Grass Pinwheels and Cartwheels

Grass Pinwheels and Cartwheels

I love Samoan children.  They are so enjoyable.  I often wonder how they act while I am not there.  I would love to be a fly in the village being able to watch.

While walking around, it is impossible to have any peace.  I am interrupted constantly by kids screaming “Fa Lili!” (Goodybye Lili).  They continue to scream that until I am out of earshot, then a new group of kids start.  It makes me laugh as the children never greet the other people I am with.   Do they greet the others while I am not there?  Somehow I don’t think all of them.

Another smile was put on my face as I was walking home from school yesterday.  Two 8 year old boys were running around with homemade pinwheels.  They had made them out of grass, and they were spinning faster than any pinwheel I have ever seen.  They are so creative for always having fun with what they have in their natural environment.

Yesterday, I saw another group of children doing cartwheels on the grass.  It just made me smile to watch them completely enjoying themselves.  After that, I got a “ride” from two children playing with their toy car.  Their car is a stick with a wheel made out of a tuna can.  I crouched down, and moved with the stick to pretend they were taking me someplace fantastic.  We all had a giggle after that.     

Child life is fantastic.  I love kid watching-especially in Samoa, where video games and television have not interrupted children’s lives and imagination.  They still run wild.