Screamingtree

I first heard about this movie ‘Invictus’ on a radio ad, the type they play here in Samoa with snippets of dialogue and funky background ‘mood’ music - and it did the trick for me! I wanted to SEE IT! ARGH!!!

Mixing Nelson Mandela & Rugby, a random couple (in the category section) brought on this compelling urge to view it - I had formed so many pre-concieved attitudes and fairy-tale endings to the storylines I could match up between the two.

So here it is, I’m a fan of Sarafina, The Power of One, Lord of War - any movie set in South Africa or any movie around Apartheid or the Black Power movement..

‘Invictus’ for me, is hands down, my favourite! Even if it is a Clint Eastwood movie.

I would love to ramble on about the storyline and the guts of it - but I’ll leave that for you to check out.

P.S Zac Feaunati plays Jonah Lomu… and the All blacks Haka kinda sucks in this movie..

Between the market stalls at Fugalei, there is an underground scene of collective souls connected by this game we call Checkers.

Affectionately referred to as ‘Mu’ here in Samoa, this past-time is generally associated with Ava drinking older men who crowd around makeshift checker boards using multicolored milk bottle caps as a checker.

No one can remember who exactly brought Mu to Samoa, it varies between the early American soldiers before they took over Pago Pago – the Germans who brought the home-brew and weapons now used in the plantation and the New Zealanders who held government for a period of time before the Independence of Samoa. The rules of Checkers played in Samoa are the basic American rules in which the argument of the Americans introducing checkers remains with the Yanks.

The nimble fingers dance across the board with hands showing wear and tear of a hardworking life, a dedication to working the family plantation, building the family home, the hand of a bible holding childhood, disciplinary cuts of a hand upon a child - once strong and useful to the Aiga these hands are reduced to the competition of a quick thinking mind and the reasoning of veteran conscience that dictates the outcome of this simple game.

To the naked eye of an outsider, the old men playing Mu is an equivalent of a bunch of alcoholics, but if you look deeper it is more than just a game that these souls play to fade away the lazy hot Samoan afternoon, but a last element of competition to show superiority and being a man in this culture of hierarchy and duty bound soldiers of a village, family, country.

Mu, is played in orderly fashion, you wait your turn, you play your game – win or lose, it carries on until the next – a coconut shell of Ava is passed around the crowd of players and bystanders, the slowing effect surprisingly makes the decision making in checkers easier bringing a slow motion effect and a focus shifting from the following move to anticipating the next three moves of your opponent - this is what you can refer to as the ‘escape’.

The escape and the joy of playing a game of war in which the only one that loses is not dependent on how bad you play, but how bad your opponent plays and how you anticipate the mistakes before they happen is enjoyed now by a myriad of different ages and levels of skill in the Art of Mu, the feeling of winning a game connects directly to diverting the depression held by one and becomes an addiction of finding fragments of a self-esteem booster.

In Apia, the tables of Mu are rarely a place of excitement nor is it an attraction for a tourist to hustle and bustle through the stalls of Samoan knick knacks to witness, but if you silently pass by and watch how these men dedicate hours of their lives to the game – you may be surprised at how fast they play and how hard the finishing move of a checker is slammed onto the makeshift board, it is a theatre show for where the v.i.p is truly only v.i.p once you are a player and once you are a player, you can’t help but want to play again.

Win or Lose, this game is better than life – and for the Samoan Mu player, this is all there is to look forward to.

1. When I’m drunk, I tend to…..
talk to much..

2. Shots or beer?
…eek! Beer… shots is for showoff’s

3. Do you have a drinking buddy?
I have different buddy’s for different kinds of drinking.. usually either my best friends or complete strangers in which i can make up alot of shit and cut loose on my imagination.

4. Do you get angry?
I’ve gotten angry particularly with vodka.. and bourbon/whiskey

5. Do you puke?

Sometimes, but its a weather thing, if I’m drinking something icy cold while its hot and humid, it usually doesn’t mix - but thats a human thing right? not a light weight thing.. lmfao.
6. After 7 drinks who are you?

I’m not sure, I wish I was sasha fierce, but I’m the same person, only more relaxed… lol
7 Drinks closer to my ideal weight..
I don’t get this..
8. Tequila makes you?
Wonder why its such a “cool” thing to do..

10. Vodka makes you?
Angry

11. Do you smoke when you drink?
Yeah, I dont really like peanuts or chips and dip..

12. Do you pass out?
In the beginning - no, but lately.. a few times.

13. Do you drink girly drinks?
Haha. yeah.

14. Do you drink alone?
Not usually.

15. Worst drink you have ever had?
Maltese Grappa (wine)

16. Do you play drinking games?
Not really.

17. Favorite Beer?
Vailima or Carona

18. What is your favorite shot?
Jager

19. What will you NOT drink?
Anything mixed with wine..

20. Are you a lightweight when it comes to alcohol?
I’m average..

22. Do you ever drink Bacardi Silver?

Never heard of it..

