By Staff Writer
Many of the families in the two Samoas should be eating well in the coming days following the ‘food flood’, exchanged during two days of Samoa Talks just ended.
The gesture for both sides is in keeping with the customs and tradition of gifting each other with the ‘si’i’ or ‘ta’iga sua’.
Truckloads of food were seen pushed along on heavy duty trollies by people from both sides outside the Taumeasina Resort carpark on the last day of the Talks.
Governor Lemana PS Mauga and his large delegation of about 80 members reportedly shipped over tons of packaged food said to be mostly meat products, in anticipation of the local hospitality.
PM Fiame and her delegation reciprocated with an indulgence of provisions that included so many fresh carcasses of beef it should leave several local cattle owners beaming with grateful smiles at the jump in sales.
Even the former Prime Minister and HRPP opposition leader, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, and party members joined in the traditional gifting exchange.
Big cash amounts were also passed around between the two sides. Fine mats were included.
It is the second such sharing of traditional hospitality by delegations to the Talks.
American Samoa hosted the first Samoa Atoa Talks, and their guests reportedly shipped a mountain of cargo for the occasion from Apia.
The trip also included a large group of Government campaign fundraisers for the prized American dollar.
Reports that traveling expenses for the fundraising group were paid out of Government funds did not sit well with the political opposition and they raised a stink over it.
No such problem with the American Samoans coming to Apia. The value of the tala is far from firing up any campaign fundraising interest by the visitors.