. New Guy's assistant at work has a brother who owns a bus. It is the Massacre Bay Express. We left Palagi Village around 11 am, which was basically on time for us - a surprise to all of us. Ed wanted to come with us, but we realized that none us were responsible enough to make sure Ed made it back to Palagi Village. However, Ed being the smartest dog in the world, would have been able to find her way back. We headed west, and started to pick up people. We had to stop at one point to reconfigure the coolers. We were quickly running out of space on the bus. Luckily Samoa Steve brought his own bottle opener - his mouth. ouch. By the end of the trip we had 30 people on the bus. Even Mr. Kava came back to Am Sam from the mainland to take part in the ride. Everyone had a blast on the bus. As you can see & hear.
On the westside we stopped for barbecue - it was outstanding.Due to our load, we were not able to make it up the hill on the westside. We turned around and headed east. We drove through the canneries - it was an especially stinky day. Nevertheless, we pulled through and made it to Tisa's Barefoot Bar.We spent a couple of hours at Tisa's. On the way back, the police pulled us over. We thought it was going to be jail for us - which would have been sort of funny since we had the entire Public Defender's Office and all but one of the Assistant Attorney Generals on the bus. However, the police simply told us to keep our beer cans inside the bus instead of hanging outside the windows. We stopped for pizza and ended our trip back at Palagi Village and New Guy's place where we burned stuff. Good times.

Appellate Session

2007-07-13T18:51:00.000-11:00

This past week, the High Court of American Samoa held a special Appellate Session. It was special because two federal judges traveled to Am Sam. to hear the appeals. Senior District Judges Consuelo B. Marshall and Terry J. Hatter Jr. from the Central District of California served as Acting Associate Justices on the panel along with Chief Justice Kruse, Associate Justice Richmond and Acting Associate Justice Ward as well as the Samoan Associate Judges. Over two days, the Appellate Division heard ten cases. The off-island judges were really great and I think they enjoyed their time in Am Sam - Judge Hatter even got a manskirt. I promised them that if I ever appeared in their courtroom that I would wear my manskirt.

Barbie

2007-07-12T18:42:00.000-11:00

This Guy (aka New Guy)drives this Car (aka Barbie)

'nuff said.

My Friend San Mig

2007-07-11T18:31:00.000-11:00

Living on an island in the middle of the South Pacific means that everything, minus 16 different types of breadfruit, need to be imported onto the island. Haven't seen salad for two months now. Sadly, prices for foodstuffs are a bit higher then on the mainland. This includes beer. It is sad state of affairs when Coors Lite is one of the "good beers" on the island and retails for $34 a case. Recently, we heard rumors that the local distributor of San Miguel Light beer was discounting the price of cases. It turns out the rumors were true and they were selling it for $10 a case! Sweet. While San Mig should not be considered one of the "good beers" on the island, cheap beer beats out taste - after awhile, the swill tastes fine. The Association has been buying case loads of it over the past two weeks. Sadly, I was told that they were almost out of cases and that they would no longer import the fine Filipino beer. Oh, San Mig, how I will miss you. Guess it is back to MGD and Vailima.

Sunday @ Airport Beach

2007-07-10T18:00:00.000-11:00

New Guy took his folks to Airport Beach on their last day in Am Sam. Naomi and I tagged along.The sea was angry that day, so the blow holes were very active. It made the walk to the beach even more beautiful. We reached the beach during high tide, so we didn't have much beach to work with and had to walk through the water to get to it.But who cares. We snorkeled for a long time - I saw a ton of fish, including whole schools of fish that just swam right around me. Pretty awesome. It got a little cloudy and with the breeze, we were actually cold getting out of the water. Never thought I would be cold when it is 80 outside, but it is winter here. We walked back along the airport fence, which was a little overgrown. On our walk back, I was reminded why it is called Airport Beach. New Guy also got nailed by a blowhole wave, sadly I only got the end of it.We decided to stop at Maliu Mai Beach Resort for a drink and enjoy the great view. Another nice Sunday at the Beach.

Aunu'u

2007-07-07T10:49:00.000-11:00

A few days ago we went to Aunu'u. It is tiny island (1.9 square miles) off the eastern coast of Tutuila (my island). You have to take a small boat to the island. There are perhaps two or three cars on the island. It is kinda great. We walked around the island for most of the day. Nice trails and decent beaches. We spent some time at Markus' private spa area. The water was a little rough, but still enjoyable. One of the highlights is the Pala Lake - or Quicksand Lake. It is aptly named. Sadly, we didn't make it to the Quicksand Lake - too much time at the beach. But we did see the Red Lake as well as the Ma'ama'a Cove. A beautiful, but potentially dangerous area. The waves can hit the cliffs and sweep away anyone too close. Bonnie was thinking about going in for a swim. For a minute, I thought we were in Ireland cause of the grass.The Art Shot - We did see an old ship wreck. At the end of the day, we swam in the harbor area. Surprisingly, it is really clean water. After Anun'u we went back to Tisa's Bar (I think New Guy's folks like that place - third day in a row they have gone for a visit). After Tisa's, eleven of us went to Hong Kong House for dinner. The eleven of us got the meal for four plus a dish of house chow mein. After the eleven of us had our fill of food - we still had leftovers. Can you say supersize me?

Fourth of July

2007-07-07T10:10:00.000-11:00

Wednesday was Independence Day. While we had the day off, it is not celebrated that much in Am Sam. Especially compared to Flag Day (aka Dependence Day). Dependence Day celebrates the Samoans ceding the island to the United States - we get two days off for that celebration and everyone goes crazy - big parties and celebrations. They didn't even have fireworks for Independence Day. We did get apple pie - thanks Liz. Anyway, I guess it would be weird for Am Sam, a U.S. Territory (aka colony) to celebrate Independence Day. But I digress. Never wasting a week day off - we waste enough weekends, I tagged along with New Guy and his folks (who are visiting for the week) for the day. First we went snorkeling at Fagaalu. You normally can see some turtles in the area. New Guy says that he saw one, but not sure if we believe him. However, the Coletti's saw six turtles on the same day. go figure. After snorkeling we drove to the north side and the village of Vatia. The drive to Vatia is great, and the bay is really cool. After Vatia we went to Tisa's Barefoot Bar. The ava was not that bad, so we did a little snorkeling. We then did a little drinking. We went back to Palagi Village, cleaned up and went over to the Castro's for a BBQ. Nikki's folks were also in town for the week - this must be family week. They brought Fred the Cadillac of coolers. Pretty sweet. Coolers on the island are like two or three times as expensive then ones on the mainland. Fred might be able to trade it in for a used car. As with any Castro BBQ, it was a huge success. However, after a busy day, I was tuckered out. I left around 9 pm. About 15 minutes later, I heard the neighborhood dogs going crazy and a lot of noise coming closer to my house. I opened my door and found this...I guess the remaining party goers were not happy that I left. They organized an angry mob to get me back to the party. Of course, one can't go against an angry mob, so I went back to the party. That angry mob might have been the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me - man, I am going to miss this place.

A Great Day

2007-07-01T19:14:00.000-11:00

Friday was just one of those great days. In the morning, I finally finished this court opinion I had been working on forever. Then, the Court had a catered lunch. Lenna, the Court's Marshall retired on Friday after 30 years of service. They did his lunch right. Steak, chicken, AND shrimp, plus a baked potato and green beans. It was awesome. Like want to take a nap awesome. I was at work, so I didn't nap. Even better then lunch, I got 180 bucks. My avid blog readers might remember when my windshield was hit by a kid tossing rocks at my car back in September. To get it fixed, I had to cover the $250 deductible. After this happened, Lenna told me that he would try to talk to the family and have them cover the deductible - remember this is a small island - and Lenna knows everyone. As this was months ago, I sort of let it go. However, on Friday, he totally came through. Lenna was able to get 180 from the family. He offered to try and get the rest, but I told him not to bother cause the 180 is all bonus at this point - and he already went above and beyond his duty. After work, I played some golf with the Castros and New Guy. The weather was even more awesome then lunch and the cash. Nice breeze, no humidity and unlike most other golf outings, it did not rain. After golf, we went over to New Guy's place for a party. This Friday was also the day that we got our Vailima Challenge T-Shirts. Some of you might remember the challenge. I don't really remember it. The T-shirts came out really nice. The numbers equal the amount of Vailima each of us drank during the challenge. The party included some drinking games a bonfire, Jeff's Mad Scientist look, and as it was one of those nights - dancing. Looks like Sena tried to flip Gonzalo - it didn't work. Again, a Great Day.

Fa'a Samoa

2007-06-27T17:18:00.000-11:00

Pulled this from the Murphy Family's Blog. Too funny (and mostly true) not to repeat.

You know you are a Samoan
When...
Your mother says that at 25, you're too young to have a boyfriend.
Your mother has a better throwing arm than your father.
You find a 6 yr old kid still in diapers playing in front of the house.
Being whacked with a leather belt is considered discipline not child abuse.
At any major function, instead of a plate, your food comes in a box that used to hold a 24 pack of soft drink.
You run into a mountain of shoes/sandals blocking the front door.
You're the only ones swimming at the public pools with t-shirts on.
You can sprint barefoot on sharp stones and rocks.
Your first and last names are the same.
You make that funny kissing sound with your lips when you're trying to get someones attention.
You can speak with your face - (I've seen teens have entire conversations with their eyebrows.)
Your 2 yr old cousin does fe'aus (chores).
You have lava lavas for curtains in your house.

Massacre Bay

2007-06-24T15:53:00.000-11:00

On Saturday, a group of us decided to go for a hike. Even though it does not have the best name, we thought the hike to Massacre Bay would be fun. It was suppose to have a nice beach and a monument commemorating the death of a bunch of Frenchmen who died there. Back in 1787, the french visited Am Sam. As they were leaving, they angered the Samoans - not a smart idea. Angry Samoans are not fun people - and the Samoans took out 12 crew members - hence the monument and the name of the Bay. The French killed 39 Samoans, but they don't get a monument. Life is unfair. Once we found the trail head, we started our hike. The warning sign concerned us for a second. The hike down was not that bad - a little muddy and mostly downhill. Markus cut us a path, but Bonnie got the prize for walking the trail down in bare feet. That is one tough lady. It took about an hour and thirty minutes to get to the beach. Any pain from the hike disappeared as soon as we hit the beach. It was a great one.We spent a couple of hours on the beach, and visited the monument. The start of the hike back was a little hard, cause the trail can be confusing - can you find it?Luckily Liz and Markus had marked the trail on the way down, so our confusion only lasted a few minutes. The hike up was not as bad as I thought, but near the end, we wondered when it was going to end - we just kept going and going. We reached the end and had some great views of the island - and a really cool breeze. awesome. I think everyone enjoyed themselves - except maybe Don - I think we wore him out.

Hong Kong

2007-06-23T14:23:00.000-11:00

After a 10 hour flight (and 11 episodes of Prison Break) I was in Hong Kong. Jordan picked me up at the Express Train Terminal, and after a quick shower, we started to explore the city. One of the first things we did was ride the largest escalator in the world. It was super cool. We then went for dumplings. Totally cool. Eric (friend living in Korea) got to Hong Kong that afternoon. That night we had super awesome Chinese food - as well more dumplings. Can you tell that I like dumplings? That night we walked around Jordan's hood. Hong Kong at night. Kowloon. A very strange sign. I don't think I am going to swim in the harbour. And an even stranger sign. I was shocked that they have San Miguel beer and more shocked that they proudly advertise it. I wonder if they have tried the Am Sam verison. The five of us.Adam & Jordan's building. They have a pug - Bimbom. Really cute and she loved to lay in my suitcase. Adam and Jordan had to work on Friday, so Eric and I went to Macau. Macau like Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region, but instead of the British the Portuguese gave it back a couple of years ago. It was a quick hour ferry ride from Hong Kong, but required an immigration process - another stamp for the passport. We ate at Fernando's on the southern most island - great Portuguese food. We then walked around downtown Macau visiting the Sao Paulo church, or at least what is left of it.We also went to the Macau Tower. It was a little cloudy, but still neat views. We could have bungy jumped off the Tower - I decided to pass - I'll stick with jumping off bridges. Next we went to gamble. Macau is the Asian Las Vegas - and actually surpassed Vegas in terms of gambling revenue. I bet the Communist love that fact. We had no idea what we were doing, so we lost $600 Hong Kong dollars in about 20 minutes at the blackjack table. I was just happy the dealer didn't laugh at us. Jordan had to work on Saturday. What!?! He is a therapist, so he has some weird hours. Adam, Eric and I went to Lantau Island to see the tallest outdoor seated bronze buddha.Not to be confused with the tallest indoor seated bronze buddha. Or the tallest indoor seated wooden buddha (which is in Japan). It was pretty cool. Unfortunately, the gondola was broken - one of the gondola cabins fell off earlier in the week. oops. So we took a ferry then a bus, on a very winding road. yikes. The bus driver was definitely going over the 20 mph Samoan speed limit. Saturday night was a tour of Hong Kong gay bars - six bars in seven hours. We finished up around 5 am. good times. Sunday was a slow day - the major activities included dim sum, getting me a tailor made suit and watching all of the domestic helpers enjoying their day off. By law, the domestic help - normally immigrants from the Philippines or Indonesia have Sunday off. They gather in every public space in Hong Kong and enjoy the day together. Also on Sunday, Eric left for Korea and Adam left for Beijing (for work). We also made it up to the "Peak" one of the taller spots in Hong Kong. Nice view, huh. These are suppose to be koalas climbing up the building.Little different then Pago Pago's cityscape. The tallest building in Am Sam is three stories. We decided not to go to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant at the Peak - can you say random. Instead, we did have Indonesian food with Jordan's really cool friends Jamie & Amanda as well as Amanda's mom and neighbor. I was introduced to an avocado ice drink. Pretty good.On Monday, Jordan and I went to Kowloon - another area of Hong Kong. The view of Hong Kong from the ferry to Kowloon.We went to the "Ladies' Market" were you can get "copy watches" and "copy bags" - I got a watch for $2.94 US. sweet. It is still working, so I think I got my money's worth! It was sort of crazy place - people selling knock off crap for as far as the eye could see - including my favorite - Calvin Klein underwear. Huh? I think I would drawn the line on underwear. My last day in Hong Kong was a nice way to end my trip. First, Hong Kong has developed the most amazing aid for travelers. You can check your bags and get your boarding pass downtown - 24 hours before your departure. It is amazing, and so smooth. I loved it. After I checked in, we met up with Jaime and Amanda. We all got 50 minute foot massages. Kinda wonderful. After an amazing massage - she was darn good - we went for my last meal of dumplings. hmmm. good. I had no problems getting back to Apia - Maximo picked me up at the airport and went to dinner for blue cheese pizza. delicious. However, the next morning my flight from Apia to Pago was all messed up. I was suppose to be on the 9:15 am. However, the Governor of Am Sam showed up with his entourage and they bumped me and five other people from the flight. Thanks governor. You're the best. I got to wait around the Apia airport for another five hours to get on the 3:00 pm flight. Oh well, I am not going to let the governor ruin my trip. Cause it was a great one. Thanks again to Scott, Adam, Jordan and Adam for being great hosts.

