Internet, Food, and More

Its been a slow past few days in terms of our research as we wait for our consent forms to be translated into Samoan. In addition, I struggled with the American Samoan Telecommunications Authority (ASTCA) to speed along the process of getting DSL for our house (we've just been "borrowing" wireless from our neighbor). Yesteray, the crew came out to our house and got both the phone and DSL modem working. However, as soon as they left and I plugged in the wireless router, the internet stopped working. Just my luck.

In the meantime, we've done some laundry and more food shopping. Really exciting stuff. In terms of food, the island gets a suprisingly good stock of groceries. We shop both at KS Mart (a normal supermarket) and Cost U Less (a rip-off of Costco), both of which are located down the street. The only real difference between food here and in the states is the lackluster selection of fresh food. But we've managed to find more than enough veggies to get by. The selection of restaurants is really disappointing, dominated by fast food and cheap Asian cuisine. There are a few seafood places that I'm excited to try out, but otherwise I think we'll end up eating in most of the time.

Yesterday, we returned to Sliding Rock to take in the powerful surf and wade on the rocky beaches. We even started a house shell collection. Today, despite the rain, we drove out to the National Park of American Samoa on the island's northern coast to check out the beautiful scenery. While we did't really stop to look around much, there are a buch of hiking trails that we'll have to return to later in the summer. We also got a beautiful view of Tutuila's northern coast.

We ended the afternoon by stopping at Tisa's, where we tried Candyman's legendary Pina Coladas (they were every bit as good as I hoped for). The water was a little rough for swimming, but we sat and talked with Candyman for a while, and he gave us a map and some suggestions on things to do while we are here. We also signed up for Tisa's Polynesian feast this Wednesday night - supposedely some of the best local food on the island. We're all very excited for the meal.

Hopefully the coming week will be a fruitful one in terms of our research. With all four of us now settled in and Professor McGarvey gone, we are all ready for the actual data collection to begin as soon as possible.

The middle of nowhere

This afternoon, we decided to take a break from our research and go out to see some of the island.  "I want to go there," Gabe stated as he pointed out a spot he had found nearby on Google Earth (see photo to the right).  There appeared to be a road that got somewhere close to the beaches he was talking about, so we decided to go on an adventure.  We hopped in our Mitsubishi Outlander and drove in the right general direction, eventually finding the unmarked road that supposedly led to the coast.  We drove down the increasingly rugged road until we reached a locked gate.

We turned off the car and got out to look for a way to keep going.  We found a Samoan woman clearing some brush with a machete who yelled for a child to come and get us the key.  While we waited, she tried to converse with us in broken English.  She asked if we had 4-wheel drive.  We didn't, but we told her that our crossover SUV would be fine. Once the gate was open, we thanked both her and the child and were on our way.

She wasn't kidding about needing 4-wheel drive.  The dirt road was very erroded and rough, but we managed to make it to the where the road ended and the walking paths began.  We hiked through rows of coconut and banana trees to a clearing that gave us a brilliant view of Fagatele Bay, a volcanic crater.  The waves crashed against the cliffs and shot more than 20 feet up in the air.  After staring in awe for a while, we headed back down the trail to go down to the beach.

The sky opened up in rain as we walked, but by the time we got back to the car, we decided that, because we were already wet, we would just drop our gear off and go to the beach anyway.  As we hiked down the steep hillside, the rainforest closed in on us making it darker and darker.  As we neared the water, we reached a set of wooden steps that took us down to the small beach.

The beach was no more than 20 yards long and looked out onto Fagatele bay.  It was high tide, as evidenced by the powerful 4-foot waves that washed right up to the top of the sand.  We left our shoes on the stairs and waded into the ocean, the rain still pouring down on us.  The four of us were the only ones around, and we just bobbed upand down in the waves and took in the scenery around us.  In front of us, the turbulent blue ocean; behind us, a steep wall of dense green rainforest.  It was very much a  "Wow, I really am in the middle of nowhere!" moment. 

As we swam the rain let up.  Kirstin was quick to point out a flying fox directly above us.  As we gazed up at the sky, we noticed more and more of the bats emerging from the trees above us.  Within minutes, there were hundreds upon hundreds of bats circling the skies.  There is no way I can translate the experience into words, but it made me so happy and excited to be in this wonderous and secluded place for the summer.

