Malo ‘a e kei ‘ofa mai ‘a e ‘Otua ‘o tau to e a’usia mai ‘a e 2010.

Ko ‘eni ‘oku mau mo’ui lelei pea ‘o ‘ikai ha me’a feefee fau ko e toki lava ‘eni ha faingamalie ‘eva ki he kainga he ‘aho ni pea lava atu ‘a e a’u kia Samiu mo Mele, pea mo ‘Amelia mo ‘Akanesi. Tu’o ‘a e viviku ee vala ‘o ‘Ofa ‘ia sione Halasika pea mau fe’unga aipe he ongo ua koi a ki he ‘aho ni ka e toki vakai atu ‘a e toenga ‘o e uike lotu.

Holo ‘aupito ‘a Samiu, peau fanongo pe ne a’u kia Lisita lahi ki ‘Amelika.

‘Alu tokotoko holo pe ‘a Samiu, pea ko Mele ia ko e ‘alu saliote holo pe, ka ‘oku ne lava pe ‘o teke holo pe ia.

Sai ‘aupito pe ‘a e ki’i ‘api ‘i Kapetaa

Nau ‘ofa atu ‘aupito kia Neomai mo ‘Amelia, ko e toki ‘osi pe ‘eni ‘enau vali mo ‘emau a’u atu mo e take-away ‘a e kids ‘o mau tangutu hifo aipe mo ‘enau haka la’i pele ‘o lunch fakataha.

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Lava ‘a e katoanga fakamanatu ‘aho ee kui ‘a ‘ofa, ka e toki to’o hake ‘e Sesilia ia mo Selemana (ta’ahine ‘a Kafo’atu) ‘a e veve teunga tau’olunga ‘a e tamaiki lalahi ‘o fai ‘ena show makehe ia ‘anaua he ‘aho hoko.

Ko e malie atu ‘ena ki’i to’onga pea mio ange ‘a Sesilia ia he kuo ‘osi sio foki ia ‘ia ‘amelia he me’a ko e mio.

‘Ofa atu

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The flight route was a little awry, handling four little kids at the airport means whatever time you have left to get to the gate, isn’t enough.

At Sydney airport Sesilia wanted to go to the toilets, so we split up after customs and ‘Ofa took off with Sesilia to find the toilets while I gathered what was left of the unpacked carry-on and shuttled the two elder ones to our gate (and geezzz how far away it was.)

Renovation work at Sydney International meant that we entered the ‘system’ at one end, to find the gate was at the ‘other’ end of the gate system.

They closed the boarding gate behind us, as the last travellers down the ramp.

In Auckland.

Disembarking in Auckland was another adventure with Sisitoutai needing to go to the toilet so we split again, going separate ways to find toilets.

After those niceties out of the way, the gate allocation doesn’t exist for the flight from Auckland to Tonga, but we observe a number of the ‘mob’ hanging around a general area.

Aahhh, this must be where the frequent flyers hang-out.

1st Night.

One has  but to experience each time, reminders are not enough.

Other than meeting the clan again, having a huge ‘umu dinner at 10:00 at night (wonder why Tongans are big?,) the memorable thing about returning was that first night-time shower.

I near dislocated my shoulders flapping my hands scrubbing like mad in the vain hope to fool my body into thinking that we were actually warm and the buttocks et. al. were not really freezing cold from the water.

There was a quick cure to laziness. Note to self: for the rest of the stay, revert to the hot water in bucket to warm up the cold water and bath from the bucket.

Lesson #1: Learn how to bath from a bucket in the comfort of your shower with running hot-water.

1st Day.

Were we supposed to have done something today ? Most things disappeared in a haze since we’re quite jet lagged from caring for the kids and the mad rush.

Had the obligatory visit to the clan coinciding with (surprise?) a huge ‘umu lunch and the obligatory spit-pig. Whilst those who can control themselves waited for lunch, the younger generation mum’s gorged themselves on the poor pig, leaving the other meat nice and intact.

The young kids were practising their dance for the gathering, although it seemed that at this rate, 100 dances will have been tried, and none known by the day. Music was hip to listen to.

We have the obligatory banana under the mango tree, and Sesilia was on our third trip to get more bananas when we had the uncomfortable experience of being snapped by one of the dogs. Mangy mutt masquerading as a nice dog snuck up quietly and took a big bite on my leg. Mangy critter didn’t even growl until after he’d taken his bite.