Sydney

2007-06-23T03:00:00.000-11:00

My adventure ended as almost as soon as it started. When I checked into my flight to Sydney at the airport in Apia, I was told that I needed a visa to travel to Australia. What!?! Who knew you needed a visa to go down under? Didn't they realize that I am an American, and no one should require an American to apply for a visa? Don't we run the world or something like that, what the heck has Bush being doing these past eight years? Anyway, we were told that we could apply via Internet for the visa. (Sharon and Ben were traveling with me to Australia - but since Ben is an Aussie, he didn't need worry about any stinking visas). We ran to the internet cafe at the the airport. Of course, the webpage was not working. We then called a travel agent, but we needed to be in front of the travel agent, which was farther away then we could go without missing the flight. We finally convinced Poly Blue to help us out, and they were able to use their computer and get a visa for us. whew. We then went to Aggie's by the Sea for a much deserved drink to calm our nerves. All this stress for a stupid piece of paper. I arrived in Sydney at the same time as the worse storm in 30 years. perfect, more rain, cause I certainly don't get enough of that in Am Sam. The storm flooded area north of Sydney and even washed an oil tanker ashore. oops. While in Sydney I stayed with my friends Scott and Adam. Scott and I use to work together many moons ago. Scott and Adam met each other at the Sydney Gay Games a couple years back and Scott quickly moved to Sydney. They have a cute little house in the Surry Hills area of Sydney and a a Laberdoodle - Bella. Bella loves to play ball and she is very good at it. It was nice to play with a dog not covered in sores and ticks. Saturday we walked around the raining city - and visited the Museum and the Opera House.I am told it is somewhat famous. Scott and the City. Hyde Park.Sunday was a clear day, so we did some more walking. Does this mean that children should be cautious of ice cream? Where is this magical place? Monday was a public holiday for the Queen's birthday - so to celebrate we went out dancing till 5 am on Sunday night. I think it is the same thing that the queen did, no? On Monday we went to the mouth of the harborand Bondi Beach.Pretty. Tuesday my hosts had to work, stupid work, so I did some more walking and went to the Aquarium and the Observatory.Despite the cold (it was in the low 50s) and rain, I had a super time. The eating was great (salad, fresh bread, and options) and Scott can make a mean Cosmopolitan. And of course, it was great to see Scott and Adam. On Wednesday I woke up with a cold and left for the second part of my adventure to Hong Kong.

Final Vacation

2007-06-06T13:02:00.000-11:00

Tomorrow I leave for Sydney. Six days down under visiting my friend Scott and his partner Adam. Haven't seen Scott in a bunch of years (which is less then a bushel of years). While it will not be as cold as Korea, Sydney is forecast to be in the high 50s, low 60s. Brrr. Before Am Sam, that was ideal weather for me. Now, I get chilled when it drops below 82. After Sydney, I fly to Hong Kong.I am going to visit my friend Jordan and his partner Adam. It is not the same Adam, or that would be -- awkward. Eric, friend in Korea, will also be coming down for the weekend. Going to be a blast. I should have no trouble in Hong Kong cause it also an island, but the buildings might be a little taller and I hear they have a couple of traffic lights, unlike Am Sam which has zero.

For Sale

2007-06-01T14:55:00.001-11:00

Only in Am Sam will you find this Classified Ad. See if you can find the one I am talking about

FREE WEIGHTS FOR SALE Total Gym. Asking $2,500. OBO. Call Alex 258-0353 for more info. [6/7]
93 S-10 PICKUP V-6, manual, runs very well $2,500; new Whirlpool super-capacity washer, never used $400. English only. Doug 252-9791. [6/2]
PIGS 4 SALE Faatauina o mea tuaolo e aoga mo faalavelave. Pigs for any occasion. Call 688-7513 for more info. [6/1]
T-SHIRTS, BLOUSES ladies cotton pants, shorts, polo shirts, kids clothes. Quality at affordable prices. Netas Home Bargains. Call Neta 699-1867.
[6/2]2001 FORD F-150 TRUCK Fully loaded, AC, manual, MP3 player, 4 door, just arrived from U.S. Runs great. $15,000. 252-0213. [6/2]
1995 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX S.E. 2 door, AM/FM/Tape/Radio. Maintained. AS IS $4,000 OBO. Drew 258-9922.[6/2]
ALIA 28 FT 40 HP ENGINE w/spare eng. licence till Dec 2007. all bottom fish gear, lines & longlines, fully equipped life guards; 1995 Nissan truck, reg. til 2008. $10,000 boat only or $15,000 w/truck. Timoteo 258-3082.[6/2]

Back to Ofu

2007-05-28T14:27:00.000-11:00

For Memorial Day weekend, a group of us decided to go to the Island of Ofu. The Ofu seven were Naomi, Liz, Markus, Fred, Niki, Aaron and myself. The last time I went to Ofu I almost died, so I hoped for a better visit this time around. I am pleased to report that it was a great trip and I had no near death experiences. I did get a nice sunburn, so perhaps that will later cause me to develop skin cancer, but I think that would be unfair to blame it all on Ofu. It was sort of an adventure to get to Ofu. InterIsland Air is the only airline that flies to Ofu. I first attempted to book a flight three weeks before we left. They were not able to tell me if we could leave on Friday or Saturday. I had to call back. Two weeks before we were to leave, I was able to confirm a flight for Saturday morning, and I was told that we might be able to get a Friday afternoon flight, but I would have to check a few days before we left. Aaron checked for us on Thursday. They said that they might be able to get a Friday afternoon flight, depending on the pilot, but we would only have about 30 minute notice to get to the airport to get the flight. We said that worked for us. For better or worse, the Friday flight did not work out, so we left Saturday morning. When we left, we were not sure when the Monday flight would pick us up - I was originally told that when we heard the plane land in Ofu, we would know it was time to go. Can't argue with that logic. The trip to Ofu was beautiful, but uneventful except instead of providing an in-flight beverage, they tried to put us out with knock-out gas. Once we got to Ofu, Marge and the family greeted us warmly. We dropped of our bags and went right to the beach, which was only steps from the airport and the lodge - perfect. We spent the morning at the Lodge Beach and then went down to the Hurricane House Beach in the afternoon. It is so named because their is a Fale that is used as an example for the island residents of how to build a house that will survive a hurricane. [Thanks to Kim for the fun fact]I am not sure why they have a stop sign - I think Ofu has about a dozen cars and one road. A few yards from this section of the beach is where I got caught in the ava last time and almost drowned. yikes. I went out snorkeling again, but kept relatively close to the shore. Safety First! After a great Thanksgiving dinner (including homemade stuffing) prepared by Marge and her family, we spent most of the night looking at the stars on the runway. Not a picture of stars, but still cool, no? It did storm a little, and we got to see a water spout (tornado) in the clouds. Later on, we decided to take a midnight skinny dip in the ocean, which was great. It was full moon, in more ways then one, that night. On Sunday, we drove through the National Park to the Bridge Beach. Liz, Markus and Naomi decided to walk - silly palagis. We didn't see any buffaloes (look at the sign again), and Aaron didn't see any giraffes, but I think he was still impressed with the beauty of the island. Ofu is part of the Manu'a Islands, which also includes Olesaga and Ta'u. A bridge connects Ofu to Olesaga. Below the bridge is a nice beach area. The water was deep enough, so we were able to jump off the bridge. Somehow I was selected to go first - great. But now I know that if I jumped off a bridge, my friends would as well. The jump was a lot of fun, and each time got easier. However, at first it felt like you were falling forever, which was both a pretty cool and scary sensation. Here is Aaron taking the plunge.Video of Fred & Niki (aka Adventure Girl).

Here is Aaron, Fred and me jumping.
My Solo Jump
After a great day at the beach, we went back to the Lodge. I took a nap in a hammock on the beach falling asleep as I listened to the waves. I really love my life right now. After another great meal by Marge and Co. - we played some poker and then decided to try to start a bonfire on the beach. A pit was already dug and we had collected some wood earlier, however, we realized that we did not have much to start the fire. In an amazing MacGyver style move, Aaron and Fred were able to start the fire with a match, a cereal box and a Lysol spray can. Amazing. Fred keep the fire going for a long while - we were all impressed. The next morning, we heard the plane land around 11 am, so we checked in at the airport, and it was time for us to leave this island paradise and return to our other island paradise. Yes, I have a tough, tough life.

Nippon Maru

2007-05-22T20:43:00.000-11:00

Our last cruise ship for the season visited Am Sam today - it was the MS Nippon Maru. It was the first time a Japanese cruise ship visited Am Sam. My friend Sharon, who speaks Japanese, was very excited, but sadly, she got stuck at work and was not able to practice her language skills. News reports indicate that it was "not easy" to convince the Japanese to visit. According to a member of our Tourism Office, the Japanese "are very particular, very fussy and they want to make sure that things occurred as scheduled or on time." Things occurring on time in Am Samoa? Ha. That is a good one. No wonder it took forever to con, um, convince them to visit.

I am sure they will visit again, especially after our Governor gave them a kava bowl and then played on their piano - I guess he is pretty good.

I do hope they come back, cause any ship that as a song about it, must rock...

SSEAYP's Nippon Maru Song
Lyric and Music by Augusto Francisco Jasmin Meyer

Nippon Maru , sailing the blue , blue ocean.
Riding the waves over the deep blue sea.
Can you tell me how much you can cover a day?
Can you tell me how long you have gone with the purpose of bringing together young heart and mind?

Nippon Maru , sailing the blue , blue ocean chasing the wind over the deep blue sea.
Can you take me with you to the ports of the world with the message of love and peace?
Can you take me to the nations where caring is only a word to say?

If you carry us over and out to the world.
There's a chance we can speak to them all.
There's a chance we can tell them the world's but home and all people's family!

(repeat first two verses , then fade away)

2007 Vailima Torpedo Challenge

2007-05-21T17:16:00.000-11:00

File under: When stupid people do stupid things. Vailima is Samoa's Beer. It is actually the "Produce of Samoa" - that is not at typo - the label says it the Produce of Samoa, not a product. While it does rank above San Miguel, which doesn't say a lot, it does not taste that good. It is made in Indy Samoa, but they ship it to Am Sam - lucky us. As a special treat, the Indy Samoans ship to Am Sam a special export lager. It is 750 ml with 6.7% alcohol content - we call it a Torpedo aka a bad idea. A good Samoan can knock off a couple of these with no problem, while it can cause serious damage to palagis. For whatever reason, we decided that it would be a great idea for us to see how many we could drink in a night. It might be the worst idea we have ever, ever come up with. To met the challenge, each participant had to finish Five Torpedoes. We settled on a sunset to sunrise time period. We got six cases and went over to New Guy's for one crazy night. Now THAT is a Samoan beer fridge. Eight of us entered into the competition - Here is us at tip off time with Don as the official official. We decided that a nice game of "High - Low - Red - Black" would be a great idea to start off the night. For some it was, but for New Guy - it wasn't. He had no luck in picking the next card. I think the pictures describe it all. Fred was the first to finish - but as this was not a speed race, the speed caught up to Fred in the end. The rest of the night devolved quickly. Some call him the Mexican Tom Cruise. Here we are at hour five. The photos trail off at this point for obvious reasons. I called it a night - or at least my body called it a night - after I polished off Torpedo Number Six. Nate was the big "winner" finishing ten minutes before the sunrise deadline. New Guy and Nate were kind enough to wake me up at 7 am so I could witness the last slurp of Torpedo Number 10. Thanks guys. Minus Keyser, who actually might be the smartest one of the group, everyone completed the challenge. Everyone had a great time, even though the next morning was not the best. We also decided that his would be the last Vailima Challenge for a very, very long time. The final stats:

Nate - 10

Justin - 9

Aaron - 7

Fred - 7

Gonzo - 6

Weaver - 6

Maximo - 5 5/8

Keyser - 3 1/2

Man's Best Friend

2007-05-17T17:14:00.000-11:00

Am Sam has its share of wild dogs, and some are better then others. I have now acquired my own set. I have always had a special place in my heart for my Samoan neighbor's dog, Roscoe.Well, that is once he stopped barking and growling at me. About two months ago, two new dogs showed up in my yard. I had some extra food, so I fed them one day. They haven't left since that time. At first they were still a bit skittish, but now they don't even move when I get home. They also like to dig holes in my garden/dirt strip and lay in the them, which kinda makes a mess of the house, when the wind blows in the dirt. However, they are decent guard dogs cause they still bark at strangers, as well as my neighbors. They also get along well with Roscoe, so they can't be that bad. But I think they still pick fights with the other dogs in the hood, but those dogs are mean, so they are just asking for it. I was going to name them Sidetracks and Cocktails to go with Roscoe (my Chicago friends should get that joke), but thought those names were too long - so now I just call them Blackie and Brownie. I recently noticed that Blackie's belly is hanging a little low - I think she is going to have a late mother's day. Mommy, can I keep the puppy, please!!!

The King is Dead, Long Live the King

2007-05-15T12:12:00.000-11:00

King Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa died on Friday at the age of 95. The king succeeded the Malietoa title in 1940, when his father passed away. He was made Samoa's joint head of state with Tupua Tamasese Meaole when the country gained independence from New Zealand in 1962, and he became sole head of state a year later when Tupua Tamasese passed away. He was the world's third longest-serving sovereign after Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has reigned since 1946, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, who ascended to the throne in 1952.

