I don't know if this post Tonga MP says hundreds brutally beaten by soldiers is true or not, but I find this staggering. Can any of the recent posters validate this as true or not? Is this just some sort of scrap for attention by the democracy movement or are these soldiers really hurting people? Tonga is such a small place I can't imagine these soldiers hurting there cousins and family.

Malo,

Jim 5 comments - Post a Comment

• It is so sad to see such a worthy cause (pro-democracy), come to a sudden stand-still in this tiny 'peaceful' island nation amid this mayhem. As someone who witnessed the whole ordeal, it may seem scary and I do not condone the actions of a few minority who hijacked Mr. Pohiva's genuine cry for his people. Let us be wary of the fact that there will be a few who will and have blamed Mr. Pohiva and co-horts for this mess. But at the same time, who is really to blame? If Mr. Pohiva is to be blamed for this, then we are in full endorsement of a feudal system or regime which will not listen to its people. The minute it listens to the people, it loses it's power... at least to the regime...
  This has been a result of a long suppressed people who have been brainwashed to accept what they are given in the name of Christianity, only to benefit the top of the regime. The Bible and Christianity haven't been used in its true sense, it has been used to suppress a people who were like sheep being led to the slaughter of high cost of fuel, electricity, water rates, Goods & Services tax, the doing away of the bonded warehouses and the newly proposed tax bill. The sheep have behaved like goats lately, for the one doing the slaughter to realise, that even sheep do feel the pain....
  Ofa lahi atu kia Tonga.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 12/01/2006 3:45 PM

• Tongan people(not the majority) led by 'Akilisi Pohiva and his parties were eagered to see Political Change.For many years they tried their best and finally they achieved their goals.They made their change on Nov 16,2006.A change that cost 7 innocent lives and also turn the beautiful capital of Tonga into a sh$thole.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 12/07/2006 10:32 AM

• Mahino kia au hono ngaue'aki 'e he kau feinga liliu 'ae to'utupu 'o Tonga ki he ngaue pango ko 'eni ne fai 'i Nuku'alofa. Pea hange koe lau kuo 'osi ma'u pe 'enautolu 'ae totongi 'enau hia maumau lao na'ef ai: 1.koe teuteu ki he ngaue popula 2. Ta'emanonga 'ae loto, 'atamai moe laumalie he 'oku tulimui atu pe 'ae tutu na'amou fai ki ho 'atamai he miniti kotoa.
  3. Kuopau ho iku'anga ko HELI he kuoke fili koe kia AFI.
  4.Te ke fe'ao ai pe mo masiva 'ilo, masiva kelesi from God, masiva koloa 'i mamani.
  5.'Ai pea pehe 'e teitei hoko homou fanga ki'i loto kovi, he kuo tu'u poupou mo ma'u pe 'e Tupou 5 ia 'ae ngaahi support 'ae 'u fonua muli.Koe fua ia ho'omou tutututu.
  'OUA 'E TANGI KE TATAU NA'A 'ITA
  A TAUFA'AHAU
  KA mou fai mo o moha fanga puaka toho 'o kole fakamolemole ki he Tu'i fo'ou na'a faifai pea toe fakafoki'i kimoutolu ki he kuonga mu'a koe popula heke 'aki e kili kia King. Ka ne a'fio'i 'e Tupou 1 temou anga'i manu pehe .'E e,mahalo ne sai ange pe ke 'oua e foaki atu e tau'ataina ia ki ho'omou fanga kui he koe hako ia e manu ke ngaue fakapopula pe ki he pa 'a ngangalu lol! 'Oua e hamumu, mo nofo he 'api ko ta'e'ilo'i kita.
  Long live the King!!!
  'Ofa atu kia nautolu ne mole si'enau ma'u'anga mo'ui he ngaue vale na'e fai.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 12/08/2006 11:53 PM

• Tongan MP must be the arsonist MP...
  fai mo ta ke homo e ta$%^ moe vale tutu and kaiha'a.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 4/09/2007 12:33 PM

• Blessings:
  
  "There will be wars and rumors 0f wars...but they are only distractions to keep you from YOUR journey to meet GOD, and learn how GOD sees you, that you may find your TRUE purpose in life."
  May the 'LOVE' of Christ guide you, not the 'Rules' of man.
  your humble servant,
  ancient clown
  # posted by  Ancient Clown : 5/12/2007 7:51 AM

This is a video of the riots. I know I haven't posted in quite some time and I'm not going to drone on and on, but this video shines a light on Tonga in a way that I find hard to put into words. I'm just glad no volunteers were hurt and I think this needs to be seen.

46 comments - Post a Comment

• idiots...can't believe how stupid people can get...
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 11:29 AM

• People, regardless of nationality will act in ways that should not alarm us anymore. Take Vietnam, 911, shootings in schools, workplace and the forgotten drive-by's in good ol South Central, Ca. Yes, it is as idiotic as equal opportunity in the U.S of A. What is needed is not available to this Kingdom called Tonga, it will remain and be ruled only through Monarchy.
  
  Mali'E~.~')
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 12:09 PM

• WOW.. no comment
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 12:43 PM

• thanks for the video. it shows that Tongan are selfish, uncaring, uncristian and no respect to the law and human rights of others. Tonga can only be ruled by Monarchy with a tough fist on the these cowards. Democracy won't change their attitude. parents and church leaders must do their jobs to teach their children and families about human values and ethics of being a human being.
  
  take the video to the police to help track down these criminals otherwise they will take it as an excuse to continue causing fears and damage upon others.
  
  We must help the Police too to be effective and efficient in carrying out their duties. Demostrations is normal and we see in all democratic countries that is deal with police and military tp suppress these minority from causing damages to the Majority. Too late now but justice must be done to the ring leaders.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 12:55 PM

• I spent a coulpe of months in Tonga and they are anything BUT selfish, uncaring and uncristian. Yes, I know the video speaks for itself but wherever you go you are going to have those who causes problems in the society. You cannot blame the whole country for there actions. Tongans do have very little and are going through huge political changes - with the death of there king and push for democracy. Please don't judge before you konw. My heart breaks for all my friends that I have left in Tonga. The ones that Fed me, sheltered me and would have given me the shirt off there back if I had asked.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 1:32 PM

• I am an older person who has been coming and going between my home and Tonga for the past 20 years, having spent well over half of that time actually living there. It has been quite predictable to me, even since my earliest days there that trouble would erupt after the death of the last King, so, although dreadfully saddened, I was not surprised. Unfortunately these are mainly young unemployed youth who have caused the damage, frustrated at a bleak future, and seeing the lives of the average person deteriorating whilst the rich get richer and richer. The awful rioting was not, in my humble opinion, the work of the democracy movement, which has, for many many years, tried to get parliamentary reform in a peaceful and loving way, which is what Tongans are really all about.
  The mediaeval system of Autocratic Monarchial government is an outdated method of Government, and not suited to the 21st century, and the people simply ask for their own people to have more say in who makes the laws in their country, instead of as it is now, being made my the majority of members who are hand picked by the King rather than the people. The 9 peoples representatives chosen by the people are totally outnumbered in any voting by the Kings chosen few!
  
  I do not condone the wholesale destruction that happened in Nuku'alofa, but people who pass comment really should get all the facts before doing so.
  
