This is just a quick update, since a lot of people were asking: I will be back in the states June 15th (very early in the morning), which means I leave Samoa on June 13th (very late at night) which is in approximately 9 days (very soon). This is all kind of dependent, of course, on whether or not we get off our tiny little island, and I'm not gonna jinx us all by saying things are looking good... but we're booked for the plane on Monday (though it hasn't actually been flying for the last few weeks, oops) and there should be a boat early next week, as well. So... send all of your happy thoughts to the poor broken Interisland plane, pretty please!
Until we leave, it's a lot of graduation and a lot of saying goodbye. Graduation is Friday, but grad festivities started Sunday with the Baccalaureate (actually, they probably started Thursday, when the Seniors all finished their finals...), which was lovely but kind of long and all in Samoan. The graduates all looked wonderful, dressed up and so grown up! The girls looked beautiful, and the boys looked clean, so everyone was at their best. That night was the Faleasao village celebration for our 4 graduating boys, which meant lots of speeches and A LOT of food!
Then, last night was the Senior Awards Banquet, where, again, we all had a lot of food (well, except for the seniors, who oddly didn't get fed at all...). It was a very Samoan celebration, including just enough awkward dancing, songs, dances, rogue butts, and speeches from the seniors and others, and lots and lots of awards. The Valedictorian speech was absolutely beautiful, all the graduates looked awesome again, and it was just a really, really fun night. (Oh, and we ended up with bags of apples and oranges afterwards, so that was sweet)
In non-graduate news, the underclassmen took their finals this week. Though they had varying success, every kid who has NOT missed months of school passed my classes! So yay! This morning was the underclassmen awards ceremony, as well as their last day of school... which meant my last day with them. Weird! And sad. A few months ago, if you had asked me if I would miss my students, I'm not sure what I would have said, but now I know that I will miss them all a lot... I already miss my seniors, and I've basically seen them every day since they finished my class! No matter how much trouble they caused, I learned a lot from my students, and it will be so strange not to see them every day. People keep telling me how I sacrificed so much to be here this year, but I can never quite comprehend that idea because I think I gained so, so much more than I could possibly have lost... talking to my students today and saying goodbye has reminded me of that.
Anyway. Later today is the final staff party and good-bye, which means even MORE food and MORE goodbyes, and I don't know which I am dreading more. I've also been told there is wine. Until then, I'm cleaning up my classroom and packing up for the year while kids come in for their goodbyes and final hugs, and to make sure I add them on Facebook, and it's all sort of surreal.
It's been quite a ride, and it's hard to believe it's almost over. Still, I'm ready to enjoy my last few days on my favorite island.
(Pictures of all things will come eventually... except maybe in July...)
Until we leave, it's a lot of graduation and a lot of saying goodbye. Graduation is Friday, but grad festivities started Sunday with the Baccalaureate (actually, they probably started Thursday, when the Seniors all finished their finals...), which was lovely but kind of long and all in Samoan. The graduates all looked wonderful, dressed up and so grown up! The girls looked beautiful, and the boys looked clean, so everyone was at their best. That night was the Faleasao village celebration for our 4 graduating boys, which meant lots of speeches and A LOT of food!
Then, last night was the Senior Awards Banquet, where, again, we all had a lot of food (well, except for the seniors, who oddly didn't get fed at all...). It was a very Samoan celebration, including just enough awkward dancing, songs, dances, rogue butts, and speeches from the seniors and others, and lots and lots of awards. The Valedictorian speech was absolutely beautiful, all the graduates looked awesome again, and it was just a really, really fun night. (Oh, and we ended up with bags of apples and oranges afterwards, so that was sweet)
In non-graduate news, the underclassmen took their finals this week. Though they had varying success, every kid who has NOT missed months of school passed my classes! So yay! This morning was the underclassmen awards ceremony, as well as their last day of school... which meant my last day with them. Weird! And sad. A few months ago, if you had asked me if I would miss my students, I'm not sure what I would have said, but now I know that I will miss them all a lot... I already miss my seniors, and I've basically seen them every day since they finished my class! No matter how much trouble they caused, I learned a lot from my students, and it will be so strange not to see them every day. People keep telling me how I sacrificed so much to be here this year, but I can never quite comprehend that idea because I think I gained so, so much more than I could possibly have lost... talking to my students today and saying goodbye has reminded me of that.
Anyway. Later today is the final staff party and good-bye, which means even MORE food and MORE goodbyes, and I don't know which I am dreading more. I've also been told there is wine. Until then, I'm cleaning up my classroom and packing up for the year while kids come in for their goodbyes and final hugs, and to make sure I add them on Facebook, and it's all sort of surreal.
It's been quite a ride, and it's hard to believe it's almost over. Still, I'm ready to enjoy my last few days on my favorite island.
(Pictures of all things will come eventually... except maybe in July...)
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