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.
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