Last couple days in Tonga...

So.. this week has been pretty rough! Our trip has come to a close and I can't believe my time here in Tonga is actually over.  We had to say goodbye to all our students, teachers, administrators, and friends that we have spent so much time with the past couple of months. I have never been good at saying goodbyes so it has been a rather emotional week. We have been spoiled rotten and had a lot of going away parties and way too many gifts given to us to say goodbye. I have so much respect for the people here in Tonga.  They are all so heartfelt and genuine. Some friends we have made here have truly become family, and it seems like an impossible task to say goodbye, knowing that we may never see them again. Truth be told... I don't want to come home.  I am really excited to see friends and family, but I am beyond content living here in Tonga.

Last night we were feeling a little spontaneous since it was our last night here.  We decided to go for a late night swim in the ocean.  It seriously could not have been more perfect.  It was raining the whole time and we just swam around in the darkness with a couple of glow sticks! I am certainly going to miss being so close to the ocean.

Everyone before the Swim! Already wet from rain :)

Tammy and Me! (after the swim...Tammy didn't get in)

Well I only have about half hour until I leave for the airport.  It seriously is mind blowing that time can go by so fast.  I am really looking forward to New Zealand and the adventures that are awaiting me there!   I guess I will be back in the states before ya know it!

Well thats it from Tonga! 'Ofa atu!

Makeleta (my teacher) and Me with swollen crying eyes...

Some of my awesome students! 

Blah Blah Blah (Couldn't think of a title)

Hello hello!
Soooooo I can't believe it but I only have five more days here in Tonga.  Time has flown by since I got home from Fiji.  I have been teaching my students a unit on "Planet Earth and Beyond."  We have been studying the greenhouse effect, global warming, attributes of the Earth's atmosphere and much more! It has been really fun to start this unit with them from the beginning and monitoring their progress from week to week.  I can feel myself growing more and more comfortable with my students.  I am so proud of the progress they are making and I am hoping they continue to move forward after I go home.

In the past couple weeks we have been trying to get in as many adventures as we can! A couple weeks ago we went to a dance that was being held in the gym on our compound.  There was rumor going around that the prince of Tonga would be there.  We got home fairly late from dinner and whatnot but we decided to drop in for the end of the dance.  I am happy to say that the prince indeed was in attendance!  We wandered around the dance floor and made our way over to him.  My friend Janell had to bow/curtsey in order to ask him for a dance.  It was slightly awkward because he didn't speak much at all, but we just carried on and all of us palangis danced circles around him while everyone else starred! We even got our photo with him...success! I will try and upload that picture later. Needless to say, there aren't many who can say they came to Tonga and danced with the prince!

We get the most beautiful sunsets in Tonga!

It was actually the prince's birthday this last Wednesday, therefore, nobody in all of Tonga had school.  A representative from the university and the university's videographer was here last week, so we took advantage of the time to show them around the island.  Tuesday night we all decided to spend the night on a beach.  We took some bedding and hiked down to one of our favorite hidden beaches.  We listened to the ukulele being played and sat around the fire for a good while....p.s. my uke skills are stepping up!  Not going to lie...the beach is extremely uncomfortable! I felt like I was sleeping on cement slab.  It was still really fun, I just would't say it's my back's preferred bedding! Wednesday morning we woke up to a rugby team hiking down for and early morning conditioning practice! I couldn't tell who was more surprised, us or them?? So we just sat in our blankets and watched a rugby team work out and then cool off in the ocean.  It was really good early morning entertainment!

Emily and me on Pa'ongo beach Wednesday morning!

My favorite palangi crew!

Oh! One quick little story! So we went to this restaurant the other day, which as the usual kentucky (chicken), fries, and manioke.  BUT they also have chinese food! We went up to the counter to order and the lady said,"Oh sorry our cook is sleeping so no one can cook right now." Mind you this was prime dinner hour.  We stood there for a second and then I asked how long she thought the cook would be sleeping.  She replied,"Hmmm maybe one hour." They offered us any of the food that was being warmed under the hot lamps but that was it.  It makes me laugh but this is a really good example of what it is like here in Tonga.  No one is stressed and if they want to nap then they take a nap! It wasn't a problem for them to turn away business.  And it wasn't that big a deal for us, we just walked down the street to another restaurant.

I can't believe my time here in Tonga is pretty much at its end... It is going to be really hard to say goodbye.  Although I am really excited to see friends and family at home, I am certainly not ready to leave Tonga. I have had an amazing experience on this island.  I am very excited, however, because I get to spend over a week in New Zealand on my way home! Lots more exploring to do! Ofa atu! (Love you)

(I may or may not have time to post more about Tonga and possibly New Zealand! We shall see! I'll see you all soon!)

Term Break in Fiji

So this last week was Liahona's end of term break! All the teachers were dying for a break, but my classmates and I were just looking forward to more adventures! Majority of my crew shipped off to a couple of other Tongan islands for the week.  One of my friends flew to Australia and I flew to Fiji to meet up with my parents! In Fiji, we stayed at a resort in Denarau, which is basically in Nadi.  The resort was breath taking! We were definitely living the high life for a week.

 We had a really nice week because we were able to relax a little as well as go out for some adventures! Wednesday we signed up to go out to a smaller island for the day.  When I say small I really mean it.  It took about seven minutes to walk all the way around.  It was pure paradise though.  We went snorkeling a few times, sat in the sun, ate traditional Fijian food, and walked around the island.  The best word I can use to describe the whole day would probably be dreamlike.

Beachcomber Island

Mums and Me after I had been snorkeling!

Thursday we took a bus to the other side of the main land, near Suva (the capital).  It was a very very very long drive.....but well worth it! We hopped on motorized canoes and we headed up the river.  The water was pretty shallow but somehow our driver managed to get us up rapids here and there without dragging the motor into the ground. At certain moments, it really didn't make sense....but whatever! It worked! The boats took us to a point, where we were dropped off and we hiked to Jewel Waterfall. I looooooove waterfalls.  Every time I swim beneath a waterfall it takes my breath away. It is just the most exhilarating feeling.  We swam around and climbed underneath it for a bit then we headed back to the boats.  We also went to a village on the river side where they had prepared lunch and we took part in a traditional Kava ceremony.  Kava is everywhere in Fiji just as it is in Tonga.  The ceremony was much different than the one I took part in in Tonga, though.  Lunch was traditional Fijian food and it was the best I had all trip! Delicious!

Jewel Waterfall

Village on the river where we ate lunch

Mums and Padre!

The trip was fantastic.  I was spoiled rotten by my parents all week.  I was grateful that we were able to spend some quality time together. I really don't miss home at all, just the people who are still there.  I won't lie though.... I was really excited to go home to Tonga.  When we landed back at the airport,  I could barely contain my excitement! I almost turned to everyone and said,"Ahhhh so nice to be home." But I had a feeling they would have looked at me like I was just another foolish palangi, so I held my tongue.

Since I have been home, I have been really busy in the classroom.  I have officially started teaching my unit on Atmosphere and other such nonsense! Every day is a new challenge to see how these students respond to different teaching strategies.  The funny thing is seeing how each class is completely different.  In one of my classes, my lesson seemed to kind of flop but in the next it worked out really well! You just have to always expect the unexpected and it will play out perfectly! Well thats its for now! Toodles!