I don't smell very good right now...

chalk dust
night school with class 6

victory!after-school hangout
decorating :)



It's been brought to my attention recently that I haven't been including "It's Tonga" moments very regularly in my blog these days; a friend mentioned to me that I'm probably just becoming so used to these things happening every day that they don't shock me anymore, which I suppose makes sense. I decided that for all my "It's Tonga" Moments my neighbors and villagers probably have ten "It's Senifa" Moments, where I did something that was utterly incomprehensible to them. Here are a few that I know leave my neighbors dumbfounded, written from their point-of-view, in a round table discussion format:

-"She lives alone...and she seems to like it! We even offered to let our kids sleep in her house and she declined. Furthermore, she goes to bed and wakes up at the same time every day! And she seems to get annoyed when we wake her up in the middle of the night to borrow salt or oil to cook...I just don't get her!"

-"Well, have you seen her walking about in the sun all the time? Can you just imagine? If she keeps on like that her skin will get dark! But she doesn't like to walk in the rain, oh no, as soon as it starts to rain she runs for cover. Doesn't she know that by walking in the rain you not only get to where you are going, you also get a shower and washed clothes?!"

-"What's more- she refuses to hit our kids! I don't know how many times I've told her she should hit my kid, even if he's not misbehaving, but she just smiles and shakes her head! I'll tell you what I did. I even told her how to pinch the kids to maximize pain and minimize a visible bruise, and still! Her classroom must be downright chaotic!"

-"Get this- one day I saw her talking to one of the boys in the village, then the next day I saw her talking to a DIFFERENT one! Then again, she is an American...." (knowing nods all around)

-"Well here's the kicker then. I walked past her house one Sunday and she was playing music inside...and it wasn't about JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (At this I imagine all the women letting out a collective gasp, then shaking their heads in pity)

So with that I will close out the "It's Tonga" Moments section of this blog. It's been a good run, but I realized last week, when a chicken walked through my library and it didn't phase me, that maybe, finally, I'm becoming impervious to the unique eccentricities that Tonga presents me with on a daily basis.

Now for some updates:

While I still hold the reservations about the library that I expressed in my last post, I have to say, having the library running and seeing the kids using it and benefiting from it has been amazing. The kids are not only reading like fiends, they are now checking out books and taking them home to read with their siblings and parents. (Although one boy came to my house at six-thirty this morning because he wanted to return a book and check a different one out- I told him to go home and go back to sleep)

The library has become a popular after school hang out where the kids come to do their homework, play cards, read, or do puzzles. I just want to say that, and I know this is on a purely selfish level, watching them be excited about being in the library and reading and learning has been incredibly fun for me. Last week some of the high school girls completed a complex, spherical puzzle and a few other kids have taken a keen interest in origami. I've also been holding my night study classes in there, which has been nice to get the class six kids out of the classroom a few nights a week. With some (mostly) friendly reminders, the kids have been taking great care of the library and the books. When we first started getting in books and they started reading on their own I had to sit them all down and teach a mini-lesson on how to turn the pages without bending them!

Last week one of Peace Corps' program leaders came out to 'Eua to lead a workshop for school principals interested in receiving a volunteer next year. I was invited to be a part of that meeting and speak about the role of a volunteer in a school and community. It was a great opportunity to let future counterparts know what Peace Corps is about and what they should, and should not, expect from a volunteer. As it turns out, the program manager did a wonderful job explaining the goals of Peace Corps and what we are in Tonga for. She ended the presentation with this quote:

"The only form of assistance which is unending is that which we can provide for ourselves. We in Tonga, must not forget that the progress of this country, be it fast, be it slow, or be it non-existent, depends on us...Any major step in the advancements of the Kingdom...is in the hands of the men and women of our country and it is with them that the ultimate progress depends."

-King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
June 8, 1967

Golden. Sitting in on this meeting went a long way towards alleviating the worries I have been having about the expectations of volunteers and counterparts not being well-aligned. I think everyone left that meeting with a good idea of what Peace Corps Volunteers are here for and how they should be utilized. It was made clear that we come in with a set of skills, that usually don't include grant-writing, and that we are meant to be capacity-builders and not "thing-getters" (not a word, I know, but the best I could come up with right now).

In other news, I will shortly be saying farewell to my infamous faleTonga (palm-leaf hut). It will be uprooted from its current residency by my house, carried across the school yard, and re-rooted in place of my neighbors' old faleTonga, which got devastated this past cyclone season. (I'm pretty sure he's been sleeping in my classroom since) I hadn't been sleeping in the faleTonga much anyway since it started getting pretty chilly and windy at night. In fact I've been mostly sleeping in my bed, which I'm becoming more comfortable with despite a few frightening spider, rat and molokau incidents.

