G.P.S. Holonga Graduation

December 4, 2012

So on Tuesday I am hanging around the school watching all the students cut the grass and “clean” the classrooms when Mele (one of my counterparts) comes up to me and asked me if I can teach the class 1 and 2 something to perform for their graduation Thursday night- Umm sure Mele let me just pull out that age appropriate Tongan dance that I know and teach it to these 6 year-olds who don’t speak English. Anyway, I said I would try and think of something- so I took the class aside and thought about teaching them to single Jingle Bell Rock because it is super short and kind of fun. Well that was a mistake, we couldn’t even get through the first 2 lines:

Jingle bell jingle bell jingle bell rock

Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time

Insert Peace Corps skill number 1- adaptation.

I decided let’s do something that doesn’t really require them to know English. So I made up some dance moves to the song and we did that instead. It worked out pretty good- these kids just love to dance!

The graduation was last night and it was a fun little ceremony where we did all the dances we did for the show we did a week ago (yes, I reprised my amazing kailao performance) and then each class did their own dance. Before their performance the teacher gets up and announces each kid's percent and place in the class, starting with group D from 0-35% and then moving up to group A 85- 100%. It was so strange to see the kid who was in the last group get up in front of everyone and then every one kind of laugh/ cheer. I guess the idea is that maybe they will all want to try hard so they can not have to be in that group in front of everyone? Either way all the kids get money put in their shirts when they dance and lays made of candy so as far as they are concerned it works out for them.

I wish I could have attached some pictures with this post but I still have not been able to get back my phone/camera. I hope to have a photo-taking device of sorts soon.

PCV Thanksgiving 2012

November 23, 2012

Our awesome PCVLs (Peace Corps Volunteer Leaders- they extend service for a year and work part time for PC and help with training) organized an amazing Thanksgiving dinner at this great house in town. We all found our ways into town and I spent the day with Sean, Dominica and our white friend Justin (his family has a business here) cooking. It was really cool to be able to share the day with people and we made sure we didn’t half-ass the menu either- we had turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, apple and pumpkin pie and the best gravy I have ever tasted (made by Mark as an after thought). There was even the lovely family turmoil that the holidays always bring out thanks to Sean and Dominica’s bickering. Yes, it was truly a wonderful spectacle. After dinner we all had some drinks and played a charades type game (idea brought to us by Mandy, who is the queen of all camp type games). We all stayed up until 4 am, mostly because Dominica caught a second wind and wanted to see the sunrise, which in hindsight was a terrible idea because it just meant we kept drinking. It was really awesome to be with people on a day that might have been really hard to get through otherwise, it gives me confidence in this whole experience and reminds me that sometimes it is nice (and necessary) to be palangi sometimes.  

the amazing view from the house we were able to use for a feast.

a little food prep. Sean, Dominica and Justin deciding how to make the fried onions to go on the green bean casserole

Sean doing the honors of carving the turkey

the feast. I should mention there was only one thing of cranberry sauce because the only place the sold them on the island was this America store (all their stuff is shipped from a Costco in the states, probably by a relative who lives there) and is outrageously over priced- 12:50 for a can of cranberries!

The Funny Thing About Tongan Sports

December 2, 2012

When I was taking a stroll in the village I happened across a netball game. I am not sure if netball has made it to the states yet, but it is a game, played among girls, that is like a cross between basketball (without a backboard) and ultimate frisbee- it is basically basketballs version of softball. Australia and New Zealand have pumped a lot of aid money into Tonga to get the game played here and there are actually village leagues. Our team was playing a village close to town on a netball field they had made a few weeks before. Now, ignoring that fact that I don’t understand the game at all, and that most of the players kicked off their shoes to play barefoot, Tongans playing sports is just strange to watch. Tongans don’t really take anything seriously and seeing that attitude during a competition is kind of strange. All the players had smiles on their faces and laughed whenever they messed up or a bad play was made. It may not seem that weird but trust me, seeing it was kind of peculiar. I am not sure I would ever make it as a coach here, competition just doesn't seem to have the same affect on their culture as it does ours- good or bad I don't know.

Village Days

December 3, 2012

I have been having a pretty solid weekend chilling in the village, I went to the beach with Suli on Saturday and I have been fai-ing kava pretending I speak Tongan. I went to Mormon church this time and had an amazing lunch at a family’s house (lu that was all the way cooked and awesome). The Missionary at the Mormon is white and speaks amazing Tongan so he has set the bar for me really high in the Mormon community (good thing there aren’t that many Mormons in my village). After church I hung out and went to kava again, which is the best way to spend a Sunday I have decided. This morning there wasn’t school because there was a holiday (yay sleeping-in!) a kid woke me up at 6:30 to get a plate (oh that’s right you can’t sleep-in in this country), shortly after that a family came to bring me a chicken, (Tonga has two types of chicken, imported that you can buy frozen or moa Tonga, which is like fresh killed chicken and it is delicious) I cooked it to perfection with the special hot sauce I got (kind of took) from a restaurant in town. Pretty much just try to adjust to slowness of life around here until school starts again in February.

