rain rain go away

This was my first dry season in the Kingdom of Tonga and like most everything here.... things are not always what you thought they might be. It has rained on and off just about every other day.
Last week we had 60cm of rain ... 2 feet in 21/2 days time. That my friend is a LOT of water.
The Tongans don't often swim and when they do , they do it with all their clothes on. Personally i might ask why bother, but the Tongan's save their water sports for the rain. It is NOT unusual to see Tongan's happy and laughing walking down the streets in the pouring rain (again fully clothed). You can also catch them under the rain spouts washing their hair.... again fully clothed.
During the rain is a favorite time to get out onto the rugby field and try to kill each other as everyone slips and slides.
So rational thought would be "if it rains in the DRY season, then the wet season must be dry" .... WRONG !!!!! ... i have been here for a rainy season ... and it rains even harder... the rain just happens to come down sideways due to the strong winds.

a 3 banger day

YES ... 3 posts all in one day ... i think the reason is that my inter-net is so random at home, that when i'm in the mood to write... very often i don''t have access. That and my mind has become just as random... a thought once thought is just that ... and quickly forgotten .. it's a very common malady in all the Pacific islands.

NOW ... what was that i was going to write about ?????

ohhhhh yea ... how much everyone is looking forward to the NEW group of Peace Corps volunteers to arrive.

Significantly it means that we have been here for a year ... kinda of "over the HUMP". With their arrival it means our end is in sight; NOT that i want to get outta here ...I"M VERY HAPPY in Tonga... i just get overwhelmed with the idea of a commitment that far off in the distance .. i'm way to spontaneous a person and this 27 month gig has had a psychological affect on me. I can now start to breath easier.

On the bright side I'm also looking forward to a trip home in October to visit with my adult children and take as many HOT showers as i can. AHHH just one month from today, i can hardly wait.
Then there is December, Back here in Nukualofa the new Trainees will be sworn in ... it's my birth month .. i'll be a year older and I'll start to collect a social security check that is FIVE times my peace corps check ...
so @ Christmas time this year it will be PARTY HARDY in HOT Tonga while at home everyone else will be freZZZZZZing.
and that is JUST FINE with me !!!!!!!!

POST MOURNING

just an update ... there was a mass memorial over the spot were the ferry boat Princess Askia sank. The family members were brought out by chartered ship... they dropped wreaths into the sea and bands on board played funeral music. Later that day at the house of a Prince; a feast was held for those who had lost loved ones. There a talking chief asked for the mourning to come to an end and life be celebrated.

So that's it ... the Tongans will now move on from the greatest tragedy since 1918 when Swine flu; of all things, wiped out thousands of people.

as for my package ... NO ONE really knows where it is ... but i'll keep the faith

YEA... I'VE GOT MAIL !!! well kinda of !!!

Okay i have been in and out of 3rd world countries for years. I take lots of deep breaths and heavy sighs. My expectations are very very low and my eXcitement when things go right is sincerely one of gratitude.
BUT answer me this one BATMAN ...
how bad does it happen to be that a package mailed from Seattle on july 27th and arrives with a postmarked stamp in NUKUALOFA TONGA ... my home town and where the P.O. box is located ... it arrives here on the 17th of August and i don't get it until September 2nd.... what is sooo WRONG ... the post office floor plan is NOT so BIG that it takes more than 2 weeks to walk across the room and put my envelope in the PC mail box ...
i'll find out later today ... there is a new CEO at the P.O. and i'm going to ask him .. and while I'm there i'll be looking for my other package mailed 6 weeks ago from the USA .. the USPS swears it's in TONGA ... and yet there is NO SIGN OF IT HERE !!!!!

!!!OIAUE !!!