"Golf, a good walk spoiled." S.S. Clemens

The last months have been hectic, particularly with my decision to play golf at every available opportunity. Golf has become my primary exercise, even though Samoa can be warm and wet. My Cardiologist said to, "Go and live your life." He does not seem the type to speak ex Cathedra, my guess is he just did not want me to become a "cardiac cripple." Here is a picture from the tenth hole on the golf course. The Pacific is just visible at the tree line. There is a rustic club house behind the camera...

Ancient grave site

My friend, Mike B., and I were hiking to a bay which is a protected part of the National Park System. On the way we found some stones arranged as though this was a cemetary. Obviously, we took only pictures and left only tracks, so I cannot assert for certain that these were grave sites. What do you think?

Hurricane Gustav

Houma, Louisiana is the home of my family, my life long friends, and many memories, good and not so good. Houma is the seat of governance of Terrebonne Parish, which is French for good earth. The soil must be among the richest soils on the planet. The agricultural possibilities and the proximity to the sea and seafood attracted the native Americans and later the Cajuns to the area. The original Spanish explorers to the region created The Old Spanish Trail through Louisiana searching for gold. Hernando De Soto walked over the land without knowing that he was stepping over something more valuable than gold, oil and gas. The Old Spanish Trail became US Highway 90. The Cajuns who live along Highway 90 in concert with the Petroleum Engineers from Universities in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas developed the techniques to drill for oil in all of the world's oceans.

Consider this fact; someone from Houma, Louisiana has helped your life to be a little easier by providing oil and gas for you. Pray for them that now suffer the loss of their material things in Hurricane Gustav.

Resting and taking stock

The crew were exhausted after cooking about 600 plates of spaghetti. People from throughout the Island helped, but, the man to my left in the group picture, Lawrence, and his wife, Jane, contributed their lovely home and hospitality throughout. With donations the financial goals were met in a timely manner. This was a tremendous effort for volunteers. The spaghetti received rave reviews...

Bless the cook! Let's eat

These are the creators of one great plate of Spaghetti with meat sauce.

Good friends cooking a spaghetti dinner for 1000

Cooking a spaghetti dinner for a thousand people in American Samoa is much like the same job in Louisiana. Find a church, (in this case the Cathedral of the Holy Family), get some hard working volunteers (including my Jewish golf partner and lawyer), spices, meat, tomato sauce and spaghetti and cook 'em up. My friends in the picture are what I call the 2%.

Here is my thesis. Concerning volunteer work in charitable groups, all of the work is done by 2% of the membership for everyone else. The 2% rule applies to all volunteer organizations. If you belong to enough organizations you will find THE SAME PEOPLE who serve as the 2% of that organization's membership who do all the work. These people are that 2%, look for them the next time you need something done.

Bill Hyman and crew outpace another catamaran

On Sunday there are catamaran races from the Pago Pago Yacht Club around a series of buoys, including one of the buoys which marks the entrance to the harbor. This is what that race looks like with Bill Hyman in the catamaran with colored sails.

Two wild and crazy guys...and a chicken

These two guys have a chicken which insists on riding into Pago Pago when they come into town from Fagotogo. Yes, that is rain. No, that is not a stuffed bird. She is a live hen who just likes to sit on the roof of their little truck when they go into town for a cold one.

I didn't make this up. I just report what I see.

You won't get this level of reporting about Samoa on other web sites.

Vaka crew

The following is a news report of the Vaka from the Cook Islands which is voyaging home with my friends. They have been beating to windward in 35 foot seas. The massive oar (35 ft long) which is used to steer the vaka has been snapped in two by the force of the waves. We hear some radio reports, but, what follows is one of the few written reports of the journey.

The above picture shows some of the crew members in blue shirts with white flowers. Malcolm Laxton-Blinkhorn is the second from the left. He was born in England, but, he owns a motel in Rorotonga and was the cook on board.

