Spring Break in Oz

Oh to be in Australia! It's a place that I had always dreamt about visiting. I can not believe that I was actually there for a whole week. Now, I know, a week is not a long time to visit such a huge country but I had a great trip with my mom.



First we spent a couple days in Sydney. A big city that I have always wanted to visit. It looked spectacular in pictures and it certainly help up in person but something about the place didn't feel right. After visiting some big cities in New Zealand over winter break and now Sydney last week, I'm starting to think that my love for big cities may be ending. You may be thinking, how could that be? I did live in New York City for almost a decade. But I did leave New York City for a reason as well. Maybe this was one of the reasons. Perhaps I'm not the big city gal that I thought I was. Sydney felt too big. There was too many people. Too many things to do and see. Too many cars. I know i know, I'm living on a tiny tiny island so it's natural that I would be overwhelmed by a big city. Still, I wonder what this means for when I finally return to the states permanently.





After a couple of days in Sydney, we took a flight up to Cairns, rented a car and drove to a cute beach side town called Palm Cove. We settled in there for a couple of days of Rainforest's and Reef. It was much hotter up North, thank god, because the cold of Sydney did not make me happy (I know another effect of living on this island,) and we were able to visit some amazing sites. The Great Barrier Reef was so cool. Mom let me go Scuba Diving which was a real thrill. It was sooo cool to go down deep in the ocean and explore the coral and fish.



We also spent time exploring the Wet Tropical Rainforest's of Queensland. That was very cool as we got to see forests filled with beautiful and wildlife. And so many cool waterfalls. Another great treat in this awesome vacation.



One of the best parts of the trip was being able to eat so many different types of food. The variety of food options in American Samoa is quite limited but in Australia I was able to enjoy Greek, Italian, Seafood, Indian, Sushi, Gourmet Salads and so much more. I could have ate my way through the whole trip. Actually, I think I did, much to mom's chagrin.

It was a great week and I could not have been happier to have spent it with my mother. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a Momma's boy. Its been 8 long months since I've been able to be with her face to face. Of course, we do talk on the phone quite often but it just isn't the same as being in the same room as her. Anytime spent with Beachbum is a grand ole time.


Thanks to the best mother a boy could ask for fulfilling a lifelong dream and sharing in the adventure of a lifetime.

Back from Australia

More to come later this week, but I am back from my week in Australia with my mom. It was a jam packed week of activities and it was a great time. We went to Sydney and Cairns. We saw the Opera House, The Great Barrier Reef, The Tropical Rainforests and so much more. I'm grateful to have a mother who is willing to travel more than halfway around the earth to spend quality time with her son. Thank you Mother!

Almost

Just a week and a half more of school, a week of SAT Prep class, sitting for the Praxis Exam, a couple flights and then I get to spend a whole week in Australia with MY MOM!!!!!

Spring Break 2011 here I come!!!!!!! Can't wait to spend a week with Beachbum in the land down under.

To Stay or To Go

That is the question.



Reasons to stay:

To continue the experience of a lifetime.
To gain additional job experience in the field for the future.
I've made some lifelong great friends.
To continue learning about myself as an individual person.
Summer all year round!
To strengthen the impact that I'm already having on the students of American Samoa.
Relative easy in which I'm able to go with the flow.
To be able to assist another group of volunteers with their experience.
To learn more about helping the educational process of a developing country (or territory).
Being able to visit stunning beaches and waterfalls with relative ease.
I think I'm finally starting to tan!



Reasons to go:

I miss my family and friends terribly!!!!!!!!
The lack of vegetarian food options is frustrating.
Another year away from my family!!!!!!!!!!
Sometimes it is just too hot.
Difficulty in learning the language.
Difficulty in adapting to the Samoan way of life.
Feeling unappreciated.
Living with all the ants and termites and insects that come with a tropical island.
The time difference between here and the East Coast can be annoying.
Need to make more money.
Can I really handle missing another year of birthdays and holidays?



And I'm sure there are more....

My House

Thanks to Gregs visit, I was able to take some pictures of my house and village so you all can see where I live.

I live in the village of Mesepa.

This is the outside of my apartment. Doesn't it look glamorous?

This is the church across the street which is in session every evening. EVERY evening. And they like to sing. LOUDLY. But I like it now.

This is the view behind my apartment. Not too shabby, eh?

A visit from Greggles!

Having a visitor was great. My dearest friend Greg came to visit me from DC last weekend. Not only was it so special to see someone that I miss a lot but to be able to share part of this crazy experience with someone else meant a lot to me.



I'm not sure Greg understands why this place appeals to me so much but I was able to show him a couple of reasons why this place is so beautiful. Going to the Nu'uuli Waterfalls, Tisa's beach and Fagatele Bay was a great introduction to life in American Samoa. If only it hadnt rained so much we would have been able to see so much more. But it is rainy season, so what else can you expect.



if anyone else wants to come and play with me here in Samoa, I'd be more than happy to show you around. As Greg can attest, it is hot and humid, things move very slowly here, the food could be better but there is enough generosity to fill a thousand hearts.



Thanks Greg! Hope to see you in Samoa again soon!

We All Have Our Doubts

I began writing this post last Friday after finishing the worst week of my whole experience so far. So much happened at school that I was not able to handle everything that I was feeling. Students were being disrespectful, unappreciative, lazy and just plain rude. I started to doubt my abilities as a teacher and educator. I came here for a specific reason to provide education to a place in this world that needs it, but what if the students don't want it? What can you do then?

And so I struggled. A lot. I mean, it's not everyday that stones/rocks are thrown at you by your students. It's not everyday that a student laughs in your face when you try to reprimand them. It's not everyday that students say "F*ck you!" But maybe it is....

Perhaps, my high school experience was too privileged for me to understand that there are a lot of schools stateside that do experience these problems. Damn UHS and DSOA! They didn't prepare me for the reality of a real "American" high school. How was I supposed to know that students usually talk back to their teachers..? Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for my high school experience, but it solidifies my feeling that I would not want to teach at a school like the ones I attended. That would be too easy.

But don't get me wrong, I wanted to run for the hills on Friday. I had had it. But thanks to the wonderful support of family and friends and my fellow volunteers, I pulled my chin up and decided to try and wipe the slate clean. I was going to write awesome lesson plans for this week and take my students by storm. And so I am. I will teach these students for the remainder of the year, whether they like it or not. And deep down, I know that a lot of kids actually like it. They really really like. And that feels good.