much needed update
4:07pm, Power just came back on. ASB made us sit around in the branch without electricity for an hour. How nice, blardy jerks
So because I’m literally nodding off on my desk (because I don’t want to deal with all this mess that is my work), I decided to update this here blog before I don’t update it at all.
Tautai Luke’s first trip to Samoa:
Apart from the hiccups at check in, the trip was fabulous. Families and friends spoiled the lil rascal from day one til the day we left. He enjoyed himself soaking in all the attention especially the many taxi’s who wouldn’t put him down. Tai loved being home with my mom, my sisters, my crazy girlfriends especially his Great-Ma-ma. He enjoyed playing with my his Great-Ma-ma’s wheelchair and slaps the poor lady on the thigh and pulls her toes if she’s not paying attention.
I’m glad we took this trip. It really did lighten up the room for my poor mom who’s not very well for a while now. Tai loved hanging out with his Grandmother and surely hasn’t forgotten about her being the main woman in his life the first 4months of his life while his mommy returned to work. It was a joy for me to see how my son got along with everyone and everything back home. He loved masipopo. He was teething so masipopo really helped him during that time. Tai loved my family except for my dad. He had a love hate relationship with PAPA. He’d go sit with him but he wouldn’t give an ounce of smile for the poor guy, and he refuses to give his Papa kisses, unlike the way he showers his grandmother with sloppy kisses. It was too cute.
I tried to take him to Sam’s house to visit for one hour everyday, but that proved hard as homeboy DID NOT like it one bit if we’re there for more than 5minutes. I think he gets bored at Sam’s house because there are no kids and everyone is usually busy with the business except for Mama Gwen. SO needless to say, our 1hour visits were cut to 1/2hour visits, and the other half hour with Uncle Tui, (one of Sam’s best friends) who may I add, likes to steal my son after work everyday so he can play with him, even though Tai doesn’t like to play with him. (it was all too funny)
Our second day in Samoa, Audrey and I took Tai to the beach. It was his first time and he really LOVED it. Didn’t want to leave, but he was wearing both of us out because he is too heavy so we had to go. Hehehe
Our days were spent, having lunch with friends and family, going to the beach, hanging out at Great Ma-ma’s house, chilling with Mama, watching Papa play tennis for the Oceania Tourny, we went to church (believe it or NOT), had ice cream at McDonalds because the meals were too overpriced for my liking, watched Robin Hood, shopping, skyping with daddy, visiting SamCo, chillin at the pool, playing squash, watching the netball games at the Park, eating faalifu kalo, umu kalo, palusami, mamoe kao, eating the favorites at Sunrise, Gourmet and a new favorite that is Mr Chippys @ Lotopa, mommy’s one night out with the girls and of course the cherry on top, the Boys in Blue winning the world 7s Series. Vbar was filled with regulars hugging, kissing, and yelling on top of their lungs when the boys WON. Ua ou proud lava i lega kaimi. hehe
Check in:
Baby and I flew on pass, meaning we only paid $128 roundtrip instead of the usual $1130.00, thanks to Sam’s friend who works for the airlines and his perky benefits. Before the actual date of our trip, we checked with the Help Desk, called the Hawaiian Air Helpline, and even asked the Travel Office at BYU to double check that baby was OK to travel with me as it wasn’t mentioned on our Eticket. According to Sam’s friend who booked us on his pass, there was no box for infants etc.
Anyways, all these 3 agents we asked informed us that baby is FREE with a minimal fee I had to pay when we check in. Thursday evening we were the first in line, (to my surprise) as I wanted to get there early JUST IN CASE. I had this feeling something was going to happen with our pass. Sure enough, the idiot check in rep, told me that baby needed to fly on a pass as well because I was on a pass. Meaning, he has to pay $128 (depending on who we get a pass from) himself, he gets his own seat and he gets 50lb luggage weight. Bitch say whaaaaaaaaaaaaat??? First of, where the heck are we gonna get another pass? Second, why didn’t your farken stupid help desk give us this information when we asked them a couple of days earlier? Third, he’s a BABY, why the hell should he pay for a seat he doesn’t even NEED? And fourth, If I had known, I would’ve packed mom’s gasu at my house in two boxes and take it home because I don’t have money to fedex them to samundah. Hah Killing me. I was furious. Sam was furious. Sam quickly got on the phone to his friend for another pass if he has. He had to call the Sergeant on duty to relay the msg to the friend if he could call us back EMERGENCY. Poor guy. Luckily, the friend was willing to spare an extra pass (bless his heart) and we were both able to check in and get our boarding passes.