PACIFIC ISLANDS REPORT

Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West CenterWith Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai‘i

COOKS VOYAGING CANOE READIES FOR RETURN VOYAGE

Vaka Te Au O Tonga to leave Pago Pago

RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Cook Islands News, August 8,2008) – Vaka Te Au O Tonga is set sail from Pago Pago in American Samoa on Friday afternoon. Because of wind direction they expect the homeward journey to take up to two weeks. Two new crew members have joined the vaka on her return voyage as watch captain Te Aturangi Nepia-Clamp had to fly to New Zealand for his Masters of Art studies while chief cook Malcolm Blinkhorn will be returning home by plane. Nepia-Clamp has been replaced by the president of the American Samoa Voyaging Society. Blinkhorn has been replaced by Clinton Charlie.

Vaka captain Garth Henderson has placed new ‘learning watch captains’ in charge for the voyage home. The new learning watch captains have been attached to a mentor and are Masterton Enjoy mentored by Tua Pitman, Harry Goodwin mentored by Ti Pekepo and Nick Henry under the watchful eye of Teheu Kamana.

Crew member Nick Henry reported that before they departed, "Minister of Culture Wilkie Rasmussen did an incredible karakia from the heart. It was a Northern island style from Tongareva, everybody was shaking, it was a very emotional moment."

After two and a half hours of sailing at speeds of 4.5 knots, the vaka was 12 miles from the Pago Pago coast on a 150-160 degree course.

Cook Islands News: http://www.cinews.co.ck/index.htm
Copyright © 2005 Cook Islands News. All Rights Reserved

Friends rigging boats

This is a picture of friends on the lawn between the Pago Pago Yacht Club and the Harbor. My friend. Jim M., in the hat has a daughter who just graduated from MIT in Engineering.

Copy my URL http://pagodoc.blogspot.com

Maliu Mai

This is a pool fed by an underground stream of fresh water. At low tide the pool is full of fresh water. At high tide, the pool fills with salt water. This bar belongs to one of my friends who is also one of our veterans.

You know the water is excellent, because there are these exotic little tropical fish in there. This pool is not really salt water, so there are no crabs, sea weed or urchins.

Samoa is not perfect, but, some parts are very nice indeed.

Cool little man from New Guinea

This man attended the Catholic Church on Sunday. Walking back to his dormitory he was accosted by a pack of dogs. I "rescued" him with my car. He joined my regular group for lunch and kept us entranced with stories of life in New Guinea. In his country he is considered to be famous. He is the leader of the cultural group which preserves the dance, clothes and implements of his people. He teaches dance in New Guinea. What the reviewers have been saying about him at the Festival is that he moves like he is dancing on air.

I actually saw him dance several nights ago. This was before I met him in person. He is obviously easy to remember as you can detect from his stature. As small as he is, he has a large presence on stage. He is, by the way, a very committed Catholic.

Whalerider

The Maori community in New Zealand wrote and produced a film for the local Maori community. The film, Whalerider, has become a world wide phenomenon. The male lead is Wahiri, who has become a friend to us in Pago. He is one of the nicest, most open and enjoyable people you can ever meet. Here is his picture, sitting around with us in the Aiga Tautai o Samoa. The thin man in white pants behind him is our sponsor from Germany, Dieter. The Caucasian in ie fataga (wrap around dress) is from Samoa. The other guys are from Roratonga, Cook Islands. Real people. What a privilege it is for me to know these gentlemen on a social basis. These are real and genuine people who have succeeded on the world stage. They are intent on giving back to the world in an effective way.

Healers

The Festival of the Pacific Arts was larger and more inspiring than anyone expected. Here, we have just finished a prayer and closed a meeting of traditional healers. To the left of the picture is a man from Papua, New Guinea who knew Father Jerome Frey originally of New Orleans, LA. Father Frey is my close friend and spiritual advisor. He is a Marist priest living with the order he founded, The Community of Jesus Christ, Crucified, in Lafayette, LA. Among Fr. Frey's many accomplishments is his work as a missionary in New Guinea. The healer in the picture is renowned all over the world for his work with victims of torture. He has lived and studied in Denmark, a country which is dedicated to providing care to victims of torture from around the world. Of course, next, c'est moi. The pretty lady is a female healer from Hawaii, Christina MacKey. The man in the middle with the yellow shirt and red lava lava is the most famous Kahuna in Hawai'i. He is with Ali'i Lomi and is the scion of a long line of native healers or Kahunas. Then, the last person on the right is a male, native Samoan healer, dressed as a woman, wearing the big headgear. He is a "fa'a fa fine". He is a man who lives life as a woman. His choice is totally accepted in the Pacific Islands. The red hair is real human hair, but, not his. It is a wig. He is wearing woven mats which are much more coarse than cloth.

