Hey sister, happy new year!

Happy new year! A reminder for you sister as you navigate 2025.  True love and true worth doesn't come from others.  If someone rejected you and failed to see the value of your worth, that is not your fault.  It is not your job to make them see it.  People often fail to see the beauty in others due to their own inabilities and insecurities. Don't fall into that trap.

Your worth isn't tied to your accomplishments, projects, service to others.  Your worth isn't dependant on anything but your pure existence.

True fulfilling love starts from within.  No one has the power to diminish your worth unless you allow them to.  People, opinions cannot diminish your talent, your detail, your essence.

When others cannot love you the way you should be love, there is nothing wrong with you.  When you accept your true worth, you stop listening to others, you stop listening to the negative voices and that realisation is key to finding fulfilment in the next year.

Stop chasing recognition or  attention from others.  You were born worthy sister.  One step at at time.

With blessings 

Enid.

I have bloody time before the baby comes!

WOW, I haven't touched this blog in...6 years has been a long time and have I done much in that time?

Let's recap:

1. Got married to Dr A.
2. Left my comfortable job
3. Started a business : Enara
4. Became a fashion designer; not on purpose
5.Founded Samoa's first annual fashion show
6. Continued the business feeding 5 other families
7. Handled more business
8. Donated to the Children's hospital ward from the Samoa Sinnet Fashion Show
9. Wanted to do more for Samoa Fashion
10. Planned the 2nd Samoa Sinnet Fashion Show
11. Approached to start Samoa's first modelling agency
12. Decided to attend fashion school
13. Carried out show
14. Left Samoa and Dr A  for fashion school

15: Came back to Samoa and decided to have our first baby

16: Graduated fashion school 

17. Had the baby, smashed the house down and renovated 

18. Dr A got his contract in NZ and so we all moved

19. COVID came 😒 and took over the world 

20. The baby decided she wanted to go to school at 15 months old 

21. Got bored playing housewife and decided to start a book project for Samoa’s  children 

22. Stared collecting books and aiming to send  1000 children’s books before June 2021 

23. Started Enara jewellery line to fund the book project and all its costs

24. Phew and now we’re here, Tauranga 

Everything else in between are the gaps and sealed alleyways to where I am now. I keep telling myself that I have much to do and thank God for a husband and family who are extra supportive.

Ehhh..your grandmother was hot too!

My vision fulfilled

When Dr A (fiancee) proposed 2 new years ago, I suggested a photo shoot of some sort. Of course being shy with a busy life style does not help matters much.  Dr A strongly opposed the idea. Camera. Lights.Action. were better saved for the operating theater. His patients need him more than some photographer  and a nagging fiancee.  It was just a no fly zone.

He opposed even more when my imaginative script was explained to him. "Why would we want to do that? The photographer wants to take a photo of you in your wedding dress! That is crazy!"  

My script was easy, he is a Dr and I'm a pilot.  The two can work together, it will be a win-win situation. I wanted to include my red leather bag, his diamond and some aviators.  Easy.  The man did not see it this way.   For all he knows, I'm a consultant of some sort and yes I used to fly planes but that does not necessarily mean jack.  A pilot who is a highly paid driver (batman) versus a doctor who saves lives (superman) , we know who the superhuman is. Then again when it comes to war of wills, the woman should always have the last say? Ok, maybe not.

While Dr A was busy with his overseas training and saving lives, I was busy conjuring up the inner Director in me. JK (photographer) and I were discussing all sorts of plots and  props for this photo shoot.  He wanted aviators, white park chair and a wedding dress, I wanted my red leather bag and a plane. JK was very particular about what he wanted and I too was fixated on the red.  

Samoa Faleolo International Airport will be undergoing major construction work over the next year, our runway will never look the same again.  The terminal will look flasher than before I'm sure. Being an airport fanatic, my love for the air transport system has grown  as big as my love for farming/sleeping.  I don't think anyone has done an airport/hangar/engagement photo shoot in Samoa before thus I thought it a brilliant idea.

The poor doctor did not know what he was in for.  I updated him continuously about the planning progress.  He still did not see the point.  At one stage I said "Well...I want to do it, one day we will be wrinkly and saggy! When I'm old and grey, when I'm a fat grandma, I want to point to those photos and say to my grandson "ehhhhhhhhhh your grandmother was hot too". 

Ok. enough said, we did it. The 5 am wakeup call was worth it.  Smiling for the camera is hard work. JK and his brother were more excited about the planes than us.  Thanks to a great team, we pulled it off. So, for anyone who is hesitant to do a creative photo shoot, just do it! You too can say "Ehhhh your grandmother was hot too!"

JK's pick of the day

Dr A and I

My journey

 As shared on Massey University's Alunmi Feature in 2011

Hello,

I am a School of Aviation Management Graduate and I'd like to share my story since graduation.

I was a young 18 yr old aviation enthusiast when I got selected into the Air Transport Pilot Program at Massey Aviation in 2002 and studied until the end of 2004 when I had to pull out of the program due to a family tragedy. I took a year off from Massey and returned to Samoa to help my family.

Upon my return in 2006, I changed majors to Aviation Management without knowing the roller coaster ride this qualification will take me.  I graduated in Nov 2008 with the Bachelors of Aviation Management and about 100 flying hours from the ATP Program.  At the same time, Massey University launched my poetry book (the majority of which i wrote at Massey Palmerston North) which they published at Massey titled 'Raw Edges' .  The launch was held in Palmerston North a few days before my graduation.  Raw Edges was also launched in Samoan upon my return in December 2008, which was also presented to our Head of State (King) 'Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi' and commended by the Prime Minister (Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi) and Deputy Prime Minister (Misa Telefoni Retzlaff). see link below

http://www.samoaobserver.ws/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1504:raw-poems-to-launch-late-december

I was initially employed as the Samoa Airport Authority's first 'Research & Training Officer' responsible for managing training programs and seeking training opportunities for its 200 employees, a year later I was to work for the Ministry of Works, Transport & Infrastructure under the Civil Aviation Division as their Aviation Licensing Officer responsible for the issuance and monitoring of all air transport/aviation licenses including pilots,engineers, airports, airlines, etc...Last year 2010, I was awarded a full scholarship to study the Graduate Diploma in Aviation at the Singapore Aviation Academy in partnership with the National University of Singapore. I completed the Program in 11 weeks and was award a 4.67GPA. 

