"Ah... Home, Sweet, ! Jesus, Mary and Joseph, What is that?!"

The Friday after swearing-in I was able to move all of my stuff into my house and finally begin life outside of a suitcase. I live in the village Longolongo, which is, essentially, a "suburb" of Nuku'alofa. There is a Weslayn Church across the drive from me where frequent services are held; particualarly now since Uike Lotu, Week of Prayer, is coming up, and the men drink kava and play ping pong nightly. The house I live in has a kitchen (yes I have a stove and a fridge. I am definitely a "city girl")/ main room, a bed room and a bathroom with running water. ( Once again, spoiled. Sometimes the water is even warm because the pipes get heated by the sun but that happens to be the time when you really don't want warm water.)The place is attached to the landlord's house. There is a thin door seperating the bedrooms but he and his family live at the Theological college campus so I have the property all to myself. Suke, the dog, came with the house. The land owner asked if I wouldn't mind taking care of him when he gave me the keys and I said,"sure." Of course, he kind of takes care of himself. It is definitely survival of the fittest for the dogs on these streets. Suke is, however, the sweetest dog I have encountered in Tonga. He isn't really use to humans speaking to him in the manner that I do, or petting him, so initially when I would get close to him and coo at him, he would get so excited that he would piddle on himself and being male, almost get me most of the time. I moved in to my home with the realization that this will be my first residence where I will be living alone, yet I have discovered a handful of various "flatmates" if you will, and I must say I've had better. I technically considered myself renting the place from the termites. They were here first and they have definitely settled themselves in. The ants are actually entertaining as they march various patterns on the walls and the least of my concerns, as Duane's baby powder trick really works. The millipedes like to die in the shower drain, I am not sure why and the mosquitoes are well, this is Tonga. The smoke from the mosquito coils actually make my place feel a bit mystical to me, like an odd smelling incense. The momocho or geckos also add to the mystic feel since they make noises like mini raptures and I can pretend that there are dinasours in the walls. The cat likes to mess with the coachroaches, which fly when it rains, and carry them around in her mouth. (They are too big to actually fit in her mouth) I am currently cat-sitting and taking care of a kitten whom I call "Cougar". She is wonderful but also a piddler. And then there is the maulikou, or Lucifer's centipedes. These bugs are straight out of hell and sting like hornets. Cougar tried to go after one that was on my curtains but it hissed at her and she ran away with her ears pulled back. Okay not really, but it did beat her in combat. So I came at it with a can of roach spray. The beast curled up, making me feel that I had delivered the "one-two punch", and then came at me, fast! I continued spraying and ran for a weapon. I began pounding at it with a hammer. The spray finally slowed its movements enough that I struck it, right in the middle. I then proceded to pummel it. Success. The hell creature was dead.

I'm official!

This week Group 74 of the Peace Corps in the Kingdom of Tonga had our official Swearing- In ceremonty, which is to say that we celebrated our survival of traing. To commemorate the experience I have compiled some of my personal training highlights. (Viewer discretion: some context not appropriate for children but I will try to keep it PG) *Our arrival in Nuku'alofa closely followed by my first illegal activity in Tonga: buying bottled water on a Sunday. It was a back door purchase instigated by an Aussie (or maybe he was a Kiwi... I'm not sure but apparently "It's kinda shady, eh?") *Vava'u, the heat, kapapulu and spegetti-o pizza, and the naked children *Basketball Jones: Daily basketball games on the Mormon court. Tongans vs. Palangis. And finally being a major baller, quite possibly the one of the best female ballers in the nation at that moment. *A new definition of clean. I was sitting on the porch of my first homestay playing around with One and Sifa while Va'inga washed sheets in a large barrel of the edge of the porch. He left the wash for a minute. I hear a tinkel and to my dismay, see Sifa leaning off the edge of the porch and peeing into the open barrel of wash with a big 'ole grin on his face. *Fevers, boils, parasites and fakalele (which means "like running") * "In da Bush" * Watching the monumental moment that was Election Day on a foreign island and our celebratory dip in the harbor. *A Pornographic Experience: My host family borrowed a t.v. and dvd player from a neighbor and was so excited to have a "sio vitio" night with me. My host dad presented me with their selection of dvds. Both he and my host mother stood over me watching as I flipped through the titles. I stumbled upon a couple "Barely Legals","Almost Legals" and a few I should not mention (I will let your imaginations fill in the blanks). I tried not to gasp or react in an obvious manner but glanced up at my host parents. They were nodding in approval and complete absence of recognition on their faces. "sio vitio?" I forgot to mention that pornography is illegal in the Kingdom. *Anga faka-palangi: the boat trip, the beauty and the drama *Quickly discovering what they mean by "The Tongan Sneak Around" and just how sneaky they can be... These last two months have been a ride. Now the real life part begins.

