God Blessed Australia...

Talofa, fuams!...How y'all doin'?...Oh, I'm seki...That's "tight" in Samoan...Anyways, today's wonderfully insightful and educational blog entry deals with my many adventures through religion I've had on this island...Ready...Set...Go!...

So, let me explain how this entry is going to work...You see, many of you know or have noticed my religious (or lack thereof) beliefs...Essentially, I don't believe in a God...I especially don't believe in the Bible...I think that latter statement is much stronger to me than the first...We're not going to go into why I have no faith in the Bible, but I will be discussing the churches I've been to in American Samoa and the aspects I liked and disliked about them...I will mention that almost all of the churches here are Christian...Which is usually SO not my thing...Watch Saved! and you'll see what Christianity means to me...However, I have found myself going to churches here...Christian churches...In fact, just last weekend I went to church Saturday AND Sunday...I've been attending church on every Sunday since I returned to this big ol' rock...Why does a man who detests the Bible continue to go to Christian churches?...The only reason I can give is that I enjoy (or maybe even need?) the sense of family and community and love the churches give me...Which I know for most Christians that is seen as a sin...Church should not be used for superficial, selfish reasons...I should be there to worship the Almighty!...Either way, church, the environment and its people, make me feel loved here...And I also think they're hella interesting...The following is a list of pros and cons to the religions I've experienced here on the island...

Oh, the first few pictures, including the one above, were taken at Gene's Assembly of God church...First, don't say anything about the way I look...I'll say it for you..."A fat Howdy Doody"...Second, there was a wedding that day at the church...Isn't the bride and groom beautiful?...


...(That's Gene's lil' sis' in the pic above...Don't they look alike?)...

Word of Faith:

Pros = I loved the singing and dancing that happens at this church...It's a real celebration of God...And it's always nice to have the lyrics of songs being sung projected on a big screen...Then I can sing and dance, too!...This is the church I attended a lot last year...The people were warm and welcoming...Particularly the Tuala family...This is the first Samoan family I became close to...They fed me many dinners (including Thanksgiving) and invited me to swim at beaches and waterfalls...I really saw them as part of my own family for a while...

Cons = Well, if y'all have good memories, you'll remember why I stopped going to this church...We had a speaker there who told the congregation he could make vericose veins disappear...Or that God could...Suddenly, the whole audience began to speak in tongues and giggle uncontrollably...They said God was in the church that night...It was the last time I visited that church...Am I in denial that God was there?...Or do I just think Crazy was there?...Yeah, Crazy was definetly there :-)

Teen Challenge:

Pros = I absolutely loved the performances these kids would put on...You see, this church is considered an Assembly of God church, but it's completely run by teenagers...Well, for the most part...You'd think a church like this would be right up my alley...I love interacting with and teaching and managing young people...Every Sunday night the teens would perform delightful skits and sing gorgeous songs and dance enthusiastically to express their love for God...It was always a treat to go to this church...

Cons = All of you Christians and church goers are so going to laugh at me for this...Because, once again, there was a single incident that turned me off to this church...(I realize that these "cons" probably say more about me than these religions)...There was this one service when a bunch of palagi missionaries from Australia came to the church and preached the word...It was all fine and dandy until they invited everyone up for a "saving"...I know there's a different word for this practice...But essentially they had everyone in the congregation line up in front of the missionaries and each church member would individually be spoken to by the missionary...The missionary would actually place their hand on the person's forehead and would whisper the Word in their ears...Some people were even crying after being "saved" by the missionary...Every single person in that church lined up in front of the missionaries...Guess who stayed in his seat?...Yup...Samoa Joe just sat there and watched...In horror...Hell, no!...I was not having one of these young white kids place their hands on my head and "save" me...So, that wasn't the last time I went to Teen Challenge, but it was definetly the beginning of the end ;-)

...(That was some of the food that was served at the wedding)...