Many American Samoans considered him to be the father of the two Samoas and he was a frequent visitor to the U.S. territory's annual Flag Day festivities.

Dancing Palagi

2007-05-12T09:40:00.000-11:00

Nate has been taking Samoan language classes at the local Community College. As part of their grade, the class had to do presentations to the rest of the class. Aaron and I heard that part of Nate's presentation would be a dance routine. We did not want to miss it. So, we went to the class to cheer him on. We had to sit through an hour of other presentations, and some of them were not that good. However, I did learn the Samoan legend of the coconut tree - A Fijian King tries to find the most beautiful women in Samoa, turns into an eel and basically becomes a stalker, and then she chops his head off (at his request). She plants it, and wam-o - coconut trees. I also learned that there are 170 different types of breadfruit and someone actually sponsors a symposium on breadfruit. wow. But I digress. It was well worth sitting through the other presentations once Nate took the stage to dance. Absolutely Brilliant. Sadly, I didn't realize that my camera was full of pictures, so I was only able to get the start and the end, but you can still absorb the full talent of Mr. Mease.

As is tradition during a Samoan dance, people throw money at the dancer. Nate made six dollars - one from Aaron and five from his teacher. That reminds me of an old Van Halen song...

Pilcher's

2007-05-11T09:50:00.000-11:00

Our groups has found its own "Cheers" bar in Am Sam. It is called Pilcher's. Sure it is an interesting name, but you can't beat it. Neil, our bartender and friend, takes good care of us, mainly laughing at the silly palagis. The bar is never that crowded, unless we show up, and I think we might supply at least 25% of the profits for the place. He actually labeled our group - "The Association" - which is a great moniker for us. Almost everyone has an nickname in our group - so it only makes sense that the group should have one as well. We have quickly adapted the Association title. We now host Association events and even have an Association email list. Do I need to remind you that we live on an island only 25 miles long? We find our entertainment any way we can...

Cinco de Mayo

2007-05-06T20:44:00.000-11:00

The Argentinians (and a few others) hosted a Cinco de Mayo party at the yacht club. It was a fundraiser for the Junior Sailors, the local teenage sailing team. It was a great party - with homemade enchiladas (thanks Sandra) and a lot of dancing. Forgot the camera, so no photos, which is just as well cause they had buckets of five Corona beers for $8. As Philip Murphy would say - 'Nuff said.

Guys & Dolls

2007-05-04T11:46:00.000-11:00

The students of Am Sam's Community College staged a production of "Guys & Dolls" on Thursday and Friday. Being a glutton for punishment (still having nightmares about the Nutcracker production by ASCC), I talked a group of us into going on Thursday. I was pleasantly surprised. We had the smart idea of getting the "VIP" seats - an extra $5, yes we are high rollers. It was well worth it cause we were actually able to see the stage. We also got a commemorative program (the others were not in color, suckers) and a free room temperature bottle of water, which was very important because they did not stop for intermission or anything else - three hours with no stops. Not a fan of sitting on a folding chair for three hours. ouch. The star of the show, in my humble opinion, was Jessica Afuola who played Adelaide. Many of the performers had really great voices, others, not so much. They did go hi-tech with headset microphones, but they had not figured out to control their breathing, so at times it sounded like Darth Vader was in the production due to the heavy breathing. I enjoyed reading the program because it gave little bios for each of the performers as well as their motivation for being the production. The best one was the guy who joined the play "because he haven't been doing anything good in school." Outstanding. The dance scenes were amazing - very well done. At times, it was hard to focus on the main performers because they had the entire cast walking behind them,I guess in an attempt to simulate a busy New York City street. The props were also not always to scale. I think the hot dog is as big as his head. Nevertheless, it was a really good performance, and you could tell the students worked very hard. Overall, I think everyone enjoyed their time at the Hot Box.
The sign actually lights up. Awesome.

Published

2007-05-03T12:33:00.000-11:00

Looking over this blog, you might think that all I do is work till 3 pm, hang out with my friends and visit different beaches on the weekend. Well, all of that is true, but I have also been engaging in some academic pursuits. Specifically, I wrote a Law Review article. It is entitled "The Territory Federal Jurisdiction Forgot: The Question of Greater Federal Jurisdiction in American Samoa."
I will not ruin the ending for you, but it is about how Am Sam is the only territory without a federal district court and therefore a lot of federal statutes can not be enforced in the territory. I opine that Am Sam doesn't need a full blown federal court, but that an additional division of the High Court - a federal division - will solve most of the problems. Yes, I am a nerd. Anyway, I am pleased to say that the Pacific Rim Law and Policy Journal of the University of Washington agreed to publish it.

Sweet. It should be in stores, or at least on Lexis/Westlaw in Spring 2008. Autographed copies can be requested. This will be my second published article. This first one dealt with partisan gerrymandering. The Gerrymandering article has been cited twice (pretty cool) in the Alaska Law Review (23 Alaska L. R. 51 (2006)) and the John Marshall Law Review (39 J. Marshall L. Rev. (2006)).

Yes, I am a total nerd.

Ramily has Left the Island

2007-04-30T08:17:00.000-11:00

Unfortunately, one of the Territory's favorite couples (Randy & Emily aka Ramily) had to leave the island in a hurry. Emily left last week, but Randy stayed an extra week to tie up loose ends. Over the weekend, we celebrated palagi style their time on the island. Friday night was a barbecue at New Guy's place. New Guy's sister and friend was also visiting for the week. The party included crabcakes (New Guy can cook), washooes, dancing and good times. While we are use to palagi style celebrations, it appears New Guy's friend is not. Editor's Note - I am told that this is not what it looks like and someone actually poured water on him for the photo. Like Fox News, I report, you decide. Saturday included a game of Sloshball - the Randy Nicholson Memorial Game and then Poker. I placed second that night, and was very close to winning. I was up against Gonzalo. I was big blind, with a 5 & 6 off suited, he called, so I checked to see the flop. It was a 7,8,9. Sweet, I flopped a straight. Gonzalo goes all in. I of course call. He shows a 9 & 4 - so he has a pair of 9s. The turn card is a 4 - okay, he has a pair of 9s and 4s. Still winning. The river card is a 9 - he beats me with a full house. No one could believe it. After that hand, my luck changed, and he knocked me out a few hands later. alas, at least I still got $60. Okay, so back to the weekend. **Friday & Saturday photos by Fred.**

Sunday night, before Randy's flight (and Ginny's flight who also left for good this weekend), Ruth had us over for dinner. She cooked a great lasagna, but all of us were still really sad. Miss you already Ramily!!!

The Magic of a Glue Trap

2007-04-28T08:04:00.000-11:00

WARNING. Animals were harmed in the creation of this posting. The other morning, I went into my kitchen to find some juice. Instead, I found a mouse running around on my kitchen sink and clean dishes on my drying rack. It was not a good start to the day. I have grown accustom to critters in the house, but when they poop in my sink - action must be taken. That afternoon I stopped by ACE Hardware and got some glue traps. A relatively simple invention. A pan of glue (with peanut butter chips) which traps and kills the mouse. I am not sure how it kills the mouse, but with the image of mouse poo in my sink still in my head, I really didn't care at that point. I put down a trap and went for a run. Thirty minutes later - voila, one mouse down. No mess, no fuss, quick and clean, at least for me, I assume the mouse isn't a fan of the glue trap.

No More Turkey Tail

2007-04-26T13:31:00.000-11:00

In a surprise move, the Samoa government (the Independent Samoa, not Am Sam) has decided to ban the import of U.S turkey tail meat. This is part of a health preventive measure to stop people from getting life style diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart and kidney failure. The ban will be effective on the first of May and the government is considering whether to also ban other imported meat such as mutton flaps and chicken. Turkey tail meat, chicken and muttons are the main types of imported meat widely used by average and low income families . The ministry of health is concerned by the high fat content of the three different types of meat. Of course you are asking, what is Turkey Tail? Well, it just that - the tail of the turkey. Actually, it is the gland-like part that attaches the tail to the bird. Here is a picture. Hmm. Tasty. They must be using a very loose definition of "meat" to call turkey tail a meat. If you slap on enough barbecue sauce, it tastes great. Actually, it doesn't. I tried it once, my first month on the island. I didn't know what it was at the time, but it sure was chewy and more fat then meat.

SloshBall

2007-04-22T09:39:00.000-11:00

For the past couple of weekends, we have had Noah's Ark rain.However, this past Saturday, it was perfect SloshBall weather.For those who forget the rules of Sloshball, a quick tutorial. The rules are just like baseball, except for second base. When you reach second base, you have to grab a beer. You are not able to put down the beer until you finish it. This includes when you are batting or fielding. If you make it to second base with your original beer, you now have two beers. Kim Keyser got MVP for playing with three beers. However, later in the game, her fielding started to suffer. Everyone enjoys the game, including Ed. We selected Adam and Mary (Nate's friends from off-island) as team captains. Mary's team started out with an early lead - 10 to 2. However, due to the nature of Sloshball, their skill level went down each inning. Adam's team was able to pull it out in the end, coming from behind in the last inning winning 18 to 16, or was it 17 to 16?We always have trouble with the score. Afterwards, we went to New Guy's place for a barbecue. Good times.

Flag Day in Western

2007-04-18T18:28:00.000-11:00

On Tuesday, Am Sam celebrated Flag Day. Flag Day is like July 4th, without the fireworks, but it does have boat racing. This being Am Sam, we got off Tuesday (actual Flag Day) and Wednesday instead of the obvious Monday - but who is complaining, it is still a two day holiday. To celebrate, a group of us decided to go to Western Samoa, which does not celebrate Flag Day. Oops. We left Friday and got back Wednesday. The group included Nate, Gonzo, Aaron (the New Guy) and Nate's friends from the mainland, Adam and Mary.This was my third trip to Western, but I continue to have a ton of fun and learn valuable lessons. For example, lesson one - Argentines are crazy drivers. Gonzo drove us around the entire trip and at times I think we traveled back in time.At least the view was great. The first two nights we stayed at the Manusina Inn in Apia (the capital). Our Argentine friends are expanding their business in Western and have opened the Inn. It is a great place and I recommend it to anyone visiting Western. Max and Lupe are great hosts. Lesson Two - Blue Cheese pizza at Giodanno's rocks. We started Saturday with a trip to sliding rock. How can you beat sliding down lava rock into a fresh water pool. We spent some time lounging in the pool and watching no fear Samoan kids jump off cliffs. I should note that Gonzo also jumped off the cliff. I just took the the photos. We went to lunch at Coconuts and then had to take a nap. good times. Then off to Black Sand Beach. You might have to drive through the jungle, but the beach is great. Lesson Three - riding the waves at Black Sand beach is a great way to spend an afternoon. Sadly we had dinner at a restaurant called Sails. It might have been the worse meal I have had in years - and this is including the sushi with mayonnaise in Am Sam. I ordered tuna with a white wine cream sauce. I believe the cream sauce was paper mache. Just horrible. Lesson Four - never eat at Sails again, never. On Sunday we drove down to some waterfalls. Unlike last time, the falls were not flowing, but that didn't stop us from jumping into more fresh water. Got to love the fresh water. We spent that night at the beach fales at Lalomanu.Lesson Five - Uno can be turned into an interesting drinking game and that large quantities of Vailima, Samoa's Beer, can cause discomfort in the morning.I also learned that five plus three equals seven. Ask New Guy about that one. Monday was spent at the Piula Cave Pool. Another great fresh water pool. You can also swim through a lava tube to get to another cave. Unfortunately, Adam went a little too fast through the tube and knocked his head on some lava rocks. ouch. We then decided to go to the island of Namu'a. It is near Lalomanu. We were told that we needed to raise a white flag in order to signal the boat to pick us up. I think this was just a Samoan joke so they could laugh at the silly palagis raising a white flag against a really blue/white sky. Luckily, the boat did arrive, but to drop off some people who spent the day on the island, not because they saw the flag. However, they did pick us up and we got to spent the night on our own Gilligan's Island. It was great. The island has no electricity, or at least none that we could find. The six of us basically tripled the population of the island. The only structures include the main cooking house and the beach fales. Kinda awesome. The next morning, we walked around the island during low tide. We also took a hike up the mountain. Lesson Six - proper footware is important. Using my sandels was like walking on Crisco. It was actually easier to walk up the mountain in my barefeet. At least I made it to the top, or what we decided was the top. The channel between the main island and Namu'a is not that deep, even during high tide. We left the island during low tide, so we had to walk the boat close to the shore. Nate did his impression of Jesus. We then drove back up to Apia and spent another night at Manusina. We also had the best dinner ever at Apula Heights restaurant. We closed out the night/early morning at our new favorite bar - Paddles. After leaving Paddles, we were hungry, but everything was closed, or at least almost everything. We found a foodstand still open. The only food they had left was written in Samoan. The food appeared to be the same thing, but coming in different sizes and prices. Aaron was the adventurous one and ordered the Five Tala meal (about $2.50 US). It came in a sack and weighted about four pounds. We opened it when we got home.Yum! It tasted about as good as it looks, recooked vomit. oh well. We were that hungry that we tried to eat some of it, we did not get that far. And now the final four lessons. Lesson Seven - Kava is like drinking dirt. Lesson Eight - Rainbows are cool. Lesson Nine - Sashimi tastes great. Lesson Ten - I really enjoy Western Samo

Happy Easter

2007-04-09T18:13:00.000-11:00

Randy & Emily hosted an Easter brunch on Sunday for the palagi crew. They live in Coconut Point and might have the best front yard ever - not to be confused with the best backyard ever. They live in a western style home, steps from the beach.They also have a dedicated drink (aka beer) fridge. Not a bad rental. As with any holiday gathering we had a ton of food. Castros made a breakfast casserole, which is basically a Denny's grand slam breakfast in casserole form. Outstanding. Nate made his (now) famous red chili as well as introducing us to his green chili. New guy [Aaron] even made Eggs Benedict - which was impressive and really good. I baked and made banana, chocolate chip walnut muffins/bread. Of course we had a ton of fresh fruit thanks to Jeff & Meredith. The day was beautiful, with little rain. We got to paint Easter eggs. We did not hide them due to potential wild dogs and actual chickens, so we played other games instead. The traditional Easter game of bocce ball. You have two colored balls (like Easter eggs) and you have to throw them near to the jack (a small white ball - like a rabbit?). The person who gets closest, gets a point. You play until five points. We also played Washoes. Randy introduced the game to the island. A minute to learn, but a lifetime to master. The goal is to get your washer into one of the three holes. The closest hole is one point, the middle hole is three points and the farthest hole is five points. The first team to 21 wins. Jeff was on FIRE with the washoes. Jeff and Sharon beat every team at least once. It was amazing to watch. He might go pro. Overall, it was a great day, in fact it was one of the better weekends in awhile - limited rain, not too humid and got to hang out with friends all weekend long. Fa'a Samoa.

