Day One (August 25th)

I’m here!! It’s official! I’m finally in the beautiful, vibrant, lively island of Samoa. I find it funny because I hadn’t even known this place existed until my friend Simone filled me in on her mid-semester break plans. Right now I’m riding in the back of a shuttle van to Taufua aka my home (hut) for the next three days. I can’t tell you how excited I am either! This place is an undiscovered paradise that not even the local, lava-lava (a traditional Samoan skirt) wearing folks have completely figured out. I’m serious! I would be quite content camping on any inch of this country for the rest of my life.

So we have been here less than 24 hours and already managed to be invited to two parties, met some film producers from SURVIVOR (the tv show), had thumb war battles with Samoan alcoholics, entertained Samoan children with our American singing talent and Spencer’s multi-pack of adhesive mustaches! That actually explains my adventures so far in a nutshell. I mean what better way to begin the journey in “Crabbers” and “V”, two of the only bars/night clubs in Apia (the largest city in Samoa). If I’ve learned one thing that Americans, Kiwis, and Samoans have in common, it would be our similar liking to American hit music and alcohol. You could travel to any of the countries right now and I guarantee that Black-eyed Peas “Boom Boom Pow” would be blasting on the radio. As for drinking, I think all cultures enjoy the effects of a cold bottle of beer or a nice glass of wine on a given day. Simone and I also decided that the most convenient toilet that night was over a massive leap over a canal, consisting of a ‘pop-squat’ in a field of tall itchy grass, leaving us with scratches all over our bodies (a questionable case of poison ivy? Haha. Maybe not such a good idea after all.

There is something funny about this place. Can’t quite find the right words yet, but I still have 8 more days here to find out!

Alright, I reckon it’s time for a nap!

Peace,
Jill

Day Two (August 26th)

I woke up to a tap on my shoulder from my friend Dan and was surprised to see that we were already here at the Taufua Beach fales (south-east end of Upolu). As soon as we arrived, we were welcomed by two girls named Silia and Balo who introduced us to the area and surroundings while the others quickly made up the hut for us.

Opening up the tarp door to our fale was like releasing my childhood memories. Recollections of forts my friends and I used to construct when we were little and camping adventures with my family streamed through my head. Fales are like spacious tree houses on stilts. Their roofs are thatched with tweed and the sides sectioned by tar (to block the wind and rain). Inside lie 3 single mattresses, a standard overhead light, and mosquito nets to vend off the bugs. One would imagine this place as a prime tourist accommodation, but that’s not the case at all here. These Samoans seem to be truly happy the way they are and very satisfied with the life they live. At least everyone I talked to felt that way. I was interested if they ever got bored of their jobs: seeing, meeting, accommodating new travelers’ every day, however their answer still remained, “no, not at all.” This strikes me as a surprise! I believe it’s that initial exposure to travel and seeing a new beautiful place that ruins our stability. Do not get me wrong; I love this place! Honestly, this place is paradise, but there is no way I could be stationed in Upolu forever.

After dinner, we decided to go on a little night stroll. As we were leaving, I could have sworn I heard a faint stutter of my name in the distance. Then it repeated and I realized I was not actually going bonkers. “ah.. Jill?” Silia replied from out back of the office. “Where are you all going?” she shouted. I quickly recognized her friendly voice and replied, “I’m not sure, exploring?!” Frightened she might persuade us way from our adventure because of certain dangers. This wasn’t the case at all! “Can I come?” “Yeah of course!”

The first night was awesome-as! She gave us the full tour of her village: the church, police department, hospital, her home/fale (even introduced us to her cousins), as well as less expensive markets to buy vodka for 22 tala as opposed to 30 at the market nearest our fale. Silia then traded us off to one of her good friends to walk us back as she left to go home. Never did I feel so safe in the night! It seemed as if we always had people looking out for us and protecting us as one of their own.

Day Three (August 27th)

We woke up in the morning to heaven. Or at least I hope mine would look similar anyway! Just like the postcards and online photo galleries. Blue skies, clear aquamarine water, white sand, light foamy waves, islands in the distance, and a quiet shore. Not many people were awake yet because it was early. We had a delicious potluck breakfast of crispy toast, poached eggs, oatmeal, papaya slices, hotcake stacks, as well as bacon to fill our waking bellies. Later we took naps on the beach and did a little snorkeling. The reef was beautiful, very vivid and alive. I’ve been fortunate enough to see many in my lifetime, however this was one of my favorites; I must say! Blue starfish, large lazy sea cucumbers, and frolicking schools of fish filled my goggle frames! There were fish covered in stripes, animal print, fluro (neon) patterns, and even ones that looked as if they were wearing makeup. Later that night, we watched a Fia Fia (the tribal Samoan dancing) as well as the fire show and even had the opportunity to test some of the moves ourselves towards the end of the show. The girls’ dancing is much similar to the hula; very buoyant and smooth, whereas the men’s is much bumpier and hip. The Fia Fia was awesome! Kids apparently learn to twirl the fire batons in school. Imagine that for a sport. The rest of the night we drank and hung out with the melting pot crew on the outer deck.

Day Four (August 28th)

Thursday?! Must be on island time, aye. When you are in a beautiful place like this, it is difficult to keep track of days and pay attention to clock dials. Today was a day of rest and recovery from the past few. We were awoken by a shake and holler from outside our fale telling us it was breakfast time. Although it is a sweet-as deal when both breakfast and dinner are included in fale tees, it is kind of annoying that we have designated times for them (8am and 7pm). Dan, Kristi, and I mumbled “thanks” (fa fa tai) to the Taufua dude and rolled back over. We were a tad-bit late for breakfast, but they had already pre-loaded plates for us. We followed the typical mealtime routines of 21 questions with stranger and new faces at the tables and headed straight back to our fale to nap! Ah, it was so good! We spent the whole day relaxing with the tarp pulled up in our hut. Mid-afternoon, we did manage to grab a pina coloda and wader down past the jetty. ON the way, we made a cute little friend named Rupert. Rupert was a dime sized hermit crab enclosed in a pearl white shell. The little crustacean was so adorable that not after long, Kristi decide to adopt it. We continued through the crystal clear shallow water and up the jetty another 30 meters or so to get some sweet pictures in front of the far off island. The rest of the day we spent relaxing in the shade and taking cover from the cancering sun. As much as I wanted to absorb the sunshine that we rarely receive in Hamilton, I knew I would be on my death bed soon if I beach bummed it any longer. We are much closer to the equator, where the sun’s rays are at their peak. Later on, we discussed plans for the following day and decided to make the leap to the upper island of Savaii! The rest of the night we took it pretty easy knowing that we would have a long journey awaiting us in the am. After supper we sat on the bench outside the office and hung out with the Taufua crew for the last time. We watched new comers pay their numerous visits to and from the bar adding line after line to their fale tabs. It was nice being sober for a change, gaining entertainment from the quirky vacationers raving and mumbling about wars, their alternate careers (broadway and basketball) as they struggled to gain balance on the stairs.

