Site

I just a short post the internet is not at it's best today. We are in Apia for the weekend and then head to our sites monday for the week. I am going to Falelima a village on the west coast of Savai'i which I am very excited about. They have some construction and water projects proposed. Hope all is well.
peace
timoteo

Some more pictures and stories

Malo-
Well I am on a little lay over ina Apia. Today is dropoff day for group 76. What that means is that we got in a vehical at 6 this morning and then after awhile the van pulled over and kicked 2 of us out. We then find our way back to the training village. My partner Jame and I were dropped about a 10 minute walk from a village where we caught a very full bus headed for Apia. After about 1o minutes the bus stopped and was not going to start again. Luckily beacuse we were the last on we got off while the driver and others were messing with it and were able to hitch a ride in a van that came by with some kids heading to school. One never knows how the public transit is going to work out. Also have some more pictures up enjoy. Time here is flying by only 4 more weeks of training.
Hope all is well
peace
Timoteo

My home in Vaie'e















I've got a nice little room in the Back corner of the fale(House) and...




















I am forced to wake up to this out my window. Life can be pretty rough some times.















Trip to visit Min. of Agriculgture research station.















Our language trainers Setu, Leata, Fale and Onofia.

Finally some pictures

Finally got a few photos up hope all is well. We head back to the village tomorrow for 3 weeks. Don't know if we will get back to town during that time so enjoy these. Also just got back from my volunteer visit on Savaii it was great and I got out to try surfing. M ore later got to get going.
peace
Timoteo
Group 76 arrives in Samoa















Fire dancer at the fiafia(welcome party) This guy was incredible!!




















This is an island off the south east of Upolo. We were down here for water safety training.















Water safty training...

Back from the Village

Well the first couple weeks in the village was pretty intense, but had to love every minute of it. So our training village is Vai'e'e. It's on the south side of the island on a lagoon. My host family is my parents, four kids 6, 5, 4, and 3 months, and my mother's sister and father. Our house is pretty new and I have my own room that is about 15 feet from high tide. I live at the east end of the village so I am a little more removed from some of the goings on but that seems to be ok (there are also less roosters to wake me up at night). Having young siblings has also allowed me a little more freedom. I don't have someone walking me everywhere which I enjoy. However it is a little harder to practice some language because the kids stayed in that wide eyed stare mode into the second week but then it was like a lever switched and they started to go off on random words.

Food has been great but I think the pisikoa are causing a drastic reduction in the village moa(chicken) population. Also fair amount of fruit, I get more rice and potatoes than taro which I am ok with. Being waited on is getting a little old though. Last night two other trainees and I took over the hotel kitchen here in Apia and made a spaghetti feed for the group which was a nice change of pace.

So language it has been the main component of training the past weeks but it is coming along and our trainers are fantastic. I also seem to be relearning and some time just learning lots of english grammar again.

So I head to Savaii wed to fri for my volunteer visit. I am excited to see the other main island and have a little change. Then it is back to the village for three more weeks.
Hope everyone has a great 4th of july and I'll try to get photos up soon.
peace
timoteo