-Tongans were once cannibals! And, in the grand scheme of history, not too long ago.
-The main sports in Tonga are rugby, rugby, rugby...and netball, too.
-Ikale Tahi is the Tongan rugby team.
-Tonga has over 160 islands! At high tide, some of the islands can disappear for a few hours.
-In Tonga, men wear skirts (tupenu) to work and church.
-Before the Christian Invasion, women were quite high in society--the thought of owning land was even below women. Now, some women are high in pedigree hierarchy, but have much fewer legal rights. They still cannot own land.
-Swimming, working, exercising is all illegal on Sundays. Tourists, of course, are allowed to do activities, which are limited due to most businesses being closed down.
-There is tension between the Chinese and Tongans because many Chinese business owners, who have better business practices--especially in stores--make more money.
-Peace Corps has been serving in Tonga for 44 years.
-While swimming, girls wear shorts and t-shirts, no bikinis or one-pieces.
-Apparently, there are 100 ways to use a coconut tree.
-Tongans are wonderful at singing in harmony. Their music system is on a 1-2-3 scale, rather than do-re-mi. (In do re mi, there are Tongan curse words, so the missionaries back in the day decided numbers worked better.)
-The first full week of the year is Uike Lotu, or Prayer Week, in which most community members go to church twice a day for the full week, then feast on the weekend OR feast every day after the evening service.
