HELP me HELP you:)

My sister reads books...I watch TV! We do it in the same room all the time. She asked to read me to sleep one night (haha laupisi) so I asked what book she was reading and she said "THE HELP". I said, Oh, like the movie that's coming out this week. That made her even more determined to complete it. She actually did read me an incerpt from the book and it got my attention.

After hearing rave reviews from family, magazine articles, etc, I was eager to watch it. I picked her and caught the last show on Sunday night. I LOVE this movie..cute in every way. I love movies that take place in the South, I love movies that take place in 50's & 60's and I esp love movies where one person goes against everyone else and does something for the good.

Obviously, the movie is about "The Help" Housekeepers, Maids, Nannies, whatever it may be. You see how the help gets treated. Some employers can me brutally mean, while others actually grow a bond with their help. Watching any movie that has to do with slavery or race, I always tell myself... *If I were a white woman, I'd be the exception and treat black people nice* OR I Would NEVER do that to my help!

THEN I really thought to myself... How Am I with The Help? And then it hit me! OMG, I'm no better! Not that I have a housekeeper or a maid or a nanny, but we do have a gardener. And we've had this gardener for years! ASK ME IF I EVEN KNOW HIS NAME!!! Horrible! I've never offered him a drink, never said HI to him. And he does a really good job. If anything, I complain more because his leaf blower wakes me up every Saturday morning! SMH!

And then I thought back in high school, did I know the janitors names? (besides the Tongan one) If I didnt have to do community service and work with them every day for 2 months, I would have never known who any of them were. After my service was done, I still talked to them during games or around campus. Its just weird how the year before, I would see them cleaning up after the football games and this year, I'm helping them put the cones away and conversating at the same time.

I felt so awful for myself! Saying this and that is one thing...when I stepped outside the box looking in, it just opened my eyes. Didnt understand how I can smile and say hi to a hotel concierge who did nothing for me, yet I've never even met my garderner who does shit to our yard & backyard that no one else would do. This movie hit me in more ways that one. Moving forward, I hope to be more kindhearted & thoughtful towards people who help me. And eventually be the person I thought I already was! LOL! Stupid me!




P.S. *SMILE* though your heart is aching... SMILE even though its breaking:)

family is FAMILY!

I really admire when I see blended, broken, extended, unique... just in general "Non average" families... still be a FAMILY! Tongans are known for having huge families, but I also believe it's because we use the word very lightly..or at least I do.

I love it how people who stayed with my grandparents back in the days call my mom and ask "how is mom & dad". I love how my dad's cousin's cousin on the other side refer to my dad as their cousin. I love how I consider my cousins more like sisters. I love how I call my uncle's palangi wife's father "Grandpa Rich". I love how I have uncles & aunts the same age as me. I love how all 3 of my uncle's baby mamas show up to the family reunion ;)

Whatever the situation is, it may be good, may be bad. Cant imagine it being the easiest thing. Times it may be an emotional thing. But the members you gain and the memories you inherit...consider it a *BLESSING*



Kimora Lee Simmons with her 2 girls Ming Lee & Aoki lee to her ex-husband Russell Simmons and her baby boy Kenzo Lee to her current husband Djimon Hounsou



Bruce Willis & Demi Moore with children & Demi's current husband Ashton Kutcher



3 of 4 of Lil Wayne's baby's mamas Toya, Nivea & Lauren London *Mz NewNew* celebrating the wedding of Wayne's ex wife's Toya Carter to Memphitz Wright



here are my inlaws (HAHA) JENNERs/KARDASHIANs. My boo Brody Jenner<3 Before Kris & Bruce hooked up, Bruce had Burt, Casey, Brandon and my Brody. Kris had Kourtney, Kim, Khloe & Rob. Together, they had Kendall & Kylie and partridge in a pear tree:)





haha u get my drift!

P.S. Love & Happiness- Al Green

another way I know I'm my father's daughter!

My father LOOOVEs History!! He'll talk to someone, and then I hear the convo turn and all the sudden I'm hearing Tomas Jefferson's name! lol Last week we had FHE and he tried to talk to my nieces & nephs about Pioneer Day and a specific story about a man with a wooden leg. He kept going on & on and the kids were all starring into space! hahaha He even wanted to name one of my nephews Douglas MacArther (i guess he's some kinda army guy) because he was so fascinated with his story!

