Hair today gone tomorrow

Lots of culture in Tonga ... and don't ever quote me as a resource ... seems like i usually only get half the story ... like the several women today at work that only have half the hair they had yesterday. Seems strange, but NO... It's a part of the funeral ceremony... women/girls are required when someone important like a father, uncle or auntie dies,... out of respect they cut off most of their hair ... it gets woven into a belt (kava) that is used to tie around the waist to hold up the tavolava (woven waist mats) ... (way tooo much to explain) ... but this Kafa is only worn on very special occasions. The young girls who all seem to have pigtails down to their waist ... think of your south pacific fantasy ... for them it really is a significant gift letting go of their beautiful locks (LOTS) of hair.

Yoga or Yogurt

i teach Yoga tonight ..every wednesday PM and saturday AM... it's an interesting mix of people and without the use of proper mats we use the fake (think Chinese) straw mats to cover the swept but dirty floor. People keep coming back sooo at least a few like what we are doing. What becomes the challenge is to keep the class interesting for everyone ... some people have NEVER done yoga B/4 or some have never, ever; even touched their toes.... others are like Gumbi and can be a pretzel on demand.
It's mostly a volunteer group but, Amazingly enough a few Tongans have come ... it's hard to get them to be repeaters ... however, if i have learned anything about Tonga; it's just to "wait" ... things happen at a pace unfamiliar to the western mind.
What with eating being a national sport here ... if i offered yogurt after yoga ( ya gotta get them to stay to the end) i have a feeling the class size would double !!!!

the first day of winter

yesterday was the solstice ....what i used to call the SUMMER solstice which is now my WINTER and winter in june is still as hard to take as the toilet water going counter clockwise in this southern hemisphere.
I started the day off doing Tai Chi on a rock jetty that extends out into the ocean waters, right in the heart of Nukualofa. Because it was Sunday i had to share my spot with a Tongan woman saying endless prayers .... she was there when i got there and still there when i left. I didn't mind sharing the space but i think she may have had other thoughts .... Tai Chi on a technicality of being an exercise is UNLAWFUL on a Sunday; however because i use it as a meditation ... i'm certain i would win in a court of Tongan law.
Well the cold south winds brought in the winter with a blast of air from the Antarctica. I'am wearing long pants 2 shirts a sweater and a jacket.... but NO it's not minus degree weather .... it's only 67 degrees ... but that's enough to freeZZZZZZe, not only me; but everyone else that is hobbling along today.
My only hope to warm up because it's raining and the sun just isn't going to come out today, is to go home and boil some water for a hot bucket bath .... there is NO hot water @ my house ... it takes some effort; but my only regret is my bucket isn't big enough to create the sense of well being that one gets after stepping out of a 15-20 minute HOT shower. I have also discovered in cases of being cold here, it's best to put my feet in the bucket or by the time the water gets down to my feet from the top of my head ... the water is going to be COLD !!!!
It's diffidently a HOT soup day for sure .... and that's the dinner plan. Ramen noodles with hot red Cayenne powder sold at the Chinese store for $.40 USD ... it certainly won't bust my budget, and if i have two ... i might just be overwhelmed with the sense of abundance !!!!!

the gravity of the situation

GRAVITY .... it's what makes things fall to the ground ... like if you drink to much kava or Ikale (the tongan beer) it will be gravity that will bring you down to earth. However, the real issue with gravity in Tonga is that it brings coconuts down to the earth... often times from VERY high up in the air. Now if you happen to be in just the right/wrong spot .... that falling coconut can make a difference in your day ... or LIFE.
If you are hungry ... you just won the Tongan LOTO .. you can have a drink and eat the delicious insides.
But falling coconuts don't always fall where you want them ; something along the lines that it doesn't just snow @ the ski slopes back home , but also in your driveway. This random act of falling coconuts creates a problem.
One such problem is that it is a VERY common sight to see cars that have smashed ... and i mean smashed....WINDSHIELDS; smashed to the point that i have NO idea how the driver can see out; Then, because of a "sense of safety" ... the windows are often covered in opaque tape even further limiting what visibility there was that was left ....and yes these cars are on the road driving like that !!!!
God only knows what a new windshield would cost... these car owners have my sympathy, BUT they can NOT have my LIFE ... so i all-ways keep an eye open for any cars that have that pushed IN LOOK and a squinting driver weaving down the road ... blindly !!!!
It could easily make a difference in my day/life !!!!!

