Learning Journal 23

For our Tongan language class we planned a field trip for today. We were going to go to Salt Lake but not enough people showed up from both of the classes so we just stayed around in Provo. We went to Many Lands and Sione showed us some Tongan food before heading over to a restaurant just down the street called Sweet's. I ate a teriyaki burger while the owners explained how everyone in Tongan culture is related somehow. We later went to the luau in the WILK and saw a lot of dancing. It was interesting to see how proud the Polynesian community was of their various cultures. The program spotlighted Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga and New Zealand with several dances from each place.
One thing that I didn't completely understand was that during some of the dances people would go up on stage and throw many at the girls dancing. I realize that its not done in a bad way because men and women would go up and throw money at the girls dancing. The thing that confused me was that everyone seemed to know when it was appropriate. Not every culture had people get up on stage to give money, and it wasn't on every song. During the Samoa segment a woman with a huge headdress seemed to be the signal for the money. But in the Tongan dance the only difference was that only girls were dancing, and they were wearing the ta'ovala. But after they'd been dancing for a minute people just got up and walked across the stage throwing money at the dancers as they went by. I'll have to look into it more and see what that means.

Learning Journal 20

For our cultural prep class, Sione asked us to read two articles written by Vai Sikahema. In these two articles, he discusses the relation of the Tongan culture to the American culture, as well as Tongan culture to the culture of the gospel. The assignment to read these articles stemmed from the discussion we had about the word palangi and what that entails in the eyes of many Tongans. To summarize the discussion he said palangi culture is viewed as being a better way of living. I didn't really like that belief, but I guess it stems in part from the idea that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I look at the little I know about Tongan culture, and admire them for their humility, family relations, and faith. Being an insider of what palangi culture is, I don't think its that great. Like every culture it has many positive attributes, but its not the best. Vai Sikahema commented along those lines in one of the articles saying that he was a 'cafeteria Tongan', taking the admirable aspects of Tongan culture and applying them within his life and family. Some aspects, especially on parenting styles, he chose to adopt a new approach rather than physical abuse and sarcastic remarks on a child performance to avoid appearing proud. So in being a member of the LDS church, he chose to adopt a more caring parenting style by praising his children, and discussing matters considered taboo in order to ensure they knew the gospel stance on matters such as chastity and not the world's alone.
There truly is a rich heritage that we gain from whatever culture we grow up in. American culture is a mix of many different traditions, and I appreciate the diversity. Yet in having traveled and lived in a few other countries, I appreciate the distinct and sometimes subtle differences between ways of thinking and living that cause me to question my own perceptions.