The Wrap Up w/ Some Ramblings

The Wrap Up
Well, I still feel like there is a lot on my mind about this place that I can not fully convey in pictures and words, it is just something you have to experience to truly appreciate Tonga. Are we glad we went? Absolutely! Would we do it again? Absolutely! Would we do anything different? No! Are we going to go back? Probably not, I like to go to new places. Where's my next trip? I would like to go to Peru to visit Machu Picchu and the Manu jungle

So what was most difficult part of the trip? For me... nothing. This was the second best month of my life (second to the month after I got married). The best part of it - no news - no stress. I did not hear one bit of news and I did not worry about anything. There was no TV (a few DVD rentals) no radio, no newspaper, no internet surfing... just the daily review of my work emails. It is amazing how good one can feel when they eliminate things like the constant barrage of media that is shoveled onto the people living in American and focusing on personal wealth.

The most difficult thing for Rachel was taking care of Caleb; she really is a great wife and mother, as Caleb is no doubt a handful.

Tongan Life Ramblings
The future of Tonga
To me this is a very interesting subject.People have proclaimed Tonga to be the last frontier... the unchanged/unpolluted country.

The youth are better educated than their parents, but at the same time, they are becoming more interested in Western culture than their own. This is the path other Polynesian Islands have followed, Fuji, Tahiti, and to a lesser extent, Samoa. The price of Tongan land is rapidly rising as foreigners are slowing gaining more and more access to the land. Many more resorts will be built, tourism will increase, and the Tongans will become more reliant on foreign investment and, in my opinion, this will cause a deterioration in their culture.

Courting
I'm still trying to figure this one out. The young girls are very rude to men their age. On a couple occasions I noticed Winnie would disappear when and a young man her age was around. The men do not spend money on the girls and the girls tease each other if one of them is trying to look pretty. When I asked a Tongan about courtship, I never seemed to get a straight answer.

Birthing
Tongans can not afford birth control, besides, large families are encourage. The more kids in the family, the more proud the parents are. After talking to one American whose wife gave birth there, he said that the county really needs better prenatal and postnatal care. There birthing methods are extremely outdated and poor.

I do not think abortion is practiced. Adoption of relatives is very common, especially if the biological mother is young.

Crime
Virtually non-existent. First of all, there are not many laws and very few attorneys; hence a mediocre legal system. Most criminals jailed are thieves.

Punishment / Discipline
Hitting is the common form of discipline. The government allows teachers to hit students, but some of the private schools have a policy that does not allow it. I do not think "beatings" are the intended form of discipline, rather mild hits that are meant to get the attention of the recipient.

Church in Tonga
The entire island shuts down on Sundays. I think there are 4 small chapels in our small village, all within a short walk from each other. I think 90% of Tongans attend a Christian church, many are LDS. We have attended church the four Sundays I was there and my first impression was... wow the Tongans can sing. You hear singing all day long coming from a chapel somewhere and it is loud. One week a rugby team came in and sang several songs to our congregation, a cappella of course, and I was impressed. Afterwards, the ladies served up some cake and ice cream. The ice cream was passion fruit, one of the best I have ever tasted. In the US, refreshments like cake and ice cream, are usually offered as one serving and the size is moderate. The portions here are gigantic and you get has many helpings as you get take, then you take more home with you; it was great.

Recreation
Their recreation is the feast they have every few weeks or so. Other than that, maybe watching a DVD.

Employment
Unemployment is high. To be out of work for a Tongan is not a concern, as they will sustain themselves from the crops they grow. The better educated Tongans seek to leave the county. Since it has become difficult for foreigners to get an American visa or green card, this leaves counties like New Zealand and Australia the place to migrate to. This unfortunately drains the country of its educated people. On the other hand, those who leave send money back to their relatives. While volunteering, I was offered a job several times... at $3/ hour or whatever it was they could offer, it was easy to decline.

All Done
I plan on making this my last post until Rachel gets back, as she is staying another 3 weeks. Her mother arrived a couple days after I left. Please do not be afraid to leave a comment and let me know if you have found this interesting and please forgive my weaknesses when it comes to writing, it is not my area of expertise.