"It's Tonga"

My living room, the hammock unhooks and can be stored out of the way, making my bed, Tonga-style

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.

Uike lotu

The dreaded molokau
Sunsets, Tonga-style











On a hike in 'Eua; at the right time of year you can sit up on the bluff and watch the whales playing just off the coast down below


My first ta'olunga, complete with being drenched in coconut oil. Yum.
My house!



My room
The view from my front steps, that's the school I will be teaching at the next two years, with the Pacific ocean in the background. Not bad at all.
Sitting shotgun on the plane out to 'Eua

Pretty happy about being sworn in. (In the aforementioned leopard-print puletaja)

Getting ready to head to the swear-in ceremony


Lazy afternoon on the porch at Sela's guesthouse
Coconut frond hat



Well, I just completed my first uike lotu (week of church) here, which basically entailed going to church twice a day every day the first week of January to pray for blessings for the year to come. I wasn't dreading it too much, as there's not a whole lot else to be doing areound here right now until school starts.

The Sunday before uike lotu began, I asked my neighbor what time the first service was on Monday morning. "Six am" he told me. Hum. OKay, a little early, but I'm no stranger to six am after swimming so many years, so I set my alarm for 5:30 and went to bed. At 4am, I hear a banging on my door. I get up to answer it, and there is my neightbor, Fefite, dressed and ready to go to church. The following conversation ensues:
F: Are you ready to go to church!
J: Huh?
F: It is time for the church to start!
J: But...you said church started at 6...
F: Yeah!
J: But...it's 4...
F: Yes!
J: But church doesn't start until six...
F: Yes... (looking at me like I'm dumb as a rock)
J: So church doesn't start for two hours?
F:Yeah
J: But what to we do for two hours before church begins?
F: We go up over there and sing! (Duh)
J: But...it's 4...
F: (blank stare)
J: ...I'll be ready in ten minutes....

Well, church actually ended up starting at 5 and ENDING at six, so I was pretty confused. Then On the way home I made sure to ask when the afternoon service began. Six o'clock, I was assured. For some reason I believed that. I took a little nap that morning then went to ako hiva (singing practice) at my neighbors house and tried my best to blend in and not bring the whole group down with my voice. I'm not sure how successful I was. I spent the afternoon swimming at the wharf, then returned to my house and showered and was about to settle into my hammock to read a little before the afternoon church service when there came a knock at the door. It was around 4pm. I answered the door to see my neighbor standing there, fully dressed for church. Repeat conversation above, only this time, I was told that the singing group I had practiced with that morning were all at the church waiting for my to arrive so we could begin singing. I was a little peeved. I was ready in ten minutes, and once again church started at 5pm and was done by 6pm. Still confused. On the way home I told my neighbor that maybe it would be best if he told me what time we were leaving rather than what time church began, and he agreed that that would be a good idea. He said that we would leave around 4:15 am the next morning. Okay, great, see you then. 4:15 am rolled around much too soon, but I rolled out of my hammock and was ready to go. I walked over to Fefite's house to find the entire family still asleep. Naturally. I didn't want to wake them, so I went to church alone. They showed up at 4:45. It was one of those situations where I've learned to just laugh and say, "It's Tonga"

As the week progressed, I started to think I was understanding the schedule and on Tuesday I left for church around 4:15 pm to find that I was just about the only one there. That day church began around 5:30. I still don't know why, but I figured out that they ring the bell three times before each service, so that's when people know when to go. I also figured out that whenever I begin to think I have anything figured out around here, I'm usually way off.

I also endured my first tropical storm last week, not a huge deal, just a lot of rain and wind. But I didn't get out of my house much besides to go to church, and one night as I was lying in my hammock, I heard something in the kitchen. I sat up and looked over and saw a single-clawed crab sitting in the middle of my kitchen. As soon as I made noise he scrambled under the door and out of my house. The next morning I wasn't sure if it had actually happened, but alas, that night he came back. He wasn't a tiny crab either, his body was about the size of my palm. This time I had to sweep him out of the house. Now I'm really not THAT close to the ocean, and I'm not sure how he got all the way to my house. I mean I walk to the water every day, it's only about a half-mile, but I certainly wouldn't crab-walk there. But, it's Tonga.

I swim in the wharf every day (except when its storming) and the first day I went alone, but every day after that people from my village have gone with me and they seem to really like it. I think it's about 150 yds. across, and some days there's quite a few of us swimming back and forth across the wharf. Also one of my neighbors, Pasa, has been teaching me to play guitar. He's really good, although I've never seen a piece of sheet music here in Tonga. So that's been a really fun way to pass the time as well.

