my first trip to my daddy's village...

my daddy's village is literally on the other side of the mountain. this is where my roots lay. my mommy wanted me to see my daddy's village for that very reason. the photo above is my uncle tavita (fitu) with my daddy. he still lives there with my aunty ane and my cousins. it seems that my parents keep in touch with them along with other family members that still reside there.

every year my parents watch the fautasi boat races from samoa and cheer for the fealofani samoa II boat. that is the boat from my daddy's village. if the Lord tarries and provides, my parents want me to row for my daddy's village boat someday. that's a long way away and a lot of saving that i'll have to do. either way, i realize that my parents do not want me to forget about where i am from. i also realize that they desire for me to continually ask God to grant me the resources, gifts and talents to offer a helping hand to my family and people here in american samoa. (GO FEALOFANI SAMOA II!)

this is what is called the mafa. it is the top of the mountain before you descend into my daddy's village. can you believe that my daddy was born and raised here? that's a lot of swimming to meet my mommy. isn't it gorgeous?

this is a photo of the bay once we were in my daddy's village looking out. my daddy said that he and my grand-daddy used to go fishing in these very waters. (you go dad!)

looking at the fagasa bay from another vantage point

we had to be quiet driving up because they were having a a "saofa'i" for one of the biggest chief titles of my daddy's village.

my mommy had to learn what this lady is doing since she was a little girl even though she grew up in the states. culture...culture...culture.

these are men from my daddy's village taking a break before the next phase of the event.

more culture...

this is where the first part of the saofa'i took place. you can see the aumaaga lined up outside of the fale tali malo which belongs to the chief that is receiving the title.

now on to the next phase...

this was a very reverent ceremony.

that's my aunty ane holding me while hanging out with my grammy...

the girls just hanging out...

here is a closer look at my aunty ane (my cousin imelda's mom) holding me.

this is my uncle tavita (fitu) holding me. (this is my aunty ane's husband, and my cousin imelda's dad...are you getting the relation connections here?)

that's my mommy holding me in front of the fagasa bay.

my mommy smiles at me in awe not only because she's actually holding her son, but that she is holding her son while standing in my daddy's village. is God good or what?

that's me taking a nap while my great-auntie faapuaa holds me. while my mommy was sitting with her, she kept commenting on how the fagasa breeze is like none other. she was not only glad to hold me but to remind my mommy about the fagasa pride that she should never forget to pass on to me.

only the best of the pigs were used for such an honorable event like this one.

more culture...

this is another cousin that i met while napping in my daddy's village...

that's my daddy and i by my grandpa selafi's grave.

my parents and i next to my grandpa selafi's grave. this was a solemn and memorable moment.

isn't this bay just breath-taking?

my daddy drove while i just enjoyed the ride.

my mommy and my cousin imelda. imelda is the student body president for fagaitua high school. (needless to say, my mommy and daddy were very proud of that!)

i wonder if this is what my daddy did when he was this age growing up here? hmmm...