Reggaeton, a music style which originated in Puerto Rico during the late 1990s, is very popular here in Samoa. Samoans tend to enjoy this type of upbeat dance music, which also includes many American pop remixes sung in Samoan.
The most fun activity this week was swimming at the beach while it rained very heavily outside. There's something about swimming in the ocean when it is raining that appeals to me very much! The sand was very soft and the waves were strong. I also created my own lavalava, an article of clothing traditionally worn by Polynesians and other Oceanic people. To make a Iavalava, fabric is placed over a carved wooden board and a roller presses on paint to make a design!
This week I read many websites and scholarly articles about my research topic of future sustainable infrastructure development in Samoa. My research will look at what plans Samoa can carry out to make itself more climate-resilient as global warming continues to affect many countries throughout the world.
This week I played rugby with my friends! Rugby is the official sport of Samoa and it is taken quite seriuously here. However, I have yet to attend a professional rugby game.
This week my study abroad group and I just moved into our new house on a church compound. We will be living in this house during the independent research project portion of our semester abroad!
