Mataola's photo face

Opening Day for Tongan Basketball in Talafo'ou

Wow, this was a wonderful experience.

Tomo and I went to Talafo'ou, an eastside village, to attend the Opening Day of the Basketball Season. We know a few girls on the Talafo'ou team.

Shortly after school lets out marking the end of the school year, the basketball season begins. Basketball in Tonga is not like American basketball. It is more similar to netball which I don't really know anything about. It is only played by girls and fakaleiti's (semi-flamboyant to flamboyant gay guys). Tongan Basketball is played on a field, there is no dribbling and the hoops do not have backboards. Girls are really skilled at getting the ball in the hoop, nothing but net. Although there are no nets in Tongan basketball. It is sort of like ultimate frisbee but with a basketball. The field is divided in three sections with two goal areas around the hoops. The players are assigned to a section and they can only play in that section. Once a shooter has indicated that they will shoot and are in the goal area, the defense must let them shoot with no interference. The game is often rough and I would be scared for my life if I played. The uniforms include skirts with tight shorts underneath.

This year's captain is our good friend Ofa. She had to prepare additional traditional Tongan stuff to give as a gift to the opposing team and their captain. The home team, especially on Opening Day prepares a lot of Tongan stuff to give as gifts to the visiting team, including food.


Ofa (team captain)



The whole community of the home team gets involved in this transfer of Tongan gifts and it was wonderful to watch. There are some photos here of the Talafo'ou team members wearing huge tapa cloths, fala, fabric and blankets over their uniforms before the game. One by one, they were called onto the field by position and they shed their Tongan wear and gave them as gifts to the cooresponding position player from the opposing team. This was done to fun dancing music provided by the DJ. The older women danced, so did the young children, the older men danced but mostly drank kava, and younger men were involved in preparing the umu to give to the oppposing team, the opposing team arrived in a caravan singing or honking their horns to the DJ's loud music and the community leaders spoke to each other welcoming each other to this occassion. It all was really very beautiful to me.

Oh and by the way, Talafo'ou won. That was the icing on the cake, some dang good icing. The score was something like 17 - 10. One thing I found maybe odd was that the spectators are all very serious during the game. No one makes noise. No cheering. Just clapping when a team scores. Tongans are serious about their basketball.

For more photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/vanessa.tuione/OpeningDayBASKETBALLInTalafoOu

My Address

Vanessa Tui'one
c/o Tonga National Youth Congress
P.O. Box 2670
Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Puaka anyone?

Cousins, Sione and Paula, who prepared puaka for dinner practically every other night while I was in Vava'u back in June.

I don't know how old Paula is but he is much younger than Sione. Sione is 17.

Photos of Paula and Sione killing the pig, etc: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/vanessa.tuione/PaulaAndSionePreparingThePuaka

The Ha'amonga - A Brief History Lesson

I am very pleased to say that this history lesson includes canoes, double hulls and kalias.


My sister Vina and I during her visit in August


Information from the Tonga Visitors Bureau

Although Nuku’alofa has been the seat of government and royal family for over a century now, legend records that the first Tongan kings ruled from the far Eastern village of Niutoua, where the monumental Ha’amonga (trilithon) stone stands. This trilithon consists of two large vertical stones with a third horizontal connecting stone mortised into the tops of the upright pillars.

These uprights are about 5m high, 4.25m wide and 1.4m thick. The lintel is 5.8m long, 1.4m wide and 0.61m thick. The visible portions of the uprights are estimated to weigh between 30 and 40 tonnes each.


Filo on top of the Ha'amonga.

Ha’amonga Trilithon

The eleventh Tu’i Tonga, Tu’itatui, built the trilithon about 1200 AD. The two uprights are said to represent his two sons, Lafa and Talaiha’apeape, with the lintel uniting the columns symbolizing brotherhood. The Tu’i Tonga was concerned his sons might quarrel after his death and erected the monument as a reminder to stay united. It was they who decided to move the centre of the government to Lapaha. It is said they preferred a more calm anchorage site for their great double-canoes.

Lapaha is the northern district of Mu’a, situated on the shores of a lagoon about 9km east of Nuku’alofa. Because it was the centre of Tongan culture and chiefly rulers for at least six centuries it is the richest area for archaeological monuments in the Kingdom.

Nothing remains of the original living and working quarters of the ancient royal families but a few scattered foundation mounds. However, you can still see the outline of the moat which once encircled the central “kolo” of fortified royal village. (One end of the moat ditch reaches to the present main road next to the large burial mound “Tu’ofefafa”).

