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Author Archives: Cat Q.
Renovation Week 1
We made it through the first week of the Great Renovation. The Beard Light and his dad did a ton of work this week but it wasn’t the dramatic kind that makes you gasp when you see the difference. It … Continue reading
Posted in Home Renovation, United States
Tagged home depot, home improvement, painting, renovation, tile
1 Comment
Home Sweet Home
We did the final inspection on our house yesterday and got the keys back from the renters. It was pretty surreal, standing in that big empty house that looks so little like our old home. My favorite thing about our … Continue reading
Posted in United States
Tagged life after renters, moving home, renovations, repatriation
3 Comments
Letting go | Being here
Lately I dream of Manu’a nearly every night. It’s almost always the same dream: Wes and I have just “stopped by” Faleasao for the day. We run into the new WorldTeach volunteers, who are busy unpacking and mostly disinterested in … Continue reading
Posted in American Samoa, United States
Tagged coming home, culture shock, expat, expatriate, international travel, repatriation, returning
1 Comment
Coming “Home”
What I hope is the hardest part of our journey to the States (leaving Manu’a) is over. We still have a week left on the main island to tie-up loose ends, buy those impulsive souvenirs, and prepare for our repatriation. … Continue reading
Posted in American Samoa, United States
Tagged adjustment, culture shock, expat, repatriation, returning home
2 Comments
Last Day in Faleasao, again
Ha! I totally should’ve known that the boat wouldn’t be here today. Of course! So we get to spend one more beautiful day in the village; we should be leaving tomorrow morning though. Last week I found a pack of … Continue reading
Tofa Soifua, Manu’atele
Tonight is the last night we will spend in our house in Faleasao. Our bags are packed. The boat is (supposedly) coming tomorrow. Oh gosh are you guys crying? You should be. It’s real sad. We turned in our classroom … Continue reading
Posted in American Samoa
Tagged Faleasao, goodbye, leaving home, Samoa, traveling, travelling
2 Comments
Desk Threat: or, What a Mice Surprise!
Today as I was rummaging around in my top desk drawer (which I really only use to store packets of oatmeal, confiscated earrings, and batteries), I noticed that my last oatmeal was eaten open. Ah, the oh-so-recognizable sign of a … Continue reading
Memorial Day Weekend in Ofu
A few weeks? months? ago, we loosely “planned” a trip to Ofu with our friend Alison (a previous WT field director who now works at a university on the main island). Since air and sea transportation have been particularly unreliable … Continue reading
Posted in American Samoa
Tagged international travel, manu'a islands, Ofu, pacific ocean, travel
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Feisty Incoming-Fresh(wo)man Tells It Like It Is
This is a paragraph taken from a placement exam essay written by an eighth grade student. ASCC is the local college. I can’t even tell you how happy this makes me (and a little disappointed that I won’t have the … Continue reading
Posted in American Samoa
Tagged educating girls, ESL, feminism, Samoa, teaching, teenagers, writing
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The Not-So-Simple Present and Teenage Dreams
I’ve been doing a lot of grammar drills and practice with my mainstream (lower-level) sophomores lately. A lot of these kids are at a pretty distinct academic disadvantage because their English skills are very low. One of the larger points … Continue reading