Assembly of God (Iova Irea):

Pros = This is Gene's church and the one that's right next to my house...It's an extremely traditional Samoan church...No palagis...I'm the only white guy who goes to this church...And the entire service is completely in Samoan...Which, hilariously, is the reason why I dig this church...It sounds so bad, I know...But not understanding what they're preaching, principally the stuff about the bible, is kinda a nice thing for me...Since I don't believe in most of, if not all, the Word in the Christian Bible, I like the ability to not have to listen to the bull crap...I can just imagine what they're saying...And I can pretend they're preaching exactly what I believe in...It's like my own lil' church in my brain...You see, at this church, I can experience the feeling of family I recieve from churches without becoming upset with their Christian doctrine...

Cons = Well, er, here's the problem...Lone white man + Lone English speaker = One isolated white, English guy...Not very family-like...

...(The next few images are of the boys at the house...Some of them were taken at Sammy's birthday party...Long live the Fuamination!)...

Seventh Day Adventist:

Pros = I've been to this church once...Last Saturday...And I might be going again this Saturday...Not because I really like it...But I guess there's supposed to be a splendid group singing for the church...The only thing I guess I enjoy about this church is that I know a lot of the people that go there...Including my great friend John...

Cons = Yeah, this church is hella Christian...And that's obviously not my style...I also don't completely understand the whole Sabbath thing...And I don't appreciate the fact that their day of worship is on Saturdays...That's my day to get things done...Sundays are so much more church days for me...So, this one's gotta change their schedule or adios!...

...(Dees guys eat like horses, I'm tellin' ya)...

Baha'i Faith:

Pros = I've been going to this church the last few weeks and I've been finding it strangely fascinating...First of all, I had never heard of this religious sector of Christianity...And although it's awfully cult-like, I actually do agree with much of what they say...I am not going to go into the specifics of the religion...If you wanna do that, look it up on Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baha%27i )...I really do suggest researching this faith...It's extremely thought provoking...I think I like it because they don't read from and live by the Bible...They live by their Kitab-i-aqdas, writings from Baha'u'llah, a messenger from God who promotes unity, peace, and justice in all things...Yes, it sounds a little crazy...But not any crazier than the Bible itself...With it's magical tales of fantastic babies and paranormal gardens...Anyways, I've been finding the researching and the learning of this religion to be thrilling and eye-opening...And, as I said, I agree with some of what they say...I love that the center (it's not called a church in baha'i faith) has no minister or priest or even preacher...Every Sunday we sing a few songs and then everyone is invited to recite a prayer...(I said one last Sunday about how we humans all came from the same God)...And then the adults will sit around in a circle and discuss the principles of the faith...It's very democratic...And unifying...And it's also not in-your-face-believe-it-or-go-to-hell Christianity...This faith actually encourages self-discovery in regards to religion...Oi, and it also encourages the harmony between science and religion...They believe, "religion must conform to science and reason, otherwise it is superstition....God has created man in order that he may perceive the verity of existence and endowed him with mind to discover truth"...Man, was this religion created just for me?!...The second reason why I've liked this faith is because it's Sammy's and Holy's church...Their dad was an influential elder in this faith...He died about a month or two ago, and their mom is still off-island...So, the boys don't really have any family that go there anymore...There's been a few nights where Sammy and I will talk about the Baha'i faith, and there's one night in particular that sticks out in my mind...It was only a couple of weeks after his dad died when Sammy talked for hours to me about his dad...And about what his dad believed in and what kind of man he was...It was a gentle, moving night, and I could see that Sammy needed to express his respect and love for his dad...He NEEDED to talk about his memories of him...To make his dad real again...I think me going to this church with these two boys is a sorta healing process for them...And, maybe, even for me...Having faith in something, even if it's just these two kids I care deeply about, can only make my life better...

Cons = Sometimes, as I said before, I think this is sorta a cult-like religion...One reason is because it's so small...It's probably the smallest faith on island...Our center has about 20 people that go there...Also, I sometimes feel pressure by the members to believe in their faith...But, I suppose, Lord knows I'd feel that pressure in any Christian church...