Day Five (August 29th)

Well I’m exhausted from today. Dan, Kristi, and I decided to take the hike to the island off of Savaii. This included a two hour bus ride from Taufua to Apia, a taxi from Apia to the wharf and then another 1 and a half hour taxi ride from the wharf in Savaii to our next three day home at Tanu Beach. We decided to take the bus first of all because our tight budgets, but also because it looked like an experience for sure. We’ve watched the buses transport herds of villagers from place to place in these N framed buses each with their personalized touch. I would guess there are over 100 of these buses across the island that consistently haul people around for no more than 4 tala (about $1.75 USD) a way. The buses have creative names such as “Drop it like it’s hot”, “man-eater”, etc, each representing their proud drivers’ tastes. They are all also pimped out with Addidas signs, Nike swooshes, cow print, fluro tail-lights, and colorful graffiti. It was quite funny. Inside the bus is a completely different story. There must have been about 20 rows of hard upright benches and track plexi-glass windows. When we first hopped on the bus, it was practically empty, but that didn’t last very long at all. We made stop after stop at local villages, picking up work commuters, Samoan parents embracing their little ones in their laps, and postal parcels to be delivered to the city. It was interesting to watch the courtesy of the towns’ people. Men and young ones giving up their seats for the elderly, children, and women. You would generally expect this from all bodies of people and cultures, but sadly it isn’t a routine gesture from much of my American and New Zealand experience.

By the time we arrived at the bus stop in the own center (near the new market), I ‘m pretty sure I had no feeling in my rear end because of the plank seats. Hey, but I was more than greatful to catch the bus and avoid sitting on a strangers lap deal. Anyways, we walked through the market again and grabbed a quick snack at the grocery store before taking the next leg of our journey. I also was glad to be able to find some familiar pepto bismol on the shelf because I have been cringing from the hurricane that has been roaming about my stomach for the past three days. Samoans must have extremely tolerant bellies because I lasted nearly a day drinking their water and eating their curried and fried meals. Remembering Dan’s 22nd birthday, Kristi and went on a successful mission to find cake and candles for later.

Not long after, Dan, Kristi, Tim & Annetta (2 international friends), and I caught a taxi to the wharf with a man named Tasi. One thing I have noticed about the taxi drivers here is that almost all of them have been to New Zealand or originated there. This gives us lots to talk about, especially now that I am very familiar with the country. Tasi is a rugby player in New Zealand who has done a surprising amount of traveling in his career. His family is in New Zealand, however he is helping them out until Christmas by taxi-ing in the Samoan islands. When we arrived at the wharf, we thanked Tasi and quickly grabbed out belongings and headed to the terminal. The wharf was much smaller than I ahd expected with flat-rectangular benches occupied by napping victims, playful children, and potato chip vendors. One distinct memory was of a particular surfer dude sleeping on one of the benches, wearing a straw hat to block the sun from his eyes and his boardbag resting at his feel. This instantly triggered my mind back to Wilmington and all of my beach bum friends. They would love it here! There’s no doubt about it! WE boarded the ferry at 2pm and each grabbed a patch of ground toward the back of the ship, where we could dangle our feet over the edge. Haha and I’m never going to forget a Savaiian woman’s response to Kristi’s question, “How long is this ferry ride?” “MAYBE, HOURS?!” she replied. What does that actually mean, haha. That’s Samoa again for you. Anyways, I wish we had a warning for the next part of our journey.

As soon as we stepped foot off of the ship, we were instantly mobbed by taxi show furs. It reminded me of the seagulls from Finding Nemo that constantly repeated “MINE. MINE. MINE.” Drivers held up signs labeling local fale resorts, ascting as if they were sent directly from the accommodations. It was so confusing. They were everywhere, yelling a mixture of tattered English and Samoan slang. “75 tala, market? 60 tala, where to?, Tanu?” Ahh. I couldn’t take it any longer and you could tell the rest of the gang was having trouble as well, so I finally yelled out “60 tala to Tanu beach?”

Without response, a man grabbed Kristi’s luggage and began carrying it to the boot of his vehicle. This marks the start of our journey with Lo Lani, our soon to be, first real Samoan friend! We loaded up our belongings and situated ourselves in his small hatchback vehicle. I ended up sitting in the trunk the whole ride, but it wasn’t so bad. We made a quick stop to the famous market place and headed to our new home! It was another ‘maybe, hours’ til our destination, however, our fascination in external environment makes it feel like 15 minutes. The unfamiliar lifestyles of these ancient people are so interesting! Never in my life have I received so many friendly waves as we drove through kilometers of farmland, beach, and villages. Pigs, roosters, and dogs ran wild in yards, whereas, horses were leashed up on the properties. Graves lay as shrines in front of owners’ fales and locals walk barefoot along the roads carrying baskets of coconuts, papaya, and other produce. Remixes of popular American pop songs fill the car and add to the local beach aura.

When we arrived at the beach fales, we exchanged thanks and information to our friendly driver for options to explore the natural wonders of Savaii the following day. Tanu welcomed us with coconuts and showed us to our “ocean front” hut, very similar to the previous one. Not long after, we grabbed beers at the office and walked to the beach to chill and watch the sunset. After our delicious dinner we continued Dan’s birthday celebration down the road at another fales’ bar staging live music. We decided to splurge in a combined 50 tala for a bottle of Australian white wine. Good choice I must add! Shortly after, all three of us were escorted onto the dance floor by local Samoans.

