Cast comes off Friday!

I wanted so desperately to just lie through my teeth when the Dr. asked the number of weeks since my leg broke. But in the best interest of my leg, I said 5 weeks. He then said to wait until its been six weeks and then I will come and remove the cast…yay! Its Tuesday today which makes it three days until Friday when it will finally come off! I know I wont be able to walk normally on it until maybe another two weeks but I am still excited and looking forward to:

• showering with two feet on the ground instead of one holding all 200+ pounds of me
• wearing two shoes instead of just one
• not having to use a disfigured coat hanger to reach an itch
• not leaving a trail of white behind from bits breaking off the cast

Like most things we are forced to live with though, this thing has somewhat become part of what I am that Im kind of weary to have it off. What if Afele jumps on my vulnerable bone and it snaps again? What if I want to hurt someone and don’t find a weapon handy? Nahhhh. I will get used to my old leg in no time I reckon.

 

I’ve been told though of some horror stories that have had me want to run for a plane and go to NZ to see another doctor and get another opinion. Someone’s son had broken their leg and after this same doctor did a plaster and delivered instructions to come back in so many weeks, the family took their son to NZ. The doctor in NZ said they had to re do the cast or something rather because the doctor in Samoa had done something wrong. That is scary and if weren’t for the already depleting finances, I would get on the plane and go see another real doctor.

 

Or…I just have faith and believe that my bone has healed nicely and there wont be any scary thoughts about a permanent limp…

Hospitals and poor service

I went hiking up Mt. Vaea. I slipped and broke my leg. And yes, this happened on the way down.

This is the story I have had to recount almost everyday of my life since the day of my accident. Every time eyes would settle on my leg, nicely snug and itchy in a white cast, the questions would soon follow. Even from people I don’t usually talk to at all. And total strangers. It’s amazing. People I see on a daily basis automatically ask how my leg is each time I hobble my way around desks and chairs…its no different from yesterday, I can assure you. It’s the same shizz, different day. No, it doesn’t hurt. Just very very uncomfortable.

It will be five weeks this Saturday since ‘the accident’ and my next check-up will be tomorrow. I am hoping and praying that this rigid thing will come off then and my life will resume back to normal.

On Sunday after a huge toonai when I was using all the power I had to resist my eye lids from shutting, Maaveave came running with his leg seeping blood all over the floor. He’d been running around with his cousins playing hide and seek, over some broken bottles and other dangerous materials. Big gash on his foot. I couldn’t refrain from the serves-you-right-for-not-listening lecture that followed. All the while hobbling to the car and off we went to the hospital. The outpatient was buzzing on this Sunday afternoon with the stench of body waste heavy in the air. The mamoe and ulu that was devoured for toonai had to be gulped back down as I resisted the urge to chuck. Thank goodness we were shown into a private room, with air con. The same room they took me to fix the cast for my leg 4 weeks earlier.

Since my close encounters with the hospital this year, I must say I was impressed. Maaveave’s foot was soon cleaned, injected with numbing potion and three stitches and many more tears later, we were out of there. We didn’t have to wait for ages and the nurses were surprisingly good natured and smiling. This is very new to me especially at the hospital. So ten points for NHS.

But since its poor service rant week, yesterday I wanted to hit someone with my casted leg. That someone would have to be whoever was at the photo place opposite NPF in town. My cousin took photos there for a travel document and the photos were rejected because her eyes were half closed. I sent her there to get them to re-take the photos and they told her it would cost her another $10 for the second photos. So she had to pay again because they couldn’t take decent photos. So, if you are reading this, please refrain from ever giving said photo place any business. I was so mad I almost kung fu-ed my cousin for not throwing a tantrum and threatening a law suit!

