They've Got Some Fight In 'em...

Malo, y'all...man, this week has flown by...i feel like i just wrote on this damn blog...oh, well...here i am again to entertain and inspire and educate the masses...so, lets begin right away...

the pictures in this entry are mostly from flag day...i know, y'all are probably sick of flag day...but its a huge thing here...and someone gave me some pics that i thought were worthy enough to put on my blog...besides, i havent been snappin the pics in a while...though i did get my new battery and charger...god bless amazon.com...its a life saver...anyways, that image above is actually our principal...she had to dance for part of the performance...doesnt she look nice?...i believe, in my humble opinion, that she's the best principal on island...and im not just saying that because she's the principal of my tafuna warriors...although she makes strange and unprofessional administrative decisions ("lets all respect education...but lets take the day off since we won our basketball championship!"), i still think she has high expectations of the school...and i guess tafuna has improved tremendously under her leadership...we're the school with the most students on island, yet we have very little behavior problems and excellent school attendance...i guess tafuna has become one of the most admired schools on island, so i appreciate the woman a lot...

theres a pic of me and some teachers...look how white (and pink!) i am compared to those samoans...holy moly...i look like babe the pig...and i dont know why im not smiling...i think the sun was in my eyes or something...it was darn scorching out there that day...

those were pics of the slap dance...which turned out spectacular...im hoping to bring a video home of the performance this summer...

alright, lets start our discussion topic for today's blog entry...essentially, id like to talk about the fighting that goes on here in american samoa...i know, that sounds odd, huh?...but its actually a significant problem...i dont know if ive brought it up before, but theres fights, like physical ones, on the island all the time...especially at the high schools...at the beginning of the year i broke up fights almost every lunch period...it seems to have slowed down a bit...though i just had to separate one last week...which ill elaborate on in a moment...in any case, the fighting is rampant...theres fist fights all the time at the sporting events...brawls at the bars...clashes in the villages...(i hear about bloody battles between family/village disagreements constantly)...theres scraps at the schools...(ive also heard about angry parents going to beat the crap outta teachers that were "unfair" to their children...yeah, ive had nightmares of this happening to me)...theres wrestling matches between lovers, too...and i dont mean the romantic kind...(one of my students just physically struggled with her cheating boyfriend the other day)...i mean, these arent little, wussy fights either...these are violent, raging conflicts...bloody cruel and dangerous combats...its kinda scary...i mean, for some reason, samoans love to fight...

now, back to my story about the fight i had to separate last week...there were two boys in my classroom during lunch...i didnt know who they were, though ive seen them hangin out in my room often...i knew they were from the same village...nevertheless, they decided to begin fighting suddenly...i got up and stepped between them and i actually pushed one of the boys out of my classroom...and i kept the other kid in my room...i locked the door so they couldnt get at eachother...but i could tell that they were both uncontrollably angry and livid...red with wrath...i kinda laughed to myself though because i felt like i was putting too wild animals in cages or something...i mean, i was in one cage trying to calm one of the other animals down...while the other animal stood outside the cage and paced with frenzy...waitin for the other to come out and battle...he literally waited and instigated the kid that was in my room...it was pretty amusing...i guess you had to be there...another student that was watching the quarrel says to me, "mr. neman, just let them fight...they want to fight...they need to get it out...they need to represent their samoan pride"...and i reckon i said, "well, i dont want blood on my classroom floor...i just swept yesterday"...but the student's comment really got me thinking...and its what inspired this post...lets analyze what this student said and how it relates to why samoans fight...