...(I don't know if y'all have heard...But since the Fuamination has begun to live with me, I can cook damn good!...I've made fried chicken, tacos, bacon chili cheese burgers, brisquet, corned beef, and even lamb flaps for the boys...Every once in a while the churches will give me food to feed the boys...The above picture is the food they usually give me to cook...Yup, that's a fish head!...Yummy!...I can even cook fish head!...Yay!)...

Oh, I just quickly wanna mention why I named this blog "God Blessed Australia"...We had a speaker come to the Baha'i center last Sunday and she was from Western Australia...She had a gorgeous accent and she spoke of a program in Australia where the public schools promoted the teachings of different religions...In fact, the elementary and high schools are required to teach and have classes available that would teach all established religions...She was one of the teachers who would go into the schools and teach the students about the Baha'i faith...I was amazed by this...This would never happen in America...Especially in American public schools...Religion is such a taboo topic in the states...But I found it excellent that Australia has the confidence and bravery to have this program...What a liberal wonderland!...As you can see from my own church going experiences, I'm all about the religious experimentation and exploration...Everyone should have the right to believe in their own faith...And everyone should have equal opportunity to learn which faiths are out there in the world...Even if it's an atheist faith...As the Baha'i principle says, "God has given man the eye of investigation by which he may see and recognize truth"...Can I hear an "Amen"?!...AMEN!...Anyways, I think Australia has the right idea...And I think God would agree ;-)

Love ya and miss ya...And leave me comments on what y'all think and believe...

-JOE

"Think of it. On the surface there is hunger and fear. Men still exercise unjust laws. They fight, tear one another to pieces. A mere few feet beneath the waves their reign ceases, their evil drowns. Here on the ocean floor is the only independence. Here I am free!"

-Captain Nemo from 1954's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

I Ain't 'Fraid of No Ghosts...

Yo!...Yo!...Yo!...My homies!...Sup?...Well, I haven't written in like a week...Sorry 'bout that...I'm a busy man...People to see, islands to go...Hmmm, lets begin...Last weekend, John took me to a small, nearby island named Aunu'u...All of the pictures on today's blog entry were taken on our excursion to this beautifully serene and private island...

You see that tiny, rickety, tumbledown tugboat above?...Yeah, that was the one that took us to the island...It was kinda nerve-racking...I mean, it wasn't like we were crossing a small lake or something...We had to sail across a terribly wavy, tumultuous ocean...Sure, the trip was only about 10 minutes long (you can clearly spot the island of Aunu'u from American Samoa), but look at that boat...It looks like it could fall apart at any second..."Blue Angel" my ass...And the guy driving the tugboat didn't appear to be very promising either...Although, the guy does make trips back and forth and back and forth all day everyday...He only charges a dollar a ride, too...Not too shabby...Anyways, John and I were calling it American Samoa's very own roller coaster...Because going over those rocky, high waves gave our tummys butterflies...Just like a coaster in the states...For about a split second I thought I was going to die...But then the coolness of it calmed my fears...How many people get to ride a ramshackle boat to an insignificant, hidden, gorgeous polynesian island for one dollar?...Man, I'm so cool...

Here's a video clip of the boat ride...Notice the loud, ghetto, did-you-get-that-motor-from-a-lawnmower motor...It's so Samoan...Oh, and notice the bluest blue you will ever see...Another thing that's so Samoan...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70_xCE47EIM

First, the reason why I'm sportin' the maroon power as I walk down this island pathway is because I had just left the football game...We went on a Saturday, and John picked me up right after the games...I usually don't wear my uniform to the games, but I was taking pictures and videos down on the field and only authorized school employees can do that...Anyways, don't be hatin' on the ie...That's not a man skirt as you all know...It's a traditional Samoan ie lava lava, for your information...Gosh!...Idiots ;-)

