Progress Report: Month XVII

01/23/09

This past month was marked by my three-week visit to Minneapolis and by sorting out the burglary of my Samoan house. However, there is still lots’ happening.

New Primary School
Construction on the new primary school has begun with the clearing and grading of 10 acres using heaving machinery.

Diabetes/Hypertension/Health
The local hospital is prepared to have another clinic. They want to test everyone in the village for diabetes, hypertension, and BMI within the next month. This is in addition to the first round of testing conducted last August.

I have brought four blood pressure cuffs from the U.S. and purchased in Samoa a glucose monitor, test strips, and a scale for conducting individual tests on people who miss the clinic. I have started testing villagers on my own. This project may end up consuming most of my time in the months ahead. Donations are graciously accepted.

Garden
As I guessed, my host family just doesn’t have the time to devote to my garden in the back of their property. The squash is consuming the garden like a weed. It is even in the trees! I am finally getting fruit. So after clearing out a lot of weeds from my absence, I planted some experimental zucchini and some bush beans. I have come to the resolution that my garden may return to the trash pile it was before Mary and I arrived.

Hope does spring eternal and a newly married young neighbor and his wife have started a garden next door. Also the President of the Women’s Committee may release her cleared land for a community garden. The neighboring village is also ready to start family gardens, although I noticed the family garden plot in the front of a community leader has returned to grass. At least they are proud of the sunflowers I gave them. I have also planted some flower seeds. Maybe you can’t eat them, but there is more interest in flowers than food.

I am really happy that a number of the newer Peace Corps Volunteers on Savaii have started garden projects in their own villages. It is fun to compare notes and to know of their successes.

Small Business
I bought over 60 DVDs in the U.S. for the rental store across the road. She is happy to pay me for DVDs I have no interest in watching. Now I know why a one star movie can still make money.

Sewing Machines
Sewing classes are to begin again next month.

Washboards
I showed the New Zealand High Commission my washboard in hopes of generating some interest in having them fund their importation. I may find out more next month. Afterall, how can they fail to support a business owned by fellow Kiwis?

Talent Show
What do I know? After first learning the village wanted another talent show, then learning just before my vacation that there was no one to organize one, I find out that they had one on Christmas Eve. This was not as big as the one before, but a show nonetheless

Peace Corps Baccalaureate

01/22/09

Mary is one of the first students in the U.S. to pursue a Peace Corps Baccalaureate degree from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN. This program takes into account her Peace Corps experience as she writes numerous papers about life in paradise. After unable to find a Samoan speaker to test her language proficiency, the university now accepts the Peace Corps internationally accepted language test. She plans to finish her degree this year after her hiatus from the University of Minnesota.

Charge D’Affairs Visit

01/19/09

Robin Yaeger, me, host mother and grandchild, George (Robin's Assistant)

The top U.S. official in Samoa for the past six months is the Charge D’Affairs, Robin Yeager. She is a career diplomat in the Foreign Service responsible for a staff of 19 people and she reports to the U.S. Ambassador in Wellington, New Zealand. Robin is a gracious person opening her private residence to Peace Corps for the Election Returns, Thanksgiving, and Obama’s Inauguration. Her visit to my humble home and her treat of a restaurant meal helps to bring the U.S. a little closer to Savaii.

The Monkey

01/18/09

Whoever has the monkey has the problems, so the old management adage goes. For the past week the monkey has been on my shoulder trying to figure the best way to handle the repeated breaking and entering through the locked door of my house by the mayor’s, my host’s, 19-year-old son. After informing the mayor I am reporting these incidents to the Peace Corps for further action he has decided to take the matter before the village council. The mayor is the chief law official in the village whereas the council is like the judge and jury. He and the Peace Corps can now share the monkey. We shall see what actually happens. Until then there is a bounce once again in my step. Maybe that wasn’t a monkey after all, but a gorilla.

Decision

01/17/09

A Peace Corps Volunteer’s responsibility is to report all security issues. With my wise wife’s counsel, this is what I must do. Once these wheels are set in motion, it is hard to know what happens. I do know this is what my host family dreads the most. Now to inform them of my decision so they can prepare themselves for the coming storm.

Sleepless in Iva

01/15/09

Tossing and turning in my bed, contemplating the infinite number of scenarios and words to be spoken, life seems the same as before. The criminal walks freely, albeit sheepishly. My host family is considerate almost to a flaw in hopes the incidents are soon to be forgotten or forgiven again. If I acquiesce my moral fiber is sacrificed to the gods of expediency and hypocrisy. If I press my case, the pain may be unendurable.

MIA

01/13/09

There is a strange quiet on village nights. Usually there is a cacophony of barnyard sounds with roosters crowing, pigs grunting, and dogs fighting. I soon realize that I have been gone during the holidays when guests, feasting and revelry are at their peak in Samoa. No creature or plant is spared.

I am putting out an APB to see if my feathered friend survived the stew pot.