Next week is planning week for school, and the following week school begins again, so this is probably my last week of goofing off all day until school starts. Actually I've felt like I've been pretty busy, just living really. Between retrieving and boiling all my drinking water, hand-washing my clothes, getting my house ready, going to church, and getting to know the people in my village, I haven't been close to being bored. I do a lot with the youth group here, they get together every day to play volleyball, have singing or dancing practice, or just to go to the beach, so that's been a lot of fun.

I'm also beginning to have ideas for secondary projects to begin, but more on that later. I hope this finds everyone well back home.

'Eua! Senifa: Slayer of rats, molokau, and all other creepy crawlies that dare invade my little Tongan fale!

Well, I'm finally all sworn-in and at my site here in 'Eua...and it is better than I ever could have expected! It is a nine minute plane ride from Tongatapu to 'Eua, and as I was walking out to the plane I realized it was going to be the smallest plane I had ever been on by far, a twelve-passenger I think. The upside is that it's only about six miles between Tongatapu and 'Eua, so if I had to I could definitely swim it! (In fact I was thinking about swimming it at some point because I WANTED to, but Peace Corps staff nixed that idea due to shark-infested and sometimes very rough waters.) Then came the clincher...the pilot invited me up to sit in the co-pilot's seat! So that was a pretty scenic nine-minute plane ride; I got my first view of 'Eua sitting shotgun in a tiny airplane!

I was greeted at the airport by my counterpart, the principal at the school I will be teaching at. I had met her a few days earlier when she had come to Tongatapu for a counterpart conference, and had asked her if I should stock up on fresh fruit and veggies since I heard they can be hard to get a hold of at certain times on 'Eua. She told me not to worry about it, my house is right across the road from the agricultural college, so I'll have easy access to fresh fruit, veggies, eggs, and milk. During our conversation I had mentioned that my favorite fruit here in Tonga was lesi (papaya), and I don't think it's a coincidence that just about every day I've been here a neighbor has shown up at my door in the morning with a fresh lesi.

My house is absolutely beautiful. It's brand new since I'm the first peace corps volunteer at this site, and by peace corps living standards, it's pretty big. It is on the primary school campus, and it sits on a hill overlooking the school and the ocean. The inside walls and celing are covered in tapa cloth, which is a type of bark they pound out then stain and paint designs on. It is very beautiful, but unfortunitly, it also attracts rats, and it didn't take long for them to make themselves at home. They come out at night and chew through the tapa cloth, which is pretty loud. Even worse, they were chewing the cloth right above my bed, so for a few nights I was laying there in fear of them chewing right through the cloth and falling on my face. As a result, I have been up at around three or four am every night throwing my shoes at the walls and celings trying to hit these rats. It probably looked funny, and really was not that effective, I haven't hit them yet and they didn't go away. After a few nights of this I set up my hammock in the living room and started sleeping in that. (Also because I'm pretty sure I had bed bugs- I woke up the first few mornings with bites all over) That also did not solve my rat problem, as I realized the first night spent in the living area that they were chewing through the tapa cloth above my hammock in there as well. You may be thinking, why not just get a rat trap? Excellent question, and the first thing I thought of as well. The reason that plan wasn't put into effect right away is because they don't sell rat traps here. Which seems like it could be a pretty lucrative business, but who am I to say? Finally word got around that I was having rat problems and one of the neighbors dug out their rat trap and set it up for me, and I'm proud to say that last night, a rat was trapped in it. Now as happy as I was about this, it created a whole new set of problems. First, the trap didn't kill the rat, and if you didn't know before, rats can scream, and this one was a screamer. And a jumper (he got some pretty good vertical for having his neck caught in a huge trap). It was 1am, and I had no idea what to do, I would have swept him outside, but I was afraid that a dog would come and get the rat and take what was seemingly the only rat trap on the island with him. At one point, I felt bad for the rat and even thought about taking him outside and letting him go, but then I remembered that the morning before I had walked into my room to get dressed and seen my leopard-print puletaha (poo-lay-ta-ha: a puletaha is traditional Tongan formal wear, usually consisting of a wrap skirt and top made out of the same material; this one was made for me by my host mom in Vava'u and was the one I wore to our swearing-in ceremony) halfway hanging out of a hole in the tapa cloth celing. Now I would understand if I had left food out and he had gotten into that, but seriously, leave my leopard-print puletaha alone. So letting him go was not an option, and even if I had felt enough mercy to let him go, there was no way I was going to touch him. So I read. The entire rest of the night. And he screamed and jumped around in my kitchen the rest of the night. It was a long night. In the morning I asked my twelve-year-old neighbor Elizabeth if her Dad would come help me get rid of it (still not dead!) and instead she marched right in and grabbed him, then took him to the yard and proceeded to beat him with a wood plank. Problem solved. (Okay, so I wasn't exactly the brave slayer of the rats, but I was there, and attendance should count for something)

