Moody Weather in American Samoa

We are smack dab in the middle of the wet season here.
Here is a sample of the light rain...

No joke. This is the start of the light rain.  When it gets heavy, you can hear it and see it...it comes in waves and it beats down on the roof.

It sounds crazy the first time you experience it - you think the sky is falling!

Even though I just came back from Apia - I felt really ansy...I wish I could pinpoint the cause and give you a reason - but no...I am ansy as all heck.

So I decided to venture on the other side of the island for some sun...

It never ceases to amaze me how the weather can be soooo different from one part to the next...literally you will be driving in a downpour and then you turn the corner it is sunshine and rainbows.

HAH!

I did find some sunshine today on the east side.

My friend has a private beach and I can use it anytime!

Her family calls this Hollywood Rock.  When her uncle was little, he actually spray painted Hollywood on it.

You can see where some of the kids made hand prints.

And no you can't climb it... I tried until my friend told me one of her cousins fell and broke her leg...so I stopped.

I packed a small picnic...took my ukulele (an awesome christmas present from my parents) and a blanket.

I spent hours there...I wanted to watch the sunset but the mosquitoes were starting to eat me alive.

I ended the day with a long drive back home...cruising and eating the sweetest pear...

A very lazy Sunday indeed.

P.S.yes, those were my christmas lights on my balcony. and no i am not taking them down.

ghetto

i know.

Long Weekend is never long enough: Trip to Apia

It was totally a last minute decision.  My friend and I decided to spend the long weekend in Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa, and officially known as Independent Samoa.  It is a completely separate nation from American Samoa. It is composed of two great islands:  Upolo and Savai'i.  Its capitol is Apia, where I visited for a second time.

I originally went back in August and had soooooo much fun that I really didnt take a lot of pictures.  I was just GO GO GO the whole time, and loved/lived every second of it.

Now I realized I had just gone to California in November.  I had only been back in American Samoa for two months....but dagnabbit, I was already annoyed and itchy to get off the rock.

All I needed was an excuse...my friend was going back to escort her elderly grandmother.  She didn't even ask me.  I blurted out, I wanna come!  We both smiled and laughed.  I immediately booked my ticket.  Done!

Now that I knew I had something to look forward to for the weekend, I buried myself in my work.
I didn't want anything hanging over me this weekend!

We ate and chilled and ate and swam and ate and laughed and ate and shopped and ate again.
Yeah...no joke...we did.

If we had one more day, we would have ate and gotten massages and ate and got pedicures/manicures and ate and got haircuts.
Next time.

Our flight took off as planned.  On the way to Apia, we were greeted by a rainbow on a cloud right next to the plane.  Good omen.  (which came true as the weather was gorgeous the whole time we were there!)

Her father is known as the Taro King!  

Dinner ready and waiting for us.

Mmmm....homemade Oka....with lots of lime!

And fresh Samoan seaweed....not at all like what we see and eat on the mainland.

It is like caviar....little bursts of salty sea...loved it so much!

Of course...roasted pig!  So crispy and tender and the fat just melts!

And because grandma was with us, we got to eat fresh lobster.

The sauce was amazing...creamy coconut with curry spices...all slow cooked with

some of the lobster shells...it was heaven..

I normally dont eat rice but I made many exceptions that night

the rice just soaked up all the sauce to perfection!

There was a ton of other food...taro and plantains cooked in coconut cream and onions..

roasted chicken...fresh pan-fried fish fillets....so much food..

This is my first plate....first of MANY plates...he he he

We were basically in food comas until the morning. 

But we got our act together and spent most of the day at Lauli'i.

There are many beach fales there where you can rent by the night...

or just for day.

Gorgeous!

We had packed a good supply of sausage rolls, meat pies, chips, water, and soda!

Mmmm...darn...I really want a sausage roll now!

we ate and swam and ate and tanned and ate and floated...perfect day!

We also decided to visit another swimming hole...

The Piula Cave!

It is a freshwater pool filled with fish...there is a cave and a tunnel

where if you are willing and able

you can dive and pass and come out on the other side of the cave!

I was not willing nor able.

So we swam deep into the cave...

told scary stories and 

laughed so hard it echoed

The next day was more eating and shopping... I found a lot of good bargains for stuff I didn't need at all!

Ahh...vacation!

I really needed this weekend.  I have been slowly given more responsibilities at work.

I can handle it and I feel honored...but I have less time to do what I want...

I am trying NOT to be a workaholic but sometimes the work needs to be done and I HAVE to do it well 

because that is just how I am wired.

And now I feel refreshed and rejuvenated!

Can't wait to go back... her father asked me to cook a Filipino feast next time...I am sooo excited for that!

Hopefully, next time I can visit the other island:  Savai'i, where I can swim with the turtles!!!

Now...back to the grind!

Here Comes the Rain Again

The rain hasn't stopped for over a week and it is expected to continue through next week.
Oh sure...there is a break for an hour or two...sometimes the sun manages to burst through, especially in the morning.  But that is all to lull you into a false sense of security because the minute your ass steps outside without an umbrella you can bet you the deluge will start again and you will get soaked to your undies.

But I love it - sure, I can get cabin fever from time to time...in those cases, I walk to a neighbors house or brave a short drive to a friend's place and seek refuge there. But for the most part, I love listening and watching it rain.

There was a really powerful torrent this evening. I made an mp3. It is only a minute.  Listen to it if you have time.  But listen to it full volume - surround sound even better...

The rain is so fat that it plops.  And the wind is so strong that the rain plops sideways.
If you forget to close your windows, you can easily soak your furniture.

Enjoy!