I guess the biggest thing going on here is that I'm considering extending my service here in Tonga for a third year. I'm confident there's enough work in the library to keep me busy for another year, and I really want to see this project through and not leave it halfway done. As I mentioned earlier in the post, I am (finally) becoming really comfortable here and feeling like I'm integrated into the community and understand the culture well enough to do valuable work. I'm part of something I believe in (Peace Corps) and part of a group of people I feel privileged to be considered a part of. My work here is fulfilling and fun, and yes, challenging at times, but isn't everything that's meaningful sometimes challenging? Teaching here is awesome, the kids are enthusiastic, bright, resourceful, respectful and happy. Oh, and have you seen my pictures? The scenery here's not bad either :) After church Sunday I walked to my favorite beach on the island and spent the afternoon reading a book in the shade of a tree. It was hard for me to justify leaving in that moment.

On the other hand, I know I cannot, nor do I want to, stay here forever. As you can certainly tell from the "It's Senifa" Moments, I have not, nor will I ever, become Tongan. I've learned a lot about myself here, my perceptions about a lot of things have changed, and I've fulfilled my commitment. Maybe it's time to move on. I hear the job market in America is terrific right now (joke!). And I'm certainly not getting any younger (I'm only half-joking about that). My house flooded again last week, worse than it ever has before, so that was a bit frustrating and something I won't miss.

It's a difficult decision, and one that I will have to make soon to meet the application deadline if I want to apply to stay another year! 'Oiaue! (A Tongan expression of grief, excitement, or concern- in this case all three!)

If you're thinking...hey, I'm quickly coming to the end of this post and that title has nothing to do with anything!?! Well, I sat here for ten minutes trying to come up with a good title, and in that time realized that, really, I do stink. Good writers try to appeal to all the senses, right? It was between that and "May." Smell ya later.

Hecticity, n. (heck-tis-sit-ee)- The state of being in which life has become so busy you begin to create new words to explain it

painting....or playing?
fakamae church service
Mark reading with Lopeti and Siale






Hello friends! I know it's been too long, but my life has been filled with hecticity the last few months, which I'm well aware is not actually a word, but maybe if you start using it it will catch on.

The library opened last month with a huge feast in the schoolyard. There was plenty of music, dancing, and roasted pig! Unfortunately for me it was a day of mixed emotions, I sat down afterwards to write an article for the Peace Corps newsletter about it and this is what came out:

I would like to share my thoughts about a community library project I was involved in that was recently completed at my site. This project began when my counterparts started talking to me about writing grants and getting "stuff" for the school (which incidentally came up at our very first teachers' meeting). This put me in a bit of an uncomfortable spot; besides the fact that that's not what I'm here for, I really didn't want to perpetuate an already heavy dependence on foreign aid, an already widespread misperception about what Peace Corps Volunteers do, and I didn't want to create expectations for future volunteers at my site to "get stuff" as well. On the other hand it was what my counterparts and community expected of me and seemingly the only thing I could do to make them happy (aside from marrying someone from the village and bringing them to America).

I have had conversations with other volunteers about this problem and know I am not the first to have faced it.

After many circular conversations with my counterparts on the subject we concluded that if they need something we will look at all the options to finance the project, then if we need to write a grant I would help them. "Help"being the operative term in that agreement.

A few months later the idea for a library came up. Our school is very new and doesn't yet have many resources and no place to put a library. I worked with my counterparts and we came up with a plan that if they want a library I would help write the grant and they would be in charge of the building and I could probably find books for it. At first I wasn't sure how serious they were about it, but when I told my counterpart we would need to turn in building plans and a cost estimate with our grant application he went out and got them within the week. When I told him we needed to sit down and write the grant together he came early and with ideas of what we should write. At the next PTA meeting the idea was brought up, and the PTA offered to contribute all the labor for the construction of the library as their community contribution. I made it a point to say from the beginning that this was their project, not mine, and they would be responsible for and involved in each step of the process so that in the future they could do a project on their own. It became clear very early in the project that the village was supportive and willing to put in the work necessary to complete the library.

We completed the grant application and a few months later someone from the grant agency came out to the school to do an interview and decide whether to fund the project. I was in Australia when they came out, so I wasn't involved in that process at all, but my counterpart said it went really well.