Night Swimming with a Sad End

November 29, 2012

Some of us met up in the city for Harrison’s birthday, the bar (the Tongans refer to it as a night club, which is absolutely hilarious) does quiz nights on Thursdays so we were going to meet up for dinner and then do quiz night. I got a ride into town after class and met up with Sean before hand to have a drink at Aquarium. It was super nice getting to go and have a drink after class, I can imagine it is what my life would be like on the daily if I was working in the states (if only they had happy hour in every country on earth)…

Quiz night was a lot of fun and we actually ended up winning- our group had to split up into two teams and Sean and I ended up pairing up with our Australian volunteer friend and Justin (another palangi who’s family owns a cart tour business on the island). It was nice to win because you get a free drink, that drink with the free one we got for the joker round plus the ones before, I was feeling pretty under the influence. After the game we all danced a bit and then it was someone’s idea to head to the little dock behind the bar and go night swimming. It was actually awesome, the water was warm (it was extremely salty, like mouth soars salty but hey, we were drunk), it was basically a private night swim.

I woke up the next morning and went with Sean to his schools graduation. Of course the event was very Tongan and little kids would leave their seats so the parents could yell at them and fix their clothes. It was at the graduation when I went to take a picture that I realized my iPhone had been stolen. Unfortunately, our night swim resulted in the loss of the only camera I have here plus a lot of really meaningful messages from friends back home. I have been pretty bummed about that since, I am continuing to search for it (you know, small island no one really has an iPhone, plus it doesn’t even work here as a phone!) but I don’t have high hopes.

Random Church Feast

November 26, 2012

I was just wondering around the village after playing make shift ping pong for a bit when I stop to talk to a guy trying to make a sign for something. He asked if I was good at art but I didn’t want the responsibility of making the sign since I didn’t know what it was for so I said no (the responsibility thing plus I am just not good at art). The same guy who woke me up a few days before to borrow my computer came by and asked if I wanted to go to church with him, I thought I have nothing better to do, so I said yes. I got into the back of the truck and was joined shortly by some older Tongan women who were nicely dressed, I immediately started to question my decision to come along because I looked like a village kid- dressed in slightly dirty shorts and a white t-shirt. We get to the church and I guess it was some event to present a gift to the ministers. All the older ladies started dancing around in laps around the inside of the church. I was getting into it- it is what I imagine a Baptist service to be like- loud singing and everyone calling out hallelujah!

To my pleasant surprise after the event there was a feast! I used my powers as Peace Corps (or just being white) to make sure I got a seat at the table. I know I have been here for a while because I was not phased at when one of the guys brought the roast pig’s head down to our side of the table and the preceded to take the face off to get at the meat on the inside. Instead of being a bit taken a back I helped the man tear a peace off for myself. Beside the food the best part about Tongan feast is the minutes right after the meal when everyone quickly tries to snatch up all the leftovers, using anything (including the plastic wrap that originally covered the food), to bundle up the leftovers. Even during the closing prayer you can see the eyes of the elderly Tongan ladies shifting about, checking out what they are going to grab first. It is pretty awesome to watch and on the occasions they hand me a plate I am always thrilled!

Kailao! End of the Year Culture Show

November 27, 2012

At the end of every year each elementary learns cultural dances and songs, which they then perform for the community in a bag ceremony. I have already mentioned that I have been learning the war dance that the kids are learning at my school, today was the day we performed. I was told by my fellow teachers, especially my (crazy) counterpart Mele, to invite Sean and Dominca to the show so I did. Dominica said she could make it and found a ride into my village with my town offer (side note- my town officer is crazy, he is bald and really funny and always is a bit kava hung over, his kids are also pretty hilarious).

I was a little nervous but I just figured that it is just going to the village and the will probably just think it is cool that I am trying- plus I think they like when white people try and do Tongan things (they think it is absolutely hilarious). Point here is I know the dance but not amazingly so or anything. So Dominica gets dropped off at my house and my town officer offers to take us to the village, now I am confused. Dominica (who has been here for 3 years so knows how to speak Tongan) conversed with him for a few minutes. Apparently, the show is in another village and is with 2 other schools and in front of the officers from the ministry of education- now I am nervous. I guess my fellow teachers forgot to mention that this show was a bit more of a thing. After I hurriedly grabbed my stuff we met up with the teachers at the town hall (where I thought we were performing) and I chastised them for not telling the palangi what was what. We drove to the next down and I was garbed in some Tongan essentials- kahoa (lay), flowered belt and war paint. I ended up doing the dance and only messed up a few times, but hey it’s Tonga, even the official things really are not all that official.  

getting ready, before my warpaint was applied by my counterpart with her lipgloss...

all 3 schools lined up before the ministry officers

Holonga's specific village song where they offered kava (the plant in the picture) and then a pig

the kids doing one of the songs- each has accompanied hand movements

me with my school doing their dance, to my left is 'Ela (a teacher at my school) and Lose (a teacher and the Prinicpal)