Of Body Language(s)

Tongan babies are quite slow in developing motor and verbal skills because they are rarely put down before age 2, and I assume that most families don't realize the advantages of early speech development.
In church, I've befriended a 2 year old whose size looks to be that of an 8-9 month old. Short, very small, not much hair, and no verbal skills other than grunts or laughs. And in a moment of laughter did I discover a nearly full set of teeth--the front 4 of which are already grey with rot from frequent sugary snacks.
But the little girl is cute as can be and extremely curious/observant. Though her legs are weak and walking is shaky, she rolls through the pews--holding on to the benches as she gallops--to see who will play with or notice her.
She's already mastered the Tongan, unspoken twitch for "go ahead," "yes," or acknowledgement of sorts.
The eyebrow raise. (Have I mentioned this before? Surely I have.)
It's a contagious maneuver, sometimes exhaustive, and is now part of my Tongan vernacular. (I say exhaustive because this one kid in my class--remember Grade A?--will answer my quetion(s) with a series of back-to-back eyebrow raises that looks Terret's-like. Or flirtatious, which is weird.)
If I see my students in passing in a van, I offer a quick nod and eyebrow raise. This is also sufficient for simple Yes/No questions. At first, I was very self-conscious. My eyebrows lack appeal because they're not prominent and I lack the ability to do anything playful, fun, or entertaining with them. (Oh, what I'd pay to raise one by itself!) Even in the pulpit at church, when a man or woman raises the eybrow(s), it's equivalent to a smoldering rhetorical question or a firm but divine accusation. (Angahala--sin--is often screamed.)
But my eyes are weak. Along with my terrible eyesight, when I smile, my right eye slants to a squint while my left stays fully open. And to add to the eyesight, which is a faka-hela (annoyance) here because no one else wears glasses and I have to be careful with contacts, a 20-ish Tongan guy proceeded to tell me that I look much better without my glasses and furthermore asked for my number in nearly the same breath. Even further, I mostly fit the Palangi stereotype: blonde-ish hair with blue-ish eyes; only my eye color is all mixed, but dull nonetheless. Greens, blues, and greys often swirl in un-dominant clouds around my pupil, but to no outstanding, attractive appeal.
Anyway, I digress. I suppose i'm picking up on other nonverbal cues, such as the Tongan "come here" wave with an expectant scowl. Body language is a big deal everywhere, and most is cross-culturally understood.
Like the wrist-flick. To get out of a dreaded situation or a cultural/time crunch, all I have to do is flick my left wrist and glance at the time, thus informing my colleagues that I am in a hurry, which also enforces the "Palangi-time" stereotype. Too bad it doesn't work in church.