Only in Samoa . . .

There are some things that are common to all people and all places and then there are some things that are unique to one people and one place.

Only in Samoa do . . .

• the leaders of the church (Area Seventy, Stake Presidents, Bishops and us) have an important church meeting in a room at the local gas station.

• dogs know how to navigate traffic.
• chickens really cross the road.
• football players sometimes wear helmets. I know that doesn't sound too weird but half of the players on the field had on helmet and half did not. It was like shirts and skins in basketball only this was helmets and no helmets. Go figure.

• you see a boat "parked" in front of a church building. (Courtesy of the tsunami)

• four women ride in the back of a pickup truck in a downpour and act like it is nothing.
• dogs run in and out of an official FEMA meeting. The meeting was being held in a village church hall that had no doors. Five dogs kept running in and out, fighting with one another. Finally, one of the dogs got close to the Samoan FEMA representative and he smacked him. The dog yelped and ran out. It was all I could do not to lose it.

• you see snails the size of your fist!

• you receive an orchid lei simply because you are a missionary.
• you have the opportunity to buy palolo on the street. Palolo is coral sperm that is harvested once a year and considered a great delicacy in Samoa. Needless to say, we did not try any. There is a small fear that we might like it and then we would be eating coral sperm!
• dogs cower and run when you pretend to pick up a rock.
• thousands of frogs sing you to sleep. This is only true of American Samoa. Frogs do not live on the other islands. The Elders told us that the Samoan Elders from the other islands are afraid of frogs when they first get sent to American Samoa.
• you see bats with the wing span of an eagle. They are actually the nocturnal Samoan flying fox. I came running in the house when one got about 20 feet above our heads.
• you have a two year old try to rub the polish off of your toes because he has never seen toenails that are painted.

• you see scenes like this!--everyday.