After the music ended and we finished our drinks, we headed back home via the beach. We heard some familiar voices in the distance that led us to another hide-away bar on stilts. Of course we decided to check it out. We were surprised to find that it was the rest of the Norwegians from Waikato. There was also another little hut atop the stairs. Inside were three Samoan men seated around a table covered in Vailima bottles. Happy hour, I’m guessing! I decided to peek my head in and say hello (malo).
One thing led to another and the within a minute I was a guest at the kings table with another drink in my hand. These old men were hilarious. A lot of the stuff they talked about was difficult to understand, but I started to pick up on their gibberish. I listened as they told me about their lives as farmers, fishermen, as well as their outward travel experiences. It was awesome; almost as if I bundled myself up in a blanket of the Samoan culture.

Day Six (August 30th)

At breakfast, we met a very outgoing Italian man named Luca. I know you are thinking…what is he doing in Samoa? Most travelers are from New Zealand and Australia. He has actually been living in Samoa for a few months with his girlfriend and working at Tanu as an activities organizer. Each day he leads four activities for the guests to get involved in such as: stretching, yoga, coco baton (bocce ball with coconuts), etc. Unfortunately, we had to turn his invitation down because we decided we were going to call Lo Lani back for a day full of touring Savaii. Our driver picked us up about an hour after breakfast and we began our journey to the south of the beautiful island.

Our first stop was the rainforest. I was excited! I’ve never been to a rainforest before. We took a short two mile hike through farm and up to the top of this canyon. Lo Lani went with us, pointing out various landmarks like the wharf in the distance and cool plants and geckos. After the rainforest, we headed to the blow holes. I had no idea what to expect as far as these go, but it sounded pretty neat! The blowholes are located a little over the halfway mark on the southern part of Savaii. Just before approaching their landmark, we asked our driver to pull over to the side for pictures. Just over the cliffs was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Waves, real massive, perfect swell! Just like the movies. The waves were huge and breaking ever so gently. I could see the green room eager for a surfer to step into. Definitely not a beginner like me, perhaps the dude back at the wharf! I wish DLo and Jarrod were here. I know they would go for sure!

We next approached the blowholes! They were awesome! These huge holes in the hardened magma that would push water over 100m into the air as waves broke underneath the surface. Lo Lani told us to try to find a coconut to throw in the blowhole and we did. It was sweet as! The fruit shot nearly 200ft in the air! After the blow holes, we headed to a nearby swimming hole and waterfall. This was probably my most favorite stop of all. It was ten times better than any movie set. You could even climb up a nearby 35 foot ledge and jump off (of course we did and of course). Drops scare the heck out of me and I normally attack this by closing my eyes. Yeah, I wouldn’t suggest that! In turn, I landed “smackkk” on my side and bruised my whole upper right leg. Haha, I’m a retard. The falls were sweet though. We swam up to them and were able to climb the rock and enter the cave behind the waterfall. This is one of my favorite things to do, watch the rushing water crash down right in front of you.

After the falls and the bonding time we had with our driver, he asked if we would like to stop by his home and meet his 2 (lua) year old daughter and wife. Now this may not seem exciting to most, but these peoples lives are so interesting. Imagine permanently living in a completely open hut with no walls or privacy. Try and picture living without an oven, merely a stove top and a miniature refrigeration to keep meat preserved for a day or two. Also imagine always taking cold showers and sleeping under mosquito nets on the floor. We eagerly jumped on this opportunity and were excited that he wanted us to meet his family. We also used the opportunity to get some instruction on making kava, a very traditional male drink, usually prepared by the women of the village. Kava comes directly from roots in the ground and is ground into a sand-like gray powder. With that, you are to run it through a filter with running water. The product, a cloudy gray liquid is supposed to be scooped out and swallowed very quickly after a long day of work. It sends a numbness throughout your body and deeply relaxes you. We watched Lo Lani fix it and took it with us to our final destination, the lava fields. We finished out the pot of kava within no time and started experiencing its numbing effect. I don’t see how people could drink it all the time. Tastes pretty gross, but it does feel kind of nice. Haha, no worries, its not an illegal drug or anything. Apparently they sell it in tea form at GNC’s in America. I guess it’s just not very popular in the states or really expensive. The lava fields were pretty cool, but no way did they top the other sites. Lo Lani dropped us back off at Tanu Beach as we exchanged thanks and goodbyes once again, not knowing if we were going to see him again.

Day Seven (August 31st)

I crawled out of the fale this morning just before breakfast and took a stroll on the shore. It was silent and peaceful, as always. Almost every 24 hour day here is pretty quiet once you leave the busy life in Apia. The only sounds you hear are the honks from cars driving by (either saying hello or warning you that they are approaching for behind), the roosters caca-doodle-doodling, or the Samoans hollering a friendly hello from inside their fale. Another funky sound we hear at night is the gecko. Believe it or not, these little fellows are quite loud.

We ate our free breakfast consisting of 2 pieces of toast, with another two pieces combined forming a traditional American grilled cheese (yum), a slice of papaya (which smell bothers me), mango, coconut, and starfruit. Meals were important to load up on because lunch is not included. Since we have put ourselves on a tight budget, we have scavenged any way possible to get around paying tala at lunch hour. In fact as I have done the past two days, a Snickers bar and a piece of fruit has done the job. Lets see its got your calcium, protein, carbs, etc. Haha, I would just rather eat something I know is from America because I am honestly tired of gulping Pepto Bismol after every meal.

After breaky, we showered and scattered off to church. Sunday in Samoa is traditionally a day of rest. Villagers attend mass at 8am-9am (depending on their ministry) and head back to their homes for a large family meal. Shops and markets do not open till the evenings, if even at all. Church was an experience, even though we showed up a little late. The ceremony was conducted in Samoan, but they did have an English translator reciting verses. It was hard to understand at points, but definitely cool comparing it to services I have been to. Women were dressed in all white and work matching hats with veils and ribbon. When researching what to pack for Samoa, they did mention a white garment for Sunday, so luckily I did bring one to wear over my dress. We didn’t realized till afterwards however that it is forbidden for a woman to have bare shoulders and Kristi has worn a tube top dress. Whatever, how were we to know? Whoops!

