Our day is nearly fininished and we are still smiling!















Our first night in our bed room!






































What's Latia holding? It looks like a Cucumber....hint hint and it comes from the sea. I dont think it'll taste like a cucumber!










Our day out in town setting up home. It first started with a bus trip to town from where we are staying. 5 or so minutes away. All the girls enjoyed the bus ride, as rough as it was! Nothing cushioned here!

Arriving in Apia, the bus terminal was chaotic! We’re not too sure whether there are any road rules but we are getting use to the, "If there’s a gap? Gap it" Maleina, Leilani, Talia and Latia are getting use to the heat but not enough that they could start school today. I had to visit the doctor today as I have had and allergic reaction to something around my neck, (Constant sweat) that is infected. We were told by the doctor to boil our drinking water….but since we’ve arrived we have accumulated antibodies so I hope it works! Our day out shopping was getting the basic requirements to survive, cleaning products 1st! then food and pots and pans and stuff. There is one thing that we have noticed is the dirt and dust! Even though we get down pours every night or during the day, it doesn’t seem to clean anything. Don’t believe what you see in the travel brochures because you will be very disappointed! If you were here for a week or so…..that’ll be enough but anytime longer and you will see that Samoa has even more social problems than New Zealand. Just the other day a fight amongst youth involving knives and Molotov cocktails, if you hadn’t already heard! I’ve added a picture of the girls first night in our rental house! Yes all 0n the one mattress on the floor! Mum and dad have it slightly better We’ve got the bed base with a Samoan mat covering it! Yes we want to come home to our own beds, kitchen and lounge suite……but yes we want to see this through! Why…..We are learning how much we really have in New Zealand by the little we have now. Oh yeh……if ya ever decide to come over, the best sand only taxi driver we know is Tau Cab 14 Falelata Taxi stand…….His English is getting better while my Samoan is improving as well! "Car therapy" The internet is by way of Flash Drive and off to local internet café!This is the easiest and least expensive way. ……. Catch ya all later!!

Elizabeth’s First Contribution:

It’s a bit hard to know where to start, guess I didn’t really know what to expect and I keep hearing Emile’s Mum saying are you sure you have told Elizabeth what Samoa is really like….. I don’t think you can really know until you are here!! All and all though we are having a good time, I’m sure some of you would not believe the condition of the 5 bedroom house but you just make do and it is 1000 times better than what a lot of the locals live in. A lady just knocked on our door today and offered me a job, I explained I had no work visa and she advised none of her workers do. It was in a clothing, printing come craft shop just up the road and she had heard we had just moved in… at this point I have declined her offer. We need to sort out girls schooling and get ourselves established first. Guess word gets around quick aye! The bus was truly an experience, very rough and ready, all 5 minutes worth. Then, at the end of the day, the extreme opposite at the 2007 Pacific Games Swimming Pool, flash as… The other facilities include a basketball stadium and the weightlifting venue, again only 5minutes from our house, so it seems we have picked the right part of town to stay in.