O le 'Aiga Tele

I have to say that one of the greatest gifts my parents gave me was letting me grow up with siblings. Lots of siblings actually. There are ten of us. Nine girls and one boy.

This picture is of Jan's wedding in 2004. The living girls from shortest to tallest (with shoes), Jan, Rachel, Katie, Shellie, Marcie, Jill, Melinda, and Stephanie. I love this picture because it shows how similar we are in body shape and facial expression, but different in style and manner. It amazing to be uniquely connected to each other in very being.

For Christmas, we all received copies of old home movies on DVD, and as we've watched them we've laughed, cried, (fought motion sickness), and remembered those precious years of growing and goofiness in the Fillmore house.

And the growing and goofiness has not ceased in our adulthood. No, it's been mulitplied as our kids show how uncannily they are just like we were.


As a mother I love seeing Ella help Isaac put on his shoes. And when Isaac is asked what his name is, he says "Ella". I'm starting to understand how pleased my mom must've felt when we all got along. And how she still feels now that we're all older and FRIENDS.

My brother in law Ken shared his feeling for his large family in his latest post. I'll also mention that Ken's blog was the first blog I ever read, and remains my favorite.

Twees It Out

I've got a dilemma. I can't exercise like i used to. There's a long list of reasons. Good reasons. Like high temperatures and humidity between the hours of 8 am-5 pm. And like packs of wild dogs that chase anything moving faster than a snail. Then there's always complaining children, dirty dishes, dinner to be made, etc.

So I've made some new friends that help me workout right in my own room. Billy and Shellie Blanks. I'm told they're father and daughter, although they really don't resemble each other very much. What do you think? I like to do TaeBo because I like the kicking, punching, sit ups, etc. I've gotten past the embarrassment of working out in front of a screen. (Although I do draw my curtains. No audience, please.) Ella likes to put on her swimsuit and running shoes to exercise with me. She does pretty well, except when we do floor exercises and she climbs on my back. I hate that.

One rant (of many) about Billy, he starts you out on a crazy hard move, says "One more set" and then leaves you stranded when stands up and starts preaching: "Get your blood 'circalated' now" and "Hold those abs tight girls, be smart, be strong! I do 1000 of these a day, c'mon! Now double!" meanwhile you're about to die on the floor kicking your leg above your head for the 89th time. I hate that, too.

I grew up with Jane Fonda. My sisters reading this will remember following Jane with her poofy hair and electric blue bodysuit (with a belt) as she grapevined and cha-cha changed around the room. We used canned corn and ketchup bottles as weights, and brought out our tattered towels for the floor exercises. "Low impact, just follow Jeannie." "Reach, pull, reach, pull, reach, pull, and pull." I tried doing this workout video when I was at mom's house last year. It was too much. Too ...yikes, what's the word? Schmarmy, creepy in an 80's nostalgic kind of way. I couldn't finish it.

I really don't like workout videos. I'd so much rather run down the street, hike up a mountain, swim laps at the pool, toss coconuts, or do ANYTHING else (except get chased by dogs, obviously). But in a pinch, it gets my heart rate up and gives me a good sweat while Jr. naps in the next room.

So until I have full deciding power over the hours of my day again, I guess I'm just going to have keep movin' my buttweesimo in my room with my curtains drawn. Any recommendations?

P.S. I wouldn't mind working out with Homestar. He wouldn't make me do push-ups.

End of the Internet

Wow! I did it! Have you ever reached this page? And I thought the internet was infinite. Kinda makes you want to...go read a book, for pete's sake.

Falema'i : "House of Illness"

We knew before we came that American Samoa doesn't have the best reputation for health care. That's why a nice portion of our check continues to go to a health insurance policy we never use, in Hawaii.

Well now our Governor has experienced the perils of LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital) first hand. On Sunday Jan. 6th, Gov. Togiola Tulafono underwent an appendectomy. Before the surgery they gave him a medication he was allegeric to, so he had an allergic reaction. Despite "complications" they said he was recovering well and planned to stay on-island.

But then on Wednesday the 16th, the Governor was evacuated to Honolulu and was immediately admitted to Tripler Army Medical Center where "he remains under observation in guarded condition."

Law makers now are debating liscensing requirements for medical doctors on the island. Apparently some physicians are hired and allowed to practice without passing the exam or residency requirements (i.e. illegally).

We'll see what happens. Meanwhile we pray daily to stay in good health... and far away from the hospital.

Satisfaction

"Brothers and sisters , Mrs. and Mr.'s, Here's your daddy-O with the sounds to go. No shuckin' no jivin', you're music's arrivin'. Heavy... yeah, outta sighteous." (Morgan Freeman, The Electric Company)

Kids just naturally got the groove, huh. Isaac pushes random buttons on the keyboard and comes up with the funniest beats, rhythms, tunes, sounds, and dances. Quite an entertainer.

As you watch this, pretend the pink tinting is a rockin' special effect for the music video, not our camera showing signs of old age.

Samoa News

In a place this small, it seems everytime you read the newspaper, you recognize somebody. On Saturday Jan 5, we were those "somebodies". Samoa News

Mt. Alava

Last Saturday we hiked Mt. Alava. We started at the saddle between Pago and Fagasa. It was a great hike. Long, muddy, thirsty, lugging back-breaking sleepy kids. We were rewarded with the excellent view showing us how small our island is.

Now pretend you're at the top of the mountain. Looking left to right, east to west, this is what you see.
That's Mt. Rainmaker above.



Samoan villages are generally small. The picture above shows Utulei on the left and Fagatogo on the right. Utulei contains the sewage treatment plant, BP fuel plant, public library, Samoana High School, and the two tallest buildings on the island: the government office building and the bank. Fagatogo has the port, the post office, the Fono (where the legislature meets), and the farmer's market. The Governor's mansion is the white building on the hill right between the two villages. The picture below shows the tallest peak on the island, Matafao.


The circle shows where we started. We went all along that ridge. The village snaking into the valley is Pago Pago.

This was also at the top.
As with many maintained trails, there was a logbook in a tupperware container for us to sign. We ran into the park superintendent at a lunch a week later and they remember seeing our entry and being impressed. Not that we did anything spectacular, they hike up almost every week.


All that derelict equipment was once a winch used for winching. Melinda heard that it used to carry a trolley across Pago Pago Harbor. Check out this link for more info.