Oka kai tuff.

me and my lover (a re-post)

I have a confession to make. Im having an affair. And I must say my lover is fantastic. He is always there for me when I need him. Always ready to lend me a hand when im in desperate need. He knows the answer to just about every single question I have. He knows so so so much! I’ve gone to him in sickness and in health, in sadness and in happiness, in tears and laughter (yeah yeah…you get the point?) and he knows everything. I know I wont leave him. Or, at least if circumstances force us to be apart, I will FALL apart. Its an until-death-do-us-part kinda thing if you know what I mean. He tells me so much that at times I feel a bit overloaded with all the knowledge and information he shares with me. I try to tell my husband some of the things my lover and I talk about but he just rolls over and falls asleep! Ugh! So insensitive! And you wonder why im having an affair? Hmmmnnn? I guess the sheer sight of his back before my eyes has finally gotten to me. At least my lover never turns his back on me when im talking to him. Its disheartening for any girl I reckon, to be blabbing on about some exciting issue only to look over and be confronted with a broad back, accompanied by sounds of heavy breathing. At least I have a solution to that now. I can blab away to my lover all day long and when my husband turns his back, I’ll just do the same back to him. All the while looking forward to the next day where I can sit at my PC and look up anything I want to know about on the world wide web – my lover.

Ear infections and miracles

Maaveave is quite prone to ear infections. Especially since Saturday, I took him for a swim at Tanoa and sure enough, he woke up crying on Sunday saying his ear was sore. Lucky John was there to give him pamol and comfort him.
His last ear infection was in May while we were in NZ. I remember it was a Wednesday night and he would wake up in tears from the pain. Early Thursday morning, John's siter Ina and I took him to see the doctor. He confirmed his inner ear was red and that he needed antibiotics. After we got the medicine, he took the first lot. He threw up. Tried to feed him but he didnt have an appetite. Tried to force him but he threw up again. This went on for the whole day. About three oclock, I tried to give him toast. Nada. And each time he took the medicine, he'd chuck it up again.

Around 5ish in the evening, John's sister signalled me silently and said to please tell the people at the door that her husband was not at home and still at work. I turned around to see two elders at the door. John quickly said to open the door. They were two Samoan boys from Samoa. I invited them in and asked them immediately if they could give my son a blessing as he was sick. They looked a bit alarmed and asked if I was a member. I said yes and so they came in and we went to the room and they gave Maaveave a blessing. We walked back outside and I led them to the garage where John's sister's husband was. I said thank you and went back into the house. I walked in and found Maaveave at the table eating a bowl of tuna and rice! He finished the food and John and I exchanged knowing glances. I was amazed at how much our Father in Heaven loves us and said to John that we needed to sit down and give thanks. He called everyone together and we delivered a very thankful prayer that evening.
What a miracle!

Sometime around March, I noticed that people would be looking at my stomach at Maaveave's school. I often felt I should just look at them and wait for their eyes to meet mine then say, "Yeah, Im fat. And you're ugly. Go jump off a cliff or something." Until the day parents were invited to come in and see children's work at school and I had a nice little chat with Maaveave's teacher. Maaveave apparently tells her that God gave him a baby sister and its in his mummy's tummy. Apparently this he tells everyone. That explains the stares at my stomach. And it doesnt help that there is a healthy amount of lard sitting at my middle.

Discussions around baby 3 have been a frequent. My ovaries literally squeeze me when I see a new baby. I saw one particular cute saiga looking baby on Sunday at church and I wanted to take him hostage. When I think about lugging my swollen body around in that last trimester not caring about the pain of birth but just to get the baby OUT. Then there are the sleepless nights and early early morning calls to John cursing him for being in Savaii and not sharing the pain (the call is to mainly wake him up too so that he suffers along with me). The constant crying and you not knowing what is wrong and feeling helpless and useless. Being constantly attached to another human being and not being able to even go use the toilet before you hear them screaming the roof down. Ahhh..the list goes on. But to top it off - John being in Savaii. I have refused to have this bother me for a while but everytime he so much as breathes the word "baby", I release my venom that is my whole, "when you find a job on this island" speech and he quickly retracts and says to just leave it. And I am standing strong on this.

