GALLERY

		BLUE SKY BASIN \| 13 APRIL 2004 My period of extreme laziness is over and I finally have a new gallery on the site. The pictures are scenes from Blue Sky Basin, the outermost skiing area at Vail and my favorite place to rip it up. I took these shots this afternoon. It was a truly spectacular day. images (21)
		FAO FAO SIVA AFI \| 14 SEPTEMBER 2003 Fao Fao puts on one the best fiafia's in Samoa which is highlighted by a wicked Siva Afi or Fire Knife Dancing. Fire Knife Dancing has become synonymous with Samoan entertainment even though it is not a part of the original Polynesian culture. The fire was first introduced to the traditional ailao knife dance by Olo Letuli in 1946 when he became bored of his usual routine. The addition of fire is spectacular, especially when done really well as it at Fao Fao. I was able to get some interesting shots with new digital camera because of my ability to control the both the shutter speed and the aperture. I wish I had brought my tripod with me, but I think the hand held results are decent. images (20)
		27 VIEWS OF THE GOV'T BUILDING \| 1 SEPTEMBER 2003 I love the Government Building. Something about its silouette is so striking that I can't help but take pictures of it. It was built as a gift by the Chinese government a few years back and is far and away the most prominent landmark in Samoa. It's also where I work, so I come to it every day. I can see it from where I live above the little airport. From there it looks like a castle out of a children's fantasy book. My camera just does't have the reach to take a decent picture of it from my house. But I'm getting a new digital camera in a few days with a massive 16x optical zoom (this is with the 2x teleconverter which makes it the equivalent of a 400mm lens on a 35mm camera). images (35)
		SETO'ALEPAI TURLTES \| 6 AUGUST 2003 There is a small, unfunded, family-run conservation project in the village of Seta'olepai on the north coast of Savai'i. The family buys turtles, mostly green turtles and hawksbills, off fishermen (who would otherwise eat them) and keep them in a large fresh water pool. They have even built a sandy beach in the the enclosure to compel the turtles to them to lay eggs. images (47)
		GROUP 70 WELCOME FIAFIA \| 18 JUNE 2003 Group 70 arrived on our fair shores this week and we welcomed them in the only way we know how, with a massive Fiafia images (41)
		4TH JULY BEACH PARTY \| 9 JULY 2003 Most of the PCVs gathered at stunning Lalomanu beach to ring in American Indepenence Day. There was a keg, a barbebue and even tackle football. Oh, so American. images (43)
		BEACH ROAD PROJECT \| 1 JUNE 2003 This is an attempt to document most of the buildings along the ever changing Beach Raod in the heart of Apia right along the harbor. I'm going to try to keep the pictures updated and improved images (29)
		APIA IRONMAN \| 31 MAY 2003 OK, so it wasn't exactly an Ironman. It wasn't even a sprint. It was a triathlon, my first and probably my last. And I did finish. We couldn't ask for more perfect racing weather. Sadly, the overcast day was not the best for photography. images (13)
		TAUI'S BIRTHDAY BASH \| 4 MAY 2003 Taui of Group 66 (pictured right with Van of Group 67) held a massive birthday party. I'm not sure how old he is, but it doesn't really matter. Most of the PCVs in Samoa gathered at his house in Moto'otua to celebrate, drink and jam with the Peace Corps band. images (88)
		KITTEN SURGERY \| 1 MAY 2003 Both of my kittens went under the knife today to be de-sexed. Luanna, an Australian volunteer working with the Animal Protection Society in Apia came out my house, set up a field surgery unit and made sure that my kittens are amongst the proud few in Samoa who will never procreate. images (28)
		TOUR DE SAVAI'I \| 28-30 APRIL 2003 Kris and Sumati joined me on a grueling 3-day bicycle ride around the big island of Savai'i. It was seriously challenging for us physically, but it was also an incredible accomplishment and a chance to see the true beauty of Samoa in a way that few people experience. images (58)
		CHURCHES OF SAVAI'I \| 28-30 APRIL 2003 I stopped periodically on the bicycle trip around Savai'i to take pictures of the churches along the way. I didn't get them all--there are dozens of them--but I shot the most magnificent ones. images (40)
		PEACE MARCH APIA \| 13 MARCH 2003 Students, organizations. government employees and other assorted interested individuals gathered at the Apia fire station for the Peace March. After government officials swept the crowd to remove any signs that might be deemed offensive, the whole group marched in an orderly fashion to the government building where a legion of speakers addressed the crowd. The entire city of Apia essentially shut down for this march. images (40)