Second, John told me that this section of the jungle is considered haunted by many of the locals...In fact, many Samoans believe the entire island of Aunu'u is inhabited by ghosts...Now, many of you know my beliefs...I don't believe in spirits...I don't believe in God...Or demons...Or magical unicorns...As Charlie and Chase would laugh hysterically at, "I'm a man of Science"...So, you'd think that the idea of spirits haunting an island would be crazy to me...But when I walked down this trail I couldn't help peering over my shoulder every once in a while, terrified that I'd see some creepy phantom...I kept imagining an ancient ghoul poppin' outta the trees and attacking me...And I could've swore I was feeling the apparitions watching me, the poltergeists down my spine...It was chilling...However, I don't believe in that stuff...Science is Truth...Jesus is Magic...And Ghosts are only on Scooby Doo...Right?...

Hey, you wanna hear my theory on why these "ghosts" exist on the island?...Ahem, class, pay attention please...You see, it's extremely established here in Samoan culture to believe in ghosts...Indeed, it's seen as pure fact that spirits haunt the islands...Many of these stories about specters deal with human characters (usually it's a family member the storyteller knows..."my auntie's cousin's second wife") who have been disrespectful to the island or the village...For example, many, many (if not most) of the "true" stories involve a Samoan being loud or obnoxious at night...And the ancient, ancesteral spirits get angry and consume them...Now, I've gotten to know Samoans pretty well...And one thing that is in their nature is the love of life, friendship, and good times...In other words, they love to live life to the fullest...And this includes their conversations...So, they laugh loud and talk boisterously...I think any Samoan would agree with me...When they get together and are having a fun laugh, they're rowdy, raucous, and thunderingly, annoyingly lurid...It's in my humble opinion that like the reason religion was created by man, these ghost stories are used to control human behavior...Sure, religion is also used to give people faith and structure and family...But like Santa, God, essentially, exists to aid people in self-control...Similar to these ghost stories...Let me explain...I betcha a million dollars that some Samoan chief hundreds and hundreds of years ago needed his tribe to be more quiet at night...And the village elders decided to use these poltergeists as consequences...This would put fear into the hearts of their tribe and, thus, producing a controlled, quiet, obedient environment...As history has progressed, this good intentioned fib (like God) has become truth to many...And it has given them inspiration to live more responsible, respectful lives...Or else, if they are insolent, they will be haunted by a demonic spirit...Ah, fear...It's a powerful tool...

The following two video clips were taken at last week's football game...The first is of the fabulous Tafuna cheerleading squad...Led by our fafafine superstar teacher, Shiki...The second clip is of Sammy makin' a highlight worthy tackle...Dass mah boy!...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnUUKDhHT8U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYDmlVo9xPc

I was told by everyone that Anu'u is famous for its quicksand...Yup, you heard me...Quicksand...I thought that stuff only existed in the movies...Well, John took me to the infamous quicksand, and the image above is it...Yeah, it looks like a lake to me, too...I was picturing something a little more thrilling...Something more swirling and sandy...I imagined a churning section of dangerously sinking, swallowing sand...Like something you'd see on a Johnny Quest episode...But this actual quicksand John brought me to appeared to be a plain ol' pond...Supposedly, once you step into the watery puddle, the thick, deep mud will squish and suck you whole until you drown a sticky, suffocating death...Very Indiana Jones...Very much a boyhood dream of mine to see...Needless to say, this quicksand seemed to me to be, simply, Greenfield Park...It even had Samoan ducks wading in it...I didn't even know Samoa had ducks!...I was so delighted to see them though...It made me miss Wisconsin...And being assailed by ducks in Greenfield Park...

Although the whole island was beautiful and wonderous, I think the most gorgeous part was this area of the island...There was this inlet of water that was composed of two high cliffs that were parallel to eachother...The crystal blue water was whirling and twirling and splashing, and it was absolutely astonishing...I couldn't take my eyes off of it...Of all the magnificent things I saw on this serene, secret, and scenic island, this was perhaps the most righteous...

