Dear Peter

Tongans do not celebrate Halloween. However, I think they all know what it is, and our ward primary sort of celebrated it. The English wards have done it for many years, and this was their first year to try it. But we made pumpkin cookies, paper michee jack-o-lanterns and ghosts to make our home a little more festive. My English teacher also had a Halloween party in class, and that was kind of fun too.

Now that school’s out, we plan to visit the other islands, and that’s what some people do. But most people don’t do anything over the summer holidays, and that’s not an understatement. If there’s no organized activity, you can be sure they won’t be doing much. Most Tongans will probably sleep, eat, play volleyball, and visit the local internet café all day everyday this summer. They will probably visit the beach once in a while too. The sad thing is, Tonga is not as quick paced as America, which is really nice most of the time, but it pretty much ensures that I will see very few if any of my friends over the summer, unless they’re in my ward, because they all stay close to home. No hang out/chill games for me. I suppose if I hear of any dances I’d go, and then I would see the kids of that neighborhood.

If I could do what I wanted to the school system here, I would start by rewriting the curriculum, and it would include regular and honors classes, so the few who are ambitions about school don’t get held behind by those who aren’t. I would also make a minimum grade to be able to participate in any sports. Nothing too high, but high enough that kids don’t enroll in school just so they can win a few medals. I would also give the student body officers more leadership opportunities. Right now, the prefects basically don’t do anything, and they are often worse students than anyone else at going to class, and not wearing their complete uniform…There are tons of things that need a lot of improvement, but that’s a start. The students are not incapable of learning more, and the teachers are not incapable of teaching better, but someone somewhere doesn’t agree with me, and it’s really taking a lot out of their education.

I haven’t kept in good touch with anyone really, because of our internet, but when I get the chance to check my email at school (three times now!) I write some friends from school, and a few of the ward girls. I basically just try and catch up my inbox, which is practically hopeless by now.

I always knew deep down that I was half Tongan. Yes, we have plenty of free time and we waste quite a bit of it. I know, it’s the beginning of summer, and that always happens in the first few weeks, and it didn’t help that we had dance practices half the day all last week, or final examinations this week and next. I’m sure we’ll get on top of things really well soon. Michelle and I have been helping our exam friends study, and we’ve also started working at the Health Center on campus, where we are dentil assistants to the new American dentist. It’s pretty rad; I’ve seen two root canals, countless fillings, a tooth/post reconstruction, and a couple of wisdom teeth extractions, and I only started working on Monday! Danny and I also help with this reading program they have for middle school kids, to improve their pronunciation and comprehension. It’s very sad, most of them are reading those skinny Richard Scary and Clifford books. These kids are older than Danny! But it’s nice to help out, and it’s a very interesting program.

Well, I hope that answers your questions pretty thoroughly. We’ll do another blog soon so you can get all your “juicy Temple details.”