Monday, July 21, 2008

Tongan "Putu" Funeral

The first Tongan funeral I went to was during my first month of service. Everyone kept talking about the upcoming “putu” for a well-known older woman in my village. I knew putu meant funeral but had no idea what to expect, as my Tongan was not very good and I had no way of asking questions or completely understanding what people said. The husband and wife who prepared my house and helped me adjust to life in Tonga, Pesa and Moana, came to get me on their way to the funeral with their daughter Kamalita. It was Pesa and Moana who picked me up when I first arrived to Vava’u and because they only have one daughter they quickly started calling me their “daughter”, as having only one child in Tonga is uncommon and not deemed acceptable. During my first few weeks living in my village Pesa and Moana would come and pick me up to have dinner or watch movies at their home, go to town to sit in front of Moana’s brother’s store or drive to the village where Moana grew up and spend time with her family. I would have had a much harder time adjusting to living alone in a foreign country if they hadn’t made such an effort to keep me company those first few weeks in Vava'u.

When we arrived to the funeral I was shocked to see the tremendous number of people, well over 200. Most people were eating at large tables set up under tents, others were sitting on the ground singing hymns. I sat down with Moana, Pesa and a small group of people who were vaguely familiar while they sang. There were different groups of people sitting together taking turns singing songs without any obvious rhyme or reason as to whose turn it was. After a half an hour or so of singing the group I was with got up and we sat down under one of the tents and we were handed plastic bags full of an odd assortment of meats, root crops, and hard boiled eggs as well as hot tea and juice. After we finished our “tea” we went to a pile of tapa cloth, shiny material, and quilts. Someone handing me a folded up tapa cloth and I followed suit as everyone starting walking in a line holding their items towards a little house. As we approached the house I could hear hysterical crying growing louder and louder. I couldn’t see very far in front of me because it was very crowded but as soon as I was inside the house I realized that everyone in the line ahead of me was setting down the things they were holding next to a dead body, kneeling down, and “kissing” the corpse (in Tonga no one kisses, but rather they press their faces cheek to cheek against one another and breathe in deeply through their nose). I followed the example of those in front of me without really thinking about what it is that I was doing. I don’t think any explanation could have prepared me fully for what happened but in retrospect my lack of preparedness was probably for the best, as I didn’t have any time to stress about my impending contact with a dead woman. After my experience with the corpse I sat back down with the group as they sang after a half an hour or so we got up and ate again. This routine continued on for hours, literally. The funeral was supposed to go until sunrise at which point they would bury the body but I knew I couldn’t last that long. At about 2am I asked if I could go home. Pesa and Moana asked if I would take their nine year old daughter home with me, as it was a school night and very late. I tried saying no, as I was in definite need of a shower and some alone time, but I ultimately caved in and went home with my little Tongan “sister” and tried to get some sleep.

After attending a few more funerals everything started to make a little more sense and became a lot less overwhelming. At my second funeral I realized the group I was sitting with were singing songs I didn’t recognize. It turns out the groups of people singing are the different congregations of different people from various villages. I inadvertently sat with the Mormons at one funeral and that was a lesson learned for sure. I realized the vaguely familiar group from my first funeral were all from the Chruch of Tonga that I regularly attend, as it is close to my house and most of my neighbors go there. I now know that the tapa cloth, blankets and other items are gifts that people give to show their respect.

This week I attended a funeral for Moana’s brother, Nita, who was murdered last Friday night in the capitol of Vava'u, Neiafu. There are a few bars downtown and it can get fairly rowdy on Friday nights but someone getting beat to death is very out of the ordinary and unsettling to say the least. This is the first funeral I have attended that I actually knew the person who died. I was not very close to Nita at all but am extremely close to his sister, two brothers, and three children ‘Anaseini, Mele, and Vakapuna who have been living in my village for over a year being raised by their aunt Moana. It is very common for family members to raise children that aren’t theirs as their own, especially if they don’t have many children of their own.

I have always wanted to take pictures at the Tongan funerals I’ve attended because they are such momentous occasions but have never felt comfortable doing so. Moana and her family asked me to document Nita’s funeral so I did not feel invasive at all documenting the event. I took a lot of pictures and have posted those that best illustrate what Tongan funerals are like.
















