Tonga

After quite a search, my sister Suzy and I found Tongan food at Katalina's Island Grill in Hayward. Their steam table had eight choices of delicious looking entrees. Suzy and I chose the chicken curry and the fish cooked in coconut to take home for lunch with Mom and Dad. I picked the sweet potato side. The other side options were rice, potato, or taro. Katalina has the mango coconut drink that I had also tried at the Samoan place and she sells leis to order. Everything was great. To make your own Tongan food, see here: https://www.internationalcuisine.com/about-food-and-culture-of-tonga/

I loved the Tongan drumming show that I saw with Allan, Kaitlin, and Andrea in Hawaii in January. I was thrilled to also find it online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jKMUybSP48. While we were at the Polynesian Cultural Center, we also learned about the Tongan nose flute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QPRQBmvD08 and the Ma'ulu'ulu dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LbDf9ZqDX8

Books by Tongans were harder to find. The library didn’t have any books by Epeli Hau‘ofa, so I read Tales From The Kingdom Of Tonga by Ilisapesi S. Weir on Hoopla. It is a collection of memories from the mid-twentieth century about a pastor and his family. If I had it to do over, I would have bought a used copy of Tales of the Tikongs online. Epeli Hau‘ofa has been called the Pacific’s first post-modern author and I would like to know his work better.

I enjoyed this sample of Konai Helu Thaman's poetry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=635MjjZ1KBc

I also enjoyed the movie When the Man Went South on Kanopy. I’m hoping Red, White and Brass, with some great Tongan actors, will be available soon on this side of the Pacific. Here is the preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hv2HlVIX2w. I’m looking forward to the planned movie on the Tongan boys who survived on a deserted island for more than a year. In the meantime, here is a documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHO_RlJxnVI

More glimpses of Tonga culture include:

· A Tongan sit-com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHSWdzCEcKM

· An explanation of the bark cloth that is an important part of Tongan culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB3uhXSRoWc

· Sipi Tau, a chant before sporting events: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME8NtctI_Ro

· Women jugglers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykfB162zbxI

· The coronation of the current Tongan monarch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHEj8FIhQcg

Queen Salote, ruler of Tonga from 1918 to 1965, wrote music and poetry that is highly respected:

· Biography of Queen Salote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URHwAsUUJRY

· A performance of Queen Salote’s poetry and music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbIE4740lbE

More music includes some from:

· The Jets (I remember this song from the 1980s. I didn’t know that it was sung by a Tongan family of musicians): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy10rRJ0Cuk

· Junior Maile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecGu8U5M9Hg

· Tonga Sisters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZIJggT2W70

· And more of the Jets because I always loved this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOWtNx16yYY

There are beautiful places to visit in Tonga. Here are just a few: https://tongapocketguide.com/10-best-things-to-do-in-tonga/

I would love to go! I look forward to a time when broad travel gives us new perspectives. In the meantime, I’m hoping we all survive, thrive, recognize our mutual humanity, learn to deal with our conflicts, and allow peace, health, and safety to flourish in Tonga and throughout the world.

Photo Credit: Andrew https://www.flickr.com/photos/willposh/5741813152/