Malo e lelei!

I hope everyone is doing well! I'd like to say thank you to those who sent Christmas wishes, cards, and presents! I know it's a hassle sending them down to the pacific but I appreciated it more than anything and thanks for just not forgetting about me during the holidays as I now live in Tonga, which remember, in Portuguese, means 'in the middle of nowhere.' :)

I just got back from a workshop in Tongatapu. I love traveling so getting on a plane again was very exciting! I stayed at Sela's Guesthouse which has been my home each time I've stayed in Tonga. After thinking about it, I have actually spent more time at Sela's than I have in my own home in Vava'u. Peace Corps has been staying there for years and Sela is very warm and hospitable. She even baked us cakes on our last visit for the Christmas holiday. This time, she had two new kittens which were awfully fun to play with though I cannot say the same for the other new creature at the house- a molokau. These are centipede-like creatures whose bite is INCREDIBLY painful. They say it's inevitable that you'll get bitten by one during your two years tour but I'm almost four months in and happy to report no such monster has bit me! Still, I check under my sheets each night before I go to bed ;)

In Tonga, I got the opportunity to see fellow volunteers from my group whose sites are in Tongatapu. It was fun to catch up and share stories about getting settled into our communities, making friends, the recent holidays, etc. I ended up eating out almost every meal and didn't pocket a penny of the per diem money we got for the trip. I also dipped into my savings from last month to buy a guitar :) Though, contrary to some of your thoughts, this was not an impulse buy! I want to learn how to play the guitar during my free time on this island- and Lord knows, I'll have a lot of free time! I even picked up a 'How to play the Guitar for Beginners' book off the 'Free-table' at the Peace Corps office.

All in all it was a wonderful visit and the work part of it was quite enjoyable as well haha The workshop was for all Emergency Coordinators throughout the kingdom. There is an EC on each respective island group to represent all the volunteers. I am the EC for the Vava'u island group and thus have to be trained on my duties and responsibilities as an EC in the event of a natural disaster. It is cyclone season now, but it's never to late to get trained on such preparedness.

The most interesting thing that I took away from the workshop was our discussion on riots and political unrest in Tonga, which although is not a natural disaster, is still very important for an EC to be trained on as such an event could result in the evacuation of volunteers from the island(s). One volunteer shared her account of the most recent and most intense riot Tonga has ever witnessed. It happened just a few years ago in the country's capital Nuku'alofa. There was a peaceful pro-democratic demonstration going on down the main street of the city when a few very animated demonstrators left the rally and broke into a Molisi store (which is a grocery chain in Tongatapu). They started taking cases of beer and passing them out to the demonstrators/onlookers and in consequence, activity intensified. People began to break into more stores and set fires, targeting most importantly, the ever prominent Chinese-run falekoloas (store in Tongan). (Side note- The Chinese had a contract with Tonga to open these popular falekoloas which sell lots of goods from overseas. These Chinese-run stores are absolutely EVERYWHERE in Tonga and are taking away business and business opportunities from the Tongan people and thus, lies the animosity that Tongans have against the Chinese here in Tonga. Their contract expired a couple of years ago still, their stores remain and Tongans continue to suffer from the draining economic opportunities).

Apparently there are decent video clips of the demonstration and riots. Over 1/3 of the city burnt down and this was merely a few years ago- 2006 I believe. I am still learning. But I encourage you to look up the information and videos online, including YOUTUBE. The police here used this private video footage as a means to prosecute people. Though the police's involvement during this time was questioned as such footage shows Tongan police inactive in executing law enforcement. Though nothing like this had ever happened and in their defense, the Tongan police had never been trained on handling such a situation. Unfortunately, in addition to this lack of knowledge, there were speculations that the police were taking cases of beer and other goods, and loading them onto their private vehicles.

Hopefully, such a situation will not reoccur as unprecedented political elections are to come in the fall (I think the fall...). The Kingdom of Tonga is a constitutional monarchy (the last in the Pacific), but, much like the United Kingdom, the power will soon be turning primarily to the people rather than the king in this upcoming election. Many people are very excited about this progression but there are those who do not see the need for such change and there are those who are also weary about its consequence. Such opposition is always present during such a political evolution but Tonga seems ready for the challenge.

I, particularly, am very excited to witness the political change first-hand. Especially, because one of my favorite college courses studied the democratic change of countries like Germany, Argentina and South Africa. I find the social, economic, and political affects of such a change fascinating and it's very interesting to talk with my neighbors and those in the community about the election.

Entirely unrelated, I must share some exciting, exciting, exciting news!!! My future puppy was born just yesterday! :) You see, two of my fellow volunteers, Chad and Katie, have a dog, Si'si who gave birth to seven puppies! They promised me one of them and I cannot wait to visit them! They live in a village about an hour or so hitchhike away but I'll try to get up there soon. It works out wonderfully because come March (when the puppy will be old enough to take away from Si'si), I will have already started school and gotten myself acquainted to the schedule/flow of the school and its attending students.

My mom already sent me some dog toys and I purchased a collar at Molisi.I am so excited! Though a dog having toys is unheard of here and people will probably think I'm crazy, and I've been told that people steal the dog collars and wear them as fashion necklaces. Whatever. I'll give it a try anyway. They'll get used to the palangi-ways of dog companionship and ownership :)

Anywayzzz I am going to do a little reading before choir practice.

'Ofa atu!
Ashley