Never Had Niagara

So you know when you visit some place for the first time, and everything is awesome and cool, and you love every minute of it? They call that the honeymoon phase of living abroad.
Yeah....didn't even have one here.
I skipped that stage...would have been nice.
Instead, I jumped ahead straight to stage two: frustration.

For every awesome local I meet, there seem to be dozens who will just shrug their shoulders and NOT do their job.

For example, I have been having a hard time just getting my mail.
My mom sent me some documents that I needed for work as well as some goodies.
There is only one USPS office in American Samoa.
For most of the year, mail flights are twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays.
During the summer, they add a third flight - I forget - Wednesday or Friday.
But my point being - USPS is our only source of mail (not fedex, not DHL, not ANYBODY)
USPS is also federal jurisdiction - so foolish me, expecting some level of reliability.

USPS only operates M-F, 8:30 to 3:30.
UNLESS you have a package or special envelope for pickup.
In that case, it must be inspected by a customs officer before it can be released to you.
When can you pick up?
Whenever the officer decides to show up! Somewhere between 9 and 3, but count on a long lunch and many breaks in between.

I ain't gonna lie to you...today I almost cried.
My mom sent me a envelope with important items.
She mailed it last Tuesday.
It probably arrived on a Friday or Saturday.
But I was too busy Friday and there are no buses on the weekends (where I live).

So I went this morning to pick up my envelope.
And because it was EXPRESS and because I didn't pick it up immediately,
they sent it back to my mom.

WTH people!  And the guy was like we can only hold EXPRESS deliveries for so long before we have to return them.  It is policy....blah blah blah
 
BULLSHIT!  It has been only 2 or 3 days!

I am going to check again every day this week in case it miraculously appears.

And last week, I ordered some stuff from Walmart.
All but one package made it here.
I waited, and it still didn't arrived.
So I filed a report that is was either Lost or Stolen, and well, what do you know...the package was found!

*sigh*

I need to let things go...lower my expectations....and just accept that things work differently here.

I am also focusing on the positive.  Like:

I have awesome co-workers, who are supportive and helpful.
My direct supervisors in the Civil Division have so much experience. I can't wait to learn from them.
They are also so professional - and they are amazing leaders.
They trust me to do my work and are full of insights.
I immediately clicked with them.

There is another new attorney, and he has been so patient and generous with me.
All the free rides - advice - washer/dryer use... he knows that I am trapped on the weekends, so he makes a point to have a group movie night on Fridays.  He is busy preparing his home for his wife's arrival later this month.  Every time something bad happens to me, he thanks God that he told his wife to wait and follow him later.

I have made a few awesome friends.  One girl in particular - it is like we have known each other for years.  We already know what each other's looks and sounds mean.  It feels good to have a friend, where we can tell each other everything.

And I totally pass for Samoan.  Sorry, Mom and Dad, no one believes I am Filipino.
In fact, I showed a picture of Brian, and they believed if he was darker he could pass too.
What does this mean?
I don't pay the foreigner/tourist price for most things!

BOOYAKASHA!!!

Things will get better once I get paid.
And once I get paid, I can get my own rusted piece of shit car.
And with that beloved rusted POS car, I can finally be independent and start actually living on this island, rather than feeling trapped on it.  Until next time:

UPDATE:  I talked to my mom, she didn't use Express, just regular priority mail...those bastards lied to me...