DAY TWO:
As I am writing this I am listening to my elicit recording of the UB40 concert and thirty tiny ants are running around my computer. I am afraid they are going to fuck up my hard drive, as they are small enough to get inside, but I don't know what they could do. I spent the day trying to get oriented. I wandered to the shore, where the view is amazing. The water at the end of the pier is an incredible deep purple/turquoise, and it does not show up in the photos I took. It made me think of Scuba diving, where you se stuff that you can't show others because you can't take a picture of it. Believe me I have never seen water this color before. I am drinking more Ikale, the local beer, which is appropriately named ( Ich- ale) because it is really bad bottled. On tap it is fine, but bottled it has a sour sweet taste that is not beer.
I then went to the expat cafe, which has a tourist store also. Had some incredible Marlin for cheap, with three beers. Good lunch. Finally got a map, but it is a pathetic tourist map that doesn't help find the good spots. But at least I could get oriented. I was able to rent a bicycle for the nine days I will be here, and they were very friendly. I gave them some money, and they didn't ask for a credit card or anything. No Receipt, no nothing, they are just trusting that I will return it when I leave.
I then read up on Tonga with a download I had done from an ex Peace core Volunteer, took a nap, and went to see UB40, which was four blocks form my hotel. It is in the sports stadium, and the set up was ridiculous. Most of the lights didn't illuminate the show, but the audience, so you were staring into blinding lights. The truss work was also hilarious, if any major wind came through it would have knocked it down. I went early because it seemed that the whole city was streaming there already. There were a bunch of concession stalls set up, none with menus or lists of items sold. The one thing I couldn't figure out was that a lot of them were selling Ramen noodle packages. No Hot water it seemed, just the dry noodles. I tried to figure out what was happening with those but had no success. I bought two meat pies, and couldn't tell you what meat was in them. The other fascinating thing was that there was no alcohol being sold. The audience was EVERYONE, from one year old to 65. And there were no beer stands, no nothing. The band stand was full, and there were supposedly differently tiered tickets sold, but there was no one there to regulate where folks went. So you could have spent $100 on VIP tickets near the front, or $20 grandstand tickets, but in the end everyone pushed forward and crushed the stage. The show was fine, much what you would expect from UB40. I am afraid that UB40 will force itself to be part of the soundtrack of my show because they were there. And are still there. 50% of all music you hear is UB40 as you walk down the street. Please, someone help me figure out how to use them without having to play their music.
The big thing here in Tonga is that no other band of their caliber has EVER played here. I asked someone at a bar, and he named two other reggae bands I had never heard of as being the only other band s to have played here. So no one with the caliber of a 25 YEAR OLD band has even bothered to visit this country. I am surprised, because they did draw at least a third of the entire population here. But it was also obvious that the Tongans were not used to seeing a show, because when they were done everyone started to leave. I was thinking " you have to cheer and bring them back out for an encore" but that wasn't happening. So they eventually came back out anyway and performed three more songs. Every one streamed back into the space. It was hilarious. If I could figure out how to connect this minidisc to my computer I would send you guys a sample. But I guess you have to wait.
So after the show I wandered. The big past time here in Tonga is people watching. So I joined in and watched the folks stream from the venue. I wandered down back to the shore, and was surprised that there are basically no bars, either. Tongans don't drink much. It is fascinating. I went down to the International Dateline hotel, where the opening band and UB40 were staying, and watched as they prepped for the band's return. Too lazy to stay and wait. Went to the only club open and played some pool with some locals. Except they only had a snooker table, and were playing pool on it. Three guys introduced themselves to me, and I tried to have conversations with them, but in a loud bar with rough English not much was conveyed. Though it was interesting to be approached so openly. And it didn't feel like being slaved to. Meaning in Liberia, everyone came up and asked for money. Here, I am basically ignored, so when someone interacts with you, it is not to get some money out of you, just to find out who you are and what the hell are you doing in Tonga. And my story, though interesting, is limp. In any case one of the guys was very interesting and I will keep you informed if I eventually actually interview him.
OK all for now,
Kisses from the far side,
Joe
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