During the long reign of the Tu’i Tonga, every village and island was governed by a chief who could trace his descent to the Tu’i Tonga himself. The first known Tu’i Tonga ruled some time about the early ninth century, but the dynasty seems to have reached its peak of power and sophistication about the 15th and 16th centuries, including the reign of Tele’a, whose superb tomb, the “paepae’o-Tele’a,” stands as the finest achievement of ancient Tongan monumental work. By the time Captain Cook arrived in the “Friendly Islands,” in 1780, the dynasty was already degenerating and sixty years after Cook’s visit the Tu’i Tonga was overthrown by the Kanokupolu Chief, Taufa’ahau Tupou I, who went on to found the modern parliamentary monarchy which rules Tonga today.

The power and size of the Tu’i Tonga dynasty can hardly be overstated. Legends and histories from al over the Western Pacific confirm the dominance of the Tongan empire, at the dynasty’s high point. Travelling abroad on their great “kalia” canoes, the Tongans conquered Samoa, the Wallis and Futuna islands, Niue and parts of Fiji.

-- end --

So...what was the downfall of the Tu'i Tonga dynasty? Need to look for another pamphlet on that one.

Later in the pamphlet it said that the Tongans mined the coral lintels from Ha'apai and Paingaimotu (small island off the coast of Nuku'alofa) and transported them to the main island on double hulls. That's cool. No one is making double hulls now in Tonga. Sounds like we need another canoe festival to me.

Great news, the Vava'u Canoe Carving team from the Canoe Festival 2007 has their sights on building a kalia!

Care Package Wish List

Most of these items are available on the main island of Tonga but not available on a volunteer stipend. I am just now taking into consideration that a handful of things on this list can be made cheaply.

Savory
A1 sauce
BBQ sauce
Tapatio sauce
Ranch dressing
Tortillas, corn and flour
Pita bread
Pepperochinis
Spices (don’t need Indian spices)
Any kind of cheese
Pepperoni
Peanut butter
Hummus
Kim chi
Dried seaweed
Sesame or Olive oil
Microwavable ‘movie theater’ pop corn
Hot Chips
Bacon

Sweets
Yogurt
Dark Chocolate
Peanut and dark chocolate M&M’s
Risen
A box of Sees candies or Ghirardelli chocolates
A Costco box of brownie mix
Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Other goodies
Pantene Pro-V shampoo and conditioner
Hair spray
Hair moose, almost forgot that existed
Dial soap
Anything from Target
Hair ties
Clorox wipes
DVDs
A bikini
Contact solution, a bottle here costs $50 pa’anga
Almonds
Walnuts
Novels
Green tea
Pens

In my Dreams
A big fat steak
Carne asada torta from El Gallo Giro with a tamarindo drink
Cute pair of jeans
Costco pack of pistachio nuts
Pumpkin pie
DVD burner
BBQ grill
TV set
Money, enough to build a house and start a business
A boat, a truck to tow a boat and scuba gear
Small airplane
My nephew Sean Si'i

Ok, so I got carried away a little at the end


Reverse Care Package Wish List
Fingers (Chocolate treats made in NZ, sold in Tonga)
Manioke chips
Banana Chips
T-shirts
Tupenus
Necklaces
Jewelery
Handbags
Handicrafts
Carvings
Tongan wear
One of those big brooms they use to sweep the leaves in the yard

Friendly Islanders

My 2nd time as a tou’a.

Kolofo’ou – Api Siasi Tonga.


I don’t think my Mom would approve of this but, Mom, don’t worry, I don’t do this often and don’t tell Dad just to avoid rocking the boat. Thanks.

This was my second time as a tou’a or kava Tonga server. The first was in August the night before Diane, my good friend from Peace Corps, left Tonga. It was in her home village and her house in Talafo’ou with mostly youth boys. Both times I was accompanied by another tou’a.

It was a special occasion which is marked by new relationships I have made in a short period of time and wish to maintain. I recently helped to coordinate the Tonga National Canoe Festival. There were about 40 new people that I met throughout this festival. Most of these people are now leaving back to their homes on different Tongan island groups because the festival has come to an end. I wanted to spend some quality time with this group of people before their return so I promised upon their request that I would tou’a for their last kava circle together in Tonga. It was my pleasure although my self-imposed curfew was 12 mid-night. These things go on until dawn sometimes. This particular kava circle lasted until 5am.

Here are some photos. I would have had more taken but I was busy trying to look like I knew what I was doing.

There were four men playing guitars who led the group in singing. To hear a large kava circle singing accompanied by guitars is one of my favorite Tongan experiences. Anyway, it was a good time.

My typical week in Tonga (shortened)

Sundays
Church
Kai lu sipi
Eva in the evenings to kai topai or bread
Occassional firesides

Monday - Friday
Work report writing at the current moment

Lunchtime
Walk home for lunch

After work
Volleyball in Kolomotu'a
Errands
Walk to the marketi
Visit with friends ussually at my house
Cook din din with Tomo
Lots of reading - newspaper, Book of Mormon in Tongan and English, novel of the month, random stuff
Waiting on my guitar lessons - one scheduled this weekend heeey!