• first, the whole "let them fight...they want to fight...they need to let it out" got me thinking...remember, this is coming from a lover...not a fighter...i dont think ive ever got into a fight before...cept maybe with dana...(yeah, you dont want to know...they were pretty vicious)...but since im from the states, i think ive also had it engrained into my head that fighting is bad...that problems shouldnt be solved with physical fueds...i could go on and on about how this mentality has led to a complacency in america...afterall, i dont see many americans getting pissed off and physically angry with their country...americans just kinda sit there...they dont get very emotional or passionate about things...(cept when we can get our hands on guns, since theyre everywhere, and shoot up innocent people)...we're kinda told not to do so...think about it...we're always being told to be polite and dont rock the boat...dont lose control of your emotions...keep your body parts to yourself...since the day we are born we hear "dont hit"...and we learn not to...and i think thats a good thing...but i also think that i can understand the samoan way of solving problems...dont get me wrong, i dont think fighting and hurting eachother is the answer...but what if i wouldve just let those boys fight?...let them "get it out"?...i, of course, wouldve never done that...but im sure their parents wouldve...i dont know exactly what i wanna say...i guess i can see why they fight here...its okay to them...they almost need to...its how they release their negative energy...its how they get rid of their passionately furious emotions...i think i actually saw those boys that same day talking...they had made up...what if it was just a conflict they needed to solve physically?...is that so wrong?...if you think about it, theyve been hit all their lives...by their parents and teachers and so on for punishment...its obviously accepted here...i especially think its wonderful when the kids get beat by their parents for fighting with other kids...is that irony?...or just stupidity?...either way, i think i can sympathize with the fighters here on island...its a part of their culture...its who they are...when theyre mad, they punch...when they get in a disagreement, they pound eachothers lights out...is that so wrong?...

• second, lets discuss the part when the student said "its representing their samoan pride"...i suppose, by examining this quote, a samoan who fights, and most likely wins, should be proud as all get out...i kinda explained this before, but it obviously seems to be a samoan culture thing...fighting and winning the battle, even for girls, is seen as triumphant and celebratory...and thats fine...i used to get so upset with my students who began fighting...and i cant believe im typing this but it doesnt seem to upset me anymore...i actually feel some admiration for it...i know, it sounds completely off...but i think i feel this way because im totally a coward when it comes to fighting...id never have the bravery and strength and, really, the emotion to seriously brawl with someone...i guess i find it exultant and victorious in kicking someone's ass...instead of just discussing and talking quietly about a conflict...you know, the american way...whats kinda strange about this though is that religion and christianity is also samoan culture...so why dont they look down upon this fighting?...i dont believe jesus was for punching the lights outta your enemy...was he?...the boys that got into a fight in my classroom are actually mormans...yup, mormans!...ive said this a billion times, i realize christians and religious people arent perfect...but why would the student say its "samoan pride" to fight when its also "samoan pride" to worship and live by jesus' ways?...its another ginormous contradiction ive found on this island...samoans love jesus...yet love to fight...how would jesus feel about this?...or is it not really hurting anyone?...what if physically solving a problem is alright to jesus?...is jesus proud when he sees people who are fighting for what they believe in?...he probably says that a few times in the bible..."fight against evil"..."fight for good"..."fight for what you believe in"...who knows, maybe he's smiling down on them...beating eachother to a pulp...yet acting with passion and emotion..."samoan pride" shining through...

sorry for the disorganized thoughts on the fighting in american samoa...i didnt really outline my ideas...but hopefully you got the jist...fighting is immoral and criminal...but samoan fighting is honorable and justified...(i cant believe im deeming this as true)...

the rest of the pictures in this blog entry were taken today by one of my students...she took my camera to their J.R.O.T.C. presentation at a local elementary school...ive told all y'all about this military program at the schools on island...so i wont go into my liberal dissertation on the recruitment of samoans into the army...and into iraq...and into roadside bombs...oops, i went into my anti-war diatribe...but i think its hilariously inappropriate for the program to be going to the elementary schools to recruit and teach about signing up for the military...startin kinda young arent we?..."hey, kids, wanna fight for a erroneous, illegal war?"..."heck, the military knows you samoans love a good fight!"..."samoans have a helluva lotta fight in 'em"..."so lets enlist 'em...even if they are kindergerteners"..."hell, maybe we could even send some of 'em over to iraq"..."who cares about the alphabet"..."we need soldiers"...oops, i did a liberal tirade again...didnt i?...my bad...

oh, and dont get upset with me...im mostly being sarcastic...MOSTLY...i have nothing againt the junior reserve officers training corps program...well, sorta nothing...