  Hopefully this will be a valuable, albeit expensive, lesson to the King and the Cabinet that changes are inevitable, so the sooner the better. 'Ofa atu
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 1:51 PM

• Mo'oni ai e lau - toe tuku hifo pe he'e Tonga e Tonga.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 2:34 PM

• i dont want to be known as a tongan anymore ... fakamaaa!
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 3:23 PM

• Kapau koe liliu eni oku lau .. pea laka ange pe á e óua é fai e liliu. Uanoa kapau naé í ai ha silini énau fangakui ke totongi áki e maumau ki he falekoloa á e kakahi kehe óku nau sií maú moúi mei ai. Koe ha á e faáhinga liliu ko éni. Kuo hoko á Tonga he taimi ni koe kataánga moe fakaoliánga í manani. Ne taku koe fonua fonu he melino moe lotu .. kakoe ha e meá ia koéni ne toki hoko. Neu poupou lahi aupito ki he kau Demo .. ka í he áho ni .. kou tui .. óku tokolahi á e kakai hange ko au .. ó liliu pea toó éne poupou mei he demo .. laka ange pe 'a e taédemo ia moe nofo melino .. he demo moe tau hange ha manu.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 3:27 PM

• I think it's so sad but really it's a big lessons for all Tongans to learn. This is no time to complain and feel sad about these horrified actions, it's too late...na'e lava hotau fatongia fakalotu ki he pule'anga moe kakai 'o e fonua?no..no..no..we're all to be blamed for this..especially the kau taki lotu..the people's reps and the people were shouting for their rights (all sorts)but there was no action from the government. Therefore it's fine ...it comes back to them..hehe..malie kakai..
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 3:56 PM

• fielau he 'ikai ma'u ha me'a ia 'a e tonga,,,ko e kai lesi pe--- to e mate pe tonga he ngaue 'a e tonga.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 4:20 PM

• 'oku mate ho mau ma ke to'onga fakapo'uli mo fulikivanu pehe...mau 'ofa atu ki he Tonga kotoa ne si'i uesia 'enau pisinisi...ki'i motu si'i kae holi ke fai e me'a 'a e 'u fonua lalahi 'i mamani...fakama lahi a'upito, a'upito...mate homau ma here in USA
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 4:25 PM

• this is truly sad, yes i personally feel the Demo reps should be to blame, they planned this riot, there is proof everywhere of that (speeches made after, the buildings that were burned). I like that they caused the destruction and then expected the government to clean it up. Everyone knows that the Demos have been threating blood shed and other ways of change that is not faka-tonga. Akilisi and crew are just wanting to replace a royal regime with themselves. Please stop being selfish People's Reps, this destruction you have caused has set back the Kingdom years and years. The new King was going towards democracy, can the King have a moment to change the political system? Why would you rob innocent people of their lively hood? Raise the prices on goods that are already expensive? Target a minority that is keeping things competitive in Tonga? Why are you guys anga'i tu'a? I believe in democratic reform for Tonga but at a Tongan pace. We are different from other Democratic countries, our royal family has been infused with our culture, we were changing at a pace that was good for Tonga? Why depose the PM that is a tu'a? Is it because you didn't get the position Mr. Pohiva? Maybe it is because of the tu'a threats that you have stated in the fale alea? Maybe it is your savage speeches and now actions which is why the late wise King decided against appointing you PM. I thank the Lord in Heaven for showing you and your selfish groups' true colors to the world. Tonga mou tokanga ki he Lotu mo fai ke mo'oni, tuku aa ae manumanu moe fie ma'u ae me'a ho'o kaunga'api! Lotu pea ai ke mo'oni! I hope that these foolish people's reps get voted out!!!!!!
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 4:36 PM

• I think that this was inevitable. I don't condone the violence, but when we look back in history, there is seldom change without pain and suffering. I think the whole system broke down. Nobility, Church and Government, the main thing for Tonga and Tongans is to rise up from the ashes and build a better tomorrow - Ko 'Otua mi Tonga oku Tofi'a.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 5:55 PM

• malie kakai! 'alu auha ai leva, Tonga Mo'unga kihe Loto!!!!!!
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 6:34 PM

• sai pe..ko kimoutolu pe te mou uesia lahi 'i he me'a kuo mou fai..mo'oni e lau..."kai hake hena"
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 6:50 PM

• Ko e toki me'a fakaloloma ia mo fakamamahi fau. Kuo faka'afu 'umu e fiema'u mafai mo e fekainaki 'i he fonua ne lau ko e 'Otu motu anga'ofa. Ke lauiafe e kakai Tonga 'oku nofo paea 'o nofo 'ova he 'otu muli 'o laku pa'anga atu ki Tonga ke tokoni'i 'a Tonga. 'Oku 'ikai tutu he'e ngaahi fonua muli kinautolu ai. Kae nofo hili atu e kau muli 'o ki Tonga pea tutu mo tapalasia. Kapau ko e si'i to'onga 'ena 'a e to'utupu e fonua pea ko e toki me'a fakamamahi. Mou kataki a 'o taki feinga 'o kumi ha fonua fo'ou ke mou tau'ataina mo nofo fiefia ai.
  Kuo mole e fonua ne fai 'aki e laukau, koe fonua lotu mo e fonua 'ofa....ta koaa ko e "once upon time" 'Ofa atu ki si'i kainga Tonga kotoa pe kuo huki tonu ai 'a e ngaahi faingta'a ni. Tauange ki he 'Otua ke toe ofe'i mu'a hono fofonga ki Tonga....
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 8:32 PM

• BYE BYE TOURISTS, BYE BYE BUSINESSES, BYE BYE BANKS, BYE BYE ETC. TOKI FAKA'OSI ATU 'E KOE..LOL
  
  
  hange koe lau 'ae motu'a malanga... kuo lava ia mou kataki atu aa 'o too 'a 'uta ke 'aonga pea kia kimoutolu finematu'a mou foki ki he me'a motu'a koe fangota ki he tu'u 'ae 'ulu...hehehe... pehe 'ehe kau palangi ia ko iraq pe oku fakailifia palaku taha toki sio nautolu he me'a koe ENIMOLO mo'oni....lol...hange koe lau.. fai pe pango nanamu to'utupu ke lahi ka mou kai tahataha pe hono nunu'a...FAKA'OFA KOE SI'I TONGA HE MAHAKI TAUHI KOE MO'UI NGALO...ngalo 'ia moutolu oku 'iai pe moho tau kainga tonga 'i siapani oku nau fakalele pisinisi ai...fakafuofua atu kapau ko ho kui 'eni 'alu fai 'ene pisinisi 'i siapani pea 'ohovale pe kuo lavea noa he ngaue pango 'ae kakai....koe ha ha'o ongo'i???ko ia ai kainga tonga... tu'u 'o fe'auhi moe ngaahi pisinisi kehe....takitaha fakalele pe ko hai 'e mo'ui fuoloa koe anga ia 'ae tokoni ke fakalakalaka koe ngaue ke paa e me'a ngaue ikai koe 'alu 'o mohe pe he lalo niu pea ha'u fakasiosio ha loli tiliva siaina ke fakamamahi'i ...toki mo'oni ai e lau....COCONUT HEAD FOREALS....lol....me'a fakamotu pe ia....malie fahi falekoloa...na'e manatu'i ke tata moha mou peketi mahi he ko'ene vela 'ena ikai toe 'iai ha falekoloa 'e ma'u ai ha mahi 'i nuku'alofa...lol... malie tama koe 'atamai hene heehee noa pe ikai kenau 'ilo 'e sio 'a mamani lahi honau fofonga 'ene hange koe kuma 'ene katakata he ngaue pango na'e fai he 'ulu 'o feke....lol...tokanga na'a mou toki hahaka hake 'o 'ilo homou ngali vale pea mou 'ohofi homou kau taki demo...lol...fa'a pehe pe foki kau muimui...ko 'ene 'alu atu pe muimui toki 'ilo ki mui oku kovi 'enau taki oku nau toe tafoki hake pe ki ai...faka'ofa ka faifai pea iku pehe...lol...FOLA KATA PE 'A SETANE MO 'ENE PEHE.... MA'U 'EKU KAKAI TAFUAFI 'I HELI...ok tau toki sio kau 'alu feinga'i ha tola ke lii ki tonga..lol.
  
  ofaatu tonga fonua neu 'ofa peau laukai 'aki,
  TAAHINE PAEA 'I CALIFORNIA KAE POLEPOLE HONO TOTO'I TONGA.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 9:22 PM

• koe fonua kaivao pe fonua kalisitiane? ta'engali mo'oni e fonua lotu. Ko fe 'ae matu'a e fanau vale kai@#$ ko 'eni? lahi 'e tau lea.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/22/2006 9:58 PM

