Boulevard of Bumps

I am back on island in the welcoming arms of Samoa, but I cannot sleep at night! The people of Samoa are gentle and quiet.   So why am I not sleeping?   Dogs bark, howl and fight. This is not our dog, he almost was but the cat of our house kept chasing him off, thus he became known as Butch the Chicken Heart and the one in the background is our neighbours dog Maxine.   Roosters crow day and night, I read somewhere that the slightest hint of light sets them off. I couldn't find a rooster to photograph, they must have all been asleep (the bastards). So I inserted a photo of our hen and her chicks, check out the attitude, you can imagine the Roosters! At night pigs make revolting noises. Every morning at 4.30 someone bangs a gas cylinder, they are used to wake people to prepare for church, prayer, etc. At least they don't ring these bells near our house, they belong to the old Catholic Church that is being rebuilt down on the harbour. I thought...

There is a church every 10 metres in Samoa. After church is time for a game of volleyball out front. And to catch up with friends Grottos are popular with Catholics, this one was in the grounds of a resort. A local bus driver displays his faith. Bahai'i Temple and Ceiling Head Nun of the Little Sisters of the Poor. My boys helping to keep the Little Sisters of the Poor, home for the aged, neat and tidy. White Sunday is a day to celebrate Children, they march to church singing in a long parade. My six year old enraptured by the stain glass. In church children are free to roam and have fun. Outside the church they burn off some energy. A Grand Catholic Cathedral in the making, religion is thriving in Samoa.

My boys like most boys don't like haircuts, unless they are doing them themselves.  I had just taken my boys for only their second haircut in Samoa, when the youngest decided he could do a better job on himself. This is my 7 yr old pre-haircut and post, I asked the hairdresser to cut off about two inches, he is not happy. He did create a nice hair nest from a mix of all our hair though. More boy moments.... Tattooing is traditional in Samoa and my boys are quite taken by it, the design on the right is titled "Death and Horror" and created by my 7 yr old on his best friend's back. The tattoo or tatua studio. These are excellent batman costumes left to us by excellent friends. KAPOW!  Enjoying a hot dog on the Sea Wall after the Manu Samoa flogged Fiji!  Checking out the local fishing traps during a scooter ride on the Sea Wall.  Man and his dog,  the Saturday BBQ is popular in Samoa, as are dogs. This 6yr old can be incredibly romantic. A tr...