A must in Samoa!!

It's a must!!!

The first 2 days in Samoa

It’s been 2 days now and there is a slight panic in the air as to where are we going to live after

Saturday? Today is Wednesday L While we were having dinner Latia popped out with “People are poor” When asked why she shrugged her shoulders. We think that it may have been our experience in the market place and in the middle of it all! We are so so fortunate to have what we do! I guess it’s no different to any other developing nation, stay on the tourist path with your guides and cheafuers and you’ll only see “good images”

The hotel shuttle dropped us off here at the visitors information centre, the market and the real Samoa is about a 10 minute walk to our left and the up toward the local bus terminal.

This photo is Luutuanu’u, my mother in the back round with photos of members of the family.

These are the 3 little pigs posing for us at the back of the fale.

Elizabeth at the back of our village Fale. Posing :-)














Catch you all later....hopefully in our own place! Pray, hope and do what ever you do, that we get a rental property in the next 3 days!!

The Grey Clan

Bed time..........

At the end of a long and 'adveturist' day we have now finished our milos and are getting ready for bed!! The next time you hear from the Grey Clan will be from Samoa and like Iv'e told many others...even if it means our travel agent paddling a canoe with us in it, we will get there!!

Thanks to all those who have offered help and assistance, greatly appreciated!! As long as Maleina has her 4 Weet Bix, she'll be right!! Talia and Latia are Toast girls while Leilani........depends on what everyone else is having. No more home made jam or preserves how ever we will give it a go in Samoa. So many things to do!!

We are taking some seeds so watching them grow in a tropical climate will be interesting!!

Good night

From the Grey Family

Our Flight Cancelled :-(

Due to Fog in Auckland!! of all places!

So we leave tomorrow from Nelson at 1:15 PM 29th NZ time.....and arrive in Samoa 10:55 pm, Samoan time. It has given us a chance to think over a few things. All our bikes came to $400.00 and we were able to lighten the load of most of our luggage! Mum and Dads bike are going along with bike trailer.

So when we arrive in Samoa what day will it be?

Bye for now

Our final night in Nelson

Yep by this time tomorrow we'll be in Samoa!!

Spiders.....enjoy now!

Aunty Vivienne "Nurse Viv" :-)

Yep and what a day it has been remebering that it's Sunday the 28th NZ time as you will have sussed out! "The Blog is in Samoan time" We had a great send off at church this morning from our Church family at Richmond Community Church, Thanks ya all and God Bless. Then visitors at home. Thanks Elaine and Mel !!!! Great seeing you Mel, it has been a long time! Then off to Aunty Vivienne's for a wonderful dinner!! I think it'll be a while yet before we get another great taste of Spiders!! (Ice cream and Fanta!) wine gums and cadbury! Obviously myself had to sit and watch!!





Oscar "Viv's cat" getting into it!!










Giving thanks for what we have!

Nanna (Cecilie Dyer) and GranDad (Graham Dyer) got a great surprise at the end of the night but I'll leave that up to them to tell their story! It's a Blessing to have inlaws like the one's I have!!

THE NEXT TIME YOU HEAR FROM US WILL BE WHEN WE'RE IN SAMOA!!

GOD BLESS YA ALL HEAPS!

3 more sleeps!!

Yep 3 more sleeps and were on our way to Samoa. Things are falling into place and all is well, stress levels from 1 to 10, 1 being none at all and 10 being, absolutely to the hilt, I would say we're, Elizabeth and I are at a 9 only because the children are on -10 hyped up and expessing in their language and behaviors how...excited and pleased they are!! Maleina has come down with the Chicken Pox so in 14 days the other 3 will have it, so the doctor says!! Joy to the world, all of last year we were actively hunting the chicken pox so our "4" children can be done and dusted but nope!.....Murphy law has other plans!!

The house is looking empty and cold!.............well atleast this time next week we should have had enough of the 29 to 32 temperatures of tropical Samoa and ready to come home!.....not!!

A big step into the unknown!! Yes I am a Samoan and my children are half Samoan but in all honesty I don't think this is enough to prepare us for what to expect!! I've got my garden seeds, around 7 different veges.

As soon as we land and are organised the pics and words will start to flow!! Have a nice winter :-)

5 more sleeps!

We are getting there!! I, Emile, have found how many clothes I have that I don't wear and don't fit! I found over the net that Internet in Samoa is expensive. Fortunately our first 5 nights at the 'Insel ferma'(spelling may not be correct...German name) will have internet access so we will get back to ya all as soon as we arrive. Maleina's Blog is in the process of getting set up but as I write Elizabeth and I are thinking it may just be better to have keep a general family Blog...Cost and unknown speed??
What will we miss the most?......The girls are in Bed so I'll ask them tomorrow. Maleina is not too well and Elizabeth is glued to the news? :-) I guess we wont find out until we get there! I'm hoping Samoa has fast internet access!! If it doesn't then that's got to be it for me!! I just asked Elizabeth the question, ...... still glued to the TV! :-)

To be fair the photo is of last nights Chick Flick "Rumor has it" which I did not watch!!

One of my goals is to write a book after I first visit the tomb of Robert Louis Stevenson on Mt Vaia. No it isn't going to be some fictional Pacific island romance or Family adventure....It'll be about "From where once came from" to the present......I haven't written a book before and this is the most Iv'e written in one sitting on the net.

Well I'll have up what our individual goals are and what special thing is that we would like to do while in Samoa.

(Children a bit scratchy getting to sleep at nights, Elizabeth up from TV doing the 1,2,3, count....or else. I won't get into what the else is because Sue Bradford may read this. :-) and on that note I better get back to packing!!

Best news yet....we can take our vodafone mobile and use in Samoa! Just update sim card. hmmm....May be cheaper to connect through the mobile, we'll find out no doubt!!

God Bless

Emile Grey

16th April 2008

Under 2 weeks to go and we are away. How does it feel? for all of us it's exciting and an unknown. I guess we're all up to the making the best out of what will happen when we arrive. It will be a culture shock for me as much as it will be for Elizabeth and the girls. It's been some 20 years since I was last in Samoa and things have changed!! Technology and globalisation are impacting Samoa so fast! My 2nd to last day at work and all that is on my mind is...........the bell going for hometime :-) and going to Samoa. It will be a good experience of learning, testing and adapting to change and challenge......cool aye!!

Regards Emile.