Chrsitmas Break Part II

Well, not really. Its now June and boy, has there been a load of things happening. There always is.

First thing: I got baptized on 12 February 2011 and am now a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - so dont try and shove alcohol down my throat like my husband does.

Its been great learning about the so many things I thought I knew! Will provide more of that as we go along but lets just talk about this weekend...

Another trip to the bigger island with Papalii C and faletua. We went to Le Lagoto on Saturday. What do you mean we were going to watch John marry a palagi couple and I was in shorts and a t-shirt, Trish in tights and polo shirt while our husbands looked awesome one in a Mena and the other in his spotless white I-am-the-wedder-man shirt. Only felt a little bit uncomfortable until my butt was back, parked confortably in one of their poolside chairs and sipping a ice-cold glass of yummy pineapple juice.

Maaveave enjoyed his two hour dip in the pool under the moon - yes it was dark by the time he woke up from his long nap in the van and thus, swimming in the moonlight. Hello Sunday morning, he woke up and had a frog in his throat. Either way, was a fun night and since everyone else that could drive was under the influence, I had to drive the long 40 minute drive back to Sapapalii.

Sunday was the usual - church in the morning then there was a massive spread of talo, luau, oka poge (my favourite), supo kauau pipi, mamoe kao le umu and puaa from the day before re-cooked in the umu cause it was very rare when they first put it on the table.

Ate too much then onto the boat and we were rocking back and forth to Apia trying very hard to keep the poge from jumping back outta my stomach. Oka se sou!

We are back to reality and am all of a sudden interested in the SWA position advertised in the paper - only they are asking for a Certificate in Management and I dont have one :)

Christmas break - Part I

The Savaii Part

Two days after Christmas, the kids, John and I packed up and headed for the big island. We took our car filled with the smell of fresh bread and pani popo from Siaosi as well as our necessities for the rest of the holidays we were to spend in Sapapalii. I was very much looking forward to going away from Apia. Savaii is clean and I love how there is a feeling of community everywhere. I was convinced I wasn’t going to miss walking barefoot on clean, tiled floors and sleeping on a spring and fluffy mattress with access to as many pillows as my heart and body desired!

And I didn’t....

We got on the 2pm ferry that was chocablock with people, cars, suitcases, plasma tvs and other parcels and goodies that had been sent from thousands of miles for families on the big island. Home at Sapapalii was buzzing with activity. We were met by Nana Liva, Aunty Lagi, Petreliah, Pesa and Toni and of course, a massive feed.

The week went by quite quickly with so much activity happening. On Wednesday 29 Dec, the family rose early for the bestowment of 10 Papalii and 2 Taimalelagi titles to 12 members of the Malietoa Gatuitasina Family. Each was deemed worthy of the title and had been agreed to by the various extended bodies or tino of the aiga. Amongst the ten receiving the Papalii title was John’s eldest brother Camillo who also holds the title Fuimaono from his mother’s family. He also is the Samoan government's Controller and Chief Auditor. Another being bestowed the Papalii title is Charlie Fruean, a true descendant of the family from the line or suli of Taiulavao but some years ago, this side of the family were banished from Sapapalii. The story goes that an accident happened which resulted in the death of a man named Saitumua. Judging from the older men’s stories, this occurred around the early 1900s and Taiulavao’s line have since then been excluded from Sapapalii. So, it was all quite emotional and life changing for Charlie that day.

After the saofa’i ceremony, we all went for a long swim in the fresh water pool of Sapapalii and then we went our separate ways to rest and freshen up for the evening. We planned to go out for dinner with Charlie, his wife and family that had travelled from Apia for the event. Papalii Camillo returned to Apia on the 12pm boat back to his family and Papalii Henny took off to Sataua to another family gathering.