A few weeks later we received notice that out application had been approved. That week the PTA met and worked out a schedule for the labor and a family to cook food for the workers every day. They appointed a head builder who did a great job of organizing and executing the construction, and about a month after receiving the fund the library was beautifully completed.

After the construction was completed I, with lots of help from other PCV's, the youth and even a few women from the village, painted the world map mural on one wall. I consider this my contribution to the library.

The week leading up to the grand opening was a bustle of activity and the entire village helped prepare for the celebration. The women planted flowers and bushes around the library and made a cement path from the school to the library and the kids weeded and cleaned up the entire yard. Everyone helped.

Unfortunately, I realized at the grand opening, that I am being given way more credit than I deserve for this project. The opening was attended by many of the school officials and principals from around the island, as well as the Peace Corps Country director. Every speech that was given credited the project to me and talked about the work that Peace Corps does here. In hindsight I realized that this may be due to the fact that The Country Director for Peace Corps was there and considered the guest of honor, but the other school principals and Ministry of Education officers heard that this was my project.

Since the library's completion the other volunteers on the island and I have been inundated with requests to write grants for everything from a lawn mower to a bathroom at the church to a new town hall.

This project has raised a slew of questions for me, among them: Where does need end and want begin (In Tonga there is no distinction between the two words, both are fiema'u)? Are we here to "get stuff" for our communities? If not, what are we here for? I came here as a trained teacher and am proud of the work I have done and the progress my students have made; that has gone all but unrecognized. What do we do when our expectation don't meet up with those of our community or counterparts? Or even when Peace Corps' goals and purpose do not meet up with the expectations of an entire host country? Are we working our way out of here and towards a self-sufficient Tonga or creating more dependence on the massive amount of foreign aid that already comes into this country? Or are we just here to refute the "Ugly American" stigma?

In the end I consider this a successful project that my village and counterparts completed. The whole village came together and worked really hard to build this library that will be a great resource to all the students of the village and anyone interested in improving their English literacy. Unfortunately, they consider it a really great and successful project I completed.

This misplaced credit will make life for future volunteers placed in 'Eua infinitely more frustrating. They will not be considered successful by their counterpart or village unless they "get stuff" no matter how well they do their actual assignment, and two years is a long time to disappoint everyone around you.

Despite all that, now that the library has been open for a month it has been awesome to see it in use. The kids are so enthusiastic about reading new books (some seem to be more enthusiastic about smelling the new books, but I can't blame them for that- who doesn't love the smell of new books?!) The High School kids are coming in and using the library as well which is cool to see. Also it's created a ton of work for me to keep busy with after I finish teaching for the day. At the time of the library opening we didn't have very many books, but donations have been coming in from many different sources and the library is slowly starting to fill up! I've been busy sorting, organizing and cataloging the books, setting up a program to have each class in the library once a week, setting up a remedial reading program with some students from classes 4,5, and 6, opening the library after school for the kids, and figuring out a system for letting the kids borrow the books. I've been pretty much living in the library, but fortunately it's a nice place to live because it smells like books. Receiving books has been a treat for the kids, and also for me as well. I've come across many books that I remember loving when I was a kid and haven't seen for fifteen years. Looking through some of these books I was stunned at how beautiful children's books can be- Robert McCloskey's Blueberries for Sal and Peter Spier's People and Rain for example (Thanks Gary!), I just want to frame the pages and hang them on my walls!

The other reason I've been so busy lately is that my counterpart, the principal at my school suddenly and unexpectedly retired. Ideally the school should have three full-time Tongan teachers; we started the year with two, and now we're down to one teacher and myself. The Ministry is supposed to be sending out a new teacher, but they also said it could take months. The first week the class 4,5,6 teacher and I did our best to make it work, then last week the ministry sent out someone to help until they find a new teacher.

Being this busy has actually been a nice change of pace, and I'm really excited about the things I've been busy with, so I'm not minding falling into bed exhausted each night one bit; I wake up every morning excited and with a purpose for the day.

Pictures from the last few months

Nearly finished

Starting to paint

Drawing

Making the grid

Nearly finished library!

Frame going up on the library

Starting to build the library

Lie helping me make some cookies for the guys building the library

Aftermath of Cyclone Rene

Consolidation into a tiny room during cyclone Rene

Best village in Tonga, maybe the world!

