Opening of Tongan Parliament

I went to the opening of parliament, and dragged soni along with me. First we had to get permission from the probation office because the guy was on probation for something. Here are some photo's from the parade, you can see HRH Princess Pilolevu looking magnanimously on the school children, who's uniformity in marching was really amazing. The Tongan people reach a level of conformity that is truly amazing. Usually. Of course there are the deviants. Like soni. Like myself, and many others, but on the whole, the marching, parades, the repetetive nature of the landscape, the eternal rhythms of the islands, waves, seascapes, and the same food stuff, have created Tonga...

words....

Ta'e Lata

Writing is such an ordeal. I'm currently in Auckland, back living with Aunty Pisila in Mangere. Been working for 5 weeks now on writing chapter 1 and revising 2. Now the term "life writing" has come to define my project. About writing, well, its a magic thing isnt it. It drives me crazy sometimes. I have been writing lots. And feeling unbalanced! Not to worry, just part of the game.I'm getting anxious. I feel displaced. I am, in other words ta'e lata. Ta'e lata means the end of lata - lata means something to do with physical comfort, and sense of rootedness. I feel the greyness of Auckland skies as pressure upon my mind.

I'm meant to turn in two chapters next week. So far so good, but just a wee bit overwhelmed at the entire project.

Portraits

I'm writing some portraits on Lolo and Soni. Here's some flicks, the top one I took of my husband Salesi in our apartment known as Sailoame in 2008. Charlie took the next two, of Soni Ngaue and Soni and his brother Ngaue, taken in Fanga in 2008. I took the bottom one of Lolo Mataele, in front of some Fanga shops.