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Archive for December, 2009

Who Moved My Cheese? Dec 27

Tanu-Beach-35

MAKING THE MOVE TO THE FUTURE.

Another year has soon come to an end and Christmas with family and friends has been taken care of. When moving closer to the new year, it is natural to reflect on the past and setting the goals for the future. What happened during the past year and how did we react to it? How did the happenings affect our future plans and goals?

I wouldn’t know a better way to make our thoughts clear about this than the way it is explained in the book by Spencer Johnson called:

cheese“WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?”

Who Moved My Cheese?  is the story of 4 characters living in a “Maze” who face unexpected change when they discover their “Cheese” has disappeared. Sniff and Scurry, who are mice, and Hem and Haw, little people the size of mice, each adapt to change in their “Maze” differently. In fact, one doesn’t adapt at all…

This timeless allegory reveals profound truths to individuals and organizations dealing with change. We each live in a “Maze”, a metaphor for the companies or organizations we work with, the communities we live in, the families we love places where we look for the things we want in life, “Cheese”. It may be an enjoyable career, loving relationships, wealth, or spiritual peace of mind.

As we all know, Samoa has been through many changes the past year, anything from economic difficulties, changing to left side driving and tsunami and we all have our own way to respond to this. How do you react when your cheese is taken away?

  • Would you listen to your feelings and run off to do what your heart desire – Get more cheese?
  • Would you just run off without any plan or feelings in the hope to find more cheese?
  • Would you analyze the problem until it is almost too late and finally make a move to find more cheese?
  • Would you do nothing at all and wait until the cheese is coming back, as it was not your fault that the cheese is gone?

PEOPLE COMMENTS

GemmaGemma Nelson, Vaoala

Yes. Last year was better because we didn’t have to think about things like the tsunami, the road switch or other hard times we’ve been through this year. People have so much more to be thankful for this Christmas.

THEY FOUND THE CHEESE!

Faofao Beach Fales is back.
Waves swept away 20 beach fale and other facilities at the Saleapaga tourist spot on 29 September.
Damage was total. Yesterday, however, four beach fale and a bar and restaurant was launched. The opening is actually an official event. They have guests already, said spokesman, Tapu Legalo.

Tapu was worried about their prospects of attracting guests at Christmas after the tsunami.

“But people have been OK,” he said. Unlike before not their entire beach fales will be located on the beach.
Some will be built across the road from the beach.

Go and find your cheese,

Happy New Year !

Mats Loefkvist       www.samoa-experience.com

P.S Anyone interested in the book “Who Moved My Cheese” can find it at
Who Moved My Cheese?: An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

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Are We Making Progress? Dec 17

Moving around trying to get the Bigger Picture.

Recently a good friend from Canada, James Buffin felt the urge to come and make a contribution to Samoa with his documentary film making skills. He put in two weeks of his time plus all the expenses for airfares,  transportation of camera equipment and accommodation  to make a difference  in helping the Samoan people to monitor the progress of rebuilding after the tsunami.

Tsunami Affected Family

Tsunami Affected Family

Mr. Buffin is now back in Canada editing his material which  soon will appear on this blog as video clips interviewing struggling business owners trying to rebuilding their hotels and beach fales.

After talking to 9 different affected hotel/resort businesses along the south coast we experienced very much the same concern and frustration by all of them.

Not enough government help.

Their main concern is that they have got no or very little help from the government to rebuild their lives and business. Almost all help they got came from private people who felt the necessity to make a contribution in rebuilding the beautiful beach areas with the so typical and popular Samoan beach fale.

With the private help, Fao Fao Beach Fales in Saleapaga has already built 4 fales on the beach and has a main building with restaurant soon compleated. They hope to be open for Christmas. Also with private funding, Taufua Beach Fales and Litia’s Beach Fales at Lalomanu have started to rearrange the damage beach area and will very soon have it back to what it looked before the disaster.

Sili and Tai, the owner of  Taufua Beach Fales explained that they like their guests to return to a place that looks the same as before, like coming home…

Normal families, not having a previous business at the beach are not likely to return so fast. Up in the hills at their new location they are also waiting for their promised government help with house rebuilding, water and power. Although most people already have power installed in their temporary shelters, the water is still not there.

We need your skills!

To make things move faster, Habitat for Humanity New Zealand plans to ramp-up its involvement in Samoa in the New Year, as it helps the rebuilding effort. The organisation wants to recruit increased numbers of skilled New Zealand volunteers, to follow in the footsteps of the several dozen, who have already contributed to Samoa’s reconstruction.

Habitat NZ currently has two teams of 12 volunteers working in Samoa. One of the teams is located in the village of Lepa, which is home to the organisation’s Resource Centre, where prefabricated trusses, toilet and shower walls and other building parts are being made. The other team is stationed in the village of Lolomanu. The volunteers are being hosted by local communities and accommodated in church halls.

“If you have the skills they need and would like to spend two weeks in Samoa during 2010, working for a very good cause, then please visit the website at www.habitat.org.nz or call them on 0800 44 22 48, to find out more about what’s entailed,”

Mats Loefkvist     http://www.samoa-experience.com

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