Only in Fatumu

As said earlier, Sione, our Tongan father, is the town officer. Interestingly enough, one of the responsibilities that comes with this title is that he is in charge of the entire village's water and electricity bills. Many nights someone (or a few people) will stop by with money, and he or Vaiola will take out numerous big notebooks, and fill in columns of numbers...when we inquired we discovered the bill paying system.


A few nights ago, I retired to our bedroom earlier, and around 8:30 Mark came in to tell me he was going to make a formal announcement to the village with Sione. Shortly after, I hear Sione talking in a megaphone....apparently, the best way to make "formal announcements" is by standing in the back of your pick up truck, speaking into a megaphone while someone drives you around.


This is our little red truck.

After about 30 seconds of Sione speaking, I receive a text message from Mandi, who is assuming that a hurricane is fast approaching Fatumu, or some such natural disaster (later we were told that yes, in fact, the megaphone is the method used to announce hurricanes...always good to know).

Mandi: do you hear the guy on the mehaphone? What is he saying?!

Me: ha, yes. It is Sione, I don't know but mark is with him.

After mark gets home and tells me...

Me: he's telling people how much they owe for their water bills.


Haha only in Fatumu!

Lovin and learning Fatumu,

Lisi