Early this year, I was up for a promotion and now been made the first Aviation Principal Licensing & Certification Officer overseeing and spearheading a big project which will see the direct issuance of Samoa's first very own Commercial /ATPL licenses since we have only been validating NZ and Australian Licenses as well as Air Traffic Control and engineer licenses.

At the same time, I have been awarded a FULL Scholarship to take up the Masters Degree (MSc Air Transport Planning & Management) in London, University of Westminster UK in October this year. see link below http://www.westminster.ac.uk/about/news-and-events/news/2011/University-scholarships-top-4m-as-international-awards-are-announced

and will be graduating with that in Oct 2012 (God willing).

The Bachelor of Aviation Management from Massey University has helped me launch an exciting career and the aviation industry has never ceases to amaze me. It is still dynamic, inspirational and never boring! I'd like to thank all my instructors,lecturers, Wendy Wilson (i see she's no longer with the Aviation school) and anyone who has been of help to me during my time at Massey.  Upon the completion of my Masters degree, I wish to study at Massey again, perhaps a PhD!!

Business Focus

Top 10 Ways to Capture Attention

You probably deal with attention issues every day. How do I get the attention of new customers? How do I retain the attention of existing clients? How do I captivate my boss or my upcoming date? It’s a hard problem to solve, especially since very few people understand how attention fundamentally works. Writing my new book Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention, I combed through more than a thousand research studies and interviewed dozens of scientists, PhDs, business leaders, and luminaries to understand why we pay attention to certain people and ideas and not others. For my friend Guy Kawasaki, I’ve cherry-picked ten ways to capture attention, based on my research. While they won’t make you a superstar, they will help you capture more attention for your ideas:

1. Give people a hot coffee. Studies show that we associate the physical sensation of warmth with interpersonal feelings of warmth. In other words, if you give somebody a hot cup of coffee or tea, they are more likely to have positive feelings towards you.

2. Put a red border around your profile picture. Want to win at Tinder and online dating? One study found that just putting a thick red border around a person’s face increased how attracted a stranger found that person. Red is your friend in the dating world.

3. Use contrasting colors for “Buy” buttons. Amazon.com is filled with orange and yellow “Buy” buttons for a reason: they have clear contrasts against the site’s white and grey backgrounds which means a higher click-through rate.

4. Make what you’re offering scarce. Our frame of reference shifts when we think something is scarce. Gmail and Medium got tons of attention by limiting who could join through controlled invite systems. Slow rollouts and limiting access is often a powerful way to capture attention.

5. Give a gift at the most surprising time. Our brains are tuned to pay attention to surprises that violate our expectations. Next time you give a gift, do something different such as wrapping it in custom paper, giving it when people least expect it, or adding your own unexpected flair. Make sure you’re doing something unique and creative!

6. Provide a visual of any prize or reward you offer. Multiple studies show that we are motivated when we can see the reward we want to achieve or see the prospective fruits of our labor. So don’t just tell your audience about a reward, show it to them!
7. Harness experts. Our attention is incredibly deferential to experts, and experts are consistently rated as the top spokespeople a company can utilize. So try using a credible expert in your industry to provide a recommendation or to speak in your favor.

8. Harness the crowd. We trust the wisdom of the crowd–without that trust, sites like Yelp would have no users. The crowd also gravitates towards places where it can participate and have a direct impact (like Indiegogo and Kickstarter).

9. End with a cliffhanger. We have a compulsion for completion– an innate, insatiable need for closure–because we are uncomfortable with uncertainty. Don’t be afraid to end your stories or campaigns with a cliffhanger because your audience will want to come back for the sequel! Remember how Steve Jobs ended his keynotes with “One more thing”?

10. Validate what makes your audience special. We have an innate need for validation from others and to feel like we belong. The greatest projects, startups, and brands build lasting communities around them. More than anything, let your audience know it is appreciated, respected, and cherished.

 This is a guest post by Ben Parr, the author of Captivology. (from Kawasaki website)

If you embrace these ten recommendations, you’ll be sure to capture more attention, and as anyone with real-world experience knows, you can’t do much until you have people’s attention.
Ben Parr is the co-founder of DominateFund, former Co-Editor of Mashable, and the author of Captivology.

By Guy Kawasaki|March 2nd, 2015

Some great advice : The One Crucial Trait All Incredibly Successful People Possess

Sharing this today..Do you?

Image: Getty Images

Anyone can succeed without capital, without a business plan, without a marketing plan, and even without a great idea.  But no one can succeed without one essential ingredient.  Think about the keys to business success: plenty of capital; a comprehensive business plan; a thorough market analysis; remarkable employees.
Each is definitely important. But there is one trait every successful entrepreneur possesses:
Irrational optimism.
Why? To be successful you must embrace belief, which means pushing aside all those self-doubts: Feeling you aren't smart enough, dedicated enough, adaptable enough, or simply that, in spite of your best intentions and best efforts, you won't succeed.  Often other people make it even harder to maintain that belief. Family and friends tend to shoot multiple holes in your ideas, not because they want to bring you down but because they care about you and don't want to see you fail.

