Bored Stiff...

Hello, everybody...how you all doin?...im alright, though extremely, intensely, excrutiatingly bored...i know, what a way to start off a blog...that'll really make people want to read this...but its been a boring week, and i dont really feel like writing anything enlightening...so, ill probably just write about my boredom and maybe some of the things i did this first week back in american samoa...k, get ready to be thrilled...hold on to your hats...("my hat literally flew off!")...

the picture above and the following four pics are of kanana fou...its a christian church thats also a private school...it also has a gorgeous soccer field...this is where many high school and club soccer games and tournaments are held...none of our games will be here...we'll be at the football field, but this is where i got my coaching training done...it was like 6 hours of playing soccer and doing soccer skill drills and stuff...it was actually kinda fun though...our instructor, a one-time international fifa player for new zealand (he's from scotland, so his accent and personality are mixture of mike myers' shrek and austin powers), really knows how to make even practice engaging and fun to all kids...not just the good ones...i wish i had more sports coaches/teachers like this guy...i was never very adept at physical activities and so i learned to sorta hate them...but now i love playing sports (for fun and competition) and i wish someone wouldve taught me that sports are fun for everyone...not just the jocks...anyways, it was kind of a cool day...i learned how to juggle a ball on my knees and head and feet...that was groovy man...

those little houses across the field are where the school's teachers and church's missionaries live...arent they cute...much nicer than what the public school system gives their teachers...ive met missionaries from all over the world here...in fact, i met some hot australians here just about a month ago... ;-)

so yeah...this weekend was, as i said, pretty boring...this whole week's been dull and lackluster...it has felt like this week has gone by soooooo slowly that i feel as if ive been on this giant, ancient lava rock for a month...im even starting to think that there is no way in hell ill be able to survive another year of this...just cause its so damn tedious and dreary...not only is there really nothing to do on the island (youd think there'd be plenty with an ocean and mountains surrouding us) but the people here also dont like to really do anything...they just lay around and watch tv and do chores and nap...it sounds like a relaxing, splendidly calm island life (and sometimes it is!), but now im just starting to think its monotonous...maybe im feeling this way because i just got back from wisconsin where i was busy as a hornet on sunday...i was constantly doing things...going out to eat, to the mall, to movies, to people's houses, to hotels, etc....and now im back to nothing...just work and sun...im probably putting y'all to sleep, so ill stop complaining...just know im bored...and try to help!...send me things...not like stuff in the mail...but send me interesting websites or articles or viral vids or whatever...anything to pass my time quicker...or, at least, respond to my blogs...please!...excite me with your presence!...

k, well, now that ive got that off my chest...ill briefly explain my weekend...it was mostly a party weekend...we went and had samoan pancakes at our friends house on friday night...and then william came over to play ping pong...that was actually a blast...he and i played untill like 2:00 in the morning...and got pretty drunk...and then on saturday i had soccer practice with my girls team and then we went out to the bars with william...that was fun too because we ended up having a slumber party at our house (after a few rounds of beer pong and ping pong and shots of vodka)...we tried to go out to breakfast the next morning but, in the end, just walked around the island...we kinda forgot that NOTHING is open on sundays here...seriously, we need a dennys around here...or an ihop...then maybe we wouldnt be so bored...seriously...

one of the lessons i did in my class this week was about african-american spirituals...i decided to have an american idol: african american spiritual edition...i put the kids into groups and they had to perform the spiritual...either by singing it, dancing it, choral reading it, or whatever...and then we had a paula, randy, and simon judging'em...it turned out to be a hugh success...ive told you guys this a trillion times but the kids here love to sing and dance...theyre very into performing...so i knew the kids would like it...but i also think its a really good teaching strategy...music is a wonderful teaching tool...especially for ESL students (english as second language)...they are forced to look at the words and give meaning to them through song...anyways, i posted some of the exemplary ones on youtube...youre probably not gonna find them that interesting...but i think theyre awesome...the singing is amazing...and im always so proud of their bravery to do things like this in front of the class...i dont think many american kids would be caught dead doin something like this...theyd be too hip for that...

oh, and keep in mind that i only gave them about a day and a half to do this activity...and they only read the spirituals in our text books...in other words, the songs theyve written and created are totally new and unique...

this one's of a group doin "Go Down, Moses"...dont mind my talking at the beginning...a boy in this group said to me a very profound thing...the boy (abraham), surprisingly, is like a total popular macho ladies man...he said, "i like this assignment...we should talk less and sing more"...hallelujah!...amen to that, my brotha!...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16VuOFOTeTc

one of the most fascinating things that i learned by doing this activity was how many of my students did not know what american idol really is...most of them have never watched it...here i am thinkin itd be such a relevant activity for them...but they were clueless to who paula, simon, and randy were...they didnt even know that kelly clarkson was a past winner...how strange is that!?...i thought everyone watched american idol...makes me realize that the whole world doesnt revolve around american pop culture...sometimes its oblivious to it...and maybe american idol isnt all that important after all?...

here's a group of my girls singing "Follow the Drinking Gourd"...an african american spiritual that had a secret message about how to get to freedom...follow the big dipper constellation in the north...i stopped the video early...towards the end they began to dance in the aisle...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpXVYWYt7Po

some boys gettin all moses in the hizzle...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8SP5N4eEgo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MNYbGLKGJM

and, lastly, some girls singing like everyday is a musical...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuqKOB73Uag

oh yeah, i wanted to inform you all that i really did try to put my pics on kodak easy share...but i hate that website...its way too user unfriendly and it takes too long to upload...so youll have to wait for doubles of my pics for when i come home again...or use the pics off this blog to print them out...sorry...

the following's a funny joke one of my students told me...not only is it kinda amusing, but it also says something about the cultural differences of samoans and palagis...especially the class differences...

once there were three boys out riding their bikes...there were two palagis (white kids) and one samoan...the first palagi said, "hey, look, no hands!"...the second palagi said, "hey, look, no feet!"...and the samoan said, "hey, look, no bike!"...

maybe you had to be there...

ignore the pinky in this shot of me...(i cant believe that damn pinky!...thats so gay!)...

i was gonna put my top five obsessions in this blog entry but i think ill do that tomorrow...its gettin late...so stay tuned...if anything, send me some questions you have about the island and my life here in american samoa...thatll give me some ideas for future posts...go ahead, ask anything you want...

k, bye...love ya and miss ya...

-JOE

"The sea that calls all things unto her calls me, and I must embark."

-Kahlil Gibran