Tonight we had yet another Group 75 movie night – only this time it took place in Falevao instead of Apia. The movie we ended up watching was Kill Bill Vol. 1 and as you know that movie is definitely rated R for a reason. We were watching it in our school fale so kids from nearby houses came to watch this movie and we had a wide range of ages from 2 to 10 and from 13 to 18 plus our trainers – so it was a good crowd to find out how Samoans (especially the kids) would react to this kind of movie. Now, so you know, we did explain to our trainers that this movie had a lot of blood in it but they were only concerned about whether the movie had sex in it. It was definitely an interesting culture clash with the Americans being concerned about the violence while the Samoans were not concerned at all about the violence these kids would see. So we watched Kill Bill Vol. 1 and while I was fine watching the movie with adults back in the states, I was uncomfortable at times watching it with these kids but they laughed at all the blood and violence – it didn't phase them at all. I was expecting crying or something but the kids just watched and laugh and once the movie was done, they got up and left without any problems. It was amazing seeing the difference in culture while watching the movie – in America, we're always concerned about the welfare of the children above almost anything else while Samoa seems to let their kids see things that may be considered "violence" by American standards but then the kids seem to realize that its only a movie (its when adults get drunk that you run into the narrow minded people). I know you might stay that "they didn't understand the movie" but would a kid in America understand it any better? The gruesome pics would have freaked them out more then the words. This movie night just gave me a better perspective of my culture from the outside and I have to say America is a really protective society. Some people say kids can't handle violence but when you see a society that's not as sheltered as we are and yet have very few violent crimes (most of which occur because of alcohol) you have to wonder how much violent movies really affect kids. Is it culture or genetics – tonight's movie points more towards culture. The other funny thing is that not only did everyone like the movie, they want to see Vol 2 as soon as possible. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we're cooking food for the village so we might watch Vol 2 on Friday night. Then we'll see how Samoans react to a story-driven movie.
Also, if you decide to visit me (which I hope you do) you might want to invest in some water shoes that cover your toes. The reef here is extremely sharp and coral cuts don't heal easily. I currently have a coral cut on my toe and it now hurts to put on my jangals because the strap puts pressure on the cut. If you go into the coral, you're going to get cuts but reef shoes can help protect the most sensitive parts of your foot area.
Anyway, this was a very culturally awakening day but tomorrow we get to celebrate American culture – Thanksgiving! Can't wait. L8r.
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