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 !!!!