"It's Tonga" Moment:

- I had gone over to my neighbors house one evening and on the way back I had to walk through a cow pasture to get to my house. It was dark and at night the cows and bulls rest on the walking path, but most move when I get close. One wouldn't. I asked him politely to move, "MOOOOOOve!" (I took my cue from Dory in Finding Nemo and spoke "cow-ese") with no success. Finally I braved whatever was lurking in the tall grass and walked around him, giving him a wide berth. When I got back on the path behind him he started following me. He would walk when I walked, and when I stopped and turned around he would stop and look all innocent. As if I wouldn't notice an eighteen-hundred-pound behemoth following me. Finally I stopped and turned on him. I wasn't sure how you're supposed to deal with a bull, are you supposed to play dead as you would with a bear? Or perhaps not make eye-contact as that could be interpreted as a sign of aggression? I tried to resolve the situation diplomatically by talking to him, trying to explain that I just wanted to go home (I AM in Peace, Corps, what do you expect?). When that didn't work I had to resort to more extreme measures. I looked around for something to throw at him, and hark, there at my feet was a large coconut. I picked it up and gave him one last chance to back down. He didn't take it. I channeled my inner Brett Farve (Vikings' Brett Farve, NOT Jets' Brett Farve) then let it go. Direct hit. He let out a "moooo" and ambled off into the pasture, and almost immediately I felt a bit bad. Maybe he just wanted to be friends? I got over it pretty quickly as I sat in my house that night and thought about how much time and money I had spent earning my education, and here I was fending off stalker bulls by throwing coconuts at them. Sigh.

In other news, my rat traps have been working overtime lately. It's the wet season here and I think the rats try to find their way indoors to get out of the rain, and as a result I have caught 8 rats in my traps in the last few weeks. Yahtzee! I also stumbled across a new oddity on my bathroom floor. A hermit crab. Those of you who have been reading since I've been here know that last year I had a recurring visitor to my kitchen, a crab, but I ended up deciding that it wasn't THAT unusual because it was possibly a coconut crab that lives in the bush and could concievably make it to my house. THIS crab, however, is definitly a beach-dwelling crab. I have no idea what it's doing in my house, which isn't that close to the beach. Being in Tonga a year and a half has taught me that some things don't have explanations (or explanations that make sense to me) and there are some things that I don't need or want to know the explanation to. I just shook my head and went about my business. I should start a new segment in my blog: "Wierd Things I Find on my Bathroom Floor"

I was in my house one Saturday afternoon when I heard some of the boys right outside my window. It sounded like there were at least five or six of them, and they were obviously inside my fence, which they usually don't come inside without permission (If an older boy sees them, they'll get hit, even though I've said I don't mind). I put on my lavalava (sarong) and a tee-shirt and went outside to see what is going on. As I walk outside I see the boys bent over in my yard, pulling weeds and cutting the long grass with machetes. They look up, surprised to see me, they had thought I wasn't home. I asked them why they were cleaning up my yard, and they simply replied, "Because it was ugly." No one had asked them to; they had come over to play and seen that my yard was, in fact, quite ugly and took it upon themselves to fix it for me. They are all 8 or 9 years old, and they spent an hour sprucing up my yard.

After they entirely cleaned my yard they asked for the soccer ball and football to play with, which I gave them. They then spent the next three hours in the schoolyard, running around, playing, wrestling, having relay races. At one point they collpased exhausted on their backs in my (freshly cleaned!) yard, but within thirty seconds one boy sat up, which spurred a full-contact sit-up and push-up competition. A sight to behold, if you've never seen one.

It was really fun to watch them just playing, no adult supervision, no organized drills or practices, no fancy equiptment. I gave them a few balls, but when they don't have balls to play with I've seen them make toys out of sticks, coconut husks, tin cans rescued from fire pits, rocks, and bicycle spokes (From the bicycle spokes they make these little internal combustion chambers with a nail, the scraped-off heads of a few matches, and a piece of wire- pretty genius). They never get bored, they never complain, and they very rarely argue amongst themselves.

This past week construction began on the library, and I have been so impressed with the work and support the village is putting into the project. Before they stated the construction the PTA met and worked out a schedule of who was going to take food to the workers every day and the work plan. The men in the village are building the library entirely, which initially made me a bit nervous not knowing if any of them had any formal construction experience, but it seems to be coming together really well and they've all grown up swinging hammers and working. Every day last week men in the village showed up to help, and plenty of food was brought to them by a different family each day. I was hoping that I would get to help build the library a bit after school, but there are enough people showing up to help out that there are usually people sitting in the shade waiting for something to do. As a girl, they would be reluctant to let me help out anyway, much less when there are plenty of capable men around to do the work :) So I kind of accepted my role in the community, made them cookies and watched as the library has taken form. It's coming along really quickly with all the help, and everyone is very excited about it.