That's why people rarely say, "Hey, that's a great idea. You should go for it!" Most people aren't wired that way. Most people--myself definitely included--are a lot better at identifying and listing potential problems. We like to play devil's advocate because that makes us seem smart.  And that's why you need to be irrationally optimistic: Not because the odds are stacked against success, but because irrational optimism helps you succeed in ways capital, business plans, and marketing savvy can't.  Of course you can take irrational optimism too far--but then again, maybe you can't.  Think about sports, the ultimate zero-sum game. Only one individual or one team can win, but great athletes still go into every game believing they will win--because if they don't believe they can win, they've already lost.

Is complete self-belief irrational? Sure. Is it also a requirement for high-level athletic success? Absolutely. Great athletes push aside doubt and disbelief.
So do great entrepreneurs.

If you listen to the naysayers you'll never start a business, never expand, never work and struggle and overcome--and never succeed. If you don't believe in yourself, however irrationally, you will not succeed.  Although no amount of self-belief is enough to ensure success, the smallest bit of doubt can ruin your chances.
In Bounce, Matthew Syed quotes Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, one of the most successful football (soccer) coaches in the English Premier League, on how athletes must approach competition:

To perform to your maximum you have to teach yourself to believe with an intensity that goes way beyond logical justification. No top performer has lacked this capacity for irrational optimism; no sportsman has played to his potential without the ability to remove doubt from his mind.

The same is true for entrepreneurs--and, really, for everyone. Be smart, be logical, be rational and calculating, and never stop trying to improve your skills. But most important, be irrationally optimistic.  Belief in yourself will take you to places no external forces ever can.

 By Jeff Haden

Published on: Feb 10, 2015 on http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/the-one-crucial-trait-all-incredibly-successful-people-possess.html?cid=sf01002

Keep your love letters.

At this age of technology and fast wagging tongues, our houses are overflowing with old (real) stuff that we used to love and now neglect.  That old grandma-ish shoe box, the lace curtain which can be turned into a wedding dress (God forbid), the seashell necklaces that line our walls, framing our photos and dozens of hard cover books that our children do not read anymore.

I am as old fashioned as hard cover books and hand written letters.  There is that old paper smell that makes the senses come alive. Earthy, ancient, old money scent. I used to love reading books more than sleeping.  The faster I read, the more I learn. The hand written letters from mother dearest and siblings are priceless and I still have my love suitcase full of letters. The anticipation for a post office letter with stamps and all just warms the heart, especially when you are far away from home.  When you open the mail box and a letter with your name on it stares back at you, it's a cause for celebration.  It means, someone, somewhere is not only thinking of you but you are important enough for them to put those thoughts on paper!

I've coveted hand written letters since I could hop on a plane by myself.  I was 9 years old when I went on my first un-accompanied minor journey.  An old past time was to go through mother dearest's ancient letters from her own grand mother.  In those letters were stories of a time that is long gone,  when flights between Samoa and New Zealand were few and far in between, the letters which are dated and fragile. Paper might be  meaningless but the words describing of life in downtown Auckland in the 60s and just the thought of this old lady slouching over the table as she wrote holds a very high sentimental value.

In continuing tradition, mother dearest used to write me several letters a month throughout highschool and university life.  They usually started with " Faafetai i le Atua ua tatou aulia mai lenei aso fou" (Thank you Lord for bringing us into this new day), followed by the usual lecture parents give their children when they leave the nest.  

"Try hard in school, say your prayers every morning, look after your younger siblings, set an example for other children, here is the money and here is a list of things to spend it on and lastly, be safe and make us proud".

She wrote to me until my third degree.  I guess she figured I was old enough and that studying in London was not too big a deal like studying in Auckland, Australia or Singapore.  I've received so many letters from people, even those I did not know well.   These pieces of paper still hold meaning and were a comfort in times of loneliness and struggle.  The writers are people that have enriched my life with their encouragements. One common denominator in most of my letters is God and my family's faith in me.  In particular, I have an older sister whose faith in my academic abilities is still unfounded.  I've been a thorn in her side since I laid eyes on her.  It's probably that blind faith that helped me achieve exceptionally well in school.  At the end of one letter she wrote:

Try hard in school, I know you can do it.  I love you heaps.  Your victory, your success is mine.  So go to the top of the world. Never forget to pray and never forget God is there for you when you feel lonely  

In continuing the old tradition, I told my special friend at the time to send me hand written letters when I was away at University of Westminster, London . Emails are rather impersonal and can be easily deleted but a love letter is something one can cherish and reread. I know of many mothers who still write to their children regardless of technology.  Please continue to write.  If your child is anything like me, they might act tough on the surface when they board the plane back to university or college but when they are homesick, they will slowly unfold your letter and read it again.  Letter writing not only improves your cursive writing, it also tells your mother/child how well you write, your sentence structure, your very thoughts.  My mother is much nicer on paper as there is no volume although the words still hold much power. So continue to write and wait for a reply. Keep your letters close and love letters closer.

Let's sell our airport and that darn passenger!

Image from Dennis.co.nz

There has been a feather ruffling debate whether Samoa is selling its airport to China.  As I said to a friend earlier, for Samoa to sell its airport to the Chinese, one is willing to sell the door to her house! Imagine the consequences if we were to do that.   Is this the way forward? For the doors (airports) to be sold to the Chinese? Perhaps not, we must understand our air transport and airport system well before we make any rash decisions. This blog is not to discuss whether we sell or not, we are not (not now).  That thought should have been extinguished before it even developed into an inkling idea.  What with every Pacific government depending on tourism and air transport, we'd be silly to even entertain the idea.  The air transport system has been instrumental in pulling not just islands but economies together for decades and with the population numbers, cultural diversity such as ours, the region may not afford to sell their doors to anyone. Imagine Pacific airports changing their names to 'Tao' "Ching Mao" "Keng King do"! The gateways must remain in the hands of government or entities willing to facilitate the best interest of the people if we are to call our gateway our own.  If it's not due to national pride then it should be about retaining complete sovereignty of a state over its own airspace, airport and legal obligations to its people.

