Royal Wedding

Last week was one of the biggest events in the recent history of the Kingdom, the royal wedding! HRH Crown Prince Tupouto'a Ulukalala and Hon. Sinaitakala Fakafanua married last Thursday at the Centenary Church in Nuku'alofa. The couple followed the Tongan tradition of marrying within the royal family although they are second cousins. This created some controversy surrounding the wedding, but overall it was a beautiful event.

There were many different events scheduled as part of the wedding festivities. The first was a ball at the Dateline hotel in Nuku'alofa. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to get an invitation. However, I was able to attend the ma'utohi ceremony at the palace on Tuesday. On this day the couple signed their legal marriage license. My choir sang at the event and we were invited to stay for the luncheon. The lunch was a three-course meal, with the main course being steak. Steak and wine at the palace? I'll take it! There were also several Tongan dances, my favorite being the lakalaka from Vava'u.

The main event was on Thursday afternoon. Colorfully attired guests filled the church in anxious anticipation of the bride and groom. As per usual in Tonga, the ceremony started a half an hour late. When bride finally arrived she made a beautiful entrance. The wedding party wore palangi-style dresses and tuxedos and the ceremony was exactly like weddings I have attended in America, minus the fact that it was in Tongan. The following reception hosted about 2,000 people on the palace grounds.

Friday night was another ball (still no invite...I need to make friends with some royals) and Sunday was the final day of the wedding week. The couple attended their first church service as husband and wife, which is a very important part of Tongan weddings, sometimes more important than the wedding itself. There was one last feast, and that concluded the festivities. Congratulations to the Prince and Princess!

Konifelenisi

Church, singing, feasting, meetings, church, singing, feasting, meetings...

That about sums up the Free Wesleyan Church conference that finished last week. This conference, held every year around the end of June, is a huge event in Tonga. The Free Wesleyan Church is the largest in the Kingdom, and thousands of people attend this event. Representatives come from all the island groups and even some from overseas.

Tuesday, June 26th was the opening of the conference. There was a ceremony at the new church offices in Nuku'alofa followed by a feast at Queen Salote College Hall. The hall looked so beautiful! Following the feast, there was a po hiva (night singing) with 15 different choirs including groups from Vava'u and even New Zealand.

Wednesday was a service at the main church where the schools performed various musical pieces and dramas. My friend and fellow volunteer, Kaitlin, was Jesus as part of her school's performance. It was fantastic. Afterwards we went to a feast. Naturally.

The rest of the week was more of the same. I went to two more po hiva's, at one of those we performed Haydn's "Creation". It was fabulous. My choir also sang at the Sunday morning church service where we performed a Bach mass. The music in Tonga still amazes me. The final evening there was one more po hiva and the announcement of where the ministers will be serving during the coming year. Then there was the last feast, which began around 11:30 p.m. Kaitlin and I went one last time to fill up on fried chicken, root crop, ota ika, sweet and sour, crab salad, and cakes.

Next big event...royal wedding! Two more days!!!

'Eua Is.

One of the highlights of Rachel's trip to Tonga was our visit to the island of 'Eua. This island is located to the east of the main island, Tongatapu. It is about a 4 hour boat ride, but only 7 minutes in a plane. Rachel and I took the plane, and it was awesome. A 7 minute flight in a 7 seater. A short, but memorable trip.

When we arrived on the island, we rode to our guesthouse, dropped off our bags and went out exploring. We started on the southern tip of the island. We saw a natural rock garden, dramatic oceanside cliffs, wild horses and a natural land bridge. Our hike back took us through the bush, where we saw many examples of Tongan farming including kape (giant taro), banana trees and lots of cows. Our last stop of the day was a beach.



On our second day, we again went out hiking. We started at a giant banyan tree overlooking a huge sinkhole. We then attempted to find a cave, but got deterred by the caution signs in the middle of the path warning of a logging operation. Instead, we went back to the guesthouse and took off for the beach. After a hike through some really overgrown bush, we ended up on a beautiful, islolated beach. 

In the evening, we spent some time at our guesthouse. We met other travellers from the U.K. and Germany who were very entertaining company. We left early Monday morning to head back to Tongatapu where we promptly went to another beach for the day. It was a fantastic weekend and fun memories with my sister!

New Address

Since I have now moved permanently to Tongatapu, I have a new address. Here it is:

Charity McDonald
P.O. Box 147
Nuku'alofa
Tonga
South Pacific

I would love to get some mail =)

10 Things You Should Know About Tonga

Guest blog post by Rachel...enjoy!