Rainmaker Mountain in the background

View from Aiga Tautai o Samoa...Roughly translated as the Sailors Home of Samoa, on the beach at the harbor at Pago Pago. Our VAKA (assymetric double hulled canoe) is in the harbor, and Rainmaker Mountain is in the background. This is the night after we were given the sponsorship of our new VAKA.

We were all drinking Tabs with our tuna fish sandwich on wheat toast that night.

Whalerider

The Voyaging Society of the Pago Pago Yacht Club has a sponsor for half of the construction of a 72 foot long sailing canoe (Polynesian catamaran). We have built an AIGA TAUTAI (or boat shed). The rest is to wait for the tropical hardwood (which requires a permit to cut) and build the canoe. Then we sail off to Hawai'i with five other vessels from neighboring island states.

Much the coolest thing I have ever attempted.

Pictures to follow.

Voyager...

We welcomed the crew from the voyaging canoe from the Cook Islands to Samoa with open hearts. We brought them goodies, and expected nothing in return. We didn't even know if they would accept our gifts at the time. We felt a good contact.

This act put our group from the Pago Pago Yacht Club in touch with their sponsor. He had flown to Pago from Germany to meet them here. After all, their voyage was a worthy display of Polynesian seamanship. The sponsor arrived with the star of the movie "Whalerider" in the process of filming a sequel. Multiple meetings later, we now have sponshorship to build a 72 ft. voyaging canoe (catamaran is a European term). We will have one canoe based here, and there will be one on at least 5 different major islands in the Pacific. One use will be to train teenagers from our club in the ancient ways of sailing and navigating. Another use will be to help the public understand the natural ecological systems in the Pacific.

We planted a mustard seed and grew a mustard tree, overnight.

The House of the Rising Sun

After the most impressive up close and personal experiences and conversations with the indigenous people of New Guinea, coastal Australia, Taiwan, Palau, New Caledonia and Tahiti two French TV Journalists and I ate Tuna by the harbor. We missed the Head of State of Western Samoa by 5 minutes. He was being hosted by Measu Atuatasi and his family for supper. "Mace" and I work together.

At the harbor in Pago we found voyagers who had arrived 2 hours earlier from the Cook Islands. They were celebrating finding land at night, without modern navigation aids. Of course, there are lights in the harbor, but, there are also massive waves and rocks. They travel in a large catamaran, using only sail. Most were exhausted having fought 30 knot winds for days. The others were playing guitar. I couldn't help with the Polynesian songs, but, I did remember the words from The Animals "House of the Rising Sun." After all, I was born there...

Somewhere in the world someone had a better time than I did last night. But, no one within 5000 miles had a better time than I did. Pictures to follow.

A balmy night in paradise.

Yesterday was one great day. The night before, I rescued two native Frenchmen hithch hiking in the dark. Turns out they are journalists who work for a TV station in New Caledonia, a French colony in the Pacific. I am a translater for the Pacific Arts Festival as well. So, we travelled around all day and all night eating exotic food and visiting with even more exotic people.

We met with real aborigines from Australia, real Melanesians from New Guinea, real Micronesians and Polynesians from islands great and small. From tiny Pitcairn Island or Norfolk Island to giant Australia or New Zealand almost everyone was represented. Real people doing their real dances, carrying the weapons they made themselves under the stars with the trade winds blowing beats reading about Anthropology in a text. Poor old Margaret Meade has nothing on me now.

Speaking French and English will cover most places, except Rapa Nui (Easter Island) which requires Spanish. However, the leader of the Rapa Nui group is married to a French woman, and his French was much better than mine.

