A Tale of Two Ships

I have never been what one would call knowledgeable in aquatic means of transport, operating or just being along for the ride. Since my move to island life I definitely recognize boats to be most essential for transport, export, import, and leisure activities. I had thought that I had really arrived to the world of ‘roughing it’ when I survived the 14 hour boat ride to Vava’u during my volunteer training, and that if that didn’t kill me, surely I can make it through another. I made the decision to take the boat to Tongatapu (main island group) based on the reasoning just mentioned, and the fact that I am a cheap person and wanted to save money on a boat ticket versus the plane ticket price. This is not always a great way to go about making decisions in your life…I now know and whole heartedly accept this fact and will preach it to all who might be in need of my new found knowledge. The reason I say this is because my vague, legally prescribed drug induced sleep filled, memory of a 14 hour boat ride turned into a 26 hour never ending journey on the boat that Columbus actually passed on his way to supposedly discovering a new world. No one could possibly mistake this for a pleasure cruise during any of this boats 9 lives…I say that because it is a boat that has been passed along throughout countries until it is either sunk or bought by Tonga. Another fact, this is not a boat you want to use the bathroom on if you are not fortunate enough to be able to just stand and add your essence to the ocean.

Well I won’t bore you with all the details, just that I chose not to keep myself in the blue pill coma the whole journey this time. This kept me from feeling disoriented and dehydrated thus allowing me full clarity when contemplating jumping off the boat. Instead, I opted to spend the last X amount of hours in a sleeping bag on the deck and this was of course nice…looking at the stars, being rocked to sleep by the boat’s gentle movement to and fro, dreaming of the whales I saw hours before nightfall and all that other idealistic bull crap that, in the end, does not give you back 26 hours of your life that can be saved by buying the stupid ticket for the 45 minute nap on a plane.

Now…I did get to my destination. I am on the main island and was around for the king’s coronation, and it was fun, parades and all. I even took pictures! And I might take the time to resize them eventually so I can send them despite the slow internet here…but I make no promises.

Yes it was very nice being here, because the peace corps volunteers were lucky enough to get an invite to the U.S. navy ship that was here for the king’s coronation. (Australian navy and New Zealand were also here for parade participation as well) So yes, the hippies were invited to the cocktail party hosted by the navy residing on the SS John McCain; it was very interesting and fun. We got to tour the ship a bit, some more slowly than others because it was an open bar.
The food…oh the food…can I just say that eating shrimp surrounding an ice sculpture of the bald eagle has never been more satisfying? Plus just loads of goodies we just don’t get here, good times in general. When talking to the men in uniform and letting them know we were peace corps the immediate, and more than once, response was in reference to the surprisingly clean hygiene we had and lack of dreadlocked hair (well except for the one girl). It wasn’t a shocker that these were the assumptions that are first shot out, but I did find myself in need to excuse myself to get another bacon wrapped scallop, or drink, when it was pointed out that “yeah you work to bring peace and we fight to keep it. Haha”

I met a nice Aussie navy gentleman there, and we talked about the differences in the John McCain and their ship, and of course right off: this ship is much bigger, gets around on so many more gallons of oil, and of course enough weapon power to go ahead and take over Tonga for laughs. Eh…they were also well stocked in bud light and red stripe. But as pointed out earlier, peace must be kept and we certainly need more than flower power right?
Please don’t take my sarcasm as biased comments that are for or against any of our armed forces, I’m more than grateful to people willing to donate their lives for myself and others. My sarcasm is more directed to the notion of how one might be able to “keep peace.”

To ensure you all that life here is not all Love Boat and shrimp cocktails, this is what’s happening…I’m working on grants and surveys with a young lady named Kefi at the Family Health Center, who told me “maybe you can come back next week” when I arrived last week to get started. That’s pretty much it in a nutshell…right now work is not 9-5 and not going to be measured and presented, because it can’t be. I’m fine with that.