The idea of going out for dinner was overtaken by the prospect of having a barbeque at home after Lepesia and Tuki assured us that their barbeque cooking skills were the best in Savaii. Frozen chicken was defrosted and marinated with John’s special sauce. Jack Daniels broke out of its yellow duty free bag while the rest of the niu vodka got lost amongst the water flavoured by orange sprim. By 9pm, the hot juicy chicken was being devoured and at the same time, a rain cloud hovered and threatened a downpour. Moeimanono was the dj and amongst the selection was some reggae, some slow jams but it was mostly dominated by Eteru and Nifoloa. Company was good, food was delicious, the music was pumpin and sometimes mesmerising. Judging from the laughter that rose, the alcohol was surely working its magic.

Midnight crept up on us and next thing, there was some yelling. Nana Liva was back from bingo and she didnt win. The laughter rising up amidst the vocals from the boombox in the dead of night did not provide comfort for her loss. And neither for the sleeping villagers; according to Nana Liva. Party goers trickled off in a matter of minutes and goodbyes were hushed with the occasional drunk's voice breaking loose, oblivious to Nana Liva's commands to turn that radio off and go home and sleep! Time for my aluga but not to forget the panadol to cater for the hangover. Untidy.

Thursday, Papalii Charlie and family brought breafast and a storm was cooked up at home for all. They were booked on the 12pm ferry and so straight after breakfast, we packed up in the vehicles and made our way to the wharf to see them off. Once again, Salelologa was full of travellers either just arrived from Apia or leaving Savaii. After our farewells were said, we returned home and headed for the vai taele. Cool and refreshing water for a swim, it was bliss for our bodies after a day of sweating in the hot sun.

New Year's Eve finally arrived and by 6am, I was comfortably seated on the Lady Naomi III sipping instant coffee and trying not to breath when the dude next to me would turn his head my way and blow hot stench out of his mouth. He obviously didnt have time to brush and floss and gargle some scope. My mission that day was to head over to Tuaefu, take and record the shop's stock afterwhich I would then catch the 4pm ferry back that evening to spend the very last moments of 2010 with hubby and whanau. All went according to plan. Thanks to Phaedra, my ride to the whart only costed me ST$30 instead of ST$50 by taxi and with all the comforts of her conversation in her small, red and cute swift susuki. We got to the wharf early. I bought me a business class ticket then we headed to Le Vasa for a quick cocktail before boarding the vessel. At 4.10, I was seated in business class (first time riding in business class and fifty tala later) enjoying the Bee movie that was showing on TV.

That evening, I convinced hubby that we should take Nana Liva and Aunty Lagi to the Sogaimiti Restaurant's buffet dinner for New Year's eve.

To be continued...

random

Some things I came across while cleaning my office and packing ready to leave this job.

The following verses were scribblings I found on a piece of paper next to the dress patterns above. I think these were scribbled during a lecture in 2008 when I was studying for my post grad dip. Shows how 'interesting' the lecture must have been. Hmnmnmn, think it mightve been the Monitoring and Evaluation one. hahaha.

The other two images are invitations to Nola and Celia's hen parties. Funny how cleaning and going through junk you come across so many things that remind of things..so many memories.

I liken you to jam
Sweet richness
Can be tangy
Sometimes seedy

I liken you to October
Dashes of sunshine
Bursts of bloom
Other times, some gloom

I liken you to my hair
Almost always tied up
Rarely set free
Abundant, course, wirey

Sound of Silence

Ever occur to you that our lives are full of NOISES? Bussle of traffic, radio, typing on a keyboard, television, ac hum through the vents, mouse clicking…the list goes on. What’s funny though is that our ears are so accustomed, immune if you must, to the noise we hardly notice it until its all gone. Only then do our ears become full of silence and feel so …light! Been waking up early as and its during these wee hours of the morning that I finally hear the silence. Kids fast asleep, hardly no traffic on the roads, television off…just me and my thoughts. I usually wander around my garden crushing a sisi afelika here and there and just enjoy the fresh air, the occasional moa koko e and just immerse myself in the quietness. So peaceful, so relaxing. I don’t know how else to start a great day and I don’t care if you are reading this and think im a little crazy cause my theory is: we are all borderline mental anyway!