Cinderella Update:

Some of you have been asking so I'll give you a short up-to-date report on how the high school musical I'm directing is going...Hmm, where do I begin?...Yeah, it's goin' good...I'm really proud of the kids...I've been feeling extremely overwhelmed, so many of the kids have been stepping up and leading the kids in the practices...Samoan kids are really skilled at leading eachother and following eachother's directions...They organize themselves wonderfully...Oh, and I am positive that the performance, the dancing and singing and acting, will be splendid...They're amazing performers...Our Stepmother is brilliant...She's a fafafine and she's wickedly evil...So, I'm confident on the performance aspect...I'm really worried about the technical issues...Like the scenery and props and costumes...Finding the money for that is stressing me out...Oh, and the damn microphones are as well...We don't think we'll be able to get the clip-on kind...Those are just unrealistic on island...(Even the college performances don't have 'em)...But I'm working with the music department and local churches to see what we can do...A lot of people have been trying to get me to do the play at a different venue...But I truly feel it is important to do it at Tafuna High...Especially on our new stage...Anyways, it's been a wild tornado of ideas and anxieties and compromises...Hell, we might not even have electricity on the night of the musical...We might be doing it medieval times style...By candle light!...Sole, I'm tense...

The lone, single village on this island was delightful...It was so tiny and peaceful...Even their church seemed like it was built for munchkins or something...Quaint, calm, and modest...When we were walking by there were the cutest lil' boys playing football...One of them said, "Hey, you just visitor?"...After I answered him, he asked me where we were going...I told him to "see the quicksand"...The boys stopped in their tracks, mouths open, and the boy ominously warned, "Be careful of the bats"...I just kinda smiled and said, "Fa!"...I looked at John and asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"...John wasn't sure...In the end, no bats assaulted us...Kooky kids...

We were swimming in this bay with some of the village children when suddenly a boat came chugging in...The boat was carrying that huge fish shown above...I forgot what the name of the fish was but it was ginormous...It almost appeared to be a swordfish...It wasn't...But it looked like one...Anywho, the entire village of Aunu'u came out to catch a glimpse of the killed fish...I guess it took the fishermen hours to pull it out...There was practically a celebration of the big slaughter for, I'm sure, it would feed the village for, at least, a day...Er, maybe not even...Maybe just a dinner...Either way, it was a significant catch...And a bountiful blessing to the village...
Lyric of the Week:

On the new Grey's Anatomy CD, there's a song called "Keep Breathing" by Ingrid Michaelson...Like many Grey's tunes, it's a nice one...Here's my favorite lyric from it...It's so my life...

"I want to change the world, instead I sleep."

Alright, y'all...I gotta hit the sack...I really will try to post more often...I'm slacking, I know...

What do y'all think of Aunu'u?...Do you believe in ghosts?...If you believe in God, don't cha kinda have to?...Why do you think these ghost stories in Samoa exist?...And why do you think Samoans swear by 'em?...Any Samoan readers out there got any ideas?...Do you have any musical production suggestions?...Oh, and I'll give extra points to the person who can tell me how to survive quicksand!...

Love ya and miss ya...

-JOE

"Islands in the stream

That is what we are

No one in-between

How can we be wrong

Sail away with me to another world

And we rely on eachother, ah-ah

From one lover to another, ah-ah"

-from the song Islands in the Stream

Someone to Share Them With...

Hola, mi amigos...Como este?...Bien...That was a small shout out to my mexican loving sisters, Shawn and Dana...Anyways, I really have no idea where this post is going to go...I mean, I really don't have anything interesting to write about...So, I have a feeling it's going to be pretty random...I guess that's just how I'm feeling lately...

