tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31763891791760461432024-03-14T18:38:17.517+13:00Emily in TongaThe life of a Peace Corps volunteer from Illinois in the Island Kingdom of Tonga.Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-42257077684980847992008-08-31T19:14:00.000+13:002008-08-31T19:42:42.456+13:00BeautyI see that it's been about 4 months since I've written on here so I should probably write a long update post... Instead I'm just going to share a moment on my walk home this evening. <br /><br /> I was heading home after an evening mass. I was walking along a road on the ocean shore. It was windy and overcast and just beginning to become dark. Good weather for feeling down, which I've discovered is an easy emotion to have here in Tonga if you let yourself. I had missed the English mass and had to attend the Tongan one, which I didn't understand of course. There was a co-worker who sat next to me who I was hoping would offer me a ride so I didn't have to do the 30+ minute walk, but no such luck. He simply asked if I lived in the area and had no response when I told him where I actually lived.<br /><br />So I begin my walk along the ocean road listening to the MP3 player to make it slightly more enjoyable. Then I walk by the tree. It's all "bark". The trunk, the branches. No leaves. No green. Like a tree in the winter in the States. Except it's not. Because this naked tree has yellow flowers at its tips. This ugly tree with no green has beautiful little flowers brightening its entire appearance. A little further down there's another one with just a few leaves and pink flowers. Now, I've been living here 11 months and should know the name of the tree and the flowers. Shameful for the daughter of a produce farmer. But that's not really the point. I've surely walked by these plants numerous times as I'm often on this road and just never stopped and noticed or have seen them but not fully appreciated.<br /><br />After experiencing these trees, I noticed the ocean's waves actually looked pretty cool at dusk . And, really, most of what was meeting my eyes was quite pretty. So green. This country is so green and...alive.<br /><br />The US might have my family, my friends, delicious restaurants, supermarkets, and movie theaters, but my US is never this green year-round and when our trees have lost all their leaves, there are no flowers.<br /><br />Life here can be extremely frustrating and at times feel quite unfulfilling. It's easy to dwell on these aspects of the experience and rely on complaints to make it through. Sometimes I need to be reminded that beauty and purpose can be found everywhere. Shouldn't be so hard to remember on a tropical island.Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-49198335179958658592008-04-30T09:41:00.005+13:002008-05-07T16:09:41.293+13:00Crazy Weekend at Camp with 600 Tongan Youth<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/emily.macgruder/TongaPart2/photo#5149929610695100786"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 4px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="250" alt="" src="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/emily.macgruder/TongaPart2/photo#5149929610695100786" border="0" /></a>I may have mentioned on here that I attend an English-speaking Catholic Church here in Tonga. When I found out that World Youth Day (a huge gathering of young Catholic adults that occurs every few years) would be in Sydney, Australia this year, I planned on going since I'm already in that part of the world. Later I learned that a group of about 7 from my church would be going (a mix of Tongans, palangis, and Filipinos. They are going as part of the larger Tongan Catholic community. I decided it would be a good experience to join them. Now there are 760 youth from Tonga headed to Sydney in July and I'm one of them!<br /><br />Anyway, this past weekend was a national retreat in preparation of the trip. There were 600 youth there and at least 3 of the 5 island groups in Tonga were represented. We stayed at a technical college. The girls got to sleep on the floor in big open rooms and the guys had to sleep outside in tents. There were 3 showers for about 300 girls and not too many more toilets! I was really the only "white person" there, so I stood out quite a bit. It didn't help that when I called participants up in front of the whole group for activities, I was often one of their choices. The nice thing about that was that they all learned my name. I got so tired of walking around hearing, "Blah blah blah Palangi" or "Palangi blah blah blah" said in Tongan while the speakers looked at me. Call me by my name or don't talk about me when I'm right there! Just because I don't fully understand your language doesn't mean I don't get it!"<br /><br />Other than that, I enjoyed the weekend for the most part. In some ways it really reminded me of retreats I had been to back in the US. There were sessions with a presenter, group work, and then reporting of group findings. Also, in true Catholic spirit, there was Reconciliation night and Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist. (Sorry for those cryptic sounding terms, non-Catholics). Lots of masses and singing as well. However, for me I think it was more of a cultural experience than a religious on. Surrounded by 600 Tongans, I definitely learned a lot and had some good experiences to use my Tongan language skills (as weak as they may be). While some of the sessions were in English and Tongan (all Tongan secondary schools are supposed to be taught in English so Tongans should know the language), much of it was just in Tongan. Should be good practice for next weeks' 3 days of language training and oral test with Peace Corps.