Hook ‘Em (Written 1/04/06)

It has been a few days since I last updated the blog so let me catch you up to speed on what I’ve been doing since we got back from New Years at Lalomanu – absolutely nothing! It was great. After a week of just hanging out with people from my group and the other groups here, it was a good two days of just resting the body, mind and soul. My legs were especially tired after all the work they put in last week so they got some extra special attention. I did laundry and completely read through one book – so I had a good time sitting around the house (the fact that all the stores were basically closed for the past 2 days because of national holidays helped convince me to stay home as well). But today it was time to get out and mingle with the masses (even though it was also a national holiday today – the Prime Minister’s birthday or something). So on the day that I decide its time for me to go out what does mother nature decide to throw at me today – rain and lots of it. It just seemed to keep coming down no matter during the early portion of the day – but I was bound and determined to make it into Apia because of the National Championship game today. So once I thought it had cleared up a bit (but still raining) I biked it from my house to the Peace Corps office. On my way to the office I went over a Ford (which is a small concrete bridge) that was just covered in water and had a downed tree blocking the river on the other side so the water as building up behind the tree and then going around it. It was strange to feel the fury of the river under my feet and feel it on my face as it continued to pour down (I walked my bike across the Ford). So as you can understand because of the obstacles it creates here and the limited amount of paths to places on the island, the rain can be quite demanding sometimes. But I made it to the Peace Corps office in one piece and as I got there it of course decided to start clearing up. So after hanging around at the office for a bit I went over to JT’s Sports Bar to watch the USC vs. Texas game and met up with some fellow Peace Corps there. It was great to hang out with them again after having a few days off and it was especially great to have Bryan there because he went to Texas and had on a Texas t-shirt in support of his team. He had made some Texas food in the morning, came to watch Texas win and then at night was going to play Texas Hold ‘Em – A truly Texas day! It’s amazing to think that this time last year I was in Dallas, Texas watching Texas playing in the Rose Bowl and absolutely hating them because Mack Brown whined his way out of the Cotton Bowl (and a potential UT vs. UT matchup) but this year I was in Samoa rooting for them because I dislike USC so much (and I know more people who would be happy if Texas won). Amazing what happens in the course of a year! While we were there an entire family came in to watch the game – they were Samoans who had just arrived from California that morning and were in full support of USC. It was funny to see the Peace Corps mainly rooting for Texas and the Samoans rooting for USC – talking about unity. But it made for a great atmosphere because everyone was in the game from beginning to end (it didn’t hurt that it was a good game from beginning to end). I also talk to a native Samoan who was rooting for USC because he had family in California and he even wore a USC t-shirt (oh how I wish I had brought my camera). When USC did something big the Samoans cheered like crazy and when Texas did anything big the Peace Corps went crazy – it was so much fun. It was a great moment when Texas scored their last touchdown which won the game and almost all the Peace Corps went crazy like we had just won the Super Bowl or something (we were really all in support of Bryan). So when they won, Bryan couldn’t be happier to be a Texan and we couldn’t have been happier for him. So congratulations to Bryan, Amy, Lindsey and the Texas Camp Ozark staff on Texas winning it all this year. Also, if anyone in Texas is reading this send me a picture of the tower at UT-Austin lit up after winning the Rose Bowl, I’m sure it will say something special at least by tomorrow. In all, it was a good two days for Peace Corps Volunteers: we have a guy from Group 73 who is a Penn State alum so he was happy yesterday and the only person that was disappointed was a Georgia alum which made me happy – so it all works out. ( In all, it was a good day of mixing Samoan internationalism with an American event like college football – makes me all the more excited to see what the Super Bowl feels like here. For the first time I can say I probably had more fun watching this game here then I would have had I been home – who knows, this place might actually grow on me in two years time. We’ll see – but for the first and last time on this blog: Hook ‘Em Horns! (

Also a big congratulations to Wisconsin on beating Auburn and avenging your loss two years ago in the Music City Bowl. While your team may have improved, I’m sure your marching band and fans are still better. (