Airport Beach, The Return

2007-04-08T11:24:00.000-11:00

Saturday, a group went to Airport Beach. It is named Airport Beach because it just on the other side of the airport from where we live. You can see the fence in the background - I guess they ran out of barbed wire and decided to go with a white picket fence instead. We are still trying to figure out how we can get permission to drive across the runway in order to get to the beach faster. I'll keep you posted. I had been to the beach before with Sharon and Ginny, but no one else had gone before. It is a bit of hike, through a lava field, and tropical growthand after a half hour, the group was starting to grumble at me due to the hike, but the end result is well worth it. It was a perfect day to go. After some time snorkeling, we found a place to relax in the water. Sweet. We walked back at sunset, and the sky was outstanding.

Nate is Older

2007-04-08T11:00:00.000-11:00

We had a birthday party for Nate on Thursday. The official birthday was Wednesday, but we did not have work on Friday because "Good Friday" is a Samoan holiday. Yes, the government recognizes Good Friday as an official holiday, but that is another posting. Anyway, the Castros hosted the event. Fred cooked 15 pounds of chicken, which we promptly ate. This being Nate's birthday, it was necessary to "Roast" the birthday boy. In addition to material from his time in Am Sam including the Buffalo Bills safari suit, our "bromance" and his bathroom reading material (Harper's Bazaar), I was able to get in touch with his off-island girlfriend who gave us additional material including his obsession with Smurfs and the time when he was a small boy attending his mom's night class that he pooped his pants at the front of the room while some poor guy was giving a presentation. Ah Nate. The evening continued with weird karaoke by Fred, dancing and general merriment. Happy Birthday Buddy!

Happy Birthday Max!

2007-04-06T19:59:00.000-11:00

My nephew, Maximilian Wesley Weaver turned one today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Wild E. Coyote

2007-04-04T17:08:00.000-11:00

I thought that once I left Am Sam and returned to Chicago, that the wild dogs would be gone from my daily life. I guess I was wrong. It appears that a wild coyote was hungry for some Quiznos and visited a store located in Chicago's Loop [downtown]. I recommend the Cabo Chicken sub.

I Have Been Replaced

2007-04-03T17:48:00.000-11:00

It was bound to happen. We have hired new law clerks for the High Court. I knew I only had a year, but reality has set in now, paradise ends in five months. The clerks for 2007-08 arrive in August. Yikes. At least they are decent folk and it appears they will carry on the tradition of doing good work for the Court and having a great time living on the island.

April Fool's Day

2007-04-02T17:32:00.000-11:00

On the island, specific dates are not always important - and I had forgotten that Sunday was April 1st aka April Fool's Day. While I might have forgotten, my friend Nate did not. He decided that it would be fun if he saran wrapped my car. What does that actually mean? You literally wrap a car with saran wrap. See the example for the visual learners. Please note, this is not my car, but an example found on the Internet - a red sports car is a little impractical for the island's potholes. The wrapping of the car was actually really funny. He told me that it could have been worse if my seven (not an exaggeration) wild guard dogs were not constantly barking at him. I guess these wild dogs do serve a purpose. I did not hear a thing because I was in the final stages of my cure from post-return depression (see previous posting).

Post-Return Depression

2007-04-02T17:16:00.000-11:00

Many palagis suffer from this serious aliment. Sadly, many palagis suffer in silence. It is the post-return depression. It occurs after being off island for an extended period, usually involving trips to the mainland. The palagi returns to the territory, happy to have been able to see friends and family on the mainland, but also excited to be back to the tropical paradise. Seemingly, the palagi should be extremely happy. However, the palagi has forgotten about the certain things about life on the lava rock. The lack of four solid walls, the howling dogs, the limited fresh produce and the smell of the tuna cannery early in the morning. The palagi becomes confused, and torn between the material ease of the mainland and the natural beauty of the island. Depression sets in. Luckily, there is a cure. For each palagi, it is slightly different. I have found a weekend with your other palagi friends and a bottle of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum is a miracle worker. Perhaps I will organize a telethon.

The New Spanish Armada

2007-03-29T12:40:00.000-11:00

First the Queen Mary, now the Spanish Navy. For three days, the Spanish ship Alvaro de Bazan docked in Pago Pago harbor. At first I thought they got lost, but it turns out they meant to visit American Samoa, go figure. It seems they are on a goodwill tour around the world. The ship has 202 people on board, and they toured the island. We saw them everywhere. At first we were confused where all these new palagis came from, but the Spanish gave it away. Not sure who might visit next - perhaps the Bolivian Navy? Find Bolivia on a map or talk to a Chilean, then you will get the joke.

The Mainland in March

2007-03-26T13:50:00.000-11:00

I'm back from my whirlwind tour of Mainland USA. It started in San Francisco. Two really good friends (Dusty and Jodi) flew into town so we could hang out. Dusty's brother Casey lives in San Fran, so the four of us played around for the weekend. The four of us sans Dusty the photographer. Jodi and I in our hip sunglasses. At beach, exciting for Dusty (living in Minnesota) and Jodi (living in New York), but I was just cold. I am use to the ocean being the same temperature as a bath. Yes, I am spoiled. Highlights include the Tour of the Filoli Estate. It has really pretty gardens and the house is cool as well.However, I think we were most excited by the fact that the TV series Dynasty used the Estate as the Carrington Mansion. We even attempted to reenact the cat fight between Krystle and Alexis in the lily pond. Good times. The rest of the weekend was spent exploring the city at night (aka drinking at bars). I got to use my American Samoan driver's license - the license looks like a bad, a real bad, fake ID. I actually had to show my American Samoan library card to prove that the place actually existed.

The rest of my week in San Fran was spent interviewing candidates for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 law clerk position for the High Court. I learned that many of the applicants found my blog and reviewed it before the interview. Therefore, I will only make the following comment about the interviews: we interviewed many, many qualified candidates and we will be making our decision shortly. After the interviews, I went to North Carolina to see the folks. We celebrated Mom's Birthday on Friday (March 16). I will not mention age, but it was a big one. On the 21st, we celebrated Pop's birthday. Good times. Unlike the previous week, I did not have to think or do anything, and my activities consisted of eating, sleeping and watching cable television.Finally, I flew to Chicago to see a bunch of my friends in the windy city. Travis was kind enough to let me crash at his place. The weekend was a bit of a blur - tried to see as many people as I could within a 72 hour period.

I was not too excited for the nine hour flight from Chicago to Honolulu. However, the airlines gods were smiling upon me and I got upgraded to business class. sweet. I actually sat in the upper deck of the 747. I was in no rush for the flight to end. Even though my flight attendant did not have finger puppets, we had a good time. It turns out that she use to work for Pan Am and regularly flew to Pago. She knew all about the island, and it appears that not a lot has changed in the last 20 years. Even the Hawaiian Airline flight was uneventful and early! When I got home, my hot water smelled of sulfur, the geckos had explosive diarrhea in the guest room and a pair of sandals had grown mold on them. Can I get back on business class? Nevertheless, I am happy to be back on the lava rock I call home.

Off Island

2007-03-08T14:56:00.000-11:00

I am going "off island" for two weeks. Justice Richmond and I will be interviewing candidates for the law clerk position in San Francisco. Nothing like interviewing people to be your replacement. After the interviews I am heading to North Carolina to see the folks for a little bit then to Chicago to see some friends. Good times. I am looking forward to it, but it better warm up (especially in Chicago) or I am not going to be happy.

A Samoan Trim

2007-03-07T16:20:00.000-11:00

At the end of my driveway, I have a large bush. I attempt to trim it back with my english shears, but the sucker grows very fast and I am very slow in my trimming. I decided that I would ask our the Housing Maintaince Office to trim it for me. I explained that situation - that this large bush is growing into my driveway making parking difficulty - and asked them to "trim" the bush back a bit. This was the result.They did what I asked, they trimed the bush back from my driveway. I might have trimmed the other side to balance the look, but, hey, at least I did not have to trim it.

An Oriental Feast

2007-03-03T12:26:00.000-11:00

It is always nice when there is truth in advertising. Hong Kong says that their meals are oriental feasts, and I have to agree. A few weeks ago, we discovered the "Meal for Two" at Hong Kong House. This is the Meal for Two. Yes, in Samoa this is for two people, and we didn't even get the soup. For us, this translates into a meal for five with leftovers.

Surprise!

2007-03-03T11:53:00.000-11:00

Everyone loves a good old fashion surprise party. It is no different in Am Sam. Kim organized a surprise party for her hubby Mike's 30th Birthday. I think the most impressive part of the surprise party was that everyone actually showed up on time - that is an amazing feat for us. Mike aka King Keyser was very surprised - we were lucky that he had stuff in his hands, cause I think he might have taken a swing at one of us believing he were robbers. Having a party at the Keyser is pretty cool. They live in the "Beverly Hills" section of Am Sam. No fake walls for them, they even have a second floor. More importantly for us, they have a pool table. Of course when you get the group together, we normally end up playing Texas Hold'em. Guess who won? Me. Sweet. It was pretty cool to end up with $80 at the end of the night - gambling is illegal in Am Sam so of course this is just hypothetical money. Right. It was one of our longer games - we finally finished around 4:15 am. yes, am. The final two was the birthday boy and me. Perhaps I should have allowed the birthday boy to win, but he did get cake for his birthday - and technically, it was not his birthday anymore. I sure hope this does not impact future invites to the Keyser's place.

West Side Story

2007-03-01T18:27:00.000-11:00

My street is currently in the middle of a dog fight - not aerial combat, but literally, wild dogs fighting. It started with the departure of Mr. & Mrs. Kava. Ed the Dog, the smartest dog you may ever meet, hung around their house. Once the Kavas left, we wanted to try to attract her to our street. If you are going to have wild dogs in the neighborhood, Ed is the one you want. She also runs with "Grandpa" and "Dirty Petunia" who are not as cool as Ed, but what are you going to do. We started enticing her with food, Fred actually bought real dog food. Ed didn't know what to do with that stuff, but once Grandpa had some (he will eat anything), Ed was okay with it. Well our plan worked - they are chilling by the Castros on a regular basis. But our current street dogs were none to pleased about Ed's posse moving in on their territory. Hence the current fighting. Grandpa took one in the ear and Dirty used a different tacit. And Ed, well she is just Ed

An Almost Perfect Weekend

2007-02-26T08:33:00.000-11:00

My life is pretty sweet. Friday, left work a little before 3 pm. Played golf with a bunch of friends, and it didn't rain on us. I actually played well, and most of the greens had grass on them (instead of the usual mixture of dirt and sand). That night, went out to dinner to "Famous III" - a Chinese restaurant. The Kung Pao chicken had flavor, and the green peppers tasted like green peppers and the chicken was actual chicken and not chicken parts.
Played some poker on Saturday night. Sadly, I did not win, but Jeff did win. It was the third time Jeff had ever played poker, let alone Texas Hold'em. Even the people playing against him in the final round wanted him to win - his story could be a NBC movie of the week - just wash out the degenerate gamblers.
Sunday night went over to the Keysers' for dinner. They made a bean casserole and potato casserole that blew my mind. We were warned a head of time about the mind blowing, but didn't really believe it until I tried it. They also have a pool table - amazing what some people can find in Am. Sam. I also got to ride in Emily's new convertible, pretty sweet. I didn't even mention the perfect weather this weekend - while a little hot, I'll take 90 degree weather in February. To top it all off - they had lettuce at the store.
Yup, my life is pretty sweet.

Six Months

2007-02-22T16:10:00.000-11:00

Shockingly, I have been in Am. Sam. for six months. Even more shocking, I only have six months left in Am Sam. Wow. I guess it is true that time goes by fast when you are having fun.