Once the library is finished some of the youth from the village have agreed to help me paint a world map mural on one wall. We got some leftover paint donated from the hardware store on the main island, and we're ready to paint!

One thing our library is lacking is enough books to fill it! I've recieved some donations through friends and family and through book aid agencies, but if you have any extra children's books lying around and would like to help my students and community, please send them to:

Jennifer Danielson, PCV

P.O. Box 24

'Ohonua, 'Eua

Kingdom of Tonga

South Pacific

If you are interested in doing that, just know that shipping can be quite expensive, so your best bet is probably a flat rate box which can be found at the post office.

Another option is donating towards the shipping cost of a box of books through a book aid program I'm working with, International Book Project. Here is the information for that:

The International Book Project is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit which collects new and used books and sends them to schools, libraries, and other nonprofit organizations in developing countries. You can learn more about our organization at our website http://www.internationalbookproject.org/. The cost for shipping an m-bag (approximately 32 lbs) of books is $200. You may donate by sending a check to:

International Book Project

1440 Delaware Avenue

Lexington, KY 40505.

You may also donate online via credit card at http://www.intlbookproject.org/donate.php. Please indicate in the memo of the check or the notes section of the online giving screen that the donation is for Jenny Danielson. All donations are tax deductible.

Australia, family in Tonga, MST, oh my!

"It's Tonga" Moment of the last three months:

I had just walked into my bathroom to have a shower when I saw two dark blobs on the floor. There is no light in my bathroom, so I grabbed my flashlight, and upon further inspection the turned out to be two tiny baby rats. I looked around, unsure of where they came from and if they were alone. No reasonable explanation presented itself; they didn't seem to be walking yet. Huh. I couldn't tell if they were even alive, so I decided to have my shower while I thought about what to do. I considered smacking them with my sandal, but that seemed messy. I was keeping an eye on them while in the shower, and about midway through, one of them became mobile. he started walking around the bathroom, and in a panic I ran and grabbed the first ting that came to mind. My machete, of course. Two minutes later I had a different problem on my hands. Four baby rat halves. It was a bit messy, but I scooped them onto a piece of cardboard, threw them out the door and re-showered. The next day two more appeared on my bathroom floor. Still no idea how they got there. I figured since I was already a killer, I might as well.....chop, chop.

Okay, so...it's been a while, and a lot has happened since my last update. I was sent to Australia to get my tonsils out and had to stay there for three weeks. I got back the day before my family got to Tonga, then a week after they left I was traveling again to my Mid-Service Conference on the main island of Tongatapu. I'm back in my village now; school has started and things are finally starting to settle down a bit again, but here's what I've been up to the last three months:

Australia was...interesting. It was my first time out of Tonga since arriving, and at first it was a bit overwhelming. I left 'Eua on a tiny, 10-seater "island-hopper" airplane, where I got to sit co-pilot in front of all the controls. I flew Air New Zealand to Australia, and let me tell you, it was a different experience. I sat down in my seat, which was all padded and comfortable, and get this: every person had a personal entertainment center in the back of the seat in front of them. You could watch the latest movies (I assume they were the latest; I had never heard of them), play video games, listen to the latest music (assumption again), watch TV shows, or listen to the radio. I was impressed. Before we took off, a movie came on everyone's screen; it was the pre-flight preparation telling you how to fasten your seatbelt and all that. I was watching, and I could tell that there was something just not quite right about it, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. The lady in the seat next to me asked if I knew what was "off" about it, and then told me to take a close look at their uniforms. THEY WERE ALL NAKED!!! Their uniforms had been painted on, and you couldn't even tell unless you were looking for it. They all just were walking around with these strategically placed seat belts and life jackets and these sly little grins on their faces. I was shocked. Pleasantly. As if that wasn't enough, they gave us food, and it was good. I mean, my frame of reference may be a little skewed after living in Tonga for a year, but I ate salmon with a 7-bean salad on the side. The whole experience was so pleasant,I didn't want to land.

The day I got into Brisbane I decided to walk into town and have a look around. I passed a small grocery store and decided to do a little shopping since I had access to a full kitchen the place I was staying and thought I would save a little money by doing some cooking. I was not successful. I walked through the store for an hour and a half, picking things up for one meal, then putting them back and picking up a few ingredients for something different. I ended up having to leave quickly with a really upset stomach and checked out with the following:yogurt, seaweed, craisens, chick peas, seed mix, and muesli. Chalked that up as a failure.

