1. School has been delayed another week. I finally met my principal on Thursday and she told me to meet other Primary teachers at the town's GPS. It's not super far, but with the hills, plus I"m the northernmost village, it's a bit of a haul. So I rode my bike to the nearest PCV and we walked the rest of the way. We wear sweaty, I had mud on the bottom back-half of my skirt from the muddy bike ride (after all, it pretty much rains everyday here. No joke). So we get there at 8:30, as instructed, and we sit for 2 hours as the teachers talk and listen to the radio. The radio seems to be giving instructions or mere updates on the education system. Then at 10 the program stops. We sing, we pray (and prayers are very long here. 15 minutes is modest), a guy gives a speech (another very Tongan custom...speeches are always given at public functions and feasts), they clap for we new PC folks, and then we all break to go to the workshop. Woohoo, action! Finally. It's 10:15. Then my principal says, "Are you going to the workshop?" Well, yes. Of course.
"No, you go back home."
What? Don't I need to go to the workshop?
"Oh, no. You come Tuesday for workshop. Same time."
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tonga.
2. I have to admit, I am getting restless. I wanna start already! I'm nervous as it is--I've never taught little kids before. PLUS, I don't even know what I'm teaching! However, my town officer/adopted Tongan father tells me that he and other TO's have been talking about getting together high school students for a night class. It would be an extra load with extra planning, but I really want to do it. It would be in my village, so I wouldn't have to travel. So I've agreed to it. I'm pretty excited-- now I can teach poetry! YAY! Also, I'm getting excited about getting involved with other projects-- Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is a program that each island group is in charge of once a year, and I'm so excited to help with it! It's in September I think, and it's a part of GAD (Gender and Development), which is my primary interest as far as secondary projects. Of course, I'll do some projects directly associated with my community (probably more like writing grants, etc.), but I am very excited to work with other PCVs and share ideas! I'm itching for newness. I am also already planning (in my head--a very rough sketch) of the traveling I wanna do when my service ends. Do I wanna visit India and Nepal and go through Europe (to Belgium, of course, to revisit the loves of my life), and then to USA? Or do I want to do some American traveling and meet up with friends in diff. states there? Oh, the choices! I have 2 years to ponder!
3. Church. Spirituality. Hard things to maintain here just for different reasons. However, on Wednesday I went to church and suddenly was blessed by the rich voice of my ATF (adopted Tongan father). I teared up and just closed my eyes and listen to the colors of different harmonies--a talent these Tongans pick up from birth. No joke. In prayers, I absorbed everything I could and just kept thanking God and let him get into my system, you know? I ignored the preaching--after all, I don't understand it, plus it was the yelling kind. I understand the passion and character involved in preaching, but I must say, the yelling kind does not attract me anymore. It's too much for me and I cannot mentally (or spiritually) handle it. Once I snapped out of my spiritual trance, the preaching started bothering me, and I started getting sad... just of how sometimes God and spirituality can be so misconstrued. I felt really down and I looked at scripture and saw how things used to happen in the Old Testament--terrible, terrible things--but suddenly God just said, "I love you Jamie." It was beautiful. I thought some more, prayed a little more, and he said, "Jesus made things new."
New things are good. Especially from Jesus. He was/is pretty fantastic. Then Thursday, I went to Jehovah Witness church (I know, right?!) and of course I didn't understand that either, but it was happy. People listened, not slept. It was totally great to be in a Palangi building with fans (!!) and there was a Palangi from New Zealand there who has lived in Tonga with her husband (a Mauri) for 15 years. We had great conversations.
Yay Jesus!
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