Knowing Your Culture - Samoa

Chapter 1 - School

I sit at one of the cafeteria tables with my friends Anna, Paisley, & Trinity and wait for the first bell to ring. We talk about pretty much anything but we were mainly concerned about one thing.

"Hey did you guys here about that rumor that's been going around?" Anna asks.

"What rumor?" I ask.

"There's this thing they do like every 5 years where we go on a trip for a month to a country with our culture." Anna says.

"Are you foreal?! This would be so cool I mean we'll go on a trip with our friends and have so much fun together!" Paisley says.

"Do you guys believe it though?" I ask.

"I'm not believing anything I mean this is a rumor right?" Trinity states.

"Well we'll find out right now." Anna says.

The bell rings and everyone heads to their homeroom. I'm only in Paisley's homeroom and Trinity & Anna are in the homeroom next to us.

I sit down next to Paisley and start talking to all my other friends. Our teacher wasn't in the room at the time so we were pretty loud. As soon as Mr. Smith walked in it was dead silence. Mr. Smith is not someone to mess around with so no one does.

Mr. Smith takes roll and reads off the daily bulletin. After our daily routine in the morning is finished we usually take out our books and start reading but today was different. Mr. Smith tells us to put our books away, gather all of our things, and head to the cafeteria for an important assembly. Everyone responds quickly and starts heading out the door.

"Dude what do you think this assembly is about?" Paisley asks.

"I don't know but maybe it's about that rumor Anna was talking about." I say.

We find an empty spot next to Trinity & Anna and start talking again.

"See guys I told you the rumor was true." Anna states.

"We don't even know what the assembly is even about yet smart one." Trinity says.

Mrs. McCarthy walks onto the stage and holds her hand into the air. That means that she wants complete silence so she could talk but I see it as she's pretty much saying "shut up" but we'll just go with the complete silence thing.

The whole cafeteria went dead silent and it was too quiet once again. Mrs. McCarthy speaks into the mic but no sound came out. Everyone burst into laughter but that didn't stop Mrs. McCarthy from using her regular voice. She's scarier than my mom and her voice is as loud as fireworks.

"EXCUSE ME!" Mrs. McCarthy yells.

"This assembly wasn't for you guys to laugh at whatever you want or for you guys to do whatever you want!" She yells.

One of the teachers hand her a new microphone and she goes right into explaining why we were there and all that jazz.

"So I hear there is a rumor going around that you will be going on a trip for a month to a country depending on your culture." She says.

"I have good news and bad news for that rumor. The good news is that you guys are correct about it that you might go on a trip." She says.

Everyone starts whispering and cheering about it that Mrs. McCarthy lost her spotlight.

"BUT! There is a downside to it." She says.

"This trip is mainly because we want you guys to be exposed to your culture a little bit more and because of this we have decided that at the end of your trip you all are required to type up a 10 page essay on what you learned, what you did, what you experienced, and the things you enjoyed about the trip." She says.

Everyone starts sighing and letting out booing noises.

"I'm not finished yet!" She yells.

"You guys don't just go on your trip. The principal and I will hold a meeting with your teachers on what team is mature enough to go on this trip and if we are even willing to make this project actually happen." She says.

"You will find out tomorrow morning on if your team is going on the trip or if any team is going at all. Thank you for your time and school is resumed to go back on it's regular schedule. Teachers you may take your students back to class." She says.

"Guys this is actually happening! If we can prove that we are "mature" enough then BOOM! Next stop Paris." Paisley says.

"Woah hold up. First of all we aren't even gonna be in the same countries and second of all you ain't even French." I say.

"I was just saying ok and plus what makes you say we aren't gonna be on the same flight and stuff?" Paisley asks.

"We all aren't even the same cultures. We all are mixed and they're probably gonna send us somewhere that we are more consisted of or like made of if you know what I mean. Anna says.

"What she means is, is that whatever nationality we have most of is probably where were gonna go." Trinity says.

"Yeah but how will they know what nationality we have most of I mean we could lie about it." Paisley says.

"They probably have like those machines or serums you know like the ones from Divergent?!" I say.

"Or they could just give us some papers for our parents to fill out and they could find out for us!" Anna says.

"True, but still I think they would have serums, I mean like this is the 21st century." I say.

The bell rings and the teachers still haven't taken us back yet. Everyone is still too busy talking about the assembly.

We all stand up and start heading to our next period. I couldn't really focus in any classes I had today. All I could think about was this project thing and where I would go or if I am even going.

The final bell rings and I see my mom parked in the back to pick me up from school. We get home and I rush to my room and make a group message with me and my friends.

Group Messages:
Are you guys scared for tmw? - Paisley

No, y r u? - I say

Pshh noo I'm just asking the question cuz I feel like it. NO DUH! - Paisley

Chill k - Trinity

I'm actually excited if u ask me - Anna

Yeah me too but I'm a little nervous bcuz I really wanna go now - I say

Srry guys gtg but we'll continue this convo later bye - Paisley says.

I don't really care tbh but it would be legit if we got chosen - Trinity says

Look guys srry but I gtg too my mom makin me do hw bye - I say

I leave the conversation and turn off my phone. I made that up because I just wanted time on my own to think this through. One month on my own with my friends in a different country? That's a lot of days and 4 long weeks. Wait why am I think about this I don't even know if my team will get chosen! Ok ok calm yourself.

The rest of the night goes by and before you know it I'm up to my annoying phone alarm.

I'm in the car with my mom and start thinking about this whole thing. We get to school about 20 minutes before it actually starts and I go looking for my friends.

"I'm hungry wanna eat breakfast with me?" Anna says grabbing my arm.

We grab breakfast while Paisley & Trinity look for an empty area for us to talk at.

"In exactly 7 minutes we find out who goes on the trip!" Paisley says.

"Don't tell me the time! I don't like being rushed while eating!" Anna says.

"Probably not because we still have to do the take roll and daily bulletin crap again." I say.

"Right! So what do you think 15 minutes?" Paisley asks.

"Shut up already dude!" Anna yells.

We hear the microphone sound over the P.A. and Mrs. McCarthy's voice comes on.

"We have made our final decision on what team is going or wether or not if any team is going. But our final decision is....." She says.