• Io, oku tau fakamaa'ia kotoa pe he me'a 'oku tau sio ai pea kuo tau 'alu punou kotoa, kae 'oua mu'a 'e fu'u hiki ha'aki pehe'i e kau demo he taha ni ne nau pehe mai ki he kakai kenau oo 'o tutu mo fahi e fale kotoa pe 'i loto Nuku'alofa, 'ikai. Ko e kakai pe mo 'enau ngaahi fakakaukau he kuo hake 'enau kataki 'o fai e ngaue pango ko 'ena kae toki si'i fua hia e kau taki ia 'o pehe ko nautolu nenau fekau ke oo 'o fai e ngaue pango. Ko ia ai 'oua teke fu'u ta'aki pehe'i hake hotau kakai he ko e tonga pe ka ke fakasio fakalelei naku kau pe homou 'api he kau tili he koloa kuo tau sio ai. 'ai e kataki mo e fakama'uma'u ke lahi kae 'oua te tau tomu'a tuku hifo ha taha teki ke tau 'ilo e fo'i mo'oni tahani 'oku kau mai e kau taki ia e kakai mo honau ngaahi famili he fahi fale 'oku 'asi mai. Teu mate pe au ma'a Tonga pea u tu'u ke poupou he 'oku kei sai ange pe 'a tonga ia i iraq.
  'Ofa atu ki sii kainga pisinisi ne tengihia noa he pango hotau toutupu ne fai..
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/23/2006 12:36 AM

• the pictures bring to live a harsh reality about the violence and looting of Tonga youths and people today- new in Tongan eyes but has been happening next door in Fiji, with all the Coups in the last couple years when the Fijian Prime Minister an Indian was forcefully removed from holding office by the Army..Riots happened in France last year when the youths burnt buildings, yeah the Vietnam war was worst, refugees from Asia took shelter in the US..monarchy or no mornachy, change is inevitable, chasing our chinese businessmen in Tonga is racism at its worst. However corruption in Tonga, and powerful people abusing their rights to allow their friends to run business with lack of interest for the welfare of the local people cannot be overlooked anymore or be swept under the carpet and forget about! Hey there are other Tongan illegal immigrants abroad who are trying to make a dime off the streets to raise families too.. we are all human beings living in this planet for only a while...I am sure the Sefo brothers read the media..and can analyse for themselves how people feel towards them! They got rich through their link to the powerful people in the country!
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/23/2006 3:14 AM

• who do we blame now? govenment or the people rep. ? It up to you my fellow tongans, and our foreign friend, but to me is "Time and tide wait for no men" we dont haveth to blame anyone right now, Now is a time of reconciliation and peace making on this Country as King george 1 said during the war of velata in Hapai " My fellow warrior time is change, victory we are looking for, people are hungry for freedom, but to do this it is depend in YOU" may i repeat this phrase " Tongan people around tha world or here in the kingdom "IT DEPEND ON YOU" we but hand together and pray for our loving country, For his is our SAVOIUR and BUILDER of our country.
  For Non-Tongan they were here during this sad time may i represent the youth of this country to say this humble word " we are so sorry and shame for ourself for the selfish things that we done"
  For the readers and writers, this is not a time of blame who is right or wrong...But now is a time to " what i do to help my Country?"
  
  Please pray for Tonga
  Ha'ola
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/23/2006 8:20 AM

• Tonu ke puke mai e kau Temo 'o li ki he loto afi ke paku ai e mui mo e vale pe ko e tutu e 'u fale koloa he ne 'i ai ha'a nau kovi, fa pe 'ahu he alea pea fahi mo tutu he na'e 'i ai ha fale ai ho'o mou fanga kui.Kakai vale mo 'atamai kovi fielau 'uli'uli pe kili 'o tatau mo e 'atamai.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/23/2006 8:34 AM

• 'io, mahino 'oku ikai sai e tutu e 'u fale koloa mo e me'a pehe, ka ko hono 'ai pee ke mahino kihe tu'i mo e pule'anga' ko e kuonga fo'ou eni, pea 'oku fele e kakai 'oku ikai tokanga ko hai nautolu 'ae kakai ma'olunga. 'Oku fiema'u 'a Tonga ke 'iai ha nau ngutu mo tau'ataina, he kuo fepaki 'ae kuonga kuohili moe kuonga muini, 'o fiofio ai pe 'i hotau mo'ui 'i Tonga, 'o faka iku ai pe kihe kaakaa, pau'u lotu, mo anga'i manu. AFE NAI TE TAU fulihi 'etau mo'ui kihe mamani ko'eni 'oe onopooni, he kuo tau hee ta'e 'ilo 'oku tau hee!!! PEHE KOA KE 'OUA HOKO 'AE ME'A NA'E TOKI HOKO HE KO E FONUA KALISITIANE NA'E TUKU LANGI.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/23/2006 9:26 AM

• mo'oni 'aupito e lau koia 'a e tokotaha na'e toki 'osi tuku a e fakangalingali 'ai ke mahino 'oku pau'u e kautaki 'o e pule'anga pea fuoloa kaliu pe e anga'i manu ia 'a e fonua mo hono fakapuliki.Mou kataki pe moutolu koe 'i muli mou ki'i fakaongoongo mai kia mautolu 'i heni pea 'oua 'e sio lalo he'emau 'uli'uli koe me'a pe ia ne 'iai homou fanga kui pea tupu mei ai kimoutolu. Tuku a he 'oku mou fetangutu'i he fonua 'oku demo 'o kai lelei ai mo pihi e lesi e ngaue pa'anga..koia 'oua na'a mou toe lau mai ki tonga ni tuku ai pe ia ke langa hake ha tonga 'oku lelei pea hao he fulikivanu kaka mo siokata 'a e pule'anga. Tuku aipe kapau temau kai e kanongatamaki 'o e tutu ko'eni sai ange kemau foki ki he kaihamu moe kai lesi kaekehe ke ma'u e fakamaau totonu ki he tonga. I'm so sorry for this comment but it really hurts to see that our tongans overseas have so much to negatively about the people..yes it's really ugly in the video but that's how god has planned this poor country to be.....back to maroo...alios
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/23/2006 10:05 AM

• poupou atu ki he lau na'e toki 'osi..kuo hake pe katati ia 'a e kakai he siolalo,siokita etc 'a e kau taki...neongo pe si'ono tutu o nukualofa mahalo na'a ko ha founga pe 'eni 'e ongo atu ai e le'o 'o e kakai ki he kau taki...koe fihangeau 'eni e laka moe tohitangi kae ikai pe fai mai ha tali..koe tu'u he taimi ni oku totonu pe ke blame e pm ia..he ta'eongo ki hono konisenisi 'a e nofo atu e fu'u kakai tokolahi i pangai kae kei fakafefeka mai pe hono loto..kor tahataha ia ma'e temo fefeka he feinga ke hi ki falealea malo mo 'eni piki he tapa'i tupenu 'o akilisi ke lava o hu ai ki falealea..pea 'alu pe ia 'o pm kuo kehe 'ene ngaue'ana...ka na'e hoko e me'a ni 'i muli kuo fuoloa 'ene resign..sai pe ke mau kai hamu heni ka oku fiemau e fakamaau totonu 'i tonga ni...fiema'u ke fili e he kakai honau kau taki kae lava kenau tali ui ki he kakai...
  malo
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/23/2006 10:53 AM

• Na'e toki tukuange 'e Felo 'ae kau 'Isileli ka kuo tomui he kuo to 'ae faka'auha ki 'isipite kotoa 'o a'u ki he mate 'ae foha lahi kotoa.
  Ko hai teke tukuaki'i kihe maumau ki 'Isipite? koe 'Otua 'ihe 'ene finangalo ke ta'u'ataina hono kakai pe ko Felo he 'ene ta'e loto ke tau'ataina 'ae kau 'Isileli. Koe ha pe ho'o tali pea koe tali pe ia.
  'ofa atu.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/23/2006 4:57 PM

• Tangata he'ikai te mau fakaongoongo atu kimautolu ia kiamoutolu he ko ho tau fonua kotoa pe pea ne tau tupu hake pe 'o masiva tatau pe kae toki faka faikehekehe'i kitautolu 'e feinga malohi.Pea tuku ho'o lau sio lalo he koe 'ofa pe 'eni ia he kakai ne 'ikai loto ki he ngaue vale mo palaku ne mou fai tala 'e hai ne mou loto ke fahi mo tutu 'a Nuku'alofa 'ikai kuo mou toki fakatomala pea sai pe 'emau hela 'amautolu he ngaue he 'oku mo'oni e lau ia 'a e tohi ko e taki taha uku pe 'ene ki'i fonu pea 'oua 'e lau fakamaau totonu moe fakaoli he ko hai tene fakamaau'i ho'omou loto kovi ki he kau siaina mo ho'omou fahi mo tutu pe ke fakafou ai pe ho'omou kaiha'a.Masi'i 'alu 'o sio ki he fekau 'e 10 he himi 'a e siasi Uesiliana 'o lau ke mahini ki ho 'uto pea fai ha'o lotu hei'ilo na'a toe mahino ange 'a e me'a 'oku mau feinga atu ki ai.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/24/2006 1:33 AM

