the king's birthday

4 July is a major celebration in Tonga, though here it is the King's Birthday (and not independence) that is being celebrated. This year marks King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV's 88th birthday. Which is not bad going for a guy who at various stages of his reign has weighed in excess of 200 kilograms.

Accompanying the King's birthday celebrations is the fortnight long Heilala Festival which culminates with the crowning of Miss Heilala on Friday night. One of the AYADs that I arrived with is working with the Tonga National Youth Congress. So it was, partly out of allegiance and partly through earlier notice, that rather than any of the three other fundraisers that it was with the TNYC Miss Heilala event that I got into the swing of festivities last Wednesday night. On the night we enjoyed a singing, dancing, introduction of the Miss Heilala contestants (accompanied by some very muscular and well-oiled Tongan bodybuilders) and a glass or two of the free Koala Blue Shiraz.

The next birthday function I got along to, was a very unregal hip-hop dance competition. Though I guess kings and hip hop performers share a love of tacky gold jewelry. After sitting through three entertaining, though sometimes torturously protracted hours, of Tongan teen hip-hop dancing I am finally convinced that Tongan children are made indestructible. There is no other explanation for their ability, and willingness, to repeatedly throw themselves around in the reckless manner required for their version of hip-hop dancing. It was also quite impressive that the makeshift stage held up to all the abuse. The crowd competed for our attention with the movement and energy of those in the stands of Atele Stadium often drawing our focus away from the onstage antics. So much so, that one of them even one a prize for her impromptu dancing.

Tuesday was the big day. The King wasn't well enough to attend in person, looking from within his palace instead, but that didn't detract too much from the day for me. I wasn't lucky enough to be inside for the palace grounds for the main festivities, though some AYADs did score an invite. I did however enjoy laughing at the petiteness of the French soldiers, as opposed to their Tongan counterparts, and the kitschness of the Miss Heilala floats in the seemingly compulsory parade that took place on the day. The picture above of Miss Keipi's Cake Art is one of the few I took that worked out. Although there are three Tongans from Australia competing in the competition, Keipi's Cake Art is just around the corner from my house in Fasi, so I am going for her. Though after the early rounds of the competition, she didn't look much of a shot. The winner is announced tonight.

The celebrations were disrupted somewhat today. The King's nephew Prince TuÂ’ipelehake and his wife Princess Kaimana TukuÂ’aho died in a car accident in the San Francisco area. A sad event, but this country is well prepared for a sad event. Expectations about the King's passing were very openly expresssed in the speeches made this week and in the press. So it is that I am well prepared for the need to wear black clothes for perhaps a month starting on Monday (leaving aside my trip to Samoa).

Today was meant ro be a happy day, I moved to my new office with windows and a cross breeze. Can't have it all my own way in paradise, I guess.