I wish I could say that rats were the creepiest thing I've found in my house, but one morning I awoke to find a molokau in my sink. Molokau are centipedes that grow up to a foot in length, are extremely quick, and sting (apparantly far worse than a wasp sting). They tend to be found between sheets and in folded clothes, but this one was in my sink. My first instinct was to go get Elizabeth, but I was afraid that by the time I got back he would be gone, lurking in one of my folded skirts. I knew I was on my own for this one. I grabbed a fork from the clean dishes and jabbed, with the idea of pinning him down, but as soon as he started writhing I dropped the fork and ran. Miraculously, he stayed in the sink, so I crept back a grabbed another fork. Long story short, 35 minutes and about 12 utensils later I carried him out pinned between a spatula and yet another fork, still not dead, and threw him over my fence. (Okay, so I didn't exactly slay him either, but I would say I came out on top of that battle)

On the upside, I went on two really great hikes my first few days here. The first was to the southern part of the island ('Eua is only nine miles long, 3.5 miles wide). The hike took us past a giant banyon tree, to a huge hole in the earth that seemed bottomless, and to a high lookout point where you could see over the entire rainforest. The next day we headed up to the northern part of the island where I live. We hiked along this ridge that runs the length of the island, north to south. From the ridge you can see over the rainforest and over the western coast of 'Eua. At the right time of year, you can sit up on the ridge and look down over the water and watch the whales playing. We then climbed down the face of the ridge through some caves, and picnic-ed on the beach. Both hikes were beautiful, and I'm looking forward to exploring more of the island coming up here soon. School is on vacation here, and doesn't start again until February, so my primary tasks now are getting settled into my house and community, preparing for school, and ridding my house of creepy-crawlies.

My first Christmas here was really nice, I went to church in the morning with my neighbors, then we all packed up and headed to the beach. I did a little swimming, and of course there was a roasted pig. The neighbors made me my favorite Tongan dish, 'ota ika, which is raw fish in coconut milk with chopped onions and tomatoes. It's an acquired taste, but I really like it for a few distinct reasons. It's not canned, it's not fried, and it's not a root. Those three qualifications comprise %95 of the Tongan diet. They actually have made me 'ota ika three or four times since I've been here (9 days). Everyone in my village has gone out of their way to make me feel really welcome and comfortable here, and I feel very lucky to have been placed here. I participated in my first ta'olunga last week, about four days after I got here. Elizabeth (neighbor) was supposed to teach me the dance, but every time she came over to teach me, we'd go through the dance once, then we'd end up playing cards. As a result, she got pretty good at cards and I did not get very good at ta'olunga-ing. But I donned the traditional attire, complete with being drenched in coconut oil and got out there and did my best with the girls from my village, and it was pretty fun. On Christmas eve I went caroling with the church, which was also really nice and fun. I know I've mentioned it before, but Tongans are amazing singers, and I take any opportunity I get to be around when they are singing. Really they sing all the time, whether they're doing laundry, riding on a bus, or hanging out in a kava circle (probably why they're such great singers). That has rubbed off, and I've found that it's hard to be in a bad mood when you're singing! (Try it!)

Goodbye Ha'alaufuli; Thanksgiving; Weaving school dropout

How I spent Thanksgiving (top)
Girls performing ta'olunga (bottom)

Me and my language teacher 'Ofa and Tulu
At culture day. I think I get a lei just about every day from someone or another
Boys watching the girls at Culture Day

Culture day
Bays goofing off at one of the schools

Two weeks ago we left our homestay villages and spent a week in "attachment" where we follow around a current volunteer for a week. I, along with three other trainees, was attached to a volunteer named Phil. He is an older guy (50 maybe?) from Santa Barbara and he is really into surfing and paddle surfing. He is an education volunteer, but the school year is winding down here and he wasn't doing much, so we basically had a pretty free week. I went out paddlesurfing with Phil a few times, which is harder than it looks.
Most of the week we went to the schools on Phil's island group (Ha'apai) in the morning morning and played with the kids. It's hard not to be in a good mood playing with these kids because they are so enthusiastic and happy all the time. They don't have much in terms of toys; at one school Keiti (another trainee) and I spent the morning playing Moa with the girls. All you need is five small rocks, picked up off the street. You go through a series of "plays" where you toss them up and try to catch them on the back of your hand, then try to toss one in the air while you pick up a certain other rock then catch the rock that you tossed in the air. It's pretty tough, and Keiti and I weren't too good at it, but these girls were awesome. Also it was a lot of fun. It's amazing how resourceful these kids are.