After church, we took an hour trek up the road to swim with the turtles. Again, you follow beaten up signs down a dirt road with charging pigs (haha) to the head of the village fales and pay the standard five tala. We followed the locals’ directions and headed across handmade bridges. It is an ‘escort-yourself’ service fee, but once you pay you basically can do whatever you’d like on their property. As a matter of fact, I don’t even think they would care if you went skinny dipping with the turtles. I’m not saying I did, come on now! Haha. When we walked out into the natural reservoir, there was very little movement or signs of these ‘so called’ turtles. This didn’t last long, however. Almost instantly after stepping into the waist high pond with an apple in hand, they seemed to pop up everywhere. These turtles were pretty dang big! Dan and Kristi picked them up by their shells as I took pictures, but of course I was slow at making the approach. Those little rascals aren’t as slow as you think once they know they are being chases. I finally grabbed a hold of one but definitely underestimated its size from above because I could barely lift the thing.

We spent about a half an hour with the turtles and then headed back to Tanu. When we arrived back it was still early so we decided to do what the old men do and relax by making jungle juice or a similar concoction with Absolut Mango from the duty free store, pineapple-orange juice, and Sprite. We borrowed a bowl from the kitchen, stirred, and dished out cocktails. As if those drinks weren’t enough, we cleaned the bowl and made some kava. Afternoon activities consisted of a nice little walk up the beach, collecting shells and treasures. I’d say it was a lovely restful Sunday after all!

Day Eight (September 1st)

The next day we woke up and followed the regular breakfast routine, gathered our belongings, and headed to the main office to take care of our tab. After the girl behind the counter spent ages calculating our tab, we slapped our credit/debit cards on the counter for the swipe. Who would have known they don’t accept card payment of any type for payments that could easily top the hundreds. Nervously, we scrambled up all the tala we had and threw it down… $305.20. Not quite the $460 or so we needed. We stood there dumbfounded for about two minutes until finally one of the villagers said he was heading into town in about an hour anyways in an hour and he could drop us off at the ATM and later onto the ferry. Phew! “Fa Fa Ti (Thank You). That sounds wonderful I replied.” It actually worked out for the best! This transportation meant we didn’t have to pay for a taxi ride to the wharf. The Tanu beach employee dropped by the ATM machine in town and unloaded us at the ferry station. We paid the man and decided to head up the road for some grub because we were starving. We found a local market a few kilometers up the road and took turns guarding our luggage as the others rummaged about the store to find some appetizing snacks. All of a sudden I hear a beep and an familiar voice. “Kristi... Kristi?” Who would have known? It was Lo Lani, our cab driver friend from a couple days earlier! He asked us how the rest of our trip has been going and what our next plans were. We explained to him that we were heading out on the 2pm ferry back to Upolu and were unsure of our next step, in regards to where we planned on staying and what we were going to be doing. He nodded his head for a moment and then quickly began typing numbers into his cell phone. I had thought maybe he had forgotten about a taxi appointment or something he had to do that day which would explain this random outgoing call, so Kristi, Dan, and I started discussing what we wanted to do next. About one minute later, Lo Lani broke up our conversation to announce that we could stay with his family in Apia!
I thought to myself… His family?! This ridiculous; but how cool would that be! I looked over at Dan and Kristi and noticed that all of us were carrying glowing smiles upon our faces. “That would be awesome!” Dan replied. And within seconds, we began loading our bags into the car. Lo Lani dropped us back off at the ferry and instructed us to meet up with his brother as soon as we arrived off the ferry in Upolu and explained that he would drive us to his sister’s work in Apia. I was kind of confused about how everything was flattening out, but I was used to the unpredictableness of this country and just decided to ‘smile and nod,’ knowing that things would work out fine.
The ocean was choppy and the ferry bounced around quite a bit, but we still managed to make it over to the mother island in an hour and a half. Just as Lolani said, his brother was waiting for us on the other side with a hand to assist us with our bags. We hopped in the hatchback vehicle and were on the move AGAIN. On the way to their sisters work, we stopped by their other siblings lava lava shop as he showed us around. I really didn’t have much casual money to spend, but Kristi and I did split the cost of ¼ yard of a cool material to make headbands out of. When we arrived in the city, Lo Lani’s brother lead us into modernized corner café and introduced us to his sister Tex. Tex pretty young, about 23 and was wearing a black ruffly dress, that still didn’t seem to cover her developing pregnant belly. Haha. I’m not very good with predicting this kind of stuff, but it was pretty obvious. She was also absurdly nice and offered us any sort of drink on the menu. As we sipped on our fruit smoothies and Vailimas on the patio, we discussed our excitement. We were jumping into things with no expectations or plans and it was awesome! After Tex got off work, we walked back through the familiar town of Apia to their home. I was shocked that their fale was located directly behind the bar strip that we had attended on our first night! Here we were being invited to stay in a local family’s household, watch tv, sleep on the floor, and eat meals with a true Samoan family. What better way to experience the Samoan lifestyle. Before we walked in, we slipped off our shoes outside the door. We were introduced to their mother, father, Tex’s husband, and her adorable two children who were two and 6 months of age. Her mum gave us the tour and showed us to the room in which we would be staying for the night. We dropped our stuff and took seats on the floor as we went listened music and got to know the family. Lola, the two year old, entertained us with her dancing/flying skills. She was so funny. I was still in shock of the opportunity we had swallowed ourselves in. This was so cool! Later that night we grabbed a Hawaiian pizza around the corner and shuffled to and from the bars with Tex and her husband later in the night.

Day Nine (September 2nd)

We woke up to sounds of Samoa. The roosters yodeling from yards, Tex and her husband getting ready for work, and Lola’s footsteps in the other room. It was nice!  No longer did I feel like a tourist/vacationer. We were experiencing everything with this family. We were sleeping on the floor under mosquito nets, eating meals with one set of silverware to share amongst the table, bathing in cold showers, and entertaining the neighborhood kids with our unfamiliar language and accents.