My dad said to me earlier today, "Your pictures look so beautiful, why aren't there any resorts or tourists there?"  To be honest, plopping a resort down on the shore would take away from places like the little beach on Fagatele bay.  The remoteness and the lack of human impact on the is what made our experience so incredible.  As we hiked back up the hill and drove home, we agreed that we all hoped to find many more places like this one throughout the summer.

Interesting Tidbits

Since the past few days have been mainly filled with research-related tasks and activities, I haven't had much interesting material to write about.  Everything with the research is going great, and we think we might have a group of four young Samoan researchers who are interested in working with us on the project (we need translators).  However, I thought this would be a good opportunity to write up a few "interesting tidbits" on American Samoa and Samoan culture that I have observed so far.  So in no particular order: 

• There is no such thing as a short conversation.  Even quick meetings end up taking a long time and discussion can easily extend on tangents.
• Everyone sits or everyone stands.  It is very rude to stand up and talk to someone who is seated.
• A smile begets a smile.  When driving around the island, especially in more rural areas, it is almost expected that you wave at pedestrians as you drive by and they back at you.  It really does prove the friendliness of Samoan culture.
• The only billboards are public health announcements.  I know it seems weird, but this really is true.  Every single billboard is from the Department of Health, offering some message to Samoans.  For example, "School sucks. But having a baby sucks even more."
• Non-Samoans cannot own land.  Even US citizens must rent.  Probably a good move on the part of American Samoa to prevent a total culture invasion.
• There are no traffic lights.  I guess they figure that with only one major road and an island-wide speed limit of 25mph, they're just not necessary.  However, the first traffic circle was actually just installed 2 days ago.
• There are no street addresses.  The checks for our research funds actually say "Behind the golf course" as our valid address.

Research and Western Tutuila

Yesterday was a very productive day for our research, as we got a lot of the preparatory work going that is necessary before we actually meet any of the children.  We even did some shopping for supplies to keep us organized.

In the late afternoon, "Tour Guide Steve" (Professor McGarvey) took us out on an adventure to the western part of the island, including the villages of Leone, Vailoa, and Vaitogi.  This area was stunningly beautiful, though very different from the Eastern rural district.  Vailoa (picture shown) had an open field in the village center surrounded by many fale (open huts).

The coastline was also very different and pretty (especially in the late-afternoon lighting).  The beaches were mixed with black, volcanic stone weathered into wonderful shapes by the powerful surf.  We walked around at Sliding Rock, a beautiful beach area with awesome lava-rock formations and mesmerizing waves.

After relaxing at Sliding Rock for a while, we hopped back in the car and headed to Vaitoga, another village on the southwest side of the island.  Here, the black rock beaches formed cliffs above the water.  The surf, in all its power and glory, slammed into the cliffs and sent water shooting into the air.  The irregularity of these water sprays led us to stand stupidly with our cameras waiting to catch a picture at just the right moment.  You can see one of these on the left.  The afternoon just confirmed Tutuila's natural geologic beauty.

We returened home as the sun set.  After dinner, we returned to the airport to pick up Kirstin, the third member of our research team.  With the work week starting up again, we are about to head out to a second meeting to further our work.

A closer look at Tutuila

Yesterday afternoon, McGarvey once again became our tour guide as we went for a ride to the eastern side of the island (we live on the central/west side).  It was beautiful out, so I took the opportunity to take some pictures out the car window as we drove.

We wound along the main road into the center of town (Pago Pago) and then turned left onto one of the mountain pass roads that climbs into the island's core and then down to the northern coast.  The road quickly turned into switchbacks as we climbed, and the rainforest around us became denser and lusher.  At the top of the pass, a sign marked the trail head of a hiking path that led up to the top of Mt Alava (a hike that I hope to go back and do soon).  The top of the mountain pass also provided this beautiful view of the village of Fagasa on the northern coast.

After a quick drive down to Fagasa, we climbed back up and down to Pago Pago and the main road.  We turned eastward and continued toward the far end of the island.  We soon passed by the core of Tutuila's economy, the tuna canneries, and got a short taste of the overwhelming stench.  The road then wound us out of Pago Pago harbor and into the island's Eastern district.

