Sunday and Monday

Began my Sunday morning with a video chat via the webcam with my parents. We chatted for about 30 minutes. It was nice to catch up more face to face, although they both are keeping plenty up to date following my blog. They had already read about all my excitement from Saturday. Here's a photo with Mom and Dad from last summer when I was working at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. Some of you may have followed my blog from that summer as well.

After the video chat, I headed with a few others to the laundromat. Could have made it a few more days if it weren't for a few important things... like a clean towel. ha Got an ice cream cone for 50 cents while there. I love me some plain old vanilla ice cream. It hit the spot.

After lunch our leaders arrived with the grocery supplies for our last week of WorldTeach orientation including these delicious frozen organic fruit juice packs. I had one apple-concord grape on Sunday and one apple-cherry on Monday. They went pretty fast.

After our last WorldTeach teacher training sessions Sunday afternoon we had an old fashioned (American stye) grill out at the park across the street from Nu'uuli Vocational Technical School, where we are staying. Burgers with all the toppings, potato salad, and baked beans. It was nice to just sit, chat, and enjoy ourselves. I was intrigued by this tree here right by the ocean. The "fruits" hanging from it looked like hallow onions. One of these days I will figure out the names to some of these plant and animal species that I am seeing.

I decided to take a photo with the tree and the ocean and island in the background. I had nice bright outfit on today. My red i'e lavalava with some blue accents with my matching blue top. One of my fellow volunteers commented on my matching style for the day. haha

I also noticed the moon while I was sitting on the ground eating my cook out dinner. I found this nice angle where the moon appeared to sit just above the top of these coconut tree leaves. I had to take a photo from that angle. I thought a bit about juxtaposition - placing two things next to one another that you don't originally make a connection between. It sounded cool in my head when I put the moon next to a coconut tree. It's also nice contrast between the white of the moon and clouds to the silhouetted tree in the foreground.

Worked a little on my lesson plan for my teaching practicum before watching an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" and turning in for the night.

I awoke Monday morning with a bit of a sore throat (not surprising as some people seemed to have been picking up something), and I planned on picking up some medicine to start kicking it out before it gets worse. Even in another part of the world, I can still catch the common cold. haha Our first workshop of the day was with Ula who manages a non-profit organization here - The Alliance for Strengthening Families. She told us a bunch of stories, made us feel very welcome to the island, offered her services as a resource (including stopping by to print things if we need it), and thanking us for being here to do what we have come to do. 

Our second to last language class preceded lunch before heading to the public library to meet Diana, who also offered us a lot of help in terms of librar services and general questions about the area. She was a very friendly person, and I cannot wait to head back to the library and read some books. I found one section with books on religion in America, ethics, and food policy. All shout outs to some of my courses at Morningside College. I was a bit excited, and then I found plenty of books that may be helpful no matter which science courses I end up teaching. Those who know me well know I love a good book and enjoy reading a variety. I couldn't help but purchase one of the 50 cent books they had for sale. It's called "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water" and is about som Native American women. Sounded interesting, so I'll give it a shot and was glad to support the library even before I start using it :-)

We stopped at the post office to check for any packages volunteers had received, and my package came from home today with a few things I had requested. My first mail delivery in American Samoa. Took it about a week and half to get here. Yay mail!

We came back to campus, and I walked to a store to pick up some medicine and juice. Beth walked with me as she was picking up her WorldTeach skirt at the sew shop. Found what I wanted, and instead of plain orange juice I purchased some pineapple orange banana juice. It's rather good :-) Double score.

When we returned I had a chance to speak with one of the volunteers who worked at Tafuna High School last year through the program. He has signed a contract with one of the private schools this year. It was fun to talk with him and gain a little more insight on the school I will be working in from the perspective of someone who was in volunteer shoes like mine.

I finished up with my lesson plan for my teaching practicum before dinner. We are all supposed to be ready to go Tuesday afternoon, although some will also take place on Wednesday and Thursday. I am presenting a lesson on the basic scientific method including defining "science", making observations, writing questions, and formulating hypotheses. I'm excited to try it out with some actual students and get a real taste for this teaching business I have committed to for a school year. It will be good :-)

Dinner tonight included chicken cooked in a brown sugar and garlic sauce, baked potato bar, and cooked banans. Now as I finish my blog, I plan on taking some Robitussin Nighttime that I purchased at the store today and heading to bed.

One last thing. I learned about HDR photogrpahy in my Creative Photography class my last semester at Morningside, and I decided to play with it a bit a few days ago. Here's one of the results.