Then comes me. I'm not THAT much into American History as he is but I do get a lil curious about things. I became totally obsessed with this local mansion called "Carolan's Mansion" and I read books about it, watched documentaries, etc And now I'm finding the HISTORY CHANNEL in my rotation of channel flipping! Dont know how it got there but I'm catching myself watching it more often now. But I <3 it.

If you get a chance, flip to this channel and just watch it.


I LOVE this show! I'm a geography nut so this show is very informational and totally cool. I tried to school folks in my house about "State of Jefferson" or the state of Maine...but no1 was tryna hear me!


I guess this is it's 3rd Season but this was the first time I watched this show and again... I love it! I've become intrigued with Bayou's growing up listening to my dad sing along with Linda Ronstadt's Blue Bayou. In plain english a bayou is a swamp but it just "sounds sweeter rolling off your tongue" This is one of those shows I find myself catching old episodes On Demand that I missed!

Once again, a nerdy show but I keep watching it! LOL!

 There are tons of Pawn shows.. but this one is FUNNY!!!!


P.S. **STUNTING LIKE MY DADDY**

blowin candles!!

Its dat time of da year... when the constellations form the mighty mighty Lion and Mi Cumpleano:) Wish I can go back to 22, but I'm not 30 yet. But it is what it is! LOL! I am so lucky to be blessed with such great family and wonderful friends. Felt like I celebrated my bday 5 days in a row! LoL! DOnt want to see another candle for another year... dont want to hear the song "Happy Birthday" for a very long time! I've got to have a wonderful dinner on Thursday with my sisters & first cousins at one of my favs (Cheesecake Factory) It was a combined bday dinner for my older sister & I since our bdays are 4 days apart. Sat morning had breakfast at a local diner joint that we love called Nini's Coffee shop. Saturday evening, went to Santana Row (San Jose) with friends and ended up being a surprise bday dinner for me and my friend Ana Ball. (*thnx Kase, Lei, Ofa, Ana, Allison & Liz), Sunday had a dinner at my 5th Star/great friend JLo's place! Another great meal and more cake (Thx Jlo, Olive, Sin, Martie, Puki, Annie, Lupita & Angie), Monday *MY ACTUAL BDAY* Had lunch with my older sis. My choice was a taqueria! lol I love Mexican food! Then we had a party at Shoreview Park for my nieces & nephews and my soul sistah Trish made me this YUMMMMY cake! Soooo good. Came home to a yummy homecooked meal *of course my choice* lol Fried Chicken, buscuits, corn on a cob and all da rest of da fixins. *thnx to my Newbridge & Young St familia*    HOI... calories overload! And I got lunch dates all week so I guess that means my diet starts NEXT week!! lol

which brings me to... Signs I'm Getting Older:-/

*dont drink as often as i used to! lol
*i'm not "in a rush" to go anywhere anymore. My speed level on da road decreased cause i realized its not that serious
*Sometimes on weekends, I dont mind staying in some nights.
*still love VH1 but am finding myself watching History Channel more

BUUUT DONT GET ME WRONG!!! I still stay stackin, always rockin my stilettos, sing/rap to any song that comes on da radio, still can outdrink a 21 yr old if need be (lol) But I'm also finding myself wiser, more responsible, more adventurous, more appreciative and def more tryna stay positive and surround myself with positive people. OMG, i'm growing up:)


P.S. "take my hand and dont let go...i'm addicted to your lovin"

our roots run DEEP

July 14-17 was my UNGA reunion which is my mother's maiden name. I was also part of the committee so after 4 months of planning, fundraising, baking, meeting, it was exciting to see the weekend approaching!

I have got to say, I had the BEST time with my family!! Seriously! Family reunions are always nice to go to and spend time with your family but I just had so much fun. I think everyone did.

