A most common question I hear almost everyday outside of my student life is, "Where are you from?". Usually I would say what city I grew up in, but never really mention where I was born and raised. Well to answer that question truthfully, I was born and raised on the island of Tutuila, American Samoa. People are always shocked when they hear this answer because they "never expected it" or "I don't look like I'm from the islands" or simply because "my English is normal compared to those who have just come from the islands". Well all of these assumptions are clearly wrong and I am glad to say that I am proud of where I came from and how I've grown up to be the person I am today. Growing up, I felt more free than anything and anyone. My siblings and I would spend majority of our days outside whether it was sunny or rainy. The best days were the rainy ones because the water was very warm and we never got sick from running around getting wet. Whereas in America, kids would get sick right away if they spent time outside being cold and wet. But that wasn't the only fun part about growing up on this rock. Some things I loved about living there were the traditional events we attended almost every weekend or special holidays, the boat races right in front of the hill we lived on, and the huge feasts we would always prepare for every Sunday morning. It was a tradition to wake up at 4 am on a Sunday morning to cook for a big feast each of our families would have later on that day after church. And being the oldest of the girls, I was the one to take a plate of food to our neighbors and they too will bring us a plate in return as a sign of respect. These little chores that I took part in at a very young age has taught me much more than just being a kid. In our culture, respect plays a huge role in our everyday lives and if there was ever an issue, there would always be a consequence. A huge and most common example is when walking in front of people who are sitting down. You either have to go around or simply walk in front but always say, "tulou", which means "excuse me". It is considered absolutely disrespectful if this isn't done. I know that its very different here in America and it wouldn't be that big of a deal but these little manners I brought with me from the islands has helped me come along way.

Hyperlinks

http://ameriquinnsamoa.blogspot.com/

http://meganelizabeth11.blogspot.com/