Friday, August 10, 2007

Return to Falepule

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.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Dance Dance Revolution

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.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Nu'uuli Falls

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

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!?!

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Happy Birthday New Guy

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.