Giving Thanks in ‘Eua

As part of training, we are assigned to spend a week with a current volunteer to get a sense of what our life might be like for the next two years. The idea is to be placed with a volunteer who currently works and lives in the area you are assigned. I was placed with a volunteer on an island that I have now deemed “my vacation home”. ‘Eua is the only island with notable elevation so there are fantastic hiking trails, cliffs and banyan trees, oh, and a rainforest with a waterfall. I am getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning. I traveled to ‘Eua from Nuku’alofa (if you have been following, you may note that this is where I will be living) on a three- hour boat ride. Being a land mammal, I was pretty sure my sea-legs were underdeveloped. I, Ashley (another trainee) and a current volunteer, sent to show us the ropes quite literally in a few different ways, climbed up from the deck to the top of the boat with the crew. We stood grasping the crates tied to the top and ducking to avoid the waves that swept over the vessel. I arrived in ‘Eua with my breakfast still in my stomach and wearing a fresh skin of dried sea salt. The adventures continued the following day with a hike through most of what the island has to offer inland. The banyan trees’ tangled roots and branches reached deep down into eroded caves and stretched above the rest of the trees to make an interesting skyline. (Matt, if you read this, these are the trees you dream of climbing.) The paths cut through field of palms and coconut trees that juxtaposed groves of pine trees. (The pine trees were sent to the island as part of New Zealand Aid as a source of lumber; yet, nothing is really built out of wood…) There was a lookout above the rainforest where we could over hear a parrot’s conversation and caught a glimpse of one in flight. Yet the highlight was without a doubt, Rat’s Cave. While the name dauntingly seems to come from an Indiana Jones flick, it is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places on earth. We shimmied through a hole in the forest floor and dropped onto the floor of a shallow cave gouged in the face of a cliff over looking the South Pacific Ocean. Looking out, the wind whipped and all that could be seen was sea kissing sky. It was like sitting on the edge of the world. You could image the water simply tumbling off the edge of the horizon and falling to the abyss. And then there was Thanksgiving. Eight Americans from various states gathered in a Tongan guest house with a turkey shipped from the States and a collection of other delicacies, like apple pie baked from scratch and mashed kape (a starchy root crop that is so dense that it attempted to cement the wine bottled we used to mash it in its thickness), inviting a German guest and a handful of Tongan children to join us. It wasn’t holiday with the Oswald’s and there were no peanut butter balls but that turkey was good and so was the company.

Stills from Tu'anikevale

For Tahi...

During the past six weeks of training our little crew in Tu'anikevale has grown quite close, unexpectedly so I might add, and it is sad to end our Tongan version of summer camp as we are sent across the nation to various attachments. Sadder still is that we two members of our crew have resigned from training and are flying back to the states tomorrow. I am hurt to see them go and feeling a little lost without Trent, or Tahi in Tongan. I have to accredit Trent with a lot of the bonding that occurred in our group through, if nothing else than, making us laugh when we didn't think we'd make it this far. Many of you may not have recognized his talent, but Trent was an aspiring poet. He asked if I could put up some of his poems on my blog. (Apparently a lot of people actually read this mush I type up.) Trent, this is for you with love. Poems by Trent Wallace MONGOMONGA Mongomonga in my room Mongomonga full of doom They are big and fast and black And they’re always coming back Mongomonga go away This to God above I pray If my wish is not fulfilled Mongomonga you’ll be killed Molokau Oh Mr. Molokau Please tell me why You make people scared And make people cry Maybe it’s because You have hundreds of feet Or maybe because You are always discrete Maybe because You always seem mad Or maybe just simply Your sting hurts so bad Maybe it’s because You’re shaped like a stick Or maybe because You’re just so darn quick Maybe I can’t answer The question of why Yeah maybe, just screw it I hope you all die!!! HIGHS AND LOWS As I walk down the street In my village today All the Tongans I pass Say “Malo lei lei” My spirits are high A smile on my face I feel like I’m home Yes, I love this place Snap back to reality I hear a yelp A dog’s being beaten I think he needs help I hold back my rage With all of my might Because sadly, in Tonga This behavior’s alright When language is over We take to the court We shoot hoops and play rugby Or some other sport Everyone’s happy We have such a blast We all laugh and play Time passes so fast Snap back to reality My shower’s cold as can be And the spider above Is bigger than me As I shampoo my hair I keep open one eye If the bastard touches me There’s no doubt I’ll die Just when I think I won’t make it a year My house father shouts “Tahi, come drink a beer!” I eat a huge supper That’s fit for a king When I’m with my family I need not a thing Snap back to reality I’m reading in bed When I hear a noise That fills me with dread A Mongomonga flies by And makes my skin crawl He gives me the finger And lands on the wall I choke down some Nyquil While I drift off to sleep I pray to the Lord My soul he will keep My dreams are all filled With family and friends And a girl that I like Please don’t let it end Snap back to reality Very quickly I wake To roosters and kids And bells, for God’s sake Although I’m quite pissed On my face a smile grows In Tonga you deal With the highs and the lows 

My Assignment...

It now appears to be the time for me to put on my big girl pants. I have been assigned to work with the Ministry of Education of Tonga to develop and implement a special education/ inclusive education program. I will live in the capital city, Nuku'alofa pop. 20,000, and be housed by the ministry. My job will include working in a special education classroom, teaching a course on inclusive education at the Teacher Training College and traveling to the various island groups to raise awareness for inclusive education. I am, while flattered, feeling grossly under qualified. I was preparing myself to teach in a small hut-like classroom to a group of less than 20 students but someone saw something else and probably just enough book knowledge to qualify me. Do not get me wrong, I am thrilled to receive this position and ecstatic just knowing how much I can do; but with that same power, I am scared. Wish me luck, friends.

Tu’anikevale: Kaukautahi

I happen to be one of the lucky PCTs that is stationed directly off the ocean and at dusk we often visit the various beach access to the ocean or the lookout points. The kids head off to their swimming spot everyday and glad for us to tag along when we can. The Tongan phrase for swimming in the ocean is ‘kaukautahi’, which literally translates to ocean shower or ocean bath; very fitting for the sweaty, mango-mustached children that partake every day. As we were jumping in from the road into the dammed area, a fellow PCT and I stepped back just to watch. He whispered, “We are jumping into the ocean on a far away island with the village children. It’s just like a movie.” And it was. Only far better. Here are some of my favorite pictures: