An Evening With the Governor

I was quite excited to get invited to dinner at the Governor's mansion. It isn't too often that you are asked to dine with the person who is essentially the President of your country. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this evening. I kept jokingly referring to going to the Governor's Ball all week. Unfortunately, I didn't get to wear a ball gown and there wasn't any dancing, but that is probably for the best.

The Governor's mansion is located up on a hill, overlooking Pago Pago Harbor. We arrived at the guard station at the bottom of the hill and were directed up the long driveway. We were greeted at the top by several of the Governor's security men. I felt like these people were under the false impression that we were a bit too important, but hey, it was a fun fantasy for the evening. The mansion is a big, white plantation-style home.

We were greeted inside by one of the maids and promptly led into the "great room" where drink orders were taken. We admired the beautiful room and then Governor Tolioga Tulafono and First Lady Mary Ann Tulafono made their entrance. They warmly greeted us and I was proud as they thanked Paul for the wonderful job he did as the Governor's SCUBA instructor. It was immediately apparent that they are both warm, genuine, smart people.

While the First Lady finished some dinner preparations, the Governor gave us a tour of the house. The house was built in 1903, as residence for the commander of the U.S. Navy stationed on Tutuila. After the Navy left the island, the house went on to be the residence for American Samoa's governors. During the beginning of Governor Tulafono's term, major renovations and restorations took place. As the Governor led us through each of the rooms, you could sense the pride he felt in restoring the house to its historical state. The location of the mansion has cultural significance as well and is called Mauga o Ali'i -- Mountain of the Chiefs.

One of the highlights of the house was the library, with beautiful floor-to-ceiling wooden bookshelves. Paul was especially impressed with this room. The Governor also pointed out his rock collection and he even said that his wife gives him a hassle sometimes because he is always picking up rocks on their travels. Hmm, that sounds all too familiar.

Dinner was very nice. We sat in the formal dining room. The table was huge, especially for 10 people so the conversation was a bit divided between each end of the table. Paul and I sat right next to the Governor and he entertained us with many stories. After dinner, Paul and his dive assistants were presented with signed copies of an American Samoa commemorative book. We also had a photo shoot, and even the Governor and First Lady wanted lots of pictures with their diving instructor. It was a great evening, but a bit sad to leave the mansion and head back to our humble dwelling.

This is a link to the American Samoa Historical Preservation Office website that has aerial photos of the Governor's house.

Check out the press release of the scuba training on the government's website. It was well circulated on the island, with the newspapers, tv, and radio all picking up the story. Plus, Emma's school Christmas program was broadcast on tv tonight so both Paul and Emma got their 15 minutes of fame today.