Fortunately the bite went on two layers of pants cloth and didn’t draw blood (or infect) but geezzz dogs have a strong jaw snap.

Lesson #2: Dogs that bite don’t always growl before they bite you.

2nd Day.

Quick Note: We’re tying up the dogs, and in the process we get a daylight snap.

Dog #2 takes another snap. Broad daylight attack, we’ve finished tying up the placid nice dog when another dog walks around me quietly and takes a snap.

Not as good a grab at me as the previous bite, but no pants in the way so this bite took some blood if not flesh.

Lesson #3: Wear long pants around dogs, something strong like corduroy/denim seems a good idea.

Apparently this was/is a call during the preparation of Kava (ya know that nice warm brownish liquid that tastes like mud but has some socio/cultural value which means that to be politically correct you have to say something like … mmmm ‘needs salt.’) Oh and the cultural value … ?

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I guess if you want to find out the cultural values of “Kava kuo Heka” you can rock on along to the above exhibition.

Where: Fa’onelua Convention Center (that’s the one across from the main Kauli Bakery in town?)

When: 28 ~ 30 July 2009

And it’s sponsored by all these people with pretty logos (go to the posters for more details.)

When the past catches up with you, greet them with a smile.

Turn up, make some noise, show yourselves off.

THE TONGA CULTURAL HERITAGE EXHIBITION 2009

The Ministry of Education, Women’s Affairs, & Culture in conjunction with The Tonga Traditions Committee present Au Mei Moana – Returning Tides: The Tonga Cultural Heritage Exhibition. This will be hosted at the Fa’onelua Convention Centre in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, from July 27 – August 1, 2009.

The Ministry and the Traditions Committee seek to help the public understand Tongan cultural experiences and in this instance are using objects and ideas to interpret the past, document the present, and explore the future of the Kingdom of Tonga. The goal is to strengthen ties between the local and overseas Tongan communities by presenting artistic examples of quality, diversity and spirit from our society for locals and visitors of all ages.

This exhibition will be a point of contact between the public, artists and museums. The stories shared through this exhibition and performances will highlight who we are as individuals within a local, national and global Tongan community.

Tongan artists are invited to submit artwork for consideration in the exhibition. The theme of the exhibition is ‘Au Mei Moana – Returning Tides’ seeking to forge between the island and the diaspora. It is a celebration of Tongan culture by Tongan artists through contemporary media including the visual arts, dance, and music.

My bro’s moving to Melbourne, and I was about to ask him about one of the long gone sisters when she blasts me an email message about some do their having back in Tonga (or of Tonga)

Sam,

Please if it is not a problem could you publish our press release …

'Ofa atu

Papa

If you’ve been tracking some of the goings on here, such as J. Havea et. al’s. Tasilisili and Talanoa, we’re all going in relative the same  direction to get the palangi lois together with the matu’a ?

On that note, another call out from the Talanoa crew that next year’s siesta has been directed and call for papers are out.

Yeah, their choice of conch caller seems a little white for the sun tanned islands, but hey …

Talanoa Oceania 2009 will provide opportunities for presentations on three significant island concepts: Lotu, Tabu, and Tikanga.  These concepts have multiple meanings in the various languages of the islands of Oceania:

• Lotu can mean 'religion, church, pray[er], worship' and so forth.  Presentations on this concept may address some significant aspects of our native belief systems and world-views, or issues that relate to religious diversity, religious intolerance, and the challenges of lotu to islanders in diaspora.
• Tabu (tapu, taboo) can mean 'to prohibit, forbid' or 'sacred, holy.'  Presentations may focus on the relevance (and irrelevance) of cultural tabu to diasporic and overseas-born islanders, and address issues that confront diasporic communities such as sexuality, HIV/AIDS, and so forth.
• Tikanga is Maori for 'correct, right, way, custom, code'; tikanga Pasifika can mean 'Pacific ways' which includes 'fakaTonga,' 'faaSamoa,' 'vakaViti,' and so forth.  Presentations may focus on the question of culture and identity amongst others.