• 'E siana 'oku mahino e fekau ia 'e 10..ka koe fehu'i 'oku ke fai kiai? kapau 'oku ke ma'oni'oni koe ai pea ta 'oku tonu ho'o tolo mai e maka koena.Koeha 'oku 'ikai totonu ke ke fkmaau'i 'e koe 'a e ngaue vale ko'eni 'a e kakai he 'oku takitaha mo'ona pe ia hono tuha. Kaekehe mo'oni koe he faikehekehe'i 'aki tautolu 'a e ngaue malohi he 'oku 'oku dollar hena ia e me'a kotoa. 'Ai pea tuku ho'o ta'emahino moe ta'emaau'i sia e ngaahi me'a ne hoko. Kapau ne mou 'i heni 'o kaikai lu holo mahalo ne ke 'ilo e loto mo'oni 'o e kakai. Temau fuesia e kanongatamaki ko'eni ka koe kaha'u 'e toe ma'u ange ai ha Tonga 'oku beautiful. Hange koe lau kuopau ke 'i ai ha mamahi kae toki fiefia. KOIA AI TANGATA 'A E 'OTUA koe hulu ia 'o e pakupaku 'a e kakai ..ne fai ai e kaiha'a..tuku ke kai ai 'a e Tonga kenau manava ai ki he senituli ka hoko hhehehehe....'alu ai Kakai Tonga..'ai pea mou fanongo mai ki he 'uhinga 'o e mamahi 'a e kakai..pe 'oku ke te'epato koe...hehe..'oua 'e kohu..toe tohi mai pe e/...malo
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/24/2006 10:24 AM

• na'e 'ikai loto ha taha ia ke fahi mo tutu 'a nuku'alofa me'apango ia 'ene hoko ...ka koe poini heni koe ha e me'a na'a ne fakatupunga?? koe siokita 'a e kau taki...koe ngauehala'aki e mafaaiii...kou tui kapau na'a nau ki'i hifo 'o tui e su e kakai e fonua kou tui mahalo ko nau3 te nau 'otumu'a he maumau na'e fai...'a e fehi'a ki he faihala matakeke he nau fai...'enau fe'auihi pe ko hai e pajero motolo fakamuimui taha moe ha fua..koe palemia e kovi taha heni..pea tuku e lau lotu ia moe fakaoli he oku tau 'efihia katoa pe ai...tautautefito ki he fu'u kau taki mahalo ko kinautolu ia e kovi 'ohua lahi... ko mau3 i tonga ni oku mau tali pe moe feimalie he koe fiha eni emau sio ki he toe ha founga melino kehekehe he nau feinga holo ai kae ikai pe ha ongo ia ki he kau taki e fonua ni...na'e tonu ke nau fakafisi kotoa 'o ma'i ha lue ki 'api....
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/24/2006 10:29 AM

• poupou atu ki he ngaahi fakamaama kotoa ko 'ena...koe kaiha'a si'i kakai he hulutu'aa e masiva he vahevahe fakalaione e kau taki e fonua ni...kuo hange e tax ia ha neveneve hono 'a'au atu sii kau masiva ke fai'aki e fakaehaua e kau taki...'ai ai he oku 'ia ia e fo'i lao ia 'e hao pe kau paipa pikovilivilo ia he ta'etotongi tax..'ai ai enau vahe lahi mo 'enau toe ta'etotongi tax...koe me'a ia 'e hoko ki he ngauehala'aki e mafai koe moveuveu e fonua...
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/24/2006 11:21 AM

• w
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/24/2006 5:48 PM

• Kau ki'i kau atu ho'omou potalanoa.
  Ko e ngaahi me'a 'eni 'oku ou ma'u mei ho'omou potalanoa:
  1. 'Uluaki to'o 'a e malamala'i 'akau 'i ho mata 'o'ou, pea ke toki feinga ke to'o 'a e malamala'i 'akau mei he mata 'o ho tokoua.
  2. 'Ofa ki ho kaunga'api 'o hange pe ko ho'o 'ofa kiate koe. Fai ki he kakai kehe 'a e me'a 'oku ke loto ke nau fai atu kiate koe.
  3.Ko e 'Otua na'a ne faka'auha 'a 'Isipite, ka 'oku 'ikai ko e kakai 'Isipite, pe 'Isileli.
  4. 'Oku 'ikai ke poupou pe kau 'a e 'Otua mo ha kakai 'oku nau angatu'u pe fakafetau ki ha Kau Taki pe ko ha Pule'anga. (Romans 13)
  Kapau 'oku 'ikai ke mou tali 'a e lau ko 'ena, pea mou hanu mo 'ita ki he Tohi Tapu-Not Me. Pea kapau he'ikai ai pe ke mou tali, pea mou tutu a 'a e Tohi Tapu 'i homou 'api, (if there are any) he 'oku 'ikai ke mou fanongo ki ai. Pea mou fakatau ha'amou Kele'a he ko ia 'oku mou tui ki ai.
  I was one of the 'Burners' and I regret what I did. It was wrong. Sorry God. I missed you alot.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/24/2006 6:00 PM

• OMG....this is untongan cause there never such anything like this happen before.....i blame the prime minister and some member of the ministers.....don't blame 'akilisi and them cause they didn't tell the people to go burn down those buildings NO...i can't believe people blame akilisi and them.....wen the parliament was finished and akilisi and them came to pangai si'i and told the people that the pm and ministers went to cabinet and still no answer.....i can't believe the pm and ministers didn't give a shit about the people waiting from pangai si'i for an answer or something but they rather go to cabinet instead....to me if i was there that day at pangaisi'i i'll be very sad and angry.....if only the prime minister came to pangai si'i and told the people, i mean this is the people of tonga and he should come to pangaisi'i and told them something and i know for sure people will be very much appreciate for his coming to pangai si'i.....what happenned last year when her royal highness the princess came to pangai si'i during the strike of the civil servants????......people were so happy even though they received what they asked for but they were so happy because her royal highness came to pangai si'i by foot and said something there....and that makes us happy because she gives a damn about us....FIELAU HE KOE PILINISESI 'O TONGA....no doubt about that....but this prime minister without any pikinga to the hou'eiki don't even give a damn about the people of this country....koe huhu'a 'a hai???? ke ha'u 'o fai pehe mai ki he kakai.....ngalo ma'u pe 'i ni'ihi 'i he hou'eiki 'e ni'ihi especially the noples he parliament.....without the people there will be NO i mean NO NOPLES....but enyways fekau'aki moe lahi e lau fk-lotu e ni'ihi 'o pehe 'oku 'ikai ke poupou e 'otua 'a e kau angatu'u.....KO HAI 'OKU ANGATU'U PEA KOE HA 'OKU TUPU AI E ANGATU'U??? 'EKE HIFO PE KIA KOE.....SIAOSI PALU I THINK U better sit down and think wat you're doing is right or wrong?? Kou pehe koe ngaahi kakai hange ko kimoutolu 'oku 'ikai ke totonu kemou tu'u tafa'aki...ko homou fatongia koe lotua 'ae fonua ko 'eni mo tataki kitautolu ki ha toe hala 'oku sai ange kae 'oua temou ha'u kimoutolu 'o toe tu'u tafa'aki takai holo he koe me'a ia 'oku lea atu ai 'ae kakai kia moutolu and plus mole leva homou ngeia koe faifekau....koe pehe koe 'otua tapu ange mo ia koe 'otua 'ofa pea 'oku 'ikai ke filifilimanako 'a e 'otua he kou pehe 'oku ne 'ofa'i pe kitautolu mei he ma'olunga ki he ma'ulalo pea 'oku 'ikai keu tui au 'oku 'iai ha pehe koe ma'olunga mo e ma'ulalo 'oku tau tatau pe he na'e fa'u kitautolu 'ehe 'otua pea na'a ku fk-kaukau kapau na'a ke ngaue 'aonga 'aki ho'o fatongia keke 'o fai ha lotu 'ae si'i 'i pangaisi'i he koe kakai 'a e 'otua pea kou pehe ITS YOUR JOB....
  
