Outrageous 'saogamea'
Am I the only one who thinks it's blardy absurd to donate/give/contribute to a 'faalavelave' for a very distant relative? ie: great grandmother's sister's son's daughter's son's wife's dad's passing away? COME ON, have you even met them before?
This is one thing that irks me about the 'faasamoa', the need to give and GIVE even while we struggle to make ends meet or have absolutely NOTHING to give. Is this the faasamoa or is it just my family being 'fiakagaka/fiakele'? Whatever the case, I'm sick of it.
I called home tonight to talk story with my parents, ONLY, they weren't home because they were off dropping off the 'fesoasoani' i le maliu a le aiga o Pai. I talked with my sister and I asked her who's funeral it was. Her response, "Who knows, (the big family matai) just dished out 'saogameas' saying it's family"
To be honest, I don't mind the saogameas, as long as they're reasonable, BUT, $1000, 2 ie tele (fine mat) and 5 pusa elegis for the above mentioned deceased is ranked highly in the NOs section in my books. Those should be saogamea if say....my dad's brother died (he doesnt have a bro btw).
Another thing, why do they always feel like they need to donate both monetary AND food? oh and fine mats? Why can't it be food OR monetary OR just fine mats? It's a donation, something to help out, what you can afford, not payment for the whole funeral!!!!
So I asked my dad, "why didn't you guys just sao $200 each to make up $1000 and give that as your feasoasoagi?
his answer, "o le ku ma le aga faasamoa ma le agaguu a ia a Samoa...blahblah blah" he lost me at 'aga faasamoa'
Whatever happened to giving whatever you can/want to give or the good old "send your kids to help do feaus for the funeral" as a contribution? oi aueeeee
This is one thing that irks me about the 'faasamoa', the need to give and GIVE even while we struggle to make ends meet or have absolutely NOTHING to give. Is this the faasamoa or is it just my family being 'fiakagaka/fiakele'? Whatever the case, I'm sick of it.
I called home tonight to talk story with my parents, ONLY, they weren't home because they were off dropping off the 'fesoasoani' i le maliu a le aiga o Pai. I talked with my sister and I asked her who's funeral it was. Her response, "Who knows, (the big family matai) just dished out 'saogameas' saying it's family"
To be honest, I don't mind the saogameas, as long as they're reasonable, BUT, $1000, 2 ie tele (fine mat) and 5 pusa elegis for the above mentioned deceased is ranked highly in the NOs section in my books. Those should be saogamea if say....my dad's brother died (he doesnt have a bro btw).
Another thing, why do they always feel like they need to donate both monetary AND food? oh and fine mats? Why can't it be food OR monetary OR just fine mats? It's a donation, something to help out, what you can afford, not payment for the whole funeral!!!!
So I asked my dad, "why didn't you guys just sao $200 each to make up $1000 and give that as your feasoasoagi?
his answer, "o le ku ma le aga faasamoa ma le agaguu a ia a Samoa...blahblah blah" he lost me at 'aga faasamoa'
Whatever happened to giving whatever you can/want to give or the good old "send your kids to help do feaus for the funeral" as a contribution? oi aueeeee
Comments
It's all a big pissing competition isn't it?? My mum always hits me with the "loto alofa...." line, when I ask her why she's doing so much.
Thankfully though, mum doesn't hit us up often, infact hardly ever...but hubby's family...*shakes head* drive me friggan NUTS every week it's bonus tickets, now it's bingo even couple of month (yanno the kin, YOU bring the prizes, then YOU pay to play and HOPE to win them back LMFAOooOoo)
Ia ono sa'i sis...lol.
I keep telling my Mom & Dad, "va'ai, e uma aku loa oulua...le koe keua gei mea o koga ua ga o le oso ai o a'u allergies!" LOL (look, when you two are gone...there won't be anymore storing of fine mats because be it only inflares my allergies!) I get that too, "va'ai oe, e iloa lava le tagata Samoa i le tausi o le aganu'u." Okay, I get that but really....
I must say that for Samoa, $1000 is a lot for a fa'alavelave of a very distance cousin's wife. That's the Matai system for you though, there's a lot of corruption involved in it!
All for show is what I usually say