My day began at 4.30am to go lead the training squad for the Pacific Mini Games in a time trial mini duathlon. Someone asked me today if I enjoy doing this work? DO YOU LIKE DOING ALL THIS?! My immediate answer YES surprised me 😆 I had to stop and think about it (wait up,… Continue reading Do you like doing all this?!
Tag: Samoan author
Changing the world for my Daughter
Bella's doing NCEA English, and she needs to read and then write essay responses to poems and short stories. I'm ridiculously proud-happy I could give her a copy of Va and say, HERE YA GO. CHOOSE SOMETHING FROM THIS ANTHOLOGY OF WRITING FROM 38 MOANA WOMEN. I didnt have those choices when I was in… Continue reading Changing the world for my Daughter
Random Kid on a Beach
Yesterday at triathlon training, we had an aquathon (swim and run). As the squad is doing warmup laps and we're organising the setup for transition, I notice a young boy come wandering over. Ragged shorts, no shoes. Avidly curious as he watches the squad swim. He goes up to Darren. Greets him with a confident,… Continue reading Random Kid on a Beach
Give me the Night.
Storytime. About Darren. About my Dad. About family. And the practicalities of death. When a burial must take place within 24 hours SOMEBODY has to make it happen. Somebody who knows what they're doing, has all the necessary equipment, somebody who can drop everything and come make the grave ready. For us, that somebody, was… Continue reading Give me the Night.
Dangerous Kisses
We avoided it for 3 yrs but its finally happened. The plague got us. That man who lives in the same house as me, came home 5 days ago from New Zealand. We did not yet know he had covid, so I confess that I kissed him heaps. Which was reckless I admit (In my… Continue reading Dangerous Kisses
The Journey begins – with Serena Williams. And chocolate eclairs.
I turn fifty next year (wow I know, I'm old!) So I made a list of things I want to do in my fiftieth year of awesomeness. Number one on the list, is I want to do a marathon. And not die. In preparation for that, I have to do a half- marathon THIS year.… Continue reading The Journey begins – with Serena Williams. And chocolate eclairs.
Best Youth Novel – Sir Julius Vogel Awards
I won? That shout you heard last night from my house here in Lotopa, startling all the birds asleep in the mango tree outside - was me. Finding out that my book FIRE'S CARESS was announced in Wellington NZ, as the winner of the BEST YOUTH NOVEL award in the 2022 Sir Julius Vogel Awards.… Continue reading Best Youth Novel – Sir Julius Vogel Awards
Dogs are Better than Children.
It’s been more than two years since we saw Big Son. He went to New Zealand for a job interview, got a fabulous job and stayed there. He’s living his best life. It’s been more than a year since we saw Big Daughter. She’s in New Zealand too, living her bestest life, working a fab… Continue reading Dogs are Better than Children.
Living with Covid in Samoa?
My ongoing #lockdownDiary of random observations and fiapoto thoughts! From my privileged position of being able to lock down with my teenager, both of us working/schooling from home, while Darren goes to work at Young Steel. Samoa locks down for two weeks and goes from one community Covid case to 2000+. Either we are doing… Continue reading Living with Covid in Samoa?
Why did I write ‘Afakasi Woman’?
I was an English teacher in Samoa for several years. The challenge was how to help nurture a love for reading in my students – when usually all we had were books written by white people, set in white people places, in a world where white people did all the thinking/talking/acting/feeling, and the rest of… Continue reading Why did I write ‘Afakasi Woman’?
Lani Wendt Young 