New Group

All of us met up today at the PC office to catch a ride to the airport to welcome the new group of Peace Corps Trainees into Tonga. I still remember hearing PCV's cheering for us when we got off the plane - it was a great feeling to hear them, so it was really fun to be part of this today. The men in our group were especially excited that the new group had 13 women!

New group, watching Poli mix the kava...looking a little uncertain about all of this!

Sarah and Ann-Marie performing tauleunga (dance).

Saying Goodbye

Jason left Tonga yesterday. I still can't believe that he is actually gone and I am left here. We were at least able to spend the day together yesterday - cleaning the disgusting place that is to be my "home" for the next 2 years ...
In the evening, a large number of our group hopped into Taua's van and headed out to the airport to say one last farewell to Jason. Watching him leave me was one of the hardest things I've had to do. In the past few weeks since we started dating, I have come to realize that Jason is the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with. To come to that realization and then to seemingly have the possibility snatched away from me is brutal.

Jason's last trip to Pangaimotu ...

Since Jason was basically forced by Peace Corps to ET (early terminate), a group of us decided to enjoy one last weekend at Pangaimotu before he leaves on Tuesday...
The water was so rough that we headed into the cabin to keep from getting soaked. You can see the legs of some of the Tongan Pangaimotu employees through the glass behind us.

The dock at the "resort" of Pangaimotu.

Jeff, Sami, Jason & I - primed and ready to watch the sun set ...

Spectacular sunset!

View from the patio where we had our dinner - the make the MOST delicious fish-n-chips here!!

Sleeping at Pangaimotu is always at the minimum for me due to the numerous holes in the mosquito nets in their open-air fales. I got up as soon as it was light and headed to the other side of the island (about 10 minutes) to catch the glorious sunrise.

No surprise, Jessie was an early riser too ...

The boys going "tropo" with some of the local flowers.

Sami catching some zees in the hammock before we head back to the mainland.

A House???

I was sooo happy to hear from the Chamber of Commerce that they'd identified a place for me to live (that was very close to the Chamber). One of my supervisors took me over and my excitement quickly dwindled. Although I loved that it was upstairs, it was really filthy, not very stable feeling and really MUCH too too large for someone with no furnishings.

These photos don't dipict well, just how gross everthing was ... there was old food & drinks crawling with bugs littering every cabinet in the kitchen, the bathroom had congealed urine covering the floor around the toilet and we found remnants of "romantic" rendevous in the bedrooms.

After spending a full day cleaning (with the help of Jason), I was close to tears most of the time with the thought that I was going to have to live here, in a place that would never feel or look clean...and where was I to sleep? Certainly not on the 'uli (dirty) mattresses left by the previous disgusting tenants.

A couple of the "critters" who'd been making this place their home ... they are normal residents in Tongan homes and although the fact that the spider was too BIG to wash down the drain is a little scary, they were the least of my concerns in this place that I will have to live in for the next 2 years.