Thursday was our Intro bbq. Tons of folks were there and the food was great! We also had a bone morrow drive for my nephew Tevita. And then that led into a dance which da DJ was banging. Got da cocoa & topai flowin LOL and ended the night playing a movie on the projector while the kids got cozy under their blankets and the adults did grown stuff in da parking lot! lol
 








Friday was bowling! It was super fun cause we rented out da whole bowling alley so there were bout 16 lanes of bowling, plus about 6 pool talbes and my aunt arranged for a taco truck to be parked outside the place and serve as many tacos as we want. It was great! Later that night we had a dance/talent night where each brother's family had to prepare a number. For my grandfather, we did the MOVE- Beyonce routine with my girl cousins and my nieces & nephews. It was super cute. After the dance...another after hours party at da Union Hall. Cocoa & keke were steady flowin inside the hall... while it was grown folks business again in da parking lot! LoL!

   

  

Saturday was our Raging Waters day. I was sooo much fun. I swear it feels like I go to Raging Waters damn nearly every year...but this time it was the funnest time I had there. I felt like we were lil kids in a candy store. And if you thought we were bad, da bro in laws were hilairous. They were the ones who kept getting everyone pumped. It was super fun. And being part of the committee, it was nice to just chill and enjoy yourself and not have to worry about anything that day since Raging Waters provided a buffet lunch with unlimited drinks & ice cream that day!

 

Sunday was our farewell dinner:( I must say FOOD was on HIT all weekend. lol We ate, we conversated and they officially announced that next year Unga Reunion 2012 will be in Hawaii!!! yaaaaayyyy!! Everyone is super excited for that. After the dinner was finished and everyone started cleaning up, it was just nice to see everyone in the parking lot. It was like, no1 wanted to leave. Cousins reunited, taking pictures, telling jokes, old school stories. The crowd was slowly getting smaller. Cars were leaving as we all waved goodbye.

It was so nice to see this reunion become such a success after the months of planning. Both the locals and out of towners had a blast. I'm so happy this reunion is 31 yrs strong EVERY single year. That's how the brothers wanted it, and that's what they got. Some years may not be as successful as others, but the show must go on and it has been!

I'm just sad that my grandparents couldnt be here to enjoy this time with their family. They're still in Vava'u and not in the best shape to travel a long flight. So I committed my time, money, effort for them, and for the younger generation in hopes that this goes strong for another 30 yrs. 2012...im ready for ya HAWAII:)

 

P.S. I love the way you move your bodddyyyy!

♫3 Months of Pleasure... How Can I Measure ♫

It's early July and so far, this summer has been super crazy & busy but I'm loving every minute of it! Beautiful Bay Area weather, never too hot. Family functions, more outtings, more day hours, bbqs, parks & beaches, barely there clothing (haha), concerts, etc

Happy Father's Day to my Daddy VALENTINO FA'AUMU! Most humble, patient man I know... where I get it from ;) Got him more play time at the local Golf course Poplar Creek. He loved it! But he would love anything golf related!

JLo, Olive, Jan & I went to KMEL's House of Soul concert which was also the Love Letter Tour. R.Kelly w/ Keyshia Cole & Marsha Ambrosia. We also met up with TJ, Krystle & Peter. I'm already a Keyshia fan but damn...she was seriously da SHIT!!! I still think she's da baddest vocalist in the game. I <3 her! I couldve went home after her performance and would've been satisfied. But then R.KELLY shut dat shit down! He was AMAZING and the show was even better! He sang EVERY song you know. There were even songs I forgot about. I loved it. Ended the night at the Crepe Truck in SF! Only ordered a savory one... then ended up ordering 2 sweet ones *heffa*








Happy Birthday Carmine (6/17) Isaiah (6/20) Antonio (6/22), Levaseni (6/23) & Devin (6/24)
 

Every year, City of San Mateo puts on Central Park Music Series. Its a free concert every other Thursday at Central Park in the summer. Each concert is a local band from a diff genre every show. My family has been going to these every year since they started. This series began so small that it used to be a small corner in the park to now the main grass area of the park. The kids love attending them and it's always a San Mateo reunion with family, church members & school folks.











