The Fale -sleeping Samoan style

Today we went into the capital, Apia. This took quite some time as the speed is about 40 kilometres an hour and we stopped and started quite a bit. This was very interesting as G had spent 3 years of her childhood here as her father was seconded from the NZ government in the 50s to help set up the administrative infrastructure for independence which happened in 1962.

I was able to see the fales in day light and they are one large open room with a floor and ceiling and no walls so they are cool. All life seems to take place in the fales, one family to each. There are chairs and sofas and a TV and beds that have mosquito nets around them. Bathroom and kitchen are elsewhere. Sometimes schools are held in them also if the village does not have its own separate school. Privacy is not a big thing here, it seems. I asked what happened when there was a storm or a cyclone, they move into the walled house of a friend or into the church of which there were many - the church is ever present.