Le Aiga: Lotofaga Part 1

I'm super sorry it's taken me this long to write you guys a new update! So much has happened it's almost overwhelming to get it all on here. We'll take it one day at a time I guess.

A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to live in a traditional Samoan village named Lotofaga. It's on the other side of the island from Apia where I go to school. I was beyond nervous when I got there but can honestly say that it was the most wonderful week I've had here and was a life changing event. I lived in a family of 4 with my mom Temu, her children Lole (10) and Valelia (7) , and her youngest brother Junior (17). We lived in one of the nicer houses in town by Samoan Standards and I had my own room to myself with a bed (very rare). My house wasn't as strict as most other families, most likely because I lived with a young single mother. We had a handful of dogs and cats running around along with chickens and pigs. The best part may have been the puppy I named Lolia.

    Afternoon snack after school with Lole, Junior and Valelia in the Fale

The Crew

 The Ladies 

We were fairly well of in Samoan terms and I got to live in an actual house (a lot of the fales in Samoa don't have side walls). I even got my own bed and bedroom which is really rare. My family all slept on the ground in the main room on traditional sleeping mats. There is no kitchen, just the cooking umu out back which is essentially a structure to build a fire in and cook. All eating was done outside and then the dishes were washed in another hut-like structure with buckets of water we fetched. 

In the evenings Junior would cook dinner and I would be served before everyone else. Valelia would fan me while I ate in the first few days but by the end of my stay I got the family to all eat together. My goal was to be treated as one of the family by the end of my stay and not as a guest. I would do the chores like wash the clothes and help prepare the food. In the afternoons Valelia and I would collect the rubbage from the front yard and then all the kids from our area would come over and we'd play Lakapi (Rugby). I would shower and then we'd eat dinner before doing our homework. 

Playing with Deborah (8) and Joey (3) from across the street

I just had to put another one of him because he's so stinkin cute!

It's a fun environment with music always playing and dance is always encouraged. This is a far cry from the traditional Samoan family but I think it worked out perfectly for me. There were certain things that took some getting used to like showering from a bucket or the fact that privacy and space aren't really a thing here. By the end of the week I was exhausted. The kids kept me busy most of the time.

My mother was the youngest in the group and since she was single we spent a lot of time together. We would go on walks at night to her friends houses and chit chat. She showed me a lot of affection with hugs and held my hand as we walked. This is common in Samoa for guests but strange to me because mothers aren't outwardly affectionate towards their kids. During my day off from class Temu and I cooked together, danced the Samoan Siva and sewed new pillow cases for the kids. She had me straighten her hair and teach her some american songs, again showing just how relaxed she was compared to the normal samoan family. 

Towards the end of the week my grandfather, Olo, came back to Lotofaga to visit (he now lives in American Samoa). This changed the atmosphere of the home. He is the family matai (chief). and so things became a lot more formal. I went back to eating first with him and was not to think about doing any of the chores. When I gave my gifts to the family, Olo recollected them until he decide which ones he wanted for himself. He was also a hilarious man who would have me sit with him for hours in the afternoon as he laughed at my attempts of speaking to him in Samoan. (actually the whole family did that..... every day). 

 

an afternoon with Olo 

By the end of the week I really felt like part of the family. I had grown accustomed to the weird spaghetti sandwhiches I ate for breakfast and throwing the meat bones at my feet as I ate for the animals. I wasn't going to miss watching Junior kill the chickens for dinner but definitely the evenings spent in the umu with my uncle. Lole and Valelia and really become my new siblings. Walking with them to the faleoloas (small neighborhood shops) and to school in the mornings are some of my fondest memories of the trip to date. We couldn't really speak that well to each other but we managed to have a good time and connect. The end of the week brought a lot of tears from all of us. I'm looking forward to my trip back to Lotofaga in a few weeks to spend more time with my new Samoan family. 

living with teenage boys was highly entertaining

Playing some Dress up for the Fiafia with my brothers

Teaching the kiddos the magic of a jumping shot. 

My Beautiful Samoan Home! I slept with my nuclear family on the left. Extended family sleeps on the right

Again, this is very upscale for Samoa, I was very lucky.

 

Saying Goodbye was rough, I couldn't get anyone to fake a smile for our last photo

Lotofaga came at the perfect time for me. I was overwhelmed with life in Apia and felt no real center. Having a Samoan family who really took me in was the perfect solution. I had tasks to do and felt a part of daily life in Samoa. Before this trip I felt like an intruder or even worse.... a tourist. I learned so much more about the language and the culture by really experiencing it and developed a love for the country. Being grounded gave me the luxury of feeling safe to explore finally. I was ready after my trip to find what else Samoa could offer me. This week alone was worth this entire trip. It was rewarding to a point of no words. I was placed by chance with the perfect family for me.