We have already opened our doors to the Chinese so why not sell our gateway too?  But before we do that, let’s sell the road to our houses too (runway).  Many aviation studies depict that  valuable assets for an airport is either human resources or airport facilities.  I believe there is one asset that might surpass the value of all these in Samoa’s case.  Let’s determine the most important factor in a thriving airport.  Our aeronautical revenue is still the biggest earner for our airport with 70% of our revenue collected from landing fees and departure tax.  The trend for most successful airports is 50/50 aeronautical and non aeronautical. This means that without airlines flying to our airport, our airport will forever remain a liability.  The accumulated losses for the airport will still pile up until the second coming.  For a small airport, we need airlines to pay the bills.  We need passengers to use our facilities.  So I say, sell our airport and if you are smart investor you will not invest your money in a sinking boat.  It might be a good looking boat but if it has holes, it will still sink to the bottom of the ocean like Titanic.  If we must sell our airport, let’s sell Samoa as a destination first and do it well.  We’ve been rolling about with destination marketing and tourism as our biggest GDP contributor so instead of jump starting drama about selling off our gateway, let’s sell Samoa first.  This will result to more people wanting to reach our shores and more flights which will have catalytic effect, making our airport some money.  Lets not forget that the airport is a second home to 250+ employees.  You might not know that because you rarely see the firefighters, air traffic controllers, works and maintenance staff, all aviation security, corporate service, cleaners and gardeners.  Are we ready to sell our most valuable asset? First the runway, then the gateway (terminal).  Perhaps not.

The pacific air transport like most Pacific islands, is but a dot in the the aviation industry. Our total traffic numbers barely make a dent with some of the village airports in Asia.  It consists mainly of small to medium sized fleets and its future might lie with more small to medium regional airlines.  These airlines can be utilized to feed the thicker traffic routes from the major markets such as New Zealand, Australia and U.S.   Instead of trying to fly outdated high maintenance cost aircraft, the smaller islands can do with more energy efficient and newer aircraft.  For major players flying bigger aircraft into our airports, maintaining the right standard for a B777 or fully loaded B747-800 puts substantial amount of  pressure on the meager existing facilities.  The maintenance costs to small airports is rather high.  The operational costs alone to a small airport can cripple and bankrupt any medium sized business.  It runs in the millions and there are only a few millions that our airport generates a year which is why it’s been in the red zone for well over 30 years.  Have you considered the cost of one rescue  fire truck? The cost of navigational aids and specialized training of air traffic controllers to manage it? Have you considered the security requirements and costs? How about the electrical and technical side of things? Also don’t forget the cost of electricity that it takes to keep our runway lights running! That’s already 80% of our total revenue per annum flowing towards expenses already.  So when someone claims that we are selling our airport, they’d better be well informed with accompanying costs of not only selling but running an airport for 24 hours, 7 days a week.  In saying that, we must still encourage bigger players to fly to our airports so we get the best deal for our people.

The question remains :  If our traffic numbers is not exponentially growing, do we really need a bigger airport? The simple answer is - yes, definitely we do..

Why?

The survival of the fittest remains true to this day.  Faleolo International Airport has been in the headlines for failing to make profit, scrambling to be at a standard acceptable to the darn passenger and for accumulating huge financial losses since its establishment.  Simply put, the airport needs to survive and make money just like any other Business body.  A bigger terminal would mean more spaces for businesses to come to the airport.  This will hopefully result to more tenants and some money for the airport to invest in other developments or spare change for maintenance/ operational costs as it is not a cheap task.  A bigger terminal  means a higher chance for the airport to bank in more non-aeronautical revenues rather than relying solely on landing fees and departure taxes.  These two charges cannot keep on rising to infinity.  So the airport can be a place where people come to shop and spend quality time instead of throwing their rubbish and scratching the advertisements. Some may argue that people do not go to the airports for recreational activities but this is the trend that is becoming more and more popular with other airports.

Do we need a more expensive airport? Perhaps not as we need one that functions like a well oiled machine.  Any refurbishment or new terminal will still mean spending huge sums of money.  This cannot be avoided.  Airports are not regular businesses where if one fails then another can rise up and be more successful in a short period of time.  The airport machine does not work like that.  As an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) member state, our international obligations are no less easier or lighter than the developed countries.  When we became a party to the Convention,  we are audited against the same obligations and standards. This is what we do not understand most, the underlying costs of safety and security measurements.  The passenger experience has become so dynamic and rather demanding that people are expecting more and more from airports.  Behind the scenes are rescue fire, security, air traffic control, environmental and social costs that add up.  Airports that were previously used as bus stops are now expected to cater to every need of the passenger.  For instance, more if not most passengers expect free wifi/internet at any airport, there are also high expectations regarding amazing shopping experience, top notch facilities, eateries to cater to more people, duty free to offer luxury brands and car park facilities to look after their vehicles.  

Have I missed anything? This is the steak  of the passenger experience so to speak.  Updating Fretbook (Facebook) status at every airport is a must these days, otherwise your 2000+ friends will not know if you've made it on time or if your husband finally bought that Louis Vuitton bag.  You get the idea.   Not only do passengers expect to be provided and cared for by airports, their travel experience should be seamless and effortless.  The passenger travels in a bubble until a suitcase is lost or connecting flight missed, then all hell will break lose.  Losing a luggage is not just that, the passenger sees this as a failure of the airport system even though there are several agencies responsible for getting the luggage from A to B.  In most cases this does not even involve the airport.  First and foremost, the passenger is responsible for check in and uplifting luggage, the airlines ensure the bag is actually on board with the passenger and when the destination is reached, the ground handler should bring the bag to the conveyor belt, customs, quarantine and so forth.  To successfully reunite the passenger with his/her luggage means the end of this transaction.  Sometimes the only role that an airport plays in this exchange is to provide the necessary facilities.