23. Do you like frozen drinks?
Hell yeah.

24. Do you drink liquor straight?
Wow.. umm. I can drink those milk ones straight, and others..but I don’t like the look on my face when that shit burns the back of my throat..

25. Do you ever drink out of the bottle?
I’m not picky, I usually dont care how I drink it, a bottle, through a straw.. i duno.

26. Are you drunk right now???
No..I could be though, but no.

27. Do you consume more than 2 alcoholic beverages on daily basis?
There was a point in my life when this was true..

28. Do you drink a lot of wine?
I wish, never really found a wine that I would ‘enjoy’ drinking..

29. When’s the last time you drank?
Friday Night..

30. Name someone that will repost this drinking survey?
Not sure.

Ever been streaking when drunk??
No no no, I think if I was drunk, it would raise my tendency to do things like that, I guess alot of practice..

32. Hot tub/pool naked because of alcohol?
No…unfortunately.

33. Failed any college courses due to alcohol alone?
No.. not that I know of

34.Ever woken up and said dude wheres my car??
LOL, yeah.

35. Ever carried someone up & down the same flight of stairs?
Yes…

36. Puked in a friend’s car?
Nope, a taxi maybe..

37. What is the last liquor you drank?
Vailima Beer

We have two gentleman here in the country representing Brahma Kumaris holding courses in healthy living, positive thinking, staying calm etc etc..

Lets see how the staff react in Samoa to this new way of ‘thinking’

I’m in the need of a dose of positive thinking myself - the weekend, bland, uneventful and blaming the government fortnight pay of being broke.

Hmm. wonder if there is some money management course…. Oh wait, I don’t even know why I’m asking because I don’t think I’d even follow.

Up up and away.

When your in love with someone, you do all your lovey dovey cutesy couple things, wierd - for some reasons Samoans here in Samoa just don’t do that.

Its Taboo.

Kids walk to school with thier friends and hold hands, girls can hold another girls hand, a boy can hold another boys hand - but a girl and boy holding hands is kaukalaikiki (considered cheeky) LOL

So unless we are either pro-gay and lesbian, it is instilled in our culture that holding hands with your girlfriend or boyfriend is just something ‘you do not do’ (even if your married!)

The lack of public showing of affection between couples is a wierd observation to me, only because I haven’t been in one here in Samoa (relationship that is) LMAO so I wouldn’t know and I don’t have anyone to practice this taboo with.

I’m guessing though, that some part of me would probably not even do it.

Is it rude? I’m not quite sure.

Everyone I’ve asked just says ‘you just don’t do it, your allowed to, but generally relationships are just a private thing’.

Holding hands is a beautiful thing to see, ok seriously, just thinking about it makes me wanna go and date someone so I can have a hand to hold (when I go to NZ or somewhere else) LOL.

Hm. Ok, just thought I’d share that with you

Love Always.

In Apia, there are approximately 6-7 elevators. Yesterday, I was thrown back into reality of how a simple thing as operating an elevator is still a foreign experience for our own people, an elderly lady entered the parking entrance of the Government building in Apia and was going to level 1, Eira and I had to get off at ground level (our inability to walk up 1 flight of stairs…is something else) but as we stepped off the elevator this lady became very scared and started to shake visibly, Eira held onto the door from closing and the lady asked with a tear in her eye how she was supposed to get to level 1.  We had pressed the button for her and asked her if she would like us to take her.  Thankfully, we led her out until she found the office she was searching for.

If you are ever in Samoa and you wonder why there is a guy working inside the elevator to press the buttons - its because of incidents like this. Our people are not stupid, our people are not unable to learn simple processes like this - fact (a) we don’t have many multiple level buildings (b) stairs is still the most commonly used access points for multiple level buildings (c) if you haven’t been overseas in which elevators are almost in every building this experience is usually a rare kind for our people.

Its sometimes the simplest things that I’ve taken for granted all my life, is the strongest reality check of where I am now and how greatful I am.

Just a thought…

So Chi emailed me and advised that a slick photographer from the States is coming to Samoa to shoot some images and for me to be a Samoan contact.

Chi hooked up Martha to get in contact and now, I have no idea where to begin except for the fact that I’m more excited about Q coming to Samoa than anyone else.

If you haven’t checked out the artwork of Q Guillory then please google it.

Unfortunately I’ve only seen a few and are yet to get onto his website for a peek and stare since my workplace has decided to block the downloading of images, who does that?

So Q is going to be here – and as much as I’m excited I have so many things for him to see, people for him to meet and beautiful things for him to turn into something incredibly crazy.

Lets just hope my abs and sexy body is ready for him to shoot LOL.

Yes, I can dream, but this dream of being photographed by a crazy cool photographer is something I can work on – photoshop is gods gift to our generation right?

Hm..I’ve joined up to a Gym today even though I know he might not want to photograph me for his art I can sure ask him to photograph me as a practice LOL.

Bring it on baby!

P.S His photography work is similar to my favorite photographer in the whole world, David La Chapelle!