4/17/09

A Few of my Favorite Tongan Idiosyncrasies

- Instead of a hug or a kiss, Tongans great close friends with a sniff on the cheek

- Dried noodles (without seasoning) and powdered milk are favorite snacks.

-Tongans have names like "Sisi"- Cheese, "Kompiuta"- Computer, and "Aho Kovi"- Bad Day

- Hitchhiking is a main mode of transport (it’s pretty safe since everyone on the island knows each other)

- A sign of closeness is picking lice out of each other’s hair.

- Being called “fat” is quite a compliment.

- Eating with your hands is expected.

- Cardboard boxes are cut up for flashcards. Educational displays are made from egg cartons and toilet paper rolls.

- Kids bring things like "laundry detergent", a "pen", or a "comb" for show and tell.

- At Vava'u's prison, guards are often seen playing volleyball with inmates on the compound.

- If I go running with two kids and one brings flip flops but the other is barefoot, they will split the flip flops so that each of them has a foot protected.

- Teenage boys walk arm and arm.

- Cars are repaired with great ingenuity. A passenger’s seat is replaced with half a plastic chair. A screwdriver is used to start the engine instead of a key. And because my friend’s headlights were burned out, we drove down a jungle road guided by her turn signal.

- People yell hello to me from across the street and down the road

- Children still skip

- Laughter is everywhere

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