		CAREER DAY APIA \| 21 FEBRUARY 2003 Peace Corps Volunteers, in association with NGO Avanoa Tutusa, staged the second annual Career Day Apia for Year 12 & 13 students. There were about 40 exhibitors, including a special IT section sponsored by the Department of Education. About 200 students showed up to get a glance at their future. The event was a huge hit. Even the current Miss Samoa, left, made an appearance for the Samoa Tourism Board. images (42)
		MY FANAU \| ONGOING Ok, so I love my cats. Who wouldn't? I mean, look at them. They are adorable. That's Makelani on the left and Filemu on the right. Mak is named after the explorer Magellan and Filemu means peaceful or relaxed in Samoan. I'm not 100% certain about this since they showed up at my house in the village on different days, but judging by their markings, I think they are brother and sister. That's the story I'm going with anyway. images (87)
		NEW YEAR'S SAOFA'I \| 1 JANUARY 2003 I was hungover, exhausted and I couldn't understand a word of the ceremony, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the Saofa'i, or Matai title ceremony, of my brother Fatu and my cousin Tavau (that's him in the picture). What an incredible experience. Email me and I will send you the stories about how I arrived in the village and what the ceremony was like from an outsiders perspective. images (70)
		SWEARING IN \| 18 DECEMBER 2002 All the hard work and long hours of training finally pay off as all the members of Group 69 are sworn in at Coconuts Beach Resort. There's only nine pictures in this gallery because Kolisi, who I was relying on to document the event, had a hard drive crash. Talofei, Kolisi. images (9)
		FIAFIA NIGHT AT MATÂUTU \| 17 DECEMBER 2002 Again, only a limited number of shots from the Fiafia, but for two good reasons. First, I was so drunk I accidentally reformatted my memory stick. Then I was having so much fun, I couldn't be bothered. The Fiafia was a performance put on by the trainees of Group 69 to thank the village for hosting us. So much fun. I highly recommend it you ever get the chance. images (14)
		MATAUTU SLIDESHOW \| 17 DECEMBER 2002 I created this slideshow to be part of the Fiafia. Sadly, we couldn't get the projector because someone at the Peace Corps office actually had to do a real presentation, can you believe that? I improvised and put the show on my laptop and presented it to a gathering throng of highly appreciative kids. Who needs a damn projector anyway? images (169)
		MEALOFA PORTAITS \| 17 DECEMBER 2002 Here are the digital version of the photos that I printed out for my family as part of my "Mealofa" gift at the end of my stay at the village. It's the best gift I have ever given by far. Nothing even comes close. Check out my family. They are incredibly sweet. images (19)
		ALL-VOL CONFERENCE 2002 \| 29 NOVEMBER 2002 Once a yea, around Thanksgiving time, all the Peace Corps Volunteers in Samoa gather to hear presentations, discuss and vote on pressing issues and have some fun. Well, it's sort of fun. That picture to the left is of Miriam, the Volunteer Advisory Committee President. images (13)
		CULTURE DAY \| 20 NOVEMBER 2002 Culture Day is one of the most fun during training. Instead of sitting in a hot classroom suffering through the nuances of Samoan grammar, the trainees join with the village and prepare food in the traditional Samoan style. You can ignore the fact that almost all the trainees were sick the next day. Just a coincidence, probably. That's my brother Mativa stuffing the pig with leaves. images (78)
		TATTOOS \| ONGOING Tattoos are the great art form of the island and I'm going to do my best to present the most interesting tattoos that I can find from both volunteers and locals. images (9 and counting)
		NU'U MATÂUTU \| OCT - DEC 2002 Matâutu is the training village for Group 69. The village is small, less than 200 people. It's right on the beach on the south side of Upolu in the district of Falealili. We were very lucky to be placed there. images (96)
		WALKING TOUR - APIA \| ONGOING Apia has some interesting sights, and so far, I've down a fairly lousy job of capturing them. In truth, I have taken an enormous number of images. I just haven't put them online, but I will soon. Here a few images from central Apia. images (10)
		APIA CENTRAL KITTENS \| OCT - DEC 2002 These three kittens were born during our stay at the Apia Central Hotel when we first arrived in Samoa. We kept coming back to the hotel during our various visits to Apia and I kept documenting the growth of the kitties. I might have gone overboard a bit, but they were so damn cute. images (18)

GALLERY

