The Case of the Missing Bananas

Remember that photo from last time of Matt pointing proudly at our bananas? The next day, I went out to inspect them and they were gone! All that was left was a stalk, drooping forlornly on the grass. The gardeners are the chief suspects but I have no proof. It could have been anyone as there's a road on the other side of the fence, but I have learnt to either specifically say these bananas are ours or cut them down as soon as I see them. Bummer.

This week's highlight was Flag Day, 109 years since the American flag was raised on Am Sam. It's a very big deal. As Matt's boss is off island, he'd picked up the invitation to the Governor's box, but when we realised this included church on Thursday night, breakfast in the box at the stadium on Friday morning, and watching a full day of celebrations, we gracefully declined. Matt decided instead to march with the ANZ Amerika Samoa group. He left just before 7am on Friday morning, sat in the sun in the middle of the athletic track listening to speeches until 10, walked for 200 metres, then hightailed it to the bank for a BBQ. He said it was very, very, very hot. Taine had a sleepover the previous night at Noah's (it was our wedding anniversary, so we'd gone over to Trade Winds for a meal - the most beautiful pulled pork and Matt had various exotic seafood), so I picked him up at 12 and joined the party. Taine was exhausted (they'd got up at 5am) so he crashed on the seats inside the branch, along with half a dozen others. Some of the bank staff had spent half the night marinating 42 chickens for the BBQ. The maintenance men had set up the coal BBQ, then turned it over to 4 teenage boys who spent the next 4 hours cooking the chickens. Beautiful, but far, far, far too much for 40 people. I had my first taste of kava. Hopefully my last, but the man offering was a very nice ex-gang member from NYC. It just didn't feel mannerly to refuse.

Another highlight of Flag Day weekend are the fautasi races. These are the big canoes, with 50 paddlers in each, racing from 5 miles out at sea into Pago. The paper in the last week has been full of the politics, which team isn't returning the trophy, which village has spent $140,000 USD on innovations to their boat ... They had the heats on Friday. The visiting team from Samoa had their rudder break, but because everyone knew they were a fast team, they were let through in to the finals anyway. Unfortunately the team that forgot to take their rudder with them weren't so lucky. I watched the final on TV on Saturday morning and they did the 5 miles in about 25 minutes. Watching the start just about made me seasick, as the horizon on the picture was going up and down and up and down. Apparently they don't worry too much about a start time or a start line. As soon as the boats are sort of in a line, it doesn't matter if a slow boat is a little bit in front, or a fast boat is a little bit behind., and that's when it starts.

Saturday was a quiet day, we finally watched the Warriors win. The Thomas came round to watch, so we planned the ANZAC day party for next weekend. There will be a pie off (although the email said an executive decision had been made and sausage rolls were also acceptable). So this morning I rushed to KS Mart to get some pastry. Bet it's all sold out by tomorrow. I think there were 14 Kiwi families/couples and 1 Aussie couple on the list, so we'll have fun eating pie and playing cricket and drinking beer.

Sunday we were going to head to the beach, but I locked us out of the house again (3rd time in 2 months) and it was a very tense three hours before we could get hold of the property manager to let us back in. Sundays are not good days to contact locals, as church and lunch take priority. Then as I was on my way out, I ran over Taine's bike and crushed the wheel. We didn't feel like going to the beach after that, but Taine and I went out for icecream to calm us both down.

I'm building up an album of nature photos, so here's a teaser: it is Taine's jandal, but that's still a whopper snail. They are very pooy creatures, as our front wall can attest to. Taine thinks it's hilarious (what a boy). The frogs are next and I'm working on a dragonfly, lizard and these cool birds.

Taine has another field trip on Thursday, this time to the library. I think I'm transporting again. Each time, his teacher warns me about some of the other rambunctious kids, and it's my son who is the loudest and most obnoxious. I did like the notice that said "All children must be belted". I'll get the Anti-Smacking group onto them - ha, that's me!

He brought home a notice last week and a length of fabric. Please get a vest made for the Cultural Day concert on 1 May. Luckily there are sewing shops on every corner, but there was a brief moment of panic. His class' act is a line dance and singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas". Not quite the culture I was expecting.

This morning, I've dropped Taine off, gone to McDs for a coffee and to read the paper, got groceries at the two supermarkets but still need to go to several more to find dried coriander, and I will go to the hardware store to get some keys cut (thanks to all the people who have suggested I should have keys hidden outside somewhere. Yes, I should) and to the travel agent to sort out our Canberra holiday. It may just be easier to come via Auckland (better planes, more convenient times, not that much more expensive) but it's all very complicated to work out.

Goodness, I can ramble about not very much! Thanks for getting to the end. S