Faleasao gets a new Faifeao (minister) and the town goes food crazy!

To the top left, KC is enjoying herself a delicious feast. To the top right, this pic is of my soon to be lunch. Yes, that is a coconut, which is my drink of choice here! The soupy looking option at the top left of my plate is oka (which is raw fish in coconut milk with cucumbers and scallions). UNBELIEVABLY delcious. That pink concoction is still a mystery to me...maybe canned fruit in...peptobismal. I couldn't tell you. Then in the bottom compartment is a round, giant piece of taro, a fish head (I have even eaten the eyes upon request...apparently they are a delicacy), pork (see pig pictured below), potato salad with seafood (maybe fish?) of some kind in it, sausage, and the always favorite here- corned beef. The fresh coconut was my favorite, and I really like the taro, too (starchy like a potato, but kind of sweet?). The picture to the bottom left is of coconut crabs- these were served to important people like the minister and Matai chiefs....not to little, palagi, volunteer teachers like me :(. And then, to the bottom right, copious amounts of fish heads for everyone. This is a pretty traditional spread here. I've been here long enough that I'm not sure what seems "exotic" to mainlanders...but all in all, it was a pretty delicious meal. I ate like a quarter of it...maybe.

The weekend also included three church services and a traditional 'ava ceremony, which I unfortunately didn't get to see. The chiefs and minister performed this ceremony, where you drink 'ava (or they call it kava in some parts of polynesia), a mild narcotic, out of a bowl that looks like this http://images.google.as/imgres?imgurl=http://islandedgedesigns.cubacub.com/kavabowl.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.islandedgedesigns.com/new-stuff&usg=__7xKRCdBMK3IcjeawxwSHCXPpuAI=&h=384&w=576&sz=29&hl=en&start=34&um=1&tbnid=AJc445a2OCOX4M:&tbnh=89&tbnw=134&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSamoan%2B%2527ava%2Bceremonies%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26start%3D21%26um%3D1 in celebration of big events (re: new minister). I've had 'ava before for fun with the volunteers...it tastes like dirty dirty mud water....ewww, and it made my face go numb...it's like drinking novacane. I wasn't really a fan, but it's an awesome tradition.