Our first 4 nights in Tonga were spent at Sela’s Guesthouse in the capital city Nuku’olfa on the main Island of Tongatapu. Sela’s is essentially a hostel, except our rooms had a private bathroom, which had either scalding hot water or it was ice cold… As soon as we all got to Sela’s we dropped of our luggage and then had Tea Time (a soon-to-be highly anticipated time of everyday here in Tonga). This tea included our own individual coconuts, with colorful straws (a true island welcoming). We got introduced to the PC Tonga Staff (who are amazing!) who gave us a quick run down on the up coming week and some walking around pa’anga (the Tongan Dollar). We had about half an hour after tea to make a few quick calls with our super awesome new Tongan phones! Then we were off to the formal welcome BBQ and Kava Ceremony at the PC office.
This is a good shot of Sale's from the outside
What our room looked like, and that is also my roommate for the duration of Sale's, Harirson.
The view from outside our room.
Me and Ryan drinking out of our coconuts. Now that I have been here for a bit I realize that this was not such a special drink...You could literally have this for every meal if you desired!
The PC Office is like a little America, it has wireless internet, a medical apartment and it is gated. The ceremony was held on the second floor were we would have our first PST (Pre Service Training) classes. On this day the room was filled with special floor and we all sat in a circle while we learned the process of the traditional kava ceremony. In an attempt stick with the highlights I will be brief: the ceremony is really fun and interesting, kava is gross, and it ends with a traditional dance that is supposed to be done by a women who is covered in oil and each person in the circle, normally only men, take turns sticking money to her (the origins of stripping?). If the money falls off, then she is supposedly not a virgin. The dance is a special Tongan dance that is mainly hand movements. This specific kava ceremony is the one that is done on special occasions. There are many different types of kava ceremonies and a lot that are way less formal that consist a few men on an afternoon, some that our fundraisers, there are even kava clubs that meet on Saturday nights!.
Some of the view on the walk to the office from Sela's
This is the outside of the office headquarters in Nuka'alofa
This is how the kava is mixed and then served to the group. The women who serves is called the To'ua and is typically the only women allowed at the ceremony. It is her job to serve the Kava and provide witty comebacks to the male advances on her.
You can't tell in this picture, but she is more greased up than a pig at the county fair!
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