Palagi Olympics

2007-02-20T18:19:00.000-11:00

We had a dream. A dream to combine sport, beer and a celebration of U.S. presidents. That dream came true in the form of the 2007 Island of the Sacred Chicken Special Olympics (a non-race based community extravaganza) during the weekend of president's day.Day One started with the selection of nations. A MacGyver concoction of ping pong balls, Velcro and a pitcher assisted in the selection of competitors for each nation. Once the members were selected, they chose nation names. AomaSalandia, Sofa King Republic, and the fifth grade humor nations of Buttswana and YourAnus were represented in the games. The first event was a Goodwill Sloshball match between AomaSalandia and Sofa King Republic versus Buttswana and YourAnus. For those new to the Sacred Chicken Games, sloshball is a simple game in theory, but a complex one in practice. It is based on America's pastime, but combines the role of the athlete and the drunken fan into one with a pretty cool backdrop. The rules are like baseball, but the house is a ground rule double.The major difference is second base. If one makes it to second base, it is necessary to take a beer. You may not drop that beer until it is finished. This includes times when you are batting or in the field. Special props to Ruth for getting numerous hits while holding a beer and a cigarette, that is true athleticism. If you still have that first beer, and get on second base again, well, now you have two beers. We also tend to take longer seven inning stretches. Aoma/Sofa King started with an early lead, but due to the numerous times we went past second base that inning, our fielding suffered. After a seesaw game, the Aoma/Sofa King team was victorious. Luckily, that ended Day One.
Day two started with a Flip Cup tournament. Four athletes line up to the table. At the go mark, the first person in line must chug a half a cup of beer (some were larger than others).Once the beverage is consumed, the athlete must place the cup right side up on the edge of the table and "flip the cup" to drinking side down. Once the cup is properly flipped, the next athlete begins to consume the frosty beverage. AomaSalandia easily took the gold medal and set a new Sacred Chicken record. It was to be our first and only gold medal at these games.
The next event was a three legged race, from Point A to Point Beer and then back. A bit of controversy arose due to allegations of not finishing the beer at Point Beer. All disputes during the games were settled by Rock, Scissors, Paper, best of five format. AomaSalandia did not place, and lost the challenge, so I did not really pay attention to who won what medals in that one.
Astronaut Training was the third event. Another relay, in which one team member runs a couple of yards, then grabs a bat, circles five times around the bat and then runs back to the starting point. At one point we were a bit worried for Emily running into traffic when she crossed the entire length of the field, but she made it home safe.
The fourth event was Washoes. A Randy "tu-pac" Nicholson original event. The game field is comprised of two wooden boxes with three holes in each of them. Each athlete attempts to throw the Olympic disk (a washer) into one of the holes. The closest hole is one point, three points for the middle one and five points for the furthest hole. First one to 21, without going over, wins. Unlike the Price is Right, you don't automatically lose, but go back down to ten points. Each nation entered two teams into a bracket elimination, I am not sure how it all worked, but it was written down somewhere.
The fifth event was Beer Pong. Six cups, with some beer in them, are set up at either end of the table. Two members of a nation complete against another two member nation team. One at a time, the athletes attempt to throw a ping pong ball into one of the cups. If successful, the opposing team must finish the cup of beer and remove the cup from the playing field. Local rules allowed for the bouncing of balls into the cups, which is not followed in Chicago or the basement of the Sigma Chi house at GW. The first team to get a ball into each of the six cups wins. It takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master.
The final event was the Pisupo Eating Contest. A unique event at the Sacred Chicken games due to the nature of Pisupo. Cue the Bob Costas athlete profile music. As legend as it, the first canned good to arrive in Am. Sam. was Pea Soup - or Pisupo. The Samoans loved it. However, the next can to arrive was corned beef. The Samoans loved that even better, but decided to keep the name Pisupo for corned beef. Makes sense to me. Over the years, Pisupo has been refined into a mixture of meat, grizzle and congealed fat. Delicious. Each athlete had to finish 7.5 ounces of the delightful treat. Fork (and vomit) was optional. We finally made it to the award ceremony. At least Ed the Dog remained interested in the closing ceremonies. In the end, Sofa King Republic was crowned the champion. Nice going guys. Start training for the 2008 games.

The Love Boat

2007-02-14T18:02:00.000-11:00

We might not have much, but cruise ships seem to enjoy our lava rock. Over the next few weeks we could get as many as seven cruise ships docking in Pago Pago. However, the motherload landed yesterday - the Queen Mary 2. This was QM2 maiden voyage to Am. Sam. The ship can carry a little over 3,000 passengers and has over 1,000 crew members. It has a planetarium! It is over 1,000 feet long (twice as long as the Washington Monument) and about 236 feet high. It dwarfed over Pago Pago. It even made Rainmaker Mountain look tiny. While all of these new palagis explored the island, we tried to figure out ways to get aboard. We were unsuccessful. The news reported that three passengers from the ship got into a taxi at the harbor and asked to be taken to an air-conditioned mall. Unfortunately, the driver did not really understand them, so he took them to the local hardware store where they could buy an air-conditioner. Oops. I am not sure what is funner that the driver took them to the hardware store or that they were looking for a mall in Am. Sam., forget the fact that they wanted it air-conditioned. Silly palagis.

Feliz Navidad!

2007-02-13T18:20:00.000-11:00

Santa and Reindeer Plastic Car = $9.99
Liquid Refreshment at Christmas Party = $50
Digital Camera with Recording Capabilities = $250
Resulting Video = Priceless

Sadly, I was not around for the making of the video, but still enjoy the end product. Rated PG-13 for explicit language and subject matter.

Ili'ili Country Club

2007-02-09T17:37:00.000-11:00

I am still surprised that an island 26 miles long and 3 miles wide would have an 18 hole golf course, but hey, this is Am. Sam. Ben and I try to go on a semi-regular basis (when it is not too hot or pouring rain). The golf action shot. Nice Shot! Without fail it rains. I have not yet played where it has not rained. On the mainland, most people would run into the club house when it is raining, but here we play through it. The blinding rain does make it a bit more challenging and the newly formed water hazards can be difficult, but it is refreshing and normally done after a few holes. I am also not sure if you would want to run into the club house. The other day when we went, we were lucky because Sharon joined us and they recently mowed the fairways. Most times it is difficult to distinguish between the rough and the fairways. I can't tell you how many times Ben and I have lost our golf balls in the fairway. Perhaps the wild dogs take them?The putting greens can vary from good,(that was my chip shot by the way), some are just okaywhile others you just have to ask what the heck!?!I am not sure if it is up to PGA regulations. Regardless, it is a lot of fun, especially the golf carts and you can't beat the views.

Winter Olympics in Am. Sam!?!

2007-02-06T21:39:00.000-11:00

You may not realize that Am. Sam. has a National Olympic Committee, well, it does. If I was around in 2008, I might be in line for a place in Beijing. Seriously. My neighbor might go for swimming. Anyway. I am not sure how, but it turns out that Am. Sam. has been picked to host the meeting where the three finalist (Pyeong Chang, South Korea; Salzburg, Austria; and Sochi Russia) for 2014 Winter Olympics will present their bids to the Oceania National Olympic Committee. Let me say that again, the three finalist for the 2014 Winter Olympics will be presenting their bids in Pago Pago. Not Sydney, Auckland, or even Palau. Pago Pago, American Samoa. We can't get lettuce on a regular basis (and now even mayonnaise) on the island, but we are going to host a bid presentation. I guess they have to meet somewhere and we did have that two man bobsled team in Calagry for the 1994 Winter Olympics. Go figure. I am rooting for Pyeong Chang cause that is the area where I went "skiing" while in Korea for Christmas - I sure hope they learn how to make snow before 2014. yikes.

Superbowl Sunday

2007-02-05T17:41:00.000-11:00

Nate hosted a Super Bowl Party and we got to use the projector (from Screen on the Green fame) to watch the game on the big screen, or in this case a white wall. Due to the time change, kickoff was around 12:30 pm, which worked out well for us, but we had to block some of the Am. Sam. sun, so up went the dark sheets. I wonder how long Nate will keep them up. Sadly, neither the game nor Prince was that interesting. Also, we didn't get to watch the Superbowl commercial. In Am. Sam. the game was broadcast on the AFN channel - the American Forces Network. A channel for the military, by the military. Instead of playing the million dollar ads, it shows "important" public service announcements about credit card debit, hypothermia and suicide. I think the suicide ad is important, because after watching the same six commercial during each commercial break over a four hour period, I sure was on the edge. It also provides fun facts about the military. Do you know who are the only two individuals selected as General of the Armies? Watch AFN and find out. Regardless, I did get to spend the day in air-conditioning while stuffing my face with food. This included three different kinds of guacamole -including one with cranberry, which is actually really tasty. In addition, Niki made the famous dip and Nate cooked his newly famous chili. good times. Perhaps the Bears will pull it out next year, but at least I have time to practice the Superbowl Shuffle.

Retraction

2007-02-03T16:13:00.000-11:00

The other day I posted an article from Samoa News that discussed a prison break in which the prisoners broke out of prison, drove around for awhile and then went back to prison through a hole they made in the wall. I stated that you can't make this stuff up. Well, I guess you can. The story was based off an affidavit filed by the police, but it appears that the police officers were "confused" as to the prison break. The prisoners never really broke out of prison and a small child, let alone a fully developed Samoan, could not fit through the hole in the cell. oops. But I guess everyone makes mistakes.

Prison Break

2007-02-01T20:07:00.000-11:00

At first I was not excited to be living near the Tafuna Correctional Facility THE territory prison,but after reading this gem in Samoa News, my fears are gone. I swear, you can't make this stuff up.

By La PoasaSamoa News Staff
Two TCF escapees are scheduled to appear today at the District Court for their preliminary examination hearing in connection with their escape from jail late December of last year. The inmates, Sione Muliaga and Suisape Tavete, are each facing escape from commitment and property damage in the first degree. They made their initial appearance in District Court on Tuesday.
The charges against the two stem from an incident that allegedly occurred on Dec. 28, 2006. On this day, at about 6:30 a.m., a TCF officer reported seeing a large hole in the wall of one of the cells. The hole was created by the two inmates, the government's case claims. When confronted by police, Muliaga admitted to a police officer that he and Tavete had made the hole in the wall, then left the jail building by that hole, climbed the fence to exit the facility, and then gone to Fagaima.
Muliaga said there, they met Muliaga's father, who drove them around for a while before dropping them off at Lions Park, from where they returned to their assigned cell in reverse order of their path of escape.
Tavete admitted to the TCF warden that he had created the hole in the wall of Cell No. 4 of Bravo Unit. He did not admit leaving the facility, but he was seen outside of the 'hole' by three inmates whose names are being withheld for their protection, the government's case said. According to Warden Moliga, the wall will have to be reconstructed (rebar and concrete) at a cost of more than $1,000.
At today's hearing, the district court judge will determine whether the government has sufficient evidence to bound the charges against the two over to the High Court for trial or other disposition.
Both defendants remain in jail as they are currently serving felony convictions. They are being represented by the Public Defender's Office. Each charge of escape from commitment and property damage in the first degree is punishable by a jail term of up to five years, a fine of $5,000, or both.

I am not sure why they would need to make a hole, because most of the time the front gate in unlocked. Click here for more great stories about our local jail.

Le Falepule

2007-01-31T16:29:00.000-11:00

Last night, eight of us went to the Am. Sam. equivalent of a resort. It was outstanding. Le Falepule is a small inn/lodge (six rooms) built high up in the hills of Am. Sam. A view from the porch.The inside lobby. It is owned and operated by a husband and wife team who also have full time jobs outside running Le Falepule. This means that they do not serve dinner every night, and is more based on reservations and the availability of Isabel (the co-owner) to cook. Based on the stories I have heard, it is easier to get a reservation for dinner at Spago then Le Falepule. Luckily, Sharon was able to get us a reservation. For the main dish, we had chicken curry and shrimp curry along with fresh pineapple and a cucumber-tomato salad. It was really good, clearly the best eating I have had on the lava rock. The Aussies gave it the thumbs up.Everyone ate themselves to capacity and we didn't leave any leftovers.Already looking forward to my next meal at Le Falepule.

Ben's Last Night in Town

2007-01-30T17:13:00.000-11:00

Unfortunately, the Argentinians are dropping like flies. First Sebas went to Hawaii for University, Maximo is leaving for Western Samoa soon, and now the youngest, Ben, is leaving for the homeland to start high school.A group of us decided that before he left, we should have a poker night. Ben has attended many a poker nights and has been very successful. While Ben is only 15, I firmly believe we are not corrupting a minor. If Ben actually lost, that would be corruption, but the kid is really good, so it is all kosher. We had one last night to try to win back some of our money that Ben has been able to win from us over the past few months. However, many of us thought that we would just be giving some extra travel money to him.

The game was Texas Hold'em, but it is tournament style - which means we have timed rounds which control the amount of the bids. Nate has a fancy computer program that does all of this for us, I am not sure how it works, but I don't have to know, so that is fine with me. We started with about a dozen people.(not all pictured, I can count). The final two ended up being Maximo and Emily, with Emily winning in a bold bluff calling.Sadly, Ben was knocked out early, guess lady luck was just not with him. However, she gave me a big kiss. I finished third, my best finish yet. Gambling is illegal in Am. Sam. and of course, we just play poker for fun, but if we did for example use a $10 buy-in with $10 rebuys before the ninth round, I would have won 34 bucks. sweet.

Men v. Women

2007-01-27T09:38:00.000-11:00

Last night Kim Keyser hosted a Game Night for a bunch of people . Sadly, Mike (her husband) was off-island, but she pulled off a good time even without him. They live in a western style house in Am. Sam. It was very weird to be in a two story house, with real walls and furniture. As the title of the evening suggested, we played a bunch of games. One game, Guesstures, was a highlight of the evening.It is basically a fancy game of charades. For me it was both entertaining and informative on the differences between men and women. While a game of Guesstures might not be the most scientific method to examine the innate differences between the sexes, it does provide some insight. We decided to play men against women. This was the men's first mistake. We played about six or seven rounds of the game, playing to 15 points (one point per correctly guessed charade). The most points the men ever got in a round was 11. The men would normally get perhaps one or two charades a turn, the women were getting about four words. As an example of the men's horrible skill level, we never got the word "downhill" - we kept shouting "hilldown" - not sure what "hilldown" is, but we were convinced that was the right word. I will not even discuss our attempt to get the word "Pipe" - just sad. Meanwhile, the women got words such as "Girdle" in about 2 seconds. Near the end of the game, the women started guess for us, I think they felt bad for us - this was the same round that we got 11 points. While I will not make a guess (or guessture) as to what this all means, I think it provides some evidence that some innate difference exists between men and women. I am looking forward to someone getting their Ph.D. on the differences between men and women using the game of Guessture as the basis of their test. Or perhaps it means nothing and simply that Nate, Randy, Sean, Steve and I are really bad at charades.

Am. Sam. in the Spotlight Again

2007-01-25T13:04:00.000-11:00

First it was a battle over the federal minimum wage in Am. Sam. (click here for details). Now it is giving the "vote" to non-state delegates in the House of Representatives. I put votes in quotes because the newly passed bill only allows the five delegates a vote on amendments, not on the final passage of the legislation. Even the power to vote on amendments is restricted, because if the delegates' votes decide the outcome of the amendment, the vote is voided and the House votes again without the delegates' participation. The Republican House Minority leader John Boehner described it as "an outrageous grab of power by the majority, a breach of the trust of the members here." Wow. I would call it a cruel joke. I think saying you only have a vote in a limited situation, and if that vote counts for something, well, it doesn't count is worse then just not giving them a vote on the House floor. However, my favorite part of the entire episode is that Republican lawmakers created this sticker:They wore it during the House debate on the proposal to extend the "vote" to the delegates. Sometimes I really miss DC.

