A Play Date - Mosese and Clancy

Mosese, the youngest son of friends (Salesi and Rochelle) has become one of Clancy’s favoured mates. On Saturday he came over for a play and a swim, and then went with Clancy to his tennis lesson.

Hanging with Amanda and the Kids

One of our great friends from Cambodia was back in Australia with her kids at the same time we were and we caught up on the foreshore in Wiliamstown. We met when we lived in the same hotel in Cambodia and Clancy, Leon and Sophie became friends, then going to horse riding and the same school.

King’s Birthday

One of the pluses of being in a small island nation is that you get to do things you would never dream of having access elsewhere. It was the King's Birthday last week and through Anny’s position at the Ministry of Transport we were invited to the celebrations. We joined the Friday night welcome cocktails and the Military parade and King‘s lunch on Monday. The photos here are from the parade and lunch. The King’s coronation was 2 years ago and there are lots of coronation memorabilia around town still for sale e.g. coffee cups, plates. There is something for everyone and I think we have our Christmas gifts covered (Lucky family).

An old friend

One of the great things about the King’s Birthday weekend is that an old friend, Joe Annandale from Samoa, was invited by the King and awarded the Order of Tonga. We last caught up with Joe and his wife Tui when they stayed with us in Bali in 2001. Sadly, Tui lost her life in the Samoan Tsunami of 2009. Joe sailed to Tonga from Samoa with a crew of 16 on a traditional 73 foot Alia / Va’atele (similar to photo) for the King’s birthday, however the wind changed and they had to stop at the northern island group of Vavau and he flew the rest of the way. It was great to have him meet Clancy and see Anny again and we caught up through the functions then shared a lunch and dinner on his last day in town. We will take Clancy to Samoa at the first opportunity to show him where his parents met. (Gamea and Loulou, Joe is Mr. Tattoo and he still remembers you fondly).

Clancy’s School

When we first arrived Clancy was enrolled at the Ocean of Light, a self proclaimed International school. While it has nice grounds,on a teaching perspective it is only just adequate and we felt there could be a lot more the school could be doing. We weren’t comfortable that teacher and program development was a significant enough part of the school focus, which in turn reflects poor opportunity for the students. There is a new school being developed, led by a number of Kiwi teachers at an old derelict university. It is very basic, although internally the classrooms are well stocked and presented. However, the difference in what they deliver in a class room and what their goals are for students, versus that of the Ocean of Light, are light years apart. After three weeks at Ocean of Light we got a call from the ACTS Community School with a place for Clancy so we moved him the first week back from term break. He is enjoying it and comes home happy everyday as he did at the other school, but we are happier that he is getting a planned and well thought out education. The down side is that most of the expatriate kids go to Ocean of Light, but through play dates and our normal socializing he gets to see all of them anyway.