But hey--as an ol' teacher, i quikly recogniz'ed this wuz nuntheles a class!

The kids were wonderfully attentive (perhaps a little overly so!--this was not a "free school" in north american terms!)

After perfunctory questions on geography, politics, prime ministers, etc., etc., [which their teachers nodded approvingly of my confirmatory providence....] .... welll, .... As the kids yaughned after another 15 minutes of official stuff....

Ah dug out the orchestra 'n' m 'notes....frum the bak o my min' o' Canuck culture! "northern", "snow", "maple leaves", etc..

and I asked them to ask questions!

"Do Canadians go to school?
Who is your chief?

Do you have children?
Do you eat clams?
Does Wayne Gretzky eat clams before scoring goals?
What does your brother do?
Will you move here and teach us how to take photos? Okay? tomorrow then! They exploded with questions when I dropped formality and ceremony and asked for their interests and wrote them on the blackboard. The kids were wonderful! But how could I answer such questions?

It dawned on me they were most fascinated by climate, concretely snow, and how we Canadians have played in it!

Snow, hockey, and whether Canadians could sing songs while freezing and stopping pucks!

So, for an hour, I talked about growing up myself as a Canadian kid, my relationship with the climate, how it has affected our lifestyle, sense of wonder, poetry, literature and painting, and song and sports. Much helped along by tapes I carried along by John Allan Cameron, Gordon Ligthfoot, and IanTyson/Sylvia Ficker, Bruce Cockburn and Stan Rogers....---they KNEW the maritime shanties...! and how "the boys" had died upon the reefs......

I'm not sure if I "got everybody" , but it did certainly loosen up the classroom and we went on for 3 hours..

They expressed their thanks by offering a short but wonderful concert, and gave me some small gifts to transport to my village chief and elders in their appreciation for my being allowed to visit them.

On the way back home in the light tropical drizzle, a couple of youngsters appeared on the "porches" of their fales to greet me while relieving themselves in a typically non-selfconscious Samoan style, thanking me again for my visit.
They also informed me this was the last day of school before a vacation break, their teahers were very appreciative of my contribution, and so were they.....especially as I'd stopped my guest lecture early!!!
as they continued peeing in the rain.....!!!
well...it could not have been much more schoolboy poetic....

Then one of Tula's sister's waved, saying "Come in out of the rain and have some tea!" As I approached the fale, I realized she was topless and breast-feeding her infant....

I swallowed, hesitatingly recalling Mead's tales, when my hostess said, "It's okay, my husband met you fishing, and will be home at any moment!" How slippery are cultural pre-conceptions and assignment of meanings to visual signs!