  Koe me'a ko 'eni kuo hoko 'oku ou lotomamahi 'aupito he 'oku hela'ia 'a 'akilisi mo nautolu he feinga ma'a tautolu pea hanga ai 'ehe ni'ihi 'o maumau'i si'i feinga e kau fk-fofonga kaekehe koe 'otua pe tokotaha 'oku ne 'afio'i e me'a kotoa....kou mate he fk-'ofa'ia he kau siaina.....koe me'a na'e fai kia nautolu 'oku HALA MO SIOKITA.....he na'e 'ikai ke nau fai ha kovi kia tautolu ka ko hai tetau blame koe GOVT. for selling passports to them which illegal....neways....kou mamahi 'aupito he me'a na'e hoko but wat can i say people were so angry for pm actions.......KA TAU TUKU PE KI LANGI.......MO'ONI elau e tokotaha koe taimi 'eni ketau tu'u fk-taha ai ke toe langa hake 'etau ki'i fonua ki ha toe much better one........PEACE
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/25/2006 5:39 PM

• this riot is a huge embarrasment for tonga. shame on tonga!
  i hope you all that stole something, ate a stolen good, or looted from chinese shop get caught.if not.may you suffer. i live in tonga and am not ashamed to say that tonga is the most under-developed country in the pacific and how dare you do this!
  you tongans are nothing but proud people. proud to be tongans and yet your stupidity is shown greatly through this.
  so much for "fonua tuku ki langi"
  koe me'a loi lahi, pea koe me'a fakama lahi ki he kakai 'oe fonua especailly tongans wo live overseas. our economy has not yet passed Africa's and now you just made it worse than theirs.
  what are you trying to prove? who are you trying to be?
  tonga, stop the fiepalangi becoz it won't get you anywhere.
  i wouldn't be surprised about the chinese being looted and burnt becoz tongans have always been racist. no wonder the chinese excel in their businesses because they mind their own business and do their own thing.
  tongans should stop trying to be like iraq and americans, they always want to be better than someone else and its now wonder tonga is better than nothing.
  you have no right to go agasint the king, he owns the land and you are to respect him as your authority despite your likes and dislikes.
  signing out, tonga, look at yourselves before you compare yourselves to others
  # posted by  Noelle : 11/25/2006 5:52 PM

• si'i me'a...ke puke mai kau temo kae puke mai pe koe 'o li ki he afi ke vela ai ho mui ke paku pea ko koe 'oku 'atamai koe....sio ho tingo na'e fekau he kau temo ke 'alu ekakai 'o tutu mo fahi e 'u fale.....'ai pea teu pehe na'e kaila mai e kau temo ki he kakai kenau 'alu 'o fahi ee mo tutu pea siosio lelei mai...'ikai ke iai ha taha heni 'oku vale, kokoe pe vale mo 'atamai pea ko koe pe 'uli'uli he kou tui mahalo ko koe 'oku fie paku ho mui.....valengangau!!
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/25/2006 6:00 PM

• koe toki taha 'eni ha pule'anga ta'emahino mio'i kuo lahi....koe me'a ko 'eni kuo hoko 'oku 'ikai ke sai ka koe 'atunga pe ia e ta'e toka'i....pea tuku homou mio'i e me'a 'oku si'i feinga kiai e kau temo......koe tala aipe koe feinga ke to'o e fale 'o moheofo.....ofaaa 'o tukua hono mio'i e fo'i totonu moe fk-langalea....hala'ata ke fiema'u ke to'o a ha'a moheofo........KOE FIEMA'U KE TUKU MAI KIHE KAKAI KENAU FK-LELE E PULE'ANGA KE FEA E ME'A KOTOA KAE TUKUAA HONO KAI E MO'UI E KAKAI........tuku aa e mio'i palemia.......fefe homou sio mo homou fanongo.....mou sio kihono fk-lele o pilitania......fk-langilangi 'ata'ata pe e tu'i ia mo hono fale kae fk-lele fk-temo e fonua.....MAHINO ATU.....HOI....tukuaa e mio'i katau nofo lelei mo fiefia......
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/25/2006 6:07 PM

• Oh My goodness! What has happened with the people of Tonga? What happened to our name, the "Friendly island" ? I can't believe what I'm hearing and seeing on the T.V about our country? What is that, we call ourselves "True Christians", Children of god, and yet we act like this!!! Everyone in Nuku'alofa and anyone that was in the riot should be so ashamed of yourselves! I know your parents, teachers, preachers, and friends have taught you all better than all this! The actions that we now all see is people who act like animals, devils, people who don't know Jesus anymore! This is not what the missionaries has taught us! We know better than this, you human beings are more smarter than this, I hope, because without the lord, Our heavenly father, we will continue on having riots like these, these riots will never end! Unless we all work as together, and think about a more better future. "Open your heart, and you will find the answer, PEACE".God Bless to you all, ofa atu, and I will pray for you all...
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/25/2006 11:59 PM

• Sai 'aupito for the Royal family and the Government. I don't praise those who rioted downtown like a bunch of dummies cause you and I know that they've been taught everyday of thier lives up to today. Everyone needs to read the female who posted her message on NOV.22 @ 1:51 PM. She obviously knows what she's talking about. Those youth made thier decisions to do that so don't go pointing the finger at the whole country. I am proud of my heritage, my culture and the title that I believe Tonga still upholds..." The Friendly Islands." But there has been wrong doing to the people for so long now. It's definitely an eye opener for both the Government and the People of Tonga. For the Government and Royal Family, they need to stop acting like Greedy Westerners and include the People in all the say. For the People, be patient and know that stupid Rioting and Violence definitely is not the way to solve anything. Though sometimes a Martyr will make your case a strong one. :). I miss Tonga still. I live on the Mainland and will always say, "There is no place like Tonga."
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/26/2006 5:47 AM

• First off... Who the hell is Noelle? If any of you live next to her, please SLAP her on the head for all of Tonga. If you live on the Mainland, you have nooooo right to make point of views for Tonga and for those who've lived in Tonga all thier lives. I was born and raised in the Mainland and have gone back and forth to Tonga and know how difficult it is to live out there. Do not judge the whole Tonga for the workings of individuals who made thier own decisions to do what they did. Tonga will get over this and they will prevail.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/26/2006 6:07 AM

• this comment is for Noelle...First of all Don't even compare Tonga to Africa, Africa is a continent and Tonga ain't even a full dot and shame on Tonga, who are you to judge the actions of the people as if you are righteous yourself. Ask yourself this question..WHY DID GOD LET THIS HAPPEN TO TONGA??? everything happen for a reason...god destroyed Sodom and Gomorah for a reason....black thursday was a time bomb waiting to explode as the government being arrogant and ignorant ignoring the hurt and cries of the people. This was bound to happen one day as people were just waiting for somebody to start something.....How many times do they have to march and petition without a reply from the Govt??? I don't condone the violence but the people can only take so much before they start to do something...For those democracy supporters that have abandon the move for change....why point fingers as to whom is responsible...the govt should look no further than themselves...... I think this is a message and a warning and a turning point for our kingdom......
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/28/2006 9:40 PM

