The first week

Well, we made it through the first week, and it's still the enjoying/positive vibes stage.
Matt's week at work got a lot better after the intensity of the first day, and he got the chance to see how business here operates at an closing down of business auction on Thursday. Enough to say he came home shaking his head, and every so often throughout the evening, he'd burst out with "And then they ...". Learning curve. The big big boss is in town for one night only, so we have a reception and umu at the Tafuna branch tonight, which I think is a bit of a welcome for us too. Let's hope Taine behaves better than he has the last few times we've been out in public!
Taine seems to be settling into school; definitely a lot quicker than when he first started. He's started saying "recess"! The lunch menu has been the shock of the week. Seeing there's no cafeteria or tuck shop, they get food in from the local suppliers: McDonalds one day, KFC the next, Pizza Hut the next! I don't think so, somehow. Taine's class are going through the alphabet, one letter each week, just like Hillsborough, but I'm impressed they're also doing vowel sounds and end sounds at the same time. They got to play with bubbles on Friday (B week). Each child has to provide a box of tissues and a box of baby wipes (what are my/ANZ fees going on then?) and bring at least a litre of water each day to drink. They don't get reading books here, so luckily I enrolled at the library last week. yay Dr Seuss - he's everywhere.
The library was my sanity saver this week. After nothing to read but the local paper, half in Samoan, and two scrapbooking magazines, it was bliss to first, just sit and read a current magazine, then get out books. I've read two already (since Friday). I also discovered the local mall (6 shops, including a cafe with a broken espresso machine) and a department store. Think the size of the makeup counters at Farmers St Lukes. For all those concerned about my mental health, I've been going to the McCafe 5 minutes away after dropping Taine to school each morning (at 7.45). Coffees pretty good, but I made the mistake of ordering the largest size today and have felt my innards swimming all morning.
We didn't do much at the weekend. Family swims at our pool, playing with Taine's new transformers and building Autobot city out of the shopping boxes. We can't wait for our stuff to arrive. The house is still feeling very bare and empty.
I played mah jong this morning at the neighbours. Was not very successful, as I can't concentrate on playing and listening like they can. And they play very quickly! I've got the book of hands now to learn. My first game last week, I wowed them with a very flukey 10000 point hand (All Honours pairs?) but haven't come close to anything like that since.
Thank you for all your emails. For some reason I can't send responses, so will have to figure that out. Helen - yes you can open our mail. Glad to hear we're not criminals. Kyla - our postal address is c/- ANZ Amerika Samoa Bank, PO Box 3790, American Samoa 96799. And I've been told you get great views of our house on Google Earth. Type in Trade Winds Hotel, American Samoa, and we're over the road.