Fua’amotu
A quick recap of homestay!
Soo..this is going to be the quick version: We left LAX on September 1st….
…and arrived in Tonga on September 7th, 2013, after a quick stop in Fiji.
I found out I would be staying with ‘Ana and Feteleni in the small village of Fua’amotu for the two months of Pre-Service Training (language, technical, and safety training).
Three days into homestay, my family found out it was my 22nd birthday and had a beautiful feast waiting for me, cake and all! I think it was the best bday I’ve ever had, super thoughtful to say the least!
I went to church with them every Sunday, and ate the tradtional Tongan lunch afterwards, typically lu, which is taro leaves cooked in an underground oven called an umu, with either chicken, mutton, or corned beef. Usually paired with boiled root crops (sweet potato, tapioca, taro), and if I was lucky, ota ika, which is a raw fish ceviche in coconut milk. Nom noms!
I became very close with their youngest daughter Sena (20 years old), and by the end of the two months, their youngest grandson, Sione (Jon in Tongan) even liked me! This was made evident when he finally stopped trying to hit me…
I feel incredibly lucky to have stayed with such a wonderful family. They took very good care of me, and I cried the day I had to leave them. I still talk to them on the phone every week though, and plan on sending them a box of Vava’u pineapples for Christmas-Vava’u really does have the best pineapples!
Besides language lessons and other trainings during the day, there was other fun to be had…
We taught Class 4 about poetry for our Practicum week. It went surprisingly well!
FYI: The waist-decoration is called a kiekie, which automatically ‘fancifies’ any outfit, kind of like a man’s dress tie. They are a MUST accessory…
The boys gave us watermelons (meleni)and papaya (lesi) to say thanks!
The Peace Corps project in Tonga at the moment is to work as an English facilitator in Tongan primary schools, in Classes 3-6.
On November 7th (HAPPY 50TH MAMA HOPE!), we were officially sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers! Ah so exciting!!
Also learned that I would be serving my two year service on the outer island group of Vava’u! I was super pumped!! The daunting 24 hour boat ride ahead of us didn’t even lessen the excitement level! If only we had known….
‘Ana and Sena even came to celebrate with me! Such a great day!
So that about sums up the first two months on the main island. Now to fill you in on the first month of life in Vava’u…
