The SWAP team are in Savaii for this long weekend (we’ve unilaterally declared this weekend a long weekend BTW!) [Read more...]
SWAP Team going strong
25 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The last three weeks has been full-on with the SWAP team building to full complement. This delightful picture is the SWAP team hard at work yesterday. [Read more...]
The Five Tala Picture
21 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
In Samoa there are people who will just love you for who you are and those who cry “Money first!” and then allow you to enjoy their land. This guy is one of the latter group. It’s an interesting story. [Read more...]
Earthquake Fear Understood
21 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A short earthquake this morning put the locals’ fear of a Tsunami into full frame for me. During the quake we were all wondering . . . “Is this another big one? Will there be another Tsunami?” and calls came from home to check our wellbeing. [Read more...]
Tsunami impact
18 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A thousand photos wouldn’t be sufficient to show Samoa and the impact of the Tsunami. I know. I have more than three thousand photos taken going right back to a week or so after the big wave until last week. Here are a couple of the more interesting ones. [Read more...]
Sunday Statistics
18 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Last Sunday I had a bit of a poke at Churchianity. This Sunday is a bit of fun with numbers . . . like how my lawyer earns more in one minute than my neighbour in Samoa does in a week. Two hundred and seventy two times more, to be precise! Surely one can only call this social injustice obscene? [Read more...]
Racism Challenges in Paradise
15 April, 2010 By 2 Comments
Normally charges of racism in New Zealand are levelled against the Pakeha (with some justification I might add), but the most racist person I ever had any dealings with was a Maori. I know it’s not politically correct for a Palagi/Pakeha to say this but it’s true. My time in Samoa has raised issues of racism and I’m sorry to say it’s not pretty-perfect in Paradise. [Read more...]
Firsts in Samoa
14 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Bringing an entrepreneurial Palagi business brain into Samoa has raised some
issues. From various sources I can see that some of them are obviously firsts. [Read more...]
Ethical Dilemmas
10 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A Palagi in Samoa is up against it. A constant stream of ethical dilemmas as two cultures engage with each other. [Read more...]
Yes I Love Samoa
10 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Do I love Samoa? Ouch! What a question. As a Palagi relocating to Samoa, I certainly love aspects of Samoa but when someone raised this subject recently, it was a challenge to answer. [Read more...]
Marketing Samoa
10 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
In October 2009, I wrote a discussion document on the way to market Samoa post-Tsunami. It was to have been presented at a tourism event but my supporting speaker got bumped, and therefore so did I. In essence, I suggested that Samoa had only three messages it could market – one defensive, one neutral and one extraordinarily positive. [Read more...]
SWAP HQ up and running
9 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The last few weeks has seen SWAP Headquarters renovated, our next SWAP Ambassadors Scott Simòn and Helena Dunn arrive and settle in. [Read more...]
Worshipping a Culture
9 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
It’s Sunday in Paradise so we’re all doing the church thing today. This post
talks about an elephant in the room over here. It goes something along the lines
of "Samoa basically worships their culture". [Read more...]
Tsunami Impact
6 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
It’s a gross understatement to say that the 29 September 2009 Tsunami in Samoa had a big impact. Having taken many guests through the affected areas, the universal response is one of awe. The Tsunami was a tragedy. [Read more...]
Social Security
2 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Samoa has what I reckon is without doubt the best social welfare system anywhere in the world. It simply doesn’t have one. I love every minute of it – and I’m deadly serious! [Read more...]
Spending money is hard work
1 April, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Sexy title eh? Spending money is hard work! Well it was for me when buying a set of wheels recently. [Read more...]