Happy 30th Birthday lil sis...

 

Back in NZ again, in time to celebrate my lil sis's 30th birthday. She's the other artist in the family who joins me in continuing as creatives, which I know stems from our great and great-great grandmother's artisan skills.

Those artistic skills were then passed on to her son, our maternal grandfather, who made jewellery, then to my creative mum, who had a plethora of skills, including cooking, and then to us, the present generation, with my children developing in the area too.

This is my lil sis's fave cake from the Cheesecake shop, which is the Unicorn cake with its many colours of 7 layers, including: blue, green, red, pink, purple, orange and yellow.

We absolutely love the light texture of the cake, and the cream is over the top, and we can't help but enjoy bright colours as Samoans, as you only have to visit Samoa to know why.

This week, we are also preparing to celebrate the 21st birthday of my middle child, and it's been a joy to plan with several factors coming into play, but more in another blog. However, we are big in celebrating important milestones in our family with more to come...

Reflections on Samoa on last day...

 

Today is our last full day and night in Samoa before returning back to NZ with our family (kinda) missing us.

We have had such a productive and fun holiday in Samoa in meeting with our relatives and getting back on the fanua of my dad's (parents') and ancestors' legacy.

Going to Manono and finding out about our connecting historical story to Manono was mind-blowing and something I'm going to reflect on and write about later.

It was also sobering to visit what is known as 'R.L. Stevenson's Pool' which I think was 'Loimata Apa'ula'. Another mystery that I'm trying to find out whether both are one in the same that I wrote about earlier but when fact checking, a map shows different and when asking a local walker she expressed that there is only one waterfall as pictured.

If this is true, then it again confirms my earlier commiserations that 'Loimata Apa'ula' waterfall fell victim to possibly safety and tourism considerations for the modification of the fanua or land for those reasons. The pool, as you see it in the pool, is only a wading pool up to the knees and the waterfall was dammed.

I'm looking forward to possibly returning for a family reunion in November that my aunty who is based at the Return to Paradise resort and spa has announced for us diaspora Samoans to look forward to. At that time, I'm hoping to plan a visit to Apolima Island where my great grandmother Faletui lived for a time with her husband and where her grandchild, my father was born.

Yet more explorations and stories to continue in the next saga of visiting Samoa at the end of the year. Roll on 2026... Ia manuia ma ia soifua (may all go well and good bye)...

Amazing tour to the island of Manono...

  

Today, I had a great time with my youngest and was able to charter a boat to go on an amazing tour to the island of Manono. It was a whirlwind tour as it takes about 30 minutes for the boat to travel to the island and another 30 minutes to travel back.

On this particular morning, it was 8.30am in the morning with lovely weather. We were able to travel to the island and through our tour guide we visited the first spot of where the Methodist church started with a monument.

Interestingly enough, the minister who started the ministry was Rev. Turner who wrote books about Old Samoa that I had referred to in my thesis. This was especially surprising and neat to reflect on in seeing where he had started his mission and to be able to view where he had been those many years ago.

A second tour stop was at the place of 'Tamafaiga's monument' which is a tala or story that I had been aware of in my readings but in being able to connect the story to where I currently live in Fasito'o-uta Samoa. In fact, it was my parents who were able to take me to show me the connection and which I was able to confirm from a matai (chief) whom I spoke with today. Totally amazing!

Needless to say that this has been one of my favourite trips to Samoa but missing my mum as she decided to remain behind in New Zealand as she had been ill in Fiji late last year when we took her over for my birthday celebrations. However, it's been great that our technology has kept us in contact through Messenger video call. Simply wonderful...

Sweet treats in Samoa...

 

It's rainy season in Samoa at the moment, and after tidying up some things at home, we went for a drive into town and had a late lunch at the local 'Burger Bill's'.

We then drove in the opposite direction, past the international airport (just 15 minutes from where we live), to Mulifanua wharf, only a 20-minute drive away.

On the same road and way to the wharf, we discovered a new dessert treat shop called 'Delicious Cakes', and we went in to have a look.

It's a shop with lots of dessert pies, cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts, sandwiches, cakes and much, much more. My favourite is the Afghan cookies, which are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The sandwiches were fine, but their large custard pies were not really to my taste and my mum was the best bakery growing up and the treats she made were second to none.

I would definitely recommend them if you're looking for occasion treats, like birthdays or anniversaries. We had fun trying the various treats. Another place was in Apia town, at a new stop called 'Ten Below', a 24-hour eatery. Their treats are second to none, with a slice of brownies, caramel slices, and cake slices all for $10. It reminds me of sweet treats from NZ espcially for those who might be a little bit homesick...