This kerfuffle about two airlines marrying is not a new phenomena.  Monopolies have existed since the beginning of time, which is why governments need to monitor ventures and partnerships to ensure that it is in the best interest of the people rather than filling up already overflowing pockets.  Times are changing and perhaps government might one day consider selling our airport but for now, we must first understand how an airport runs before claiming otherwise.  No businessman in their right mind will invest millions on just infrastructure alone unless they see profit falling from the sky.  Airport is big business if you have 10-20 airlines flying in and out daily, if you have the numbers and bums on plane seats but if you have only two or three airline servicing a consistent traffic route, it doesn’t hold much coins. Most airlines will tell you that.  

Finally, let's be kinder to our airport facilities and if all else fails, there is nothing new under the sun! Sell or not sell, make use of the time while the airport remains ours.

Some useful reading:

All about ICAONotes on aeronautical vs non-aeronautical revenue 

Bite me!

Photo: Pacific Love

If you know me well, well enough to laugh at my bad jokes, you would know that there are several things that I love more than life (almost).

 Historically correct ~ family, God, aviation, Areta.  Ok, maybe not that focused, it's too early in the year to be serious.  Apart from those four, I enjoy sleeping (no joke), reading (serious issue), Japanese food, the odd Oyster Bay vino (usually around November on the beach with crazy friends), planning long haul trips involving several flights and above all~ eating, did I mention the Japanese food? 

My papa is a foodie like me.  Food is his life, farming to produce fresh vegetables and beautiful juicy steak can do that to a man.  He enjoys his steak, nothing says 'amazing' like a colossal piece of meat.  Samoans are not known for holding back when it comes to food especially their meat. Sunday + food prolongs your life. Samoan mixed with Chinese blood makes it a bigger celebration.  Immediately health freaks will shut their eyes and blow their ears at this post.  Let's forget about the bad and focus on the yummcho factor here.  If you are on your new year resolutions about losing 30kg to fit a certain dress, running 20 marathons, eating pa-auke (salads) for 12 months then this post is not for you. 

There is a buzzling around the islands that is undeniably loud.  There is a freshness that is absolutely inspiring and a promise that will awaken your taste buds.  Samoa is almost ready to open its culinary doors to the world.  We are on the verge of surprising ourselves with our own locally grown, locally produced food.  A decade ago, from a local perspective, I can honestly say that the food offered at our restaurants was nothing to call home for if you were a tourist.  It was not because the food was bad (maybe a little) but because our hospitality industry was trying too hard to imitate the Western food experience.  Menus were filled with fries, burgers and deep fried garbage drowned in oil and gooey mayonnaise. 

Ten years later, town is bustling with restaurants that are not afraid to experiment with new/local menus.  Restaurants with returning residents who were educated in the arts of wielding a spatula and flipping the fluffy pancakes on a flat surface.  Those who were willing to leave the comfort of their new found overseas exposure and saw the potential of our local market.  This willingness is not limited to returning residents, our locally bred, weaned men and women who have been cooking in their kitchens since they came out of the delivery room are going back to school to earn their credentials, formally.  I believe this mix of overseas experience and traditional local chefs will take the Samoan eating experience beyond tantalizing your taste buds.  They will infect you with their love of food to return time and time again.

A foodie is not afraid to indulge in different cuisine.  I've often said that eating is one of the top pleasures in life.  Eating with your hands is much more personal than using a fork and probably much safer in some cases.  If you have dined with me, you'd often hear me say "man, this is the best cheesecake I've ever tasted", "aren't we blessed that there is so much food here", 'amuia tatou ia i Samoa'.  Whether it be fine dining at Scalinis (lobster salmon ravioli is to die for), enjoying the Korean BBQ at Orator Hotel, inhaling the best poke on island at Amanaki Hotel, fresh fish and chips at Return to Paradise Resort, driving to Seabreeze Resort for spicy beef Thai salad, surviving on a hot cuppa from Home Cafe or having fried fish, pork buns, faausi at the local market with hot breadfruit, the fact is, Samoa is awake!  Gone are the days when you had to second guess if the food is right in this place.  Samoa has brought their home kitchens to the restaurants. 

Let's not forget the amazing coffee that is now being served (deserves a whole other blog).  I for one, appreciate the little pleasures in life and show love through food.  There is something deeply satisfying about cutting into a richly marbled steak or diving into a neat stack of  fa'apapa fai! You can tell, this blog will be an encyclopedia if I keep talking about food.  So go out, be merry, have a koko Samoa at the local market and taste what is out there.  The waist line will be richer for it!  Whatever you do, take someone with you because food is so much better with great company.  Next time, you are sitting there wondering if the eating experience in Samoa is worth it, the fish says "BITE ME".

I leave you now with a few websites that will help whet your appetite!
Polynesian kitchen
Samoan recipes
More recipes
Top 10 food to enjoy in Samoa, by Smarter Travel

Polynesian Cook book by Robert Olive

A Samoan meal by Jamie Fouss

Gimme a sign!

Today is a good looking Thursday.  One that comes with flip-flops, cool Chanel sunglasses, Nitrogena sunscreen and a cooler of vino.  The only thing missing from this picture is a white sandy beach and some acoustic music.  This was the morning mentality until my well designed black top went through the Human Resource Department's newly painted door and came out blue! Oh the drama.  While the poor officer's face went from a morning smile to an expression of horror, in slow motion, I knew something was wrong.  She mouthed and pointed 'paint, paint'.  

