Alu Kele!

My mom was here visiting me this past week. It was so wonderful getting to see her and being able to show her what my life is like here. I try really hard to describe for everyone back home but some things defy explanation, so it’s nice to have her experience more than just tales of the Fa’aSamoa. On Thursday we went out to visit my family in Falevao so she could see the island and where our training took place and so that she could meet my surrogate Samoan family. The second we got there my grandmother scolded us for bringing cake and whipped out her sewing machine to shower both my mom and myself with all forms of fabric and clothing. We hung out for a while and then I decided to show my mom around the village. One of my little sisters in the village is very sick from infected boils on her legs and cannot walk right now so we decided we would drive through Falevao in our rental car so that she could accompany us since she’s been bed-ridden for quite some time. I carried her into the car and five of my other little siblings poured out of the woodwork and jumped in as well. We crammed into the car and drove through the village at about 2 miles per hour with all the kids jumping and screaming and pointing to people and places they knew and wanted to go. We drove past the far end of town and up the mountain where they were quite chagrined when we turned around and they insisted that we take another detour to the nearest village from the other end of town, which we did. Meanwhile in the backseat the kids are chanting at the top of their lungs “alu kele, alu kele, alu kele, ALU KELE!” Which directly translates into “go a lot.” They were having a blast and didn’t care where we went as long as we just kept going! We finally had to bribe them with coke and lollies to make them willing to return home. It was a great visit and a fabulous way to show mom around town.