the best festival ever

... pictures tomorrow...

They say it is over, but it is not. As long as there will be a dilatation from any Pacific island, you can be sure there will be at least a party.

But the closing ceremony was just amazing. Of course it started with the usual never-ending speeches of appreciation, but even so it was wonderful to be a part of it. Plus, you never know, somebody may still say something funny, like the governor in the opening ceremony when he said “ If God is Michelangelo, then the Pacific Islands are his Mona Lisa”. A murmur rose in the crowd “they must be laughing” I though, then, no, I realized, they were agreeing with the governor and feeling very pleased with the statement… Poor Italy… Most people still think that the pasta Alfredo or the Caesar salad are Italian too… this is how these false voices are passed on…

This time the Lt. Governor mentioned Columbus, that made me very worried once again, but I could quite catch what he has to do with Polynesia. Maybe better this way.

There were only 3 events a part from the speeches and usual gift exchanges, and they were all amazing. One was a short number by the Solomon Island that, with their flutes and catchy tunes, lightened everybody’s hearts.

Then, once the night descended, 100 fire-dancer performed together in the field… wonderful, amazing, thrilling. Toward the end of the show, one of the fire-knife was thrown across the field, and lighted up a huge torque, that will illuminate the way for those leaving the island to return home. And as the lt. governor was saying these words (the governor is in Tonga for a coronation), an explosion toward one end of the field caught everybody attention. And then another, and another, and lightings in the sky… fireworks!!!!!!!!

Now, you have to consider, that fireworks are not permitted on island (unless you are the governor and you want them I guess), and most of these people never saw one in their life. There was lots of excited screaming, jumping, I think a general adrenaline high that spread fast along the crowd. I cannot really explain with words how special it was to be there, a huge crowd feeling so high. It was just like being in the movie “the lord of the ring”, when Gandalf amazed all with his fireworks. Literally. As a matter of fact, the firework engineer (if we really had one –but I think somebody just read the instruction that came with the box), did not really shot the fireworks very high in the sky, and incandescent light were falling on the crowd packed on the stadium field. But, as most people never had a firework experience, they did not consider it unsafe. If there were firemen present, they surely did not think it was the case to ask the crowd to move to a safest place. And the fireworks when on and on, accompanied with the screaming, the jumping, the excitement, forever… A night to talk about for a while, the best firework night I have been into. And probably the only one in which I will ever been “into”, as in surrounded by fireworks, rather than having fireworks just above me.

The best Festival I have ever been. Good job American Samoa!!!!