I slowly closed the door and said out loudly (in a calm manner) "where's the bloody sign!".  The poor officer immediately wrote not one but two 'wet paint'  signs outside the door.  Action.  I went straight to my office, replaced my top with a scarf and washed out the paint.  "Shux they should have put out a sign! How would I know that the silly door was freshly painted".  Flashbacks of  'Bridal Wars' came to mind when Anne Hathaway painted Kate Hudson's hair blue.  Another flashback of our last Leadership Study Tour came to mind, Samoa Tourism's presentation on some of the areas of tourism that continually needs improvement.  One of them is proper signage.  

 Proper signage should not be limited to just the tourism industry.  We need proper signage in all sectors.  Different industries are slowly understanding the benefits of adequate and distinctive signs.  Signage help  find places, promote businesses and simply get the buy in for many destinations.   Samoa is slowly connecting and understanding the importance of such.  Too little signage and too much signage can be equally confusing.  A balance must be struck between the needs of the individual, businesses, the environment and road safety (Warwickshire County Council, 2014) 

As 2015 comes with great expectations so must we expect much from ourselves.  Set yourself a few goals (no new year resolutions, they end with the empty motivational Oyster Bay), spend time with your loved ones, drink a glass of Fireball whiskey with your friends and hold on tight, 2015 will be roller coaster ride.  Enjoy it, it will fly by without a warning sign.

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photo by Lars.Cronin

Etsy, 2014

(all remaining photos from dailyhaha.com)

Don't let anyone dull your sparkle!

Yesterday as I was gathering leaves and rocks from the garden, my new housemate reminded me that our people do not lack creativity but they lack  platforms from which to propel ideas and turn them into extraordinary works of art.  In his case, his creativity has been padlocked,  limited because no one wants to give him the space to dream and make it happen.  Like me, he lives on another planet that is filled with dancing flowers, floating materials and mixed permanent paint.  The world we escape to in the middle of the day, where we tap into our creative side.  My housemate needed that desperately to be able to express himself not only as an individual but also an artist.

Our Wednesday project involved an over-size glass champagne vase, sea shells, spray paint, flowers, aqua crystals, palm tree leaves and white sand (sago).  We were testing a few center pieces for an upcoming event.  The aim was to create something authentic, hip, local and cost effective.  An original piece that can be placed in the middle of a marble table and ignite some creativity.  A center piece that can connect to the creative side of any onlooker. 

Mr Pink as I will call my housemate, was open to all ideas.  There we were, in the middle of our dining room, spray painting, cutting stems, shaping leaves, collecting thoughts to be put on display.  Mr Pink talks more than me, surprisingly and that added to the busi-ness of the House of Elle.  "The problem with us (meaning them not us) is that  we are scared to let other people create something better than our creation.  Instead of encouraging other like-minded people to create, we tell them not to do it.  It will cost and will not turn out the way we (they) want.  These are the people that want to dull our sparkle!" Mr Reef complained as we were working away.  

"Shux, my sparkle is already gone or misplaced as I haven't touched paint in the last three to four months.  I haven't written or created in too long a time.  I need to get this sparkle back!" I mused.

A few weeks ago, someone asked me to please write about food and wedding planning (how to plan a wedding from the very beginning)! First step to wedding planning..get a groom?. Yes to food because I love to eat, not so sure about wedding planning as of now, she has red hair, purple lipstick, a mismatch outfit and just refuses to comply with any theme.  In other words, the wedding plan is somewhat cheeky and all over the place.  I keep telling myself that I have another year or so to go and as long as we set the date, book the venue, buy the dress then everything else will fall in place (absolutely not).  Planning is time-consuming and accompanies confusion, information overload, salesman syndrome but if done effectively, it will save the couple from paying money towards a one day event that some end up paying for dearly.  There is no perfect way to plan unless you sit down and discuss what kind of wedding you want, whether you want  an extravagant wedding, to impress the crowd or a backyard barbeque with close friends and family.  I prefer the latter but being the favourite daughter (sorry sisters) the bbq stance will not work for mother dearest.  If men were left in charge of the planning, things will happen faster and one just might end up with no tables and more alcohol.  I can see where this wedding planning blog is going.

 Anyway, as we were creating center pieces, the underlying theme was:

Do not let anyone dull your creative sparkle.  If you decide to do something, do not hesitate.  Hesitation will only lead to confusion and safety.  Get out of your comfort zone.  Work with your budget, if there is no budget then work with the concept you have in mind. Do and then re-think and change things around.  There are no rules to creativity.

The end product was a beautiful vase full of things and a whole lot of laughter at how ridiculous we were.
It was good therapy and we have another Wednesday project lined up next week.

Photo(s) source: pinterest.com

Tiny Samoa and its vision

I was selected to be part of the Leadership Samoa Program 2014 intake with the objective to create a network of emerging and future leaders of Samoa.  My journey, along with 15 other promising members of the 2014 class has begun.  I must say, it is challenging, interesting, multi-coloured and resonating.  Our first session was about- what it is to be really be a leader.  Is it a special characteristic that one possesses or can everyone be a leader?  The answers were different, vibrant and mostly positive.  Leaders are fearless in the face of opposition, they are compassionate as well as humble, loyal, loving and so forth.  There are many attributes and processes involved in leading and there are many types of leadership. 

I have been a leader for as long as I can remember.  In Sunday school, primary school, college, university, church, organizations and  in the workplace I have held leadership positions.  Most of the time I was placed there by a vote or a decision, under no fault of my own (I try and not get noticed when a vote is up).  Maybe they liked my ponytails in primary school or my skinny legs in high school, no matter the reason, responsibility is no fun but it forces you to grow!  Leaders have an aura around them that is sometimes unexplainable, I don't have this aura.  To me, leadership is having a few or many believing in your vision and are willing to work with you to achieve it.  Sometimes, the leading vision align with the vision of many so in achieving the main vision, the vision of many follows suit. This is but one part of leadership.