Like I said, I had to stay in Australia three weeks for a fifteen-minute surgery, so I had a bit of free time on my hands. Luckily, there were a few towns withing walking distance, one huge street promenade, and a shopping mall. Also I learned how to use the public transportation after about a week, so that helped. The first week I kinda just did a lot of people-watching. I was fascinated at all the languages being spoken and the diversity of the people there. Needless to say, Tonga is not a very diverse country. I ended up getting pretty bored, not for lack of things to do, but I didn't know anyone there and so the only people I talked to were people in shops who were trying to sell me stuff. Having zero anonymity in Tonga can be extremely frustrating, but I missed walking down the road and people calling out to me by name. I tried to make friends, but people just weren't as friendly as they are in Tonga. Here's an excerpt from my journal:

"Clinical social retardation. Self-diagnosed. Prognosis: lifetime of awkwardness in social settings. 60% probability of owning four or more cats by age 30."

I ended up buying an ukulele and playing that because I was bored. I did actually end up making a few friends there, and they took me out and showed me a good time and showed me around a bit, but they also told me, "You can tell you've been living on a little island the last year. " Haha, ouch.

Here are some things I really appreciated about Australia:

-Hot showers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Good sushi
-Good hospital :)
-Good public transportation
-Good nightlife
- I remember waking up in the middle of the night one night and being pleasantly surprised that I couldn't feel a single bug crawling on me. How novel.

The day after I got back from Australia I met my family in Tongatapu and we all headed out to 'Eua to spend Christmas. My Mom wrote the previous blog about their trip, so I won't go into too much detail about it. I'm really thankful that they got to come out to 'Eua and see my house, village, neighbors, my Tongan family, and just my life here. It was also great to see family, people who have known me and I've known longer than a year. I think they had a good time too, although the spiders take a bit longer to get used to than they had. I'm not sure how long, I'm not quite there yet myself.

The week after my family left, I was back in Tongatapu for our Mid-Service Training conference. It was really cool to see how far everyone had come in a year, and what we all had been up to at our sites. One thing that shocked me was how small our group had become. There were a few people out of the country at the time, but our group was down to I think 15 from 24! we haven't seen each other in ten months, but we kinda all picked up where we left off and I feel like we have a really tight-knit group. One of my favorite memories from the conference was of most of the group, gathered in the lounge pouring over some recent celebrity gossip magazines someone had received in the mail. Some people on the main island groups were more informed than others, and the following is an approximation of the conversation that ensued:

"Dang, I don't know half the people in this magazine!"
"Yeah, really! Who is this Jon Gosserlin that's all over?!"
"Isn't he the guy that knocked up the octomom?"
"OCTO-mom?!"
"Yeah, that's right"
"Holy shit, who are all these kids with Brad and Angelina?!"
"They have like six kids now, and they're from like seven different countries"
"Is that legal?"
"What the heck is Twitter?"
"Oh, my friend explained this to me, they're like facebook, but just status updates. They're called twits."
"Well, now let's not get rude, I'm sure they're perfectly nice."
"Who is this Adam Lambert? He's wearing more makeup in this picture than I've worn in the past year."
"Oh! I know, he won America's Got Talent, he beat out that homely-looking Susan lady with the great voice."
"Huh. Never heard of her, and that doesn't explain all the eye-shadow."

We then fell into a thoughtful silence.


School has begun, and our grant to build a library at the school has been approved! We lost a teacher from last year, she moved to Tongatapu and wasn't replaced, so we're down to three teachers this year (including me), which means two things: I get more responsibility and I get my own classroom! Both good things. I've found having my own classroom allows me to do more preparation work because I can write on the board before class and I don't have to lug all my supplies back and forth between school and my house. Also I see the kids more each day which I'm excited about. The class 4/5/6 teacher has been reluctant to hand over any responsibility or class time to me, but I'm working on him. The kids who took the class 6 exam last year did really great, and their English scores improved a lot from the previous years.

The kids here never cease to amaze me with their attitudes, energy, and excitement to learn. They come over after school to play soccer and rugby and just run around until they collapse, and they always want to help me clean my yard, fetch water, or organize the classroom. The high school girls come in the evenings to get help with their homework, and they're usually a lot of fun too. Between that and working on getting the library grant finalized, I've been keeping pretty busy!

