Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Old School Introduction


I'm the 5th hottie from the left at (LDS) Church College of Savai'i class of 1999 with my massive graduating class of 30 students. As you can see, 12 of our graduating classmates were more than likely fishing or cleaning fish for our Senior luncheon. In Samoa ALL of our pictures look like they were taken in the 1950's but it's really the year 1999 when these photos were taken.


My senior picture c/o 1999 - that was me then, Karen Salatielu. I'm not sure why I'm puckered up, but there was no re-takes. Probably because it takes to long to wind the old Kodak 35mm the professional photographer/school secretary was using. Man, have I come a Lonnnnnnngggggggg way from those days. The good thing about visiting Samoa is you can go back 10 years from now and it will still look the same and the photographer at any of the schools will most likely STILL be the school secretary.

Hello. Hello. Is this thing on ... hello?

Ok if you have tuned in, here's where I am choosing to start my stories about my favorite person on the Earth, me, Karen. Just kidding. I'm not that interesting but I do have alot of interesting things that happen in my life that I am going to share on my blog.

My first impressions of coming to America were all the things I saw on the videos and movies. Big planes, fast cars, tall buildings, expensive clothes and cars, Disneyland ... you know all the big things that big dreams of a girl from a small island country were fascinated by. I had big dreams of becoming a bank teller.

I worked as a shipping officer in Customs back home. My family was living pretty large. We had a farm that had pigs and chickens and a plantation full of palm trees. NOT coconut trees, palm trees which were still useful when you needed leaves to make leis and festive island decorations. We were only steps away from white sand beaches, had a running car and two bathrooms, one indoor and one outdoor. My family attended the Methodist church and life was much more simple then.

Fast forward ten years and I am now freezing to death in Rosemount, Minnesota. I live with my sister Daisy, her fiance Tom, their sometimes well behaved brood of 7 kids and some house fish in a half Mormon / half Lutheran home. I maintain the household as nanny, cook, disciplinary, organizer and care taker for all who reside in our Rosemount home. I was baptized April 19, 2007 in the Mormon church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and  attend the Singles Ward in the Lakeville chapel. I often visit my home ward where my sister and some of the kids attend, Eagan Ward in Burnsville. I have family in Minnesota that don't live with us in Rosemount: my aunts Fale and Ruta and Fale's kids, Tyrone, his girl and son, Nicole and Jayden, James (attending school in Utah), Nona, Jackie and Leroy. There is a small Polynesian community out here but not enough for us to be known as the village of St. Paulo, lol.

Have I confused you yet? I'm just throwing this out there because the church has a HUGE Polynesian membership and now that I gave into being baptized Mormon, I do NOT want to be single all my life. I would like to know if there are any eligible Mormon guys between the ages of 25-35 that might be looking for a beautiful Samoan eternal wife-type to date and possibly take to the temple shortly after? Mr. Right does not have to be Polynesian, he can actually be of any race. I don't mean to brag but I am a fierce Samoan chef who dabbles in really good Italian and Indian cooking as well. Call or text me ... oh wait, I don't want to sound so eager because that is not very lady like, so email me first at kts.rosemountirish.kuckuchotahai@gmail.com
We can work on the phone number exchange later if we are a match ; P

I have plenty of old and current photos and stories of my adventures that I am just dying to share with you. I am just finding out through a bunch of stay at home LDS moms that blogging is a way to share things about myself and release my demons (whatever that means). Thanks for stopping in and I hope you visit often or I would feel like I am keeping a journal publicly and that would feel like you people are sneaking around my dresser drawer looking to read dirt on me and that would just be creepy ... I think you know what I am trying to say. Feel free to browse the blogs of some of my many friends I have made living in the freezing cold capital of the connected United States.

I plan to do much of my blogging in my native Samoan language and if you haven't figured it out by now, I am having a ghost writer help me with this first post. It's a Samoan thing and if you keep tuning in, you will understand eventually. You might learn some of my language as well.

Fa soifua for now!


2 comments:

Marley said...

Malo Karen! Atleast your school had a camera. We had to bring our own at Manumalo Baptist, choohooo!

Unknown said...

Hi Karen,

Great blog! I will keep visiting. Has it really been 10 years, already? I miss you and all the gang! We still laugh about you guys calling us the white Samoan family! We miss you guys! Adin ssys to say "hi" to Keilani. She really misses her. I hope to learn some Samoan by reading your blog!

Aleta