One such visionary leader is our very own Prime Minister.  When it was first announced that our tiny island will host the first United Nations conference to be held in the Pacific Region, bringing 3,000 delegates to Apia on the first week of September.  you can almost hear the panic, heart flutters behind some of the concerns.  How much will it cost? How will we do it? Do we have enough rooms? Can we even do it? This government is mad!  Our Prime Minister raised his hand and said "Yes". He said that Samoa is committed to facilitating a successful outcome of the conference and will do everything to ensure the meeting  is enjoyable.  He hopes those visiting will get to experience the world famous Samoan and Pacific hospitality (Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi,2014)

Right now behind the scenes, our people on the committees, sub-committees and all other catalytic committees are scrambling around like ants to get things done, sorted, signed off, approved and polished.  We are pressed for time as always as there is much to be done.  There are only a few weeks left and we must not despair.  The key to pulling this off is co-operation, communication and a lot of action towards the same direction.  We may be small and scattered, working in our own little corner but together we are a thriving force.  The ocean after all is made up of tiny drops of water and when it speaks, we listen.

"Many drops make a bucket, many buckets make a pond, many ponds make a lake, and many lakes make an ocean"

 ~Percy Ross

This conference will be showcasing our unity or lack thereof.  Samoa might not have this chance again and so regardless of what we think, we should stand together with one accord to prepare ourselves.  We will be exposed and the world will put us under the magnifying glass, will we not be proud Samoans when we pull it off? When we tell our children, yes we were part of that vision and for one week, the world saw Samoa. Like other leaders before us, we too must stand out and take risks!

"Many drops make a bucket, many buckets make a pond, many ponds make a lake, and many lakes make an ocean"

 ~Percy Ross

JUST SMILE

Talofa and Welcome to Samoa with a smile!

I was invited to the Samoa Tourism Sector Plan Draft Consultation Workshop last Thursday and Friday.  The turn out was encouraging and the discussion highly relevant to the future of tourism.

The Tourism Sector Vision:

"By 2019 Samoa will have a growing tourism sector, which engages our visitors and people and is recognized as the leading Pacific destination for sustainable tourism"

 A realistic and attainable vision I say, if everyone works together to achieve it.  The participants included members of the private, public and communal bodies.  We all agreed on the main focal areas of the strategy consisting of the following:

1. Marketing and Research
2. Investment and Business Enabling Environment
3. Product Development
4. HRD and Training
5. Infrastructure and Access

 These are all equally important as they go hand in hand if we are to compete at a higher level with other more developed islands in the tourism arena.  While there were many technical terms used, one area that was highlighted by most groups included the need for our educational systems to include tourism and hospitality subjects in school curriculum starting from the primary level.  Due to the high importance of tourism to our GDP, it is crucial that we teach our children the value of tourism.  Tourism contributes to more than 20 % of our GDP and plays a leading role in foreign exchange.  It is a catalytic industry as it creates both direct and indirect employment for our people.  Tourist spending give rise to 'government revenue, encourages entrepreneurial opportunities, helps promote, revive culture and branding' (SDS, 2012-2016).

Moreover, there were points also raised about engaging with communities more in terms of tourism product promotion, enjoyment and partnership with many government agencies to improve the services and products offered to visitors.  Village communities are the keepers of our historical and cultural sites, they set and monitor the costs to be paid by tourists for these sites and therefore should be kept in the loop regarding tourism affairs continuously.

My favourite point of the day was the 'Samoa Smile Campaign'.  Not the Digicel smile campaign but a whole of  Samoa smile campaign including one and all.  One lady suggested that Samoa is still the Pearl of the Pacific and therefore our faces should say the same.  Whether we are working in hotels, restaurants, markets, gardens, schools or communities, whether we can engage with tourists on a professional or basic level, one must smile doing the work that we do.  Samoa has come a long way and will continue to develop with the tides of change.  What remains is the Fa'aSamoa hospitality, whether we understand English or not, smiling is just like music.  It is a universal language understood by all, so just smile and stay true to who we are.

Bromeliad me!

The brain has  been silent in the past few weeks but this week it was jump started by great sites. important one.  Monday was a very exciting day at work.  My team and I had the opportunity to visit a few green houses in Samoa.  It was a day for shiny eyes, a nice change from the pink eye disease! (I I have been resilient thus far) There were soft pinks, peach, dramatic burnt orange, sweet lavender, gutsy black, earthy browns, royal velvet blue and misty white plants to covet.  You can imagine the 'ooohs' 'ahhhhs' and 'wow wows' from my team when we feasted our eyes on the beautiful plants. Interestingly, there were not many native  plants under the green nets.  Perhaps the native plants can grow easily, requiring less assistance from the growers unlike those that are imported.  Imported plants require more attention and care so they can adapt and grow successfully.

One plant that is new to Samoa, taking up residence in all the green houses is the very flamboyant  Bromeliad.  If it was a person, I'd compare it to an unpredictable designer of futuristic things or creator of  impracticable outfits that can never be worn with a normal face.

The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a family of monocot flowering plants of around 3,170 species originally from the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and in west Africa.  The most well known bromeliad is the pineapple. The family contains a wide range of plants including some very un-pineapple like members such as Spanish Moss (which is neither Spanish nor a moss). In general they are inexpensive (not in Samoa), easy to grow, require very little care, and reward the grower with brilliant, long lasting blooms and ornamental foliage. They come in a wide range of sizes from tiny miniatures to giants (Bromeliad Society International, 2014).   Like Samoans, Bromeliads have learned the art of adaption which means they can grow in a number of different climates. 