<br /><br />The Tongans at the camp were very friendly, sometimes too much so. Of course many of the men gave special attention. There was always the "Emily, sit here" and "Do you have a boyfriend?" coming from numerous directions. Truly interested or out for a US visa? Who knows... Luckily I'm not on the market and don't need to be concerned with those questions. Tongan men are quite attractive with their well-built physiques and close connection to "tall, dark and handsome" descriptions. Could be dangerous!<br /><br />The women tended to be very friendly as well. I had a conversation yesterday with another volunteer about how strange it is that the women don't seem to care that their male peers give us so much attention. Perhaps that's because they treat male palangis the same way. Who knows. One girl had a soccer scarf on and I complimented her on it early on in the weekend. She told me it was from her boyfriend in New Zealand. The last night she tried to give it to me saying that since I said I liked it, I should have it. Her boyfriend's scarf! Watch out when you compliment belongings in some cultures; you might just end up taking it home! Luckily I got her to keep the scarf by convincing her of how horrible I would feel if I took it. Such a kind gesture though!<br /><br />The weekend included quite a few showcases of Tongan talents. The first night each church group prepared an aerobics routine to music to introduce themselves. The next night was the big cultural showcase night when the groups did traditional Tongan dances and families were invited. The last night involved "action dances" (think interpretive group dance...kinda) and each group singing their own version of the official World Youth Day song. Those were all really cool to watch. My little church group didn't know these things were being prepared so we didn't get to participate, but it was fun to watch! Tongans from a young age in school (and in church) spend a great deal of time working on dances and singing, usually traditional-style stuff. They have special costumes for the dance and everything (girls are wrapped in just a decorated 'mat' and oiled up in coconut oil- see picture of my girl Sarah in the costume dancing in Vava'u). Lots of talent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/emily.macgruder/R3g5sge_SXI/AAAAAAAAALI/j_ojAVznnH0/IMG_0094.JPG"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/emily.macgruder/R3g5sge_SXI/AAAAAAAAALI/j_ojAVznnH0/IMG_0094.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />During the sessions I learned the "Tongan way" of saying things in public. If they must say something in front of a crowd, it must be funny. They have to add humor. To me, that makes it seem like Tongans really aren't taking the subject they are discussing very seriously but maybe that's the only way they can discuss serious topics. Also, Tongans will laugh, loudly, at anything remotely funny. When the jokes were in Tongan and the crowd was cracking up all the time, I felt really bad like I was missing some quite funny jokes. However, when they were in English and I understood them and found many to be amusing at best, the Tongans were still cracking up! I guess that's a really good trait to have though. Better to see the world through laughter than cynicism.<br /><br />Not a lot of sleep this weekend either. The first night the girls camp didn't quite down until about 12 with cell phones still going off after that and then girls started getting up at 3am! Many girls were up by 3:30; pretty much everyone was up by 4; and I finally gave in at 4:30. The next night I needed some sleep (and a warm shower as it had been uncharacteristically rainy and cold all day), so I stayed at the home of one of the participants from my church. I slept at the site again the last night and luckily the other girls were exhausted by that point, so I got a good night's sleep! Overall, a really interesting weekend!Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-53716194579540325922008-04-29T16:37:00.000+13:002008-04-29T16:43:46.197+13:00Statistics on TongaIf you want to know more about the country I'm living in for the next 2 years, you can find some info on the website of Tonga's <a href="http://www.spc.int/prism/Country/TO/stats/">Statistics Department</a>.Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-27750569234172411262008-04-07T17:58:00.000+13:002008-04-07T18:14:00.696+13:00No more new friend...So the dog followed me to work for the first time on Friday...and then disappeared. He'd never followed me anywhere before so I was surprised when he started following me down the road. At first I tried to get him to turn around but it didn't work. Then I just got curious how far he would follow me. He followed me all the way to the house of my language instructor (about a mile from my house). She thought he looked like a very nice guy and acted like a palangi dog so she let him on her porch (even though I didn't want him there as I wanted him to be a well-behaved dog who knows boundaries) and he hung out at my feet during the language lesson. Then he followed me to work. There were a few close calls with other dogs on the way but he made it there and hung out there all day, making friends with one of the guards and enemies with one of the neighbor dogs. <br /><br />At the end of the day I had to leave in a vehicle to drop off some employment forms. We tried to get him into the van but he wasn't having it. So we left and I got dropped off at the PC office for a meeting. <br /><br />I figured he'd find his way home (dogs do that, right?). Well, I guess he never did. Wasn't there later that night, nor the next day nor the next... I figure that he is likely dead. He was either: 1. run over by some crazy Tongan driver; 2. Attacked by a pack of dogs; or 3. Eaten by a Tongan (yes, they sometimes eat dog here...prepared kind of like a pig). Or a combination of the 3...<br /><br />There is a chance he could be alive. Fellow volunteers have suggested that maybe he found a female lover dog or another person to feed him. I suppose that's possible but it seems odd to me that the same day that he took such a liking to me to follow me to work (and I haven't fed him as much lately), he would desert me for another. Oh well, now I just tell myself that he was never really <em>my</em> dog so I won't be too sad. I did only know him a few weeks...Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-74067216147053937292008-04-02T16:40:00.000+13:002008-04-02T16:47:03.071+13:00A New FriendI kind of have a dog now. I think it's a full-grown boy but he's still kind of young looking. I noticed him around my house sometimes usually in the trash pile looking for food and he was a little <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">skittish</span> around me but he looked nice and I wanted some extra security at my place so I decided to feed him. Now he's hooked. Also, the first time I went to pet him, he completely let me. So now he's usually around my house and gets all excited whenever I arrive home or leave the house. I'm having to teach him not to jump on me since he gets me all dirty. He also likes to run between my legs under my skirt, which I'm not fond of. He's black on top and brown on bottom. All the dogs in Tonga are mutts and there aren't really small dogs here but there are lots and lots of puppies (no one really vaccinates the dogs). Anyway, when I met this guy (who I guess I need to name), he looked pretty healthy so someone else must be feeding him. I just give him little snacks as I like to have him around but I don't want to become his sole source of food. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kulei</span> (my kitten) isn't much of a fan. When she first saw him, she was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ok</span>. But then I think she noticed him all over me and she got jealous or protective or something. Now when I let her out she hisses at him and chases him off. He's triple her size or more (she's still not a full-grown cat), but she always wins and he never growls at her or tries to defend himself. I think he respects her territory. I've never seen him act violent or bark or anything at all. That's good for me but might not make him the best guard dog...<br />Yep, the most interesting things in my life involve animals.... (Huge spider in my room last night too and a big <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">molekau</span> (huge centipedes whose sting really hurts) was there last week).Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-7313671335563986462008-03-25T17:01:00.000+13:002008-03-25T17:09:35.213+13:00Weight Loss!<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wooo</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Whoo</span>!!! I've bucked the "girls gain weight and boys lose weight" trend that seems to be the case here (and in many other PC countries it seems). In the last few months I've lost about 7 pounds. That's good considering that my diet here isn't always what I'd consider healthy. However, despite some snacks of fried dough, meals of fried fish, and too many soft drinks, I appear to be losing weight. That's probably because I tend to eat smaller portions here and the heat has probably affected my appetite. Additionally, I've started running and I've been sick the past week. Lent probably also had an effect. I gave up meat (except for fish), sweets, and alcohol. Now that's over and I will probably add a few more ice cream cones, hot dogs, and glasses of wine each month to the diet. However, I plan to start working out more so hopefully the weight loss will continue!Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-29070855276734073742008-03-07T13:28:00.002+13:002008-04-30T12:28:08.650+13:00Life as "usual"I realize that I haven't written on here in quite awhile (more than a month). I think one reason behind that concerns I started up the blog in the first place. I wanted to share with friends and family back home the interesting or weird things that I was encountering or doing here in Tonga. However, now that I've been here more than 5 months and have been living in my house and working at my job for almost 3 months, everyday life here has come to seem "normal." I've accepted <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">occurrences</span> that may have previously seemed odd and now find that much of what I'm exposed to everyday really isn't that "strange" or "different at all." However, I guess there are a few occurrances in my everyday life that differ greatly from my life in the US.