Wednesday was a fantastic day for my experience with Tongan culture! In our language class we had planned on going to Salt Lake to the Tongan store but didn't end up going because we didn't have enough money to get all the stuff for the 'umu on Saturday, so instead we went to a little Tongan/Polynesian restaurant and had food and a really delicious tropical drink. Although I'm pretty sure the food was a little Americanized, also the soda fountain machine gave it away a little too, it was still a fun experience to be able to talk to Sione and he could just tell us stories and we asked questions about the culture and tried to understand better.
Then we got the opportunity to go to the BYU luau and it was such a great experience. I think a lot of people kind of lump all of Polynesia together as the same but in watching all the different performances from all the different countries, it was clear to see that they were all unique and special in their own way! I really enjoyed the Tongan dancing and I was surprised that during the show I could pick up words that I recognized and I was able to understand a word here and there. It was an extremely beautiful show and hopefully I'll be able to learn some Tongan dances while I'm down there. It would be a great cultural experience and it will help me to build relationships with the wonderful people of Tonga.
I'm really grateful for our language and cultural prep classes before Tonga, because I feel like we will be able to go to Tonga wanting to learn about the culture and not just have an extended vacation there. It seems like a lot of tourists just skim the surface of the lifestyle in Tonga and other Polynesian cultures, and I think that can be the case for international internships and study abroads(obviously not all). There's so much more than just dancing and food, but there are ways of life, ways of thinking, family norms and unique cultural aspects to other countries that are so much more meaningful if we can experience them in contrast to our own and what we're used to. Hopefully that makes some sense. I'm just excited to be able to actually experience and live the culture, and not just see it.
I totally agree about most tourists skimming the surface of a place. After going on a field study my perception on vacations even is really changed. I am much more careful about saying that I know something about somewhere if I have only been there for a short amount of time. Also, it makes vacations seem kind of meaningless because we just go to places because they are pretty or have good weather. There is so much more to every place around the world.
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