This evening, we went to a surprise birthday party for Sister Tiuone, the wife of the mission president in Tonga. All of the senior missionaries went, including the office staff, and A.P.s. About a third of the seniors are Tongan, and we really enjoyed ourselves. They opened with a song in Tongan, and then an opening prayer in Tongan, and then introductions, (in Tongan). Then, we dived in to a buffet dinner, including raw fish, octopus, and a whole pig. It was fantastic. The raw fish was good, but the octopus was excellent. It was quite firm, and didn’t taste at all fishy. The Tongan who had prepared it was seated across the table from us, so at first we had to try some, but after tasting it, we went back for more.
Fish that are for sale on the dock. They sell them whole, by the bag.
They open up the clam with a knife, cut out the meat, slide it into a baggie, and off you go!
They also sell octopus. It actually tastes quite good.
This is the boat they go out in. 5 fishermen with Hawaiian sling (spearguns), snorkling in 30 feet of water, 5 miles from the island.
This is the speargun they use.
(8 a.m. rush at the clinic.)
After several days of very temperate weather, today was like a sauna, an at the birthday party, it was sweltering. We came back to our house where the air conditioning was on full blast. I spent an hour or so preparing plastic trays and bins, that hopefully will make my life easier in the clinic. We definitely need some organization there, or I am going to lose my sanity. Even though I can generally find what I am looking for, after pawing through piles of consumables, it takes twice as long as it should to accomplish a procedure.
I used my laser again today for a couple of surgical procedures. I hope I will be able to use it a few times a day. Most of what I did today was oral surgery and I chased down a number of pesky root tips, all with minimal suction, and no assistant. It’s challenging.
After we finished to day, Sister Kapp, our next door neighbor (the Mission Nurse) came to the clinic and I removed a large cyst from the top of her foot. Randy Gardner assisted me. (Of course, I used my laser). It worked out really well. I think I am going to specialize in foot and mouth diseases!
I am now treating foot and mouth disease.
As simple as removing a fibroma from the mouth. (Having said that, we asked her to wiggle her toes from time to time – wanted to make sure we weren’t near tendons!)
Excising the lesion.
(She has remained asymptomatic since the surgery – reminds me of Patrick’s surgeries, only not nearly as Alien-like.)
Mom has been doing GREAT in the clinic. She sees patients throughout the day, and is getting the hang of the cavitron. When I think that I am two years out of practice, and then realize that she is 45 years out of practice, it gives me some perspective. But she has a really positive attitude, and is great with the patients. It’s not easy bending over patients all day long, and she works without an assistant as well.
Our missing assistant finally came in today, 15 minutes before closing time. She brought a friend with her who had a toothache, and I think that’s the only reason she came to the clinic. Her friend had all 4 wisdom teeth, and #17 had overlying tissue that was getting traumatized by #16. So I used my laser and did an operculectomy. I hope we see our assistant on a regular basis from now on. Time will tell.
After driving around town again this afternoon, on various errands, I realized that THERE ARE NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS ON TONGATAPU. This means there are NO traffic lights IN THE COUNTRY. That’s right, the entire Kingdom of Tonga has not a single traffic light. I think that qualifies Tonga as a Third World Country. That could be a jeopardy question: This country has no traffic lights. (Maybe the Vatican City doesn’t either, and maybe Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan don’t have any.)
When seafood actually gets to your table in a restaurant, it looks great and tastes great.
Diners at the restaurant where we had dinner on Tuesday evening (October 24, 2017).
When we walked in to the restaurant, the man at the end of the table got up, came over, said “Hello Elder,” introduced himself, and told us about the group of children he had brought to the restaurant for pizza – which was their prize for winning a competition at their school. Many times, on the street or at a shop, total strangers will come up and shake hands, and then tell us about themselves (“I live in such and such a village. I served a mission in the U.S., I’m the bishop of such and such a ward.)
Sister Kapp, the mission nurse, always carries Purell. Tongans don’t wash their hands very often. We’re told that when it rains, parents will send their kids outside in their undies and a bar of soap in their hands.
We’e learned that one reason Tongans only brush their teeth once a day is because a normal size tube of toothpaste costs about $18.00 Pa’anga ($9.00 U.S.) They figure thatif they brush twice as often as they’re used to (we encourage our patients to brush twice a day) it will cost twice as much as they’re used to
Phil and Jan's Adventure in Tonga 