Tongan--The Bad and the Good

Tongan Update, 01 September 2007, "The Bad and the Good"

We thought we would give you some thoughts about Tonga, in a fun way, but they present things as they really are.

The Bad thing is… The Good thing is…

*A 13 hour grueling plane trip. We arrived safely.

*John missed his birthday due to the hour changes. He got a birthday present in Samoa (t-shirt).

*Tonga is flat as a pancake. It is beautiful with green fields and palm trees .

*The windows in our apartment are sealed shut. We can’t hear the roosters crow at 3:00 a.m.

*Our shower has stuff growing in it. We’ve got “Crocs” and "flipflops.

*They put us to work immediately. We’re meeting a lot of great young & senior missionaries.

*The food is different. The apartment was completely stocked with American food when we got here.

*We had to send 6 missionaries to the doctor for minor ailments. They are all well. (We think they were faking).

*Our neighbor’s horse pooped on the driveway of the Mission Office. The maid, Pele, cleaned it up.

Our apartment has clouded windows and security screens. We can’t see out. We have a courtyard, that is full of flowers where we can sit and enjoy them.

John has to drive on the wrong side of the road. We haven’t had an accident yet.

When you go to turn on the turn signals, you turn on the wipers. Go to the right of the steering Column (instead of the left) and you'll find the turn signal lever.

*We got lost in the bush (jungle ) of Tonga. We saw parts of Tonga that other missionaries haven’t seen ( it was like 4 wheeling).

*We haven’t seen any deer. We have seen large flying foxes (bats).

*The roads are full of pot holes. We have a small car and can get around them .

*The maximum speed limit is 40 km/hr. We get to view the island a little faster than walking.

*We don’t understand the Tongan Language. *A lot of the people speak English.

*We are the only couple that lives in the Mission Office. *We don’t have to drive to work.

*There are no mountains. There are some spectacular blow holes along the shoreline of Tonga.

*There are no Wendys or McDonalds. We have mini-markets on about every corner.

*Judge Sam Alba’s (Sam is Hispanic) referred to Island people as “Water Mexicans.” *It’s true.

*When we stand in front, and in the middle of our bathroom vanity, the counter top is nearly to our chests. *If we take two steps to the right or left, the height of the counter top is about right.

When John goes to get in the car, he goes to the left side; but the left side here is the passenger side. He is a perfect gentleman because he opens the door for Diane.