Monday, 28 July 2008
The sound of coconuts being scraped always makes me excited. It means food is being prepared. I love food and I love coconuts.
So when I went down one early morning to the rows of fales along Utelei Beach where many of the Festival of Pacific Arts activities are taking place and saw the boys going hard on the coconut scrapers, I knew what I’d be doing for lunch. It would be a Samoan umu.
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Sunday, 27 July 2008
A few days ago, here at the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts, the Chair of the Creative Arts Committee, Tialuga Saloti, told me that the events would have quite an impact on young people in American Samoa. She felt there would be a renewed sense of pride in their Samoan culture after they witnessed young people from other countries in the Pacific showcasing their cultures. It was certainly something I had thought about as, prior to arriving here, I tried to make sense of the American Samoan identity.
What I hadn’t anticipated was how much impact the festival would have on some of the young people I encountered.
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Saturday, 26 July 2008
It’s one of those ironies of festival organising. Committees, chairpersons and volunteers spend months planning schedules. Yet, the most memorable moments are the spontaneous performances and exchanges.
And at the 10th Pacific Festival of the Arts in Pago Pago, if there is one thing I am fretting about at the moment, it’s that I will miss another unplanned break into song and dance somewhere. Yes, the traditional costumes and action are great at the scheduled performances. I wouldn’t miss them for anything. But the kick I get out of someone jumping out of the crowd and getting everyone into a frenzy is priceless.
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Enjoy Tania and Clement's stories from their recent journey through the Pacific for Pacific Pulse. Read their blog and find out more about their connection to the Pacific.
Pacific Pulse airs on Australia Network Saturdays 2220 Samoan time and Sundays 1920 PNG time, 2120 Fiji time.
Tania Nugent is a television presenter and producer with Australia Network. She hosts the daily education show Nexus on Australia Network and has been involved in the program since its inception.
Read Tania's Stories
Clement Paligaru is a presenter of Radio Australia’s popular interactive radio program "In the Loop". He has been working at the ABC for fifteen years and has reported extensively on the Pacific region during this period.
Read Clement's Stories