Just got an e-mail, looks like a cyclone is heading our way right now, so wish my fale Tonga luck!!!*

*UPDATE:
I wrote this blog about a week and a half ago, but was unable to publish it at the time because of internet connection problems. A few days afterward we were hit by a category 4 cyclone, Rene. The PCV's here "consolidated" to the most well-built structure on the island, so we were pretty safe, but ended up having to stay there in a tiny room much longer than any of us expected. Walking back into my village after the cyclone passed I was able to observe the damage. One house had completely blown down (six of my kids lived there) and a few other outdoor kitchens and bathrooms had blown down, as well as lots of trees and power lines. No one was hurt, and the village has gathered around the family whose house feel down and they are being well-taken care of. We lost power for a week. My house fared pretty well, it flooded, but I expected that and had prepared for it. Things are finally starting to dry out now. And the faleTonga did great, I had to reattach some palm fronds, and it got pretty wet, but it held up really well. I found it a bit strange that my neighbors' house collapsed, and my faleTonga had barely any damage, but I think my real house protected the faleTonga from a lot of the wind/ flying debris. Hopefully that'll be the last cyclone we see this season!

To Tonga with Love - Mom, Larry & Jeff

Jenny asked if we wanted to be “guest bloggers” after our visit to Tonga over Christmas. I don’t know if I can be as entertaining as Jenny usually is, but we had an amazing visit and I’ll share our experiences as visitors to the islands.

We arrived in Tonga on December 22nd where it was sunny and probably in the 80’s. After leaving Alaska and 20 below about 30 hours earlier we were ready for the sun! We spent a few hours in Tongatapu before catching the ferry over to ‘Eua. Despite Jenny’s stories about horrific ferry trips, the trip was uneventful except for meeting our first fakalaiti and getting sunburned from riding on the roof of the Ferry. We docked in ‘Eua and although it was a short way to her house, we had so many pieces of luggage and boxes that we needed to find a ride – and soon climbed in the back of a flatbed pickup and were dropped off at Jenny’s front door safe and sound.

The first night in’Eua we were a little concerned about the rodent and spider population, and set the Rat Zapper before we went to bed. We turned out the lights and even though we hadn’t slept in 36 hours, we laid awake expecting rats, spiders or other creepy crawlies to pounce. It wasn’t long before the Rat Zapper started buzzing. What do we do? Jenny’s outside in the faletonga and I certainly don’t want to see a rat! Jeff wanted to see a rat even less and Larry was trapped next to the wall with me in front. The Rat Zapper just kept right on buzzing and buzzing, so finally I get up with my flashlight to see what’s in there – terrified to look. When I do, I’m relieved to see it’s only a cockroach! It’s still alive, but I’m just happy it’s not a rat, and that we never saw a rat, or even spider, in Jenny’s Fale in ‘Eua. We did lay awake at night imagining them though!

Memories from ‘Eua, Tonga:

• The people were amazingly friendly and generous. Everyone brought us food – we had more mangos and bananas than we could eat. Christmas morning breakfast was wonderful – someone just came to the door and dropped off a tray with eggs, fruit and chocolate cake – Yum!
• Hiking on ‘Eua – Jenny brought us on marathon hikes our first two days in ‘Eua. We were so grateful for the mango juice the neighbors brought over right after we got home! The island was rugged and beautiful – even though we weren’t as excited about climbing down cliffs and into caves as Jenny is. We climbed into Rat’s Cave and down cliffs to Fangatave Beach – she gave us a workout but the experience was definitely worth it.
• Speaking of neighbors – I think the village was watching us closely. As soon as we would get home someone would arrive with food or drinks within minutes!
• Church – the singing was such a wonderful surprise. The only comparison that I can think of is that they sing in church at the same intensity and volume that we would yell at a football game. That’s pretty incredible when you think about it that they praise God like Americans praise football players! Hmmm…
• I really like ‘Eua and am happy Jenny’s there. I feel a lot better about her being out on a more isolated island now that I have seen it. The pace is slow but purposeful, they spend the time with people rather than accomplishing “things” and when you slow down and take the time for that you realize the value in spending time with people and in reflection. It was a great experience.
• Larry was most struck by the Tongan kids and the beautiful quality they had. They were so friendly and just wanted to play. They didn’t whine or argue or complain about anything and just showed up in Jenny’s yard and waited until someone invited them to play something. The kids were awesome.
• Jeffrey got a taste was what’s it’s like to live in a male-dominated society. He, as the oldest male child, was presented with a gift on Christmas Day of a large Tapa Cloth. Larry was asked to do a blessing and a speech. The girls were shy but Jeff was asked over and over again if he had a girlfriend, or wanted one!
• I was pretty much expected to sit quietly or at least cry at the speeches, which the neighbor Lupe did. I had faux paus one night when I put on my pajamas and proceeded to sweep out the house. Men aren’t supposed to see women’s shoulders so I was pretty surprised to open the front door to sweep out the dirt and saw Tevita standing there and I was in my camisole top and pj pants. I shut the door as quick as I could. Jenny and Jeff had been at a youth meeting and met Tevita on the way home and he told Jenny I had slammed the door in his face! It seems noone knocks in Tonga – they just stand outside and wait for someone to look outside.
• We were able to learn a lot about their culture, but we also shared ours. Larry and Jeff wore skirts to church and we all wore Tu’avolas, Larry gave a couple speeches, and we shared some gifts from America and were given gifts as well. In Tonga, the men and women don’t sit together in church, and Jenny wasn’t sure it was okay for men and women, and brothers and sisters to sit next to each other. But we decided to share our culture and sit together as a family.
  