Over and out.

starting a herb garden

Yeah, am getting domestic like that but then, ive always been like that. Im one of those people that cuts the bottoms off spring (green) onions, stick those in a cuppa water for planting 'later' and use the top parts for cooking. The later usually comes a week, two weeks or even a month after first contact! Yesterday however, I planted the green onions that have been in water since Sunday. Record time! Also stuck in the pots some mint I got given but didnt use all of. So now, going to expand a litte to some corriander and maybe some tomatoes. Better than all the weeds growing in the pots. Dunno what happened to the plants that were in there! Also had a look at thyme and rosemary. Definitely will be brining some seeds back with me from NZ.

Wouldnt mind going into some veges too. Had cucumbers before and they flowered just before I took off to have Afele and when I came back, two were yellow beyond consumption and one was just right. We had that one for lunch. Must say though those African Snails are bad. They ate all my carrots and lettuce! Going to get some stuff to kill the buggers too. Hmnmnm, shopping list growing, cash available questionable!

insomnia

As the title indicates, i had trouble sleeping and now, oh how uggly i feel. Seems as though there are constant floating sparkling lights in my vision and my body feels extra heavy. Although the latter may be due to the unhealthy lunch i just had. Ice cream and CCs. Thats how out of it I feel. Yep, blame the lack of sleep.

Anyways, got some short termers staying at one of our rentals. Had to put sheets and pillows on the beds last night before they got in. Then spent like 15 minutes toppling on a chair trying to fix the front light. I wouldnt have bothered but that particular light is vital for people to see the staircase. Dont want no tennants suing us for falling down the staircase cause the light wasnt working! Uh, wouldnt that just make my day?

Onto other news, my life sucks. Yeah, we know that one already.

So what else...? Oh yeah, we are going to NZ for 10 days in week so during my sleepless night last night, i dreamt (without sleeping) about what id buy if I had like heaps of NZ money. High chair for baby, push chair for baby, a good frying pan, some herb seeds, vegetable seeds etc etc etc.

Am really diggin that song one of the girls on American Idol sang the other night. Its called the story by Brandy Carlisle. Note: if you are reading this, please play this at my funeral. Thats how much I love this song.

Started a reading program with Maaveave. Pretty cool. A 100 lessons and your kid learns to read. Its my kinda program - results are reachable!

Thats pretty much all for now...

testing out this iGoogle thing

Am bloggin from this new gadget the internet told me to install. Seeing how it works out...

superstition

So last night, I dreamt of someone getting married. I woke up and the images were still very vivid in my head. My friend Nell's sister Rodania was getting married on the same day as Nola. Weired cause Nola was married in 2004 (I think). There were images of Nell, Helene, Tasha and I hopping into a car to go to the wedding.

Now, I have noticed that there is a Ve'a squeaking its freaking whistle outside somewhere.

If you are samoan, you would know what these two things mean - someone is gonna die!

Kinda weird too cause someone is always gonna die. We are all gonna die.

Oh well, thought id post up my superstitions. You know what my next post will be about: Who died.

The End.

Luana

I am so tired. I got out of bed at about 4:40am this morning so we could catch the first ferry from the bigger island back to Upolu. It wasn’t so much the early rise though that’s put my body to strain as the fact that I didn’t have much sleep at all to begin with. And then I got a massive shock hearing about a friend that’s got into a horrible accident and is now on life support. Life support that the family will be taking off shortly as her condition is dire and chances of recovery is next to nothing. Seeing the family mechanically move through the motions of funeral arrangements and what not while their eyes represent all that is shattered, all that could have been. What do you say to someone that has just had their heart wrung dry of all the tears their eyes could produce? Sorry about your loss? Somehow words like these just don’t cut it and all you could do is have your own heart bleed out with your sorrow overflowing out of your eyes for the mother, the father, the brother, the sisters, those that are her family and loved her and the rest of us that knew her and were somehow connected to her.

