Odds and Ends Thursday 32

Since all students will be taking exams next week —common exams for the 9s, 10s, and 11s, the School C for the 12s, and the PSSC for the 13s—this week was essentially the last week of classes. The whole thing has been frustratingly anticlimactic. Part of me wants to have big parties in each class, but it’s difficult because everyone’s in study mode, so a party is difficult to justify. So most of my courses have concluded with me saying, “Good luck,” and waving and that’s it. Prizegiving is 3 December, hopefully that will provide closure. Here are some other odds and ends from the week:

• Tonight was also the last night of the year 13 camp. There was banana crème pie and panepopo, so I guess there was some acknowledgement that things are ending.
  
• At the Halloween Party, I ran into Dale almost as soon as I got there. We talked about USC losing to Oregon and debriefed the rest of College Football Saturday. As soon as we parted, Jordan told me we had to go back to Dale so he could get a picture. And it wasn’t until people started taking photographs that Dale turned and said, “Wait. Did you come dressed as ME?” Then he turned to his wife and said, “He came dressed as me!” It was funny.
  
• Apparently Group 82 was in Apia on Saturday (as is evidenced by their blog updates), but I didn’t see any of them because they were gone by the time I returned from Fausaga.
  
• A bunch of the Indian missionaries are leaving for over 2 months at the end of November. Last year they visited friends in American Samoa and New Zealand, but this year they’re going all the way back to their hometown in India. I’m bummed because I was planning on using Maengi’s oven to cook my dish for Thanksgiving, but she’ll already be gone.
  
• In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s an open call for a sublet-able apartment in the Sydney area in late December/early January. Please see the upper right sidebar for details.
  
• I attended one of Blakey’s Rotoract meetings yesterday, and they signed me up to participate in some Amazing-Race-type event that will also serve as a membership drive. It sounds somewhat similar to our photo scavenger hunts from back in the day. More on that as the story develops.
  
• All internet connections in the country seem to be really slow lately.
  
• I broke out the Ghiradelli Chocolate squares for my year 13s at the end of class tonight. They were quite pleased.
  
• Mom, QWERTY is the nearly ubiquitous keyboard layout that is almost certainly right in front of you as you read this. In fact, while you and Dad were here, you made me read a passage out of “Guns, Germs, and Steel” about the design of the QWERTY keyboard. It’s on the year 11 curriculum, and thus Tuesday’s killer game of Hangman.
  
• Water pressure has been variable since the early October drought. As I type this, it is out.
  
• As I was sitting here tonight, a lizard fell off the ceiling and landed with a thump next to me on the couch. He glanced at me as though slightly embarrassed, and then quickly scurried up the cushion, on to the window sill, and out of sight.
  
• Yesterday I wore a shirt that I got from RPCV Christian when he left in September. It is bright blue and covered in hibiscuses. I was in the middle of my 10.3 class when a teacher pulled me out of class to compliment me on it. Then Filifili stopped by later in the day to give me a “Seki a lau ofu.” Sweet shirt. Thanks, everyone.

That’s all I got for this week. I hope you’re well. Pictures below.

Site and boys standing around the fire tonight.

Filifili with a plate of onions.

This cruise ship tourist insisted on taking a photo from the middle of the street. At one point she stood down a van. Really, it was kind of impressive.

Jordan dressed up as a diver for Halloween. This photo doesn't capture his short shorts. It's just as well, I think.

AJ as Tyler Durden.