Molars are Big

I've had a toothache for a week. On Friday I got an appointment at the dental clinic, paid my $10, and got to see the doctor. We found which tooth was giving me troubles, and he said, Okay, let's take it out. Are you ready?

I said, What? Uh, give me an hour.

So Ephraim and I went to lunch, fed baby Linus, and returned to face my destiny.

Ephraim had horrific stories about when his wisdom teeth were removed. Stories involving cutting, digging, cracking, and lots of blood. So I was really nervous, but decided to be a big girl and get it over with.

Dr. Koroi was very reassuring. Thank heavens for local anesthesia. I couldn't feel a thing. I was bracing myself for an hour of yanking, cracking, and gushing blood. To distract myself, I started reciting and pondering the Articles of Faith of our Church. There are thirteen of them--(statements of our basic beliefs).

By the time I got to number three, "We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel," the doctor was all done!

Amazing! I asked if the tooth fairy makes stops at the hospital at night, but they said no she doesn't. So I asked to take my tooth home and see if I'd have better luck there.


Wow-zer! That tooth is humongous! I'm used to my kids' itty bitty baby teeth. That monster left a huge hole in my mouth.

So today I'm sipping smoothies and potato soup. Overall, not a bad experience. For $10, I may even do it again.

Ghosts of Litter

Remember the hubbub of our school public service announcement? Well we finally got it on youtube, so you all can enjoy it. Remember, we're beginners, so be kind. We had lots of fun. Hopefully there will be a little less rubbish around our parts now.

If you love it and want to donate to Ta'iala Academy, you can go to our website here.

(I have lots of updates, for later. Sorry for blog neglect.)

34 Years

Happy birthday dear Ephraim!

We Have a Baby

...And he's cute.

We all think so. Ella made him a bracelet.

This kid is super cute. Especially when he prays for cows (?).

I think this guy is cute as well. And we let him know on Fathers Day.

And there was a fat green caterpillar in our yard. The kids thought it was cute.

the end

The Mystery of 90.1 FM

I may have mentioned before that when it comes to the radio, we basically have three choices. There's the top hits station, the Samoan hits station, and the religious station. Despite the claim to be "the only station you'll ever need", we rarely like anything playing.

And then there's 90.1. A mystery.

Why is it bizarre?

1. It doesn't broadcast all the time. And we can't figure out its schedule.

2. It has no DJ and no commercials.

3. It plays RadioFree (talk radio guys ranting about stuff) and VOA news

4. And the music it plays? Like, B-side tracks of Steely Dan, Queen, and Frank Zappa! Whoever sets the playlist is obsessed with obscure classic rock.

My questions: What listener pool in American Samoa is being targeted? Who besides us likes this stuff? You never see a 90.1 bumper sticker around the island. In a society where many people haven't even heard of the BEATLES, I'm wondering who is playing Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix? What's the deal?

We DO have a curiously covert collection of skinny old white guys with graying ponytails and funky aloha shirts quietly going about their business on the island. I bet they're all in on it. A 90.1 Club, organized to help ex-pats keep hold their teetering sanity using the comforting chords of hard rock.

I'm gonna get some answers, and I'm not leaving here til I do...even if it takes another 4 years.

In the meantime, keep on rockin', Mystery Rock'n'Roll Radio Man.

Ta'iala Academy Public Service Announcements

A few months ago at school, our director Mr. Alaiasa challenged our 5th-7th Grade class to create Public Service Announcements addressing the huge litter problem we have on our island. He arranged a partnership with American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency to publicize the end products.

In March we got to work brainstorming, writing, and editing. We selected one script to make into a 15 min short film and a few other ideas became 1 min PSA's.

In April I wrote a proposal and borrowed equipment from the handsome UH Sea Grant Agent here. We spent many Language Arts and Recess periods trotting around in costumes, staging scenes, and yelling "Action!".

In May we edited the films, added cool effects, and laughed everytime we watched it.

In June Mr Alaiasa and EPA arranged our World Premiere Red Carpet Event. What? You didn't hear about it? Well, you should have, you were invited! But if you missed it, don't worry.

Flight Night Samoa featured our Red Carpet Event. Have a look, and tell me if it's impressive. My internet is too slow to watch it right now.

The Leone High School JROTC provided the flag ceremony. My kids loved their uniforms and "guns".

Hueina Hemaloto (a.k.a. H Squared) introduced her film "The Ghosts of Litter" and represented our student body wonderfully.

Hopefully soon we can have the videos on YouTube. (But at 23 KB/sec I don't know when that will happen.)

For those tuning in locally, look for our media on Channels 10 and 13, and listen for us on the radio.

The moral of the story?

#1 PLEASE Stop Littering! I mean, c'mon. It's not that hard.

#2 A humble class of 10 kids really CAN make a difference!

These are only some of the great students involved.


Check out video:

It's Always Fun When Grandpa Comes

Grandpa Fillmore has been visiting us this week. It hasn't been a real vacation for him--more like a mission of mercy. As you can see he hasn't been relaxing much. I, on the other hand, have had a nap everyday and sometimes pretend to be napping just so I can observe how he'll handle my rowdy kids. I'm taking notes.

Grandpa's trip has been good for each one of us individually. "It's always fun for everyone when grandpa comes."