Kuo kamata maheni mai ange ‘a e fefine ko Sesilia, ka e pehee ‘a Sione Halasika mo e kau me’a ni, pea kalasi kehe atu pe foki ee funny ia ‘a e ongo ua ni.

Faingofua ange pe foki ‘a e ongo ua lalahi iaa, kuo nau ‘osi maheni pea na pa ngofua pe foki ko e fekauatu p eke ‘uma mo fe’iloaki kuo na laine mei ke fai ‘a e ‘uma, fe’iloaki ‘o vave ange aipe ‘a e to e maheni mo e ngaahi fofonga ne ‘osi kamata ke ngaloo.

Lava aipe ‘a e kaukau tahi ia ‘ane afi mo e hake mai pe kuo ‘osi kamata ke tete ee loungutu he mokosia ka e ‘ikai ke fie mokosiaa.

Ko e ‘aho ni, fai ‘enau va’inga soccer pe ‘i tu’a pea faka’osi ‘aki pe ‘enau kaka holo he ‘ulu’i ‘akau he tomui ‘o Misi.

Ko ho’o siana ‘eni kuo kamata ‘ene tesi ‘a engaahi sitepu heni,

Ka ke fakatokanga’i atu, ‘aonga ange pe ke tukunoa’i ‘a e ngaahi sitepu ia heni ‘oku ‘ange ‘ange ‘ene fefeka ange ka fai ha fall.

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Ko e Sapate foki ko e ‘aho kai ‘umuu ia homau fonua ni.

Ka e faka’ofa atu pe Sisitoutai, kuo ma to e hu maua ki peito ke ngaahi ha’ane sandwich. ‘Oku holo ‘aupito ‘a e kai ‘a e siana he ‘oku fu’u vahavaha ‘a e ma’u ‘a e me’a ‘oku loto lelei ki ai.

Mahalo ‘e ki’i taloa ha toe ha’u ‘a Sisitoutai ki Tonga ni ka e ‘oua kuo ki’i hiki ‘ene kai ‘o toe tali ha me’a kehe mei he ma mo e cereal.

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We got late to church by about 10 minutes on Sunday so whilst we walked in the congregation and choir finished off the 1st hymn and we walk into the introductory/evocation(?) prayer.

Looking around, it looks as if we are early with nearly half the space still available.

The ‘setuata’ (head steward) starts his prayer and after a few nods, he’s still going. At the end of the program, it seems quite real that this prayer was the longest thing out.

I remember, in an earlier life, walking into another church service, in another town. The congregation were ‘tardy’ in getting to the service, I think we had visiting speakers that day, and when the chair of the program started with prayer, he prayed on and on and on, until the church was filled up.

Must have been some powerful prayers that day. This day, no one came in after us. God must have been out ?

Tahi Pacifika, what’s up with that ?

Karyn and Boris with the vessel “Lavinuella” are running a new service in Vava’u that anglers, divers and whale watchers might appreciate.

http://www.tahipacifika.com

Doing it with Snorkels

If you’ve dived in clear blue waters (remember the colour of the sea is a reflection of the sky? and sometimes a factor of the enormity of pollution in the area) then you’ll know what Vava’u and Tahi Pacifika have to offer.

If you’re planning the next dive, or fishing trip, head on over to Vava’u and have a great time.

One of the great things about a large economy is the fact that you don’t have to get your voice heard through the National Media. Fortunately there are a lot of ‘smaller’ news organisations out there (with significant readership, presence) who are more than willing to participate in your local / community activities. You just have to call them to make sure they know the dates and events your community group is organising.

I sometimes read our National Paper, but I always take a browse at the three local papers for the Bankstown area.

Which is all really a lead-in that the Tongan Congregation has some press exposure through the Mt. Druitt Standard. Well done!!!

We wanted to let you know that the Mt Druitt Standard has posted an article and photo gallery documenting the King's visit to the region.
 
Here is the link in case you'd like to include it on your site.
 
http://mt-druitt-standard.whereilive.com.au/news/story/glendenning-hosts-royal-visit/
 
Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you'd like more information

And now we know that the new Saione is in the town of Glendenning. And for all those pretty, smudgy photos / film-clips pushed onto youtube and bebo, there’s really something to be appreciated when a good photographer takes the ‘snaps.’

Wish I was there eating with you guys, but a guys gotta make a living…