Within the last hundred years, bromeliads have become more widely used as ornamental plants. Originally only found in royal botanical gardens or the private greenhouses of wealthy Europeans, their popularity has spread to the masses. Today bromeliads are more available to the enthusiast than ever before. New species are still being discovered and plant breeders are developing ever more stunning hybrids to choose from(Bromeliad Society International, 2014)

 I have a few of these plants in my garden and I have to say both the leaves and flower compete for attention.  A well painted plant that is great for pot plants or shaded gardens around the house.  Similar to my other favourite plant, anthuriums, bromeliads enjoy mild sun shine and a lot of shade, depending on the species. 

Some of the common species of bromeliads include Earth Star, Urn Plant, Scarlet Star,Flaming Sword, Blushing Bromeliad, Pink Quill (Booth, 2006).  We had a great time visiting the green houses.  The day ended too soon with a brilliant sunburn and we were still discussing the gardens two days after.  Since Easter is upon us, this visit reminded me that the end result is not necessarily the best reward.  Think of the hard work that goes into creating and tending to all these gardens.   Robert Louis Stevenson said  “Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” While so many of us are out smelling the flowers, we do hope more people are planting some.  If we don't plant, we'll have nothing but grass.   As much as we'd like to find out the purpose for most  things, I'd like to think that plants exist for our enjoyment.  Happy Easter everyone.

Roadworks

I enjoyed the lovely drive to the airport this morning. There were less potholes the size of my house  and now that the rainy season is slowly creeping out, Aleisa road will look better after  maintenance. This is a well traveled road as it connects people from the west to their livelihood (jobs and schools).  Two epiphanies slapped me in the face while I was enjoying my new paved road.  One, the road is nice and smooth isn't it? Which means my poor shock absorbers will suffer less each day.  Two, while enjoying this little luxury and smiling like a dork at passerbys/drivers, it is enjoyed at what price? Luxuries are not free except for the air and sunshine so which side of my pocket will the cost of this road come from? 

Before I start spelling out the negatives and the superlatives, today on Fretbook (Facebook), the following quote was splashed out in capital letters

"By 2025 THERE WILL BE NO POOR COUNTRIES" ~Bill Gates, Philanthropist

The question is: HOW? And how does this Bill Gate quote relate to my new paved road?

The simple answer is, I don't know how this will be achieved as I have yet to read the full article.  I can say that currently there are no poor countries, it is the people within those countries that are poor but the countries themselves are not poor.  Not really.  Governments are not poor.  They have their peoples' wealth at their fingertips; resources, man power and so forth.  They have been entrusted with the people's best interests by the people with the belief that they are the best candidates to bear these responsibilities.

The Samoa Observer has been publishing many requests for help by families who cannot provide for themselves over the last few weeks.  People with families who cannot cater for themselves financially, those seeking help for a few resources, some asking the public to help build their houses so they can have more space to house growing families.  Poverty is a reality in Samoa, is it really? Poverty : the quality or state of being poor or indigent; want or scarcity of means of subsistence; indigence; need; any deficiency of elements or resources that are needed or desired, or that constitute richness; as, poverty of soil; poverty of the blood; poverty of idea.  Agree, we have people who are in stressful financial situations but who isn't in these times? Some of those asking for help look able.  They are able to work and find means to help themselves.  If we look at Samoa, no one is truly poor in terms of land, family and love.  Financially, we might be poor and if we are to compare ourselves to our neighbours, Samoa is better off. Samoa today is a much changed Samoa compared to twenty years ago.  

I remember the old market near the police station and the rubbish in town littering the streets by the non-existent side walks.  I remember the big waterholes inside the market and the seawall that was not there, where one can stare at the fish mixing with rubbish all day.  We are not stationary, we are moving forward.  The infrastructure and knowledge are both advancing.  The roads are better. We have clean running water and electricity (yes these are problematic at times).  We have internet and computers.  We have school systems in place. We have a new hospital to care for our sick. We have graduates that will build or tear down Samoa.  We are hundreds of complaints to hurl at government when all these systems break down or muck up but we are not the same Samoa as we were.

Cases of people dying from malnutrition are rare in Samoa and almost unheard of.  However, Fiji child malnutrition is expected to increase to epidemic proportions. A 2004 report by the Food and Nutrition Committee indicated that over 40% of Fiji's children are malnourished. The situation is rather acute in more disadvantaged areas, particularly in squatter settlements where around 104,000 people currently reside (Nourish Fiji Children Project, 2014). Our poor health and sanitation are the consequences of our negligence or prioritizing other things and overlooking these. What we eat and do determine the kind of lifestyle that we live.  There are lists of contributing factors leading to poor health (physical poverty) and they all start with us.  Our soils are rich and our lands are plentiful.  They are enough to sustain us if we choose to lean on them like our ancestors did before us.

We don't know how sweet we have it until we go to other third world countries.  Yes, the cost of living is rising but are there countries in the world with a constant living cost?  That is the price one must pay for development.  We complain about the roads, the government fixes them but at what price? The government coffers are not always full and it's the people that put those people in power.  If we do not like something- change it, improve it, work on it diligently until it is better.  Not sit around road corners begging for money, writing to Observer to publish cell phone numbers in the hope that some good samaritan will save us from ourselves. 

We have enough negative stories to fill our beds and heads.  I, for one am a great believer in hard work.  When one works, one has control over their finances and other aspects of life.  We are not poor of soil or blood or ideas. We are a people that toil on and believe in a God that gives hope.  We want luxuries and so we must be prepared to pay a certain price to enjoy that luxury.. to an extent. Like roads that need improvement/maintenance continuously, so are the days of our lives.