guitar-lesson
Inspired by the "It's Tonga" -moments in my last post and really the amount that I say that phrase on a weekly-basis here, I've decided to start a segment in my blog called the "It's Tonga" Moments of the Week. These are times when something that seems completely absurd or funny or wonderful or new happens, and I rationalize it by saying, "It's Tonga." These are the top ones this week:
- I went to a feast on the beach with the youth group last week, and as we were leaving I was gathering my things. I couldn't find my frisbee. A small search party set out to find it, and a few minutes later it is discovered, covered in food. Someone thought it was a plate. They finished eating, then returned the frisbee.
- The entire island I live on is currently out of gasoline. I had a lot of company walking along the road to the internet today!
-About three weeks ago I dropped few letters off at the post office, one being a birthday letter to my Mom, hoping it would reach her by her birthday. I went into the post office yesterday, and the letters were still sitting there. They were supposed to go out on the boat today, but the boat wasn't running today, maybe because there's no gasoline. Sorry, Mom.
In other news, the one-clawed crab from my last post is sticking around. I still have no idea how he got to my house from the ocean...the first couple of nights he came in I thought about killing him and eating him raw, which is apparantly a Tongan delicacy, but then I thought that maybe his life has been far too interesting and it would be a shame to kill him now. I mean he made it all the way to my house from the sea somehow, and somewhere along the way he lost a claw...so I decided to name him instead. Scully. He comes in a few nights a week, and I try to be okay with it, as long as he doesn't start to think he owns the place. As long as he stays out of my hammock... Okay, in truth, another reason I didn't kill him is that I'm waiting for the night that Scully and a rat show up in my kitchen the same night. I think that would be a fascinating showdown, kinda like celebrity boxing. My bet's on the crab, again, based on the fact that I think he has a lot of interesting life experiences from which to draw. I get kinda easily excited around here, especially when it's been raining a lot and I've been spending a lot of time in my house.
School starts Monday, and I've spent the past week planning with my counterparts and creating handmade resources to use in my lessons. There's not a lot to work with, although my school does have a few sets of reading books, but most of the things I use in my lessons I will have to make myself. This is a little daunting, but so far it has proven to be actually pretty fun! It allows for a lot more creativity in lesson planning, whereas when I student taught in California there was so much structure with the standards and testing that there really wasn't a lot of room for creativity. Most lessons were pre-planned from a teacher handbook, where entire units were already given complete with accompanying worksheets, homework and tests. Boring. Here I am given a list of broad topics, such as personal introductions, and that's about as much structure as I have. It's great. So the last week or so I've been coming up with games and activities, making posters and puzzles out of cardboard, then laminating everything with packaging tape so it doesn't get wet and moldy (which is as tedious as it sounds). It's kept me busy at least. I'm excited for school to start so I can use all the things I've made!
OH! I have a new address!
Jennifer Danielson, PCV
P.O. Box 24
Ohonua, 'Eua
Kingdom of Tonga, South Pacific
Again, if you want to send anything, any updates from your life are great, as well as pictures. Other ideas of things that I would like are: instant oatmeal packets (in a ziploc so the ants don't get to it before me!), granola bars, dried fruit, crystal light packets, etc.
Actually one of the things that would be most appreciated right now is CD's. I accidently deleted most of my music from my iPod the night before I left, and what I put back on has quickly gotten old. Any type of music, maybe your favorites! At this point even the Wiggles would be a nice change of pace. (Please don't send the wiggles). I don't yet have a CD player, but next time I make it to a main island I'll be able to find one. Probably before any packages get to me :)
Just as a heads up, it'll probably cost more to ship anything than what whatever you're sending is worth, so you might think about trying to keep it pretty light or sending really expensive stuff :) just kidding.
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