Nature versus Nurture - Who's the real winner?

Picture yourself as an adventurer in the 1800s, you find yourself on one of the picturesque islands of Samoa, admiring the crystal clear water, luscious jungles and the smiling hosts in their intricate dress.  Poet Rupert Brooke did just this and described it thus:

“You lie on a mat in a cool Samoan hut, and look out on the white sand under the high palms and gentle sea, and the black line of the reef a mile out and moonlight over everything.  And then among it all are the loveliest people in the world…It is sheer beauty, so pure it is difficult to breathe it in.”

Now consider travelling to modern day Samoa, would you have the same experience?

Well the obvious answer is no.  Now that the islands have become much more accessible, they have become very tourist friendly.  There are now resorts, hotels, restaurants, tourist stands and gift shops, all of which have been placed to attract the foreign vacationer. 

The traditionalists will say that it’s a shame that such a beautiful culture has been so affected by Western civilization and that the country has become too commercialized. 

But this is too simplistic. 

The Samoans still stay true to their culture (see my previous blog ‘Fale Faux Pas’) but now they are just able to share it with more of the world. Sure, we all need to be mindful that nations like these don’t get exploited but adding these modern tourist attractions can in fact be beneficial for the local people.  Often (not always) it is these people who see greater profits thanks to an increased number of tourists. 

When we travel, we must be mindful of the sort of footprint we leave.  It is impossible to be the perfect traveler in this sense but in doing a little bit of research, we can do our best to ensure that the money we spend ends up in the hands of those who need it most.

Fale Faux Pas

If you could indulge me for a moment please think back to what you did last Sunday.  Were you watching football? Were you in the garden? Were you working? Were you busy doing anything at all?

 

Not in Samoa you weren’t.

In Samoa, Sunday is a day to attend church and to be with family, any other sort of activity is frowned upon.  Even something as simple as going for a run is seen as disrespectful, as you are expected to behave quietly and travel slowly around villages. 

Now picture yourself in Samoa.

What do you want to do when you get there?

You want to check out the local church?

Good call!

But whatever you do, don’t point your feet at ANYONE.  This is seen as very rude.  You need to tuck those nasty things beneath your legs or cover them up with your lavalava. 

WHAT!??  

You don’t know what a lavalava is? 

You thought you could just wear pants?  

Not a chance, this is a sacred day for the Samoan people, traditional clothing must be worn to church.  Just do this and you will be able to get through Sundays easily.

It’s Tuesday now? 

You were just standing around a fale and then someone yelled at you to sit down?

Well did you notice that there were elders seated in there?  Either that or you were pointing with your toes again…

It is considered customary for one not to stand in a fale where elders are seated.  Don’t make that mistake again.  And for heaven’s sake, if you want to take a photo, make sure you ask permission first.

Look, don’t stress about travelling to Samoa.  All you need to do is travel smart and do a bit of research before you go, or even just ask questions when you get there.  The culture is certainly different from Western culture but if you go over there open to their ideals and traditions then you will have a trip to remember!

Samoa - More Than Just a Pretty Face

What is it that first comes to mind about Samoa?  The tattoos?  The rugby players? The girl’s dancing in their patterned dresses? The Haka?  The waterfalls and beaches?  The Rock?

In preparation for this blog I asked a few friends the same question.  Their responses were all aligned, with almost all responding with one of the above answers (it was one avid wrestling fan who replied emphatically with ‘The Rock!’).  Indeed, I asked myself the same question and these were certainly the images that first came to mind.  Interestingly enough, the natural beauty of the islands was either an afterthought or not mentioned at all. 

 

This certainly begs the question, why?  Why are these the images that come to mind and is it a good thing?  Well, to answer this I looked up the Samoan tourist site and one of the main links to click on is ‘Fa’a Samoa – The Samoan Way’.  Within this section is a brief description of Samoan culture pertaining to rituals, family life and their Christian heritage, not to mention the dos and don’ts of staying in a Samoan village.  There is even a subsection that describes the women’s dance, the Siva.

 

It is obvious that the Islanders celebrate these things, as it is an impressive thing to have a country so steeped in tradition and culture and with such an incredible sense of family.  It is remiss of us however, to forget that there is more to the set of islands than these initial thoughts.  In fact, I am blatantly guilty of this, as if you read my first two blogs, you will see that it is these areas of Samoan life that I focus on.  While we should appreciate these parts of the Samoan culture, we must also consider other aspects of the country, such as the natural beauty of the place amongst other things.