VERY warm greetings from the South Pacific!

I'm sitting on the balcony of the restaurant, The Aquarium, enjoying a tasty lunch to myself while admiring the sailboats in the harbor. There's one boat coming in now that is just beautiful with about fifteen people on it, all anxious to dock at this restaurant and get some food as it is the only place open right now. Why? I have no idea but I'm glad that I too know about this place and their yummy burgers! You see, sometimes Tonga will just shut down on you and you'll never know why. I understood why town was dead because its three in the afternoon and everyone is napping but absolutely NOTHING is open aside from this place. I'll ask around but I doubt i'll get a clear answer as to why :)

Another story to add to Tonga's casualness when it comes to time and work... I had a ten am practice this morning at church for an 'action song' that we're doing again tomorrow during service. I arrived a little after ten knowing that I would be the first one there otherwise, but, to my surprise, I was the only person there. I went to our church hall thinking that I had misunderstood where practice was but again, no one was there. I walked around downtown and saw people here and there who should have been at practice but instead were getting groceries, buying ice cream, chatting with friends, etc. Even those in charge of the practice were sitting beneath a tree in the shade with their eyes closed, catching up on some shut eye. One of the girls was walking out of the video store and I joked with her, screaming out, “Hey, get to church!” She replied by letting me know she just picked up a great flick and was going to watch it at home.

We ended up starting a couple hours later once a good crowd rolled into the hall.

Taimi fakatonga. Tongan time.

You just have to laugh! And you'll learn to love it!