Wednesdays
Dance practice for the Tonga temple celebration at Teufaiva

Thursdays
Womens Touch Rugby at Tonga High school

Friday nights
Church dances (although church dances in Tonga can be any day of the week besides Monday)
Family nights/BBQ's hosted by other NGO's
Bahai circles to play mafia or just enjoy
Clubs or kareoke occassionally
Watch a movie
Friends over and playing cards or just hanging out which is real fun.

Saturdays
Laundry fakaTonga meaning by hand and line dry
Cleaning house
Shopping
Market
Sports
Bike rides
Sleep
Beach
Reading
Watching a movie
Visit family and friends
Visit friends at work
Visit youth groups
Work if needed

Saturday nights
Also like Friday nights

Things I find __________ about Tonga PART II

Hilarious...
"Tongan cholo" sighting. Wish I had a pic. This guy was Tongan, light skin, strong facial features, had short hair, a white tee, a black tupenu, white socks pulled up, and tennis shoes and he was relatively short. He was out clubbing.

Tongan older women who don't understand English, gathering to watch a Filipino flick with English subtitles and discussing their interpretations of what is going on in the movie.

The Tongan pick up line: “You are beautiful like a swimming pool.” Or if you prefer the longer version: "You are beautiful like a swimming pool full of water."

“Lea ki he lo.” Tonga’s version of the phrase “Talk to the hand” which to Tongan ears sounds like: “Talk to the ant”. Hahahahaha. So “Lea ki he lo” literally means “talk to the ant” but said when you feel like you are being ignored. (This phrase may or may not have stemmed from the American, “Talk to the hand” but it’s funny anyway.)

Different...

Many things.
Laundry
Cooking
Shopping
Driving
Sports
No hot water
No tv - well not at my house
No movie theater (it was destoyed in the riots)
Some family asking for money all the time
Never seen so many drunk tongan men before
Drinking water system
Things to do in my 'free time'
Interactions on the street
No pedestrian has the right of way
Video rental places
Availibility of produce
Sporadic rainfall
Cyclone warnings
etc...

Physical touch. It is not normal to see a Tongan couple show each other affection. It's rare to see a couple holding hands or even one resting their head on the shoulder of their significant other. It is normal however for individuals of the same sex to hold hands, hug to keep the other person warm or lean on each other. This is mostly normal in the states between girls but it is different with the guys. Where in the states, these instances of physical tough between guys would look “gay” in Tonga it is as normal as when you see two sisters linking arms.

Annoying...

#1 on the list: Terrible customer service! Tourists, beware. It’s worse than the pigs that tear up my yard or the 5 million dogs that use my yard as an outhouse!!! There seems to be no such thing as the customer is always right or service with a smile in Tonga. It’s more like service with a smell. They look at you like you smell when they serve you. It’s true. You are inconveniencing them by asking them for a service. I don't know exactly what it is. So far there is a short list of exceptions in my book which is a list of one and that is Teta Tours.

Club-like security at Tongan-Mormon dances.

Good news! I am kutu free!

Meaning I don’t have lice! 7 months in Tonga without kutu! Something to cherish.

Tonga Women's Touch Rugby

A side project I am working on is Tonga Women's Touch Rugby. It's part of an effort to promote sports and healthly living for Tongan local youth girls.

We play touch at Teufaiva field every week on Thursday at 5pm and are working towards popularizing the sport.

The main sport for Tonga's local girls is basketball (not like the basketball we see in the states, more like netball) which has a short season during the Christmas school break vacation. We are trying to create a year round program for basketball so that there will be more girls engaged in physical fitness throughout the year and not just for few months.

More later.

Tonga National Canoe Festival October 1 - 13th, 2007

The Tonga National Canoe Festival is a youth project I am working on with the Tonga National Youth Congress.

The project's main focus is to revive the almost lost art of Tonga canoe carving. We are bringing together 6 master canoe carvers native to Tonga to teach 30 youth to carve a traditional Tongan canoe. There are 5 teams with 6 youth each. Each team represents one of Tonga's island groups: Tongatapu team, 'Eua team, Ha'apai team, Vava'u team, and a combined Niuas team. We will be documenting the whole event from the aquiring of the wood to the launch of the freshly carved canoes on the final day of the festival and the youth interactions with the elder master carvers throughout.

I will soon post photos of our trip to aquire the wood with our head master carver. I am excited about this project as it gains momentum up to October.

Here are the photos:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/vanessa.tuione/TongaCanoeFestival

Riding the bus in Tonga