Malo e lelei! This week is Tongan language week after having a neat relaxing weekend with my beloved enjoying his 'Father's Day' lunch and dinner and just chillaxing after a busy week of work whilst my Father is in Samoa relaxing next to the sea.My connection with Tonga is through my maternal great grandmother who was a matriarch and could speak Tongan fluently as did her son, my maternal grandfather, so much so that they would argue (in the Tongan language) or so I was told by my mother so that others in the family couldn't understand what they were saying.
Through my mum, I was told that they would spend time going back and forth from Tonga as my Great Gran had a sister whom married in Tonga and that's where we get the Hurrell connection as she married into the Hurrell family.
Sadly, that connection has been lost in time through the passing of both my Great gran (whom I never met but was named after) and my grandfather. And more sadly, none of my family can speak Tongan or have that connection with family in Tonga anymore.
So as we celebrate Tongan language week, I'm reminded to try and make connections through our gafa (genealogy) to our Tongan family, even if digitally and then who knows what can happen as we begin connect through digital data bases and connecting the dots to our aiga/families overseas.
Malo au pito...
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