08F Fizzles

2007-01-23T12:50:00.000-11:00

It appears that the cyclone alert it over. The tropical depression 08F never really got it together and passed by our little island paradise. Which of course is a good thing, but what am I going to do with all of this bottled water and candles?

Storm Watch

2007-01-22T13:59:00.000-11:00

Last night, I was alerted by a radio bulletin that a tropical depression was about 350 miles northwest of American Samoa. After the Norah Ark rain we had all weekend and this being hurricane season, it made sense. I was not too worried about Tropical Depression 08F - I am use to rain by now. However, NOAA recently sent out a warning that 08F has been nearly stationary for the last six hours. This is not good cause a stationary storm can quickly build up strength. According to NOAA the potential for 08F to develop into a tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours is high. A lot can happen in 24 hours, so I am still not too worried, it might go away, or go somewhere else - who knows. It is interesting to view the satellite imagery.The red + is the storm, the little green outline to the right of it is the Samaon island chain. I guess a picture is worth a thousand words. Not sure if I like all that red. Here is a close up. Can you find me near the line down the middle?But I am most concerned by this graphic from the Navy It is a little small, but you can see our island paradise in the center and a giant "C" coming right at us. I assume the C is for Cyclone and not cookie. I'll keep you posted.

Fight Club

2007-01-21T17:17:00.000-11:00

Saturday's entertainment should be filed under things I would normally not do, but for being in Am. Sam. A group attended Last Man Standing II (The Rock's Best of the Best). It is a multiple round amateur boxing contest. I was not sure I wanted to go because watching grown men beat each other is normally not high on my to do list. However, a combination of limited entertainment on island and peer pressure got me to go. I was also intrigued when I saw the ticket. Not sure what the Touch Man Challenge would have entailed, but I think the evening would have been completely different then the Tough Man Challenge that was actually held. Regardless, I am sure glad I went. Without sounding to blood thirsty, watching grown men beat each other (especially in Am. Sam.) is a good time. However, it is a good time more for the comedic value then the actual fighting. It started with the boxers themselves, or at least the nicknames. How can you not cheer for Faitalia "Big Boom" Johnson or Sitino "The Fijian Sledgehammer" Tavisa? Fan favorites included Suma "The Killa" Tupolo and Tolu "Good Samaritan" Lafele. Beyond the nicknames, the boxers' headgear kept coming off in the middle of the rounds. I guess they don't make Velcro like they use to. Of course, the evening would not be complete without the catering dish dinner (one serving) for the people at the VIP tables, which sadly did not include us.

The actual fighting was also entertaining.The contest started with sixteen boxers. I picked Folau "Bobjay" Nofogata to go far, he didn't. Each match was three, one minute, rounds. Which does not sounds like a ton of time, but most of the boxers were sucking wind by Round 3. Which made the final rounds pretty funny, with the boxers walking around not really wanted to fight anymore. For example, we thought the match between Siaosi "Rocky" Misionare versus Ma'a "Knockout King" Peni Galea'i would end badly for Rocky given the size difference. However, the KO King was out of breath by Round 2, and Round 3 was not pretty. In a different fight, we even saw a knockout. After the first round of matches, it was narrowed down to eight, then four and then finally two - Fai "Hulkamania" Fiso v. Siaosi "Rocky" Misionare. Hulkamania was able to pull it out in the end - even with a bloody face - that is dedication. Not sure if I am going to any fights back on the mainland, but if Last Man Standing III is held while I am still on island, count me in.

Mr & Mrs Kava Bid Ado

2007-01-19T16:04:00.000-11:00

All good things must come to an end, which includes our time with Mr. & Mrs. Kava. After two years on the island, Ryan & Cynthia aka Mr. & Mrs. Kava aka The Wild Palagis are heading back to the mainland. Being one of the more senior members of the Palagi Village community and unofficial pulenu'u (village mayor), Ryan & Cynthia have had a major impact on community life. They were the host of many classic parties which sometimes featured chunky jello shots served on a plastic cutting board (didn't say they were classy, just classic). And of course who can forget the Oscar winning, movie stealing performance of Mr. Kava in the Am. Sam. film classic Pisupo?

They will be back in California for a little bit, but then taking a four month trip around the world. Sweet. If any of the international readers of this blog see them in your town, make sure you say hello and invite them for a drink, you will not regret it. Trust me.

The night before they left, most of the community went over to their place to celebrate, reminisce and pick through stuff they were not taking. I showed up a little late, and most of the good stuff was gone already. oh well. I did get a broom. In addition to reminiscing, we also played Samoan Charades. It uses Samoan words or unique Samoan island activities. Good times. We got together again the next night. Because the Hawaiian flights leave at 11:20 pm, a tradition has developed to say good bye to an off-island traveler. While the flight is near midnight, check in starts around 6 pm. To say check-in is a crazy mess is a big understatement. Samoans travel in packs, and when traveling they take huge amounts of luggage, fine mats, large cardboard boxes and my favorite - large, duck taped coolers. Needless to say, checking in all those people and items can take awhile especially when the luggage tags are hand written. Yes, hand written. So, while the traveler goes through check-in, the rest of us head to Rubbles Tavern for some dinner and drinks. The traveler shows up after check-in and normally has a few hours before they have to head back to the airport. Fortunately the airport is less than five minutes away from Rubbles. It is a pretty cool tradition. Ryan and Cynthia's departure was no different, except that I have never seen that many people at Rubbles for a sendoff. This is only about half of the group. It is clear that they will be dearly missed. By the way, Ryan and Cynthia left last night, and it has rained all day today, like Noah's Ark rain. I think the island is also sad that they are gone. Keep on dancing Mr. and Mrs. Kava! Tofa Soifua and Fa'afetai tele for the memories.

Something Fishy?

2007-01-16T17:16:00.000-11:00

According to Republican North Carolina Representative Patrick McHenry something fishy is going on and Republican Virginia Representative Eric Cantor is "shocked" just plain shocked. So what has gotten their knickers in a bunch? The federal minimum wage bill and the "exemption" awarded to American Samoa. What!?! Are hard working Samoans (and Tongans) being exploited by the palagi? First a little background...One of the main industries of the island are the tuna canneries. Starkist and Chicken of the Sea (made famous by Jessica Simpson) pack a whole lot of fish on the island. While being downwind from the canneries (or Jessica Simpson for that matter) is not the best experience, it does employee a significant number of residents on the island (sadly, Jessica Simpson does not employee the same number of residents). Some figures put the canneries (and affiliated services) representing almost 80% of the private workforce.

American Samoa does not follow the federal minimum wage structure, but for the past 30 years has used its own minimum wage structure set by the Department of Labor. It is reviewed every two years and ranges from $2.68 to $4.09 depending on the industry. Dept. of Labor prepares an economic analysis, a consultative committee investigates industry conditions to develop a recommended level for different industries, and the Secretary determines and promulgates the final rates. (the cannery workers make about $3.26 per hour). I am no economist, but this does sound like a pretty good program for an island group only 76 square miles with limited natural resources, small domestic market, limited access to off-island resources (we can't even get lettuce on a regular basis!) and lack of investment opportunities. It also seems to have been working for the past 30 years. If Am. Sam. was included in the federal minimum wage, most people agree that the canneries would be on the next flight out of here (which only occurs twice a week, Rep. McHenry, can you do something about that?).

However, it seems that StarKist's parent company (Del Monte Corp.) is headquartered in San Francisco, which is represented by Mrs. Pelosi, the new Speaker of the House. So, of course, the exclusion of American Samoa from the new federal minimum wage hike is "the hypocrisy and double talk that we have come to expect from the Democrats" according to Rep. Cantor. I guess it doesn't matter that American Samoa has been "exempt" from every federal minimum wage hike for the past 30 years because of its special industry committee program. oh well.

I understand the concept of scoring political points and realize that it would not be the worse thing in the world if the canneries eventually left Am. Sam. and the territory was not so dependent on one industry. For example, Nick Lachey has survived his divorce with Jessica Simpson.However, before Reps. McHenry and Cantor attempt to score political points with the economy of Am. Sam. in the balance, I would prefer for them to make sure they can find Am. Sam. on a map. If they truly want to treat everyone equal, before they tinker with Am. Sam.'s minimum wage, they should figure out how they can get (fresh) lettuce on the island on a regular basis.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2007-01-16T16:29:00.000-11:00

Another month, another mainland holiday tentatively connected to Am. Sam. but still celebrated by Samoans. Well, I am not sure if Samoans actually celebrate or reflect on one of America's greatest civil rights leaders during the day, but everyone gets the day off. I decided to do my MLK reflection in the coolest backyard ever.For my avid readers, you may remember me talking about the coolest backyard ever (for my less avid readers, you will have to try to find it in earlier posts, this will teach you to keep up with the blog). Former Assistant Attorney General Don Pitzer use to live in the house with the coolest backyard ever, but now New Assistant Attorney General Moi (unable to spell full Samoan name, apologies) lives in the house. Luckily, we have befriended Moi and are invited to his backyard. Sweet. It was a great day of swimming and relaxing. Special shout out to Nate for showing up with McDonald's for everyone. What a guy. I think this picture best sums up the day (and most days in American Samoa).

Burning Down the House

2007-01-16T15:52:00.000-11:00

Sunday's excitement was suppose to be a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit at Ginny's place. However, a phone call from Cynthia changed the focus of the evening. Cynthia called over telling us that one of the buildings in Palagi Village was on fire. Fire!?! We all dashed over to see what was going on. One of the offices in our neighborhood caught fire. I am not sure what the office does. The signs states it the "CFIDD" but then below it is listed as the Community Parent Resource Center. Not sure how the acronym CFIDD translates into the Community Parent Resource Center, but let us focus on the important stuff, like the fact the building was on fire. We could only see smoke coming from the building, but it did not look good. The fire department did react swiftly to get the fire out. However, we were concerned when three of the four trucks drove away while smoke was still coming out from the building. In the end, the last truck restarted its hose and put the fire out. YEAH. I tried to capture the action, but a moonless night, with bright flashing lights made my camera freak out.It is hard to make out, but while the fire department is hosing down the roof, an employee of the power company is on top of the roof looking around. We were waiting for the water to knock him down, luckily it did not. The outside of the building looks okay, but the inside is a bit of a disaster. After the fire was put out, we called the Trivial Pursuit game a draw and went to bed - too much excitement for one night.

Screen on the Green

2007-01-13T12:12:00.000-11:00

Many major cities have "Screen on the Green" programs where a movie is played on a large screen in an open area (like a park) and people picnic while watching the movie. The idea has now come to Am. Sam. or at least to Palagi Village. It is easy to do, you just need a borrowed projector, a DVD player, some speakers, the side of house and a couple of Argentinians to set it up. The rain stayed away, and the majority of bugs. Most of us sat on chairs, but I actually got a seat in the balcony. No extra charge, but I did have to carry it from inside and onto the top of the truck. Best seats in the house (or yard). At one point we thought we might get shut down cause the police drove by, but they simply turned on their speakers and wished us a good night. I think it helps when you have the Public Defenders office, a couple Assistant Attorney Generals and a clerk of the High Court in the audience.

It's Official, Again

2007-01-11T18:05:00.001-11:00

First Illinois, now the United States Territory of American Samoa. I am an official lawyer in Am. Sam. This admission was a lot easier - just had to fill out the application - because they have reciprocity with Illinois. Before everyone starts filling out the application, you must be a resident of American Samoa.

Chief Justice F. Michael Kruse of the High Court of American Samoa administered the Oath for the Territory. The oath was a little longer than Illinois, and made me swear that I would defend the United States from its enemies both domestic and foreign. A little random, but I can do that, but I hope I did not just enlist in the military.

Two down, about fifty-four left (including the other territories and DC). Which one is next?

The Strangest Tourist Spot in the World

2007-01-10T18:17:00.000-11:00

Near the end of my Korean adventure, Eric and I went to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. The USO sponsors tours to the DMZ. Once you get over the fact that the United States has created perhaps one of the most fortified and dangerous areas in the world as a tourist spot, it is a pretty cool experience. The DMZ is about 155 miles long and about 2.5 miles wide and separates North and South Korea. An interesting sidenote is that the area of the DMZ has become an amazing nature preserve. The one drawback is the landmines.The tour starts with a 45 minute bus ride from Seoul to Panmunjeom, home of the Joint Security Area. This is the only place where North and South connect. Is anyone else concerned that Seoul (the capital) is 45 minutes (with traffic) from the DMZ? NQR. The Military Demarcation Line runs right through the Joint Security Area. The Joint Security Area is where negotiations are held between the two Koreas.

Once we got to the DMZ, we were greeted by US military personal who acted as our tour guide. Our tour guide was hilarious and full of sarcasm. Many on the tour did not know if they should laugh due to our location, Eric and I couldn't stop laughing. We were loaded onto another bus and taken to a briefing about the DMZ and the Joint Security Area. Sgt. Naumenkov told us about some of the fun events at the JSA. One was the Axe Murder Incident in August of 1976. At the time, soldiers were allowed to cross the MDL inside the JSA. A group of US soldiers attempted to cut down a tree that was blocking the view between two checkpoints. Within a few minutes, the US soldiers were surrounded by North Koreans. The North Koreans attacked and hacked two soldiers to death with axes. It lead to Operation Paul Bunyan which involved a massive show of US force to cut down the tree. Here is a monument to the slain soldiers. It is on the same spot as the tree. A couple of years later, a Soviet dignitary, while on a tour on the North Korean side, ran across the JSA shouting that he was defecting. He was successful, but one South Korean solider was killed. We then went to the conference room that sits right ontop of the MDL. The raised concrete slab is the DML. We were told that we should not wave or point at the North Korean guards.

Then we went inside the conference room. Behind him is North Korea. We were told that we should not open the door. Here I am in North Korea. I didn't want to get too close to the South Korean guard. We were told that he could cause us serious bodily harm. When asked how the Korean guards are picked, Naumenkov told us that they are picked because they are incredibly attractive and look great in aviator sunglasses. I told you this guy was funny.

This is the Bridge of No Return. It is the bridge were POWs were exchanged after the armistice. Once you crossed the bridge, you were not able to turn back. Hence the name. Right in front of the blue building is the location of the Axe Murder Incident.

