Power and passion in Samoa

Sunday, 20 July 2008

I met a true champion in Samoa. Ele Opelonge – a 23 year old that will carry the weight of the nation on her very strong shoulders at the Beijing Olympics.

Ele is a weight lifter. She only took up the sport three years ago and is now ranked 4^th in the world in her division – superweight. That’s an incredible achievement that would usually take twice as long to reach.

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Something about Samoa

Sunday, 20 July 2008

I have been in Samoa for five days and only now am I sitting down write this blog. I’ve been too busy just being here to waste a second of it in front of the laptop. It’s been almost a year since I came here and fell in love with this special part of the Pacific. Yes, there’s something about Samoa.

I had so much to revisit in between the time spent doing stories for our new program Pacific Pulse. My friend Freddie wanted to catch up for lunch, but rather than sit in a cafe in Apia, it was lunch on the road, with a takeaway fisherman’s basket in my lap and an ever changing view as we rolled through villages stopping to take in the salt water, the fresh water and the parts where they came together. Stunning!

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Suva spin

Monday, 14 July 2008

I have been looking forward to coming to Suva, especially because it’s Clement’s home town. After our late evening arrival, when we would normally collapse in our beds with exhaustion, Clement was buzzing. It was infectious, just like the tummy bug he passed on to me.

The lights of Suva called us, I followed my friend my out into the night and could have danced until dawn if only Clem didn’t have to work in the morning. It was just a taste of a sophisticated and savvy pocket of the Pacific.

Our spare time finally synched up this Sunday afternoon, as the sun was setting. We called a taxi and went for a quick spin with the delightful Nazia, Clem’s beautiful friend who lives here.

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