Lazy Sunday

If you have heard anything about Tonga, you have probably heard about the Sunday Law. All business are required to shut down (except for Restaurants and bakeries because food is considered a necessity). So everyone goes to church in the morning, and then sleeps for the rest of the day. Nothing happens, if you want in to town you might find one or two people walking around who are most likely palangis. It gets really boring, and we usually set up our hammocks and read. It is the laziest of lazy days. The Sabbath is a time to rest. In Tonga this means you go from doing nothing, to do nothingless. A combination of doing less than nothing. Yes, even during the week here it is lazy Sunday. If you want examples, here you go…..
There is a public high school right across the street. Maybe 150 yards from Mizpah’s office door to Vava’u High’s. When the principles need to talk to Vava’u High she goes back to her house gets in the van and drives to Vava’u High.
Teachers have students run to their house to get things they have forgotten.
Church is a five minute walk away, yet everybody drives to church.
I have had students pulled out of the middle of my class to fill a teacher’s water bottle
Ryan’s meeting with the principle was canceled because she has been looking for a saw all morning and couldn’t find it. Needless to say, she wasn’t prepared for the meeting.
To get our exercise in one day, we were going to walk five minutes to a hall for a meeting. I got on my track suit for a good work out, only to find that we were driving there. So they told me we would get our exercise in walking back. On the way back a car stopped to give us a ride back. The Tongans got into the car and those of other nationalities decided to push through and finish the whole five minute walk.
I get really frustrated because there is so much opportunity here. But nothing happens. I am trying to fit into the culture, but I don’t want to get diabetes while I here. However there is an upside to this laziness. We can take our scooter, drive fifteen minutes to a public beach, and have it all to ourselves for the whole day.

What I Know So Far

It’s hard to find information here on Vava’u. No one will give you a very good answer to your question. Mostly answers consist of an eye brow raise or head nod. So it’s been tough but I am starting to figure out how it works here. Most of what I know I figured out on my own. But this is what I know of know……….The best time to go fishing is when it is high tide at dusk. High tide is always better. Most the fish begin to feed in the shallower water at this time. Bait works the best. Fresh cut bait in strips. I did catch a trevally on a small piece of fish. It doesn’t need to be much on the hook just a decent sized slice, not the whole fish. If fishing with bait you want to have a decent amount of weight so the current won’t pull it to shore. Be prepared to loose tackle that gets caught on coral, because there is A LOT of coral here. However fishing with bait isn’t the most fun way of fishing and catching fish on lures is always more exciting. A man told me to use lure that sink a little bit. So I have been try some jerk baits that I have, they don’t dive deep, only about four feet. As of now I have not caught a fish on a jerk bait yet. All the fish I have caught on lures have been on top water baits. Poppers work well but it’s hard to get good action from them with a lead leader. (Lead leaders are a must here because everything has teeth that will just cut through fluorocarbon or monofilament line) My go to lure out here is a small spook. It seems to work the best with the lead leader. I like to bring it in as fast as I can as long as I can keep the “walking the dog” motion going. Reel in fast. If you’re not using bait reeling in faster is better. It is great fun to see the wake of the fish casing the lure. Most places around the island are good for fishing if you can get to the water. When a Trevally hits, HOLD ON. They are known to be the one of the best fighting fish there are. Make sure the drag is set to a good resistance. Keep it a little loose so the fish can pull out line, but not too loose or it will pull out all your line. There is no better feeling then having a fish pull out line. If there is a sudden strike, it is probably a barracuda. Trevallies tend to line up behind the lure and chase it. Snappers don’t make much of a hit. Still tons more to learn, but I am getting there. Any questions?

