If you have read my last few blog posts or followed my recent activity on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, you know that I’ve spent the past week in Apia leading the U.S. delegation to Samoa’s 50th Independence Day celebrations. It was a great several days with a wide array of festivities, sports events, concerts, and even some serious business.

Preparations underway for the parade of floats and bands along the Apia waterfront, with the USS Chafee, HMNZS Otago, and HMAS Darwin visible in the background.

Demonstrating our more than century-long engagement as a Pacific nation and underscoring the Obama Administration’s ongoing regional rebalancing of resources, the United States had the largest, most diverse, and most vibrant foreign presence at the celebrations. I led an official President Delegation appointed by the White House which included Admiral Cecil Haney, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Other American dignitaries came as well including my friend Ambassador Frankie Reed (the current American Ambassador to Suva and former Chargé d’Affaires at Embassy Apia).

We brought with us the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Chafee (with 350 sailors on board), the N.O.A.A. climate research vessel Ka’imimoana, and several Coast Guard and Navy aircraft. We sent the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet Band and the acclaimed African American step group Step Afrika! on tours of the islands. And we held several dinners and receptions at our new Chargé Residence including for the Samoa Chamber of Commerce, the large number of fellow Americans from American Samoa who attended the festivities, and government officials.

In terms of substantive business, Prime Minister Tuilaepa and I signed a Shiprider Agreement which will allow the Government of Samoa to place Samoan law enforcement officers on American Coast Guard and Navy ships passing through Samoan waters. The officers will direct the interdiction, arrest, and fining of foreign vessels engaged in illegal commercial fishing, trafficking in persons, and trafficking in prohibited substances, serious problems in parts of the Pacific.

I very much appreciated the Prime Minister’s gracious attendance and kind words at various of our invents including the Shiprider signing on the foredeck of the USS Chafee and the reception that followed on the aft deck with the King of Tonga, Governor General of New Zealand, Governor of American Samoa, Deputy Prime Minister, and other distinguished guests. I was also grateful that Samoa’s Minister of Health joined us at another event to unveil plans for a new district medical center funded by Pacom humanitarian assistance funds that will serve villages in western Upolu and Manono islands.

All in, it was a great showing of friendship and engagement. Of course, as you would unfortunately expect, there are always one or two folks who essentially sit on the sidelines, shout or mumble epithets, and shake their fists at the guys in the scrum because things aren’t going exactly as they wish. That doesn’t get anyone anywhere. In fact, it’s counterproductive. I very much believe in standing up, sprinting onto the field, and joining the match in a positive, productive, tangible way. Which we have done. And which we will continue to do as our rebalancing proceeds.

The serious business, though, did not disrupt the festive nature of the anniversary. The Gov’t of Samoa superbly organized a wide range of marvelous events including a moving national prayer service, stunningly beautiful opening ceremonies, dynamic cultural exhibitions, elegant State dinner at the historic Robert Louis Stevenson House, elegant national Ball, exciting fautasi (traditional Samoan longboat) races and other sporting contests, national variety show, colorful street parade of floats and bands, glorious outdoor candlelight thanksgiving service and gospel music concert, and much more … all executed seamlessly. I don’t know how the Independence Committee managed to do all that.

As everything in Samoa always is, the proceedings were a vibrant feast for the senses. I can’t directly share here on my blog the sweet aroma of the flowers … or the fresh feel of the ocean breeze … or the heavenly tones of the choirs … or the beguiling taste of oka and palusami (my two favorite Samoan delicacies) … but I can — and will — share a few more photos to give you a sense of the celebrations:

His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese, Her Highness Masiofo Filifilia, and Hon. Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Neioti Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi stand before the reviewing stand at the start of opening ceremonies.

With a few of my Embassy, Peace Corps, and Step Afrika colleagues after we marched in the opening ceremonies, in new uniforms that we made specially for the event.

Contingent of U.S. Veterans of Samoa march past the reviewing stand. (Governor Togiola Tulafono and the First Lady of American Samoa are standing at upper left.)

Prime Minister Tuilaepa and I signing the Shiprider Agreement on the USS Chafee (with the Ka'imimoana in the background at right). Illegal fishing fleets, watch out.

A comedy unit of the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet Band prepares to entertain dignitaries during the light entertainment portion of opening ceremonies.

Step Afrika! performing at Moataa village on Upolu.

Villagers riding in the float parade.

The Navy Band marching in the float parade.

Delivering the keynote address at the Independence Day secondary school speech and debate competition sponsored by the Rotoract Club.

The main stage used for cultural performances and the national variety show.

A group performing in the national variety show.

I hope you can tell that we had a great time. Because we did. My team and I worked 15-hour days throughout the week, but it was the kind of work that puts a big smile on your face, gives you a sense of accomplishment, and contributes positively to the joy and celebration of your friends on their special occasion.

Big thanks to the Prime Minister, the Independence Day Committee, and all our Samoan friends for allowing us to participate, for including us so graciously in the festivities, and, as always, for receiving us with such warmth, hospitality, and affection. Thanks also to my colleagues — not just at Embassy Apia but also from Embassy Wellington and Consulate General Auckland — who worked tirelessly for months to organize and then execute our programs.

As the title of the post says, it certainly was an outstanding week in Samoa.

I was fortunate to be able to time my quarterly visit to Samoa to coincide with the Teuila Festival, one of the country’s most impressive annual events.  All this past week there have been displays, entertainment, feasting, and sporting events in celebration of Samoa’s rich culture and great beauty.   As always, I particularly enjoyed the fire-knife dancing and the fautasi (traditional long boat) races.

Fire-knife dance, in full swing.

Wednesday was a particularly interesting day because it started with a ceremony at the Samoa Tourism Authority’s new cultural village fale outside Government House, to launch a new cultural cookbook, Me’a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific.   Written by world-renowned chef Robert Oliver with Dr. Tracy Berno and Shiri Ram, Me’a Kai contains more than 90 traditional recipes from Samoa and neighboring island cultures.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa spoke eloquently at the book event about the importance of re-embracing organic agriculture and organic food, both deeply rooted in Samoan history and culture.  My friend Adimalaga Tafuna’i, Executive Director of Women in Business Development Inc. (WIBDI), spoke about WIBDI’s organic farming and healthy living programs, including a village-based healthy eating and weight loss competition being launched in collaboration with the Peace Corps and the Embassy.

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