The pictures from today's entry were taken at "the guns" near utulei..."the guns" are the old military cannons that were built into the mountains during WWII...America erected them there just in case there was a battle with Japan...Especially after Pearl Harbor, it could've been likely that they would've used the weapons...But they were never used...And now they're hidden in the Samoan jungle, forgotten and solitary...A good symbol for the island itself...The U.S.A. once had wonderous dreams of victoriously utilizing the island and Samoans shared this dream, too...However, the island has become isolated and inept...And forgotten...And like these ancient, idle war remnants, the island is getting lost in overgrowth and vines and futility...We had to hike a mountain to get to this artillery...And although it used to be a popular tourist destination in the 70's, it has since become deserted...The trail was mostly non-existent...And dangerous...I don't know about you guys, but I'm gettin' kinda sick of the perilous, arduous hikes...Why can't there be escalators on this island?...Or lil' ski lift thingys?...

Get this...I walked on the bus the other day and, as always, I was the only caucasion on it...This isn't anything special because I'm usually the only white guy on the bus...Or anywhere on island for that matter...Of course, I got the customary stares as I sat on the seat...Even the Samoan I sat next to gave me the typical glance, probably thinking like all the other riders "Woah!...It's a white person!"..."A palagi doi!"...And can you guess what song popped up on the stereo?...Yup..."Ice Ice Baby"...The classic 90's hip hop jam by Vanilla Ice, the cheesy, one-hit-wonder white rapper...I smiled to myself...The bus was being taken over by cool white guys...Ha!...What a coincidence...The Ice Ice Baby's in Samoa...

In honor of Time Magazine's 100 Best TV Shows of All Time ( http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/completelist/0,,1651341,00.html ), I will be presenting my list...Remember, this is "of all time"...try to make your own list and send it to me...It's harder than you think...

My Five Favorite TV Shows of All Time:

5. The X-Files = Not only could I relate to Mulder's constant struggle with faith (like him, "I want to believe"), I also loved the creepy, sci-fi horror stories...I also will always cherish those Sunday nights mom and I would sit and watch this show...Our first real TV show we watched together weekly...

4. Survivor = Yeah, this show isn't nearly as exciting anymore...In fact, I don't even know if I like it all that much anymore...The only reason it's on the list is because it's Shawn (and Chad's) and I's show...Our Thursday night together time...Nothing fills the soul with love like some Salters, some wine, some guac, and some Probst...

3. The Wonder Years = I adored this nolstalgic, coming of age dramedy so much that I would come home after school and record them...And, yes, I had every episode taped...And I'd watch them over and over again...Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper and Paul Pfeiffer and Wayne...Man, such a sweet, funny, innocent show...Sitcoms like this aren't on anymore...

2. My So-Called Life = This angsty teenage drama like saved me from perishing in high school hell...Seriously, Angela's trials and tribulations through life as a teenager were incredibly real and honest and moving...No show was (or is) as authentic as this show...It also had the first gay character I could identify with...Oh, and I didn't even mention hot Jordan Catalano ("I love the way he leans")...Sure it was a little melodramatic...I mean, what other show would have it's main character say, "It had become the focus of everything. It was all I could feel, all I could think about. It blotted out the rest of my face, the rest of my life. Like the zit had become...the truth about me."...But, heck, that's so teenagers...

1. The Oprah Winfrey Show = Okay, I know this is the gayest thing I have ever said, but, girl, Oprah is the shiznit!...I'm obsessed with this talk show/inspiration show...And I miss it...(The island doesn't have it)...I remember after my parents divorce, we moved to New Berlin and I attended a brand new elementary school...And lived with a pretty new family...It was an odd and other-worldly transition...I can remember going home after school to watch Oprah...And in the midst of drama and confusion and drug use and alcoholism, this powerful woman was my rock...Almost a mother for me during this time...I could've become many things after this transition in my life...A druggie...An alcoholic...A drop-out...But I truly believe Oprah inspired me to be different...To be stronger and better...Everyday she told millions of Americans this...But I could've swore she was consoling just me...

