Day 1 in American Samoa

Day 1:  Saturday, August 8, 2015

            We got in last night around 10 pm.  It was 2 am California time though so we were super tired and the boys were spent.  Mose and Vili did pretty dang good considering they woke up at 5 am, took a 5 hour flight, had a five hour layover, and took another 5 hour flight.  But it was pretty bad trying to round up our double stroller parts, two car seats, 8 check in bags, 8 carry on bags, and two SCREAMING kids who only wanted their dad and freaked out every time mom held them.  Haha.  Hey, we’re alive today, so that’s good. 

            Auntie Foga and Uncle Rudy along with Valentina and Kristina (the two dentists from LBJ) picked us and our luggage up from the air port and helped us get to our apartment.  On the drive from the airport to the hospital apartments Rudy talked about how when we left Samoa a few months prior Nathan and I had no Idea if we’d be coming back.  He said “it was Faith that got  you the Job at the hospital.  Nothing else could have opened a position that wasn’t there before just for you to come.”  Rudy was right! 

            This morning, I was so so greasy from traveling all day yesterday.  I HAD to take a shower.  When I turned on the shower faucet the water started to drip.  And that was it.  Just a drip.  Haha!  No water.  The sink had water (not hot, but atleast some water!)  So I filled up a pot and a pitcher from the kitchen and had a nice refreshing ‘shower’.  The process took a good 30 min of getting in the shower, dumping cold water on my head, getting out and filling the pot and pitcher at the sink, getting back in the shower scrubbing my hair, and repeating.  So I guess I had a nice workout and a refreshing shower! 

            Lucky for us I saw a maintenance man walking out of another apartment as we were leaving this morning.  So him and a plumber are here fixing the water heater and the shower.

            We had to make about five stops at different cell phone businesses to get my phone up and running and by the time we got all our questions answered the blue sky office was closed.  Better luck Monday!  The first stop was by the market in Fagatogo so we got some koko rice.  Yuuum.  My favorite thing!

          Found two cockroaches in our apartment while we were unpacking.  One in the storage closet and one in a kitchen drawer!  Ewww!   I have a feeling there’s a lot more where they came from.  Better get used to the bugs- the trade off for living on a tropical island!

Taking the bus for the next few weeks until our cars arrive.  The boys love it!  It's a dance party every time we get on the bus because they BUMP the jams.  Haha

Caught a frog in front of our apartment.  We have frogs, two dogs (we named them red and spotty), and geckos as front yard pets.  Every time we walk to the bus stop or to the store at the corner of the hospital Red and Spotty walk with us.  It's pretty funny- they've adopted us I guess!  Mose and Des think they're pretty cool.  Moses will say "maile" (dog in Samoan) when we see them and Des points and says "woo woo woo!" (Des language for woof woof.)