austraLasia 1539
Don Bosco wooed the crowd on land and on sea in Pago Pago harbour
PAGO PAGO (American Samoa): 25th April 2006 -- The Don Bosco Technical School from Alafua, Samoa, last week gave a breath-taking performance on sea as well as on land at the spectacular Flag Day celebrations in Pago Pago Harbour, American Samoa, one of the world's most exotic locations. The DBTI boys, already renowned throughout the South Pacific for their traditional dance performances, were this year invited for the first time to take part in the neighbouring American Samoa national celebrations, not only in dancing, but in the famed 'Fautasi' or longboat race. They swept the floor and swept the harbour, so to speak, winning both events.
Given that Pago Pago city had itself invited DBTI and paid the $200 entry fee for them for the Fautasi race (by upping the entry fee for other more commercial enterprises taking part), Don Bosco did well indeed! The winners of the longboat race were to earn US$ 10,000! Don Bosco came away with that prize, but they also won the dancing competition and picked up a further $6,000 for that. They were given an additional $6,000 as in gifts from the excited crowd and as part of traditional welcome celebrations.
The school principal, Fr Mosese Vitolio Tui sdb and Fr Josefo Vaitele sdb along with 22 of the school staff and 250 students made the overnight (8 hours) ferry crossing from nearby Samoa (capital, Apia) to American Samoa (capital Pago Pago), where they were welcomed with the traditional Samoan Usu or formal greeting that includes monetary gifts, fine mats and the 'ava ceremony (kava). Flag Day this year was the 106th such celebration for American Samoa, celebrating 106 years under the American flag. The event was attended by dignataries from the South Pacific Islands including Princess Fanetupovava'u Tuita from the Kingdom of Tonga.
A Samoan longboat can have as many as 50 rowers. On this occasion it began in the open sea and ran for five miles towards Pago Pago Harbour. Fr Mosese himself described the event as follows: "The race began at 6.30 in the morning, but everybody was up at 4.00 to get themselves out on the ocean and ready. The name Don Bosco was on radio, tv, and people were lined along the shore. St. John Bosco would be so proud of these youngsters from the South Pacific Island of Samoa. The American Samoan people with their computerized fibreglass boats underestimated the willpower of our students. The eight boats from American Samoa with their muscled crews were so embarassed to be beaten by a group of students - even worse when one of the captains was a lady!".
GLOSSARY
'ava: more generally known as kava, part of the piper methysticum genus of plant, or pepper plant. It is a traditional and ubiquitous drink in Melanesia and Polynesia, and is a mild anti-depressant which brings on a tranquil feeling.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml
Don Bosco wooed the crowd on land and on sea in Pago Pago harbour
PAGO PAGO (American Samoa): 25th April 2006 -- The Don Bosco Technical School from Alafua, Samoa, last week gave a breath-taking performance on sea as well as on land at the spectacular Flag Day celebrations in Pago Pago Harbour, American Samoa, one of the world's most exotic locations. The DBTI boys, already renowned throughout the South Pacific for their traditional dance performances, were this year invited for the first time to take part in the neighbouring American Samoa national celebrations, not only in dancing, but in the famed 'Fautasi' or longboat race. They swept the floor and swept the harbour, so to speak, winning both events.
Given that Pago Pago city had itself invited DBTI and paid the $200 entry fee for them for the Fautasi race (by upping the entry fee for other more commercial enterprises taking part), Don Bosco did well indeed! The winners of the longboat race were to earn US$ 10,000! Don Bosco came away with that prize, but they also won the dancing competition and picked up a further $6,000 for that. They were given an additional $6,000 as in gifts from the excited crowd and as part of traditional welcome celebrations.
The school principal, Fr Mosese Vitolio Tui sdb and Fr Josefo Vaitele sdb along with 22 of the school staff and 250 students made the overnight (8 hours) ferry crossing from nearby Samoa (capital, Apia) to American Samoa (capital Pago Pago), where they were welcomed with the traditional Samoan Usu or formal greeting that includes monetary gifts, fine mats and the 'ava ceremony (kava). Flag Day this year was the 106th such celebration for American Samoa, celebrating 106 years under the American flag. The event was attended by dignataries from the South Pacific Islands including Princess Fanetupovava'u Tuita from the Kingdom of Tonga.
A Samoan longboat can have as many as 50 rowers. On this occasion it began in the open sea and ran for five miles towards Pago Pago Harbour. Fr Mosese himself described the event as follows: "The race began at 6.30 in the morning, but everybody was up at 4.00 to get themselves out on the ocean and ready. The name Don Bosco was on radio, tv, and people were lined along the shore. St. John Bosco would be so proud of these youngsters from the South Pacific Island of Samoa. The American Samoan people with their computerized fibreglass boats underestimated the willpower of our students. The eight boats from American Samoa with their muscled crews were so embarassed to be beaten by a group of students - even worse when one of the captains was a lady!".
GLOSSARY
'ava: more generally known as kava, part of the piper methysticum genus of plant, or pepper plant. It is a traditional and ubiquitous drink in Melanesia and Polynesia, and is a mild anti-depressant which brings on a tranquil feeling.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com Try out BoscoWiki to be interactive. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml
