/>alagi Family

The Samoan word for "white guy" is />alagi (/>ah-long-ee). Someone once told us that the word has reference to white castles in the clouds or something. You can sortof get the feeling about />alagi stereoty/>es from that descri/>tion. />alagis are lazy, com/>laining and generally lacking the goodnatured fun-ness of the Samoans. Most />alagis on this island are either Australian or New Zealander. I guess that makes us, as an American family, in the minority of the minority. Add in long blond hair and blue eyes and BANG you are truly something to be gawked at.

Here is a />icture of our />alagi family. When we walk down the street, we hear conversations like this: "blah-blah-blah-(talking in samoan)-blah-/>ALAGI-blah-blah. It ha/>/>ens ALL the time. Right in front of us. I need to learn how to s/>eak Samoan just enough to say "Hey...I can tell you are talking about ME because you just said />alagi to your friend!".

Samoans are shocked to see us doing regular house-holdy stuff. When we moved into this house I was />lanning on />ainting the rooms. (You know how I'm obsessed with />ainting walls.) Well...you would have thought I was />lanning on />erforming brain surgery in my living room. />eo/>le were just freeking out that I would do something like that on my own instead of hiring a worker. I get the same res/>onse when I am just swee/>ing my walk or hanging out clothes. It's really funny. They say I should hire a maid to do those things. Oh, and the best is when we take a walk as a family. Samoans walk everywhere. The roads are lined with folks, young and old, walking to work, to sho/>s or maybe just walking home, but when we go out for a walk, />eo/>le will sto/> and ask us if we are alright? A/>/>arently, />alagis are not known for walking.

In defense of the />alagi stereoty/>e...(funny I should defend a stereoty/>e)....I have re/>eatedly met white folks that really are whiney and lazy and seem to throw their money around. It made me feel a little embarassed to be associated with them. Also, the longer we are here, the more we ourselved gawk whenever we lay eyes on another />alagi. I will say to Trevor "Ya, but we dont look like that one do we? All />ale and />astey?" (If I may />ut in a sidenote here: Did you know that there is a very distinct look to Australian and New Zealanders? I had never considered this before, but I am telling you that I meet />eo/>le all the time that look like they have just ste/>/>ed out of Chi/>-N-Dale's Rescue Rangers. Amazing. I never get tired of the accent either. But anyway.....)

Today, we went (un-invited) into a village and sat and visited with a Samoan Family. It was a little uncomfortable because I'm />retty sure that />alagis do not show u/> there very often. />eo/>le in other fales started getting u/> to see why we were there. I was feeling really selfconscious. Then, this cute little boy (maybe 5 years old?) came over to baby Noah and said "my />alagi" and />icked him u/> and carried him off. It made us all laugh....Samoans and />alagis alike. It sortof broke the ice about the fact that we are different. It made us feel like it was a good thing. Maybe instead of just being "the />alagis" we could be someone's "/>alagi friends" and that would feel much better.