		BLUE SKY BASIN \| 13 APRIL 2004 My period of extreme laziness is over and I finally have a new gallery on the site. The pictures are scenes from Blue Sky Basin, the outermost skiing area at Vail and my favorite place to rip it up. I took these shots this afternoon. It was a truly spectacular day. images (21)
		FAO FAO SIVA AFI \| 14 SEPTEMBER 2003 Fao Fao puts on one the best fiafia's in Samoa which is highlighted by a wicked Siva Afi or Fire Knife Dancing. Fire Knife Dancing has become synonymous with Samoan entertainment even though it is not a part of the original Polynesian culture. The fire was first introduced to the traditional ailao knife dance by Olo Letuli in 1946 when he became bored of his usual routine. The addition of fire is spectacular, especially when done really well as it at Fao Fao. I was able to get some interesting shots with new digital camera because of my ability to control the both the shutter speed and the aperture. I wish I had brought my tripod with me, but I think the hand held results are decent. images (20)
		27 VIEWS OF THE GOV'T BUILDING \| 1 SEPTEMBER 2003 I love the Government Building. Something about its silouette is so striking that I can't help but take pictures of it. It was built as a gift by the Chinese government a few years back and is far and away the most prominent landmark in Samoa. It's also where I work, so I come to it every day. I can see it from where I live above the little airport. From there it looks like a castle out of a children's fantasy book. My camera just does't have the reach to take a decent picture of it from my house. But I'm getting a new digital camera in a few days with a massive 16x optical zoom (this is with the 2x teleconverter which makes it the equivalent of a 400mm lens on a 35mm camera). images (35)
		SETO'ALEPAI TURLTES \| 6 AUGUST 2003 There is a small, unfunded, family-run conservation project in the village of Seta'olepai on the north coast of Savai'i. The family buys turtles, mostly green turtles and hawksbills, off fishermen (who would otherwise eat them) and keep them in a large fresh water pool. They have even built a sandy beach in the the enclosure to compel the turtles to them to lay eggs. images (47)
		GROUP 70 WELCOME FIAFIA \| 18 JUNE 2003 Group 70 arrived on our fair shores this week and we welcomed them in the only way we know how, with a massive Fiafia images (41)
		4TH JULY BEACH PARTY \| 9 JULY 2003 Most of the PCVs gathered at stunning Lalomanu beach to ring in American Indepenence Day. There was a keg, a barbebue and even tackle football. Oh, so American. images (43)
		BEACH ROAD PROJECT \| 1 JUNE 2003 This is an attempt to document most of the buildings along the ever changing Beach Raod in the heart of Apia right along the harbor. I'm going to try to keep the pictures updated and improved images (29)
		APIA IRONMAN \| 31 MAY 2003 OK, so it wasn't exactly an Ironman. It wasn't even a sprint. It was a triathlon, my first and probably my last. And I did finish. We couldn't ask for more perfect racing weather. Sadly, the overcast day was not the best for photography. images (13)
		TAUI'S BIRTHDAY BASH \| 4 MAY 2003 Taui of Group 66 (pictured right with Van of Group 67) held a massive birthday party. I'm not sure how old he is, but it doesn't really matter. Most of the PCVs in Samoa gathered at his house in Moto'otua to celebrate, drink and jam with the Peace Corps band. images (88)
		KITTEN SURGERY \| 1 MAY 2003 Both of my kittens went under the knife today to be de-sexed. Luanna, an Australian volunteer working with the Animal Protection Society in Apia came out my house, set up a field surgery unit and made sure that my kittens are amongst the proud few in Samoa who will never procreate. images (28)
		TOUR DE SAVAI'I \| 28-30 APRIL 2003 Kris and Sumati joined me on a grueling 3-day bicycle ride around the big island of Savai'i. It was seriously challenging for us physically, but it was also an incredible accomplishment and a chance to see the true beauty of Samoa in a way that few people experience. images (58)
		CHURCHES OF SAVAI'I \| 28-30 APRIL 2003 I stopped periodically on the bicycle trip around Savai'i to take pictures of the churches along the way. I didn't get them all--there are dozens of them--but I shot the most magnificent ones. images (40)
		PEACE MARCH APIA \| 13 MARCH 2003 Students, organizations. government employees and other assorted interested individuals gathered at the Apia fire station for the Peace March. After government officials swept the crowd to remove any signs that might be deemed offensive, the whole group marched in an orderly fashion to the government building where a legion of speakers addressed the crowd. The entire city of Apia essentially shut down for this march. images (40)