We spent the day roaming about Apia for the final time, exploring about the annual flower festival that took place on the green. Here there were rows of tents set up, with traditional tattooists, wood carvers, painters, florists, and street vendors. One of our major intentions for the day was to find a gift to show our appreciation to Lo Lani’s family. We wandered about the back part of the city and stopped off at a stationary shop to pick up a card and decided that a bouquet of flowers would fit accordingly. We asked a local store owner where we could find a flower shop and he pointed us to another main market down the way. This one was much cooler than the other one we had been too because it was less of a tourist seen and much more lively. There were stands with heaps of fruit, vegetables, flowers, bottle cooking oils filling awnings. Old men filled up corners positioning themselves around 3 foot bowls of kava. I could hear the wood slaps of domino and checker pieces colliding with the game tables. Aromas of and smoke from fryers swarmed the air. School children gathered around the food stands dishing out tala for refill glasses of their favorite soft drinks. This is where the life was. This was their culture. It was cool as! A local townswoman whipped up a beautiful bouquet of flowers for us for in less than three minutes and as we continued to soak up the energy surrounding us and then we were off again. This time, towards home.

We spent the rest of the day hanging out with the Lo Lani’s family. We watched TV, played with the children, and carried on conversations, intrigued with each other’s lives. We had dinner for the last time (another curry/rice meal), taking our shifts at the table, and then went for a walk around the harbor with Tex, her husband, and some of the local kids. It was another gorgeous night here in Samoa. I didn’t want to leave. Seems to be that way wherever I go! We were just getting accustomed too. It was time to leave this lovely place though. When we returned from our walk, we said our goodbyes and took a group photo. Lo Lani’s father ended up driving us to the airport to catch our one a.m. flight. I guess this marks the final leg of my journey in Samoa. I don’t think I could have had a more INCREDIBLE break! We met so many wonderful, interesting people, and you couldn’t offer me one million dollars to take back any of the experiences! I’m serious! Tofa Samoa!

Jump start to Mid-Semester Break

I just realized I have been slacking on this blog here. I have a justified reason, however. I've been hanging around Hamilton with the Kiwi's and getting all my assignments squared away for mid-semester break (which I'm officially on now). It is pretty neat, we have 2 full weeks off! And guess where I will be spending mine.... Samoa!!! I will be relaxing on the hot beaches in the middle of paradise sipping on daquiris, surfing the reef break, snorkeling EVERYWHERE, and hanging out with and awesome group of Germans, Americans, Dutch, and Canadian kids! It should be pretty amazing! I can't even tell you how excited I am!

What have I been up to lately? hmm... Ooo well, turns out Raglan beach (30min drive west) was showing perfect waves, I spread the word to my friend Wilfried and we took off just after lunch. Man, the Surf2Surf website wasn't lying. Waves were nearly perfect! Clean, about 3-4 meters high. Plus, the water wasn't too cold with my wetsuit. Caugtht one good one, but busted my lip a little on the wipe out near the end. haha. It was way different than what I've surfed before, because we had to trek over these rocks and jump off this ledge around the bend to enter. Can't even describe to you how nice it was though! After we went into the quaint town center, grabbed a coffee and a bite to eat! ohh and I can't forget to mention the sunset when we were leavin! It was priceless! So pretty!

Later on that night I met up with my friends from Bryant hall (a dorm on the other side of campus), and started our break celebration there and went into town later for a concert. Minuit, a new zealand, electronic-dance band, was playing at the flow bar so we wandered down that way!

I woke up the next morning to SUNSHINE! Which I've found not to be very common in this weary city during wintertime. But it was gorgeous. Felt so much like summer! I even busted out my shorts and jandals (flip flops). haha. Here is what my lovely lazy day consisted of: watching my friend Libby's netball game (which is kind of like a girls abbreviated version of basketball, but it is very popular here), went to Hamilton lake and explored with my other friends Megan and Hannah. We climbed trees and basically pranced around in the sunshine. Sounds real cheesy, I know! But it was amazing. We took naps in the field and lots of artsy photos. It was real nice. When we got back, we walked over to our school's soccer game and caught the end of that! And the night was topped off by a walk to the dairy to fufill my ice cream craving!

Anyways... I've got things to do and people to see! Get excited to see Samoa pics!! I CANNOT wait! ONE more day!

peace and love,
Jill

The BALL and just another typical Tuesday...

The ball... hmm. Where do I begin? The event began about a week before when everyone starting getting everything together, as far as, the perfect dress/suit (even tux in some cases), bling*, shoes, make-up, hair-do, mask (yes it was a masquerade theme), and nails. Oh man, these kiwis weren't kidding! When they meant ball, they meant PROM! haha I'm serious! It was fun though. Thank gosh I had brought a simple/elegant black strapless dress with me, or else I would have been in deep with my expenses! Thanks to my friends Libby and Anishka, who helped me with my hair, nails, and make-up, all I had to worry about was not falling over in my heels. The whole night went by like a blur, but I had a blast! I had forgotten how fun it is to get all decked out for special occasions like that. The event was held at the cool-as Performing Arts Center on campus, which was followed by the after-ball at one of the local bars called "Bahama Hut" in town. I felt like a little kid again, running around the venue in awe, admiring the decorations and set up! There were THREE auditoriums, each letting off a different sound. One room staged a live band, whereas the other two played two different genres of dj music! There was also another room completely designated to professional portraits. It was insane! A bit later on in the night, I helped carry my friend Megan back to the dorm, who had a little too much fun pre-gaming! I just hope the fish caught on and swam away from the out pour over the pond rail! :D Haha, c'mon I know we can all relate to moments like these. Give her a break! Anyways, I used the opportunity to change out of my heels and into some more comfortable jandals (sandals) for town! Hamilton city was PACKED! Familiar face just about everywhere I wandered with my friends. Overall, It was a SWEET-AS night: I didn't get sick, made it safely home, and managed to spend no more than $5! Haha, I don't know how that works, but hey... yea I don't know where I was going with that. (Great Night!)

Okay and to the Next Chapter of my Life over here... What else would I do on a Tuesday-Wednesday, when I barely have class?

Of course... another adventure! This time, I was taken further down the east coast of the Bay of Plenty to Ohope Beach and Whakatane (pronounced "Fuck-a-taun-ay"). I'm serious, that is how you say it! All the Maori words that start with "WH" give off a "fuc" sound. Weird, ey? Anyways I was able to plan this one out. We actually left Monday after dinner and drove over towards Tauranga and down to Pikowai for the night! We had a little trouble finding this little campground, but man am I glad we didn't give up! It was amazing. I have never camped out so closed to the beach! And man... I can't even describe to you how amazing the Sunrise was in the morning! When we woke up, my friend Dan and I made our journey further down to Ohope Harbour, where we were to meet this lovely lady and partial owner of KG Kayaks. We wandered around the harbour for 2 hours straight paddling (and pushing) through all of the shallow water. Let me tell you, this was seriously the quietest place I have ever been! It was so peaceful! I drove my kayak on the shore of the little islands, sludgged throught the mud, up on the little islands, collecting shells and capturing some pretty neat photos. Just before we returned the kayaks, we saw a penguin! Haha, it was so random, yet so funny, just waddling around on one of the jutting sandbars.

