Pictures of life here

Well, school has started back in full swing. There has definitely been some ups and downs lately, but I would say overall I am doing well out here. The biggest news is that I received 20 "new" computers. Last year with the help of another volunteer, my school ordered 20 computers to be added to my already small lab area.

My pule and I drove into Apia earlier in the year to pick them up with all monitors and keyboards and mouse to go along with it. The computers are Hewlett Packard Veltra's. For the most part they are functional, but I don't have an early enough version of Windows to install on it (the computers are 95/98 and I have XP). I have since gathered the system software I need to make it work, but I am still waiting for the UPS from my principal to get them up and running. A few of them don't have CD drives or RAM, but we are working on that as well. They weren't what I was expecting, but I am doing the best that I can. On Monday I will be getting the UPSs and then my students will be shown how to install the O/S on one of them and together we will begin installing them and getting everything up and running. As of right now, I don't have enough room for the computers so they are all stacked on top of each other and the monitors are all in the front between me and the white boards... its a little tumu (crowded) right now, but hopefully we will get a new table in the center and it will get rid of some of the clutter.


With the start of school also comes the start of rugby practices. This Friday is the Savaii Sevens Rugby competition. There is no school tomorrow since all of the Savaii schools will be competing in this. I will be heading with the rest of us teachers here on this island. The picture to the left is of 2 of my Year 13 students. Lagia and Sitekauita. I am very excited for this class this year. They seem to have retained almost everything from last year and are "getting it" this year. Let's hope it continues so. Thank goodness I have learned how to better express and get my lessons across.

The next picture is of me getting ready for church on Sunday morning. I have been attending church now for the last year and the faletua told me it was about time I started wearing the white hat to church. This previous Sunday one of the faletua, Laupama, had her daughter drop off the hat in the morning before church. Now there is no getting around it! I am in the white hat and white puletasi to church every Sunday now. Don't I look beautiful! Maybe I will continue this tradition on when I get back to the states...

Until next time.