		CAREER DAY APIA \| 21 FEBRUARY 2003 Peace Corps Volunteers, in association with NGO Avanoa Tutusa, staged the second annual Career Day Apia for Year 12 & 13 students. There were about 40 exhibitors, including a special IT section sponsored by the Department of Education. About 200 students showed up to get a glance at their future. The event was a huge hit. Even the current Miss Samoa, left, made an appearance for the Samoa Tourism Board. images (42)
		MY FANAU \| ONGOING Ok, so I love my cats. Who wouldn't? I mean, look at them. They are adorable. That's Makelani on the left and Filemu on the right. Mak is named after the explorer Magellan and Filemu means peaceful or relaxed in Samoan. I'm not 100% certain about this since they showed up at my house in the village on different days, but judging by their markings, I think they are brother and sister. That's the story I'm going with anyway. images (87)
		NEW YEAR'S SAOFA'I \| 1 JANUARY 2003 I was hungover, exhausted and I couldn't understand a word of the ceremony, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the Saofa'i, or Matai title ceremony, of my brother Fatu and my cousin Tavau (that's him in the picture). What an incredible experience. Email me and I will send you the stories about how I arrived in the village and what the ceremony was like from an outsiders perspective. images (70)
		SWEARING IN \| 18 DECEMBER 2002 All the hard work and long hours of training finally pay off as all the members of Group 69 are sworn in at Coconuts Beach Resort. There's only nine pictures in this gallery because Kolisi, who I was relying on to document the event, had a hard drive crash. Talofei, Kolisi. images (9)
		FIAFIA NIGHT AT MATÂUTU \| 17 DECEMBER 2002 Again, only a limited number of shots from the Fiafia, but for two good reasons. First, I was so drunk I accidentally reformatted my memory stick. Then I was having so much fun, I couldn't be bothered. The Fiafia was a performance put on by the trainees of Group 69 to thank the village for hosting us. So much fun. I highly recommend it you ever get the chance. images (14)
		MATAUTU SLIDESHOW \| 17 DECEMBER 2002 I created this slideshow to be part of the Fiafia. Sadly, we couldn't get the projector because someone at the Peace Corps office actually had to do a real presentation, can you believe that? I improvised and put the show on my laptop and presented it to a gathering throng of highly appreciative kids. Who needs a damn projector anyway? images (169)
		MEALOFA PORTAITS \| 17 DECEMBER 2002 Here are the digital version of the photos that I printed out for my family as part of my "Mealofa" gift at the end of my stay at the village. It's the best gift I have ever given by far. Nothing even comes close. Check out my family. They are incredibly sweet. images (19)
		ALL-VOL CONFERENCE 2002 \| 29 NOVEMBER 2002 Once a yea, around Thanksgiving time, all the Peace Corps Volunteers in Samoa gather to hear presentations, discuss and vote on pressing issues and have some fun. Well, it's sort of fun. That picture to the left is of Miriam, the Volunteer Advisory Committee President. images (13)
		CULTURE DAY \| 20 NOVEMBER 2002 Culture Day is one of the most fun during training. Instead of sitting in a hot classroom suffering through the nuances of Samoan grammar, the trainees join with the village and prepare food in the traditional Samoan style. You can ignore the fact that almost all the trainees were sick the next day. Just a coincidence, probably. That's my brother Mativa stuffing the pig with leaves. images (78)
		TATTOOS \| ONGOING Tattoos are the great art form of the island and I'm going to do my best to present the most interesting tattoos that I can find from both volunteers and locals. images (9 and counting)
		NU'U MATÂUTU \| OCT - DEC 2002 Matâutu is the training village for Group 69. The village is small, less than 200 people. It's right on the beach on the south side of Upolu in the district of Falealili. We were very lucky to be placed there. images (96)
		WALKING TOUR - APIA \| ONGOING Apia has some interesting sights, and so far, I've down a fairly lousy job of capturing them. In truth, I have taken an enormous number of images. I just haven't put them online, but I will soon. Here a few images from central Apia. images (10)
		APIA CENTRAL KITTENS \| OCT - DEC 2002 These three kittens were born during our stay at the Apia Central Hotel when we first arrived in Samoa. We kept coming back to the hotel during our various visits to Apia and I kept documenting the growth of the kitties. I might have gone overboard a bit, but they were so damn cute. images (18)

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