22 July 2012

My concept of time has changed drastically while being here. I am now able to spend hours sitting, doing nothing, listening to Tongan and letting my mind wander. Other times we're busy writing or making leis, and before I know it a week has gone by. At the same time, I count the days and the weeks and hours closely. It makes me realize what I want to spend my time doing when I get home because I can be with the people I love most. Time is so curious, as I'm sure you already know. It is not the times that we are doing nothing that pass slowly in our memory, but the times that we are busiest and most enthralled with what we are doing. I think I got that idea from Steinbeck. I would not trade the three months I've spent here for anything. I've learned a lot about the people and a lot about myself and a lot about my stomach.
I'm sad to be leaving here so soon. I have only two weeks left on this beautiful island. You would not believe the sunrises or sunsets I've seen. Or maybe you would, who can say. I'd like to say I've met incredible people, and certainly I have. Most of them are under the age of ten, and the others have their personalities masked by this vicious and interesting wall called language. Just the same, I love walking down the street and smiling and waving and saying hi to all of the staring faces. Everyone smiles back. Everyone. I've never been greeted so many times with a "Good morning!" as when I walk towards Saineha High School. And I'll never forget walking through a crowd of children with their faces upturned, each of them grinning and touching my arms or my hands. Or one time when we were driving slowly away from a house, and a little boy ran alongside the van, holding my hand out the window the entire way out. Or hearing, "Palangi, eh?" from yards away and responding "Yo!" I think these people are unaware of how intimate their connections are. They are quite lucky, and I pity myself because I can never be a part of it, no matter how long I live here. I definitely hope to return here someday, to visit the people I've met and to feel at home with them again.
On a different note, as my project regarding plants progresses, I've decided that I want to focus more on the idea that Tongans are (or perhaps are not) resourceful people. Naturally this includes the plants that they use, not only for medicine, but for brooms, food, tools, etc. So I will be focusing on several plants, what they are used for, and the innovative nature of the people, or lack there of.
I suppose that's all I have to say for now. More in a week I hope.