Random Tonga

I’m not quite sure how to properly file this next post, but I wanted to share some of the random moments that make Peace Corps Tonga a truly surreal experience.

The pleasant ones take your breath away. Eating the most amazing ota eka (raw fish cubed in a fresh coconut herb sauce) I could ever imagine. Studying Tongan on a beach resort with your friends while the Pacific Ocean wails on the shore. Looking out the window at church to see a tropical paradise of blue sky and palm trees. Drinking out of a coconut for most meals. Ice cream and canned peaches for lunch on a hot day. Attending an authentic Polynesian fire dance held in an ancient Tongan cave.

Of course there is the downside of these moments too and Tonga is full of quirks. One night in our pitch-black house I was scared shitless by a full size wild pig who  made its way inside and was wreaking havoc on Tia’s kitchen. Unfortunately I was blocking its escape route and when we finally came face-to-snout, the charge came accompanied by an ear-piercing squeal (okay two squeals—one from the pig and one from me). And NO, it is not true that they are more scared of you than you are of them. This was followed by an immediate retreat to the bathroom for safety, where I was grazed by a lizard who apparently lost his grip of the ceiling and felt my head would make a suitable replacement.  All in all, it may have been the most traumatic 60 seconds of my life.

--Ryan