After returning the kayaks, we backtrackked to Whakatane without any plans, but to meander. We walked along the harbour there and managed to see another gorgeous waterfall, original but refurbished Maori canoes, the statue on the rock (Wairaka- woman from another exciting Maori legend), save a shag bird who was caught in fishing line, try some local, savory, pumpkin soup (which I have been craving for about 3 weeks now), get a $200 parking ticket (which we got expunged, thanks to my persuasion), and pick up some fresh flounder to grille for dinner (that had just come off the boat at 1pm that day). Our original plans were to make it back to Hamilton that night, but since we enjoyed that campsite so much, we decided to camp out another night at Pikowai! This time we cooked an amazing flounder, rice, and veggie supper on the camp stove, while enjoying the sun set over the ocean! To top it all off, we gathered some wood and lit up a bonfire right on the waterline! It was so relaxing and peaceful! *****I'd say better than a five-star hotel, ANYDAY!

... to the Bright Side of the Road

Didn't have much to type here the past couple of days because of the stupid cold lingering around the dorms, but I did make it through another Tuesday-Wednesday adventure with my friend Dan and the Van (veronica). This time I just let him make all the calls and plan it all out. I honestly don't care where I go, as long as I get out of this small town and explore somewhere new! This time we ended up driving north to Karangahake gorge, just past Te Aroaha. This place has loads of hiking trails, waterfalls, streams, and tunnels to adventure through and around. We parked the van and took the long 2.5 hr hike (one way) from Karangahake to Waihi. The trail guide pointed out various falls along the way which sounded pretty awesome, but after 2 hours of trekking, and NO falls, we were getting quite worried. The trail ended at a quaint little CAFE (caf) and miniature train station, where we devoured our saran wrapped sandwiches. After having a peek in the cute little place, we agreed to a coffee/cappicino next to the fire. Once we warmed up by the toasty fire place, we began our disappointed walk back, this time paying more attention to the trail signs. What would you know?, about mid-way back, we heard some rough water coming from up the hill. Jackpot...WATERFALL!!! I have to say, this was one of my favorites! So revitalizing. Okay sorry, I sound corny once again, but you really have to be standing next to me and gaze at these massive natural wonders! They just continually flow along, night and day, winter and summer, regardless of the changing world. Our eyes must have been wandering somewhere else on the way out to Waihi, because we also bumped into another trail on the way back that took us to another cool-as waterfall! After our hike, we drove back to Te Aroaha, to find a local market and grab some supplies for dinner later! Te Aroaha is a small little town, similar to many of the ones I have come across in my travels here, however they are marked by one very important trademark: L&P! Lemon and Paeroa is a fizzy (soda), World Famous in New Zealand, that started from some local blokes in the old days who made the genius decision to mix lemon and a little sparkling magic from an underground spring in Paoroa together in a glass! Right in the corner of towns square they have a giant L&P bottle standing about 30 feet high! Of COURSE we took pictures in front of it. Most likely the 80 billionth tourist to do so, but who cares! haha. We agreed on a pasta base for our meal because it was easy and we already had the noodles. So we stopped in the Four Square (market), picked up some tomato sauce, fresh bread, pepper, and onion. Then we skipped across the street to the local butchery to grab some fresh chicken to go along with it! We drove around for a bit, back through Te Aroha, and then made our way to Dickey's Flatt where we parked up for the night. Dinner was Amazing! Well pretty much anything is when you are free from the dining hall on campus! I'm serious. The next morning we packed up the van, and started on our way back home in the rain. Instead of heading back the way we came, we decided it might be interesting to loop down and around the coast bordering the Tauranga Harbour. We followed Rt. 2 and then jumped back on the familiar Hwy 29 West. I was also able to find two more Falls on the way home (Omanawa and I can't remember the name of the other at the moment), but they were also really cool and unique! I was exhausted and nearly fell asleep on the ride back to Hamilton, but had to pull myself together for my exercise/fitness tutorial at 4pm. Class was alright, but the climax of today was the SELF-SERVE dessert bar at dinner! Endless supplies of eskimo pie, ice cream, pudding, sprinkles, apple crumble, and lollies (candy) or every color and form! I'm sitting here at 12pm and I'm still full from my two bowl-fuls! haha Anyways I better get to bed, If I want to be able to function tomorrow! I have to meet with the Accommodation lady about some issues and with my presentation group after my 11am class. Good night world !

Surfing... Attempt #1

So here's the deal! I got out of my only class Tuesday at 9am and drove with my friend Dan over to Raglan beach to check out the west coast swell for the first time.

Just for those who don't know: Raglan Beach is well known to surfers all over the world. The only obstacle for groms is actually making all the way out here to New Zealand. Lucky me, its only a 35 min drive from my university! Not to mention, I am good friends with some kids that purchased a van, making this gnarley beach a convenience to get to! If I wasn't able to van-it out, there is a city bus that runs back in forth for less than $5 a way. There are multiple beach breaks in this town. The one of which we tried out Wainui Beach, which is known to be popular to all sorts of surfers, dragging in anywhere from 2-8ft swell on most days, and less rocks than the other beaches.

