September 2019 – Tonga 2020

Dear Grandchildren,

Dear Tobias, Noah, Benjamin, Giselle, Lucas, Jonah, Ezra, Abigail, Cassandra and Selina: We love you.

In my ‘post of challenges’, I didn’t mention our biggest challenge of all: Being away from you all, our beloved families! We think of and miss you every single day. – So, a little while ago, we received a parcel from you, with chocolate (chocolate!!), letters, cards, drawings, paintings, booklets, created especially for us. We were so happy and touched by the different ways you were thinking of us. THANK YOU! (Hugs, kisses…)

Hon. Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva

A market stall draped in black and purple

Today, the market stalls looked very different. Void of any fruit and vegetables, draped in black and purple. Just like many other parts of the city, clad in mourning colours. – Today, a great man was brought home to be laid to eternal rest this coming Thursday. ‘Akilisi Pohiva was the Prime Minister in office who passed away in the hospital in New Zealand last week. He was 78 years old.

Preparations for a week of mourning
Everyone hands-on

Abundance and Need

Just a quick post to add some more of Rolf’s great photos of the Saturday market – which is particularly rich in variety . Everything is sold in ‘piles’. You can’t just buy one or two of something – you have to take at least one pile. Depending on the product and season, a pile is between two and five Pa’anga each.

Looking at these pictures, one wonders why poverty and need exist right next to abundance. A common paradox in many Third World countries.

Challenges and Chillouts

Today is our 2-months ‘anniversary’. We arrived in Tonga on 8^th of July, green as unripe papayas with a blank page titled ‘Tonga’ in front of us. – In the meantime, as you know, many pages have been filled with our experiences and adventures on this little, friendly island in the South Pacific.