Within the DMZ are two villages - one North and one South. The South village (Freedom Village) is actually populated. But heavily regulated. The village is locked down at midnight every night. However, they receive about $80,000 a year (tax free) and do not have to serve in the military. Not sure about the opportunity costs on that one. The North village ( Propaganda Village) is basically empty, but it does have the largest flag and flag pole in the world. The flag pole is 525 feet tall and the flag weighs about 600 pounds. yes, 600 pounds. We also toured the Third Tunnel of Aggression. The North Koreans have dug a number of tunnels under the DMZ in order to infiltrate the South. The tunnels are large enough to allow the movement of an entire division of troops within an hour. Before we left the JSA, we stopped at the duty free gift shop. Yup, the JSA has a gift shop. It was great. In the same breath that I mock it, I buy a shirt. NQR Baby.

The Magic of Dioramas

2007-01-10T17:23:00.000-11:00

In addition to palaces, I went to a couple of museums - including the National Museum of Korea and the War Memorial of Korea. I was able to see a bunch of National Treasures including Numbers 83, 90, and 970. The National Museum was HUGE.The War Museum mainly focused on the Korean War, and had some interesting stuff. A strange parking lot. Part of the table on which the armistice was signed. It also had some cool old stuff including a Turtle Ship.I think the video screen was added later. I learned a lot about the Korean War. Did you know that Ethiopia sent forces to Korea? Can you name all sixteen nations that sent forces under the United Nations? Bonus points for naming the five nations that just sent medical staff. However, one of the more important things I learned about Korean museums (even beyond the War Museum) is their usage of dioramas. They love the diorama. It was a regular diorama-rama. Any chance that a diorama might be used, it was...
For example, the crossing of the 38th parallel by United Nations forces. Korean RefugeesMore refugees at their temporary home. A Korean wedding, did not seem as much fun as a Samoan wedding. Old School Military March to WarI also learned to stay out of the way of the museum cleaners in the yellow four wheelers. I assumed that the tourist standing in front of the diorama had right of way. I was wrong. At first I did not realize the horn I heard was directed at me, until it was necessary to jump out of the way of the speeding cleaning machine. Luckily the diorama on making kimchi broke my fall.

Slopes, Subs & Sand

2007-01-10T16:30:00.000-11:00

Because I was not cold enough, we decided that skiing would be a great idea. Lucky for me, Eric's neighbor Stan is an avid skier and lent me all of his equipment. Sweet. We got up around 5 am in order to avoid Seoul traffic. I think we did. The NQR moment of the day was when I stopped in McDonald's to get breakfast. I successfully ordered for Eric and me, but for some reason they gave me four orange juices. Have no idea why. It took us a little over two hours to get to Yongpyong - in the northeastern part of Korea. The larger area is attempting to get the 2014 Olympics. Best of luck. We got to the place okay, but had a little trouble getting to the slopes - when we went to rent equipment we realized that everything was in the metric system - like meters instead of feet. oops. We sort of guessed our height and weight. It was also a bit crowded as well. Once we got outside, we realized how cold it was - 9 degrees, which doesn't include the windchill. ouch. The Yongpyong ski "resort" is only about a dozen trails on a good day, and this was not a good day. We had access to about three trails beyond the bunny slopes. The conditions reminded me of my youth in Vermont - it was more like a ice skating rink then a ski slope covered with snow. One patch was literally solid ice. good times. Regardless, we still had a great time - frostbite can be fun. We caledl the ski day a little early and went for some post-ski relief. We found it. The combination of a 5 am wake up call and Korean beer made it an early night. The next day we headed for the coast and the Sea of Japan or the East Sea as the Koreans call it. We stopped at Unification Park which has an old Navy Destroyer as well as a North Korean submarine that ran aground at this site in 1996. After seeing the Korean drivers for a few days, I am not that surprised that it ran aground. The inside was a wee bit tiny for us. In theory 25 Koreans can fit inside. Now that is a tight fit. Due to a hostile government a few miles away, the South Koreans take security seriously and they don't have a lot of "beach front" property. The rocks are to identify spots were the North Koreans attempt to mess with the fence. If they fall out, the guards know that someone was messing with it. Not sure what happens then. We made it to the beach and went to Sandglass Park. The park includes a giant Sandglass, duh. It was built in 1999 in commemoration of the new millennium. It is sponsored by Samsung. It takes a full year for the sand to fall through and at midnight on January 1st, it is overturned to start the new year. Forget Times Square - I am going to the Sandglass next year. Eric referred it as the Korean equivalent of the "Biggest Ball of Yarn".

Korean Palaces

2007-01-10T00:16:00.000-11:00

Eric did have to work a few days while I was visiting. I went to visit him at the Embassy. Not the prettiest building. I wanted to run into the embassy with my passport over my head shouting that I am a US citizen and North Korean agents were chasing me - like in the movies. Eric told me I could not do that, drats. So, instead I visited some old palaces in Seoul. The first one was Deoksugung Palace. It is Historical Site No. 124. The Koreans have numbered their important historical objects, I guess a good idea, but sort of NQR. Anyway, Deoksugung was the King's brother's place, until the Japanese invaded (1592) and burned down most of the other palaces, so the King took it over. He left after seven years, but later Kings used it as a palace from time to time. King Gojong (one of the last Emperors, if not the last one) died here on January 21, 1919. Too much information? I also went to Gyeongbokgung (on a different day, don't want to palace yourself out). Gyeongbokgung makes Deoksugung look like a low rent apartment. Gyeongbokgung was the primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty, which started around the 14th century and ended right around World War I. That is some history. Gyeongbokgung is Historical Site No. 117 for those starting a list. The place is massive and they keep rebuilding sections of it. The Japanese burned down the place during one of their many invasions. Highlights include the Geunjeongjeon - the main building of the palace and

Hyangwonjeong - a little pavilion for relaxation. Notice the water is frozen!

Other items of interest...Figures on the roof. I was born in the year of the rabbit. Pretty cool shot, huh.

Other random shots of the area. Including National Treasure No. 811. Can you guess which one it is? It was the last photo - the Amisan Chimney.

A Very Korean Christmas

2007-01-09T23:15:00.000-11:00

The 22 hour journey to Korea was uneventful - did get an exit row on the flight to Korea, which was a nice bonus. When I landed, I knew that I was not in Samoa (or even Kansas) anymore. One of the first things I noticed was the cold. It was about a 60 degree swing in temperature. The flight attendant took pity on me when she saw me with my windbreaker. Eric picked me up and we head for home. Once I defrosted a little (thank goodness for seat warmers), I noticed that I was in a city of millions, instead of an island of 60,000. The four lane highway and crazy drivers gave me a little fright, I was fascinated by the hour long traffic jam we got stuck in. Golly gee, I guess I am in the big city now.While not AS random as Am. Sam., Korea as it moments. The ex-pats call it NQR (Not Quite Right). For example, during my visit to Seoul, I stayed with my friend Eric in the diplomatic compound on the army base that is the middle of Seoul. Having an army base in the middle of Seoul is a bit weird, but the inside is even stranger. It is like a little suburban neighborhood surrounded by barbed wire, dwarfed by huge Korean skyscrapers and armed Korean police officers guarding the gates. The Korean police officers are armed, but not with guns, but large battons. Don't get me wrong, I am not going to mess with them, but NQR baby.I quickly realized that this army base had more stuff in it then all of Am. Sam. Beyond the traffic lights, they had a bunch of restaurants with a wide selection of food that did not have mayo on everything, a movie theater with current movies, a Target-type store, a HUGE (well stocked) supermarket, a Starbucks and the best part a Taco Bell. Perhaps some of you are saying, Taco Bell? You are in a wonderful Asian capital and you had Taco Bell four times? Yes. I am not ashamed. Live in Samoa for a few months and let me know what you crave. While the base was a magic wonderland, it also played a cruel joke on me because I did not have a military ID, so I couldn't go into a bunch of the stores, including the supermarket. I did put my face up to the window and dreamed of fresh salad. hmmmm...salad.

Eric's little suburban home was lovely - a three bedroom ranch home. I quickly adjusted to having solid walls and no bugs crawling or gecko poop. However, he did have a cat - Oreo - or the Devil. I am very allergic to cats, and I wondered what might happen to me. The first few days Oreo had the upper hand - my face was redder then normal (a mighty feat in itself) and my nose and eyes were a constantly watering (nice image, huh). By Tuesday, I thought I was going to die. However, my body finally had enough. I went to bed Tuesday night, woke up about 13 hours later and rested for the remainder of the day. By the end of the day, I turned to my normal red color and the snot stopped running from my eyes and nose. sweet. Not sure what happened, but I might have made a major step in my cat allegeries. Oreo and I maintained an uneasy truce and formed a DMZ (similar to North and South Korea). He stayed out of my bedroom and the TV room, and I didn't kill him. It worked out well. I can't say we were friends by the time I left, but I did pet him once, but then ran to the bathroom and washed my hands like I from MacBeth.

My first Christmas away from Mom & Pop was pretty cool. Christmas Eve was at Eric's neighbors house - who work for the Department of Agriculture. Did you know that Korea is the only nation that still bars US meat? The funny part, the army base ships in US meat for the supermarkets on base. Christmas was spent at Eric's friend Helen's house. Helen and her sister, visiting from England, cooked a darn good Christmas meal. Even though I was in Korea, I kept up the tradition of stuffing my face. good times.

Next Stop Korea

2006-12-21T10:09:00.000-11:00

For the holidays, I am going to South Korea. I leave tonight for my 22 hour journey from Am. Sam. (via Hawaii) to Korea - can't wait. At first blush, perhaps a bit random, but in fact my best friend now lives in Seoul. He is with the Foreign Commercial Service and works at the embassy. I am not sure what he does - something to do with trade - but I do know that he has diplomatic immunity (including fancy license plates) and now has some important friends.Pretty cool, huh. I will be in Korea for about two weeks. I have a genuine fear of frostbite because it is around 40 degrees in Seoul compared to 90 degrees in Pago Pago. yikes. I did bring a sweater. I am sure that will be enough, right? I think we might go skiing. I am in trouble. Wish me luck.

A Samoan Wedding...

2006-12-17T17:27:00.000-11:00

...is a lot of fun.
Sharon invited me to escort her to a Samoan wedding on Saturday. Of course I said yes, being a sucker for wedding cake and open bars. It turned out that the wedding was actually in Western Samoa - so it would be a weekend trip off Am. Sam. - bonus! Our friends Ryan & Cynthia and Jeff & Meredith were also going - double bonus.

We took the 8:30 am flight over to Apia. Sadly, we were not able to get a rental car, so we took a cab into town. The six of us were all staying at the Samoan Holiday Hotel. It is a nice hotel, it was clean with solid air-conditioning so it is a five star in my book. Even though it is little far from town compared to the other hotels, they do have a fine selection of Australian gossip magazines from eight months ago. Did you know that Angelina Jolie is pregnant with Brad Pitts baby? We headed into town for some lunch and shopping. We ran into Paul and Barbara who were also going to the wedding. This being Samoa, we were not in a major rush to get to the wedding, because none of us thought it would actually start on time. The bridal shower "started" at 1 pm, but the bride did not show until 3:30 pm. However, the wedding actually started on time. oops. It was a Catholic Samoan wedding. I actually understood most it thanks to my years as a Catholic alter boy. The church was pretty cool, you could tell that it had been there awhile. I enjoyed the velvet/light in the dark Jesus display.The ceremony was nice - bride (as they normally are) looked beautiful. They even had a choir, which (as they are normally do in Samoa) sang wonderfully.The musical accompaniment - a electronic keyboard - was set on "Baseball Theme Music" so the hymns to the music were a little odd, but still worked. After a couple of post-wedding photos, we went to the reception. It was one of the stranger receptions I have ever attended. Besides the Tim's (the groom) brother, nephew and brother-in-law, the eight of us were the only palagis at the wedding. We were sort of a big deal. They placed us at the VIP table - so designed by a piece of paper ripped from an appointment calendar with the word "special" written on it. We also got table service for drinks. We attempted to get our own from the bar, but our Samoan hosts would have none of it. It was weird ordering drinks from a nine year old, but when in Samoa...
Even before the wedding party showed up, the reception was in full swing. The bride and groom finally showed up around 5 pm - we got to the reception around 3 pm. The DJ kicked it. We were very popular as dance partners. The Samoan women wanted to dance and they would not take no as an answer.
Our ladies were also popular... Dinner was eventually served. In theory, this is only for one person. While not the most tastiest meal, I will say it was the most original wedding dinner. I did not get a piece of cake, but I guess others did. I noticed that we were really the only ones who were actually eating our meals. The rest of the wedding guests were carrying the food out to their cars to save for later. I hear that this is a normal practice. The removal of food did not slow down the party or the popping of balloons. The popping of balloons was very popular and at times, turned a bit savage. Eventually the party slowed down. In a sad note, Sharon's wallet was stolen, not sure how or when. Our new friend Angie told us that she would get her Tongan friend to do a card reading and figure out who stole it. On a happier note, Tim told us that we should grab as much beer as possible, because he paid for it all, and would like his friends to enjoy it as much as the random people from the village. The party planner had him buy 90 cases of beer. Our cab drive we met earlier in the day, Triple X, took us back to the hotel with our stash. Sidenote, Triple X was so named by the large decal of "XXX" (from the the famous movie) on his windshield. We hung out at the hotel with Tim's West Virgina relatives. Even Dwight from the TV show "The Office" showed up at the hotel.How cool is that. At the wedding, some people mentioned that there was going to be an afterparty. Our new Samoan friend Jeff picked us up and took us to the afterparty. It was a party, but it turned out that it was not in fact an afterparty for the wedding, but a party for a couple that just returned from Australia. whatever. The highlights of the party was a Number 2 size pig (they come in five sizes), the host of the party, Panoa who introduced us to the "Panoa" - Malibu rum and coconut water - DE-LI-CIOUS and this guy...he opened our beer with his mouth. The beer was not a twist top. ouch. After awhile, we were all fading, but our ride had left for an errand and would return soon. In Samoan speak that could be five minutes or the next morning. Cynthia was able to con our way into a ride with another Samoan couple. sweet. The next morning Sharon and I enjoyed the air-conditioned room. Paul and Barbara had already left for a flight to New Zealand for a three week vacation - super jealous. Ryan, Cynthia, Jeff and Meredith were going to stay for the rest of week in Samoa and go to another island called Savai'i by ferry boat. Since Sharon and I had some time before the flight, they dropped us off (after finally getting a rental car) at Aggie's Gray Beach Resort. Aggie's is close to the airport and is a posh resort in Samoa. We had some lunch and thought about doing some water sports - like waterskiing, but the weather was not ideal for it. We then decided to get a full body massage. Best idea ever. Can't really say much about it, just recommend it highly. Unfortunately, we almost missed our flight, the airline attendant said it was closed, but a second guy allowed us to go. We timed it perfectly, we passed customs as they were boarding the plan. sweet. Overall, a wedding weekend to remember. Best of luck Tim & Ana - thanks for for hosting a great wedding!

