Dear Famili and friends,

Update from the Lalo Kalosipani Crew

Malo ho'omou lelei, and how have you all been? For us here mei he 'api ko 'Ofa Faitonunga, we are all well and fine. Maliana and her kautaha Malia hono tolu company have been staying true to their commitment, of morning rosaries at church and evening rosaries at home. Even little Milika and Saimone has got the morning version habit that I couldn't get any earlier than they are at 0500hrs . . . oh my goodness can you believe that!

Neni has been working remarkably well with the plantation, that it's such a relief that I don't have to buy manioke anymore. I know, you probably wondering I'm pretty lame at the bush work, but believe it or not, we're all made for certain purposes in life. Like Fita, she's terrible in the kitchen, but she's been amazing with our ECL kids, that even the little 6 year old girl I nicknamed "Trouble" who used to swear at me (and I almost crushed her with my bare hands) was calling ALL the sweet name at Fita, so I wonder if Trouble isn't normal why is she all sweet.

We had Milika with an appointment at the dentist (an old enemy of mine) that unlike the first time she saw the dentist and she was ALLL crying, but this time, Milika was so brave that anyone who would visit home would be fed up of her stories being so papela as the bravest of them all kids, that she didn't cry.

As for Rodney, he's being doing well. Our prophet now is running his local business mowing lawns in the village, that it amazes me how he talks of eating lu-pulumasima and lu-sipi on Sundays, and I could only afford lu-moa. I find it unbelievable. And also, fakamalo lahi atu eni to all of you who have been donating to our stay at the Lalo Kalosipani. Many thanks to you Vo and Etu's family in NZ. Ko e 'oku kalasi kehekehe hono kuki 'o e moa, mei he supo, ki he heuheu, ki he kaitunu, pe lolo'i . . . kae hange ko e lau . . . koloa pe 'etau kai makona. Pea kapau leva 'oku si'isi'i . . . pea mo'oni e akonaki 'eku fine'eiki "Pe'i kai fakasi'isi'i a". Again, still want to say thank you si'omou fakatotoe mai ho'omou kato kemau 'inasi atu ai . And me personally, I got my pay as promised by Fataiekuasi's Admin Team of $200. U guys are the BOMB! I have no idea how you guys make money from our webisite, but if you guys are just pure contributing, 'oku ou 'ofa lahi atu faufaua ki homou kato takitaha. It was just too bad the money came right on time, when my sister and her kids from Fiji, asked me for a favour I had no choice but to accept. I wonder if Ana knew i had my pay, that she waited all that time to ask a favour for her and her kids?!

Recent Family Events

In the past few days, we have had the company of aunty Sr. Clare and her students. For the first time in a long while, Sr.Clare and her gang, and the lalo Kalosipani crew went picnic on November 4th public holiday at the Good Samaritan Inn with the lovely company of Maliana Sisifa herself, who I can't remember ever going on an outdoor picnic with us before, and like I said . . . in a looooonggg while! I was fortunate too that my fiance, ta'ahine ko Pelenatita Pome'e mei Makave, Vava'u was also invited by the Lalo Kalosipani crew to join our picnic. Finally, I could see some less fakalotoloto (at least) or seeing the family door open to me and the life I have chosen for me...thank you very much. We also did celebrate our little Saimone Mahe's 2nd Birthday somewhere early this month with a kaitunu ika and sipi - an old fashion BBQ but still very effective.

Our Historic Coming Election

As you have all heard of the coming election on this November 25th, our election post is being held at the Free Weslyan Church Hall here in Matahau, and I'm glad that at the age of 28, my first time to vote would be on this historic day. I know that saying of how historic it is, brings tremendous hope of letting the government be actually a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" . . . even ECL teachers like Fita and a lame bushman like me (so what!) - we're all going to vote! It's UNBELIEVABLY EXCITING. To explain that feeling would take FOR-EVER.

You know I hope that this new election as in our candidate's campaign, that us people are being served rather than us serving them. Like in our district constituency No.5, there is not a night, nor a day that we don't hear of the names of our candidates. I mean that every day, and every night, we would hear them on radio, see them on all sorts of posters, billboards, newspapers, television luring every single vote they can. We even had one candidate with his billboard image size headshot picture of himself bigger than we've seen the King of Tonga's own headshot photo in public. Or regardless of how cheap or silly some posters and billboards seem, the more they appear the merrier, OR whether they stick out from a bread-fruit tree, or crossroad they become a hassle to road traffic signs . . . again the more the merrier. And then float parades, these parades are way way bigger and better than our Heilala Festival Float Parade. MAN . . . to see these guys smiling on top of their vehicles, waving to us . . . they should audition for the GALAXY BEAUTY PAGEANT. Anyway, let us celebrate this historic moment in our country's history.

For some, talking about taking advantage of the candidate's race, they got all kinds of donations. Like Semisi Tongia donating $100 at our ECL's Bingo fundraising last Saturday. (Remember people . . . at our level here $100 is quite a lot of money), he also donated $100 at our villlage Water Committee fundraising concert a few weeks earlier. Last Tuesday, we had Lopeti Senituli donating $150 to St. Joseph the Worker Community . . . si'i lava ai pe totongi 'uhila 'o e falelotu mo e holo, pea toe kumi mo e fu'u mopi fo'ou kalasi 'uluaki 'a Kolo (tauhi-holo). And even the faikava company, they get free tou'a from Hekisou Fifita, and of course free kava too. And others would talk of getting free meals in town from Sione Loseli. We had this stranger Maliu Takai coming to church with us last Sunday and even visiting each family home - wow now they care about us, but I hope it will win him votes.

So when this election finishes, I'm sure we gonna miss them all, with all the donations we've been having, the free candies for our kids, the generous gift and all that. To be honest . . . I haven't even made up my mind. I wondered myself, that if only all the 13 candidates in our constituency or at least two or three of them, should get into a public debate like Obama and McCain . . . that would be really really helpful for making up my mind. The thing I maybe unsure of the debate thing is the assurance of no violent attack from some of the supporters. You know what we are like. Last week, at the Nukunuku Police Station, two elderly women from Ha'alalo were called to court as one woman was charged for physical assault, and that came out as they were cheering and chanting out for their candidate. But as much as I hope for this historic election to happen, I guess like all of us, they don't come perfect. Let's hope it'll be less violent with more donation in the coming few days before we put in our votes.

Anyhow, I'm gonna head to bed now. Hope you all get the point of what I'm saying and also asking for your prayers that we may vote not according to family ties but to what we know is best for our constituency. Seriously? You think we're that bad? YEAH RIGHT!!!!! Why don't you let us know.

Until my next update from this historic election, ofa lahi atu and long live the democratic Kingdom of Tonga!

Hiko'itaulanga Manu