I promise to post pictures of this wild gathering as soon as possible.

However, we are still making news. We hope to climb a mountain to film where the first Missionaries, French priests, were killed and eaten about 150 years ago. This takes a lot of negotiation and permission from land owners, but, I am working on it.

Festival of the Pacific Arts

American Samoa is playing host to its neighbors, similar to our festivals in Louisiana. We last hosted this festival forty years ago. The island has never looked better than right now.

I am a volunteer. I worked late at the airport on a team greeting people from French Polynesia, serving somewhat as an interpreter. We are in the early hours of the gathering...too soon to tell whether this will be more of an exchange of cultures or bodily fluids.

I will tell you what happened, later.

Alex Box retires!

To all true Tiger fans, Alex Box is the venerable old wooden stadium which has been the home of LSU baseball in good times and in bad. Alex Box leads the nation in attendance year after year, in part because of the atmosphere. Check out this picture of the last game before the new stadium replaces the old. Of course, LSU wins and goes on to the College World Series in Omaha...A setting where LSU has proven to be one of the greatest programs in the history of college baseball. I sat on the third base line. The color of the sky is correct for a Louisiana evening!

Web Site for Fautasi boats

http://www.samoanews.com/2008FlagDayRace/index.htm

Check out these elongated whaling boats used for racing. One Samoan village against the others!

An interesting sport which turns boys into men...

Real people living in real communities

The Samoans have a tradition of building long row boats after the style of the whaling boats that visited here two centuries ago. Each community builds, equips, and mans the boats. Some communities man two boats. The young men follow a strict and harsh training regimen. Yes, for you soft hearted out there, there is some physical hazing of the weak. They arise for training at 4:00 AM. They train also after work for several months in anticipation of the race on the open ocean. The rowers are so powerful that their strokes in unison move the boat vertically several inches and horizontally many feet. The boats seem to leap ahead like striding horses. The young men do this for love of family, to engage in competition, and out of respect for their Chiefs. They do not get paid. These are values and traditions I admire. Check it out...

Life is not perfect in Samoa. But, love of family has been perfected by the Samoans. The next time you see a Samoan playing football on TV remember he is not the exception. He may have brothers and cousins who are more powerful and more athletic than he is. The boys you don't see may have been working to support their families and just did not have time to play football in High School. They may be in their village playing Rugby with the adults. Think about the Samoans when you are shopping at your local Mall watching bored and distracted American teens soaking up a supersize hamburger and fries. There are real people living in real communities like this in the world. I know, I live with them.

Readin' 'n' 'ritin'

One of my friends from long ago, a professional writer, wrote to me that good writing, like good food, leaves you wanting more. Her simile captures my life experience as a Cajun. Part of our culture is to turn the everyday act of eating into art. To take that which other cultures reject, and turn it into a celebration.

To get an understanding of how Cajuns perceive food, read the Introduction from Paul Prudhomme's first book, The Louisiana Kitchen. Chef Prudhomme transports the reader into his remembered childhood experience of the true flavors of fresh vegetables, seafood and meats when he describes what tastes Cajuns are trying to capture in their cooking. Reading Chef Prudhomme's visceral experience of spices is more insightful to me than any oenophile's description of fine wine. He had to stretch the meaning of words to convey the taste sensation when food is spiced just right. I recall that he referred to the combination of black pepper, red pepper and white pepper as creating a "round" flavor in the mouth. His description was a transcendent moment for me. I immediately recalled the first restaurant meal of my life, at Chester's in the Chacahoula swamp, when I was served Crawfish Etoufee'. I remember the family who took me, that the day was Sunday and where I sat at the table.

I was seven.

Gumbo, avec vin de table blanc

This should be a good weekend. I am still in pursuit of that 50.

I made a Gumbo with black, red and white pepper and a Bay leaf a' la Paul Prudhomme that was excellent. But, I ate all of the shrimp. I did not drink all of the wine. I look forward to more of the same.

