The pace of life in Samoa is so laid-back it's only a heartbeat away from being a nice little snooze. Its palm-fringed beaches, booming white surf, and lush rainforests wreathed in misty clouds make it the kind of place Hollywood location scouts go gaga over. The islands are so idyllic they're almost a cartoon version of a writer's hideaway. Then there's the beachcomber lifestyle where time is the haziest of concepts.