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