Yum yum sushi standup dinner + steroid bananas

11 Fepueli Tuesite

Phew it was hot today. The pattern has been heavy rain at night and steamy sunny days. I guess it is better than the other way around!

Had a lovely Japanese dinner of sushi cones and miso followed by home made banana & peanut butter ice cream, lemon-grass passion-fruit sorbet and the last of the delectable Vava’u pineapples. These were all consumed in the garden under a starry sky while being attacked by savage mosquitoes at Aussie Cam’s volunteer’s house. See it isn’t all paradise here!

Cam Sugden (a Bathurst boy) is a dynamo and here volunteering with Tonga Health. We are helping him to create some short TV cookery shows with some of the teachers to promote cheap, healthy, easy, seasonal cooking for Tongans.

The international flavour of the night was also reflected in the array of guests heralding from American, Scottish, Bangladeshi, Samoan, Japanese and Aussie backgrounds.

12 Fepueli Pulelulu

Hmmmm not happy Jan. I have three yes three of the biggest most sorest cold sores on my bottom and upper lip. The Angelina Jolie face has definitely been replaced with something more sinister. All my lathering has been in vain. I suspect it was the six hours in and on the water on Sunday. Even though I had a hat on most of the day, wore heaps of sunscreen and tried to sit in the shade one cannot under-estimate the power of reflection and that crystal clear water letting the suns rays burn through.

So I am having a couple of days at home trying to do our insurance paperwork which has proved to be a very frustrating affair. I am so over it and I am sure the stress of trying to get this sorted has contributed to the mouth outbreak. Luckily, for once the dongle is working on the home computer so this is making it a little easier as long as I am not too impatient with the speed of doing the uploads etc.

Sister Anuncia and Kotoni after a mocktail or three??!!

13 Fepueli Tu’apulelulu

Staying put today… and sipping iced tea to soothe my aching lips. Kotoni has a two-day workshop with an external facilitator. I feel sad as I shall be

Sister Anuncia and Kotoni after a mocktail or three??!!

missing the staff team building cocktails at the Billfish Bar (which I suggested!). Well why not their happy hour cocktails are cheaper than coffee! We joked that it was work research as we were a hospitality institute afterall.

It will be a celebration for Valentine’s Day an a way of congratulating ourselves for getting through the accreditation process …as well as a little farewell to Kina – one of the teachers who has scored a scholarship and leaves Monday for six months in the very south of New Zealand for further hospitality studies. (He/she will freeze!)

Having to go overseas to further qualifications is very common for Tongans as we have another teacher in Fiji for six months. Ofa left a couple of weeks ago and will study Aged Care for a new course ‘Ahopanilolo will be offering in partnership with the Australian Government… graduating students have the opportunity to emigrate and take up employment in Australia.

Levi our Fijian neighbour drying a tapa he bought to send home

Malatina popped in to see me later in the evening with some homemade Tongan banana puffs and fresh whopper ‘hopper’ bananas (truly these are like bananas on steroids). I wasn’t really up for visitors but felt very honoured she had made the special effort as she has five young children and is pregnant with her sixth so clearly a busy woman!

‘hopper’ steroid bananas

14  Fepueli  Falaite

Another feeling ugly day for me so I am staying indoors.  Larnie the sewing teacher popped in this afternoon with argel lesi (pawpaw) and a watermelon to cheer me up. I am very touched and felt much better anyway as the swelling has subsided. The over the counter prescription drugs Kotoni got for me yesterday afternoon appear to be having some effect 🙂

Kotoni and Larnie… she made the dress the same afternoon as the Billfish gig!