Doings in Vailoa

Trip Start May 12, 2006

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Samoa Western Vailoa, Samoa Western
Monday, October 16, 2006

It has been a few busy weeks in Vailoa. We started the month with the dedication on the falekomiti. This is the meeting house for the Women's Committee. The women's Committee is made up of all the wives in the village. They have responsibility for some of the village upkeep, production of fine mats and tapa cloth for gifts on special occasions, making food for special events and any affairs that mainly affect the women of the village. The unmarried women also have representation on the women's committee but not as much status. Anyway, the falekomiti is a new building erected with funds from the EU. It has a very nice kitchen, an air conditioned computer room with 5 computers and the internet, a room with a first aid cupboard where the visiting nurses can have clinics and a large open area in the front for meetings. The Prime Minister came for the dedication ceremony as did a representative of the EU and the Ministry of Communication, who provided the computers. There were speeches, a nice meal and the presenting of presents to the visiting dignitaries. Presents on occasions like this, as well as weddings, building project meetings and many other get togethers, consist of boxes of tinned fish, tinned meat, fine woven mats (sometimes very large), tapa cloth (made from tree bark and printed with a design), pigs, cows, fish and money. The falekomiti was decorated with flags and flowers and there was a ribbon cutting ceremony. The whole thing was very nice and got good TV coverage.

The following Sunday was White Sunday.

Fale Komiti

This is a day to celebrate and honor children. The church serves, morning and afternoon, were taken up with songs and skits preformed by the various Sunday school classes and the youth group. We attended the CCCS (Congregational Church) that our family belongs to. After the morning service there was a big family meal where the children got served first. All in all, another very enjoyable day.

A few days later it was time for the Palolo worms to appear. These are a sea worm that spawn near the reefs at a certain time of year. I don't know how variable it is but this year it is just after the full moon in October and in November. The worms look kind of like Chinese thread noodles and are eaten saut�ed in butter I have heard. It seems that the numbers were very low this year, at least in our area. Some people caught worms but we didn't get a chance to try them, darn. There was a lot of activity getting boats ready for the big day. We saw one of our neighbors fixing a crack in his canoe by drilling small holes along either side and then laced the crack closed. Next he glued wooden dowels in the holes to seal them. Ray has been learning lots about the different types of canoes, their parts and use. We found that one of the matai in the village is a master canoe builder. Ray hopes to buy a canoe one of these days and reintroduce the lost art of sailing canoes.

Now it is Sunday morning after church. The three open fales near our house are taken up with Sunday meetings. There is a meeting of the untitled men in the fale to the left of our house, the women are in the fale in front and the matai are in the fale to the right. They meet every Sunday after church to discuss activities for the next week, happenings of the last week and any problems that have come up. Our village is divided up into four neighborhoods and each neighborhood has similar meetings on Sunday mornings. Each neighborhood can thus disperse information and solve problems before they get out of hand. Any problems that can't be solved can be brought to the attention of the matais of the whole village and the pulenu'u (mayor). Problems are usually solved by imposing a fine of money, tinned fish and meat, fine mats and cows and/or pigs. If the problem persists the matai can force the troublemaker to leave the village. This seldom happens because everyone tries to live together peaceably.

Oh yeah, the fishermen caught a really big sea turtle and had it in the bathing pool for a few days. Unfortunately, I just saw it heading to the pastor's house from one of the nearby ovens. And we got a refrigerator!!! We are renting it from Tulipe's mother. It is a dorm size one but it is just right for us and almost brand new.