At another school a little boy ran off and climbed up a coconut tree and we lost him in the palm fronds, but next thing we knew coconuts were falling. He climbed down and the boys husked the cocnuts for us and opened them and we feasted on coconut milk and meat. It takes some getting used to, but once you do it tastes pretty good.

At another school the girls tried to teach us a traditional ta'olunga, and I was really bad at that. It consists of so many really subtle hand and head movements...the Tongan girls who grew up learning it can do it really beautifully (they have a lot of natural grace, something I lack) but most of us weren't too good at it.

The last school we went to on Friday was having its Culture Day, which was pretty neat to watch. They dressed up in these really intricate handmade costumes, some looked like they had to take months to make, and they performed traditional dances (ta'olunga) and the boys did some war dances. I will try to put up pictures of that because it was really great.

We spent Thanksgiving in Ha'apai with Phil, and ended up having a very multi-cultural Tahnksgiving. Besides us volunteers from American, we invited the JICA volunteers from Japan, Viliami (the head of our education program) from Tonga, a couple one from Germany one from Ireland, Jacinta (one of our medical staff) who is from Fiji, and the owner of the resort Dave who was from New Zeland. I think in all there were seven nationalities represented at our Thanksgiving, which was great fun. We went to a resort on the island and they let us use their kitchen to cook out turkey (provided by the Peace Corps!) then made some of the turkey into turkey pizza which was absolutely divine. We spent the rest of the day snorkeling and playing cards.

Also that week we had a little time so Keiti and I headed to this little place where you could learn to weave thinking we'd make a little something to send home as a Christmas gift. We went in and asked about it and the lady said we could make something quickly in an hour. So we got to work. I began thinking I was going to make a large potholder. Four hours later I was on my second attempt and had regressed from wanting to make a large potholder to a small potholder to being completely satisfied if I just ended up with a coaster. It wasn't pretty. Keiti was making a purse and was doing a little better than I was. We both kinda ended up giving up, we were hungary and the lady said she would finish them and we could just come and pick them up the next day, so we jumped at that opportunity. Haha, I don't really think weaving is going to be my thing here in Tonga. When we returned the next day we hardly even recognized out projects, mine had turned into a small basket and Keiti's into a real purse. It was kinda like magic. (Merry Christmas Dad!)

I've found that as my Tongan language is progessing my English is getting worse and worse. Keiti and I spent probably a good fifteen minuted trying to think of the word "coaster" while we were in weaving school. (So forgive me for spelling/grammatical errors!) But, I'm loving learning to speak another language and I am now able to hold conversations pretty well in Tongan, which is good because my new homestay family does not speak much English at all. I am now satying with another homestay family in Nuku'alofa (Tongatapu) for two weeks before I get to head off to 'Eua. There are two five-year-old girls at this homestay, and they threw a spider on me my first night there. I miss Sepi!

I will be swearing in as a Peace Corps Volunteer December 17th, and usually I don't much care for ceremonies (graduations, etc.) but I feel like this one is pretty important and I'm quite excited about it.

"Tonga is like a perpetual screensaver" -Regina

Sepi and I on our way to schoolMe getting ready to take the plunge...
Our boat
Getting ready to head out on the boat


I officially found out Saturday that I will be spending the next two years on a small island South of Tongatapu called 'Eua in a village of 162 people. I will be teaching English to Classes 3,4,5, and 6, which for all I know may be one big class put together. I don't know much about 'Eua, except that the temperature tends to be a little cooler because it's further South and it is supposed to be the most beautiful island in Tonga! I hear that there are not many beaches (although I think my village is right on a few) but it is covered in rainforest and has amazing hiking all over the island. It is also supposed to be pretty conducive to camping and other various outdoor adventure, which sounds up my alley. I'm pretty thrilled about it. I think I will have electricity, although running water is still up in the air. I will swear in with the Peace Corps December 17th and head to 'Eua shortly after that.