I thought that was it, NO MORE TROUBLES. Yeah right, when boarding the plane, the Samoan lady at the gate asked me for my PERMIT to enter PAGO. I showed her my green card, ID and ticket showing that we WONT be in PAGO for 24hrs.
Lady: “Sorry, but you cannot board the plane if you don’t have a permit”
Me: “I don’t need a permit, I’ll be on transit and not even for 24hours. I flew this route too many times and I never needed a permit:
Lady: “yes, but rule is, a leai sou permit, e le mafai ga e board because o ga e ke moe I PAGO” with that fiapalagi samoan lingo.
Me: “IOE, because there are no connecting flights and I’ve already checked with the Am.Samoa Immigration and I Don’t need a PERMIT”
Lady: “vaai, le gumela lea a le OFISA attorney general a AM.Samoa. Call that number and give me the phone so I can get confirmation.”
Me: “I cant call PAgo on my cell, it doesn’t have an international calling plan”
Lady: “well you cannot board”
Mind you , I had Tai in one hand, two bags in the other, while trying to sort out my paperwork with this fiaaikae aumakua. Faalogo aku ua sau lava le koko maualuga lakou. I wanted to bitch slap her ugly face and tell her to stop powertripping and blardy hell let me the fuck in. She was Samoan too. I don't know if its only me, but everywhere I got and Samoans are supervisors, I always have a hard time. Oka se fia keige mamafa ma kama mamafa. not even willing to help fellow samoans out. O le fiapoko ua mafiafia.
Pissed as fuck, I called Sam and said “Get me a phonecard, these idiots here at the gate say I cant board without a fucking permit, everyone has their own rules in this stupid airline”Called the AG’s office and thank the lord we got someone on the phone because it was already 4:45pm.
I vowed that I am NEVER EVER EVER IN MY LIFE, flying Hawaiian Air ever again. (did I say ever?)
Arrival in Pago
We flew into PagoPago Airport and spent the night there with some relatives before we caught the first flight out to Upolu the following morning.
What is with everyone hanging out at the airport? The youth is everywhere with their big eyes checking out who walks out of that hallway they call the ARRIVAL AREA. Everytime I fly into Pago, this is always the case. People are always crowding around the Arrival AREA and when the flight leaves, they gather around the DEPARTURE AREA. The sad thing is, one of my hubbys cousin tells me that most of those hanging out at the airport, have no relations to those leaving or arriving on the planes. They’re just there to hang out and faikakala. SAD STORY. And I’m sure it’s annoying for everyone arriving and leaving as these guys hanging out, are always in the way, taking up the space etc, mind you, its NOT a big airport.
Tautai’s Plane ride
Tautai was a total rascal on the way to Pago. OMGLEE. Homeboy was jumping up and down like a lil kid from kua all excited about his first plane ride. The flight was 5hours long, so you can imagine me, the grumpy hag with a child on the plane. I felt like drugging him so he can doze off but didn’t want to be in prison for drugging my child so I resorted to trying to hold him down while he giggles and looks left, right, up, down checking out the ladies and giving this cheeky laugh (aka kauvalaau) everytime the lil girl in the front looks back at him.
Pilot announced that we were 45minutes to landing and I started to get our stuff ready, put away his bottle, his food, his shorts, (yes the floor beneath our two chairs was quickly resembling Tautai’s crib,( clothes bottles food..lol)
While I was putting away the above, Tautai was nodding off and in a matter of seconds, he was off to ZZZZ land. GREAT. We’re landing soon and he decides to fall asleep. Dang it. I had two carry-ons, Tautai’s bag and my purse along with a 30lb baby.
**An observation on the plane. **
The two women next to us, only had purses, (one each) none of them offered to help carry baby’s bag so I can carry baby down the stairs of the plane. God knows I needed help BAD, but NOPE, no one had the brains to ask if I needed help. IF it were Upolu, surely, people would always offer to help (ive been through that route and people are always lending a hand) BUT, these Am.Samoans, they just hold their noses high and kept going; “who cares about the woman with the sleeping baby and 2carry-ons, she can fall off the plane stairs and hit her face on the tar for all I care” But eh, all good, I took my time and managed to climb down the stairs with my 30pounder and 2 bags dangling around me.
Back to reality
Yes, sadly, we're back to our normal lives. Poor Tai, he's been so makagaga since we arrived because he wants attention 24/7 like he got back in Samunda. He's so clingy and wants me to sit still while he plays with his toys, watch Barney and do his thang.haha..Sorry huneychild, not gonna happen. Until your mommy runs on rechargable batteries, that aint happening in the near future..lol
So there, our trip in a nutshell, and I need to bugga off and do some work. It's 30minutes to closing. YAY..time to go home.
ps: pictures to come
So because I’m literally nodding off on my desk (because I don’t want to deal with all this mess that is my work), I decided to update this here blog before I don’t update it at all.