I greatly appreciate all who comment on my musings. Several friends make their livings as professional writers. One professional columnist, a good friend from long ago, said my writing was stiff. I agree...This is writing, not conversation. Hopefully, my use in conversation of parenthetical phrasing is, as nearly as I can remember, rare.

Enough navel gazing...to the kitchen!

Good to be alive...

Flew home and hit the links on Memorial Day. I was way over 50 on the front 9. There was a crowd on the back 9, so I played the front 9 holes again. I lost concentration and my score ballooned up there. Golf is much easier to watch than to play.

However, I walk the course in the tropical heat. I am sweating at the end...Good to be alive!

Another day in Paradise

Having met with the treatment team from the unit from the Spark M. MatsunageVA Medical Center has allowed me to forge new relationships. This should help the Veterans who are traumatized from the OIF/OEF war in Iraq/Afghanistan. The Samoans were appreciative of my visit. Most pleasant day!

Working in Honolulu

Wonderful place to visit, live and/or work. We had a superb evening with Psychiatrist from the
VA. We were on the deck overloking the moonlit Pacific. The colors were a full pallette of shades of silver, shimmering and gently moving. This is Paradise Prime.

PagoDoc

Room Service

Sometimes to have the most fun you just stay in and order room service. I didn't sleep at all last night flying in from Pago Pago to Honolulu. Hanging out can be the best thing...

Honolulu week

The VA has offered me an opportunity to train in their highly regarded inpatient program for the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder starting on Monday. This is an honor and a privilege. But not all is work...Looks like some big city fun for the next few days!

TGIF!

Rare social event tonight

Governor Togiola Tulafono has invited me to a Ball tonight at the Auditorium to honor the Nurses of American Samoa. Although I am not at my best nor most comfortable in these situations I attend to represent the VA. For me, it is more fun to remember having gone to a Ball, than to actually be at the Ball. I will wear a dress and sandals. I will brush my beard. Too much of the hair on my head has fallen out to require any brushing. My shirt will display my VA name tag. People will try to speak with me all night in Samoan over the music which will be too loud. I will smile and nod, understanding little. The Samoans will be polite, but, eventually they will go away convinced that I must be as dumb as a post.

These are phrases that rednecks cannot say...

40. Oh I just couldn't. Hell, she's only sixteen.
39. I'll take Shakespeare for 1000, Alex.
38. Duct tape won't fix that.
37. Lisa Marie was lucky to catch Michael.
36. Come to think of it, I'll have a Heineken.
35. We don't keep firearms in this house.
34. Has anybody seen the sideburns trimmer?
33. You can't feed that to the dog.
32. I thought Graceland was tacky.
31. No kids in the back of the pickup, it's just not safe.
30. Wrasslin's fake.
29. Honey, did you mail that donation to Greenpeace?
28. We're vegetarians.
27. Do you think my gut is too big?
26. I'll have grapefruit and grapes instead of biscuits and gravy.
25. Honey, we don't need another dog.
24. Who's Richard Petty?
23. Give me the small bag of pork rinds.
22. Too many deer heads detract from the decor.
21. Spittin is such a nasty habit.
20. I just couldn't find a thing at Walmart today.
19. Trim the fat off that steak.
18. Cappuccino tastes better than espresso.
17. The tires on that truck are too big.
16. I'll have the arugula and radicchio salad.
15. I've got it all on the C drive.
14. Unsweetened tea tastes better.
13. Would you like your salmon poached or broiled?
12. My fiance, Bobbie Jo, is registered at Tiffany's.
11. I've got two cases of Zima for the Super Bowl.
10. Little Debbie snack cakes have too many fat grams.
09. Checkmate.
08. She's too young to be wearing a bikini.
07. Does the salad bar have bean sprouts?
06. Hey, here's an episode of 'Hee Haw' that we haven't seen.
05. I don't have a favorite college team.
04. Be sure to bring my salad dressing on the side.
03. I believe you cooked those green beans too long.
02. Those shorts ought to be a little longer, Darla.
01. Nope, no more for me. I'm drivin tonight.

How the exotic becomes ordinary.

