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Cindy's World Trip Blog

October 28, Month 5

Samoan busses rock... literally.

We have been here in Samoa long enough to feel pretty comfortable. It is easy to get around, ask questions, or take care of needs. When we want to go into town (Apia) or somewhere else, it is easiest to get a taxi from our house. But when we see the bus, we take it because it is cheaper. There doesn't seem to be a solid schedule for it and no one we have asked seems to know either. When we spot the bus it is easy to get on. Anyone can get on the bus anywhere along the route just by waving. When someone needs to get off, they signal to the driver by tapping on the window with a coin. He stops as soon as he can get over. There are places for official bus stops, but if there isn't one where someone want to get off, he simply pulls over.

The busses in Samoa are varied. Some are what we would consider traditional busses - boring. But some are so cool. They look like the cast of "pimp my ride" got a hold of them. The first day we arrived we asked our driver about these cool busses. He said that they are converted work trucks (like dump trucks). They have big wheels and metal has been welded together to make the body. Each has a great paint job with some being very artistic. If I had my way, I would ban traditional busses on the island and opt only for the cool busses. They are so full of character.

I am not sure about bus etiquette except for a few rules from observation. Rule one seems to be that all bus drivers must play loud music so that the bus sounds like a party on wheels. If it is one of the cool busses, it looks like a party on wheels too. Rule two might be not to stand up. No one seems to stand on the bus. People crowd in and magically keep making room for more people to sit. This is often accomplished by children giving up their seats and sitting on a parent's lap - even children that are much too big like Amber. Today when we took the bus a bunch of high school kids (maybe 10?) got on the bus and only one seat was left. When I turned around to see if anyone was standing because I am still testing my theory, none were standing. Magic! I don't know how some found seats, but those that did all had friends sitting on their laps. The bus driver even waits to let people sit down before he drives off. What?? I didn't know that you could be a bus driver and do this. I thought waiting for someone to sit down was against the bus driver bi-laws around the world.

Maybe the bus drivers are just being friendly. Overall Samoans could teach classes on friendliness. Even the palangi (non samoan) that have settled here seem to be especially friendly. It is the most friendly country I have ever visited. Often people smile at you when you pass and greet you with a "hello". One girl smiled and said, "God bless you," completely out of the blue. Many make conversation like asking where we are staying or where we are going when we are walking. At first questions like these made me feel defensive. I wanted to not respond or ask, "Why do you need to know?" It felt like it was a violation of privacy or safety to tell them. I soon learned that it is just a common topic. I started asking them the same questions to test out my theory. They responded without hesitation even trying to tell us specifically the village and the location in the village. Sometimes if it was a taxi driver they might even point out their house. We just don't do that in the states. We like to keep a guard on our personal information.

Another reason it has been easy to get around is because so many people speak English. I hear that even 15 years ago it wasn't as common for people to be bilingual. They could be less bilingual than I realize though. Some are really good at faking it until a more complex answer is requested of them. These "fakers" are like how I was with Spanish in Argentina and Costa Rica. Sometimes I could pick up enough of what they were saying to nod in the right spot or give a short answer, but If they REALLY tried to talk to me the gig was up.

I would be worse faking it in Samoan than Spanish because all of the words sound like nonsense to me. At least Latin based Spanish sounded like real words to my ear. A lot of the Samoan words (first names and last names too) sound the same to me with lots of vowels, f's, l's, v's, s's, t's, p's, m's, and n's. Names are particularly difficult. I can't say that remembering names in English - names that I am used to hearing - is easy for me. But remembering Samoan names? Forget it! They say their name I nod and smile realizing that their name sticking in my head about as well as a skinny kid on a water slide. It doesn't last in my brain for even an instant. At that point I just hope that I can stay out of situations that would reveal that I don't remember their name.

A similar thing happens when I hear words. I am so glad that so many people speak English. One month would never be enough to even begin learning the language. We tried going to a Samoan speaking church on our street our first Sunday. The women's meeting was first. When I walked in they were singing a familiar hymn in accapella. It was one of the most beautiful renditions of the song I had heard. Their voices were in perfect harmony and every voice had a rich quality. When the song was over, I was asked to stand and introduce myself, but I had a hard time speaking because I was choked up from the beautiful song.

The meeting was completely in Samoan, but luckily the teacher slipped in a little English here and there. The whole lesson I heard one word embedded in sentence after sentence: "Salamo." About 30 minutes into the meeting she said "we must repent... salamo."

I thought "Oh! So that is what the lesson is about." She talked and talked and then slipped in another phrase in English "we just do our best." That summarizes everything that I learned in my 3 hours of church. So in the end, when we found out that there was an English speaking congregation, we decided to go where could actually understand what was being said. It was a nice change since the 2 months previous we had been attending only Spanish speaking church. Richard understood a lot of Spanish, but the girls and I only understood what others told us was being said.

The English speaking congregation is a mix of totally Samoan families, totally not, and some families with one spouse of each. They are all so nice that it makes me want to move here... ok not really. It is a great place, but remember I am being buried in my back yard : ) I wouldn't mind them coming with me back home though. We have received many unearned acts of kindness and friendship. They have invited us to a barbecue, brought over cake, ice cream and food for Sophia's birthday and the list goes on. I can't say that in my normal life I am good at what they have don for me... reaching out to people that I know will not be around for long. I have appreciated it so much that I want to be like them.

Samoans in general are very religious people. It is tradition in villages all over for them to have a time of night that everyone goes home and has prayers or devotions. On Sunday most businesses close. We learned that the golf course near our house recently stopped opening on Sunday so that "fathers would be home with their children because they were spending too much time away from them."

The first Sunday we were here was also memorable because they had a day called "white Sunday." One woman told us that it is almost as big as Christmas. Judging from all of the hustle and bustle in town on the day before, I can believe it. It is a day when the children do programs and teach their parents from the bible. We had a car rented at that point, so we decided to go for a drive around the island. Church after church was either stuffed with people dressed in white, had people headed to church dressed in white , or people were just getting out of church dressed in ... you guessed it... white. They all looked so beautiful.

Explaining where something specific is in Samoa is tough. Like Costa Rica, there rarely are road signs. When we rented our house, the lady had her son take us so he could point out landmarks. "Go until you see the sign that advertises ______ then look for the fale that has a TV. Last, turn right after the small store." The main road that runs in front of the area we live is actually labeled with a sign, but people are so used to not using signs that they don't know where the road is. If we explain the area, however, they know the street. The first thing they want to know is what village you live in.

Each village is described by the part that is by the ocean (just say the village name) and the part that is inland towards the mountain (village name plus "Uta"). Everyone also knows where each village starts and ends. Outside of Apia this is easily accomplished by signs, but near Apia there are no signs but everyone knows where all the villages are none the less.

I may as well share that we are staying in the village of Vailoa since I tell dozens of random strangers. If you happen to be in the neighborhood and you see a family of 5 white guys walking around looking hot and sweaty, guaranteed it is us. Smile and wave.