Ha’apai --After 4 days in ‘Eua we flew to Ha’apai and took a little boat to Serenity Beaches Resort. There were 2 other couples there when we got there on Saturday, but by Wednesday we were the only ones there. It was incredible to be on a beautiful white sandy beach with this amazing turquoise colored water and to be there entirely by ourselves. It felt like you owned your own private tropical island. Wow – I just can’t think of a better vacation. The weather was fabulous every single day, and although the food probably wasn’t the best we’ve ever had, it was a great destination.

• SPIDERS! Toward the end of our stay on Serenity Beaches spiders became an issue. There were webs along the path to our Fale’ and we had to have a spider search every night before we tucked our mosquito netting in around the bed and went to sleep. Larry was our hero and chief spider slayer. The spiders are not poisonous, but OMG they are big and ugly. Jeff woke up one morning with a huge one on the outside of his mosquito net and was captive until Larry got the spider out of the Fale’.
• Aside from the spiders, the resort was amazing. It had no electricity in the Fale and had a “Garden Shower” which was cold water unless you laid your solar water bag on the beach all day to heat the water. You find out what you DON’T NEED and adapt to a different lifestyle.

• What we did: read in the Cabana, sat on the beach, looked for seashells on the beach (they were all over!), kayaked and rode the waves in the kayaks, snorkeled, Jenny and Larry were scuba diving twice, swam in the “swimming pool” which was a sand covered area of the beach and ocean, had a bonfire on the beach, played lots of cards and board games, Jen played her Ukelele, and we enjoyed each other’s company.
• I will try to load a video of highlights from the trip – a feast with the neighbors, Jenny giving a speech, Christmas Eve play with Jenny in it, slaying spiders, Serenity Beaches, and Jen and Jeff’s spoof on MTV’s Cribs video.
  
  It was the most incredible trip! If anyone’s thinking of visiting Jenny don’t hesitate – BOOK YOUR FLIGHT TODAY. You can’t pass up such a great opportunity to experience the Tongan culture and the beauty of the islands. We will never forget Tonga. Thank you Jenny for being so adventurous to set out on this journey and share it with us. We love you and thank you for sharing your adventures with us! Toki Sio and much love to you and all the people on the island.

Mom, Larry and Jeff

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I am currently in Tongatapu, and tomorrow I will be heading to Australia to get my tonsils removed. It looks like I'll be there a little over two weeks, so hopefully I'll have some time to get some sightseeing in as well.

I have pretty fast internet here, so I thought I'd upload some pictures and try some videos too. School is finished, and the last few weeks were filled with lots of dancing, singing, card-playing, and soccer.

I spent Thanksgiving at one of the guesthouses on the island with the other Peace Corps volunteers on 'Eua. Peace Corps sent us out a big turkey, and we pulled together some mashed potatoes, green bean cassarole, corn on the cob, eggplant parmesean, macaroni and cheese, black bean soup, coconut crab, and of course, apple pie. It was also our last hoorah before group 73 atarts to leave, so it was nice to spend that time all together.



Malia and 'Oline brought their bush knife to school to cut the grass in the yard Walls going up on the faletonga

Ta'anga G.P.S. building the frame of the faletonga

everything about this was a bad idea, but cool picture

Rat's cave

Taniea, Lupe, and Toakase

soccer in the yard

Lopeti dancing with Pita drumming





Class 6 girls ta'olunga




Class 3/4 at the end of the school year. That is their teacher in the background sleeping.