Hearing the Samoan language has become familiar, although I do not yet understand what is being said. I anticipate the taste of Samoan food, although I prefer Creole or Cajun cuisine. The balmy weather, the prehistoric tree ferns, the many colors of the Pacific Ocean, the constant sentinel of the mountains all give American Samoa an ancient, even timeless appeal. Modernity seems out of place here. Every airplane's arrival draws attention. Yesterday, my golf instructor took off at a trot when he saw a certain DeHavilland Otter fly over the Ili'ili Golf Course. He shouted back over his shoulder that he had a package to pick up at the airport as he disappeared around the clubhouse. The airplane was returning from one of those more or less regular flights from Apia, Western Samoa. He was back in 20 minutes! Exactly one bucket of practice balls later, the ball drew a perfect arc across the sky as it shanked its way towards the blue Pacific...

PagoDoc
(writing from Paradise Lite)

51 on the front nine

This Monday finds me still pressing for my elusive goal of breaking 50 shots for 9 holes. I was close this weekend, Saturday AM. I was rained out Sunday.

Pago Doc

Point taken ! and "The Cloud" explained

By telephone I was told that my blog was too philosophical and plodding. Supposedly, the blog is not like me at all. So I actively solicit your response to my writing.

In my defense, I write this blog after work hours. I must be tired after hearing of real trauma from real war heroes every day. Writing it all down seems to help. I cannot help but think in metaphor. Seeing the hidden meaning in things is my profession. For example, the cloud refers to the Internet, this mysterious, amorphous world in which this weB LOG is written. If you are reading this, you are in the cloud!

In the future I will strive for more balance. Actually, life can be fun in Samoa. I have found a restaurant owned by a Korean couple. Mr. Kim is a diminuitive man who sailed on tuna boats for 14 years. He seems to know everything about tuna. He is teaching me: Course #101 The Anatomy of the Tuna in Korean. He shows me all the parts of the tuna, names them in Korean and we then eat it raw, sashimi style! I am not sure how this education will ever be applied in the real world.

Mr. Kim has employed a gourmet chef from China who speaks no English, and Mr. Kim does not speak Chinese. All communication is by gesture. I am eating my way through the Orient. OK...You tell me how you would tell the chef that you want a soup appetizer accompanied by fried cuttlefish using only your hands.

But, try as I might, I cannot break free from finding a life lesson here...Enjoy what the Chef* sends to your table, but, work on improving your gestures for tomorrow's meal.

*(This is your last hint__Think the Big Chef in the sky, and praying with the hands.)

PagoDoc

Death of a colleague

Last week a vibrant, young, female colleague died suddenly from a cerebral aneurysm. I do not have any answers to the question of why such a beautiful and joyous young lady had to die so soon. But, my decision to capricious fate is, every day that I am vertical is a good day.

Speaking to the cloud

Tonight I am entering my thoughts on the Internet in hopes of informing someone about Pago Pago, American Samoa. The people treat me well. Although many of the men are huge, they are not intimidating. The men are almost universally respectful, perhaps even formal, in their manner of address. There is a sense of place here, as distinct as Low Country South Carolina, or small town South Louisiana. The pace of transactions is slower than some places in the US, but, polite and courteous. No clerk or sales person has been rude to me in the last 6 months. Everyone just takes the time to chat, almost always in Samoan. The language is everywhere, alive and effective in communication. This is unlike the Hawaiian language which has a limited vocabulary. Yet, almost everyone can readily switch to American English in an instant.

Signing off to the cloud.

Pago Doc

Back in Pago

When you leave the sights and sounds of the jets at the Airport you are greeted by the fragrant and moist atmosphere of Pago. I love the luscious plant growth, while others may find the air too humid. After a day of rest, I was assigned the task of representing the VA at the annual Flag Day ceremony. This is an important national event in American Samoa with Pacific Island nation dignitaries, including one of the Princesses of Tonga. In Tonga there is still a ruling monarchy. This was an opportunity to meet many people who would be otherwise outside of my immediate circle of friends. There were no surprises at the stadium. What was a surprise was the next day many people commented on my appearance...(I was wearing a tie.) These people were not present at the Flag Day ceremony. How did they know what I was wearing?

