Reflections and New Beginnings…
REFLECTIONS AND NEW BEGINNINGS…
This holiday season has been filled with so much laughter, love, tears, joy and hope…so I figured I would share some thoughts with the rest of our Planet Tonga readers. Plus it’s about that time to update this blog since it only gets updated once a year…so this year I have made a goal to update it at least twice…hahaha!!!
ISLAND CHRISTMAS BASH
For those of you who have been following our recent articles on the front page of Planet Tonga, you are probably already aware that we helped to profile some of our amazing Pacific Islander music artists who were here in Utah as part of the Island Christmas Bash! There is really not much else to say about the Island Christmas Bash concert except that it did happen, it’s over and it has given a new meaning to the theme “live and learn”…enough said about that!!!
What I wanted to share about the concert are 2 things…
Firstly, Fiji sang a Tongan song live at the concert for the first time.
It was his first attempt at singing a Tongan song and so I give him much respect for trying to cater to the huge Tongan audience that was present at the concert! The crowd loved it as you can tell from the video clip!
Secondly, the most meaningful part of the concert for myself was the causes that were associated with it. One of the causes associated with this concert was Health Awareness. We chose to focus on helping to get our Polynesian people registered on the national bone marrow registry by holding two bone marrow registry drives! This was mainly to help aid in finding a bone marrow donor for the ‘Aiono family’s young son Phoenix, who was diagnosed with Duncan’s Disease. I am happy to report that because of all the efforts and support of our Polynesian communities in Utah, California, Hawaii, and Arizona, a donor match was found for baby Phoenix and a couple of other Pacific Islander families who have been patiently waiting for a bone marrow donor match!!! Many thanks to all who came out to support and show their love for the ‘Aiono Family. It is humbling to know that even though we are separated by various geographical regions throughout the United States, our Pacific Islander communities always comes together when we are needed most! Many, many thanks to all of you!!!
You can read more about it by visiting the following websites:
http://www.myspace.com/miracleforbabyphoenix
http://www.amiracleforbabyphoenix.com
**Baby Phoenix Aiono**
TUPULAGA CHRISTMAS RECITAL
I was fortunate enough to attend the Tupulaga Christmas Recital in Los Angeles, California this December and it was a wonderful experience! The Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center was fully packed with more than 2000 families in attendance from infants to grandparents, who were there to show their support for the Tupulaga dancers, who range from the ages of 3 to 18. The choreography was outstanding and to have it backed up with a live band made it that much more enjoyable. However, what really made it meaningful for me was the whole history behind Tupulaga (translated into English as Future Generation) and how it all got started.
Tupulaga’s founders; Dr. Kurene Ma’o and his wife Yvette Ma’o, started Tupulaga in their garage with only 10 members who were part of their family, neighbors and kids from church. They would meet in their garage and basically sing, dance, and play instruments! From their humble beginnings they have grown into one of the largest and most talented dance groups in the
I highly recommend that if you have the opportunity to attend one of their shows that you would do so! Tupulaga is not only entertaining but it also educational and inspiring!!! You can’t go wrong when those three things are combined!
Visit the Planet Tonga photo gallery to check out pictures from their recent Christmas Recital
http://www.planet-tonga.com/photos/main.php
If you are interested in bringing them out to your state or enrolling your kids in Tupulaga, please visit their MySpace page at: http://www.myspace.com/tupulagaonline
http://www.myspace.com/tupulaga23
WELCOMING IN 2008
We literally spent Christmas and New Year’s in the hospital with my grandpa
**my sister sulia**grandpa Tonga**me
My grandfather Tonga Poteki Malohifo’ou has been such an incredible influence in my life! I moved to Utah to live with him and my grandma ‘Ana when I was only four years old and so as you can imagine it was a lot of adjusting for all of us. We were all adjusting to the American environment, they were adjusting to raising another little brat (hahaha…I would like to think that I was an angel, but I have been told otherwise…hahaha) and I was adjusting to being away from the rest of my family! It wasn’t really the “ideal” family situation, but as I get older I have come to realize how blessed I have been to be raised by such amazing grandparents!
They raised me to embrace my Tongan culture, traditions, history, and genealogy at a time when everyone was trying to assimilate to American culture! They encouraged me to be fluent in both Tongan and English at a time when bilingualism was looked at as a detriment! They raised me to be a strong independent Tongan woman and never let me forget that although I was privileged I was also obligated! Privileged in the sense that I was able to receive a formal education and obligated in the sense that there was a greater purpose for my education and that I should never forget that! There is no doubt in my mind that the deep love I have for my Tongan community stems back to the way they raised me. I would not have been able to persist in higher education if I did not clearly understand my purpose for being there!
**The man who has inspired me to keep pressing forward**
I have spent most of my life in the classroom, both as a student and as a teacher, but the lessons I have learned while sitting across from my grandfather, working along side him, observing him, and emulating him have influenced me the most! The lessons my grandparents have instilled in my mind have carried me through many exams and final papers. The love they have instilled in my heart has sustained me through the most challenging times. The cultural values they have instilled in my life has humbled me in so many ways, and the wisdom they have bestowed upon me reminds me every day that I am the person I am today because of the sacrifices of many others and that my responsibility is to pass on that legacy to the next generation!
…and so this first blog entry of 2008, I dedicate to my maternal grandparents; Tonga Poteki Malohifo’ou and the late ‘Ana Toki Malohifo’ou, who embraced me when I was alone, who loved me when it was difficult, who taught me everything good they knew, who instilled within me a love for my Tongan heritage, who taught me to love fiercely and to speak gently, who humbled me with their very presence, who encouraged me to dream dreams that surpasses the status quo, who believed that there was a place in America for a young Tongan girl who dared to dream, and who infused a love of God into my psyche, to both of you I will forever be indebted!
**my maternal grandparents…’Ana & Tonga Malohifo’ou**
WISHING YOU ALL A JOYOUS AND BLESSED NEW YEAR!!!