Tongan Feasts

Tongan Feasts

by Dave Birney

Tonga Thursday March 12, 2009 8A.M. (Wed March 11, 3P.M. in Michigan)

We have arrived safe and sound in Tonga and am writing this expecting to go to town in a few days and finding an Internet café to send it. We are staying in Alice’s quaint little house in Nakolo. It is late summer heading into fall but still very hot and the afternoon sun is wicked. We see the Southern Cross at night and are most impressed with the people of this town. All the books we read told us how very much there culture was different from ours, experiencing it first hand is another thing. I will expound.

Food

We were told that Tongans are generous and sharing, giving you much more than you can possibly eat. We did not experience this until we had been here 10 minutes.

We were invited to a lunch feast at the school, having arrived late in the morning we set out directly to the school. As we approached the school a car pulled up, Sione greeted Alice warmly insisting we go to see the work crew he was managing eat lunch the Tongan way (with their fingers). We hopped in the car and proceeded to his house where we found the work crew relaxing in the shade. As we waited on his veranda we were served large plates of steaming white yam with "Kentucky chicken" and spinach in coconut sauce cooked inside of leaf wrapping. We were told this was an appetizer and indeed it was as the workmen were each fed very large bowls (quart or more) heaped to the top with each item. After this snack, Sione drove us to the school for our feast.

We were warmly welcomed at the school and the tubs of food were brought out. The table was set with a nice cloth and several large platters full of tinfoil wrapped mutton in spinach and coconut cream and corned beef prepared the same way were laid out along with very large platters of yams sweet potatoes and other roots and platters holding dozens of hot dogs, all were washed down with coconut juice.

We ate Tongan style stabbing anything off any platter we so desired. The three teachers and us ate all we could leaving the platters with very much food still remaining, the remaining food to be distributed among the families of the participants.

After the meal the principal gave a very eloquent and touching speech welcoming us to Tonga and his school and honoring us as parents of Alisi. Dianne reciprocated with her own moving and tearful speech of thanks, which we later learned was the most appropriate thing we could have done. So our first lunch in Tonga was 2 feasts back to back.

Since then the neighbors have brought us meals (plural) every night and also for breakfast. Last night the food was so plentiful we (Alisi) had to invite several friends over to share and we still have many leftovers. This morning the neighbor asked if we liked roast chicken and as we stood there shot several out of the trees with his 22 cal. Rifle. Oh and Sarah I think they want to roast a pig for us and Alisi says she thinks its your favorite pig. Dick and Jim we expect the same hospitality in Ventura.

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