Add Image







Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Dance Fever

One factor of Peace Corps service that many volunteers have a difficult time with is an excessive amount of free time. The only way I have stayed sane out in my village, that with good reason feels like the middle of nowhere, is by participating in cultural activities and events. This has not always been the case, as last year when invited to join in on the goings on within my village I often refrained or did not completely immerse myself in the activity by arriving late or leaving early to traditional dance practices or koniseti “concert” fundraisers. In Tonga there is never a set schedule and the lack of structure and “waste of time” made me feel restless. It was not until recently that I have taken a more serious and receptive approach to participating in cultural events in my village community.

An example of my newfound willingness to participate in "faka-tonga" activities is my current attempt to learn the traditional “Lakalaka” dance that is to be performed for the king’s coronation next month. Last year when attending practices for the traditional “Haka” sitting dance I never seriously considered taking the time or making the effort to learn the dance well enough to perform for a crowd. This year, however, I have made a serious commitment to myself and my villagers in learning the dance and have been attending about 15-20 hours of practice per week for the last couple of months. Initially when I started going to the rehearsals there were only 15-20 of us. Now there are close to 100 people singing and dancing away night after night. The rehearsals never start when they are supposed to and there is a lot of sitting around, chit chatting, joking, and drinking soda in between the real practice. Instead of growing impatient over the lack of structure and organization I have grown to appreciate the fact that everyone is happy to just be hanging out together. It is remarkable that such a large group of people, ages from about 15 to 55, happily participate in the same activity and are perfectly content to spend their time and energy dancing together.

The dance when performed start to finish is over ten minutes long and is set to a ten verses written by my village chief’s son for the coronation of King George Tupou V. The song lyrics describe notable landmarks within the Vava’u island group and express the happiness and significance surrounding the historic coronation. As the only pacific island never to be colonized, I view the upcoming coronation of Tonga's king as an extremely significant event and am both excited and honored to be a part of the upcoming festivities.

I try and be a good sport and let the women dress me up like a paper doll, however, sometimes it can be a little overwhelming. I cannnot believe how well my friend Ana captured the moment taking this photo. Note the forced smile... Classic.


Usually my neighbor and unlikely best friend in the village, 75 year-old Fuiongo, comes over to help me get ready before practice. None of my clothes are shiny or sparkly enough so people have started sewing and bringing me some pretty flashy outfits.




Monday, July 14, 2008

A Faka-Explanation

I am certain that my choice in naming my blog has caused some confusion back home. Faka is a prefix in the Tongan language that denotes likeness, causation, supplying, and having. Over 22 out of 112 pages of my Tongan dictionary are devoted to faka-words, 848 faka words in total - yes, I counted. There are faka words I frequently use such as fakamolemole (sorry), fakakatape (just joking), fakahela (tiring or exhausting- this is what most children are called before they are hit) and fakapikopiko (lazy). There are many faka words that are not particularly commonplace within the Tongan language but I find them and their definitions extremely comical so I have created a list of my top ten favorite faka words for your enjoyment:

Top Ten Faka Words

  1. fakasiosio - to peep, look around for, see if one can find (Often used to describe the Peeping Tom types)
  2. fakamimi - to cause a baby to urinate (How one goes about this I am not quite sure)
  3. fakafanau - one’s wife’s child begotten by a former husband born after one’s marriage to the woman and regarded as ones own (Catch all that?)
  4. fakasapa - pertaining to supper, to provide with supper (Much more straightforward of a definition than #3, isn’t it?)
  5. faka-Suva - in a manner characteristic of Suva, the capitol of Fiji, living as husband and wife though not legally married (apparently there is a little bit of a Tongan-Fijian rivalry)
  6. faka-Ha’amoa – Samoan, in a Samoan way, to be bare from the waist up (Evidently the missionaries made sure Tongans were clothed before they made their way to Samoa)
  7. fakaifo - to make tasty (ifo, meaning delicious, is one Tongan word I know I will use in my vocabulary post-Tonga)
  8. fakatevolo – as or like pertaining to devils, demons, or ghosts (Tongans take all things "tevolo" very seriously)
  9. fakauha - to go out in the rain (Tongans will often stand in the pouring rain with a bar of soap a “fakauha” shower)
  10. fakape - to come out of ones hiding place and yell “Pe!” (It is only a matter of time before I fakape someone)

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Homestay

Some of my most significant experiences in Tonga happened during my Pre-Service Training. I spent my first two weeks in Tonga living with the Mo’unga family in the village of Ha’atafu on the main island of Tongatatpu. The next six weeks of my training I spent with the Hoeft family in the Ha’apai island group in the village of Koulo. This "homestay" portion of my training was an extremely formative period of my Peace Corps journey and I thought it best to share some photos from that time.

