School Feast!

October 10, 2012

Training update: things are going well except everyone is frustrated with our TEFL training. It just seems like it can be much more applicable to our situation than it is. I don’t feel like we are learning any real skills yet except for the few times we work to lesson plan. We have a lot of experience we can draw on from the old volunteers that we are not using, like today for instance- we spent hours learning about different types of testing and a bit about writing test. Instead we could have looked over how the test and Tonga and learned ways to teach kids how to take those tests and how to prepare them for their ultimate grade 6 exam… It appears that we are just going to have to do a lot of on the job learning.

Our group in Nakolo was invited to the school’s end of exams feast, so after our frustrating class we were able to go to the school and feast and play with kids! The sad thing was we got to look at the class 6 exam that they just took and we saw just how hard it was. There is no way the kids were going to be able to pass it. We will definitely have our work cut out for us… The feast was awesome though! There was ton of food including roast pig, crab, candy bars, fruit and even curry chicken! Everything was set up so nice, which was kind of funny when we all ate in the true Tongan fashion- using just our hands. I guess it is also a Tongan thing for people to stand up and make speeches throughout the meal because there was always someone talking, thanking teachers and the students mostly, some of the people thanked us Peace Corps- but of course we only understood a few words so for all we know they could have been cursing us…. We thought that we should get up and say something so we all thought of our little Tongan sayings and got up in front of the gathering to say thanks and what not. Luckily, my since of humor works well for Tongans- when I told them how attractive and smart I was, they all laughed along with me (or at me). After the feast we got to play with the kids and run around with them, which was hilarious because they all have such amazing expressionful faces so whenever you say or do something the least bit funny the get all contorted and loud.

Me, Steph and the class 6 boys

Us at the feast. We think we were at the important people table because we had the roast pigs This kid is my favorite, he has the best facial expressions

We were sitting across from this guy, Steph and I thought he looked like a turtle. Me playing with some kids after the feast

The little one in the back is also Sifa

All of us plus a class 6 boy

On the walk back the kids and I found the smallest puppy I have ever seen! It followed us all the way to my house and wouldn’t go back home so I didn’t want to leave it. The two little boys with me (both being very Tongan) kept telling me just to keep walking and not to worry about it, but it was so small I knew it would get run over or eaten if we didn’t find its home. After awhile the kids took it back and convinced me they would find the right home. A little while later I was hanging out with some guys and we were watching some kids chase each other and then try and fight each other and what do I see in the distance but the little dog again! I made the kids bring me the dog and I sat with it for a while- all of the Tongans thinking I am crazy at this point. I was adamant about not just leaving the dog stranded though so Tonga went around the village with me and helped me find the owner. We went around to every house with puppies and Tonga would hold the dog in the palm of his hand and show it to the people and ask them if it was their puppy. People would say now a suggest another house, and on we would walk. It took a good 30 to 40 mins but we finally found it! Even though I am sure people were thinking I was a crazy palangi who cared too much about a dog, both the owners and I were glad we brought the little guy back. Thankfully, Tonga is nice enough to always indulge me.