In Pago there's not much news to report, so the people make their own news. One of the local TV stations broadcast the ceremony. The cameraman periodically panned the crowd as is done in sports events in the US. In Pago the TV audience enjoys the challenge of recognizing the people in the stadium seats! Everyone seems to know everyone, or at least they strive to recognize their neighbors.

American Samoa may not be perfect, but, the people are gracious and friendly.

Sonoma/Napa

This day was spent on the golf course, and in a fine French restaurant for supper. This is casual elegance.

Pago Doc

EEG Biofeedback

John S. Anderson, M.A. finished his course on EEG biofeedback today. The information he presented was well received. This is a new area of science with much promise to help people.

I have a lot to learn.

Pago Doc

MIGRAINE TREATMENT

There has been much progress in the treatment of Migraine Headaches by Neurofeedback. The protocol for treatment was explained ot me today. We also addressed methods of helpping veterans with PTSD and with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).

Theory of Consciousness

Today, I received a plausible explanation of the electrophysiological explanation of consciousness by an experienced electrophysiologist. Heady stuff...

Pago Doc

Thank you, Beth

This is a public thank you to Beth for serving as my personal assistant in supporting me in my adventure in American Samoa.

Heart Rate Variability

This has been a progressive conference in Oakland.

I now have access to some information which is relatively new to me concerning treatment by Biofeedback for circulatory problems. The veterans on Samoa are subject to circulatory diseases and to various other stressors. The population I treat seems to suffer from a particularly high level of cardiovascular and kidney disease in addition to PTSD, anger and alcohol problems. I hope to be able to make a difference by introducing new techniques to the island which can treat the whole person.

Oakland, CA 6:00 PM 2 April 2008

BIOFEEDBACK

Today I am in Oakland, CA. The Certification Course in Biofeedback is a mixture of review and introduction to new technology. I feel that the new electronics will be a big help to the patients in Pago Pago.

I will try to see Charlie/Kara this week.

One way to recognize the solitude of my position is to note that I am the only one who has responded to my blog.

My life had been too complicated. I was working too hard to keep up with demands. Now I have a more reasonable lifestyle. My life is becoming more active.

Perhaps I have recruited two new members for the Yacht Club. We are planning an equipment check and a sail on Saturday.

A good friend has contacted me about St. Parick's Day on Monday. This may be something to consider.

PagoDoc

PagoDoc

My life started over in 2007 at age 59. American Samoa has been my home since October 2007. I have a renewed Spirituality. Holy Family Cathedral (Fatuoaiga in Samoan) is an open air Roman Catholic Cathedral with a unique social structure. Several different congregations share the facility. Each congregation has some degree of separation. Each group, for example, has their own choir. Separate services may be held in the native language by a Priest or the Bishop in the language of the community. Yet, some services have all of the communities represented. Christmas services had three distinct choirs, with different instrumentalists and Directors. One community represents the Spirituality of the native Samoans. Another community represents the Tongan and other Pacific Islanders. We have a large and vibrant transplanted Filipino community. The assorted European/Americans/Asians are referred to as the International Community. Everyone sings. There are more people here with real musical talent than anywhere I have ever lived.

Living here has allowed me to be restored to health. I play golf several times per week. I keep a small day sailer at the Pago Pago Yacht Club. This is a pretentious name for a half century old former US Navy wooden building with leaky roof. We do have a nice spot on the harbor and an open air bar. Our youth sailing program is well established. The Club is experiencing a renewed interest in adult sailing. We will soon be racing Hobie Cats in the harbor when the Trade Winds arrive this month. This is a good place to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Work with the veterans has been rewarding. I have been given the opportunity to study Prolonged Exposure Therapy developed by Edna Foa, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Hembree, Ph.D. My work has been generously supported by the staff of the Veterans Administration in Honolulu and in Pago Pago. The entire population here supports the troops in the war effort. There my be some disagreement with certain policies, but, the people support the Flag. Patriotism and family values are the norm here in American Samoa.

PagoDoc