<br /><br />One change that I've noticed recently, which is actually a rather positive change, is that I eat a lot more vegetables. Or, at least, I use more fresh vegetables in the preparation of my meals. Fresh vegetables tend to be cheaper here than the canned or frozen alternatives (though that's quickly changing as the prices at the market have risen 50% or more and the content and quality for that price have fallen). Also, since some of my eating habits here are less healthy due to finances, I find that I need to balance that with the veggies. For example, at least a few times a week my meal may be crackers and peanut butter and jelly or crackers and cheese. Also, fried food tends to be cheaper here, so I often end up eating more of that than I should. I've often found that my behavior when abroad is, "eat what's put in front of you." Thus, when living with host families I got used to eating things like cucumbers , peppers, and onions (just happy to be served some vegetables) that I might avoid if I were preparing my own food or eating in a restaurant. Now, I throw cucumbers and peppers into the majority of meals I make for myself (still not giving in on the onions). I've also found myself experimenting with veggies such as eggplant, breadfruit (kind of like potato), chinese cabbage and pele (like spinach). I'm happy to say that I will return to the US a better cook (or at least a somewhat healthier one!).<br /><br />Another "different" way of life that I've come to accept is the conservative way of dressing that is recommended here. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/emily.macgruder/R3g9jge_S3I/AAAAAAAAAPM/d-FxP-aNJ1A/IMG_0144.JPG?imgmax=144"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/emily.macgruder/R3g9jge_S3I/AAAAAAAAAPM/d-FxP-aNJ1A/IMG_0144.JPG?imgmax=144" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In training we were taught that shoulders and knees are not to be bared. In fact, at work, skirts should almost come to the ankles. However, after living in the city for a while, I've come to notice that Tongans who are urban dwellers often don't follow those rules. I've seen many a bare shoulder, exposed knee and even some thighs(!). Some females wear short dresses or skirts with those tight leggings underneath. I see some of this and think, "scandalous!" I also wouldn't dream of leaving the house in shorts that didn't come past my knees. However, on some Saturdays (the one day you can dress more casual) I've taken to wearing a tank top (with thick straps- like a wife-beater) and a skirt that ends right at the knees or capris. I also tried out a work-out tank-top of similar style last night on a run. Going down the street dressed like that feels kind of naughty! But the breeze is so lovely, it's worth it! Before I left the US the thought of dressing like the Tongans in the humid heat (and having to wear t-shirts and pants while swimming) seemed difficult. However, now the idea of dressing like the more liberal city-dwelling Tongans is daunting! However, rest assured that my midriff has still not seen the light of day and a t-shirt and capris are still the outfit of necessity when going for a swim!Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-63437427066869696572008-01-29T21:11:00.000+13:002008-01-29T21:42:46.379+13:00I'm an aunt!My sister had a baby girl yesterday (well, it was January 27th in the US, but January 28th here). I'm an aunt for the first time! I knew this would be one of the most difficult times to be here in Tonga and not in the US. I don't think I will be able to afford to go home for the next 2 years that I'm here, so I won't see the baby for almost 2 years. That's tough because I know I'm going to be an awesome aunt! I have decided that since the baby (Veronica Ann) was born on the 28th by Tonga time, I will also celebrate her birthday that day (which means she'll get an extra present from me the day after her birthday each year, confirming my place as favorite aunt!). Anyway, I wish I could be there with my sister and family now for such an awesome experience.<br /><br />Not much going on with my work right now. I'm currently developing a survey for the informal sector in Tonga. That basically includes farmers, fishermen (and women), handicraft makers, street-side vendors, and those working in repair and maintainance or others who aren't tracked by the government and don't pay taxes on thier wages. Should be interesting to see who comes out of the woodwork for this one. I guess part of the goal of the survey is to figure out where these individuals need assistance and whether or not they export at all. I've pretty much finished designing the questions and answer choices for the survey and am now just waiting to move forward with visiting communities to conduct the survey. In the "waiting to move forward" time, I've become rather good at Solitaire and G-mail chat...<br /><br />On the homefront, my kitten is absolutely insane, described by another PC volunteer as a "white devil." She is always running all over and biting and jumping and attacking. I've stopped being concerned with the scratch marks. However, she does still have her cute moments. She still lays on my lap and lets me pet her and sleeps with me until she gets kicked out for being too wild. Anyway, I like her quite a bit despite her psychotic behavior. She keeps me on my toes.