We’re Melting! We’re Melting!

Last year, as the heat came to the brink of being unbearable, the skies opened up and we were treated to a full week of delightful, cooling rain storms. This year, as the heat surpassed last year’s and came to the brink, it simply smashed through it and broke all records. Tonga is in the midst of record-breaking heat waves and despite Abby having lived in Phoenix and me spending summers in Honolulu and Houston, it simply is unlike anything we have ever experienced.

The heat in the 100s, the equatorial sun beating down on us and unbearable humidity is at record levels makes for quite the fun here in the Kingdom. By 7:45 a.m. each morning, my shirt is completely soaked through from sweat as a result of our five minute walk to school. Our teachers, who are thankfully in much better health, each bring 1 to 2 changes of clothes each day to accommodate for sweat-soaked apparel and none of us wander far away from our sweat rags. For the Niuas, the most northern and remote island chain in the Kingdom, the Crown’s Government has recently suspended Tongan law that makes it illegal to be in public without a shirt (for men). This was in part to the extreme heat experienced by teachers, who can now instruct sans the confines of starchy, sweat-soaked shirts.

For our part, Abby and I rely on our one standing fan to get us through the night. Though the old girl’s motor has slowed to a glacial place, we literally hover around it during sleepless nights. Days are spent finding any breeze that may exist and fighting heavy eyelids while visions of iced lattes and cherry limeades dance through our head.

For their part, the Tongans in our village are incredibly adept at dealing with heat without the blessings of electric fans or refrigerators. The days are spent weaving or in the bush, and no one leaves the house without an umbrella to shield themselves from the sun. The women who weave make beautiful hand fans to help keep people cool and incredible mats. The mats are then used at night, where most Tongans sleep outside because it’s much cooler. Walking through the village at night, after church and kava, looks like one big slumber party.

One of the more touching moments of our service was walking home two weeks ago, when one of our favorite mothers, Mele, had a brand new mat waiting for us. These things go for hundreds of dollars in Australia, NZ, Europe and the U.S., and for her to spend time making one for us is unbelievable. Here Abby enjoys it with her hand fan.  

With no rain in sight, Abby and I are looking forward to our upcoming trip to Australia on March 14. We get to spend a week celebrating my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary (which actually happens on August 9th of this year), see Cassie and meet our new bro-in-law Jeremy. We could not be more excited to be down under!

I dedicate this picture of our 5th grader Siteli to my sister, the rocket scientist, who wanted nothing more than to be a Care Bear when she was growing up. Read carefully, you won't be disappointed. 

Is the heat making us weird, or was there really a smile face in the onion I was cutting for lentil soup?

The concrete is too hot for his highness to sleep on, so he feels it permissible to grab all of our sandals with his mouth and use them to elevate himself for sleep. Typical.

Last week the Peace Corps, the Australian volunteers and the Japanese volunteers on the island rented a bungalow by the ocean to celebrate some birthdays and the end of service for one of the Aussies. In addition to enjoying the ocean breeze fro atop the bungalow, we got to feast on fresh caught lobster and watch giant manta rays swim along the shoreline. Pretty cushy, I know.

You might be looking at the attractive couple in the middle of your frame, but I am oogling that cloud cover, which is the last time we saw those beautiful, fluffy, sun-blocking clouds!

The Bungalow, in all its breezy glory.

One morning, with four other volunteers, Abby and I kayaked out to an uninhabited island that houses an abandoned military training post. Here there is a tall lookout tower one has to climb a rusted, rickety old ladder to get to the top. After this death-defying climb, the six of us just chilled, took in the breeze and admired the beautiful views of Vava’u. At one point a yacht sailed by and noticed us up in the tower. Though it was midday, they were treated to a rare glimpse of a double full moon, courtesy of me and my buddy Jeff.

                                                                 

Hope you are all staying cool in America!