Saturday turned out to be quite the eventful day; after finding out our site placements, we loaded in a boat and headed out for a day trip which had been canceled the week before due to strong winds. Spirits were high after finding out our site placements and everyone was excited to hang out together after being separated into our villages for five weeks. The first stop we made was at this cave where you had to swim through an underwater tunnel to reach it. Of course I had to be the first one to try it (along with a guy named Scott) , and I didn't realize, but I timed it pretty poorly and went while water was coming out of the tunnel. I was swimming against the current for what seemed like forever, and when you're down there its so dark that you can't tell when you're actually in the cave so you don't know if when you come up you're going to hit air or if the water is still to the top of the tunnel. Oh, and the other factor? It was close to high tide. Needless to say, it was a little scary, and also needless to say, I made it. Only a few of us actually went in the cave, but once you made it inside it was incredible. It was the size of maybe a movie theater, and water would come in and crash against the back wall and the entire cave would get so misty you couldn't see your hand in front of you. Then, seconds later it would clear up and you could see clear across the cave no problem. It felt like the cave was breathing and we were in its stomach, it was a highlight of the trip.

After that we went to another cave that was much more accessible. In fact, the boat drove right into the mouth of this cave. It was also pretty neat, we were able to climb the walls and jump off these stalagmites (or are they stalactites? The ones that grow up.) So that was neat. We spent some time there then moved on to this beach with a small resort on it. We spent the rest of the day playing frisbee on the beach, snorkeling, and drinking a cold beer at the resort. I know, I know, this Peace Corps stuff sounds really tough, right? Haha. It was a pretty amazing day.

Last Friday I had a day that I feel really epitomizes my experience here in Tonga so far. We had just topped off the busiest, most stressful week ever with a language test that I was sure I had bombed (I actually found out today that I didn't do too bad at all) and so a few of us from my village decided to try to walk into town. (About an hour and a half walk) Less than five minutes out of our village, a flatbed truck pulled over and the driver leaned out the window and asked "Alu ki fe?" (Where are you going?) We told him in our broken Tongan the we were heading into town, and he told us to hop in the back. As we climbed in the back we realized there was a hole in the bed of the truck absolutely big enough to fall through. But it was behind the back axel, so if we fell through we wouldn't be run over also. We steered clear of the hole and found a place to sit among the people already in the back of the truck and made it safely to town.

Once there we all decided we definitely needed some ice cream, so we went down to the one place we know sells ice cream. She was standing outside of her falekaloa (shop) locking it up, but when she saw us coming she asked what we wanted. We must have sounded pretty desperate, because she opened everything up and got us all neopolitan ice cream cones. Ice cream has never tasted so good. Then I had to run by the bank to pick up my debit card that was waiting there for me. As we were walking up to the bank, we saw that they too were locking up for the evening (it was 4:10 pm) I started running because the next day was our boat trip and I needed my debit card to pull some money out for that. The bank lady saw me running, and she had to think about it for a second, but she opened up for me and let me get my debit card and some money. I just thought of how many times I have gone somewhere in California ten minutes BEFORE its supposed to close and caught someone locking up and refusing to consider even the smallest request.

We spent a few more hours in town, and by the time we all got back together and ready to go it was getting late and we were quickly losing daylight. As we started walking the first vehicle that passed us pulled over and asked us where we were headed. We told the couple the name of our village, and they said they weren't heading there, but they could take us to where the road parted and they were heading the opposite direction. We happily accepted; that would take us about halfway home. We piled into a minivan this time, the wife got out and opened the sliding door by sticking her hand through the window and banging on the door while jerking on the outside handle. We piled into a minivan that had one bench seat leaning up against one side of the van. I ended up sitting on the metal wheel well, leaning my hand against the back hatch door. Soon after we started moving I realized that the back hatch door didn't latch and leaning against it was a little treacherous. As we were driving we started talking to the couple and told them we were new Peace Corps volunteers (in Tonga the word for volunteer is either Pisi Koa for peace corps or ngaue ofa, meaning work of love.) Pretty soon the wife was slicing up a watermelon in the front seat and passes us back a huge chunk of juicy watermelon with a butcher knife sticking out of it. We drove along the pot-hole filled Tongan road cutting off hunks of watermelon that were delectable. As we got to the pace where the road parts, the couple called back that they wanted to take us all the way to our village, it was their way of ngaue ofa. They took us all the way back to our bus stop, where the wife got out, banged the door open and thanked us for riding with them and wished us God Bless.