Ha'atafu, Tongatapu Homestay

My homestay mom, Nahi, sitting outside the house where I spent my first two weeks in Tonga.

My first night with my new homestay family we had a bbq on the beach. My homestay brother and sister, Mateika and Anita, were characters to say the least. I definately had a "we're not in Kansas anymore" moment sitting on the beach that night.

The Mo'unga family goes to church. They're Mormon if you couldn't already tell...



My homestay brother Tevita and father Pulotu roasting a pig.


Nahi preparing the 'lu early in the morning.


Eating 'lu and much, much more after church.



Hanging out in the kitchen- most likely practicing Tongan language...



Nahi and Mateika came to see us off at the wharf on our way to Ha'apai.



REUNION! My homestay family came to my swearing in ceremony over two months after my stay with them ended.

Koulo, Ha'apai Homestay


My homestay mother and father, Tupou and Taniela.



Me and my homestay sister Toti along with Karen and Jessica.



Jessica and her homestay mother from hell.



Swimming with my homestay sister Arina and some of the Koulo kiddos.



My homestay sister Aneti who prepared my meals and braided my hair everyday.
Here is a piece I wrote for the newly created Peace Corps Tonga Website (http://www.pctonga.com/) that has been developed as a resource for future Peace Corps Tonga Volunteers if you're interested in learning more about homestay:

Throughout the first two months of pre-service training Peace Corps Tonga trainees live with Tongan families in what is called “homestay”. The homestay portion of training is an invaluable part of the Peace Corps service, as it allows trainees to learn about Tongan culture in a completely authentic environment. Homestay can be difficult, yet it is undeniably beneficial and vastly rewarding. Throughout homestay you will observe what daily life is like for Tongans and actively participate in their daily routines, such as helping with the laundry, going to church, drinking kava, or merely laying around watching movies. Throughout homestay you will witness firsthand the roles and responsibilities of family members within a traditional Tongan household. This inside look provides trainees with an exceptional opportunity to learn about the Tongan way of life, and is the cornerstone of developing a greater understanding of Tonga throughout two years of Peace Corps service.

Although trainees are given their own bedroom to sleep in and keep their personal belongings, lack of privacy is a definite hardship that many trainees face throughout homestay. Within the Tongan culture private property and personal space do not typically exist, especially within a traditional Tongan household. Not being able to communicate effectively with your Tongan family is another frustrating aspect of homestay. While practicing Tongan language with you homestay family offers a great opportunity to expand your language learning, it can be extremely exasperating not being able to get your point across. Food is another cause of distress for many trainees during homestay, as the majority of your meals during pre-service training will be provided by your homestay family. While most volunteers acquire a taste for Tongan food throughout their service, initially it can be difficult to adjust to eating traditional Tongan food. Also, having little control over the amount of food you are given as well as lack in variety of food you eat can be trying. Fortunately, if there is an issue with food and you bring it up tactfully with your family they most likely provide you with food that you desire.

Despite any difficulties and frustrations trainees may encounter during their homestay experience, the knowledge gained about Tongan way of life resulting from living with Tongans at their level is immeasurable. Tongan families who open up their homes and hearts to trainees genuinely care about sharing their lives and culture, resulting in both a better understanding of Tongan life as well as strong attachments created between homestay families and trainees. Visiting homestay families throughout Peace Corps service is a major part of many volunteers’ Peace Corps service. Even throughout the most difficult times of homestay, lessons are learned and understanding about Tonga and its people is gained. Augmented understanding of Tongan culture and sense of accomplishment felt upon the completion of homestay offers trainees with a newfound sense of confidence going into the next step of life here in Tonga: two years of service! Good Luck!