Life is so precious. So brittle. We know this, and yet, we go about our lives recklessly creating complexities for ourselves that seem so big and important and yet, in death, nothing else seems to matter…its al left behind. But then again, how else are we suppose to live if not the way we do? Should we simplify everything because of death? Does it mean we have to be so careful as to prolong our lives? Is the point of it all to live until we are old and grey?

Carrying this tiny life in my belly, I cant help pondering these things. As my pregnancy progresses, my plans are that this baby will be born. Somewhere along the way, he will grow up in the same world we are all in, go to school, make friends, learn to drive, eat pizza and he will get married, bear children and make me a grandmother. Im sure Adria thought these very thoughts from when she felt Luana move in her tummy. When she took her first steps, when she saw her off to her first day at school, when she took her to the doctor for a simple flu.

Someone murmured at the hospital this morning about how all the good ones seem to be taken while the bad are still alive. I couldn’t help thinking that we all go and yet, the loss that remains with those left behind could never be comprehended. One of the many complexities of being human I suppose. We hurt, we heal. Or we don’t but we keep going until it’s our time to depart and leave the hurting for others to do.

Okay, I am making myself cry here as I am writing this. Emotions going haywire with the pregnancy but oh well…adios

Overdue movies

You can imagine how relieved I was when I walked into the video store with my three days overdue movie to find the attendant there preoccupied with sorting out some difficult issue with a customer.

Customer: “O a movies ga e overdue?”

Attendant reads out the names of movies

Customer: “Ia o aka ga a Sika ga e sau avaku i le makou account which is ga le kakau ga koe avea iai!”

Only then did I pay attention to the customer to find it was Aunty Ata trying to sort out some bill incurred by Sita! Hahahaha.

Its been so long

Yes it has. I've been away for a whole year studying and now am back to where I was. It feels like nothing has changed at all and that the last year did not happen. I am back with the same job, same people and same problems.

On the home front, the husband now works on another island. It takes 2 hours to get there on both land and sea transport. He comes every weekend but its still hard. My son is still gorgeous and is every bit a chatter box. He asks about everything and when he gets the answer, there's always a why? that follows or 'then where does it go?" He is very adorable and has started going to pre-school.

We still live with my parents and my father still gives me the same s#%t.

After the experience of 2008, I feel as though there I had so much hope and now, its back to square 1, if not back at zero. And somehow, this is taking a toll on me. Yes, I am pregnant and am supposed to be tired and sleepy but I somehow feel that this with depression...it makes it worst. I would spend a whole day in bed sleeping and still feel tired after waking. Which then results to more sleeping. Not good I would think for the health and for my son always trying to get my attention by being my ever-so faithful chatter box. I love him to bits.

Well, that is a small re-cap on where my life is right now. Would try and update this this year...wish me luck!

Novelty slowly but surely wearing off

So I have been in NZ for almost a month now. Yes, a month since I have seen my baby and that realisation took a real toll on my mental state this evening. With the cold biting my fingers and nose, it made it even worst.

A call home resulted fruitless as both my husband and son were "out" on a walk. Since when did they go for walks? Walks without me? Jealousy is a good descriptive word but does not really hit the nail in what I am trying to explain. I want to be at home.

I am growing sick of all the layers of clothing. I am getting tired of my runny and frozen nose. I cannot stand how impersonal it all seems! I am very much a people person and thrive on relationships I have with other people. I love walking down the street and meeting someone I know and having a chat with them.