• 'Oku fu'u mahino 'aupito 'a e ngaahi talanga 'oku fai pea 'oku lahi 'a e ta'emahino kae taumaia koe solova 'anga 'eni 'o e palopalema 'oku fekuki moe ni'ihi 'o e kakai 'o e fonua. Kiate au koe me'a na'e fai 'e he kau fakafofonga na'e fu'u fieha 'aupito pea fulikivanu moe anga 'a 'enau ngaahi fokotu'utu'u, he na'a tau fanongo tonu pe 'i he'enau ngaahi lea na'e fai 'i he ngaahi tukui kolo, ko kinautolu pe na'a nau toutou pehe, ka 'ikai fai 'a e me'a 'oku tau loto kiai te tau huke leva ki he peesi faka'osi, 'a e toutou lea 'a 'Akilisi pehe kia 'Uliti Uata, ko 'Uliti na'e fu'u mahino 'aupito na'a ne loto tangia ka ko hono mo'oni 'a e 'ikai ke 'ilo 'e he kakai hono me'a ngaue'aki kinautolu 'e he kau fakafofonga, koe pehe koe na'e 'ikai ke loto kiai 'a e kau temo, kohai na'a ne uki 'a e 'uluaki 'alu ki he kapineti, ko Teisina Fuko ia na'a ne kaila tau laka leva ki he Kapineti mahalo koe me'a ia 'oku nau loto kiai, pea kapau na'a nau foki mai 'oku 'iai ha 'atamai lelei 'i he kau fakafofonga ke nau ta'ota'ofi 'a e kakai, ka koe le'o pe na'e toe ongo mai koe ngutu masila ko e mei Niua 'a Lepolo he'ene kaila mai 'i he maika koe me'a ia 'oku mou tali kiai ke mau laka atu 'o fai ha maumau, pea hange koe lau 'oku nau toe tuli tonuhia holo, ka koe ha na'e 'ikai tenau tu'u hake pe ai 'o liliu 'a e pule'anga pe take over ai leva he kuo fu'u lahi 'enau maumau, pea nau toe vaho mai he letio ki he kakai ke tuku a kuo fe'unga, sioange koe ha 'a e fe'unga na'a mou fekau'i ke nau fai 'a e maumau. Ko 'ene mahino mai leva koe Pule'anga fo'ou 'oku mou teuteu kiai koe Pule'anga tutututu, fahifahi pea moe kaihaha'a lahi, teuteu koe 'Akilisi keke Palemia 'i he fanga monumanu he ko ho tuha pe ia he 'oku ke anga'imanu fakataha pe pea moe fanga manu na'a nau fahi mo tutu homau ngaahi fale ngaue 'oku ma'u ai 'emau mo'ui mo tauhi 'aki homau ngaahi famili, pea tahataha koe 'oku 'ikai fie mole ha'o ki'i peni 'e taha kiha taha 'o e fonua pea ke toki 'a e fakamoveuveu lahi ko 'eni, kuo ha kuo fa ho 'ahu he alea, koe ta'u 'eni 'e fiha ho'o falealea mo ho'o ta'aki 'a e kovi 'a e Pule'anga ka e 'ikai teke fai 'e koe ha me'a ke lava, te tau toe lava 'o tanki mai 'a e vai kuo mahua, feinga ke fakalelei'i pea laka ki mu'a kae 'oua 'e lohiaki'i 'a e kakai 'aki 'ae ngaahi fu'u me'a kuo mafu moe nanamu, ka e fai a ha'o ngaue ke 'aonga, ko ho'o fie taki 'ena moe fieme'a 'oku lahi, fiema'u mafai 'oku 'oho takai holo ai, ka kuo fafa pe me'a alea, vete ho ta'ovala, foki ki Ha'apai kapau 'e toe fiema'u koe mei ai. Feinga a keke 'asi mai a ki he kakai 'o lea mai kiai he kuo lava ho loto pea ke toki toi koe ia, 'asi mai pea moe Niua ko 'ena ko Lepolo fie me'a. 'Oku mau kei 'ofa pe 'i Tonga pea mo hono fa'unga he 'oku 'ikai temau nofo popula ai, 'i ho'omou fai 'a e liliu ko 'eni pea 'oku mau toki ongo'i popula 'i ho'omou me'a fakama na'e fai.
  
  'Ofa atu ki he Tonga kotoa ne si'i uesia 'i he ngaue 'a e fanga ngangau na.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 11/29/2006 12:44 PM

• Kia Tonga kotao,
  Kií poupou pea ki Noelle. Teu fktomala tainimi, i he tau PROUD attitude. Not only are we proud, we are inconsiderate of others and sio lalo to others who are NOT Tongans. Our attitude is that we think we are on the top of the world. That slogan, Tonga for Tongans has got to be partly blamed. What if Ausies, NZlanders and Americans said, Australia for Australians (Aborigines), New Zealand for NZlanders (Maoris) and America for Americans (Red Indians), then, there will be no Remittances for Tonga. Kií fonua si'sií, mo mentality fkofa aupito. This is what you call RACISM!. To the Chinese and other foreigners who lost their businesses, my sincere apologies.
  Óku fkma. Meá non-Christian as we often preach. All that only for a show, not a true heart conversion. Malo aupito Noelle, you hit the nail on the head. Mou tolu mou ita kia Noelle, oku moóni pe'a Noelle ía.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 12/01/2006 4:52 PM

• Kihe tokotaha 'i 'olunga pea mo Noelle. you gotta remember that Australia, NewZealand, and America is all white man ownd, thier land is stolen from white man, thats why it's full of races. and if Tonga was racist kuo 'osi foloa hono tuli e kau Siaina, mo e Initia mo e ha fua kihe nau fonua.
  Tonga jus anga'imanu he sio kuo 'alu 'etau tama tu'i na'a tau tupu hake mo ia. 'Ai mo mou 'ilo'i ko e kau Tonga ko e kakai pau'u mo e ha fua he taimi ni'ihi ka ko e kakai hau e 'ofa mo e poto he anga he taimi kotoa. Te sio kita kihe me'a na'e hoko ne ikai ke 'iai ha taha na'e fie tamate'i ha taha, ko e kaiha'a koloa 'ata'ataa pe, pea 'oku KEI MANU HAE PEE HE KO 'ENAU FONUA KE NAU FA'ITELIHA AI. PEA KA FK.'OFA MO FIEKAIA NAUTOLU TE NAU MALIU PE 'O MO'UI 'AKI E FOUNGA NA'A NAU MO'UI AI MEI FUOLOA. Pea te tau kei feinga tokoni mo lii tola atu kanautolu he ko e kakai 'ofa kitautolu. Pea neongo e ngali vale, 'oku 'ai mo mou mahino ko mamani eni mo hono kuonga. KOU TUI 'OKU FK.MAA ANGE 'A SELUSALEMA
  'IA TONGA HE ME'A 'OKU HOKO HE FA'AHI FEITU'U MOE FONUA KOIA 'OE TOHITAPU.
  'OFA LAHI ATU MEI AMELIKA LAHI.
  
  P.S. hALA ke 'iai ha fonua taha 'i mamani 'oku tonuhia, tuku kehe 'ae fonua 'a monumanu.
  # posted by  Anonymous : 12/09/2006 10:47 AM

• WHOA!
  # posted by  Anonymous : 12/10/2006 1:31 PM

• Happiest riot ive ever seen.....capitalist pigs and their value on posessions you drove this beautiful island to this,....take away the church and the bullshit so called democracy, that isnt democratic at all just a mask for tyranny and capitalist greed. We were good before you came...Mate ma'a TONGA!
  # posted by  Rather be 3rd World than 1st world full of shit... : 5/15/2009 10:37 PM

Holy Cow! Tonga just had an earthquake! I just checked earthquake.usgs.gov and got the statistics, an 8.1 on the richter scale. That's a big ass earthquake. Man I really hope all those outer island volunteers are okay. I'm sure I'll find out.

My girlfriend called me up to let me know that it broke her mirror, the dishes in her cabinets, all of the glass that was out and around her house. Amazingly, the phone system worked so she was able to call and let me now she was alright. I'm sort of worried about the water rising and coming ashore. Tongatapu at its highest point can't be more than 30-40 feet above sea level and that is "the hills". I'm also hoping everyone is okay. The Peace Corps in Tonga has really had a bad break this year.

A volunteer was killed by a shark. Volunteers were stuck on kao without food and picked up by a Australian destroyer. Now an 8.1 earthquake. Tough luck. 1 comments - Post a Comment

• The volunteer's? What about the tongan's....selfish...just like a palangi...typical, i hope everyone is alright....selfish...
  # posted by  Anonymous : 5/15/2009 10:19 PM

Was thinking about this site last night as I was getting on the on-ramp for the expressway and I figured I should start writing again. I miss it sort of.

So I was waiting at a red light last evening, I'm sitting in the right hand lane, there's a red corvette sitting in the left hand lane. The light changes from red to green and across the street there is only one lane so either my car (Ford Contour) or the Corvette idling in the turning only lane next to me is going to get into the single lane. Needless to say, my Countour doesn't have the oomph that a Corvette has and I lose. So as I'm eating this corvette's dust and he's doing like 50 down a 25 I slow down to the speed limit and just take it easy. A few minutes later, I pull up next to him and look over and sort of smile. You see in city driving, all the posturing is for naught because stop lights are the great equalizer. No matter how fast your car is everyone has to stop for redlights and all that muscle-headed dingleberry posturing is for naught. As a citizen, that makes me feel better. I don't know why exactly, perhaps its my personal preference for civility and order, but it does.

