Snow on the mountains outside of the city. Who knew? If I only needed a reminder that I'm not in Samoa it's the view of snow covered mountains from Carlsbad. But then, this isn't a sight that's normally seen around here so now I'm in reverse culture shock. Last night's cold and rain brought the snow levels closer and more plentiful than I ever remember seeing in my life. Snow-capped hills are not the normal sight as I drive down the road.
Getting over the shock of the snow is almost easier than remembering how to drive above 25 mph. In Samoa the speed limit tops out at 25 and is often 15 in places. My life for two weeks revolved driving slow along a 5 mile stretch of road from the hotel to work and back. It's nice not to have to watch geckos run around the room and to know that there will be no mosquitos lurking outside my door. For such a laid back place, this was one of my tougher assignments as 12-14 hour days were the norm and the breaks few and far between. I'll take the normal non-stop activity anytime after the last week of crazy eaters devouring everything in their path!
It's hard to describe how small American Samoa is. A dot on a map really. The airport has a runway but not much else. There is not a jet-way only the open field. We were delayed loading the night I left due to the heavy rainstorm. There were not enough umbrellas to go around. Most of us finally opted for the dash through the rain and the flight attendants passed out napkins so we could dry ourselves. The cold A/C didn't help and the heat never came on. Samoa is a place where traditional skirt wraps are still worn by both men and women. The downside is these clothes lack pockets. The employees came to work with quarters in their ears. The quarters were for the bus. Their ears were the best place to hold the quarters. My god, is it that hard to sew pockets? There are seamstresses everywhere on the island and a small square even I can manage that.
The 5 mile stretch of road was full of island hazards. Coconuts really do fall off trees and land in the road. Stray dogs roam everywhere and don't see cars as a threat. The storms bring large potholes to the road that always seems to be under repair. Floods wipe out half the road so everyone is reduced to driving in the middle. Ambulances went by frequently and the police issued tickets constantly for driving above the speed limit. Driving 40 mph = a $60 ticket. I think the police department must not be lacking for income given the large numbers of people pulled over daily for speeding.
The main road doesn't have a name. The random part of Samoa was the number of drag queens. Samoan men do not make the most attractive women but there they were. It's good to be home.
Getting over the shock of the snow is almost easier than remembering how to drive above 25 mph. In Samoa the speed limit tops out at 25 and is often 15 in places. My life for two weeks revolved driving slow along a 5 mile stretch of road from the hotel to work and back. It's nice not to have to watch geckos run around the room and to know that there will be no mosquitos lurking outside my door. For such a laid back place, this was one of my tougher assignments as 12-14 hour days were the norm and the breaks few and far between. I'll take the normal non-stop activity anytime after the last week of crazy eaters devouring everything in their path!
It's hard to describe how small American Samoa is. A dot on a map really. The airport has a runway but not much else. There is not a jet-way only the open field. We were delayed loading the night I left due to the heavy rainstorm. There were not enough umbrellas to go around. Most of us finally opted for the dash through the rain and the flight attendants passed out napkins so we could dry ourselves. The cold A/C didn't help and the heat never came on. Samoa is a place where traditional skirt wraps are still worn by both men and women. The downside is these clothes lack pockets. The employees came to work with quarters in their ears. The quarters were for the bus. Their ears were the best place to hold the quarters. My god, is it that hard to sew pockets? There are seamstresses everywhere on the island and a small square even I can manage that.
The 5 mile stretch of road was full of island hazards. Coconuts really do fall off trees and land in the road. Stray dogs roam everywhere and don't see cars as a threat. The storms bring large potholes to the road that always seems to be under repair. Floods wipe out half the road so everyone is reduced to driving in the middle. Ambulances went by frequently and the police issued tickets constantly for driving above the speed limit. Driving 40 mph = a $60 ticket. I think the police department must not be lacking for income given the large numbers of people pulled over daily for speeding.
The main road doesn't have a name. The random part of Samoa was the number of drag queens. Samoan men do not make the most attractive women but there they were. It's good to be home.
I saw the snow in the local hills today as I drove to Costco and wished I would have had my camera!
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