Falepalagi

Little Samoan language lesson: Fale (fah-lay) means house or building. Palagi (pa-lah-ngee) refers to white folks like us. So here's a photo of our fale and three of the four palagis that live there.

Now, in this "adjustment period" I've made just a few observations of our new surroundings. I'll share some with you:

First, currency circulation. We use American money in American Samoa. But since the currency doesn't frequently have the chance to enter or exit the island, our bills and coins become overused, wilty, flimsy, dingy...you know, yucky. They really need to be retired, but who's going to throw away money? What is to be done about the poor monitary circulation? So we'll just keep passing it around and washing our hands a lot.

Next, addresses. Believe it or not, but there are no house numbers and no street names. People who get mail have P.O. boxes. So, it's new challenge for Mapquest. Not to mention the pizza delivery guy.

Next, moisturizing. My hands have never felt softer. No more cracked bleeding knuckles of my BYU days. And my hair stays moist for hours. I suppose 80% humidity is good for something.

Next, smoking. There's lots of it. The anti-tobacco campaign just hasn't reached us yet. People even smoke in the bus! In Oregon they don’t even like it if you smoke outside at the bus stop. I remember a rare bumpersticker plastered on an old minivan in Newport, OR: “At least I can still smoke in my car!” Pack your bags, minivan, you're welcome here.

Finally, cost of living. Are things more expensive in AS? Well, that depends. Many things are more expensive because they have to be shipped in. Gas is about $3.15-3.50 a gallon. Cold milk is about $8 a gallon. (We maintain our cereal addiction with long shelf-life milk that only needs refrigeration once it's been opened. It's about $4 a gallon and tastes surprisingly sweet.) Cars are subject to a 10% tax when imported, so that hikes the cost by about $3000.

Some foods are locally grown and less expensive than in the states, like coconuts, bananas, papayas, and taro. They’re cheap as free if you pick up from your tree. (Taro doesn’t grow on trees--it’s a tuber). At the roadside stand I paid $1 for each of these items: one husked coconut, one hand of 20 minibananas, one papaya, and 3 taro roots. But that could’ve been palagi price.

There are many import shops with cheap Chinese and Korean goods. Like a pair of Nikes for $5, or a babydoll whose hair and arms fall off instantaneously. These stores are good if you need a new set of chopsticks or clever Asian clothespins. Or kimchee.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for more observations from us here at 170 West, 14 South.