Manuia le Tusauga Fou!

Manuia le Tusauga Fou!

First Sunrise in the WORLD 2013

Ahhh New Years! Hello 2013! Instead of celebrating it big and going out partying most of us decided to go to back to our training village and visit out families. Ha ha. Such a WILD group aren't we?? Ha ha. It was a blast! I am so glad I went! Just like Christmas, I have my whole life to do "normal" traditions and only two years to enjoy them in Samoa. It was so good to see the old village again and my host family. Was not as hard to say goodbye this time as last and everyone was so full of energy and excitement.

Church lit up

We went to Church on New Years Eve, YUP I WENT TO CHURCH ON NEW YEARS EVE. NEVER and I mean NEVER in my LIFE did I think I would go to church for New Years and by choice! Okay, kinda by choice, I chose to be with my  family and they choose to go to church with the rest of the village. Did not matter what church you normally go to, everyone went to the same church building to celebrate the New Year. At 10 pm the village went to church. It is not reading scriptures and praying church, it's singing, dancing and more skits performed. Extremely entertaining and fun to watch! Some of the Peace Corps Volunteers' families were performing so they were asked to join. Really funny! The power was still off from the cyclone, they lit the church up with candles and flashlights, it was very beautiful!

Me and Michelle after our countdown

Close to midnight I could tell there was not going to be a countdown since they were in the middle of a dance so, I pulled out my phone and watched a timer for a count down. Michelle and I counted down until my phone beeped midnight, we did a silent hug and giggled, it was a nice moment. I am glad she shared it with me. Once the dance was over everyone hugged and kissed cheeks for the New Year!
After church some of us went and sang, danced and did Yoga on the beach. More singing and dancing, I had some friends teach me Samoan dances and I taught them Yoga. The beach makes everything so much more fun! Listening to the waves crash in the background, the cool air from the water and the moon was super bright it was a perfect way to celebrate New Years in Samoa. I then watched the very first Sunrise of 2013 in the WHOLE world and went to sleep for only a few hours until the next celebration. Everyone got up early for a fia fia. Dancing on lack of sleep, We danced and danced and danced all day. These people really know how to party! The night we left to go back home the power in the village turned back on! It was a perfect way to start the New Year. Bring it on 2013!

A moment to myself watching the first sunrise in 2013.