<br /><br />That's all for now that I'm willing to discuss on here...Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-12540565929741089172007-12-31T17:15:00.003+13:002007-12-31T17:15:45.196+13:00Pictures!Lots of new pictures, finally.Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-67541813976440327252007-12-28T13:05:00.000+13:002007-12-28T14:04:26.899+13:00Christmas in TongaSo I have experienced my first Christmas away from home. Actually wasn't too bad. I will say that the Christmas season did bring on some homesick feelings that I thus far haven't experienced too strongly. I'm not sure what it is about Christmas songs that make them sound so lonely if you aren't home. Maybe lyrics like, "I'll be home for Christmas," or "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas." Anyway, I do kind of miss the chill in the air (or the knock-you-out cold) that accompanies Christmas in the States. The mood is certainly different, almost romantic. I miss all the traditions with the family as well. But, Christmas here was kind of great (maybe cuz it involved lots of beach, ice cream and pina coladas)!<br /><br />Christmas eve I spent part of the afternoon at the beach with the son of the elderly couple that live right by me, his son and another Tongan. The son is from New Zealand where his wife lives and his son has grown up. They are just here for a visit. His son is named Pita Faiva and is an adorable 3 year old with shaggy hair. He loves water and sand castles and messy mangos and that all makes him great to go to the beach with! That evening, I was really happy to be able to go to a Christmas mass. Myself and one of the other volunteers have found a church where the services are in English. It's kind of far for us to walk so the priest picked us up that night and gave us a ride. The service was really nice with the Christmas songs I know and love. Outside the window during the service I could see fireworks being set off and hear people excited in the street. I was so happy to be able to have that familiar experience of celebrating Christmas Eve mass in such a beautiful setting. Afterwards, the priest brought us out for ice cream before bringing us home. Very nice! This guy likes to translate the Bible from English to Tongan as a hobby (when he's not golfing), so he's rather cool. I spent most of Christmas Day at the beach again with 6 kids this time (including Mr. Pita Faiva and another adorable 3-year-old) and a Tongan couple. The couple barbecued up on the beach and sort of left me with the kids, which was fine as most of them were mature enough to swim on their own and I didn't mind watching the 3-year-olds (which I've decided is my new favorite age group). The BBQ was rather delicious (made more so by the fact we were on a beach) and we stayed to see the sunset. Had to take a moment floating in the ocean, watching the palm trees in the sunset and overall acknowledging the creation of God on His Son's day.<br /><br />On the day after Christmas, Boxing Day (jury's still out on what that day actually means) all of the Peace Corps volunteers got together and celebrated. The highlight of the day (aside from watching some of them try to climb the coconut tree) was the "pina coladas." I'm not the biggest fan of pinapple milk (it's ok...can be refreashing but not amazing) and don't like rum too much. However, together, it's a most wonderful delicious combination! You can hardly taste the rum and it somehow offsets any negative taste effects of the coconut milk. Dangerous! Had some traditional Tongan kava after the alcohol ran out. Anyway, it was a fun afternoon/evening/night with the other volunteers. Love this crew!!!<br /><br />See, Christmas in Tonga can be pretty great.Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-50658313608069463002007-12-21T14:40:00.000+13:002007-12-21T15:12:53.177+13:00This is Peace Corps?<span style="font-family:arial;">Now that I'm settled in (more or less) at my site, I guess it's time to update. I've moved into my house and started my job. My house is a modest 2-bedroom with a living room and kitchen separated by a curtain and a bathroom and shower attached. It's actually kind of cute and more than large enough for my needs. It's not as nice as some of the PC houses but it's probably nicer and larger than others. I was supplied with money to purchase a little refrigerator/freezer, a dual burner, gas tank, and some kitchen supplies. A lot of my stuff is still laying around the floor in piles and bags and suitcases, but I have all next week off work so I'll worry about it then. The initial problem was cockroaches but a combination of spraying and roach traps sent from home seems to have limited them. I've heard something in the ceiling the last few nights (mice or rats?), so I guess that will be my next critter to try to get rid of. I have a little kitten but he's too small to be of use in that manner right now. His purpose seems to be to keep me company, sometimes to the point of annoyance. He's always underfoot and gets more than a few bare-footed kicks as a result. Don't worry, he's not abused and is a very happy cat who seems rather taken with me (perhaps because I feed him...).