Site seeing in Samoa...

 

Today, we're sightseeing in Samoa on a Sunday. This time, we decided to drive out to Mulinu'u, near the capital, Apia, where the round Parliament building stands and the new courthouse.

It was great to take a leisurely Sunday drive; usually it is busy and bustling, but today there were a few out and about, enjoying the sunny weather and taking a swim.

We had lunch at the Chinese fast-food restaurant chain DMC in Vailoa, which says it stands for Dad, Mum and Children (really?). It definitely wasn't to my taste, as I'm sure they add jam to the Sundae.

However, we did manage to track down "10 Below", which is the first (that I'm aware of) 24-hour Foodstop for fast foods and desserts in Apia, down the road from the Clock Tower roundabout.

I was so surprised to see it and highly recommend checking it out as we picked up some desserts for $10 each, including Brownies, Caramel slice, Chocolate cake slices and Carrot cake slices.

The only thing I would say is that it is dark inside, and I'd recommend adding a little more lighting. It is modern, but the dark interior isn't as welcoming in contrast to the bright sun outside. However, if you're up for big snacks and delicious desserts - this is the place to see!

Enjoying some of the sites of Samoa...

 

A couple of days ago, I managed to take my brother from Brisbane, Australia, his wife and my youngest on a round-trip around the island. 

I did, however, take a shortcut; it would have been longer, since we live on the southern part of the island and were visiting my mother-in-law and my beloved's family in the village of Siumu.

This is a photo of the Papapaitai Falls in Tiāvi, where I remember my father taking a photo of my family in 1972, when I first saw the falls.

It's so neat to take my youngest to see these falls, the same ones I saw as a child. The round trip took us a couple of hours as we visited another cousin who is also building in Samoa, and it's neat to see some diaspora Samoans returning to the motherland.

We also did some renovating on our family house, and it was good to complete that job, as there was quite a bit of wear and tear we needed to accommodate.

It's been so good to catch up with my older bro and his family. As his children are much older than me, they are grandparents of 13, whereas I'm patiently (not so patiently) waiting for mine, i.e., the next generation of diaspora Samoans...

Happy New Year 2026 from Samoa!...

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR for 2026! I've been in Samoa since New Year's Day, and it has been such a blessing to be back in the motherland of my parents and ancestors.

As you can see from the pic, the tall plants are called u'a or paper mulberry trees. The bark is used to make siapo, or tapa cloth. I planted these trees two years ago because I couldn't source any in our local village.

This is one of my future projects: to learn how to make siapo, as I learned the art of weaving from my mother and from a couple of village women. 

This is a tribute to my namesake, an artisan of siapo whose craft was lost in a generation when it could no longer be passed on; I have made it my mission to continue it.

Now, to harvest some pandanus that my parents grew for use on our communal land, and to keep weaving as I was taught this beautiful skill. This is another project I've recently started, to see how it can be dried and then be ready to take back to NZ with us.

It's truly been a blessing to be back on our fanua (land), to begin some renovations, with the help of my second cousin and his friends and family, to complete some projects, and to await the arrival of my brother and his wife from Australia, so we can continue our father's legacy in our ancestral village that he wanted to pass on to us. 

To see the azure blues of the neighbouring ocean and the lush greenery and colourful flora on our fanua is such a blessing, to say the least. It's been so good to smell the ocean scent, to feel the warm, gentle breeze, it is 'home sweet home'.

Thank you, God, for this wonder-filled opportunity, may we never take it for granted...

The Magic Faraway Tree movie trailer for 2026...

 This is the trailer for the movie I mentioned, anticipating watching it in the new year, and reading the book now to refresh my memory of why I liked it so much as a child. The movie will probably omit some storylines, since I'm currently reading at least three books in the Magic Faraway Tree series (earlier blog).

I don't suppose many will know of Enid Blyton, as she was very popular in the 1970s as a children's writer, and I hadn't really heard much about her books being adapted into movies, but this is a pleasant surprise and something to look forward to.

I'm still in the very early days of reading the book, with so much going on. Looking forward to the New Year celebrations in Samoa and saying 'goodbye' to 2025 in NZ before we leave. So looking forward to returning and seeing when it's being released for the general public...

In anticipating of 2026...

 

Only a few more days until the new year, and I'm already preparing for it with much anticipation. I'm currently reading one of my favourite authors from my childhood. 

Her name is Enid Blyton, an English author who captured my imagination as a precocious reader with a thirst for reading and learning.

This is in anticipation of the new year and a new movie coming out regarding the 'Faraway Tree' books that captured me as a young child.

She was one of the first serial book writers that I read, and I bought this particular book from Whitcoulls, which is a 3 in 1 book, which works out great for me.

