Making Connections

A few days ago, Lisa suggested that I join a soccer team in the co-ed league she plays in every Saturday. She assured me that the quality of play was bad (so I'd have a shot at not getting embarrassed). It would be a good way to make friends. I staunchly refused, since I wouldn't be able to play on her team, and I would be playing a sport I hadn't played in 12 years with a bunch of people I didn't know who would probably be speaking mostly in their native language (Samoan).

Since this conversation, I've been an unstoppable force at making connections--and not just any connections--useful connections. Yesterday, I decided to check out a Filipino fast-food place in Fagatogo called Shan-J. After paying $12 most days for the catch-of-the-day at one of the cafés I work at, this was a nice cheap alternative. There were assorted trays of delicious Filipino food that I could select from, and pair with either noodles or rice for only $3.75. While eating, I met a fellow palagi named Rob, who lives on his 40-foot catamaran that he's been cruising on for the last 3 years. Rob, who has a gray beard and strikes a passing resemblance to the captain of the Titanic, was a doctor in his former life, but his lifelong dream was to live on a sailboat and cruise the world--a dream he made a reality after retiring in 2007. He's 99% sure he'll be here in Pago Pago for the next 5 months or so, since typhoon season is fast approaching. He hadn't planned on being here but he needed a place to ditch his crew, a woman who was the human equivalent of a dementor. Rob is planning on keeping busy doing some work on his boat, but may be the snorkeling buddy I've been looking for. AND I'm hoping to convince him to take me out on his boat. It really is a shame there isn't a decent sailing scene here; there's been a great breeze every day I've been here!

Yesterday afternoon, I played my second round of golf at the 'illi'illi Golf Course. The course isn't in good shape, but it is only $5 to walk 18 holes. After shooting a crappy round of a 93 (par 72) I ran into 3 palagis leaving the course: Brian, Brandon, and John. Brian is the pastor of a church and assistant principal of the academy it runs; Brandon, his twin brother, is a teacher; and John works at getting talented Samoans scholarships to play college football in the U.S. They are all big football fans, and have a TV with cable in their house!! So I now have a sailing buddy, football buddies, and golf buddies. What more can a guy ask for?

That's easy, a car (or truck). I'm considering looking around for an old junker to use for 6 months and then sell when I leave. As great as the $1 bus system is, buses doesn't run on Sundays and don't run after 6 pm. (Do I sound bitter? My round did end at 6:15...) And while there are a lot of buses running the Tafuna and Aua routes, I've had to wait 45 minutes for a bus to the east side of the island. The worst part of the buses, though, are the fa'amoles and fa'amolemoles (translation: please and pretty please). It's what a dozen or so people seem to say every time I take the Tafuna bus to play golf. What it really means is "Please drive 2 minutes up this side street to drop me off at my house and then turn around and drive 2 minutes back to the main road."

But transportation on Tutuila Island is not as bad as I'm making it sound, since hitchhiking is legal--and common, and it is fun riding in the back of pickup trucks. And if I can't catch a hitch or a bus, I can pay a whopping $13 for a 30-minute cab ride.