4th of July is my favorite holiday ever! Most say Christmas or Thanksgiving..... me NOPE! I love summer, I love bbq's, I love fireworks, I love my country... what more is there not to love about this holiday! Again, every year, my first cousins get together and throw a bbq. We've been going to Ryan Park for the past few years. If you're from San Mateo, yet alone the Peninsula. Ryan Park in Foster City is the place to be. The fireworks show sucks but it's super crackin! BBQ was a success. It seemed to turn into a Tongan community bbq cause there were soooo many people there I didnt know but it sure was da hot spot. As soon as the OG's left, pop open the bottle and it was on. I had such a good time with my family and loved ones. Makes me appreciate my loved ones even more. I'm so blessed to be surrounded with amazing people. My immediate family, my Unga Girls, my inlaws, my childhood buddies, my friends, etc!













Now it's crunch time and I can count on my hands the days away for the Unga Reunion. We've been working really hard planning everything. Fundraising, meetings, planning, etc I'm excited!!


PS... Water Balloon fighters.... Lowriders.... and Eastsiders:)

BATTLE of da BULGE!!

PEN 4 Biggest Loser is BACK!!!



We all met yesterday at the scale.... BTW-SM(DAMN)H! Then we were all divided into 6 Teams, get our Team Color and hear about rules & regulations. I am part of the PURPLE TEAM which I absolutely love since its mi color favorito. My team captain is my handsome cousin Koti who is very fit and a vegan may I add. And my team members are Crystal, Make, Nio, Prez & Faithy! WE GOT THIS! lol

This competition will go on for 3 months and the GRAND PRIZE is you win a trip for 2 to accompany Koli & Ashley (BL Season 9) to the Biggest Loser Ranch in either St. George or Malibu for a week. This is so DOPE! But there are also 2nd & 3rd place prizes which I heard is better than last year's grand prize (40 inch flat screen TV)

JLo and I had our last supper last nite at TGIFridays and now it's ON! May the forces be with you....

*its an 808 state of mind*

so after my trip to Florida, I had Monday & Tuesday off and returned to work on Wednesday. A few friends planned a trip to Hawaii for a wedding and they were making it sound sooo tempting. You can NEVER go wrong with Hawaii...seriously! LAST MINUTE...i decided Thursday, got my tix, packed my bags, went to work on Friday and asked my boss if I can leave early to catch a flight. I told him I was going to be off Monday (maybe Tuesday) but I was determined to be back Monday so I can still get Memorial Day weekend off. ANYWAYS, I hopped on the plane and made sure the crew picked my up.

this was the first thing i did when I got back to the vacation home in Hau'ula


I had the BEST time in Hawaii..it was fun, refreshing, relaxing, hilarious, crazy, etc! We did soooo much in 2 days than I've ever done any other time there. We were da "KEEP IT MOVIN" crew cause we were just EVERYWHERE gettin things done! And we ate, ate, ate...omg!  Ted's Bakery, Sunset Beach, Waimea, Temple Beach, Hukilau, TVA, weddings, Town, Hotel Ilikai, The Shack, Ala Moana, Screamer, Pali Lookout, Papa Ole's, Rainbow, Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, PCC, Swap Meet, Haleiwa, Lucy's house in 50 First Dates, Crouching Tiger, Kakela, Pounders... yes, all in 2 frickin days! 5 Hr Energy was my BFF cause I was surviving off of 5 hrs dat whole weekend.

Going back home was HELL... ended up flying to LAX and purchasing a full fare to SFO... but it was well worth it!

Missin my KEEP IT MOVIN crew:: TJ, JLo, Make, Krystle, Fred, Seaz, Lupita, Ti, Jan, Edwin & Finau:)









STAND- BY BOREDOM at its WORSE!!! hahahaha TJ, JLo & Me PLANKING




i had one downfall of my trip and that is when I recd a text message hrs after my flight landing that my great aunt passed away. Grandma Felofiaki Unga Tuivailala. She was my grandpa's ONLY sister! I was very saddened when I heard the news and being so far from my family was hard:( Then hearing that my grandpa in Vava'u took it hard as well and got sick out there. RIP Grandma Fiaki and get better Gpa Lihati xoxo



PS. *Feels like I was born 2 love you* Katchafire