End of homestay...

Sadly our end of seven weeks is coming to an end this coming Saturday the 25th of October. Training has flown by and I am soo excited to head to site!

 However, it's very bittersweet to be leaving my wonderful host family and training group and staff.

It's been an exciting past few weeks from  Church all day Sundays to ,waking up to dog fights at 3 am, and to snorkeling on a beautiful sandy beach! There have been many ups and downs these past few weeks, from being really sick to just having rough days and it's really been amazing to see how everyone in our group has got one another's back.

I also have to give a shout out to my family and loved ones at home who have been super supportive, from listening through tearful sickly calls home (happened once so far) and random  stories about life so far in Tonga . 

What I've learned these past few weeks:

- ORS ( oral rehydration salts) is my best friend!

- fleas and Mosquitos suck but life goes on 

- mosquito nets are gods gift to the human race

- in Tonga just say yes, (whether you mean it or not)

- (tao'ulunga) dance EVERY NIGHT!

Some highlights from these past 7 weeks!

Random resort visits!

Definitely going to miss this cutie! ( so much trouble in that little smile)

Otai, the best drink on a hot, humid, sunny day, So pretty much anytime!

Making faces at church...

Palm trees and driving through the bush with my host family.

Taking lesi ( papaya) from the bush and eating it EVERDAY..

 

I've learned a lot so far and there is still so much to learn! 

I will find out my site placement October 29th, and if all goes well with language and technical tests I will be officially sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on October 31st!

Another Sunday in Tonga...

So Sundays in Tonga are the real deal! Literally everyone goes to one church or another. The main churches are the Free Wesleyan Church, The Free Church of Tonga, The Church of Tonga, and the Mormom Church. 

My family attends the Free Wesleyan Church ( which is similar to the Methodist church). 

Every Sunday each family wakes up early ( we're talking the whole house is up and moving by 6 am!) and starts to make the Lu. ( which is a traditional Tongan dish that consists of chicken, turkey,or beef (usually corned beef) wrapped in taro leaves with coconut cream/milk inside. 

Poli jr. Scraping the coconut meat to make the cream for inside the Lu.

Ma'vae gave it a try too! 

The boys get the umu ( Tongan oven) ready. Basically they start a fire with dried coconut husks and add volcanic rocks to create coals.

While thats getting heated up the girls are in the kitchen getting the actual Lu ready. 

This FanguFangu ( the one standing up, fun fact: it's actually her house we are staying in). Lile ( my host mom) is chopping meat on the right.

Once the meat is chopped a handful is placed on top of about 7-8 taro leaves with chopped onions sprinkled on top. 

When it's all ready to wrap it looks like this! All that's left is the coconut milk.

Here Poli Sr. ( my host father) is using the coconut husk to squeeze the cream/milk from the coconut meal.

Here Christopher ( my oldest host brother) is peeling the manioke (cassava).

Meanwhile back in the house Polisi'i ( jr.) is keeping the flies out of the almost ready Lu!

Like pours the coconut milk into each set of Lu leaves, wraps the foil, and voila Lu ready to cook!

The umu right before we put the Lu in!

Everything packed tightly in our umu ( the white things on top is the cassava) it's ready to cover!

It's ready to cook for the next 3 hours while we are at church!

Of course before we get ready for church we had to have our second Tongan breakfast of manioke and left over coconut milk, gotta admit it was pretty tasty!

And finally I got ready to to'a for the kava circle before church ( decked out in some fancy accessories that were supposed to be for Friday nights dance performance but that's a whole other post!)

After our two and a half hour church service we came back to our feast!

Now it's time to rest, possible got to more church, and repeat until the day is done. 

Basis summary of a Tongan Sunday is : make the Lu, go to church, eat , sleep , and repeat!

Where I live...

Here's a couple snapshots of where I've been living the past month or so...

My room, my mom just found this mosquito net for me and it's been amazing, a hangingosquiiti net is highly underrated I must say! ( cacooning in your mosquito net like I have been the past few weeks just doesn't quite cut it :P) 

The bathroom area and freezer.

Our living room, Where we occasionally watch rugby as a family, the Tongan culture channel, or religious programming.

The field in front of our house, which is usually filled with kids and teenagers playing volleyball or just hanging out through the week.

Our back yard/ porch area where the boys will eat dinner when it's not raining or Lile will beat the tapa root ( which is used to make the decorative wraps for dancing and big celebrations.

The local cemetery. ( the graves here are above ground and very colorful)

A family of pigs that live on the and where my host parents are going to build there house!

One of the many dogs that wanders in and out of our property, generally they are not allowed inside but he was sneaky!

Our umu ( Tongan oven)

And of course the Free Wesleyan Church where we spend most of our Sunday's :)

My Tongan Family

This is my host mom Lile, she is 33.

This is Ma'vae ( standing up) he's 3 and full of energy! Next to him is my middle host brother Poli Si'i ( or Poli junior).

Poli all dressed for church. ( Lile my host mom in the background)

In the far back is my oldest host brother Christopher ( he's 12) and just took his class 6 exam to move into secondary school!

This is my host cousin Mele 'Ana, and she is 16, and taught me the Tongan ta' ulunga ( dance).

Lile, Christopher( holding Sifa, who is a baby host cousin), and Polisi'i

This is Polilahi (senior) my host dad, and he works in the Prime Ministers office in Nuku'alofa. (and Christopher preparing the Lu.)