So where is my life at now? Well its 9:30 in the morning on a Saturday. Waking up on the couch a little groggy from the Guiness and boozing last night at my buddy's place in New Jersey, a couple of miles outside of Philly with a whole American Saturday stretched out before me and nothing but fun, family and friends planned. Its taken me a couple of months to get to this point, but I'm starting to feel more like I belong again. Its weird, I remember reading this book "So You Wanna Join the Peace Corps?" and the author in the beginning of the book said that its actually much harder coming back to America than it is leaving it. I remember thinking 'bullsh!t!'. But now that I'm here and living it, he's right on. I'm usually not into the fluffy, emotional posts so I'll keep it brief. PCV's coming back to America can be pretty hard so be prepared. I don't know why that's so, but it is. There, I said it.

So me? I'm in this in-between sort of life. My parents are looking to purchase a durable medical equipment company that they've been running for the past couple of years but need some help getting all of their ducks in a row in terms of finances and selecting a biller and vendor negotiating, etc. So I've been spending most of my time with them writing a business plan and getting things set up. The other part of my time is spent in Philadelphia reconnecting with my friends and family down here. Its been kind of hard because I really want to be in Philly and as much as I love my parents, I can't stand the place where they live. Its pretty far out there with not much going on in the wintertime and its almost an entirely different culture too. Its weird.

So I've got a couple more months with my parents then back down to Philly full-time to pursue my own goals. There's a bunch of stuff that I'd like to do that I need to sort through but if there is one overwhelmingly good thing that I can say about America it is this: America is TRULY the land of opportunity. Like no where else in the world as far as I've seen and probably my favorite thing about it.

So that's it. I promised myself that I wouldn't get crazy with my posts and have them drag on for a long time. I'm going to start re-updating the site with stuff that I find interesting now until I can move it to my new secret bat location with hidden un-3-dimesionalizer.

Oh and a word to Tonga... Thank you for everything. As much as I complained about being there in the day in and day out, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't appreciate my life as much as I do now, wouldn't be the person that I'm starting to become and certainly wouldn't have met my extra-awesome moa. There are things that I will never forget and things that I'm glad I've forgotten but all in all I regret nothing and I hope I helped a little bit.

Ofa Atu people that still sort of check out my blog..

PS - Check out the new TTI website! and some pics of the server room nice work Toti, Pila and Siua! 7 comments - Post a Comment

• hey palangi, hope the reverse culture shock isn't hitting you too hard. keep us posted on how things are travelling for you. take care matey.
  # posted by  nicole : 3/06/2006 1:53 PM

• goog to see you writing
  # posted by  Anonymous : 3/11/2006 9:21 AM

• good to see you writing
  # posted by  Anonymous : 3/11/2006 9:22 AM

• I invite ALL Tongans to visit and learn for FREE the Art of Wire Tree-making and spread the WORD of our Instrumental X-CHANGE
  I share this freely with you ALL.
  "To give a person a tree is to give them a present..To teach them how to make a tree is to give them a gift for life."
  your humble servant,
  Ancient Clown
  # posted by  Ancient Clown : 6/17/2006 10:28 AM

• p.s. Ment to mention as well that I love the photos...awesome.
  # posted by  Ancient Clown : 6/17/2006 10:29 AM

• Hi there, just passing thru and I really admire what you've written up here... I'm a Tongan who hasn't really mastered the language nor have I visited/explored Tonga enough to come across what you've seen... Thanks for laying it out for the rest of us! Cheers :D
  Take care,
  Lesley Tuiniua
  # posted by  Lesley Tuiniua : 8/16/2006 10:50 AM

• Jim,
  
  I am one of the lurkers who occasionally check out your website.
  I was motivated to post here when I read you were at Tupou Tertiary Institute. Back when it was known as Tupou High School I spent three years teaching there. 'Alifeleti Atiola was a co-teacher. He came back to Tonga in my second or third year in the Peace Corps. Kalapoli Pa'ongo was my headmaster.
  Pou pou to your comments on re-entry to the US. It was much harder to come back to the US than it was to leave it and as bad as anyone told me it would be. For you and other recently departed or about to COS; Tonga stays with you.
  I haven't been back since I left but a part of me never really left.
  I am thinking about going back in 2008 for the coronation of Siaosi Tupou V. See peacecorpsonline for my post on that.
  
  Roger Reed (Lousa) Tonga 23
  # posted by  Anonymous : 4/13/2007 10:46 AM

I know many of you may believe it, but I am truly not dead. In fact, I'm back in the good ole' United States of America trying to get my laptop into writing emails and soliloquies. There is much for me to discuss, but to be honest, I think the days of the Palangi Files are numbered. I'll write more as soon as I am able. Hope everyone had a great christmas and ate some Jesus.

Misi. 6 comments - Post a Comment

• hope all was well with your reentry into the new world. if you are interested in seattle, I just saw a job posting for a tenured professorship in IT and networking at a local college. :)
  # posted by  Mark & Erin : 12/31/2005 3:17 PM

• If you arent dead, then where the hell are you? Since your return we have been searching for you, hearing news that you are at a friends place. Contact us as soon as you have settled in. We really want to see you!
  # posted by  Nicole : 1/06/2006 5:54 AM

• Don't be surprised if you see your photograph on the "Rewa" milk carton.
  
  Under the caption: Wanted Dead or Alive.
  # posted by  laminar_flow : 1/22/2006 4:49 PM

• Not mentioned on your site is that your work and efforts (as are the efforts from all the PCVs) has been very much appreciated.
  
  Thanks for having shared your time and energies with us.
  
  Sam T.
  # posted by  SamT : 2/03/2006 4:48 PM

• I am happy you are having a good life
  # posted by  Datingmaster, Jerusalem : 2/08/2006 11:21 PM

• Here are some Peace Corps / Tonga journals and blogs that I have found online. If you know of any others that I have missed please let me know. Thanks!
  
  
  -Mike Sheppard
  RPCV / The Gambia
  www.journeyacrossafrica.blogspot.com
  
  
  ==
  http://adriannetonga.blogspot.com/
  http://www.chemistry.natsci.csulb.edu/newslttr/98/troublep.htm
  http://chris.fleizach.com/
  http://davidratliff.blogspot.com/
  http://www.deanpatti.com/
  http://garrycrain.blogspot.com/
  http://gaudineerandtonga.blogspot.com/
  http://www.geocities.com/paul_neville/
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RPCVsTonga/
  http://www.halfro.com/
  http://homepage.mac.com/jasonkearns/Menu12.html
  http://homepage.mac.com/jasonkearns/tonga/Menu21.html
  http://islandtime.typepad.com/
  http://joannintonga.blogspot.com/
  http://www.koorse.com/
  http://kristinarhicks.blogspot.com/
  http://lassana.blogspot.com/
  http://lesleybethharris.blogspot.com/
  http://mike-munita.squarespace.com/
  http://palangifiles.com/
  http://randiintonga.blogspot.com/
  http://www.shinfamily.info/
  http://tongasteve.mypicgallery.com/
  http://umufoil.blogspot.com/
  ==
  # posted by  Mike Sheppard : 7/01/2006 8:44 AM

This is like a live action market shot. This is a great picture because it covers pretty much all of the vegetables that I have eaten in the last two years in a single photo and it has a nice range of colors and some people in action, which for the most part, is a rarity in Tonga. Just kidding motion happens on the way too and from church. 0 comments - Post a Comment

This is a cool water/shadow photo that I really dig. Once again this photo is from 'Eua and once again, this is during the sunset. 1 comments - Post a Comment

• beautiful photos, Jim - all of them.
  