Putting the "Christ" in Christmas

2006-12-15T20:22:00.000-11:00

I know many back in the states are concerned over the apparent rollback of Christmas - from the fights over Christmas trees in the public square to the switch from Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays. While both sides have valid points, anyone who is overly concerned about the disappearance of Christmas should move to American Samoa. The concept of separation of Church and State has not really taken hold in the territory. Most public events start with prayers. At times it can be somewhat refreshing - realizing that a thick line between the two is not always necessary - but at times it still catches me off guard. The 2006 American Samoa Government Territorial Christmas Program is a prime example.

The Christmas Program is held over three nights and is comprised of Christmas songs and hymns (in Samoan) performed by government employees. Almost every government department performs. My Christmas miracle is that the judiciary does not perform. In the weeks before the program (starting around mid-November) government departments start practicing. The best part is that they practice during the workday, everyday. It is hard to get a hold of a department in the afternoon, many places basically shut down after lunch. Except for the palagis, practice is basically mandatory.

Don't get me wrong, the music is great. I went to the show on Day Two - the rain kept many people away, but it is broadcast live on the public access channel, and it is repeated over and over again.

The Coral Reef Conversation Group - they had some great dance moves. Department of Commerce - a bunch of my friends were in this group.

Even the turtle showed up - It is the year of the Sea Turtle

Sharon, Ryan, Paul, "New Aussie Guy" and Meredith post performance. They really liked their outfits.

Samoans know how to sing - they start at a young age in the church choirs - but it is just different for me to have government employees required to perform in a Christmas (not even Holiday) Program. I think the Governor's invitation sums up my point the best:

"Every year I look forward to the magnificent talent of our government workforce being displayed at the annual Territorial Christmas Program and I am sure this year, again, that all our special choirs will offer a colorful presentation of songs to celebrate the Birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ, I wish you all the gift of faith and the peace of God's love at Christmas."

Amen to that.

Help Wanted

2006-12-11T11:55:00.000-11:00

It appears that my little part of the world is having some trouble. First the riots in Tonga and now the coup in Fiji. We were not surprised the coup was successful because a few days before, the military practiced taking over Suva, sort of like a practice coup. I guess they did alright and went for the real thing. However, some good may come out of the coup in Fiji - a reduction in unemployment. It appears the new military regime is looking to hire some people. (click here for the ad). They posted in the local Fijian papers, but perhaps they should think about Monster.com. I am thinking about applying for Minister for Sugar and Investment. I wonder about the health care benefits. Wish me luck.

World Cup Soccer

2006-12-10T19:12:00.000-11:00

In a surprise move, I did not go to a beach this weekend. shocking. Instead, I went to a soccer game. A couple of friends are in a soccer league and the finals were on Saturday. The team is sponsored by Pacific Products - the Argentine family's business on the island. The team won big in the semi-final round. The other team was a bit nasty. They brought their own annoying fan to shout profanities on the sidelines - to the referees and our team - including encouraging her team to kick our goalie in the face when he dove for the ball. She was a sweet lady. Her team actually took her advice and after our team made a really great goal, one player punched our player in the head. Supposedly, the referees did not see it, so no foul was called. The poor vision of the referees to fouls appears to be theme when our palagi team goes against a Samoan team. Through out the game, the players were really playing rough, with unnecessary tripping and hitting as well as a little choking near the end of the game. I think my favorite was that the other team's name is Peace Boys. Perhaps they need to rethink that name. Our team made it to the finals, but suffered a tough loss.
It was another hot day, and I have no idea how they could play in the heat - the game started at 2 pm - and the sun was out in full force. I was sweating a ton just watching them. yikes. I did learn that a beach umbrella does not provide much protection from the sun - got another sunburn. After so many years of having translucent skin, I am use to the burns, but my friends are not - I think they are in worse pain looking at the sunburn then I am having it. oh well.
While I did not go to the beach, I did go to a barbecue on Saturday, so everything is right with the world. The second lesson I learned that day (or actually the next morning) is that beer is not a good substitute for water after a long day in the sun. alas.

The Lawyers Celebrate Christmas

2006-12-09T09:57:00.000-11:00

The American Samoan Bar Association hosted their annual Christmas Party last night. It was held at Sadie's - which is one of the classier restaurants on island - even classier then Hong Kong House. Niki organized the whole thing, dinner and drinks, and it was a lot of fun and a great end to a busy week at the High Court.

The highlight of the evening was the musical performance after dinner. One of the lawyers organized a pot of money (close to $60) to encourage other lawyers to sing. However, I think it was Alice, one of the High Court clerks, shouting out names demanding that they perform that did the trick. If a lawyer wants to get anything done at the High Court, you need to go through Alice, so you don't want to mess with Alice.

Some of the lawyers had some real talent including my co-clerk Sean. That guy can sing. Other lawyers, not so much, but everyone had fun. One guy even played the harmonica. Alice got the High Court staff including myself to do a musical number as well - it wasn't pretty. We actually won the pot of money - I think it was fixed, forget Alice, no one wants to mess with the entire High Court. I didn't get my cut, cause they gave all the money to another lawyer who just had a baby. Now that is the Christmas spirit.

One Hot Weekend

2006-12-03T16:57:00.000-11:00

I realize that most of the United States is suffering under blizzard conditions, but while it is winter for them, it is summer here - and it is getting HOT. My thermometer inside my house (in the shade). ouch.

Saturday was spent at the Castro's place watching the Island Music Channel on Samoan Cable. Island Music Channel is like MTV when it first came out - when it still played videos. It is also similar to earlier MTV in that most of the videos are from the early 80s and 90s. Awesome. Where else can one see Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, Devo and Tone-Loc without a time machine? Niki also made her famous four layer dip with jalapeno peppers - perhaps not the best food choice, but darn it is good.

The big adventure of the day was the trip to the airport to pick up the Colettis from their New Zealand vacation. The airport is about five minutes from home and they were waiting at the curb, so the adventure was not that big, but it gives a sense of my day if that is my big adventure. Dinner was at Ryan & Cynthia's with authentic pesto sauce made by a real Italian (Barbara). The day was capped off with a party at the Argentine's compound with performers from the Magic Circus as special guests. Brilliant.

Still hot on Sunday so Sharon, Ginny and I decided to go to Airport Beach. It is so named cause it is right next to the airport. It is a little bit of a hike to get to it going through some vegetation and lava rocks including blow holes. - and with Sharon in the lead it is more like the Baton Death March, boy she is fast, but the payoff is worth it. It is a secluded lagoon that is deep enough to swim, even at low tide. After a few hours, we decided to head back and took the shortcut next to the airport fence. My fun fact for the day was that I learned that a water polo ball, if positioned correctly, can be used as an effective floatation device.While it might be hot here, you guys can keep the snow and the cold, and I will just have another bottle of Gatorade and sit closer to the fan.

The Nutcracker

2006-12-03T16:49:00.000-11:00

The American Samoan Community College performed the classical ballet of The Nutcracker.

The performance was suppose to start at 7 pm, we showed up around 7:15 - which is early for Samoa. However, for some reason, the entire auditorium (more like a gym) was already filled with people. We got stuck in the back. The first hour featured a number of singing performances, not related to the Nutcracker and relatively random, but welcome to Am. Sam. The show did not start until 8 pm - but it started below stage, not on it, so unless you were in the first two rows, you could not see a thing. They eventually made it up to the stage.

The newspaper indicated that the students had been practicing for three months, almost six nights a week to prepare, so we were excited for a night of entertainment. It was entertaining, but not in the way the ballet is suppose to entertain. More of the slapstick version of the Nutcracker. It featured more of happy jumping then dancing - forget about ballet moves. The winner of Big Man on Campus (see earlier post) was in the production and stole the show, even though he did not have a major role, the audience laughed through most of it. The highlight of the performance (for the audience) was when the grandfather attempted to dance, but fell down. I don't remember that in the last version that I saw, but it was very effective in this one. Due to the inability to see much of anything, the continued usage of cell phones around us, and the constant moving around of members of the audience as well as the chance of heatstroke, we decided to leave at the end of the first act. I applaud the students for their effort, but it was not the best performance of the Nutcracker I have seen, I think the kids should stick to singing, where they got a ton of talent. I forgot my camera to document the production, but below is a picture that should give you a sense of the production.

The Pig Whisperer

2006-11-28T11:28:00.000-11:00

Sharon told me about this article published about a year ago. Priceless.

STRONG FEELINGS KILL SAMOA PIGGERY BILL
By La Poasa

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa (Samoa News, Sept. 22) - Some members of the House of Representatives are very close to their pigs and it was one of the reasons the lawmakers killed a bill requiring owners of piggeries to construct pig farms an additional 50 feet away from residential homes.
Currently the law states that no owner or occupant may keep or allow to be kept upon premises owned by him or in his possession or control any pigs, goats, sheep, horses or cattle within 50 feet of any building used for human habitation or as a restaurant food establishment, or school.
The bill initially sought such animal farms to be built 300 feet from residential homes, restaurant or schools, but the committee amended the bill to say 100 feet after a hearing on Tuesday.
After several emotional testimonies from House members who own piggery farms, some quite outraged, 12 lawmakers voted against the bill while only four voted yes. Those who voted yes were Reps. Olo Ropati Atimalala Tagovailoa, Mailo Sao T. Nua, Falema'o Pili, the sponsor of the bill, and Paopaoailua Joe Fiaui, who chairs the Health committee that reviewed the bill on Tuesday.
Before the vote, Rep. Atualevao Gafatasi Afalava said he was so saddened the night before when he visited his pig farm and saw the look on his pigs' faces. "I talked to them and told them they have to understand that whatever happens, it's the law," said Atualevao. "It was very hard for me. I really love my pigs."
Atualevao said that his piggery is 50 feet away from his home and if the law passes, that means he would have to demolish the farm and build it 100 feet from where he lives. He said this would be very costly for the residents, who may not afford to easily abide by the law if enacted. He added that the law right now, which requires pig farms to be built 50 feet from residential homes is good, but government agencies need to be strict with enforcing the law and requiring piggery owners to clean up.
Rep. Gaoteote Palaie Tofau said he too had a conversation with his pigs last night. He said the pigs were crying as if they knew what was going to happen. He also said they seemed to know that they would be put far away from him soon.
Rep. Mapu Puaopea Paopao said we as Samoans consider pigs a vital part of performing our culture. He said we use pigs during fa'alavelave and other traditional matters. He added that majority of those who have piggeries rely on them for their livelihood and it is the enforcement of regulations governing piggeries that needs to be effective.
Rep. Puletu D. Koko agreed with Mapu's comments, adding that many residents will be lining up in court because of violations of this law, something they can't help because they won't be able to afford to build new piggeries that will abide with the new law.
Paopao said the public's health should always outweigh our love for the pigs. He said pigs are carriers of various diseases and the public's health is utmost important. That was the goal behind the legislation.
"I am moved by the emotion and the comments made today," said Paopao. "This is not something taken lightly. It is an important bill and the goal is to protect the public. The committee's work is done so you vote based on your belief."
Rep. Olo Ropati Atimalala Tagovailoa echoed similar statements and said this is for the health of the people.
When the vote came, several members of the House said "for the love for Afalava's pigs," "because I want my pigs to watch TV with me" or "because I love my pigs," they were voting no.
According to testimony on Tuesday from officials of the departments of Public Health and EPA, there are 35,000 pigs on island. The regulations applied to piggeries are costly and capital investment is nearly $10,000.
They say that for them to go out and tell piggery owners to comply is not as easy as it seems. For one thing, they say it's not doable with small piggeries mostly because of the cost associated with abiding by the regulations. Second, even if an owner complies with building a proper piggery, there are health concerns, such as the negative impact it has on the water and ecosystem.
Acting Governor Sialega Malaetasi Togafau said there are some cases whereby residents don't abide by the law. He said some residents won't apply to get the necessary permit with the PNRS board in order to build a piggery because they feel that they can do whatever they want to do with their land.
"They'll say the heck with PNRS, this is my land," he said. "We can enforce the law but there are people out there who think they are above the law."
Sialega said the best approach is for the lawmakers to talk to their constituents about the impact of piggeries to human life and educate them about the process and ways to build a proper and safe piggery farm.
David Farley of EPA suggested that perhaps the Health Committee should establish a subcommittee and have experts from various government agencies sit down and talk about the consequences of having piggery farms established certain feet away from homes and other issues. He said the subcommittee can then come back to the Fono and advise them of what they have found from their research.
Farley said the Fono can then use this information to draft legislation helpful to everyone. "You always have to balance the laws and regulations with the traditions," he said.
Asked about the suggestion by Farley to establish a subcommittee, Paopao said it is a good idea and it's something he is looking into.

September 23, 2005

The Samoa News: http://www.samoanews.com/
Copyright © 2005. Samoa News. All Rights Reserved

It's Official

2006-11-27T17:09:00.000-11:00

I am a lawyer now, at least in the state of Illinois. Chief Justice F. Michael Kruse of the High Court of American Samoa administered the Attorney's Oath for the State of Illinois. For all the waiting, it was a short oath - need to support the Constitution of the United States and Illinois and discharge my duties to the best of my ability. Fair enough, I think I can do that.

I had to borrow a tie from the Chief Justice, did not bring one to the island. oops. But I didn't forget my manskirt. Next step, application to the Bar of American Samoa. No test, just an application. Thank goodness.