By Staff Writers
The festive presence of lights and other holiday decorations that set up the joyful mood of the holiday season faded quietly from within Apia in the week just ended.
The normal working grind was back again quickly for the first full week of the New Year.
Electrical wires for all the flickering lights in many of Ministries and Corporations in town were quickly rolled up and stored.
Glittering decorations were also removed as the week continues except for a few still left that will require a bit more work to take down.
The staff of the Samoa Tourism Authority behind the Festival of Lights that lifted the spirit of the holidays in Apia, were feeling nostalgic as they cleaned up and dismantled all the installations they had set up.
“ The festival was well received and we’re looking forward to doing it again now that it is going to be an annual event for Apia,” one of the senior STA staff members reflected.
“ Usually on the nights of Christmas and New Year, Apia is quiet with hardly any traffic on the streets but not this year.
“On New Year’s night, but the time we came down from the fireworks on Mt. Vaea the streets of Apia was still busy with traffic and people were still moving around.”
The run of rain and flooding weather these past few days has ushered in a tone of concern for safety.
The happy celebration mood of the festive season is being quickly replaced by a more somber atmosphere of regular everyday life in a working town.