My Top Five Obsessions of the Week:

5. Hairspray = i dont mean the actual hair grooming product...im obsessed with the new movie musical that hits theaters on july 20th...yes, its based off of the original movie with ricki lake (which i remember shawn being a big fan of)...and the new flick looks like its gonna be a blast...a colorful, zippy, and delightful romp through 1960's pop americana...the music is splendidly campy..."good morning baltimore", "mama, im a big girl now", and "you cant stop the beat" are wonderfully bright and bouyant...and the cast looks excellent...john travolta (in drag!), michelle pfeiffer (singin!), amanda bynes (that girl from nickolodeon!), zac efron (that hottie from high school musical!) and queen latifah (singin the best song!)...so, get ready people...we are so seeing this grease-like musical this summer...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHKwoE9xMnk

4. The Foot Cream My Ma Gave Me = wow, are my feet beautifully, silky smooth...theyre gorgeous again!...thanks mom for the cream that works wonders...wanna hear a funny story?...i put the cream on a couple of weeks ago in the morning...well, as i was walking to school it began to rain...and my feet got wet...my feet that had lotion on them...so i was slip sliding all over the place...my flip flops wouldnt stay on because they kept gliding right off my feet...it took me twice as long to get to school because i was tryin to walk without my shoes slithering all over the place...it was pretty challenging...and comical...but it was worth it to have my soft, velvety toes...

3. Notes on a Scandel = this is one frightening movie...get it at your local blockbuster today...i dont wanna tell you what happens...but its a classic, intense pyschological thriller in the vain of single white female and the hand that rocks the cradle...its also an intelligent commentary on loneliness and friendship...and betrayal...a powerfully terrifying portrait of obsession...with a creepy performance by judi dench...and a nightmarish soundtrack...

2. Suzy's Bachlorette Party = okay, i must be the first ever man to plan a bachlorette party...i think i might be the first male maid of honor ever, too...all i know is that suzy doesnt really wanna drink that much...and she definetly wants penis straws!...what the heck should we do?...i mean, i know what suzy and i love to do...but theres gonna be other women here...how do i please them all?...how do i make the bride-to-be happy?...what should we do to make the night memorable?...man, this is too much stress...well, i guess itll be worth it if im sippin out of a penis straw all night...yay, penis!...yay, girl power!...

1. "The Story" by Brandi Carlie = gosh, i dig this song...its the song from greys anatomy...the one for that video that played during the clip show a few weeks ago...i usually despise those best of clip shows (especially the survivor ones), but the greys anatomy one, hosted by denny, wasnt too bad...and the video, though cheesy, was actually kinda dramatic...anyways, this good ol' rock song is beautifully, emotionally sung...and amazingly catchy...its such a superb song that i dont even think about izzie and george and yang anymore...i think of my own friends and family...and i get all warm and fuzzy inside...and a lonely tear rolls down my cheek...as meredith would say, "pick ME, choose ME, love ME" ;-)

alright...im done...let me know what you think of today's post...what are your thoughts on fighting?...how about samoans fighting?...if your kid was getting beat up at school, would you teach them to defend themselves?...how do you feel about the j.r.o.t.c. program goin to elementary schools?...whats your top obsession of the week?...and do you enjoy penis straws?...

love ya and miss ya...

-JOE

p.s....the following quote is perfect for all y'all who arent traveling with me this summer...y'all have jobs or no money or no time...and so i dont have any traveling partners...grrrrrr...thats why this christmas im goin somewhere cool...maybe tokyo...alone, yes...but at least im goin somewhere...

"The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till the other is ready, and it may be a long time before they get off."

-Henry David Thoreau, Walden