The above picture is some evidence of how the weaponry used to be a jumpin' tourist destination...I guess it even had a beautiful garden...

Hey, everybody's got to get some sometimes...Even toads...Awww...Look at them humpin'...

In a moment I will discuss why this week's Top Obsessions are so difficult for me to think about...

My Top Five Obsessions of the Week:

5. Cheese Curds = Mmm, I long for this squeaky, salty treat...I even drool over websites about this cheesy snack ( http://www.eatcurds.com/ )...I made the boys some mac 'n' cheese the other night and they complained that it was "too cheesy"..."Too cheesy"?...Is that possible?!...

4. Weeds = I just finished season one of this suburban comedy about a soccer-mom who resorts to selling marijuana after her husband dies...The first few eps were awkward, but now it's on a roll...Get it?...Roll?...A blunt?...Anyways, it's sharp, funny, and touching...

3. Cinderella Clips on YouTube = For research on my high school musical I'm directing, I've been watching video clips of the show on YouTube...Not only have I been studying the Brandy and Whitney Houston version which is almost impossible to find, I've also been watching clips from actual high school performances...Yup, now I can see how they transformed Cinderella and how they made their scenery...Some might call that stealing ideas...I see it as borrowing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSDuY6BN1gM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOe-C-j8b14

2. Berres Brothers Coffee = Shawn sent me some of this a while back...I think it might've been last year...But now that Sammy's let me use his maker, I finally got to drink this deliciously sweet and warm and yummy coffee...One of the flavors was a struesel kind...It was cakey and christmassy...And I'm hoping all of y'all will get this hint...(Ahem!...Send me some more!...Please!)...

1. Padma Lakshmi on Top Chef = So, I could talk about how much I love this show (which I do...I'm obsessed with it), but instead I'm going to express my secret crush on its host...This gorgeous, exotic beauty is the single woman who could turn me straight...No, really!...I mean that...( http://images.google.as/images?hl=en&q=padma+lakshmi&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2 )...On the most recent episode the contestants had to make her breakfast (The recipes look amazing...Maybe when I'm home mom can make me one of 'em...http://recipes.bravotv.com/breakfast_and_brunch/), and the whole time I was wishin' Padma'd wake me up in the mornin' and make me some brunch in bed...If ya know what I mean...Yes, I'm the strangest gay man of all time...But Padma is THAT hot!...

So, I think one reason why I've been kinda homesick is because I don't get to share these things I love with my family and friends back home...Shawn recently sent me an email telling me all about these tasty wines and foods she was enjoying...And I was sad that I couldn't be there with her...Mom was talking to me the other day about Britney Spears on the MTV Music Awards and I was heartbroken that I couldn't watch the gawd-awful performance with her...All of these things I'm obsessed with don't mean anything when I don't have the people I love to share them with...Yeah, I have people here on island...In fact, I hardly get privacy around here anymore...But, of course, nothing compares to all of you guys...I truly miss enjoying life with my loved ones back home...So much so that sometimes I feel like just flying home and drinkin' a cup 'o' Joe with Shawn...Or watching a TV show with my ma...It's just not the same doin' these thing without y'all..

I apologize for ending on such a depressing note...But leave me a message...And maybe I'll feel better ;-)

What's your top five TV shows of all time?...Any obsessions this week?...And do you think I'm an Ice Ice Baby?...

Love ya and miss ya...

-JOE

"Things never turn out exactly the way you planned. I know they didn't with me. Still, like my father used to say, 'Traffic's traffic, you go where life takes you' and growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next you're gone, but the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a time, a place, a particular fourth of July, the things that happened in that decade of war and change. I remember a house like a lot of houses, a yard like a lot of yards, on a street like a lot of other streets. I remember how hard it was growing up among people and places I loved. Most of all, I remember how hard it was to leave. And the thing is, after all these years I still look back in wonder."

-from the 1988 TV show The Wonder Years