Is life allowed to be this good?

Last night was absolutely a blast. We went to the little village to "help" with the umu. They didn't kill the pig in front of us but they did have us do most everything hands-on. We washed our hands and got right to work squeezing out the coconut cream from the meat (not the juice inside). And then we pealed some green bananas (they are a different kind, so you have to peal them with a little tool). Then we "helped" scrape the breadfruit. It was like pealing a giant potato with a sharp can lid. It was a little scary but we got it done. Then we helped make the palesami. What you do is take a banana leaf and put it in the fire for a minute and then take a ripe taro leaf and fold it into a little green cup. Then you take the coconut cream stuff that you squeezed out and you ladle it into the green cup. Then you wrap it up and seal it with the banana leaf. Then you put the bread fruit leaf around the whole thing (that now looks like a ball) and fold all the little arms in and seal it by tucking the stem around one of the mid-ribs. It was really fun and I don't think we did it too badly. You can replace the coconut and banana leaves with tin foil too. But Tia (one of our elders at church and umu teacher) wouldn't let us get away with the tin foil. Then we husked coconut by driving them onto an iron pike thing (a little scary). We had some more coco Samoa (like coffee but with coco). Then I was chosen to help the boys with the fire and so I got to be suffocated by smoke as I threw the lava rocks into the fire. Then they got the coconut scraper out and we got to do that. I scraped a whole coconut but Tia said that was because I was dedicated not talented. It was like a sharp spoon thing nailed to a bench that you sat on. See Pictures. After that we tried a ripe coco bean and it tasted like lemon. It was kinda good but definitely not chocolate. Salvation (one of my kids in my class) taught Melinda a SaSa (sit down dance with coconut shells, which we had helped scrape). I watched them seal the umu by throwing all the food onto the lava rocks, putting more hot glowing lava rocks on top and then putting like a million banana leaves (huge ones) on top. In the end all of the heat is sealed inside and the food cooks like it's in an oven.

Then we went home and got ready for the night. We got into our puletasis and dressed up a little bit. We went to the lectureship and that was all fine and dandy. We had to dance after that and my stomach was in knots. I think we did okay though,

 despite the fact that one of the pastors put a ula (Hawaiian le

i) around my neck that was REALLY itchy. We danced anyway and had a good time (once it was over). The guys did a SaSa and the girls did a dance that they had tried to teach us. They are just so much more graceful than we were. Then Luao called us up to the front and all of the guys that had danced (younger guys, about age 17-25) came and gave us gifts and kissed us on the cheek. There were lots of cheers and laughter from the Samoans. We were so caught of guard that Melinda was the only one that could speak. I got like 7 lavalavas, a tiny figurine fale, a necklace, another sei (hair 

flower), and earrings to match. One of the guys brought me a chair to put all of my stuff in. He started folding my lavalavas for me. His name is John. We met him when we played volleyball the

 other day. When I grabbed a lavalava and started folding it, he asked, "Do you know how?" I said, "Yes, I

 guess so." He said, "Ohhh OK!" with a really adorable look on his face that seemed to say he was surprized I wanted to help fold my own gifts. We chilled for a little while and took lots of pictures. We came home and watched the beginning on "Independence Day" to commemorate the Fourth. 

It was a great day!

Love from Am Sam~

The pictures (in order): 

Me about to dance (posing for Ruth)

Husking the coconut on the pike thing

Our little posse!

Pealing Breadfruit

My coconut I husked

Tearing out the mid-rib

John and I after we both had danced and folded my lavalavas.