  This one would look great as a print on a wall.
  # posted by  nicole : 12/09/2005 11:46 AM

This is a little I think catholic chuch in 'Eua. What I really like about this photo is the way the sun is kind of pink and you can see the shadows of the church. I took this is a little snapshot, but I like it. As you may or may not know, Tonga may have the record for most churches per capita anywhere in the world. If I doesn't, I am positivie that its in the running for that record. This is one of the many. 0 comments - Post a Comment

And, honestly, probably my favorite photo. This is a nice little landscape shot that I took spur of the moment on a nice little walk in 'Eua. What I like most about this picture is the composition of it and the way the light and the darks go so well together. This is a picture of one of the coral tidal pools that are very common around the Kingdom of Tonga. Its also amazing to see just how darn close trees will come to salt water and to see them growin right in the sand. Also, sunsets in Tonga are one of my favorite things and I just happened to be at the right time and the right place with the right lighting. 0 comments - Post a Comment

Boats in Tonga. I really like this picture here because it has all these little things in it that remind me of Tonga in so many ways. This photo was taken down at the harbor in Pangai in Ha'apai right before I was leaving. This is pretty much the standard inter-island transport for much of Tonga. As you can see in the back there, they have a little metal tugboat, and that's probably the biggest boat in the whole darn island. Very fakatonga. 1 comments - Post a Comment

• I love this photo, very nice
  love yea, A. Nancy
  # posted by  Anonymous : 12/08/2005 7:31 AM

Kai fakatonga! This is a cute picture of some girls eating during the kaipolo or 'feast' at our school. The prison looking bars behind them are not actually the bars of a prison, but the entrance to the school library. As you can see, girls in Tonga love their food. I think these kids are adorable, especially the second girl there. 0 comments - Post a Comment

New York is quite a bit different and bigger than Tonga. I just remember how overwhelmed I felt when I visited New York City during christmas with Petey and Nate. The world can be a very different, very large place. So can advertisements. And elves. 1 comments - Post a Comment

• Yes, if you enjoy mind numbing advertisements, drilled into your very being misconstruing self worth and turning people into robots that purchase and consume to feed self loathing images developed by american anorexic and homogenous ideals.
  # posted by  Zeckarias Nefarious : 5/15/2009 10:25 PM

This is a great picutre. I hate the fact that my camera is cheezy and always messes up the left and right ends of all of my photos, but this is a cool picture of one of the young tongan girls who both makes these handicrafts and runs her own booth at the main market in Nuku'alofa. She's got some of the nicest wall hangings out of anyone in my humble opinion. I picked this pircture because I really like the browns in it and I like the layout of it. 0 comments - Post a Comment

This is a picture of a couple of very cute kids from Caty and I's trip to 'Eua. I just thought that this picture turned out exceedlingly well and we met these kids on an awesome walk that we had and I had a good time taking pictures and making little movies of them. I liked it so I decided to include it here. Nothing really special about it except that its normal. I think that's the catch of this photo. 0 comments - Post a Comment

This is another good picutre of some Tonga girls or 'tahine's dancing. I like the colors here and I think it came out well. This is also known as the tau'olunga and all of the girls in this photo are raising money for the school that I worked at. I wish my Tongan was a little bit better and I could name the cool dresses that the ladies are wearing, but I can't. Sorry. 0 comments - Post a Comment

This is the main chuch in Tonga for a couple of reasons. First, it is the King of Tonga's main church and where he usually attends mass when he is feeling well and actually in the country (which is less and less frequent anymore). Second, its where the school that I teach at, Tupou Tertiary Institute holds all of their big masses for celebrations and graduations, etc. Third, this is the Free Wesleyan Church's Flagship Curch and as the Free Wesleyan Church accounts for about 65% of Tonga's Believers, I figured I should include it. One of my favorite things about this church is that it is probably the biggest church in the kingdom and the 'starship enterprise' of the FWC. However, like all things Tongan, it has its quirks. For example, in the two years that I have lived in Tonga, that clock has never worked. Ever. 0 comments - Post a Comment

This is great! This is my neighbor's son getting ready for his first day of Kindergarten of 'kindy' as they call it here in Tonga. I like becaus Kalisi's (Chris's) face is priceless and he made such a ruckus when his dad was taking this photo. I don't take credit for this photo, but its one of my favorites. Give all credits to my homey and counterpart for this most excellent photo. 1 comments - Post a Comment

• this is adorable!
  # posted by  Anonymous : 2/08/2007 9:06 PM

So this is a great picture of the bed from fafa island resort. I like it because the picture came out really nice and beause it reminds me of one of the best weekends that I spent in Tonga. I like the symetry of this photo as well. Very palangi in a very tongan atmosphere. 0 comments - Post a Comment

So this is the picture that one it. Actually, to be honest with you I didn't even submit it, Caty did. I did win though because, well, I'm a winner. I've got a ton of better pictures and I'm not sure this one deserved to win or not, but I do like it. Oh and mine are not nearly as cool as halfro's. He's got some sweet pics. If you click on it, you can get the full-size image.

The ta'olunga is the name of the traditional female dance in Tonga. Its not the good vibration, feel-good, booty swaying that you see in Hawaii and Tahiti, its much more reserved and subtle, but its very good none the less. Usually you'll see girls lathered up in coconut oil and dancing by themselves. However, during celebrations, like school graduations (from whence this photo came) they will perform in a group in unison.

The clothing they are wearing are comprised of all locally available materials like coconut leaves, banana leaves and some of the hundreds of amazing flowers that grow everywhere here in Tonga. Anyways, I do like this pic and am glad Caty submitted it. I won for the 'culture' picture. The Peace Corps is going to blow it up and put it around the office.

Wow. A legacy. Be humble. 1 comments - Post a Comment

• Congratulations!
  
  It is a GREAT photo. nice work, mate.
  # posted by  nicole : 12/01/2005 5:29 PM

Oh My God! My eyes hurt so much I don't even know what to do. So yesterday we went on a fishing trip. I put on some sunsceen early in the morning around 8:00 a.m. SPF 30, nothing less than that and reapplied it around 1:00 in the afternoon, but I could already tell it was too late. I've got the redneck tan like my house has a mosquito problem, Big Time.

So right now, I'm quietly crying and trying to keep my eyeballs as moist as I can because they hurt so much. I have never in my life heard of getting sunburnt on your eyes but then again you learn something new EVERYDAY! Today I learned that you can, in fact, get sunburn on your eyes. Oh Good!

Oh and the results on the fishing trip are a bit disappointing. We shoved off from the Nuku'alofa fishing club around 8:30 in the morning and took the boat out to Eua'iki and did some trolling for mahimahi. Toti, my neighbor, got a hit and managed to get int the drivers seat for what seemed like it was huge fish. Sadly, however, he girled out, and the fish maanged to escape the clutches of our 'barby' and tortures of a tequilla marinade. Everyone was sad. At the time, we didn't realize that it was going to be the only fish that we would almost catch all day.

So that was around 12:00 in the afternoon or so. We continued to drive around the islands for another 3 and half hours trying to catch some fish, all to no avail. Eventually, around 3:30, we decided to call it a day and head back to the wharf. Of course the boat ran out of fuel about 30 minutes from the dock. No problem here, we can use the Emergency motor and this emergency petrol that the captain has. Hooray! We're in business.

Until the emergency petrol runs out. And we're stuck floating in the main channel. For almost two hours. Without a paddle. So we wait for a couple of hours until the Aussie's can come and give us a tow back to town. They do and it takes another hour. So all said and done, we finish up around 6:15 p.m. So, to summarize: The 4 hours fishing trip took almost 10 hours, we didn't catch any fish and Toti can't catch a fish to save his life. Oh boy. Ahhh! Can't forget about the sunburned eyes either. Yes!

I did get to check of "Deep Sea Fishing' from my list of stuff to do and I did have a good time, but like everything else that I manage to do in Tonga, its fakahela. Wanton Lunacy or Craziness.  2 comments - Post a Comment

• "So we wait for a couple of hours until the Aussie's can come and give us a tow back to town"
  
  Happy to help...in spirit. hehe.
  # posted by  nicole : 12/01/2005 5:31 PM

• Does Tonga Peace Corp liase with Fiji Peace Corps?
  
  You are in a interesting period of social progress in Tonga RE: Commoners wanting the Nobles to give up power. Same kind of discourse in Fiji and Great Council of Chiefs.
  
  What is the general policy of Peace Corp in teaching Creationism vs Darwanism?
  
  BTW I had a Peace Corp teacher back in 1990. He was Vietnamese and even fought in war. Mr Xuan was his name.
  # posted by  laminar_flow : 12/02/2005 2:06 PM