I long to engulf my son in my arms and give him a hug. The feeling cannot be explained of when you feel him hug you back with as much might as his small body will allow. Its at times like these that I know I am reaping the rewards of being a mother. I miss waking up at night and wondering whether I am drowning only to find my son lying across my chest, his head resting comfortably on my belly. I can just see him with excitement spilling from his face; running as fast as he could to greet me as I come home from work. He jumps into my arms and I shower him with all the kisses I can muster while all he is interested in is what treat I have for him in my handbag.

I took two buses and train today to get to school. Total travelling time approximately 1 hour. I saw hundreds and hundreds of people being it peak time when everyone was making their way to wherever they needed to go. And it was all done in silence. Occassionally you would hear the chatter of school goers at the very rear end of the bus. Or two friends who clearly follow a routine of travelling together each morning. Never would a random person say good morning or offer help as you walk around looking for the sign that says platform V. After going back to the sign further down that says platform V with an arrow - you follow the direction given by the arrow and still - no magical appearance by platform V. You face your dilemma in silence until you get enough balls to ask someone. They help but not after they've looked you up and down to assess whether or not you would run off with their hand bag.

Its at these moments that you long for that heat to engulf you and have you prespire for no good reason at all. To have someone beep their horn and wave frantically from their car window while dodging an idiotic taxi driver slowing down unnecessarily because he spotted a potential passenger. To see a familiar face and have them stop you and ask you how you are. To be offered information just because you looked interested.

I am really beginning to miss home while I certainly and acutely miss my darling son.

responsibility

So I have been away from my family for 16 days today. I miss them dearly but not terribly. I dont feel a yearning to see them or to hug them. I dont feel that this is a bad thing. I feel that this "time away" was something that was long overdue for my personal well-being. I have a lot of time on my hands so I do a lot of thinking. And I mean A LOT of THINKING. This surely cant be too healthy but it feels good to be able to talk to myself again. To contemplate things in my small head and tune into that sixth sense of getting the feel of things, situations and peolpe. The results are amazing! I am now a true believer of "Trust your instincts!"

This post I have headed responsibility. I guess after listening to Alanis Morisette's Perfect, I got thinking about my childhood. There are stark similarities of my childhood to this song. I guess I was always pushed to do better at school and even now, my parents, father in particular, expects me to do more. He expects me to be more like him. I find it very hard to do this as much as I want to please him and make him proud. I feel as though everyday, its a struggle for me to be me. It sometimes feel as though I am drowning in it all. And so while I am roaming the streets of Wellington taking in the possibilities, the choices, the varieties, the culture, the freedom, I cant help but appreciate my Dad, my Father. Without the shit he put me through, I dont think I could survive in this bigger world. Thanks Dad.

So I didnt really mean to go into all that but where I was going with this post I guess is parenting. Yes, PARENTING. Its a responsibility way bigger than me and just this morning, as I thought about my childhood and its woes, it again dawned on me that being a parent spells huge responsibilities. The person/people your children will become is in a big way, the result or product of your parenting. I know this isnt a new discovery nor is it rocket science. But still, it never fails to amaze me that I am now a parent and every once in a while, I wonder if I am doing a good job.

At the end of the day, I guess it comes down to whether my kid will be an axe murderer or your average, every day, crazy-once-a-while person just like I am!

Holiday Home in Samoa

Hey, if anyone is interested in visiting Samoa and wants a clean, spacious and self contained place to stay, drop us an email and we can hook you up.

Email: theresamasoe@gmail.com

or call my Dad on +685 24246 - ask for Toilolo.

Kiwi Businesswoman Blasts Toilet Man

A trip to a toilet in Apia has upset one New Zealand-based Samoan businesswoman so much; she wants to tell the world about it.

An angry Misa Emma Kesha said she would never forget the day she had an argument with ‘a toilet man.’
“I don’t want people to think that I’m a stirrer but complaints are good because they can help prompt improvement in services,” she told the Samoa Observer.

“I was in town looking around and buying postcards for friends in New Zealand,” she explained. “I always enjoy telling them about my visit home.”

