My first blog. . . It seems like everyday is full of new experiences for me here in American Samoa. I've begun my stint as an elementary school teacher at Pacific Horizons School, a small private school in an area called Tafuna, about 15 minutes from Pago Pago. I teach a mixed class of 5th and 6th grade. Right now, I have 16 students in my class. It's very multicultural. There are Samoans, a Taiwanese, a New Zealander, an Austrailian, a Cook Islander, an Argentine, a Filipino, and Americans of various ethnicities. I think that’s neat. Anyone who knows me knows that I respect and enjoy diversity, and I love living in and learning about different cultures. I guess my goal is to be able to feel "at home" anywhere I might find myself. "Variety is the spice of life," as some people say. I cannot wait to have more opportunities to explore the American Samoan culture.

So, I've been wearing the hat of a school teacher for two weeks now. I've worked in the education sector for four years, but this is the first time I've been in the classroom with children everyday. I'm used to working with adults, so I'm slowly getting used to having to confiscate paper airplanes and poppers in class, comforting a young boy who was being teased by girls calling him, "Monkey Boy," and having to very specifically spell out my instructions. Working with children also has its perks. True to the cliche, I get apples from my students almost daily.

I must admit that I was terrified the first day of classes. I really had no idea what I was getting into. Sixteen pairs of eager, anxious eyes staring at me almost made me want to retreat and head for the hills. American Samoa has plenty of hills that are thick with leafy vegetation, so I could've hidden out for years and lived off the land, being a nut like that inconsiderate brat of a guy Krakauer wrote about in his book Into the Wild. I realized that I had no choice but to stick with my commitment and educate the children. To be honest, I've really enjoyed the last two weeks, and I hope the rest of the school year continues to get better.

The place is beautiful. I've not had much of time for exploring, but what I've seen so far is pretty amazing. Ok, not as great as the tiny semi-sovereign island of Zanzibar which is the closest place to paradise on earth that I have visited, and each person reading this blog should put a visit there on your "Things I Must Do Before I Die" list. Today we went to Fagatele Bay, google it, and went swimming on the reef. I love snorkeling on reefs. It's like visiting a whole new world. The friends I went with saw a small shark swimming around. I'm glad I did not see that. I want to be a man of steel and say that I have no fears, but I do fear sharks. I realize that the ocean is their home, and I'm treading on their turf. I respect that. I just don't want to be an unsuspecting dinner guest. Surprise!!!

I have two new roommates. We have fun together. It seems that the only people we hang out with are each other. I wonder how long it will take for us to get sick of each other and rip each other's throat out. Ok, that does not have to happen, and most likely it won't because I'm a pacifist, the other two are great people and we like each other. But if it does happen, hopefully I'll be the one to survive. Maybe I'd be able to sell the rights of my story for at least $500,000. Wouldn't that be a great plot for a made-for-television movie. "They thought they were living in paradise. . ."

Yesterday I was bitten by a dog! I was walking from our apartment to the main road where I could catch a bus, and I was bitten by a mangy mutt with a limp. They came in a pack, I only remember three, but there could've been more. At first, I thought that they would just pass on by. One did, and then it barked, I turned, and the pathetic looking black one latched onto my leg. Not only did it bite me, but it put a hole in my favorite pair of Donna Karan jeans. Stupid bitch. A kid, who I assumed owned or had some control over the dogs came up. I asked him if they were dogs, but he did not answer. I kept walking, wanting to get as far away from the beasts as I could in the least amount of time. The kid called out to me, "Hey!" I turned around expecting an apology. He called, "Hey!", again. I looked at him, then he simply said, "Run." I turned around and kept on walking, trying to figure out in my mind what had just happened.

Well, that about sums up the last two weeks. I hope to regularly update my blog and keep you posted on my experiences and thoughts. I'd love to hear from you, what you think.