Fa’aumu Elsea
June 11th, 2018 | SIT
, Gilman Scholar
Pacific islands have a reputation as being extravagant vacation spots, but living there for an extended period of time reveals a beauty beyond ordinary Western imaginations. Fa鈥檃umu Elsea enrolled for 15 weeks to study in S膩moa and experience its unique community-based culture.
鈥淚 chose for its emphasis on experiential learning, and because I wanted to gain some experience in field work. I also had a personal interest in S膩moa and wanted to learn more about the culture and language. I was delighted to find out there was even a study abroad program in S膩moa鈥攖ruly one-of-a-kind in the South Pacific.鈥濃
At the UW, Fa鈥檃umu is a Medical Anthropology and Sociology double major. They swapped their winter and spring quarters for a semester in S膩moa with the (one of the UW Study Abroad ) to study Social and Environmental Change in Oceania. To help pay for expenses, Fa鈥檃umu applied for and received a and the .鈥
With scholarships under their belt, Fa鈥檃umu immersed themself in Pacific island culture. The program traveled to diverse locations to bring the academic subject matter to life, including Hawai鈥檌, S膩moa, and American S膩moa. During these excursions, SIT provided housing of all different kinds.
鈥淎ccommodations ranged anywhere from local village homestays to the occasional weekend resort. Most of the time, however, our group stayed at the campus hostels鈥攚hich are no different from communal dorm clusters at the UW. We met students from different Pacific island nations and (contrary to popular advice) even befriended several stray dogs.鈥濃
The journey began with a week-long orientation at the University of Hawai鈥檌, a location ideal for the class to begin discussions on topics such as (the movement of Pacific communities from traditional towards globalized societies) and (the ways Pacific island communities and stakeholders respond to climate change). At the end of the week, Fa鈥檃umu and their classmates boarded a plane to Apia, S膩moa. They continued to study those subjects as well as and , all which prepared them to execute an original .鈥
鈥淭here is no 鈥榯ypical鈥 day in the SIT Samoa program. Excursions and visits took place anywhere in the archipelago. During the final four weeks of the program, everyone conducted an Independent Study Project on a topic and location of their choosing. I chose to conduct my Independent Study Project in American S膩moa because of opportunities to discuss social justice topics with the local community.鈥
In addition to an immersive academic experience, little moments while living S膩moan life stuck out to Fa鈥檃umu as significant stories. One such story took place on a bus to the village of Alafua (just outside Apia) as they transported their groceries. The bus was crowded with college students who Fa鈥檃umu knew from previous trips. They noted that older students sat towards the rear. One boy made room for Fa鈥檃umu to sit and offered to hold their groceries, so they accepted and thanked him. During the bus ride, the boy motioned that he would like some of Fa鈥檃umu鈥檚 soda. The girls surrounding them would shake their heads and tell them to decline the request. Fa鈥檃umu also shook their head and everybody laughed.鈥
鈥淎lthough I felt I was getting ahold of the way local S膩moans arrange themselves in a bus, this interaction was about the way S膩moan friends interact with each other. The act of offering a seat, in this case, was a way of introducing me to the group. When the boy asked for my soda, he was really trying to befriend me. He and his friends were not afraid to show their character; everyone clearly knew each other but behaved differently towards me. This ride reminded me so much about how the S膩moan language is metaphorical. The group did not directly ask if I wanted to be a friend. The group members did so by way of showing me how they carried out ordinary interactions.鈥
Fa鈥檃umu felt a tremendous sense of community during their travels. They recognized that relationships and religion are central to the Samoan culture. During their time in Fasito鈥檕-uta (about an hour outside of Apia), Fa鈥檃umu was able to experience family life within a homestay.
鈥淢y homestay in Fasito鈥檕-uta helped me learn all there is to know about living in S膩moa. I stayed with a family of four at a house on the main street. During the day, relatives came in and out of the house frequently. The boundaries between households are convoluted, both literally (there are no fences) and figuratively (the extended family are simply considered family). Everyone pitches in and helps in any way. Through interactions with my host family, I learned exactly what is meant by 鈥榝amily is everything.鈥 I also picked up a variety of unexplainable, non-verbal cues as I grew closer to the family.鈥
Religion also plays an essential role in S膩moan livelihood. S膩moans value respect and reciprocity, which was evident to Fa鈥檃umu in their prayers. They both revere God and include God as a member of the family鈥攕omeone they can always depend on for help.
鈥淎round sunset, an elder would cross Faleolo Way to ring the curfew bell. During this time, my family gathered, sang a song, gave God blessings and performed one long prayer. With what little S膩moan I had learned, I noticed the structure of a prayer was similar to a lauga (speech). It acknowledges the family, the village, and Samoa. Much of the prayer gives thanks for events that impact the family in any way.鈥
Though Fa鈥檃umu certainly learned a lot about S膩moan culture through family values, the homestay was not always an easy situation.
鈥淏eing part of my host family has been the most difficult and humbling part of my semester thus far. My host family takes care of small children and I am usually not one to work well with children. But as I learned about the roles of members in a family, I came to embrace my role as a caretaker to my host brothers (along with the help of two fellow teenagers).鈥
The importance of relationships was also pronounced during meal times. Fa鈥檃umu was invited to help with food preparation in an聽(an underground collection of super-heated rocks used for cooking). Men husked coconuts while women peeled unripened bananas. Though there was an apparent division of labor, all people were working while united under one goal.
鈥淭he food is a product of relationships among the hands that work the umu. Like the family, the group was aware of their interconnectedness among each other. The group work at the umu is one way is emphasized because no one is going to let each other fail. I enjoyed learning about what goes into the umu. The environment, God and the community are all regarded by S膩moans as family.鈥
Though their study abroad pursuits are not over, Fa鈥檃umu has learned a tremendous amount both academically and culturally. Taking the time to live with the S膩moan community and experience their way of life truly defined the difference between a simple vacation and an immersive study abroad experience.鈥
鈥淎 good friend on the trip once told me peoples鈥 personalities often correspond to nearby bodies of water. If the waters are calm, people are friendly. If the waters are rough鈥攚ell, you get the idea. In S膩moa, the waters are calm, and people want to be friends. It goes to show there are much more reasons to love and appreciate a place than meets the eye.鈥濃
Written by Madison Gallagher
Photos courtesy of Fa'aumu Elsea
Reprinted with permission from University of Washington Office of Global Affairs