However, she said she felt the urge to go.
“I forgot about the bathrooms at McDonald’s family restaurant, which I could’ve used because they’re much cooler and hassle-free,” she said.

So she ended up at the public toilets behind the Nelson Memorial Library.

“I went in to the toilet and the man in charge who was standing at the door demanded that I give him my handbag,” she explained.

“My handbag contained my passport, bank and visa cards, license and a lot of money.
“He was growling and continued to demand my handbag. I said to him if he was crazy, or if he had a brain.”

But the man insisted.

RUDE
“I couldn’t believe,” she said. “The way he demanded the bag from me was rude. So I told him, I don’t know you from a bar of soap so I don’t trust you.”

But Misa said the man’s retort shocked her.
“He said to me, you are lucky to have a toilet to use,” she recalled.

As a matai, she said the man was disrespectful and downright arrogant.

“He told me it was a policy that all handbags or bags of any kind, are kept outside. But why?
“No one has the right to tell me what to do with my handbag. I have never been treated like this in any country, only in Samoa.”

Misa said she has travelled extensively to countries like India, Singapore and New Caledonia, and has never come across such treatment.

“Is this how tourists are treated?” she asked.
“Is this the kind of attitude our people here show to returning Samoans?

“I think of myself as a tourist and as a Samoan visiting my home but if this is how Samoa is being promoted to the tourism industry, then I don’t know.

“My Tongan friend who was here for the South Pacific Games, when she returned home said “Misa your country is beautiful.”

“But this kind of attitude is ruining it.”
Misa said if the man had asked nicely, she would have understood.

“But was growling and he continued demanding that I give him my bag,” she said.

“There was nothing in that toilet to steal and they even give you sheets of toilet paper so I don’t understand the way I was treated.”

CARETAKER
Asked for a comment, one of the caretakers, Lauatea Masefou said the policy has been in place for years to minimise damage to the facility. Ms Masefou and her husband are employed to look after the facility.

“The policy stops people from damaging the facility,” said Ms Masefou.
”In the past, when me and my husband first became caretakers of the place, we had a lot of problems in restoring the facilities to a clean condition.

“The bathroom has 12 cubicles but when we came in, only four were usable because people had damaged the facility using in appropriate materials and flushing it down the toilet.

“The walls were badly damaged and there were swear words and inappropriate drawings all over the walls.

“We are always careful about who we allow in the bathroom with their bag and we don’t.

“There have been people who refuse to leave their bags outside, so they are allowed inside with them.”

In Misa’s case, she forcefully took her bag inside, she said.


It’s unfortunate for the poor toilet man behind the Nelson Library to get such bad publicity. I say unfortunate because I have always admired both him and his wife and the work that they do. This has got to be the cleanest public toilet I know in Apia. Maybe not by New Zealand standards, but certainly by our local standards.

I read this article with mixed emotions. On the one hand I understand where Ms Kesha is coming from and on the other, I totally know where my toilet man is coming from. I too would not have let go of my handbag (in the rare event that I had money in it!) but if my job was to mind 8 broken toilets and 4 that are functional, I would not give ANYONE the slightest chance to ruin the very few toilets that work.

In saying this, a small but humble advice to Ms Kesha. No, we don’t usually treat tourists like that - with rudeness and what not. Being Samoan you would know that we are friendly people. My toilet man is only human and must have had a bad day. Minding toilets in Samoa where cleaning products are expensive and plumbers are hard to come by, please give him a break. Visit another public toilet and then you will understand where I am coming from. Mr. Toilet Man behind the Nelson Library is doing a wonderful job. He even lives there because he wants to give our public clean toilets. How is that for commitment?

To my toilet man behind the Nelson Library - malo lava le tauatai. E le faigofie lau galuega. You are appreciated and you can take my handbag any day even if you were a bar of soap and I will not be worried because I know where you live!