The water wasn't as cold as I had imagined, especially during the peak of their winter. I surfed barefoot with merely a 3/2 suit and was fine for about an hour. I was really disappointed though, because the waves were shitty. I hate saying this, but they were terrible. Very inconsistent, westward winds (best for raglan: south east), and lacking any wave length whatsover. Well, lets just say it was a white wash day! I stayed in until my patience was drained. When I got out I realized that the ocean ate my rainbow sandals. Lovely, just lovely. haha. But anyways we dried off and dan tried starting the van while I attempted to gain feeling in my toes. Van wouldn't even budgeeee.. battery was completely dead. A local Maori lent us a hand and helped us push the vehicle and toaster it (you know how they got it going in Little Miss Sunshine, where the family pushed it and quickly turned it on in third gear) down the hill. And after 3 attempts it WORKED! thank gosh. We then drove along the coast and quickly stopped to check the swell at Manu Bay! Rumor has it that Manu Bay has the longest, most accessible and consistent left-hand break in the world. This beach was much more rugged and the waves broke on a constant left and bent around this coastal peninsula. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

I really don't want to state any more negative aspects of this trip, but all in all, let me just say that the van stalled out completely. Engine shutting off, WHILE DRIVING, a good 8 times the rest of the day, one of which we were in the middle of nowhere, checking out Bridal Veil Falls, just south of Raglan. Eventually, after it seemed like hundreds of van pushing and pulling, we made it to a local mechanic who figured out Veronica's (the van) problem. People here are so nice here! We had a man see us struggling, pull over on the side and lend us a hand, a farmer run back to his house for a set of jumper cables, and a construction worker stop what he was doing and tow us by chain to the mechanic 3k's up a hill. Man were we lucky..

REGARDLESS of our obstacles, Raglan was beautiful!! The Bridal Veil Falls was unlike anything I had seen before, thick water rushing down and gathering in a narrow gully (just like the movies). And again, these pictures I have barely show what they look like in actuality. It is unreal! Really! Not trying to be cheesy!

Well we camped the night at this lookout, and woke up with a glass of hot tea that we warmed up on the camp stove (that came with the van) and the sunrise over the mountain. We explored around Whale Bay and then back around the city again, stopping once to make some scrambled eggs and toast. After, we got Veronica on the way again down highway 29, back to Hamilton and our university. After all, it was Wednesday, and I did have a tutorial at 4pm! haha

But we made it back safe and sound and I talked to Kristi and Dylan and looks like we are headed back out there for the weekend!! And the waves are supposed to pick up as well! :)

Until later,
JiLL

City Livin'

So yesterday I hopped on a bus with other international students for a day trip to Auckland. We stopped a long the way to explore "one tree hill", no not the tv show, but a large hill that is made up of multiple volcanic cones. It was rainy and windy (whats new) and we were barely able to hold our footing at the top. But the view was amazing. I don't know why, but it reminded me of Ireland even though I haven't been there before (just from the movies and friends' pictures i guess). Then we headed into the city and made it there at about 1 o clock. And the tour was retarded because the bus planned on leaving at 3pm back to little old Hamilton. My good friends Dylan, Dan, and Kristi were up here as well for the All Blacks (New Zealand's pro rugby team) game just outside of the city, but I didn't get a ticket in time, nor did i have the money to try to scalp one at the entrance. Luckily i met some pretty sweet kids to hang out with and stay for the remainder of the day. Their names were Grant, Alex (Germany), and Simone (Netherlands). They too were trying to stay the night in the city. Well from then on, everything fell into place. I got up with Kristi and they said they had enough room for me to camp out with them in the van and hang out after the game, Grant and Alex also had tickets to the game, but Simone had the same intentions as me and just wanted to explore and hang out in the city! Throughout the day, we wandered up and down Weseley and Queen Street, around the harbour, through Victoria Park (hung out in the trees, literally), went to see Harry Potter 6 in the IMAX theatre, and grab a few beers at some sweet-as pubs! Later on, Simone met back up with Alex and Grant, as for I met up with my friends! There seems to be a lot of irish pubs everywhere, because thats all we managed to find, with live music, guiness on draft, and tons of adults deckked out in black celebrating the All Black's victory. I spent my first official night in veronica (the van). And it wasn't bad AT all, minus the fact that I didn't come prepared with a sleeping bag. But i just ordered one off of Trademe.co.az which is like thier ebay for mad cheap! It will definately come in handy these next couple of months. Ew.. back to school tomorrow. Actually managed to go to the library and do all my reading today, so I should be set. But we are heading over to Raglan beach on Tuesday after my class and staying the night I suppose bc we don't have class until the afternoon on Wednesday, which is super convenient! Surf is supposed to be good too! And I'll get to take out my new boardd! woop woop! :) Nite yall!

Fluro party and semi-normal UNI life

So... everything has been going well. Papers (classes) are very similar to those in America. One thing I've noticed here though is that all of the students have very specific and interesting majors. Unlike the common answers I'm used to at our university's, "oh buisness management and accounting, etc." The kiwis, for the most part, are a little more creative with their career choice. I wish I could give you an example, but can't really remember the responses they had off the top of my head. Another cool thing about their program is that they do not require students to take basic studies classes. That is exactly what they spend their last years of high school completing and by college they are able to spend the complete 4 years in the direction and advancement of their degree. Which is pretty cool. I went to class yesterday and found out that they are changing it to an online course because the only professor apt to teach it, recently moved to the south island and has no other choice but to teach it over the internet. But that frees up my schedule for real. haha it's ridiculous. I have 2 classes monday, one class on tuesdays, wednesdays, and thursdays. And no class friday. So freaking easy. Let me remind you that I'm the girl who normally crams in 16-18 hours a semester, tackles 2-3 jobs, and finds time to go to the gym, go for a run, or get a surf session in, as well as go out at night. Its sweet though. Didn't think I would be able to handle it quite well at first, but my friends dylan and dan bought a sweet-as van so we'll definately take day and over night trips exploring this beautiful place! Not to mention surf!! I am dying to take this baby out!
Back to my stories... Last night tons of kids got dressed up to go into town for the Fluro party (NEON) at Bar 101. There is no doubt I Jumped on that opportunity!! haha, I freakin love bright colors. I have plenty of neon wear and accessories, and man if I had my costume bag back home, I would have been insanely decked out! haha. Anyways it was a blast! My friends Jess and Carl had packs of glow sticks and Hannah and Hayley bought neon face paint so we were all set! We even cut the glow sticks and flicked them all over our shirts. Don't worry its non-toxic! haha, but it was the best nite so far in Hamilton! I'm gonna shower and get ready for our "awesome" dinner! yuck. whatever... Wish Dlo and Jarrod could cook for me here! ahh anyways I'll catch up with you all later! <3

and UNI begins...