Tautai Luke’s first trip to Samoa:
Apart from the hiccups at check in, the trip was fabulous. Families and friends spoiled the lil rascal from day one til the day we left. He enjoyed himself soaking in all the attention especially the many taxi’s who wouldn’t put him down. Tai loved being home with my mom, my sisters, my crazy girlfriends especially his Great-Ma-ma. He enjoyed playing with my his Great-Ma-ma’s wheelchair and slaps the poor lady on the thigh and pulls her toes if she’s not paying attention.
I’m glad we took this trip. It really did lighten up the room for my poor mom who’s not very well for a while now. Tai loved hanging out with his Grandmother and surely hasn’t forgotten about her being the main woman in his life the first 4months of his life while his mommy returned to work. It was a joy for me to see how my son got along with everyone and everything back home. He loved masipopo. He was teething so masipopo really helped him during that time. Tai loved my family except for my dad. He had a love hate relationship with PAPA. He’d go sit with him but he wouldn’t give an ounce of smile for the poor guy, and he refuses to give his Papa kisses, unlike the way he showers his grandmother with sloppy kisses. It was too cute.
I tried to take him to Sam’s house to visit for one hour everyday, but that proved hard as homeboy DID NOT like it one bit if we’re there for more than 5minutes. I think he gets bored at Sam’s house because there are no kids and everyone is usually busy with the business except for Mama Gwen. SO needless to say, our 1hour visits were cut to 1/2hour visits, and the other half hour with Uncle Tui, (one of Sam’s best friends) who may I add, likes to steal my son after work everyday so he can play with him, even though Tai doesn’t like to play with him. (it was all too funny)
Our second day in Samoa, Audrey and I took Tai to the beach. It was his first time and he really LOVED it. Didn’t want to leave, but he was wearing both of us out because he is too heavy so we had to go. Hehehe
Our days were spent, having lunch with friends and family, going to the beach, hanging out at Great Ma-ma’s house, chilling with Mama, watching Papa play tennis for the Oceania Tourny, we went to church (believe it or NOT), had ice cream at McDonalds because the meals were too overpriced for my liking, watched Robin Hood, shopping, skyping with daddy, visiting SamCo, chillin at the pool, playing squash, watching the netball games at the Park, eating faalifu kalo, umu kalo, palusami, mamoe kao, eating the favorites at Sunrise, Gourmet and a new favorite that is Mr Chippys @ Lotopa, mommy’s one night out with the girls and of course the cherry on top, the Boys in Blue winning the world 7s Series. Vbar was filled with regulars hugging, kissing, and yelling on top of their lungs when the boys WON. Ua ou proud lava i lega kaimi. hehe
Check in:
Baby and I flew on pass, meaning we only paid $128 roundtrip instead of the usual $1130.00, thanks to Sam’s friend who works for the airlines and his perky benefits. Before the actual date of our trip, we checked with the Help Desk, called the Hawaiian Air Helpline, and even asked the Travel Office at BYU to double check that baby was OK to travel with me as it wasn’t mentioned on our Eticket. According to Sam’s friend who booked us on his pass, there was no box for infants etc.
Anyways, all these 3 agents we asked informed us that baby is FREE with a minimal fee I had to pay when we check in. Thursday evening we were the first in line, (to my surprise) as I wanted to get there early JUST IN CASE. I had this feeling something was going to happen with our pass. Sure enough, the idiot check in rep, told me that baby needed to fly on a pass as well because I was on a pass. Meaning, he has to pay $128 (depending on who we get a pass from) himself, he gets his own seat and he gets 50lb luggage weight. Bitch say whaaaaaaaaaaaaat??? First of, where the heck are we gonna get another pass? Second, why didn’t your farken stupid help desk give us this information when we asked them a couple of days earlier? Third, he’s a BABY, why the hell should he pay for a seat he doesn’t even NEED? And fourth, If I had known, I would’ve packed mom’s gasu at my house in two boxes and take it home because I don’t have money to fedex them to samundah. Hah Killing me. I was furious. Sam was furious. Sam quickly got on the phone to his friend for another pass if he has. He had to call the Sergeant on duty to relay the msg to the friend if he could call us back EMERGENCY. Poor guy. Luckily, the friend was willing to spare an extra pass (bless his heart) and we were both able to check in and get our boarding passes.
I thought that was it, NO MORE TROUBLES. Yeah right, when boarding the plane, the Samoan lady at the gate asked me for my PERMIT to enter PAGO. I showed her my green card, ID and ticket showing that we WONT be in PAGO for 24hrs.