smoke and mirrors

Quite simply the "smoke" is everyday ... very often it's just the burning of leaves and yes; there are plenty of leaves as most people are prone to "sweep" their lawns ... malo tafi ...thank you for sweeping. This can be used as a greeting and a heartfelt thank you to someone who is sweeping, but first you have to see that person through the smoke.
AAAAAhhhh the nostalgic smell of fall,..... you get over it very quickly when the smoke is everywhere. The smoke might start as leaves but very often an old tire or two is thrown in and why not add to the pile plastic!!!! A toxic cocktail coming your way whether you like it or NOT !!!! Natsy stuff ... you betcha ... and from what i understand there gets to be less and less of the burning plastic and tires... you just don't believe it when you ride through an inescapable cloud.
On a bicycle the smoke can be blinding not to mention all that you miss when your holding your breath ever sooooo tight (like you might NOT see a car coming right at you).....
and THEN there is the "umu"!!! On Sunday; EVERY good tongan cooks in an outdoor earthen pit. They use coconut shells that burn slowly and smoke like KRAZY. these fires smolder and keep going the entire time that the families are at church. Very often for hours.
I was so happy to leave the allergy prone north east for the clear blue south pacific air. The good news is I never did get my guaranteed spring time hay fever but the smoke has certainly made my eyes water and itch more than once !!!!

sooo that's the smoke .....and the mirrors .... well that is what you see is pretty much a reflection of what you want to see. Is tonga purrrr-fect ....NO ; but then no place ever is. That is until you leave it and then the amaZing thing is that you only remember the good times.... so let the good times roll !!!!

going up... up ...up

Currently there is one 5 story building in the capital city of Nukualofa (the abode of love). It is the Tongan National Reserve bank. There might be three or four, three story buildings and all the rest are two or single story. The BIG news is that reconstruction after the 2006 riots ( i think officially it's called "the incident") has begun. The town is swarming with an ever increasing population of Chinese workers. They were brought in along with all building materials from China; as part of the conditions of a $200 plus million dollar loan to the Kingdom from the good people of China ....payable with interest; of course. Included in these new buildings are several 4 and 5 story office/apartment buildings... the likes of which no one has ever seen in Tonga before. So in a way it's exciting to see the big empty spaces left by the burnt out buildings being filled to look less like a toothless grin and more like a warm fresh smile. The big question is who is going to occupy all this new business space ???? The new Peace Corps business educators can't get here soon enough. Planing ahead is NOT one of the strengths in Tonga.

Burrrrrrrr!!!!!!! where the hell is that sweater i packed

you certainly know it's cold outside when your "COLD ONLY" shower has you standing on your tippy toes as you scream going into the FLOW.... i have been here almost 8 months and I'm still reaching for the HOT water knob. It's never going to be there !!!!!
By peace corps standards i live a very plush life with access to just about everything.....everything but, HOT running water ... it's the great equalizer. Most of the other volunteers have long ago started taking hot/warm bucket baths ..you boil water and mix with the cold tap water in a pail/bucket..... ME, i'm saving them for when it REALLY gets cold here .. like maybe 70 degrees.
I would have NEVER believed it from October to May when it was soooo hot and humid; that i would ever say the COLD word (after all i come from the cold northeast of america). But here it is June 4th , a nationl holiday .... emancipation day ... the streets are empty, the skies are grey and there are the occassional rain showers...according to the offical Tongan weather website out at the airport....It's 73 degrees outside and I"M COLD !!!!
Soooo it's hot soup, hot coffee and warm toast through out the day . The trip to the beach has long ago been canceled. Most shops are closed and i'm about to watch my 4th movie of the day on my laptop.