First of all, the high schools over here are called college, their college is called 'university', their courses are called 'papers', their soda is called 'fizzy', candy is called 'lollies', jackets- jumper, flip flops- jandles, sunglasses-sunnies, oh and I could go on and on! Some of the terms they use are so weird. Classes started Monday and so far they seem pretty cool and not too strenuous. I've met tons of people and having trouble keeping all their names straight. Just like freshman year all over again. But its still sweet as! I also noticed they add '-as' to everything. cool-as, sweet-as, mean-as, sick-as, and not to be pronounced like ass. Its pretty cool-as, u think?


A few days ago, we watched a New Zealand film called "Eagle vs. Shark"; which is HILARIOUS by the way. Almost resembles a New Zealand version of Napoleon Dynamite. Even Jermaine from Flight of the Concords is in it! If you can find it in the states, you all definitely need to check it out. Anyways one scene reminded some kiwis of this human size hampster wheel that they have at lots of the public playgrounds around the area. So yesterday after classes we drove up there and tested it out. Dude it was sick-as! Haha I'll put up a picture! Man the kiwi children are spoiled thats for sure. They have a million different seesaws and flying foxes (zip lines). Wish I could have grown up with those parks. Not too much is new. Just bought my books today and I'm going up to Aukland for the day Saturday which should be fun! I don't have class until 2pm tomorrow, but im so sleepy so I'm gonna crash! Nite kids xox

Sweet-as!

Classes or as they call them 'papers' start tomorrow morning. I'm actually kind of excited to see the difference in teaching strategies over here! Almost all of the kiwis are back which is pretty sweet-as! They are awesome and wickedly nice! haha, sorry I'm trying to add in any slang I pick up. Yesterday, me and my friends Dylan, Dan, and Kristi rented a car and drove to Tauranga cool little town on the east coast. The original intention of the trip was to go to a car auction at this Turner dealership. The guys have been checking out these sweet
hippie/fully-loaded (camp supplies, bed, stove, etc) vans to buy for their time here to take cross country around the island. Unlike most of the Americans and international students, we are the only ones that seem to be attracted more to the beauty of the country: the mountains, endless shores, natural waterfalls, hot springs, rather than the touristy and over rated Rotorua (home of zorbing, bungey jumping, and caving). Don't get me wrong now, these sport(not plural in NZ, don't worry I'm not retarded) seem super bad ass and cool, but I'd rather get out there and travel up and down the coasts, and off-road!
Okay sorry I trailed a bit off topic, however verdict is that neither one of those vans worked or even turned on, which would be a problem! haha. But we made an adventure out of the drive, grabbed lunch in town at this cool local cafe called Gusto's, stopped in a few surf shops, and hiked up Mt. Manunganui. Not to mention I was able to find a surf board!! Ah it is so nice! Brand new, 5'10, tri-fin, slight fish! So excited now! Definitely need to make it up to Raglan Beach, for sure soon to operate a little test shreddage! So excitedd.
The beach there was awesome! Just imagine you walking on the beach, squishing sand between your big and index toe, while effortlessly scooping up pristine conch and clam shells. Although it was a bit rainy and cloudy, it was amazing and definitely great to make it to the coast and get out of Hamilton! I'm actually exhausted and can't keep my eyes open any longer so I've got to go. I'll update you all on the rest tomorrow if I get a chance!

nite..

weather forecast: rain, rain, rain...

In the winter thats all it seems to do here. RAIN! I still only have about half of my clothes so I have been trying to reuse and dry everything I have here. Its also the Kiwi's holiday between semesters so most of them are home right now. The dorms are swarmed with international students, so i can't wait til the locals come back. Dorm is kinda nice and quiet right now, but I can't wait for the crazy kiwis to come back. Food here is gross and barely edible. lol for instance i grabbed the supposively "chicken cordon bleu" and it was nearly impossible to cut through. Should have called it a hockey put. The eggs are made from a powder. They don't have juice. Need I say more. But I'm making it by. Its like freshman year all over again living in the dorms but probably the best way to meet people! Can't complain about the people thou. Everyone here is pretty sweet! I love love love the lingo too. I actually have to run (literally). Just drank 2 cups of coffee so im wired. But I'm organizing a trip to take the bus into town today after lunch so that should be pretty sweet-as! I'll let u know how that goes

laterrr

Goodbye America

Im sitting on the floor in the airport waiting for my name to be called either in French or English. Hopefully they decide to go the American way with this. Good thing is that I’m already exhausted. Marissa tired me out for sure. Today we drove up the coast through Dana, Laguna, Newport, Huntington, and all the way up to Venice Beach. We took a break in Laguna and walked around to an awesome surf shop called Thalia. Also stopped in an art gallery next door and checked out some sweet ocean photographs! Ended up buying the California Surf Tour book with photographs of the swell all the way up the coast. Its also signed which is pretty sweet! We stopped in a smoothie bar and bakery and I tried some coconut water that I had heard about once before and it was delicious! I think it was called VICO?! You all should try it if you get a chance. Then we hopped back on the road again and headed up to Venice Beach to meet up with Jen Magicarpe, one of Marissa’s friend and Thomas’s sister. We grabbed and early dinner at the sweet outdoor Italian restaurant and then walked up the boardwalk to take a look at the constant freakshow. Its like a circus out there, people break dancing with chairs, men running around in tiny speedos, rollerbladers winding through the crouds, medical marijuana prescription diagnosis , and little groms shredding the cement path on their skateboards. It gave us a laugh for sure! People are crazy though. I have to pack this little laptop up because they starting to board the plane! But I love everyone and will see your beautiful faces again in November! Adios America! Happy fourth of July!

A stop along the wayyy

So I'm relaxing on Marissa's porch in San Clemente, California, sipping on a glass of red wine and soaking up the refreshing west coast ocean breeze right now. Couldn't ask for anything more! I mean come on! Already missing all my kids back home! Aka my friends, dont worry guys Im not preg-o. haha. but i'm sure u all know that. Getting ready for a Roxy surf video premiere viewing in about a half an hour and I'm stokked. Food here is amazing and all pretty healthy, which u all know I'm all about! Went surfing today, wasn't too great, but It was sweet to get out and experience the west coastt swell. Its freezing out here, well at least compared to good old wilmington. The water and the air really cool down at night! I gotta run off to my next adventure, but I'll catch up with u later!

much loveee,

Jilllllll