Finding Eldorado

Last year the former principle of Mizpah school planted behind the school around one hundred kape plants for the school. Kape is a root crop that Tongans eat which takes about a year to grow before it can be harvested, similar to Taro. When the principle planted the kape his plan was to have the school harvest it and ship it to New Zealand where it can be sold for a higher price than here. Selling the kape would give the school around $3000 to $4000 Pa’anga. This money could be used to by a vehicle or new equipment for Mizpah School. However when the new principle recently asked the school board about the kape garden the school board said they had never been told about it nor approved it. Because the school board had never been told of the garden or the plans to sell it to help Mizpah, they decided they did not want to deal with it and that it would be given to the teachers. This surprised me since that all that needs to be done is to keep the grass cut around the kape and then harvest it when the time comes. But since the plans weren’t given to the school board in the beginning, they did not want the garden to be part of the school. So now the teachers are left with a bunch of kape. We had two choices keep the kape for ourselves or sell it and give the money to the school from the teachers. If you have never had root crops before they are similar to potatoes but with less flavor and you eat them plain, maybe with a little salt. I am not a fan of root crops at all and having ten, three foot long, flavorless potatoes doesn’t make me like them anymore. So in a staff meeting we decided that the teacher would take care of the kape garden and sell it when the time came and give the money to the school from the teachers. We created a kape committee who are supposed to watch the kape and when the grass needs to be cut they would let the other teacher know. Then we will go out together and tend to the garden. Well three weeks went by after that meeting and I never heard anything from the kape committee. It seemed only logical that something would need to be cut after three weeks, since we are living in the tropics. One day after school I decided to check for myself what the kape situation was. My logic proved correct because the jungle where the kape garden used to be. The grass was four feet tall and there were little bushes growing everywhere. I got my machete and started cutting the grass, which is not easy since the grass is more like small bushes and takes a couple whacks to cut a cluster down. After school I go to cut grass for a couple hours then come back and sharpen my machete for the next day. I kind of enjoy the work since it gives me something to do and I can pretend that I am in search of Eldorado…. Day 125. Its hard work looking the lost city of gold, I haven’t found it yet, all of the crew has died and only I am left pressing forward in search of unimaginable riches. I move slowly but at a steady pace, swinging with my left arm till it gets tired then switching to the right. My body is sore and sweat drips down my arms. The mosquitoes are heavy but as long as I am moving they stay away. My water supply has run out and I only survive by chewing on the butt of the grass, sucking out what little moisture I can. I have no map, just instinct. There have been no encounters of wild beasts, but I have heard noises. So I cut with one eye one on the grass in front of me and one eye just beyond. Yesterday I found what I believe to be a drinking bottle with the design of crowns around the top and bottom, which leads me to believe that I am close. The motion of cutting becomes second nature. Raise the machete in the air, swing the machete down using gravity as a tool to swing faster. Raise the machete, swing, raise, swing, raise, swing, raise, swing, THUD. I hit something; it’s big and solid, harder then grass yet softer then wood. Could be the gate to Eldorado, could my months of solitude finally have paid off, could it be! I quickly clear the out the brush, unconsciously holding my breath in anticipation, only to find a kape plant near to full maturity…. Then I remember that I am gardening three foot long, flavorless potatoes, so I decide to call it a day.

Teaching By the Stick

Before I arrived at Mizpah I warned that the teachers will hit the students as punishment. So the first time that I saw a student get smacked with the handle of the broom it came as no surprise to me. Students here are trained through the stick. A student will get smacked if they speak out in class, or need to be punished for any reason such a not doing their homework or calling a teacher by their first name. Anything that is hard can be used to hit, sticks, brooms, rulers, machetes (yes, a teacher hit a student with the flat side of the machete). It is how they get students to listen. I had a student type in computer class that he is scared of his English teacher because if he does not do his homework he will get hit, and no, I am not his English teacher. Even parents will hit their kids if they are not behaving. One young boy had a bunch of dried blood in his hear on day and I found out that his mother hit him on the side of the head. It is a lot different from “The American Standard.” But I don’t feel bad for the kids and this is why.

I tried was thinking of reasons why Americans are so against hitting students. The best reason I could think of is so that we don’t teach our kids that they can use violence to solve problems. We try to teach our kids to stay away from violence, to be loving and kind, to live in peace and solve issue like “civilized” people. But show me a people more loving and kind than Tongans. After being here in Vava’u and teaching at Mizpah, I am convinced that a child can be brought up by the stick and still live in a loving, peaceful and civilized community. So I do not feel bad when a kids has the end of a broom handle smack his hand for speaking out of turn, because I believe it has no effect on if they grow up in a world of violence or peace. But I do feel bad for the teacher who hits their students. I feel bad because the only way the teacher can get the students respect is by hitting them. The same reason I feel bad for teachers in America who have to use the threat of a pop quiz or more homework to earn the students respect. I don’t want my students to listen to me only because I hit them and I don’t want my students to listen to me only because I will give them more homework if they are disrespectful. If my students are going to respect me it should be because of who I am and what I teach. On days (usually Mondays) when I fell like the only way I can teach is by the stick, I try not too. Not because it will affect the students, but because each time I hit a student or give extra homework the reason that the students will show me respect changes. The boy in my computer class said that he was afraid of his English teacher because she would hit him if he did not do my home work. Tell me, who do you feel sorry for, the boy or the English teacher?

So far I have......

Since I have been at Mizpah school I have had many different jobs. So I thought I might list a few. So far I have become.......

A Teacher - I have been teaching From's 1-3 and have enjoyed every minute of it. They kids don't listen, don't do their homework, or are constantly hitting each other. But they are awesome and despite their inability to list, are learning.