</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">I also started my job this week. When I got here on Monday I was told that there wasn't much to do since it's the week before Christmas. We have the next week and a half off. So, basically this week I've just been switching between reading up on reports and surveys dealing with employment in Tonga and doing my own stuff on-line. It looks like my main task here will be to create, conduct, and analyze a workforce study. I might be working with an Australian volunteer to get this done. The people here are very nice and enjoyable to talk to. The Christmas party is tonight and I'm thinking it should be pretty fun.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">Right now I'm still trying to process my "situation." It really doesn't feel like what you would expect a "Peace Corps experience" to be. I have running water and electricity in my house (and a refrigerator!), inside bathroom facilities, a 9-5ish job, and I live in a city. I'm able to go to a bar, go dancing, go to a restaurant, have easy access to internet, and most people speak at least some English. I established a while ago that the real challenges here (aside from the critters), will likely be the cultural differences, but it's still difficult to adjust to what seems to me to be "city life #2." I should be living in a mud hut eating bugs and speaking no English!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span>Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-34866888559920857742007-12-11T11:52:00.000+13:002007-12-11T11:57:01.927+13:00Last week of trainingIt's finishing up! I took my interview today to see how well I can speak the Tongan language. I have a bet going with another trainee that I will do better, so I was a little nervous. I think I'm becoming more comfortable speaking the language but also maybe too lenient. If I think the person I'm talking to understands what I'm saying, I don't pay too much attention to grammar. That could be bad for me on the test... I've done a lot of trash talking with the guy I'm betting against, so I really need to pull through...<br /><br />We get officially swore in tomorrow! I will then be a volunteer (right now just a lowly trainee). Exciting!<br /><br />More soon...Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-71100207248385095772007-11-28T20:26:00.000+13:002007-11-28T20:45:27.733+13:00Internships and Interviews...oh my!This week those of us in the business program here have been sent to different organizations and businesses to observe and help with some of their programs. My group was sent to Vava'u High School to prepare students for an internship program. The first 2 days we had to prepare them for the interviews with the businesses and the 2nd 2 days is training to help them when they are at their sites. Sounds easy enough....but not here. Most of these kids have no work or interview experience. They won't speak up in class. Ask them why they want to have an internship and they may or may not answer and it may or may not be a one-word answer. Maybe all high school kids are like that. There is a high premium on being humble and modest here. That's great, except when trying to sell yourself in an interview.<br /><br />Luckily, after 2 days of working with the students I did notice a marked improvement in a few of the students, particularly one of the boys that 2 of the organizations want to hire. So, it has been frustrating, but I guess we are encouraging some improvement. Perhaps it was worth it?Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-1409123450623006132007-11-24T10:33:00.000+13:002007-11-24T11:05:49.306+13:00Late night NiafuI went out to some of the bars/clubs in the main town here with my host sister and one of her friends last night (and I brought another PC friend for good measure). It's the first time I've been out at night with members of my host family. It was pretty fun but different than being out with palangis (word for white people here). First, splitting the bill is not really a Tongan practice. Usually someone just picks it up and pays it, so I had to keep that in mind when ordering drinks. Also, women in Tonga don't typically drink alcohol and might be looked down on when they do. Seeing how I was around numerous Tongan women from my village at one point in the night, I realized my decision to purchase a beer might not have been the best one. I just made sure that was the only one I had in their presence.<br /><br />Luckily, western style dance is basically accepted here. The songs might be very dated at re-made pacific-island style and the dancing has to be somewhat subdued (not such a bad thing), but I do have a lot of fun dancing to it. We started at a rather deserted bar that employs a bartender who just so happens to be the most attractive man I've met in Tonga. Then we moved to a few other bars that had a nice mix of palangis and Tongans dancing, so that was fun. I get tired of the locations that are over-run with palangis (there are a lot of those in this town). The last place we went was the most sketch. When we got there, it was basically deserted. Finally, it was 2am and the place was still deserted so my friend and myself started pressuring my host sister to get a taxi to go home. At some point in this process, a bunch of men and boys from my village started piling in and many were clearly drunk and kind of pushy. It was at that point that my friend and myself became very uncomfortable and demanded we leave. I felt bad being demanding but I also think trusting instincts (and a tired body) can be important. Anyway, interesting experience...but fun.Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-53987823372526885872007-11-23T16:48:00.000+13:002007-11-23T16:54:48.686+13:00Thanksgiving!!!Even though I'm in Tonga, in the middle of the South Pacific, I had an amazing Thanksgiving! Turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, delicious stuff altogether (and enough alcohol...). Add a live band and dancing with an ocean view and who needs a US Thanksgiving? Though, I do miss spending time with my family and board games....Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-85778102397332014712007-11-18T18:00:00.000+13:002007-11-18T18:02:00.870+13:00Site Placement!So, I learned my job placement for the next 2 years and I'm excited!!!I'll basically be living in or very near to the capitol and workingfor the Ministry of Training, Employment, Youth and Sports. I'll beworking with the Employment division with maybe some work with theYouth and Training sections too. This ministry just started last yearand I'm their first volunteer so it sounds like I'll be doing a lot ofgroundwork to figure out what the employment needs are in Tonga. I'mgoing to be designing and conducting surveys, running workforcepreparedness and skills training/workshops, and participating incommunity employment consultations. Most of the work will be withyouth (defined here as age 15-35). Part of what I might be doinginvolves setting up a system for registering under-employed andunemployed youth to track them for training, internships, andemployment. I'll be getting to do a decent amount of outreachtraveling to villages throughout my island, so I'm really excitedabout that too! They were looking for someone with strong reportwriting and public relations skills and survey experience. I think Ihave most of those, so I feel pretty confident! I've always enjoyeddoing career development activities for myself and for my friends so Ithink this is a really good fit! Since I've been in Tonga, I've beenreally interested in what seems like a lack of employmentopportunities for youth and the number that feel they need to look forwork abroad. It seems that this job will allow me to not only learnthe true extent of the issue but also figure out how to address itwork towards that. I think it will be awesome working for a newministry as well. Anyway, I'm really satisfied and excited about thisplacement! Also, I'll be living in a "family compound." I'll have myown small private home but it will be owned by a family who will liveright by me, which is also perfect since I wanted some privacy but really didn't want to live alone. All in all, I'm very happy with this!Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-82174164259713516722007-11-03T09:41:00.000+13:002007-11-03T10:45:25.346+13:00Studying abroad...?I'm for the most part enjoying my time in Tonga, but I guess I'm finding it kind of difficult to process the experience. Right now I'm a trainee. That means I'm not yet considered a full-fledged PC volunteer. There are 33 trainees in our class. I attend classes on the Tongan language, culture, health, safety, and business and organizational development (my field of service). Throughout that time, we live with host families. This feels very much like the study abroad experiences that I've had so far. I'm sure that all will change in December when I begin at my post and there aren't so many PC people around, but for now it's an odd feeling. Not at all what one imagines when they think about "Peace Corps." Of course, those preconceived notions can be harmful. The "I want to save the world" notion is particularly so. In Tonga, the motivations of the people are so different from western motivations. Last night I was talking to a young man who is putting off representing Tonga to play tennis abroad so that he can stay home with his sick father, even though the father is telling him to go. Family trumps work, money and personal success here in many senses. I'm <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">acknowledging</span> that promoting business development here might butt heads with a lot of cultural norms and I'm finding myself having to ask what the real needs are here. Tongans might not want to advance in business if it is going to have any sort of detrimental effect on their family and I certainly don't want to be promoting practices that discount that. Balancing these cultural views and what might be some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">necessary</span> steps for development will be the challenge. Attempting this balance is much more doable than "saving the world."<br /><br />Another challenge for me is accepting a role of less independence here. Because youth (defined loosely as one age 16-maybe 35 or until they are married) here often live with their parents until they are married, it is natural for my host father to be protective of me. I, however, am not used to having to tell someone where I'm going and explain what I will be doing there. Additionally, as a women, there are even further constraints. I must be careful how I behave around Tongan men and my host dad has placed rules on some interactions. I think my own personal rules would be strict enough but his are a bit more so. However, it is clear to me that the host family cares for me and I know that my host father has my well-being in mind with his rules. It's a trade-off I am willing to make. Adapting to a culture becomes much easier when you've developed a respect for that culture and a connection with the members of it. In a few months I may very well be living alone and then I think I might wish I had someone under the same roof looking out for me.Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-84040138791733213312007-10-29T17:27:00.000+13:002007-10-29T17:39:43.409+13:00In Vava'uI survived the ferry ride! Anti-sea sick medicine (which also puts one to sleep) helped a lot! It wasn't a pleasant experience with multiple people trying to sleep in a very small space, but I guess it wasn't as bad as it could have been (read: getting sick over the side of the ship).<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Vava'u</span> is beautiful as anticipated but it is also so hot! Sweat (and cockroaches) are a common <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">occurrence</span> here. The new host family is good, but I do really miss my host family in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Fua'amotu</span>! I am becoming friends with a host daughter who's my age, so that is promising. Probably the most enjoyable experience has been serving <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">kava</span> (which is like alcohol but not). The men sit around and drink it while sometimes a woman serves. I've convinced to serve by a teacher and a fellow PC volunteer twice. It's basically a number of men finding unique ways to hit on you (usually in a polite fashion) and the other men laughing. I've gotten pretty good with the comebacks I think and I'm learning more Tongan (though maybe not the best Tongan to be learning...)! And the men often sing while they sit around and drink. Unlike men singing in bars in the US, this singing is really good! They do voice-parts and octaves and everything. I've figured out some good ways to get them to sing too! More soon...Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-78755854604197924742007-10-23T10:42:00.001+13:002007-10-23T10:44:52.756+13:0022-hour ferry rideIn a few hours I get begin a 22 hour trip to get to an outer island in Tonga. Most of it will be on a ferry which is apparently lacking in comfort. I'm already feeling sick...so I hope this goes well. When I get to the island of Va'vau, I get a new host family. They better be great because the hosrt family I'm leaving is wonderful!Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-51743647685873037302007-10-22T19:15:00.000+13:002007-10-22T19:39:57.621+13:00Tonga!As many of you know, I arrived in Tonga a few weeks ago. For the past 17 days I've been living with a host family in the town Fua'amotu, which is about a 20 minute drive to the capital. During that time I've been attending training classes. There are 32 other volunteers that I've been sharing this experience with and they really seem to be a great group of people from various backgrounds, age groups, and include 5 married couples.<br /><br />My host family in Fua'amotu has been amazing. I share them with another volunteer, Janice, who is in her upper 50's and a former teacher from Myrtle Beach. In one house we have a grandpa and grandma (both 2 of the kindest people I have ever met and both of whom have cried at the fact we are leaving), their daughter and her husband, and that couple's 4 adorable children. The children range in age from 2 months to 7 years and are all (except maybe the baby) obsessed with American cartoons. Apparently these help them to learn English. I've gotten along very well with the 7-year old girl who was my shadow for my first weekend here.<br /><br />Overall, the people of Tonga seem very kind. It is a small country and therefore Peace Corps volunteers are well-known and respected. While many tourists and visitors from other countries tend to ignore the culture by dressing in clothing that is considered immodest here, we are careful to address appropriately and work hard to learn the language. Tongan's are very family and community-centered and the church (methodist, catholic, 7th day adventist, mormon, etc.) plays a big role here. I'm learning that working in business development (my role here) might be difficult as many Tongans are more concerned with providing for their community than accumulating profit. The challenge will be to get them to invest more in their businesses while allowing them to maintain their culture and community ties.<br /><br />The country is beautiful! Fua'amotu is on a beach that I visit about every day either on a morning run or to go swimming. Even the main island is rather small. I think I have already seen most of it through Sunday trips with the host family. Other than being rather sick twice now, the lifestyle so far here has been much easier than one would expect for a Peace Corps volunteer!Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3176389179176046143.post-9645309831364400322007-10-19T17:23:00.000+13:002007-10-19T17:25:27.348+13:00Pictures!If this works, I finally have a few pictures from Tonga (and a few from before--whatever was on my camera).Emily MacGruderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15587192879857457226noreply@blogger.com0