1. There are animals everywhere

Even here in the main city there is an abundance of dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, and goats. Out hiking, you might run into a cow or horse if you're not careful. My favorite Tongan animal is the pigeon. Apparently one of the kings decided the city was lacking pigeons. He had them shipped in and now they are everywhere.

2. Tongan singing is incredible

All Tongans appear to be naturally talented musicians. Singing is very much a part of their culture. I had the chance to go to a po hiva, or night singing, where local choirs showed off their talent. It was amazing, especially considering that these were the normal Tongan choirs that are found all over the island.

3. Airport security is completely different than the States

When Charity and I flew on a domestic flight to the island 'Eua we arrived with plenty of time to deal with typical airport hassles. As it turns out, this was unnecessary, as not only were we not asked for identification, but the employee at check-in told us our names before we could say anything. 

4. The royals are easy to find

From an American perspective, seeing royalty is quite exciting. However, in Tonga, the royals are out at the same restaurants and bars anyone else would be at. When I saw the princess I was quite excited but it was clear the Tongans were unfazed.

5. Everyone is a Christian

Tongan culture has been completely influenced by Christianity. Nothing is open on Sundays and it's a common question to ask what church you go to. The only religious diversity I found was a small group of Baha'i.

6. Tongan portions are huge

Charity and I were lucky enough to have some friends bring us some traditional Tongan food one Sunday afternoon. Despite that it was just the two of us they brought bananas, coconuts, fish, crab salad, root crop, potato salad, sausage, and lu. It was overwhelming. Thankfully, Tongans are also great at sharing and happily pass around extra food left over from these giant portions, so we were able to share food with our security guard.

7. Tonga is like one giant thrift store

In Tonga, almost everything is second hand. Cars, appliances, and clothes are all passed around. When you do go out to buy something at the market or fair, what you find is a delightful assortment of odds and ends that have somehow ended up in Tonga. This at least partially explains eclectic Tongan fashion.

8. Gold teeth and rat tails are fashion statements

Although it would look bizarre to an American, Tongans often display their status by flashing you a smile of gold teeth. Also bizarre is the prevalence of rat tails among boys. To each their own.

9. Tonga really is the Friendly Islands

Walking around town at first was almost unnerving because it seemed like everyone was saying hello. From the cheerful, "good morning" to small children yelling, "palangi!" (the word for white person) everyone is bound to say something to you. My favorite was the inevitable group of young guys shouting out, "You're beautiful!" or "I love you!" Thanks, Tongan boys.

10. Charity and I are now famous

After attending a church service that was televised, Charity and I are even more recognizable than usual. People will say "I saw you on tv!" All the Tongans (okay, at least some) now know Lose and Lesieli.

Tu'a 'ofa atu!

Lesieli

New Island, New Adventures

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but hopefully this one will make up for it. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I recently had to leave my island in Vava’u. I absolutely loved Vava’u, but moving was the right thing to do. I’m still not sure if this will be a temporary move or if I will permanently move until the end of my service in December.  But for now, I am living on the main island, Tongatapu.

Tongatapu has lots of great things to offer. For one, I started working at the Catering & Hospitality School at Queen Salote College. It is the exact program I taught in Vava’u, so it has been a fairly easy transition. Another benefit of living on Tongatapu is the food. There is a fabulous market and Saturday fair with quite the selection of food. There is good peanut butter, black beans, heaps of vegetables and even American cereal. Also, the restaurants are really yummy. There is an awesome pizza place and several good cafes. Lastly (although the list could go on), I recently joined the royal choir. They are the choir that performs at the King’s church and at royal events. They are a really talented group, and I am very lucky to have the opportunity to sing with them. Currently, we are rehearsing for the Wesleyan conference that will be held at the end of June.

I’ve also had the opportunity to attend some really cool events since I’ve moved. Last weekend, I went to an art show in town. A group called “On the Spot” organized the event which showcased local artists. There was some beautiful artwork! Another event last weekend was the children’s Sunday. I went to church with my friend Kaitlin in her village, Utulau. My favorite was listening to the preschool kids read the hymns and scripture, they are adorable!

Lastly, the most exciting news of all, Rachel will be here to visit next week!!! I can’t wait to see her, I’m sure we will have some fabulous adventures. More updates on that soon!

Camp GLOW Vava'u needs your help!

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=421-136

Camp GLOW is a wonderful opportunity for the young girls of Vava'u to learn about leadership, career opportunities, and healthy lifestyles. Please support this project with a donation, even a small donation will help. Malo 'aupito...thank you very much!

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=421-136