As we left Pago Pago, the villages we passed through became more and more traditional and rural.  We waved at the villagers as we passed by and always received a warm smile and waves in return.  The coastline also became a bit more rugged and untouched, though we saw many locals taking a swim on their small, sandy beaches.  We continued our joy ride to the tip of the island before turning around.

On  our way back, we stopped for a beer and a swim at Tisa's Barefoot Bar.  The wooden, surf-shack-style bar was empty, but after a few minutes Tisa came out and warmly greeted us and joined us for conversation and a Vailima (Samoan beer).  Tisa is a very local and very outgoing and friendly character.  She bears the traditional Samoan tatoos on her upper legs and has a lifetime of experience in American Samoa to share.  She ran for governor once as a liberal, third-party candidate (mainly just to prove a point), but for now she is satisified keeping her bar sustainable and chatting with  locals and Palagi (white-skinned foreigners like myself).  Tisa and her partner, Candyman, host a Polynesian feast every Wednesday night that we hope attend in the near future.

As we conversed, a bout of rain passed by, but it cleared up, giving us the chance to take an ocean swim.  The water was incredibly warm, and we all bobbed up and down in the waves for a while before rinsing of in Tisa's freshwater shower and ordering ourselves another Vailima.  This time, we were joined by Candyman, who told us all about the food plantation he runs up on the mountainside.  He grows dozens of varieties of tarot, banana, breadfruit, and coconut, all of which he and Tisa use to prepare their Wedensday feasts.

We also heard from both Tisa and Candyman about the imminent closing of one of the two tuna canneries and the effects they thought this might have on the island.  The canneries employ many people here on temporary work permits and lots of people from western Samoa.  Many think that thousands may leave the island due to the closing, but both Tisa and Candyman noted that there were both positive and negative consequences.  As the canneries leave (the other is expected to close soon as well), Tutuila will be forced to find new means of economic income - possibly tourism, and maybe even a call center (the fiberoptic lines have already been laid to reach here!).  Both of these could make the island clean up its littering problems, but the future is definitely uncertain.  It will be interesting to get more peoples' take on the rough economic situation caused by the cannery closing throughout the summer.

As the late afternoon approached, we said our goodbyes and headed back towards our village of Ile'Ile.  As the sun was setting, we stopped for this fantastic view of Rainmaker Mountain (see right).  We again cooked ourselves some dinner and I turned in for sleep very early after a long but very fun day.

Today, Sunday, will likely be a quiet one, as most people spend the day at church and many stores are closed.  It's also turning out to be a very hot one (I began sweating before 9am!!).  Professor McGarvey, Susanna, and I will likely do some preparation work for our research project.

Day One

Today was jam-packed with meetings and errands, all the while trying to learn about my new summer home.

At 10am, Professor McGarvey, Susanna and I had a meeting with a few indivduals who may be able to help us recruit children to participate in our research.  The meeting was very successful, and we are all much more "cautiously optimistic" (as ProfessorMcGarvey put it) about our project.  However, with 3 of our fellow students yet to arrive and lots of time to go, I know that we will need to just see what happens.

We then went to a pot-luck lunch (we stopped to pick up some fresh fruit on the way) at the Tafuna Health Center, a clinic focused on primary care and prevention that Professor McGarvey has been deeply involved in since its inception.  After lunch, we had to take care of some errands, including making copies of our house key, opening bank accounts for our research funds, and attempting to get our cell phones working (we were unsuccessful on this last one and will have to try again next week).

All day, as we drove around, Professor McGarvey played tour guide and informed us about various parts of the island.  Tutuila has a single main road that passes from east to west along the island's southern coast.  The road connects the villages, all of which are set along the island's coast (due to the steep mountains in the center).  The speed limit is 25mph for the entire island, causing cars to slowly ease along as they pass between villages or from one side of the island to the other.  This slow driving speed fits in with the generally slow-paced speed of island life.

The immense beauty of the jagged mountain peaks covered by lush rainforest proves an interesting contrast to the much-less asthetically pleasing nature of most of the villages.  While today was rather busy, preventing me from taking pictures, I will be sure to take some and post them in the future.  On that note, you can find a link to my Picasa web album for the trip on the right under "Related Links."

We concluded our errand run with a trip to the grocery store, stocking up on most of the essentials and picking up some fresh vegetables for dinner.  The store is relatively well stocked, but fresh food is definitely harder to come by out here in the middle of the Pacific (meat is always frozen and canned food is very common).  We cooked our first meal and enjoyed a few glasses of Vailima, Samoa's very own beer.  Now, having successfully managed to stay up despite my body's confusion over time zones,  I think it is time to hit the hay.

Houston, the Eagle has landed

After two days of travel and over 16 hours of flight time, I am now safe and sound in American Samoa.  It feels a bit surreal, but I am extremely glad to be done traveling for the time being.

Yesterday’s flights went much smoother than the first day’s (see below).  After a 5:15am hotel wakeup call, I arrived back at LAX to catch my flight to Honolulu, Hawaii.  The Hawaiian Airlines flight was on time and surprisingly pleasant.   Five hours later, I was in Honolulu with over five hours to spare before my next flight.

I meandered around the Honolulu airport in search of something to pass the time, finally asking the advice of a lady at an information booth.  She suggested I take the bus over to the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor, a mere 3 miles away.  With my luggage conveniently checked through to Samoa, I left the airport and discovered that Honolulu has a surprisingly efficient bus system.  Within a half hour, I made it to the Pearl Harbor memorial area.  While I was unable to stay around for the next available tour of the Arizona, I did do a self-guided audio tour of the USS Bowfin.   After passing through the submarine (and gazing for a while at the massive torpedoes), I reemerged to find that it had begun to rain.  I took this as a sign that it was time to return to the airport, so I cut my adventure short and headed back to the bus stop.

Back inside the terminal, I met up with Susanna, one of the other students who will be working on the project with me.  We chatted over late lunch and a beer before heading to the gate to board the Pago Pago flight.  At the gate we met Pratima, an MPH student who will be living with us in Samoa and running Professor McGarvey’s major diabetes project.   Again, the flight took off without a hitch.  I spent the ride conversing with my neighbor , a nurse-in-training from Seattle, who was returning to Samoa to visit her family and attend her younger brother’s college graduation.

Five hours later, I caught my first glimpse of American Samoa out the airplane window – a beautiful array of lights and a few mountain tops peaking out through low-hanging clouds.  Unfortunately, I could not truly take in the entirety of the island in the darkness of 10pm, but I was satisfied with the short look I was able to get.

Exiting the airplane out into the night air, I was hit by a wave of heat and humidity.  The air had a thickness to it, and the evening breeze felt nice after so long cramped in a confined space.  I was not expecting the initial health form/inspection that followed, apparently the American Samoan government’s response to the swine flu scare.  I passed quickly through immigration, retrieved my bags in a matter of minutes, and glided through customs.  Exiting the airport, Susanna and I were met with dozens and dozens of Samoans, mostly children, eagerly awaiting the arrival of a friend or relative.  Professor McGarvey quickly spotted us and we pushed through the crowd to get to him.

We got a ride to our house in Ile’Ile (a five minute ride from the airport) from the outgoing field director whom Pratima is here to replace.  She pointed out some of the stores and attractions as we drove along, but I will need to orient myself tomorrow during daylight hours.

Our house, located in the village of Ile'Ile is a three-bedroom, one-story flat with an abundance of windows and a comfortable living room, dining room, and kitchen.  In a few weeks, there will be seven of us living here, so we will no doubt be cozy (especially due to the limiting single bathroom).  You can see the picture here that I took from the outside last night.

In addition to the muggy heat, the most defining feature of the island seemed to be its abundance of sounds.  From the clicking and whining of geckos that, as professor McGarvey puts it, “are everywhere and are very friendly because they eat bugs,” to the growling and barking of the stray and very territorial dogs that cover the island (Adam Lewin would certainly not do well here).  While we sat around our living room and drilled Professor McGarvey with questions about the island and its people, a pack of dogs noisily fought on the road just outside. 

I awoke this morning just before 6:00am from a combination of jet lag, barking dogs, and an incessant rooster nearby who cock-a-doodle-doo-ed his little heart out approximately every 10 seconds.  I am sure my early wake-up will make for a very long day, but professor McGarvey is excited to show us around the island and I am excited to start adjusting.

I have a lot more I could say, but I’ll pause for now to grab some coffee and a shower.