An Accounting Teacher - I listed this one separate from teacher because it was unexpected and has been difficult. The current accounting teacher a Mizpah has given birth so she is taking a month off. No one else felt qualified to teach accounting to Form 4, so they asked me to do it. I have only taking two semester of accounting in college and wasn't quite sure what I was going to do. But so far the class has gone well and I only have a month left.

A Singer - I have been told that I can't keep a tune to save my life, but it doesn't matter here in Tonga. They asked Ryan and I to join a male singing group, so we did. There are eight of us in the group and we practice every Tuesday night. They said they want us to go on tour to Fiji, but that has about the same chance and getting me to sing on key.

A Choir Director - I am the Form 2 home room teacher so I meet with them every morning. We are suppose to practice a song with our Forms that we will sing for education Sabbath. So with out any knowledge of music I have began the process of directing the Form 2 choir.

A Mom - I do my own laundry, which is was and rinsed in a bucket then hung up to dry. I sweep and mop the house to get it clean. I go grocery shopping on Saturdays at the market to buy food for the weed, planning out what to buy before hand. Every day for Lunch and Dinner I cook my own food, which turns out really well sometimes. Tonight we had fresh trevally fillets (caught by myself) that was seared in oil with garlic, salt, butter and cooked to perfection. On the side we had pasta mixed with onions and green beans that had been sauteed with Lowery's salt over medium-high heat. Who needs restaurants?

A Dad - I cut the grass.

A Blogger - Apparently I don't write enough blogs, sorry Aunt Nancy.

A Rugby Enthusiast - Still can't figure out what is going on, but feel ashamed that I ever thought that football player were tough.

A Fisherman - I go fishing around three time a week and still wish I could go more.

An Intellect - I have never been much of a reader, but Tonga has changed that. Nothing goes on around here on Sundays, so I read or listen to audio books after church. Usually in my hammock.

A Star Gazer - I have never seen so many stars in my life as I can see in one night here.

I have been in Vava'u for about a month and a half now. Time is going by to fast and I feel that I am already going to be leaving to soon.

Help Wanted

Vava'u may be paradise, but living in paradise isn't always easy. Usually it is pretty rough. The papaya trees may be over flowing with fruit, but the pockets of the people are pretty empty. This is due to the lack of money or the hole in the pocket where a few coins slipped out unnoticed. Mizpah is facing some challenges right now, mainly how to run a school where the teachers are underpaid and the budget sees more credits than debits. The computer lab is barely functioning. Only seven of the computers are working, which is difficult for a class of twenty five who are suppose to be learning how to type. The two student toilets are broken, which are still shared among the hundred some kids that go to Mizpah. Cardboard boxes are used for trashcans, my classroom is to poor to afford one. Teaching supplies is slim. Two pens, a pencil, a few paper clips, and a teachers rule book were handed out to each teacher at the beginning of the year. Folders would have been nice to keep the rule books in, but they are not in the budget. A piece of paper is printed on for a class, then used to take notes in a meeting, then used to write memos on, then finally used to clean the windows of the classrooms. The tuition was raised about $7 U.S. dollars this year, but was lowered back to the original price because that was to much for the parents to pay. No money was left over from last year and it has been hard for the principle to make ends meet. I am hoping to find a way to change this and could use some help. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions on how to raise some money for Mizpah school they would be greatly appreciated. School still begins everyday and the kids still learn, but it is very hard work. I want to make it easier for the staff here to do their job. Please leave comments about ideas or places to start. If you want send me an email at dhodgson@southern.edu. Thank you for the support.

Fish, Fishing, and Fishing Pigs

Every Wednesday night at my old high school was known as "Hump Night" because it was the middle of the week and it is all down hill after Wednesday night. The deans would open up the gym in the evening to play games and relax. This Wednesday I decided to celebrate my mid-week by going fishing. I walk down to the bay close to Mizpah school, rigged up my line and had visions of fish tacos in my mind. But I was not the first one and the bay. Around four pigs were walking up and down the shore fishing. They were actually digging for clams when the tide was out, but nobody want's a clamming pig so they have been giving the name "Fishing Pigs." Since these local couldn't give me any tips I continued on my way. One exciting thing about fishing is that you never know what you might catch, another exciting thing about fishing is catching a Barracuda. This was the first time I have caught a Barracuda and I hope it's not my last. Long and fast, the Barracuda fights like a Northern Pike, but is gray and shiny like a King Salmon. The fish shimmered in the crystal clear water of Vava'u, water so clear you can see the colors of the coral fifteen away while walking along the shore. Barracudas are not safe to eat so I threw it back, but I was able to catch a fish that I cleaned, filleted, and cooked up for dinner. A very good end to a climatic day. Here comes the weekend.