This
year Aljay and I had the privilege of teaching Castle High and King
Intermediate combined. We are still fairly new to the 'We Are Samoa
Festival' but we gave it our best efforts and enjoyed every step of the
journey...and Yes it was a 'journey'---we
started practices in March and finally had our performance in May :)
and during those two and a half months of practices, rehearsals, Fiafia
night, last minute costume making, struggles with finding boys to
dance, dealing with indecisive-prone-to-drama pre-teens and teenagers, scheduling around Ho'ike
occupied high schoolers, and creating props, I can honestly say that the
journey was worth taking.
At the beginning of the performance.
37
students from King and Castle participated in the performance, with
only a third of them being Samoan- the rest being Hawaiian, Micronesian,
Puerto Rican, Tongan, Japanese, Tahitian, Filipino, and anything else
you can name. But they listened and learned and practiced and performed
as if they'd been Samoan their whole lives. These guys were BOMB!!!
Ending of the performance.
For
many of the students, this was their first time doing Samoan dances. For
several of the intermediate girls it was their first time performing in
a group outside of school. And for several parents/community members,
this was the first time attending this type of event. Yet they gave everything they had and delivered a wonderful performance! We were all so proud of them. I only hope with
continued participation the Samoan community in Kaneohe will draw more
support for these types of events that benefit our youth.
After our performance.
So now your wondering about the results....well...We didn't
win....awww....we didn't even place in the top 3 lol...cannot eeeeevveeeen lie. I was salty (and you can ask my sister Candace...I can get competitive)...but my heart was softened by the optimistic attitudes and happy faces from our Caslte/King kids. Our kids worked hard, had fun, learned more about Samoan
culture, gained a new perspective, met new people, strengthened
relationships, and stepped out of their comfort zones...which sounds
like a WIN to me! *Someone give me an award for best "everyone's a winner" attitude LOL....but forreals though.....Aljay and I were so happy and proud of them. Not just
for their performance but everything else they've learned through this
experience. Besides....its the journey that matters.
"Let us relish life as we live it,find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family." -Pres. Thomas S. Monson
So what now?Well now the few seniors that danced have now graduated and are celebrating their glorious achievement of finishing high school and never having to go back....(just wait til they hit college).... And for the underclassmen... most are hanging out together trying to figure out what to do since they have time on their hands now. I still see a few of them still pop into my classroom just to chitchat. We are planning a Beach/BBQ day together with all the students and their families the day after school ends. Excited to have everyone one last time before we all go our separate ways.
Thank you PCC for graciously hosting this event. The quality of the event is unmatched by any of the other annual special events that occur at PCC. And that is due to the hard work of the committee and the support given to the high schools. Thank you!
Special thanks goes out to all the musicians: Aunty Yvonne- thank you for always supporting Aljay and I and recruiting all the musicians! Api, Zach, Alex, Mili, Tili, Sapati, Norris, Alex Galeai for playing and singing for our students!
Malositoa-Te'o Tafiti aka Kupuna T and LJ Tuia aka Dudu Pie and Julius Skipps! Our BOMB DIGGS Drummers!!! Not only were they drummers, but salu makers, drivers, babysitters, commentators, beatboxers, and choreographers giving pointers to the fa'aluma and dancers LOL Look out for their beatbox tutorial coming soon to a youtube channel near you lol... THANK YOU for your time, talent, help, company, and all the laughs.
Mrs. Sheena Alaiasa! Best principal diss errfff! She sewed all the tops and supported us 100% from beginning to end! Thank you for inviting us to teach the King and Castle kids.
Leilani Silva and Lene Auelua- our Castle advisers that worked with us to get our kids to practice, sewed all the ies, provided transportation to practice, prepared the students for the games portion at the competition, got the Tshirts and uniforms for the students, and ran the kitchen during the Fiafia night and so much more. Thank you for everything you've done and for teaching and guiding us newbies along the way.
All the Parents who supported us at practice and with our costumes! Matavales, Tiumalus, Taputus, Carlisles, Velez, Robinsons, Boles for always helping with costumes, food, and everything else in between!
Castle Teachers! Thank you for taking time out of your schedules to help us sew our ies and letting us use your sewing machines!
Aljay Fuimaono for being the best instructor ever. The passion you have for Polynesian culture is evident in everything you do. From the salus, to the tuigas, to the torches, sales, and paddles and then having to choreograph and teach....whew...you've done well my friend.
Last but certainly not least.....
Thank you Iosefa and Leila Fuimaono for being patient with Mom and Dad....for making new friends at practice and not getting run over by the cars..lol....no but really...thank you for only accidentally calling the police only once from the pay phone outside of the gym and not breaking anything in the classroom. Love you little monkeys!!
NOV 16 - Primary Program I got absolutely no photos from this day. The kids did great, as usual. Pic: Britt NOV 20 – Saleima’s Birthday! Love my mini! The moment November hit, she gave us daily reminders that her birthday was coming up. She kicked off her big day waking up to her presents and our traditional decorated mantle. Then it was off to school! We brought donuts for her class and checked her out early. Naturally, she also asked if her other siblings could be checked out too. We picked up the high school kids, grabbed a few things for her birthday dinner, headed home, and she got to dive into her presents. This meant coloring in her Wicked -themed coloring book and making bracelets—pure joy for her. For dinner, she requested spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. We wrapped up the night with an Oreo ice cream cake and Brittany taking the three little girls to watch Wicked For Good . Then on Saturday night, Metuli and Saleima had a sleepover at Aunty Penny’s house—...
Family Updates Papa Joe and Mama Saleia They've been making progress. Mom is doing great with her therapies(occupational, speech, and physical). She is very determined and gives her best effort. At this point, her therapy is to help maintain what physical abilities she has now. They took the wound vac off of Dad's foot and changed the bandages every other day. The healing process moves a bit more slowly for him. He got a Dexcom continuous glucose meter, which has been really helpful in seeing his blood sugar levels in real-time. It has helped him to be more conscientious about his diet. Does he still eat all the carbs? Yes, he sure does. Tsk tsk. High Schoolers - Leila and Sefa We're getting close to wrapping up their season. This month is playoff month. After Timpview's game against Wasatch. The scout team (varsity Freshman) got to play in the last minute and a half and scored a touchdown! They were so cute celebrating in the endzone lol These two are such goofs...
Sunday, January 4, 2026 Aljay and I sat down together as a couple to plan out the year, share our individual goals, and set intentions for our family. What started as a simple planning session turned into a really beautiful, almost therapeutic conversation, where we both opened up about how recent health scares have impacted us. Aljay shared how my sudden kidney stone trip to the ER was a huge scare for him and became the moment that jump-started his decision to take his weight-loss journey seriously. Since then, that journey has brought several positive changes—boosting his confidence, pushing him outside his comfort zone, and encouraging him to be more vulnerable. He also shared how he’s feeling more physically free, mentally clearer, and emotionally lighter, no longer weighed down by the fog of depression. As he’s made these changes, I’ve started to feel like we’re able to have conversations we haven’t had before—more honest, more open, and more connected. Overall, it was a reall...
Comments