Greetings to you all famili wherever you may be. May I also wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2010. I join Fr Ekuasi in hoping that we'll all have a safe, healthy and lovely Christmas and new year.

I have just got back from the sunshine state, Florida, after having spent a week there with Poini and Lua and their families. And Florida sure lived up to its name because I could not ask for a better weather. Nice and pleasant all week except when we were out on the golf course. I was glad to have been there just when little Xavier Mahe Tavo (Lua and Linda's latest grandson) was baptised in a nice simple ceremony followed by some delicious lasagna.

It is true that the money crisis of the past 2 years is still hurting a lot of people especially in the US but was glad to find both Poini and Lua still holding on to their respective jobs and so do the rest of their families. I stayed with Poini and was happily surprised to find Xandriena and her two cute girls keeping company with her dad right now. Xandriena is doing a diploma in psychology online and she's quite enjoying it. Josh, Lua's eldest son, is also enjoying his job as an architect. He and his dad work for the same company. But Jake (Lua's second son) is for me the big hero. He has five gorgeous kids and looks as if he can still handle a few more. He is the head coach of the local high school girls basketball team while his lovely wife Mary works as a full time teacher.

But of course, the highlight of any visit to Florida can only happen on the fairway, so much so that we even cancelled our plan to watch the new movie "Invictus" just to play some more golf, even late into the night. In all, I really had a great time, even managed to go bowling for the first time - and all thanks to Poini & Lua and their families. And if golf is not your thing, you still need to try Linda's "chicken liver special". That in itself is well worth a visit - ko e ifo atu!

I have posted here some photos from my trip there, so I need not bla bla anymore - a picture is worth a thousand words, right? Just go to the photo section to see my photos from Florida. I still have a few more but will add them later. I also got some old photos of Fatai and Ekuasi from Linda, and will put them up soon. I have some video clips too but will see if I can upload them because the last time I tried it took me ages to upload just one.

Please take care everyone and if ever you need a holiday, I think you know now where you should be heading!

'Ofa atu kiate kimoutolu hono kotoa,

Uncle Tavo