American Samoa Now!

Over the past few days, I have been robbed twice. Although I am still reeling from the crimes perpetrated against me, I thought it would be best to use this blog post as a coping mechanism.

Leading up to my departure, I had not read any alarming statistics that would make me view American Samoa as a haven for criminals. It is only now, in my tenth month here, that I have finally been exposed to the seedy underbelly of American Samoa, and I am shocked, hurt, and emotionally bruised. You hear stories about foreigners being robbed, and you think to yourself “Well, that’ll never be me”, but when it finally happens to you, you feel completely helpless. So who is responsible for robbing me not once, but TWICE in the last three days? It is none other than the ominous Pacific Ocean!

Yes, I was robbed by the Pacific Ocean. You may find that humorous, but larceny is not a joke, it is a crime that transcends borders and affects millions of people around the world. Even more awful, many of these victims are robbed on multiple occasions over a very short period of time (including yours truly), in what criminals jokingly refer to as a “double tap”.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself “But Mitch, how could the Pacific Ocean rob you? The ocean is not at a level of self-awareness to be able to knowingly relieve you of your possessions.” I sincerely disagree with this notion, and am in fact convinced that the Pacific Ocean is quite aware of itself, and is constantly looking for easy targets to rob.

So, exactly how did I come to be the victim of a “double tap” at the hands (figuratively speaking) of the largest body of water on the planet? Read on here!

Science is Fun!

Wes Queen accompanied three students to an Island-wide Science Fair this week. The students presented the projects: “Does the perceived value of education increase as students get older?” ”Does trash burning with an abnormally colored flame indicate the burning of hazardous materials?” and “What is the best strategy at the game of Pasoi?” Pictured is the student who won second place in the Math category!

American Samoa, through the eyes of a WorldTeach volunteer

Kasey Dorcas, a current 2011 volunteer, compiled this fantastic video montage full of photos of football games, stunning beaches, homestay life, flour babies (!?), and plenty more! Play the video below to get a taste of Island living for one WorldTeach volunteer!

American Samoa 2011 Newsletter - December Edition

American Samoa volunteers have just finished their Mid Service conference which marks the mid-way point of their year of service. To honor this accomplishment, they reflected on the most positive moment, memory, or experience from their first 5 months to create the December Newsletter.

Many thanks to Quinn Bolander, a 2011 volunteer, for heading up the collection and creation of these monthly newsletters.

Jessica Smith, Olosega Elementary School, writes...

Being Thankful

Sometimes it’s the tiniest little things that get me through the day. I have one student who is particularly challenging, but sometimes he can be the sweetest out of the group. His English skills are very low, which is the biggest part of the problem. Just before the Thanksgiving break, I had given the students turkey pictures to color. We talked about what it means to be thankful and I told them to pick one thing and write it under the turkey. Martin handed me his turkey picture at the end of the class, and it said, “My I an thankful for Jessica,” and it absolutely made my week. Read the whole newsletter here...