Lady: “Sorry, but you cannot board the plane if you don’t have a permit”
Me: “I don’t need a permit, I’ll be on transit and not even for 24hours. I flew this route too many times and I never needed a permit:
Lady: “yes, but rule is, a leai sou permit, e le mafai ga e board because o ga e ke moe I PAGO” with that fiapalagi samoan lingo.
Me: “IOE, because there are no connecting flights and I’ve already checked with the Am.Samoa Immigration and I Don’t need a PERMIT”
Lady: “vaai, le gumela lea a le OFISA attorney general a AM.Samoa. Call that number and give me the phone so I can get confirmation.”
Me: “I cant call PAgo on my cell, it doesn’t have an international calling plan”
Lady: “well you cannot board”
Mind you , I had Tai in one hand, two bags in the other, while trying to sort out my paperwork with this fiaaikae aumakua. Faalogo aku ua sau lava le koko maualuga lakou. I wanted to bitch slap her ugly face and tell her to stop powertripping and blardy hell let me the fuck in. She was Samoan too. I don't know if its only me, but everywhere I got and Samoans are supervisors, I always have a hard time. Oka se fia keige mamafa ma kama mamafa. not even willing to help fellow samoans out. O le fiapoko ua mafiafia.
Pissed as fuck, I called Sam and said “Get me a phonecard, these idiots here at the gate say I cant board without a fucking permit, everyone has their own rules in this stupid airline”Called the AG’s office and thank the lord we got someone on the phone because it was already 4:45pm.
I vowed that I am NEVER EVER EVER IN MY LIFE, flying Hawaiian Air ever again. (did I say ever?)
Arrival in Pago
We flew into PagoPago Airport and spent the night there with some relatives before we caught the first flight out to Upolu the following morning.
What is with everyone hanging out at the airport? The youth is everywhere with their big eyes checking out who walks out of that hallway they call the ARRIVAL AREA. Everytime I fly into Pago, this is always the case. People are always crowding around the Arrival AREA and when the flight leaves, they gather around the DEPARTURE AREA. The sad thing is, one of my hubbys cousin tells me that most of those hanging out at the airport, have no relations to those leaving or arriving on the planes. They’re just there to hang out and faikakala. SAD STORY. And I’m sure it’s annoying for everyone arriving and leaving as these guys hanging out, are always in the way, taking up the space etc, mind you, its NOT a big airport.
Tautai’s Plane ride
Tautai was a total rascal on the way to Pago. OMGLEE. Homeboy was jumping up and down like a lil kid from kua all excited about his first plane ride. The flight was 5hours long, so you can imagine me, the grumpy hag with a child on the plane. I felt like drugging him so he can doze off but didn’t want to be in prison for drugging my child so I resorted to trying to hold him down while he giggles and looks left, right, up, down checking out the ladies and giving this cheeky laugh (aka kauvalaau) everytime the lil girl in the front looks back at him.
Pilot announced that we were 45minutes to landing and I started to get our stuff ready, put away his bottle, his food, his shorts, (yes the floor beneath our two chairs was quickly resembling Tautai’s crib,( clothes bottles food..lol)
While I was putting away the above, Tautai was nodding off and in a matter of seconds, he was off to ZZZZ land. GREAT. We’re landing soon and he decides to fall asleep. Dang it. I had two carry-ons, Tautai’s bag and my purse along with a 30lb baby.
**An observation on the plane. **
The two women next to us, only had purses, (one each) none of them offered to help carry baby’s bag so I can carry baby down the stairs of the plane. God knows I needed help BAD, but NOPE, no one had the brains to ask if I needed help. IF it were Upolu, surely, people would always offer to help (ive been through that route and people are always lending a hand) BUT, these Am.Samoans, they just hold their noses high and kept going; “who cares about the woman with the sleeping baby and 2carry-ons, she can fall off the plane stairs and hit her face on the tar for all I care” But eh, all good, I took my time and managed to climb down the stairs with my 30pounder and 2 bags dangling around me.
Back to reality
Yes, sadly, we're back to our normal lives. Poor Tai, he's been so makagaga since we arrived because he wants attention 24/7 like he got back in Samunda. He's so clingy and wants me to sit still while he plays with his toys, watch Barney and do his thang.haha..Sorry huneychild, not gonna happen. Until your mommy runs on rechargable batteries, that aint happening in the near future..lol
So there, our trip in a nutshell, and I need to bugga off and do some work. It's 30minutes to closing. YAY..time to go home.
ps: pictures to come
Comments
hv a good week suga
Jody, le maua gi paracetamol iigei..ga'o recall medicine so been scared to give me anything..lol
nena, hope all is well on your end suga and thanks for stoppin by