Life in American Samoa

I'm considering taking a 2-year job in American Samoa & am interested in what living there is like. Pls. do tell all -- the good, the bad, the ugly, the sublime and the mondo bizarro. Will it be the adventure of a lifetime or my worst nightmare? What is there to do? Good places to eat? Social life in Pago Pago? Cost of living? Inquiring minds want to know! Thanks in advance for any input.

depends a lot on where you are working. Hospital, ASG, private sector, federal, teaching, religious. Each one has positives and negatives.

American Samoa is a lot more diverse than you might think with thriving Chinese, Korean, Filipino and New Zealand communities.

AS can also be a hub for travel around the Pacific.

If you enjoy the outdoors, AS has a beautifully maintained ecosystem of reef and rainforest resources.

You will be welcomed as a privileged minority.

From Pago Pago, JW

Social life? American Samoa? Huh?

Did you recieve any good information? I am looking to do the same two year contract. Whta is life like, what to do, where to live, what should I bring, cost of living etc. Please help as I cannot find this information anywhere.

Thanks for the responses. I have accepted a job as a public defender in American Samoa, tentatively arriving in late June for a 2-year stay. I'm looking forward to my S. Pacific sojourn and welcome any and all input on life on The Rock. My future collegues have filled me in as best they can, but I suspect I'm embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Wonderful fun! Burning question: Is there a bookshop on the main island?

There are loads of blogs written by young lawyers and others working in AS.

Do a google seach but limit it to blogs.

Re: Bookstore. Unfortunately, the book selection is pretty limited. Many of the books are religious in nature that are found at the Wesley bookstore in Fagatogo (town area). Usually, people would go to the library to check out books for leisure, or there are a few stores around the island that, while not their main source of revenue, do also sell books. There's a relatively new store in Nu'uuli next to the gas station across from the 'a'ai (ask one of the locals, they'll know what this is. You'll become accustomed to the lack of street signs soon enough! =)). They have some great murder mysteries and other similar books. If not, I'd advise going to a local bookstore and stock up on cheap books before you go! Hope this helps.

The largest Bookstore in the United States is in American Samoa. Kinda. Amazon ships books there for the same price as the mainland. Just takes a month to get there.