Palolo Worms

Palolo Worms 

Each year at the end of October and beginning of November  the spawning of the Palolo worms occurs.    They are gathered in nets from the ocean at night and considered a delicacy for some people.

Of course Bud and Karen need to give them a try.

On the "Special Board" at one of our favorite Fish & Chip restaurants they had them advertised.

Why not give them a try!

Even Karen gave them a try!

 What do they taste like?

Karen thought they tasted like the algae stuff that is on the coral that you see the fish eating when you are snorkeling.  (However, we have never really tasted that.)

They are kind of like a mild version of grinding up the sea weed on Sushi California Rolls into a paste.  Not really great but not really bad.  

I guess like most things you need to acquire a taste for them.  

School career and display day

School career and display day

Each year all the departments set up displays on what they have been doing.  The get to tell about what they have done this year and see other student displays.  

Set-up 

A lot of work goes into setting up the displays 

Signs are made

Karen getting some help with a bulletin board 

Cooking class

Preparing lunch for teachers

 Sewing class

Sewing class setting up display

Other students taking a tour of displays

Carpentry

Showing off furniture 

Auto

Auto guys demonstrate a working engine 

Welding

 

Other departments

Science

Former seminary student

 Music

Students in music from carpentry classes 

Samoan

The Samoan class demonstrated Umu style cooking

Outdoor cooking 

Taking out the taro and the pig with bare hands 

Hospitality Class

Explaining what utensils are used for.  (salad fork)

Waiter students with Rosa the new Hospitality teacher 

Lunch served by the Hospitality class

Dignitaries eating lunch (Principal and other Senior Missionaries) 

 

 

Black Sand Beach

Black Sand Beach

The Black Sand beach is a beautiful beach down a rugged road that should be driven with a  4 wheel drive vehicle.  However senior missionaries do it with their Hyundai Tucsons.  

Elder and Sister Pitcher (Dentist) taking a stroll. 

Swimming is a delight 

Our neighbor, Sister Starke, shows sheer delight as her and Karen take a dip.   

The Senior Missionary Gang 

The gang usually gets together and brings some food to share and hangs out after a long week's work. 

Tree-house

Tree-house Resort 

A few years ago Samoa was hit with a Tsunami.  An American's wife was killed and the man saved 2 young children during the Tsunami.  The man was awarded some other land farther up the hill for saving the 2 young children.  He decided to build a tree-house resort as a way of keeping busy during his grieving period.  He remarried and opened a resort with two tree-houses and the main house with a restaurant. 

Main home with restaurant   

Tree-house #1

Inside tree-house 

The main tree-house has a main bedroom and a loft up stairs 

Main bedroom 

Kitchen 

Bathroom shower 

Tree-house #2

White Sunday

White Sunday 

White Sunday is children's day.  Typically Mormons do not celebrate it since it normally falls on October Conference weekend.  The children dress in white and their parents give them presents.  Most of the non-LDS churches have a program.  Sometimes LDS churches try to have their Primary Program near White Sunday.  

Catholic Church (Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception) 

One of the prettiest churches in Apia is one of the Catholic churches. 

Karen checking out the church a few weeks prior to White Sunday.  

Mass before the children's program

Since we already saw all the Conference sessions on TV, we didn't feel bad about attending the Catholic church.  The Mass was a little different from other Catholic Masses we have attended.  There seemed to be a lot more singing.  

Receiving Communion 

People lining up to have their children blessed

Children's Program - It's all about Mary!

The children did a reenactment of Jesus' birth and death.  However, the focal point instead of Jesus was Mary.  Everything seemed to center around Mary.  The children were very cute and the singing was fun!

After the program

We met another member, who was a RM and was there to see her nieces and nephews.  It turns out that she volunteers with our Dentist Senior Missionary.  

Our new friend we met at White Sunday 

Kids in white

For the Strength of Youth and Visions Cafe

For the Strength of Youth

During the term break the church sponsors a 'For the Strength of Youth' (FSY).  (Similar to the EFY held in the US.) 

Our neighbors and friends, the Starkes' were speakers.  

Youth at presentation. 

Separate sessions were held for the boys and girls. 

Young men 

Young women 

The Young Single Adults were the group leaders

YSA in back with matching t-shirts

Classes in tents

There were five days of classes.  The classes were held under tents.  The youth slept in the school class rooms.  

 National University of Samoa - Visions Cafe 

The local university has a Visions Cafe for the cooking students to do their practicals.  It was fun to take a couple of our teachers out to lunch at the cafe.  

A former Pesega student now attending NUS was our waiter.