It’s always wise to learn as much as you can from your elders, especially considering the treasure trove of experience they hold.

As they constantly make comparisons with the past and the present, it’s always good to sit and listen to the old tales.

For Mua Kerisiano from the village of Apolima, a lot has changed especially with the cost of living.

Aged 60, Mua says that life now is just way too expensive.

“The cost of living is not good at all,” he told the Village Voice yesterday.

“Back then the cost of lamb and transport to Apia was just cents, and now it’s so expensive. If you go to Apia nowadays with just $100 then that’s only enough for transport and a meal. That’s it!”

“You need to take $1000 to town if you want to do a proper shopping. The cost of food, clothes and everything has gone up by ridiculous amounts.”

Mua explains that affordability has gone out the window for many necessities in Samoa. Even with the adult in his family who are currently employed, they still don’t have enough to counter the high cost of living.

He also feels that the government is to blame for the struggle everyone has to endure.

“The government is not good one bit,” Mua said.

“Back in the days we never had cultural activities (fa’alavelave) and now it’s just so bad. The government is just pushing for these activities. They are leading the way in making our lives so expensive.”

“It doesn’t help with everything being so expensive.”

“The government should show a bit of love. When they are implementing tax they should make it a little lighter for those who are struggling.”

But the cost of goods is just the beginning of Mua’s problems.

“Even when it comes to pension, it’s just not enough for the people of Samoa,” he said.

“In New Zealand they would start giving benefits to children and then when they are older they will get a lot of money for their pension.”

“The cost of travel has gone up too, back in the days we would only spend $50 to go to American Samoa but now it’s gone up so much.”