I'll probably read it on the flight to Samoa and finish it there before passing it on to my youngest to read, too. We're also taking along some books for our SSAB readers and looking forward to breathing the air and catching the spirit of the new year in Samoa. It will definitely be an interesting start to 2026.

I'm also looking forward to taking a breather after completing so many goals of 2025, and it's been a real privilege to have been in some of the spaces and places that I had the honour of participating in 2025. Now looking forward to what 2026 holds...

Happy Xmas Eve and Samoa New Year prep'...

 As we prep for Christmas Day tomorrow with a family lunch and all the trimmings, I'm also prepping for Samoa, travelling there in the new year, and urgently sending books to the SSAB (Samoa Stationery and Books) store in Apia. 

This was a lovely surprise, as every year I check in on the SSAB stories to see if they need more of my books. There are about three stores on the island of Upolu that I am familiar with and one in Savaii, which I haven't yet attended to, but will do at some future date.

This particular pese (song) is popular and reminds me of the different villages in Samoa, each with their own matai (chiefs) and tū ma aganu'u (protocols and traditions) that can vary from village to village. This song acknowledges this as they sing of the different nu'u or villages from the pitonu'u or district, and you can see the pride in their faces.

I'm so glad that my parents brought me up with knowledge of the language and also with an understanding of how things work in our fa'aSamoa as to not have that information can be a little trying with diaspora Samoans. 

So I'm very happy to teach this to my youngest as we travel often to Samoa together and as she studies Samoan language in high school to add to her knowledge. I certainly do see her as a future matai (chief) as she carries her grandfather's name and I know that she would have made him proud as she does of me...

Punialava'a - next generation with Xmas prep'...

 

As we prepare for Christmas festivities, in not forgetting the actual reason for the season: the birth of Jesus, who set the world on a different trajectory. I am really looking forward to visiting Samoa on New Year's day 2026 with my family, including meeting up with my eldest brother in Brisbane, Australia, and another family friend originally from Wellington and visiting at the same time.

This music has been getting me in the mood lately, with its neat, updated Samoan beat from the band Punialava'a (next generation), who were one of my parents' favourite bands back in the day. I also like the incorporation of the Cook Islands ukulele, which just enhances the dancing atmosphere! Or siva Samoa, of course!

Can you imagine trying to sleep through this song? all I want to do is get up and dance (adding to my daily steps to 10K). I have a playlist that I'm getting ready for our drives around Samoa so this is one of the first. Wishing you well for your Christmas preparations...

Watching 'Avatar 3'...

 

One of the highly anticipated movies my youngest was interested in watching was 'Avatar 3' subtitled 'Fire and Ash'. I enjoyed it more than Avatar: The Way of Water, which was long-winded and less enjoyable than the first movie. 

Although there were many aspects of Māori and Polynesian symbolism to appreciate, such as tattooing and the voice actors. They also demonstrated ideas for using their environmental resources to build shelters that adapt to their way of life.

This is my second favourite out of the trilogy so far, as it kept the storyline simple, although I wasn't so sure of the 'ash' aspect of it. However, it was neat to watch it with 3D glasses; it takes a little getting used to at first, but the 3D special effects definitely make the movie worth watching.

I recommend this movie for holiday viewing for anyone interested in the director James Cameron's Avatar franchise. It still speaks to me about colonisation and indigenous peoples trying to keep to their environmental beliefs as opposed to the colonisers trying to reap environmental resources for financial greed, power, and gain at the behest of the First Nations peoples but that's another blog...

Readying for Chrismas 2025...

 

Already I'm in holiday mode, but I've got another week of work before I lay down the tools, turn off the lights, and say 'goodbye' to 2025, then get ready for Christmas.

This year, we're spending Christmas at home, but on New Year's Day, some of us are flying to Samoa to check in and say 'talofa lava' to family there.

I'm also meeting my bro from Australia and his lovely wife, and we're going to have a neat time together and probably check out some rock pools and do some swim time, since I've sent over some boogie boards and paddles too.

I'm so glad my youngest has continued in her swimming lessons over the year, learning all the different strokes, as I had insisted on for all my children, since water plays such an essential role in our lives.

Returning to Samoa annually, since before the COVID-19 pandemic, has become routine for my family and me, as role modelled by my parents and especially my late father. And at present, my beloved is over there working on his PhD fieldwork, as I had many moons ago.

So this new phenomenon, which is a strawberry ice cream on a stand that looks like a strawberry, was given to me by my children to try, and it definitely warms the taste buds, too. There are all sorts of flavours, but the strawberries are my favourite. More evidence that the holidays are almost here...