We’ve had some incredible moments in the Ala Mai Lounge over the past year and a half. Here’s a look back at 10 of our most memorable posts:

1. When my Dad hit my Mom
This explosive piece by Ala Mai gem, Kilifi Lepua Fretton, drew by far the strongest response from all our readers. So many could tragically relate to the issue of family violence that he so pragmatically - and eloquently - raised.

2. Her Face Was On My Pillow
John @ Tala’aga caught a lot of female retaliation (and a lot of laughs!) for this story about that one girl who made an impression he won’t soon forget.

3. Saying sorry to your child
It’s not common for any parent to apologize to their children, much less so amongst Samoans. Sia challenges our community to take responsibility for our own mistakes… even if the only ones wronged are our children.

4. I lied. We met online.
Apparently, it’s not so taboo anymore, but it still makes ‘cool’ people a little bit self-conscious. JayFoo fesses up to her Online Romance in this very cute, One Samoana love story.

5. Loiloi
Even the title of this post got people salivating. Our poet, Dre, reminisces on life in Samoa and the culinary rewards that followed a hard day’s work.

6. The day is finally here! Our wedding DAY!
You have to read this one as part of the entire series of CherryK posts. It begins with her meeting the love of her life then deciding to leave her life in NZ in order to live with him in Samoa. It was an exciting journey and we were privileged to have witnessed it all through the eyes of this beautiful (though boyish) bride!

7. O se talaaga a Ma’osi e uiga i le to’alua palagi o lo’u tuafafine matua…
Maosi Tuitele tells us about the time when a small altercation with his sister’s difficult Palagi husband took him on a very, very long walk.

8. Let’s Paint the Town…uh…Brown?
Our resident (and self-professed) genius, LiJH, shares his hilarious adventures at the local McDonald’s drive through.

9. Gods gift on a plane
It was a headline that rocked the Samoan community in New Zealand - a newborn baby discarded by her Samoan mother in an airplane rubbish bin. Social commentator, NiuZila, had a few very straight-forward words to say about that.

10. Recipe: REAL Samoan Panipopo!
I guess a lot of people like pagipopos.

…MORE from our Ala Mai Lounge

by hamogeekgirl, posted 28th December 2009 at 2:49 am, 3 Comments

This Christmas..

Every December, my family and I get ready for Christmas. We put up lights, decorations and the tree. My family and I all make our own ornaments each year and it goes up on the tree. I’ve been deciding exactly what will my ornament look like this year. Last year, it was a [...]

by And In The Words of Leila.., posted 16th December 2009 at 2:54 pm, No Comments

I can tell you now that my addiction to these soap dramas are getting worse. I’ll sit up all night watching these things pretending I know exactly what they’re talking about, and even if I go cross eyed at reading the sub titles alil too hard, I tend to wake up and go to work just to google youtube for the ending. sad story, you think?

It doesnt stop there, I’ll walk into a store here at home and start a polite conversation with the shop owner who understands nothing of the english language, yet she nods her head at the Drama Titles I mention, I know I get kinda irritating. I even get into a bus full of people, and see a fellow korean (and fellow meaning, since I live in a soap drama world, i tend to take myself into their ethnicity, .. you shouldve seen me when I was on that philipino soap dramas)(and REALLY not being racist) person and ask when the next showing of a certain show is on KBS.

…from NEW contributor, Ninja Say What

by ninjasaywhat, posted 14th December 2009 at 2:37 am, 2 Comments

I have always been a baker at heart. In my family…and being Samoan…the women are always in the kitchen. Being a young girl and helping my mother in the kitchen is just what happend…till you’re old enough to cook/bake/clean without your mother then it’s all on you. My mother is quite the baker. She was a Chef in her day…and I know that’s when this need/want/ability to bake was instilled in me. That and I wanted to eat the rest of the mixture in the bowl without anyones knowledge…

…from NEW contributor, LadyOvrage in ‘i Want’

by iwant, posted 10th December 2009 at 12:34 am, 5 Comments

When you’re in American Samoa, and you’re in Pava’ia’i, then on to Futiga; keep driving. You’ll be coming down the hill and that’s when you see it. You’ll see the blue waters, hear the waves crashing against each other, and hear the birds flying above it. My Leone, the beautiful.

by And In The Words of Leila.., posted 5th December 2009 at 11:00 am, 4 Comments