This afternoon was so typical of our experience with Tongan people, we all kind of looked at each other and said, "Well, it doesn't get much more Tongan than that." Peace Corps has been in Tonga for forty years, and it is easy to tell how well-represented we've been by previous Peace Corps Volunteers. Everyone here has had some experience with a Peace Corps Volunteer, whether they were taught by one or had one as a homestay brother or sister or just had one in their village, and their experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. This means we get treated exceptionally well, but also that we are responsible for carrying on that tradition. I can't wait.

Well, I'd love to hear updates from everyone, I hope all is well. If anyone wants to write me or send me anything, that would be so awesome and so appreciated. My address here is:

Jennifer Danielson
PO Box 147
Nuku'alofa
Kingdom of Tonga
South Pacific

Ideas of what to send include, but are not limited to: letters and updates! pictures! Crystal Light single serving drink packets, Quaker oatmeal On the Go bars, magazines, stickers (I found out that Tongan student will do just about anything for a sticker), or anything else you can think of. Thank you!!!

View from the water

Husking a coconut
Tongan guy explaining what the facial expressions and carvings symbolize
Tongan version of school drinking fountain: All the students use the same cup wihch they dip inot the bucket of water to drink.Everyone jumped into the water when it was announced that Obama would be our next president

Jumping off the rocks at the beach
Coconut survival Training: Saskia shaving the coconut "meat" to make cocnut milk, a staple ingredient in many Tongan dishes
Basket-weaving from palm leaves. This took my language teacher Ofa about ten minutes.
Opening the cocnut with a machete
Some of our boys trying to climb the palm trees
Tongan boy on his way back from the bush with root crop and a little puppy
puffer-fish!
Beach Day!
Saskia and a local girl


My sister Sepi snorkeling for the first time!


Tongan boys playing in the sand


Locals making Tiki dolls to be sent to and sold in Hawaii














Tongan pencil sharpening. It's a miracle they all still have their fingers






Dancing at our Kalapu




Right: Serving kava as a tou'a

A quick update

Well, We just finished watching the presidential elections from a yacht-ee establishment in town. I, along with about 90% of my fellow PCV's, am thrilled.

It has come to my attention that I may not have been completely clear in my last blog; I do get to go to the dances at the Mormon church because my homestay family attends the Mormon church and since being here I have gone with them. Religion is a huge part of the Tongan culture, and Sundays are reserved for going to church and resting. Sepi and I were hungry last Sunday, so we walked to my language teachers house and asked if we could pick some mangoes. Unfortunately, we were informed that you are not allowed to pick mangoes on Sunday. So she went inside and got us mangoes that she had picked the day before to stock up for Sunday. My Sunday's are spent reading a lot, walking with the other PCV's (we're not really supposed to, but we can't stand laying around all day), and studying. They tend to be pretty dull days. Once we are given our placements, we won't have to go to church every Sunday, but most volunteers do and I probably will because that is such a huge part of the culture and the entire village comes every week, so it is a good time to meet people and make connections.


As for the kalapu, it was overall successful, with a few minor incidents on my part. Within the first ten minutes, in true fashion, I dropped the serving spoon into the bucket of kava and had to fish it out. We can pretty much only stand up once during the ceremony (4-hour!), and when I did I proceeded to kick over a can that the men were putting their cigarette butts and ashes in, as well as extra kava. I made a mess. To top off the night, we were praying and I opened my eyes and saw my baby sister try to sit in a chair on the ground, which almost tipped over, and I started laughing. Haha, after the prayer the guy next to me asked why I was laughing during prayer, and I tried to explain, but he didn't find it as funny as I did. But, I did get asked to come back and tou-a for another kalapu this coming up weekend. Also, we raised 335 pa'anga for the elementary school in our village.

On Friday this week we have an ocean survival course, so that's something I'm really looking forward to. In addition, on Saturday some of the current volunteers planned a boat trip for us on a local whale-watching boat. We will spend the day on the boat, stopping to do some snorkeling and hang out on a beach. All of the current volunteers we have met are so nice and caring; they are willing to answer all of our questions (and there are a lot!) and most importantly, they really seem to love Tonga, which is encouraging. Yesterday we all had class together and the current volunteers cams and handed out "care packages" because they know how good it feels to get a care package. They had sudoku, the funnies from a New York newspaper, candy, and personal notes. It was super nice.

I'm still working on being able to put some pictures up, the internet is very slow here in Tonga, and I always end up being in a big rush to catch a bus! Hopefully soon though. Hope all is well with everyone! OH and a special good luck to Jeffrey and the rest of the Lathrop swim team at State this weekend!